Stepping down...

This is my last official day as a design team member for Our Daily Bread designs - it has been such a privilege to work with this team of ladies - truly a group that love to stamp, love the Lord, and love and support each other. I'm so thankful for the time I've spent with them, and look forward to seeing what they will come up with next! I'm still trying to define my role now - I guess I'm stepping down, but not stepping out. Since ODBD carries my dkdesigns line, I'll continue on as a designer and occasional guest to the team, as I work with my own designs. I also design ODBD's banner ads on Splitcoast, and will continue doing that as well. So I'll be around!

2 of ODBD's new July releases are my designs, so when those stamp sets arrive, I'll have some creations to share. Be sure to visit the ODBD blog tomorrow for information on the blog hop! I hear prizes are involved.... Here's what's coming from dkdesigns:

Can't wait to work with these! Such encouraging words.

Today we are headed up the mountain to an Indonesian Baptist youth camp - I'll be teaching a group of 20 kids how to make an envelope book...should be fun!

Get your motor runnin'......

Head over to the Artful INKables blog for more about the 'Featured Stamper' card below! these images are from Artful INKables' super cool set called Road Rider.

Dance

Just wanted to share a couple cards made with some of my newer smARTworks designs - I'm still not sure what possessed me to design dance stamps...no one in my family dances (except the kids, which is more of a mad frenzy...)...but I love the sentiments and the images and the concepts, and this little girl is precious as can be...so...I present to you...Dance.I had some fun with the skirt on this card - the material is wide wired ribbon, which I gathered on one side by pulling the wire out from the ends. (The wire is tucked through 1/16" holes and twisted in the back as an anchor.) The ribbon roses, I admit, are addicting....here is the link to instructions again. Here's a better look:

The 2nd card is colored with Neopiko markers and Prismacolor pencils, and sponged with Sand ink. The sheet music is stamped in the Sand ink as well. "Thinking of You" is a sentiment from the Frames full sheet. The daisy is a large Prima, folded in half and tucked under the ribbon.

Happy news at our house is that DD has finished Kindergarten, and the little guy has graduated to only wearing a diaper at night! I've been working like crazy on CHA samples and also preparing for a cardmaking workshop Wednesday 7/1 at a youth camp up the mountain...I have a 2 hour slot, and I'm planning on making envelope books...but still not sure if that is realistic or not, with the time restraint and the possibility of having up to 20 participants...I may choose a different project instead...or at least do the book that uses a paper fastener rather than the accordian book. Thoughts?

Salt in your tea?

{Actually salted sweet tea here is a common home remedy for upset stomach...not sure that it has any effect on the illness, but it probably has potential as a subsitute for a rehydration drink...anyway...}

Donelda is our smARTworks Tea Party hostess and she's challenged us to create a Salt Background this time around. There are 2 versions of this technique that I know of, so here are instructions for each:

Salt Background - Glossy Paper

Salt Background - Watercolor Paper (scroll down)

Take your pick! Here are some cards I've done with a salt background, in case you need some inspiration...

He is Risen

Hands of Blessing

Always (2nd card in post)

This will be our last Tea Party for the summer, so if you've been waiting to join us, jump in! If you have smARTworks stamps, by all means use them, but if you don't, come and play anyway! We'd love to have you.

Amusing stuff of life.....

Yesterday this little beauty found its way to my desk...via a wish-list item expressed in an interview on the ODBD blog, a generous sister in Christ in North Carolina with a blessing to share, and co-workers who returned to the field this week with a little extra room in their suitcases which they spared for me! How cool is this? I'm especially excited about the fact that I can use those dusty Fiskars texture plates in them (we just had to trim them down a little, which was an adventure (sawing, melting, sawing again, sanding), but it ended up alright!). Happy me! A freakish egg that came with my order yesterday...what is that? I am almost afraid to crack it open. Doesn't it remind you of the Ugly Duckling story?

And finally, a picture I snapped with my phone at the grocery store the other day - if you are a Facebook friend you know I collect pictures in town of what has been deemed "Engrish" - Asian interpretations of the English language...

FUNNY BUNNY - With her talent, smart move, and accurate

she can make a good score and win the games
because she is very enjoy being bunny

Wonder if that bagger will ever wear this shirt again...

One set, three ways.

Everyone's got their cupcake sets...Impression Obsession has 3 cupcake sets, and I'll admit...I have all 3 of them. Each is unique in its own way - actually each was created by a different artist. The newest cupcake set is called "Create-a-Cupcake" and was designed by artist Tami Potter. It has solid cupcake 'parts' an outline image, swirly icing, all kinds of toppings, and even a cutie face! The small images would make great backgrounds or borders too - just lots of possibilities here. Check it out: Here are 3 ideas using the set!

Chocolate (sparkly) watercolored frosting, with a cut-out flower top (see the swirly icing border around the edge of the floral panel?)...

A ribbon-rose topped solid cupcake (I followed this YouTube tutorial - and then listened to it over and over just to enjoy the instructors lovely accent...)An ice cream cone! Each 'scoop' was stamped with chalk ink, cut out, then highlighted and shaded with Prismacolor pencils. The little leaf image made a perfect 'drip.'

That's a quick tour around this cutie new set! Versatile, huh? I know the card descriptions are short and sweet - if you have questions please let me know!

House Mouse - Neapolitan challenge

This week's House Mouse challenge was to make a card using classic Neapolitan ice cream colors. I still have a stash of Gina K's digital Neapolitan paper collection, and that gave me the perfect base colors for my image. I started coloring with Neopiko markers and did the rest of my shading and coloring with Prismacolor pencils. The sentiment stamp is from Impression Obsession. Thanks for stopping by!

Stamper of Light...heh.

This is one of those cards that materialized in my head long before it made it onto paper. I combined 2 Our Daily Bread designs sets - the June release "Ask Seek Knock" and an older release called "Path of Life"...I wanted to use the doorway and show a scene through it. The girls in the Bread Basket said the card is "Thomas Kincade-ish" - humbling compliment!

I started by stamping the doorway on a piece of Basic Grey cardstock, then trimming out the door with an exacto knife. I sketched in an extension of the path to make it as wide as the doorway opening. I did use some stamps from other companies: the cobblestones are from Impression Obsession, vines from Art Impressions, Grass from Biblical Impressions, and fern stamp from Stampin' Up! (used on the Wisteria Vine). The path scene is watercolored using Derwent WC pencils. Other coloring on the wall (vines, grass, etc) is done with chalk inks and Souffle pens.

In other news...my little guy is potty training himself...one of our national coworkers (single gal) who is also a close friend is staying with us until sometime in July, so I have help again, and I have a lead on a helper when she leaves (not a live-in...)...the kids are working hard to finish school, hopefully by the end of June...and though my official term with ODBD is almost up, I get to stay and play in July because...I have a new set and coordinating single stamp being released! Stay tuned!

Impression Obsession Challenge: Stamps Only, no DP!

The Impression Obsession team's challenge this week was to create a card using stamps and solid cardstock only - no patterned paper whatsoever! I thought it might be fun to create my own patterned paper, so I did, using this new clear set ("More Coffee") by Sarah Phelps. I stamped the coffee cups in staggered rows, then colored them in with markers and Prismacolor pencils. I based my color combination on the scrap of ribbon I tied below the chipboard.
I had to do one more, but the picture isn't so good, bad camera angle...the stitched vellum layer has roses stamped on it in white Stazon ink. The butterfly was a RAK from my faithful CSSC Sarosa...thank you girl! Bead caps and charm were a recent Ebay purchase. Stamps used: Solid Rose Cluster, Don't Know. Be sure to check out the rest of the team's DP-free creations as they post throughout the day!

Daniela @ For the First Time
Deborah @ Cards and Things
Jeanne @ Inky Paws
Jenny @ One Krafty Kat
Julie @ Out to Impress
Kelli @ I Made This Myself!
Laura @ Laura's Stamp Art Journal
Shirley @ the I.O. Blog
Tina @ stamp it chick

Tea Party Sketch time!

For weeks I've been staring at this image on the calendar that hangs on our office door...not sure what it is, so I got curious as to how it would work as a card sketch. Since it was my turn to host the tea party this week, that was the challenge I set out for the rest of the smARTworks team. Can't wait to see what they created! Here's my card:

I sat down with some new DK stamps from smARTworks' latest release. The verse stamp is a separate single stamp, and the rose image is part of one of the new dance sets - I love these sets, though I can't dance worth a lick...they were just so fun to design.

Couple fun things on this card - one is the rose, and here's a closeup of the layers. I stamped the rose 5 times, 4 on the dark coral DP and once on a green pattern (actually I think it was the reverse side of the coral).

The other fun thing that I didn't get a good picture of are the edges of the card, doilie, and verse panel. I painted a light border of Pumpkin Shimmerz around the edge - it gives a little sparkle and breaks up the straight edges a bit. I'll definitely be trying that again!

The rest of the girls would like to share their cards as well:
Trish @ Tah-Dah!
Susan @ In the Works (for Peggy too)
Giovana @ A Place to Praise and Craft
Donelda @ Wiggy’s World
Donna @ Dee’s Studio

If you played along this week, link your post in a comment here so we can see your work! Thanks for coming by!

Miss Shoe

I had to ink up this line of shoes from Serendipity Stamps...what a fun image! If you've never visited Serendipity's site and you love to color, be sure to check them out. They have some beauuuuutiful images, as well as calligraphed sentiments. Great stuff there. Love love love!

I pulled out the Prismacolor pencils for this card, and used the striped paper as a guide for my color palette. The shoe sentiment is from The Stamping Studio. Seemed appropriate, too, because...did you notice?...all those shoes are LEFT shoes.

Sympathy

An uncle of mine passed away last Wednesday, and this is the card I made to send to my aunt...it will probably take about 3 weeks to get to her, so I wanted to find words that spoke comfort and encouragement. I thought this verse from Our Daily Bread design's Peace set was perfect.

The rose image is from Impression Obsession - it's new to me and I love the versatility of large floral images. The base color of the image is done with Neopiko markers, and I shaded in the deeper colors with Prismacolor pencils.

Quiet Forest

Had a good weekend here...even somewhat restful! Saturday we had 2 families over for pizza - the families that recently graduated and will be returning to their mountain tribal village tomorrow (sigh...). Sunday we attended a church in town - Russ' language helper is an elder there and he invited Russ to preach and me to sing with another of our co-workers who regularly attends there. Apparently I have a standing invitation to sing there 'whenever I want' - so for what it's worth, I guess I've been 'discovered'... I made this card on Friday after school...the deer image looked a little stark so I watercolored in some extra trees and some leaves, using the fern stamp from SU's Watercolor Minis set. The frame is embroidered with ribbon - I pierced holes every 1/2", then...how to describe?...I put the ribbon up one hole, skipped a hole and put it down through, then came back up through the 'skipped' hole to begin the next stitch. Does that make sense? I know there's a name for that stitch, but I can't remember any more... Anyway, here's a closeup.

The charm is one I purchased from an ebay seller in Hong Kong - I've found a few places that offer smaller bulk lots with free international shipping. I love free shipping!

Ask Seek Knock

This card is a little more 'scrappy' than my usual style, but when have I been known to stay in my box? Heh! I found this printed photo in my scrap folder that looked like old door wood...the lock and keyhole are punched, as are the flowers (and the leaves are just separate petals of the retro flower punch). The buttons and pearls were local finds (score!). The verse stamp is part of the new set, Ask Seek Knock, available now from Our Daily Bread designs. Can't take credit for the photo, but the site I got it from a long while back is gone gone gone... If you're looking for photos to use in your crafting, though, I recommend www.morguefile.com - it's one of my favorites!

Floral Wreath & Stamped Templates

A few months ago the smARTworks design team was issued a challenge using the Grow On set, and every team member chose to "go pink" with the floral image. I decided I needed to see it in a different color, so I made a partial wreath with the flowers. Each flower is trimmed out and watercolored, and individually placed. The quote is stamped in chalk ink - it comes from the DK Together set, one of my designs.

The flourishes on the card were made using a stamp as a template. I used a stamp from the Happy Silhouettes set, stamped it on a piece of acetate, and used the acetate as a piercing template. After that was done, I went back and 'connected the dots' with embroidery thread using an outline stitch. Here's a close-up:

Using the acetate made it easy to rotate and flip the flourish for different angles and effects. If you decide to try this technique, leave me a link so I can see what you came up with!