If you were wondering what I've been doing since I haven't been posting, I've been fighting the flu.  Am able to sit up today so guess that's progress.  Will be back to posting as soon as I can.

Zentangle and Hero Arts

Thanks to yet another major snow and freeze, I've had some time at home that I wasn't expecting.  It's enabled me to finally get at least one Valentine done.  Two Copic markers added some color to the heart.  A Hero Arts circle stamp set was used with gray, white, and pink ink to add some pizazz to the background. 

Taylor Expressions

Thanks to Facebook, I realized a far away friend had a birthday today.  Opps!  Fortunately, this newly acquired set has come in handy.  The words and images are stamped with Brillance "Moonlight White" on a black paper.  An opaque white pen added the curly wool to the sheep.  The star is enhanced with a glitter pen as well as the dots around the edge of the circle.  The blue background is embossed using a Cuttlebug embossing folder.  The card is done, now let's see if the mailman shows up with all the snow and cold that is happening.

Mini Canvas

Yesterday's post showed the little canvas we will be doing as a mini lesson in February.  Today's post will be done as a mini lesson in March at Angela's Happy Stamper store.  Wplus9 has a wonderful feather stamp set and feather dies that were used in this creation along with gelatos.  These canvases can be done individually or put together to make a nice collage. 

Little Canvas

Thanks to the current snowstorm, my 6x6 canvas class was canceled today.  I posted the picture of the bird canvas a while back.  Made the most of my new found time to make up the 4x4 promised canvases that will be offered as mini lessons at Angela's Happy Stamper Store which go with the bird canvas to create a collection.  This canvas uses an Impression Obsession stamp that makes it easy peasy!  Will post the last in the collection tomorrow. 

Zentangle square

Still "zen-ing" as you can see.  This time after doing the designs, the paper was colored in with Copic markers.  If you are using Copics, make sure your design is inked with a permanent, yet not alcohol based, marker that can take Copics.  Since there was a wave to the square, it was continued in the black paper that went behind the main image.  Worked for me.

Zentangle Flower

It's been a while since I did a zentangle.  Today was a good day to have a de-stresser, so this was a good way to "zen" out.  Once done drawing, it was cut out and added to the card.  Amber gems were added last.

Third Brayer Resist Card

Are you as addicted to Pinterest as I am?  It is such a great source for so many things!  One of the things I look at a lot there are card ideas.  I borrowed the layout of a card I saw there for this card.  Think this is my favorite one the three I've done with the brayer resist.  This card has a snowflake embossing folder under the ribbon pieces that was sanded to show the white on the flakes.  Words are from a TLC set.

Second Brayer Resist Card

This card came together much faster than the last one.  It's hard to see in the photo, but the background has a snowflake resist on it.  The white snowflake is from Memory box and the words are by Amuse.  A dot of blue stickles was placed in the middle of the white snowflake.

Brayer Resist Card

I've been working on cards for my Master Board class.  We're doing a brayer resist with two multi colored pads on glossy paper.  Then we cut the paper up and make three cards with the paper.  Here is the first card but I'm not sure if it's a keeper.  The hearts take up so much of the card.  Am also thinking of removing the blue heart and putting a snowflake there.  Or should I remove the big hearts and just keep the little one?  I'm open to suggestions!

Wow Embossing Molds

We're making bracelets today at Angela's Happy Stamper.  We create the flowers using embossing powder and molds from Wow.  Makes a great gift!

Hero Arts Dauber Card

Hero Arts has come out with some great dauber paints.  Three are used on this card to create the dots.  Once dry, a Crafter's Workshop stencil was placed over the white paper.  A sponge dauber using a Distress brown ink created the extra images.  Then the word was added with a Versfine black.

Art Journal Entry

I've been wanting to try a journal page with a Steampunk theme.  This is the result.  However, this was really hard to photograph.  The whole page was colored with Viva Décor 3-D metallic paint.  You can vaguely see the images that were stamped onto the copper paint.  Extra black ink was added to the edges of the paper.  The heart is another paper covered with the same paint as well as some graphite paint.  Then a stencil was laid over the paper and copper embossing paste was used.  Once dry, more graphite was added.  The heart was layered onto a metallic black paper that was cut to look like gear notches.  The hat was embossed with a glitter black embossing powder.  We're going to do this page in February.  It will be up in the shop at Angela's Happy Stamper if you want to see it in  person. 

Hero Arts

Hero Arts introduced new stamps in December.  This flower was one of them.  It was spritzed with water and stamped onto water color paper that had also been spritzed.  Extra color was added to the petals and leaves with a Dove blender.  There is a slight shimmer to the petals because the extra ink was from a Brillance red/gold pad.  Words are also by Hero.

Winterscapes Card

Taught this card at my Winterscapes class Monday night.  It was a perfect night for it.  We hit record lows.  The folks did a great job and we had a good time despite the cold.  Hope you all are doing some fun in door activites-like stamping during these freezing days.

Gourmet Stamp

Continuing on with my "simple is good" theme.  Gourmet stamps are a perfect match with this theme.  They are unmounted rubber stamps that come with an image and words to go with the image.  Took this little guy and stamped in on this square and colored him in with Copic markers.  Added a printed paper from my scrap pile and then added the words to this Memory Box card and it's done.

Thank you

The words here are by W9 from the feather set.  I'm looking forward to using the feathers, but wanted to stay focused on scraps.  Thought this button counter pointed the words well.  Will definitely have some time in the stamp room tomorrow.  We are in the middle of the big deep freeze here. 

Thank you cards

After cleaning out my scrap drawer I wanted to use some of the paper.  Am I the only one who feels like I'm drowning in scraps?  Keeping in mind that my mantra is "Simple is good", my goal was to try to not "over think" making some cards.  Just put down some paper, add the words and maybe a finishing embellishment, and call it done!  I grabbed a few different colored card and went to work.  Here are a few finished products.  Does feel good to have a handful of "thank you" cards done. 

Coffee Card

Happy New Year to you!  I'm starting out simple this year with this card.  It 's good for a cold winter day.  The cup is by Inky Antics.  It's lightly colored in with colored pencils.  The edge of the circle is sponged with a Distress "Corduroy Brown".  Words are by Penny Black.  What are my goals for this year in the stamping world?  Well, one is to not forget that "simple is good".  So you can see I'm off to a good start.  Don't know about you but between all the fun and feasting, I haven't had much chance to stamp.  Am anxious to get back to a more normal routine which means stamping on a regular basis.  Today though, we will be boxing up Christmas.  Guess I'll have to wait one more day.