Japanese JOY!

This card has been in the works for a while. First I had to hunt down the meaning of the Kanji, and thank you to Jane (Whoopsie daisy) and others on SCS, I now know it means JOY!! I've marked it on my stamp block so I'll never have to look for the meaning again!

I love the Kimono set, but find it really hard to use...make sense?? Anyway, the washi paper I chose reminded me of kimono fabric, so I placed it as though it was draping across the card.

I took a paintbrush and the gold metallic paint and brushed the edge of the Whisper White to give it 'something'. And I used blossoms on the background in two shades.

Sets used: Kimono and Art of the Orient
Supplies: Blush Blossom, Whisper White & Brushed Gold cardstocks with Washi Paper. Gold cording, Gold EP and the Tearing Edge.

Baby's First Picture

Hello all, sorry that it's been so long since I've posted anything. It's been very crazy busy around here and I think, for now, things are settling down a bit. I'm working on a card and I hope to post it today or tomorrow, we'll see :)

We had our first OB appointment yesterday and got to see the very fist glimpse of our little wonder. Seeing that little heart pounding on the screen was so....well, it put tears of joy in my eyes. The baby even did a few twists and turns, so it's already an active one. Finally seeing it makes it that much more real!!! Until now, sure I've got some nausea, but you just don't get that all over pregnant feeling until you see your little one.

And for all my viewers....here is our little bundle!! The Doc says it looks like a Gummy Bear....can I pick the flavor???

Chelsea was very disappointed that it wasn't twins. She wanted two, not sure why and I don't think she even knows why, other then it would be "COOL" to her. I, on the other hand, am very content with just one at a time.

I told the Doc that Mom had the same spread between my older brother and me, then ... already knowing I have a younger brother ... said "So, you still have one to go after this, right?" LOL Only if it will be cool like '3 years 3 months and 3 days younger', like my brother is to me.

Many are saying BOY, no one will say GIRL, so I don't know. We'll either make everyone happy or prove everyone wrong. Only time will tell.

The doc says I'm very healthy, even if I'm at the Advanced Maternal Age, WHATEVER, lol. Age is all in the mind, right??

Edit: We are due November 21st :)

American Splendor

My new set "The Free and the Brave" was sitting off to the side while I was playing with other sets, and now I wish I had gotten it out sooner. I love this set. I had so much fun making these cards and I really love the one with the dog tags, I might have to make more!



This first one was asking to be aged and distressed, seems that living in the 'sandbox' would distress you...so it was fitting for the card.

I used the Zig Painty on the tags to give them a silver rim and used the silver cording for the chain. I also have the soldier up on dimensionals. The "Sanded" background stamp is used on the Mellow Moss background, then sponged and the stars were added. I used my markers to color the stamp for the sentiment so that it could be in multi colors....remember to HUFF! and I stamped it twice so that it would fit on the two key tags. I call it my Dog-Tag punch, but SU doesn't, I think they should ;)



This second card took on a whole different personality then when I first started with it.

For both of the cards I used the Shimmery white paper for the main image, I often forget about this paper and it was a topic on SCS this past week, so I dug it out. With inks and blender pens, it colors beautifully!



I used my CuttleBug for the background and then with a tissue and white craft ink I distressed the background to make the squares pop a bit. Some wide red organdy ribbon behind the paper piercings with white/blue stars are added to the bottom. Our Proud American Eagle is up on dimensionals, proudly popping off the card. I sponged the three shades behind him. The gold to make him stand out and then the others to match the papers used (Not Quite Navy/Ruby Red).

Tranquil Japanese

Today I had time to play with my Washi papers again. I don't know if I'm missing Okinawa or I just like this paper....maybe a bit of both. The weather here is getting warmer every day, so that will keep in tune to the warm days in Japan.

For this card I wanted it to look aged. I used a Hampton Arts stamp "Chinese Writing" as the background image, I thought it made it look like some old paper that was laying around for a while. Between that and the sponging to darken the paper, I think I succeeded.

I used the CuttleBug for the 'black' background and then with a paint brush I brushed some Gold Metallic paint over the mosaic tiles and the edge of the Perfect Plum. I love to use gold when I'm doing an Asian type card, it always makes it seem just that much more Asian.

The Washi paper had the perfect purple to match SU's Perfect Plum, so it gave me my color scheme quite easily. The Kanji stamp from SU says Tranquility. Nothing like enjoying the peace.

Other products used:
Cardstock: Perfect Plum, River Rock, Confetti Cream, Black
Accessories: True Thyme Ink, CB Folder, Black EP, Eggplant Grosgrain, Gold Cording, Cutter Kit, Gold Metallic Paint, Sponge and DTP (Direct To Paper) on the River Rock layer.

April Is Among Us!!!

Happy April everyone!! I love spring, the colors of everything in bloom gives me such a fresh feeling and new inspiration!!

Also it gives me the energy for Spring Cleaning!!

I've been busy sorting through my Studio and finding things that I'd love to pass along to someone who can use them. Check out my eBay listings for catalogs and stamp sets! They are new and unmounted sets from 2005-2007! There might be just the perfect thing for your own collection!

I'll be busy this week getting some things made to post here, not sure what yet, lol, but I have a few things brewing in my head!

Have fun and get inky!!