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Blogger's challenge - Different Point of View

This week's blogger's challenge was to create at least two items using the same stamp in a different way. Of course, I attacked this with gusto! I marched into the stamping oasis and pulled out a stamp willy-nilly -- I thought "This is EASY! Any stamp will do!"


So what do you think happened? I was, of course, hit by the old stamper's block -- nothing would come of it. I did create the two cards here, but I am not thrilled. I may give this a go again later this week. I love this stamp, and I know there is tons that I can do with it...oh well. So here is the first shot at the stamp: The stamp that we are focusing on is the flower stamp. It is one of a few stamps from a hostess set from Stampin' Up! called "Oh So Lovely". I do love the lovely simplicity of it! The background I used here is one from the newest Technique Junkie Newsletter called Dry Embossed Wash. I LOVE this background -- it is so soft and pretty in person.

Okay, here is attempt number two: This one uses the Marker Wash Technique from the October 2007 issue of the newsletter. I still love this technique -- I think the faux watercolored look is just divine! The layout of both of these are very simple -- I just couldn't drag out the embellies -- my mojo is still in Paris, I think!

In any case, the newsletter was mailed on Thursday (11-29, yesterday) -- all of you junkies can go take a look at the site -- and watch your mailboxes : ) Drop me a line and let me know which of the new techniques are your favorite!

I am scrapbooking today -- I am taking the day off after I get through my hundreds of emails and I hope that will jumpstart my creative muse! I will share if I do anything of interest.

Bon Jour!

First, my apologies. I went from a Blogging frenzy in October to dead air in November!

Although November seems to have blown by me, it has been wonderful. My oldest son made his Confirmation, I had company for a week (my shopping sister), and best of all, my DH took me to Paris for our 20th wedding anniversary! I am sure that you will indulge me and excuse my absence...I promise to make it up to you! I won't let my life get in the way again : ) Well, maybe I shouldn't promise that!

During my stamping absence, I missed a few Blogger's Challenges. I went into my stamping oasis this afternoon to try to whip up a few creative delights to catch up, but to my consternation, I did more tearing up and throwing out than completing! For a while there, nothing I did seemed good enough. I think I will blame the creative vacuum on our trip to the Louvre and to the Musee D'Orsay -- after seeing masters like Renoir, Van Gogh, and Monet, I felt foolish calling anything I stamped "art"! Don't fret; I worked it out and came up with the artwork below. One thing that did come out of the museum visits is that I was inspired by one of the artists so much that I have been pondering how to transform his style into a technique -- and I think I finally worked it out!!! Watch for that one in the next few months...I think you may just recognize the artist's name ; )

Okay, the last Blogger's challenge I missed was an inspiration challenge. The idea was to base our work on something around us that has inspired us recently. Well, who wouldn't be inspired by my subject matter?

I made this card for my DH using a technique from the upcoming Technique Junkie Newsletter -- Technicolor Dye Inks -- for the background. The collage over it uses a ton of stamps -- Stamper's Anonymous, Stampland, Club Scrap, VAP Scraps and Stampin' Up! I hope he likes the card!

I will post more tomorrow (may later tonight, too) about my trip...but in the meantime, rest assured that I will be back in the stamping saddle for the remainder of this month! I will be posting teasers all week. I mail the December issue of the Newsletter on Thursday, so it's not too long to wait for the link to show up, right?

Blogger's Challenge 19 - Embellishments

HEEELLLLLO Hanna! My online friend Kristi Ferro recently started her own stamp line called Hanna Stamps -- and the first set she has to offer are these wonderful stamps called "But I Need It..." I think there is a very big difference in the quality of acrylic stamps -- and Hanna Stamps are QUALITY. Don't you just love the style of these stamps? I knew I needed to use them for this Blogger's Challenge as soon as they arrived in my mailbox.

This week's blogger's challenge was to use an embellishment. Any embellishment. I WAS going to use a silk flower that I died to match my paper --- but then I found this great paper from 3 Bugs in a Rug WITH the flower on it in my stash and I knew what I needed to do! I cut around the edges of the flower -- the flower and the striped paper are one piece. I attached the edges of the flower to add dimension, and popped the button in the middle to add to my paper embellishment. Hanna was colored with Watercolor Crayons. This is a 5" x 7" card.

I am so psyched about these stamps and about this card! My sister is coming to visit next week for my son's confirmation, and one of the things we are doing together is to SHOP! I never make time to shop for myself -- so she and I are going on an expedition to pump up my wardrobe (my biggest fear is that someone will call "What Not To Wear" on me!). Since I am going to PARIS later this month, I need new clothes! These stamps came in the nick of time -- I made this cards for my sister to welcome her to my home and to let her know how excited I am that she will be here with me. She and I are VERY compatible shoppers! She will tell me the truth about how things look, yet still allow me to buy things that I love without saying "Do you really need that?".... She truly understands the phrase "But I need it!..."

Thanks, Kristi! GREAT Stamps!