A couple takes on one set

This set is the Pattern of Friendship set from Stampin' Up. It was in one of the mini catalogs a while back, last summer I think. It has the small dresses (four in a row on one stamp) and a couple '50s looking ladies in dresses on a larger stamp. There are some others in that set, but I can't remember them all.

Whatever.

I did the red card first for a swap with my regular stamping group, it was late last summer. I did the pink and brown card a few weeks ago for a swap on Splitcoast (http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/).

The Splitcoast swap was to highlight the use of brads or eyelets. I chose eyelets and played them up with the ribbon.

I really like the simplicity of the red card, with its graphic colors and a touch of black. But the pink and brown combination is a favorite of mine. And I thought using the different patterned papers and the pinking shears would make it look like different patterns of fabric.

Maybe. Maybe not.

But it is a fun card. And there was a prize attached to that swap. The hostess was having her fiance choose the winner. He didn't choose me. But she liked my card enough to declare me a winner also. So I get a prize, too. I won't know what it is until I get my swaps back in the mail next week.

Anyway, here is a link to the card that her fiance chose: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/571720?cat=10336

I finished cards for the purple swap, but don't have photos yet. I will post those when I have time. Maybe tomorrow.

It's a learning experience

Here are some pictures of a bowl I made last session at P.V. Art Center. This was done on the wheel.

I am thinking that I am better with the handbuilding technique than with throwing. But this one came out nice. Small, but nice. It would make a good rice bowl. Too bad I am not good enough to make a set of 6.

I started with the white clay on the wheel. Afte the bowl was somewhat dry (leather hard they call it), I painted the whole thing with a slip (or colored clay). Once that dried, I carved through the darker color to reveal the white underneath. This was just a random, organic pattern. I think it turned out pretty nice.

This is one of my favorite techniques. I like carving.

Anyway, once it was carved, it was bisque fired. Then I glazed it in clear and it was glaze fired.

I think total time start to finish was a couple weeks. Active time was maybe an hour. The process is not a fast one.

Next session I am taking a class that focuses on handbuilding. I probably will keep trying the wheel, but not every week.

Feeling abstract today

Actually, this photo is not all the abstract. It is really pretty literal. It is what it is, as they say.

I'm not sure what the little squiggly thing is, some sort of bug. But it represents how I feel today. A little twisted, a little out of sorts.

I haven't felt particularly creative the past few days. Sometimes that happens. Then I set aside my projects and focus on work or cleaning house or something else that is very literal and doesn't require me to be creative. The cards will wait. They will be there tomorrow.

Well, work requires me to be creative, just in a different way.

Anyway. Tangent.

The photo: It was taken on the recent Santa Barbara trip. This is on the beach near Vandenburg AFB. It is a very isolated beach, not a lot of traffic. It isn't far from the wine region and it makes a nice break from vineyards and rolling hills and the varying winery architecture.

The squiggly thing was quite small, less than the size of my pinky finger. I loved how it was just sitting there on the sand, making it's own little shadow on the world.

I took several shots, but this was the first and the best.

I had to get down on my stomach to get close enough to see the detail in it. It was so beautiful in its simple way. Just the color, the shape of it against the sand.

Beaded Butterfly

Here is an example of a more complex card. It has a simple look in that there are very few paper layers and very few colors.

I used PaperTrey's Butterfly Kisses for the butterfly and starbursts and Little Lady for the flight trail.

The ink is Archival Brilliance in Aegean blue.

I stamped the butterfly in the blue then embossed with clear, sparkly powder. I attached some beads with the blue wire to add detail to the body.

I stamped the trail in the blue then glued on beads sporadically along the trail. The starbursts were stamped in the blue, then I stamped over them with a solid circle of versamark and embossed them in the sparkly, clear powder.

The contrasting dots are just circles I made with a standard hole punch in the taupe cardstock.

Not a difficult card, just a lot of embossing and glueing of little tiny beads.

Finally...

It took a few days, but here is the card I did for this past Sunday's swap. I was busy all week with work and life stuff, so I decided to keep it simple.

The flower stamp is Paint Prints from SU. The sentiment is from PaperTreyInk.

The inks are Ruby Red and Really Rust from SU.

I think the constuction is easy to figure out. I was trying to use colors that might not be an obvious combination. I am really into putting orange tones with other colors lately.

Sometimes I get very complex with cards. Then when I take a step back and do something as simple and clean as this one, I really love it.

Feeling a little devilish today...

Yeah, I feel like I have attitude today. In a good way.

I am trying to lose a little weight and I am down another 3 pounds. Every little bit helps.

I have discovered that I don't necessarily eat all that bad, I just don't think I move enough.

It has been easy modifying my eating habits the bit that was needed. It hasn't been so easy to get back into a fitness routine. But I am trying.

I did a bike ride Sunday after stamping. And I bought an elliptical machine. It is my goal to use that a few times a week and supplement with biking and walking so I don't get bored. Plus I want to start throwing in a little bit of light weights.

I figure if I maintain the good eating habits and up the exercise, I should see even better results.

Anyway... Sunday stamping was fun. I was busy with weekend plans and didn't get to photographing the cards, but I will try to get to that tomorrow morning and get a couple more pictures posted.

For today's art, I have included a copy of a sticker that I have on my fridge. I got it at a flea market a few years ago in Portland, Ore. It just fits my mood today.

Happy Stampy Sunday!

Some friends are coming over this morning to make cards.
We try to do this once a month, but everyone was so busy last month that we couldn't get together.
So I have been having withdrawals.
It's really fun. There are usually 5-7 of us. Everyone brings a project and all the supplies, and then we make each others projects.
Then we eat. Oh, did I forget to mention that it is also a potluck brunch?
Yeah, I think we like the eating as much as we like the stamping!
My food contribution for the day will be tea, coffee, various Italian sodas and some veggie/hummus roll-ups for the appetizer.
I will post the card contribution later. But for now, here is a card I did a couple years ago as part of a set of 20 different cards I made for a friend.
She was in the running to be Miss Leukemia/Lymphoma of Oregon and needed things for a silent auction. So I made a set of cards for her and a duplicate set for me.
That was my first real foray into making a lot of cards and really focusing on the details. Back then I thought these were the fanciest cards ever. Since then, I have gotten more elaborate with my creations.
By the way, my friend didn't win the title. But she did raise several thousand dollars for the Leukemia/Lymphona Society.
She is the most awesome chick ever. http://www.onewahine.blogspot.com/