Stamping, Chowder and Friends!

Happy Thursday - I just spent the last two evenings out with some girl friends - a good drink (yes I am a light weight in the drinking department), good food, lots of laughter, the friendship - priceless! So if you are feeling down spend some time with your friends who can fill your world with laughter!

Today is another card using new stamps released from Innovative Stamp Creations - This & That and the butterfly is from Friendship II:

The background stamp is my favorite of the new release - I LOVE background stamps and this is just right up my grungy alley! The background is stamped with Hero Hues white dye ink - WHAT not a Ranger ink pad? Shhhhh don't tell my distress and archival pads they may pack up and leave!- I discovered this ink pad at an Archivers class and I really like it - think a white dye ink pad that you can actually see on craft paper... All is right in my little inky world today!

Off to cut corn off 4 dozen ears and to make Corn Chowder for dinner! Have you ever tried it? I made if for the first time 3 weeks ago and Yummmm... Here's a link to the recipe of you want to give it a try. I sprinkle a little green onion, chopped tomatoes and cheese (well this is just for my DH) on top! Easy and a BIG YUMMMMM!

Spend some time with a friend you love and Happy Creating!

KAT

Stamps - all Innovative Stamp Creations

Is it Fall Already?

Happy Wednesday!

It's feeling pretty crisp here in Ohio - last Saturday, you know 4 days ago, it was 90 and so humid - today the low 60's - what's up with that? I'm not ready for fall but I do love fall colors.

Today how about some poppies in orange?

The flower is from the new stamp set from ISC Friendship Flowers II. The flower is blended with distress ink and some distress stickles in the center. The entire flower is popped up for added dimension.

This card has lots of my favorite things - flowers, basic gray paper, sewing and my Tim Holtz distress inks - sigh - just makes me smile!

Here's a close up:

Still thinking about Christmas - maybe I need to do something Christmas themed?

Have a great day and Happy Creating!

KAT

Stamps - All Innovative Stamp Creations

Thanks Friend

I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day! We had our family picnic at my house on Sunday and I had a beautiful lazy day on Monday!

Today I wanted to share a tag made from the new ISC Friendship II stamp set:


The entire stamp was used second generation stamping in the background using sepia Archival ink. Then stamped on crap paper using peeled paint distress ink for the sea grass level. The girl was stamped with black archival, hair coffee archival and the dress and hat were paper pieced.

Here is the close up of some of the details:


Here is another sample using the same set. The square was masked off and then blended with Vintage Photo distress ink. The dress and hat were water colored with the same blue in the background panel.


This is actually beautiful IRL - but the photo kept coming up dark for me... Sorry!

Hmm - I find myself thinking about Christmas.... Anyone else thinking about Christmas yet?

Enjoy your Tuesday and Happy Creating!

KAT

Stamps - All Innovative Stamp Creations

Nature's Beauty

Okay - really I am back. Life has been hectic with my Mom but I have figured out a way to carve some time out to create! Over the next several days I will be sharing the Innovative Stamp Creation's August Stamp line release.

Today Natures's Beauty:

I love fall leaves and these detailed leaves in a river bed (that is what I see) are simply beautiful. I water colored the main image using my Distress Ink pads.

Here is a close up so that you can see the glossy accents that I used to highlight the "river bed":

The background panel is the larger image in that stamp set stamped off once. The leaves on the side are from the main image water colored and hand cut out.

The stamps from the August release of ISC are fabulous - take a moment to check them out here!

Have a fabulous Wednesday and Happy Creating!

KAT

Happy Easter!

I hope the Easter Bunny left you your favorite Chocolate Bunny or some of his special jelly beans (have you seen Hop?, if you have you know about his special beans LOL).

Thought I would share two Easter cards full of Tim Holtz and Ranger stuff... (gasp - I cut into my Seasonal Stack!)

Chocolate Bunny:


Side View:


The bunny was molded using Mold and Pour and UTEE from an real chocolate bunny (only a few chocolate bunnies were injured during the making of this card):

This card was inspired by a Make and Take that Tim Holtz did "somewhere" and Mario Tweeted it (he is the king of BTS you know - if you are not aware you should follow him on twitter. He shares what is going on "behind the scenes" with Tim and his love of Starbucks! ).

Vintage Bunny:

Side View:

This one is full of Tim's dies, ink and idea-ology. That awesome bunny I bought at a stamp show last week - it's from 100proofpress (I like that they have unmounted rubber - my fav). I also used some of Tim's Glassine paper on layers of the flower.

I wish you lots of great chocolate today and I also hope that you get to spend today with your family and friends!

Happy Creating!

KAT

The Stuff - Pretty much Tim Holtz and the Vintage bunnies 100proofpress

Life is Good

I found out this week when trying to get my MOJO back that all I need to do is play with new stuff (and yes I am guilty of buying new stuff that I just have to have and some of it never sees the light of day). So more new ISC images, Tim Holtz products and sticky back canvas today!

Life is Good:

The main butterfly image is clear embossed in sticky back canvas using Delicate Swirls Butterfly (butterfly = good) and then colored with Vintage Photo Distress Stain (Distress Stain = good). I removed some of the canvas thread to give the panel a frayed edge (frayed edge = good). The flower and the background panel is from the Crowded Attic paper (new paper = good) and there is a layer of Glassine (Glassine = good) on the flower. Vintage dictionary definition ($1 find at a thrift store = good) and Butterfly fragment charm (charms from stash that never seen the light of day = good). Finally some sewing, inking, more stamping and distressing (that's all = good)!

Side view:

Be sure to visit the other ISC Architect’s blog/gallery:

Kathy Tucker
Julie Warner
Karen Dunbrook

Today = good - last night not so much! My Mom fell twice last night and every time it's a miracle that she has not really hurt herself. Life as a care giver and stroke patient = NOT so good.

Creating = Good! Have a great day!

KAT

The Stuff:
Stamps - all ISC - Delicate Swirls Butterfly, Artful Decor
Other - Tim Holtz and Ranger

ISC April Release - Artful Decor

Hello fellow bloggers and visitors! A long time with no blogging from me - life got in the way in a MAJOR way. My Mom had a stroke in the beginning of January so I've been taking time off to help her recooperate.

So I've picked my rubber and inks back up and I am trying to "get back in the saddle again"! I've discovered it takes a while to get my creative juices flowing! I am glad Innovative Stamp Creations has a new line of images that are butterflies - one of my favorite images to work with!

Artful Décor Stamp Line:

These small-dainty images add a lovely touch to your creation! Here are a few tips to consider:

Ÿ Use a 1 ¼” or 1” circle or square punch

Ÿ Use glossy accents on top of punched image and let dry. Punch holes before you apply the dimensional glue to give them a button effect - then affix on your card

Ÿ Create your own bauble!

Ÿ These images fit nicely in Memory Frames by Ranger

Ÿ Affix with glue on top of flat brads to give your artwork a final touch

Ÿ Affix with glue on a paper clip

My card I used a 1" and 1 1/8" punches to create my Dreams in Black and Cream patchwork card:

All the images are stamped on black and cream patterned paper. The background cream paper was created using Antique Linen Distress Stain.

Here's another angle:

Be sure to visit the other Architect’s blog/gallery:

Kathy Tucker
Julie Warner
Karen Dunbrook

Happy Creating!!!

KAT

The Stuff:

All Stamps by Innovative Stamp Creations

I'm Back

Where have I been?

Let's see - a trip to see Tim Holtz in Boston.... Making Christmas gifts... holiday baking.... holiday decorating.... holiday shopping... holiday parties.... Oh let's squeeze Thanksgiving in there too.... Yeah that about sums it up!

Overall I am in great shape for Christmas - some shopping left and wrapping and a little more holiday baking... Oh and let's not forget addressing and mailing my cards... Not too bad considering there's 19 days until the big day!

Betsy over at Innovative Stamp Creations asks us to create a little desk calendar that could be a quick and easy gift for someone. So here is what I created:

The back piece is two unfinished pressed paper coasters linked together with little grunge paper hinges. The Holly and calendar pieces are clipped on and can be changed for each month/season. I used Tim's lost and found paper for the month because my printer is not working and I could not print out the "real" months.

Another view of the Holly - I used vintage text on grunge paper and then inked with distressed inks to create the Holly and berries and some distress stickles:

November:

Close up of tree panel:

Here's the backing without the clipped on pieces:

Happy Creating!

KAT

The Stuff:
Stamps - All Innovative Stamp Creations - Angelical Holidays, Marvels of Nature III, Odd Findings, Distressed Script, Textures and Sentiments
Other - Distress Inks, grunge paper, idea-ology hardware

Are you ready Christmas (the most wonderful time of the year)?

Each of the Creative Architects’ for Innovative Stamp Creations were given a different Christmas line to create a card! So I am wondering:

Have you started Christmas shopping yet (me - yes - I actually have a friend who is finished and thinking about starting her wrapping - we can all hate her later okay)?

How many handmade Christmas cards have you created (I am over half way there)?

Do you buy store bought Christmas cards instead (nope it's either handmade or none)?

So I hope my Christmas card will inspire you to either get started or complete your Christmas cards today!

I thought this Angel needed an elegant background so I used the cream, black and gold color palette. The angel was blended with antique linen distress ink and gold stickles applied to her wings. I used a gold dabber on the textured background panel (cuttlebugged) and the bracket panel. Some gold embossing, Krylon Gold paint pen finished the card.

Please be sure to visit our Talented group of Creative Architects’ and become inspired:

1. Kathy Tucker (UR Here)
3. Julie Warner
4. Karen Dunbrook
5. Judi Rose

6. ISC Blog

Happy Creating!
KAT

The Stuff:
All Stamps - Innovative Stamp Creations- Angelic Holidays, Christmas Trinkets, Eclectic Christmas

Celebrate Fall

You may not know this but Betsy, owner of ISC, resides in New England and the inspiration for this Line was from her back yard! She says; “Fall in New England is truly gorgeous, especially further north of Manchester, New Hampshire. “

Celebrate Fall:

I used a markers to color the main image - not something that I use very often but worked out beautifully with the leaves and the tree! The larger leaves were colored using distress inks and then a little cutting therapy! the "C" is a piece of chip board and then a went a little stapler happy with Tim's Tiny Attacher!!!

Please be sure to visit our Talented group of Creative Architects’ and become inspired:

1. Kathy Tucker (UR Here)
3. Julie Warner
4. Karen Dunbrook
5. Judi Rose

6. ISC Blog

Happy Creating!
KAT

The Stuff:
Stamps - All Innovative Stamp Creations - Fall in New England, Autumn Leaves, Scrapbook Words