Sassy & Sweet Notes

Happy Mother's Day!

Alan and I would like to wish our mothers, as well as all the other mothers out there, a very happy Mother's Day!!

Cluck, cluck!!
*smooches!*

Happy Earth Day!

Hope you have a wonderful day today, and take at least a moment to appreciate Earth. Yesterday evening, Alan helped me "refresh" the garden bed where I had spring peas planted, so today I get to plant some new seeds, water them in, and watch them GROW! Also in celebration of Earth Day, I did some video clips of the garden, and will post the video shortly.

Promises to be a gorgeous day here today ... a Sunny 81* ... a perfect day for a sundress, sun tea, and relaxation.

You'll never guess what we did this afternoon...

Here's a hint .....  *grin*

More to come, after we shower and have dinner!

Happy Easter!

Alan and I would like to wish all of you a very happy Easter!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I'm wearing green today ... are YOU!?

*pinch pinch!*

Garden Girl available at Whipper Snapper Designs.

Cheery Snowmen Ornaments: Need New Homes

I finally finished some new snowman ornaments I've been working on. These took soooo long to make (days!), which is why there are only 6 finished!

It has been like an elf's workshop here, non-stop!

Painting and sanding and glittering and sewing and gluing and baking... their heads and scarves are hand painted wood, their noses I created out of clay. Their hats are felt, and their candy canes are dyed chenille. Each one was made with love.

Each one is a one-of-a-kind.

Even their cute felt hats were handmade, and their chenille candy canes were baked up right here on the farm.

I love every one of them... but if you'd like to have one for your very own, or perhaps you'd like to have one packaged up and shipped off to a friend as a secret santa gift, you can find them in my Etsy shop.

Here is a photo of one of them not on the tree.

Ho ho ho!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Alan and I want to wish you, and your family, the happiest of Thanksgivings!

Gobble gobble GOBBLE!

Daisies Smile

Whipper Snapper is gearing up for the big Spring/Summer 2012 release, which takes place in December. They've been sharing sneak peeks on their Facebook page, and I thought I'd share my own sneak peek of one of my upcoming images for the release.

The image is colored with Copic and Touch Twin markers. Once I was done coloring the image, I sprayed the entire layer with a nice even coat of spray adhesive (Aleene's Crystal Clear Tacky Spray). While the adhesive was still tacky, I sprinkled on Martha Stewart crystal fine glitter, and brushed off the excess.

Sparkle MANIA!!

Happy Monday!

Happy Halloweeeeeeen!

Just a quick note to wish you all a safe, festive, happy Halloween!

We don't get trick-or-treaters out at the farm, so it will be a nice quiet evening for Alan and me... unless I decide to pull out the ol' broom and take her for a spin!

*cackle cackle cackle!!*

And I just might!

Image: Witchy Wooo

Greetings from Oregon!

I made a quick trip out to Oregon to visit my girlfriends for the weekend. I have no doubt I will enjoy every moment! The weekend will be filled with good friends, good food, good music, good coffee, and good FUN!

What's planned?! A day at the beach, shopping at favorite retailers, a trip to our favorite pumpkin patch and local farm, wonderful meals with friends, a night of live music (with favorite local musicians) at a favorite pub, and a few days spent enjoying the lovely Oregon landscape and weather. How refreshing! I only wish Alan was able to come along. He's got life on the farm in the palms of his hands this weekend -- here's hoping all the critters mind their manners for the next couple of days!

So, here is a west coast greeting to ya'll!

And, Alan ... I'm bringing home Oregon chocolate! *grin*

Introducing Farmgirl Betty, Farmer John, & Lifetime of Happiness

I'm very excited to introduce today, my three new rubber stamp cling sets for Whipper Snapper! I had such a good time illustrating these sets, and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. First up, Farmgirl Betty. A sweet little 'thang', happy to share her garden bounty. Farmgirl Betty wears only the finest all-natural fibers, and treats her feet to Birkenstocks.

To create this card, I used the Decorative Label punch from Stampin' Up to create three focal point frames for my card. I stamped several images from the set onto the frames, and added some fine dash lines around the edges as well as some sponged on distress ink. The images are colored with markers, and set on a card base made with Lily Bee Design papers (Memorandum line). Some old buttons and twine finish the card.

Inside the card I've added her chickens and a sentiment from the set. You grow, girl!

Farmgirl Betty

Next up is Farmer John. Farmer John is sweet on Farmgirl Betty, and can you blame him? He's got garden bounty of his own to share. *giggle*

I did some simple masking to create this scene. First I stamped the veggie sign and the two tomato vines. I covered the tomatoes with a paper mask cut out in their shape. Then I stamped the corn right over top of the masked tomatoes. I removed the mask from the tomatoes to reveal garden "rows". I added the pumpkins, chicken and Farmer John by stamping them on a separate piece of paper, cutting them out, and adhering them using foam adhesive.

One of his lady friends can be found on the inside of the card, as well as a sentiment from the set.

Farmer John

Finally, something a little different. Lifetime of Happiness features one of my favorite flowers transformed from one of my own photographs, two butterflies, as well as several beautiful sentiments. I thought I'd try something a little different with this card. I used various colors of distress ink to "dye" the paper that the images are embossed on. I love the results! A bit brighter than my usual style, but so reminiscent of years I spent living in Oregon -- hippies, hippies everywhere. I even hand dyed the ribbon!

First, I used VersaMark ink to stamp the images on watercolor paper. I heat embossed the images using ultra fine clear embossing powder, which keeps the pristine white of the paper showing through. I then used various colors of distress ink to dye the paper, creating a fun wash of color. Because the images have so much color, I chose to use just simple white and black cardstock to finish the card. The text block stamp I used on the orange/red layer is from my All Things With Love set.

Lifetime of Happiness

Of course, the best part of the release is introducing you to the five Whipper Snapper Featured Designers for this month's release! You will certainly want to take a look at the projects they share; you're sure to be impressed!

The Who's Who of October 2011 Featured Designers:
Shellie Daniel
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/ShellieD

Danielle Kennedy
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/dpkennedy
Blog: http://wilddragonflydesigns.blogspot.com

Tammy Hershberger
SCS Gallery:  http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/stampertammy
Blog: http://stamphappy-tammy.blogspot.com

Sue Berker
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/stampinsusie
Blog: http://berkerblog.blogspot.com

Lesa Rapp
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/lesarapp
Blog: http://paperpossibilities.blogspot.com

and Me! Anna Wight
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/sweetmissdaisy
Blog: http://sweetmissdaisy.typepad.com

You can see all of the projects current and past Featured Designers have uploaded to their SplitCoast galleries by viewing the Whipper Snapper Featured Designer Gallery. Have a look -- it's a great place to find all KINDS of great inspiration!

Have fun!

A Fall Day in the Country

I bought this image on a wood mounted stamp several years ago on ebay, and put the stamp out on display in my room in the fall (and sometimes leave it out year round...). I think it's just the cutest thing! Today, I thought I'd color it up, because this morning it actually felt like an early fall day here! Peachy!

Finished project coming soon!

Stamped Image: Stampassions (G-4590 "A Fall Day in the Country")
Year: Unknown, but it wasn't recent -- mid-late 90s, I believe.

Touch Twin Marker Colored Image (Video)

Last week I won a give-away on the ShinHan Arts Touch Twin Markers & More blog, and 24 Touch Twin markers arrived in my mailbox yesterday!! How exciting, as you know I'm a pen and pencil and marker and paint and ink junkie!

Since I had the day off today, I spent a little bit of time checking out the new pens. The redesigned ShinHan Touch Twin markers are an alcohol based marker that have a refillable barrel, and replaceable nibs. There are two styles of pens -- one with flexible brush & chisel nibs, and one with fine point & chisel nibs. I received 12 of each, in a variety of colors. I don't know any retail outlets with these pens right now, but I expect the price point to be less than current alcohol pens on the market. 

UPDATE: Carpe Diem carries the sets and individual pens.

If you're itchin' to try alcohol based pens, these would be a nice way to get your toes wet. Or, even if you already have alcohol based pens in your coloring arsenal, these may provide you with an alternative for filling in any gaps in your color wheel! I'll post more about them as I learn more and get more experience with them.

The image was colored with the pens I received, exclusively. I didn't receive a blender pen, but knowing that other alcohol marker blender pens will work with the markers, I've got one on reserve. However, I did not use a blender pen in the coloring of the above image. And I've got video to prove it. *grin*

If you'd care to watch me color the above image, here's a video for you. This time, with tunes!

If you have trouble viewing the video here on the blog, you can find it on my YouTube channel.

On a personal note, THANK YOU for all the birthday notes, wishes, and virtual hugs you sent my way today! What a fun birthday I've had!!

Whipper Snapper Designs Stamped Image: Fall Scarecrow

with Sympathy

A dear friend and her family lost a loved one recently, and it broke my heart to hear the news. I live too far away to give literal hugs to the family, but not too far to send condolences and love.

Sympathy cards are the most difficult cards for me to make. I always cry. Knowing what I know about the family, I created this card for them. I know they won't mind me sharing it with you, here.

I wanted this card to be special, so I created a small original water-colored painting/illustration to use as the main image. I used a fine lined pen to draw the sunflowers on Italian cotton watercolor paper, and painted the image with DaVinci artists watercolor pigments using a fine Sable brush. Music is a big part of their lives, so I incorporated sheet music from a beautiful, vintage book of music.

We send our love, north to Virginia...

 

Artist supplies purchased from DickBlick.com:
Fabriano Acquarello Watercolour Extra White Cold Pressed 140lb Cotton Paper
DaVinci Artists Watercolors
Copic Multiliner .03

Holiday Planning - honestly.

With it being 103 outside today, it's hard for me to believe that summer is over and Christmas is a mere few months away. But the days on the calendar don't lie! Soon I will be ordering up a plane ticket to make my annual trek up north to visit family and hopefully get up to my knees, or elbows, in snow! (Family: you've been notified. Warned. *grin*)

I work on holiday images all summer long, so you wouldn't think I'd have such a hard time with the transition! Every year I intend to start holiday planning sooner than I actually do so I can get more handmade items finished in time for gift giving. Like I should be starting now! But will I? Probably not. Unless you are...  are you?

I am, however, a list maker. A terrible list maker.

I make lists, then hide them so certain someones don't see them. Then, when I forget the list exists (really, I've just forgotten where I hid it) I make a new list. Last year about mid-summer, I made what I'm certain was a really great list of gift ideas for the holidays, but wrote it in a sort of shorthand code.

Something like this...

    N: g&h&gc
    J: c&c&c
    P: j&c&pcs
    J: tb or bf&bf
    ...etc...

This was a really bad idea. I couldn't remember my own code when I looked at the list later, and ended up having to make a new list anyway. I'm sure it was full of really great ideas, though!

So.... are you a list maker? An early bird holiday planner? Dish!

Image: Celebration Penguin, one of my winter 2011 images for Whipper Snapper.

Farmgirl Betty

I've got three new cling sets releasing for Whipper Snapper in October, and I'm so excited about them! Meet Farmgirl Betty... a natural-fiber birk-wearing sweetie! Farmgirl Betty and Farmer John harvest all kinds of friendly, organic goodness! Coming to Whipper Snapper in October.

Farmer John

I've got three new cling sets releasing for Whipper Snapper in October, and I'm so excited about them! I thought you deserved a sneak peek! Meet Farmer John... I'm smitten!

...and wait until you meet his gal, Farmgirl Betty! *grin*

Piggly Wiggly Card (Video)

I get asked frequently if I'll demonstrate how I color or paint the images I use on my projects. So I took a video of the process of me coloring this image, and making the card. The video doesn't have any sound (don't have music files to add to videos), so hum your own tune while you watch. *grin* Also, it's in 3x speed, so not to take up too much of your time!

If you have trouble viewing the video here on the blog, you can check it out here on my YouTube channel.

Enjoy!

PS: Let me know if this is something you'd like to see more of.

- Hamselot (#CT073): Whipper Snapper Designs
- Sentiment: Garden of Friendship cling set, Whipper Snapper Designs
- Memento Black Tuxedo Ink
- Paper: Neenah, October Afternoon
- Markers: Copic (0, R11, R20, B93, B95, B97, E13, E15, R37, R39, R59, C1, C2, C3, YG03, YG23, YR21, YR24 -- hope I didn't miss any!)
- Colored Pencil: LYRA Pompeian Red 600-91
- MISC: Seam binding, tracing wheel, Tombow Mono Multi glue, antique button, twine, Stampin Up foam dimensionals, Gamsol and paper tortillon for blending
- Smudge on camera lens: Baaaaad Boxcar Betty

Billy The Kid

I was working on my image of Billy the Kid this evening, and thought I'd do a comparison look of the two images ... one with no background to speak of, and one with an inked and stamped background. Pretty neat how a little ink can make such a difference! Oh, I also added a bit more shading to some areas of Billy's vest, chaps, and pant legs in the inked version...

Image colored with markers and colored pencils.

New Goody!

I ordered a new goody for my desk! Can you pick it out? Click on the photo for a LARGER view...

Not sure what it could be?

All that clutter got you mystified?!

Let me help you out...

I ordered a retail display rack for my markers! I had them stored in different containers previously, but due to their different sizes (some are round, some oval, and some square) and the way that the containers I was using were constructed, I wasn't able to keep the pens in the order I wanted them in.

The way this rack is built, it allows me to mix and match all the various sized pens I have, and keep them in the organized color order that I want! The other items in my area are all sorted by color too, so "order" is kind of an important part of my workflow.

I keep other markers in small drawer units at the back of my workspace, and of course my colored pencils are always front and center within easy reach. I organize most things by ROYGBIV (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet, followed by Neutrals). It works for me.

Oh, and see that cutie of a card there in the front?

I made this for a co-worker this evening. She is a dog trainer in her spare time and she asked me to draw up a graphic for her for her puppy training classes. I turned the original drawing into this little display piece for her desk.

On the back of the piece I created a make-shift easel so it can easily stand on display. For ease of mailing, the lower section of the easel has a little tab that tucks up into the shallow pocket I created at the base of the display.

Am I the first person to dream up such an idea? I hardly think so... but I'm the first one in THIS craft room who has, and that's sayin' something! *grin*

Anyone else craving Fruit Loops?

Whooohoooo! Happy Weekend!!

I'm so excited to have a 3-day weekend! This was always a fun weekend for my family when I was growing up as it usually meant we were out camping or at the lake for possibly the last time for the summer. Wherever we were, we always celebrated Dad's birthday (which is the 5th).

Things are a bit different now that there's life on the farm. I have lots of projects I'll be working on this weekend, and will even share a tidbit or two while I'm at it. I'm still working on new Whipper Snapper spring & summer 2012 images, and even several new cling sets that I'm super excited about!

I am also tempted to add chicken house compost to the garden beds, but that would require me to clean up the beds first, and as it's still pushing over the 100*+ temp it might be better to wait a week. Only supposed to be in the mid 90s next week. Might as well wait a week, right?

Here's to happy labor day'ing to you and your family! Bottom's up!

PS: The image on this post is my Rustic Snowman, a personal favorite of mine! See him on projects here, and here. I {heart} him.

Let's hear your suggestions...

I have been busy busy BUSY working on images for the Spring/Summer 2012 Whipper Snapper release. While there's still a bit of time for me to get final images off to Whipper, I thought I would check in with you and see if you have any special requests for images you'd like to see in the collection!

While there's no guarantee I'll be able to actually DRAW what you request, I'd sure like to hear your suggestions and try my hand at a few! So, let's hear it ... anything in particular that you'd like to see as a Whipper Snapper stamp?

I'm Dreaming of Snow!

It might be 106* outside, but I'm dreaming of winter, and snow!

Check out the latest Whipper Snapper images here!

Whipper Snapper Fall/Winter Release

Check out the latest Whipper Snapper images here!

Oodles of fun!!

Sneak Peek!

How about another sneak peek of one of my new images for Whipper Snapper's Fall/Winter release! Inspiration for this image was from a pretty antique blue Ball jar of wildflowers I had in my kitchen window this spring. Here's hoping we get LOTS of rain this winter to give next spring's wildflowers lots of reason to grow!

Happy Sunday!

Monday, monday...

Thought I'd share a sneak peek with you today of one of my upcoming new releases with Whipper Snapper. They're gearing up for the Fall/Winter release; you'll find details on their Facebook page where they've been sharing more sneak peeks of images in the release. How exciting!!

There are 166 full days remaining in the year (off topic, do you count down to Christmas?), and it looks like what's about left of July is going to be nothing but HOT. Unfortunately for us, August promises to be just as hot, or hotter. Maybe September will show us some mercy... 

It's been difficult to keep the garden alive in this drought. In fact, I'm failing. I've got tomatoes still hanging on, but it's so hot that even though they are flowering, they aren't producing any tomatoes and they're starting to look rather tired. The okra is trying to produce, but even it wilts down in the sun (even with daily waterings). Then there are the ants, the aphids, the cucumber beetles, and the grasshoppers ... all doing their part in causing problems. I tell ya, it's exhausting. I'm planning on putting in a "fall" garden, and if I stick to schedule I should be starting tomato plant seeds about now, and getting ready to plant other seeds around August 1. But I'm not sure it will be possible to keep anything alive then, either!

How's the weather where you live?

 

I do believe it's Summer...

Today and tomorrow's forecast is calling for highs of 94*. I can't tell you how REFRESHING that sounds! 10* cooler than it has been, and we're even seeing some clouds! Today is Summer Solstice, but I can't help dreaming of Autumn!! Of course, there are storms all around us and we aren't getting any rain, but at least the clouds are knocking the blister out of the temps.

Whipper Snapper is gearing up for the Fall/Winter release; you'll find details on their Facebook page where they've been sharing sneak peeks of images in the release. How exciting!!

Happy Birthday, Alan!

Happppy Birthday to you,
Happppyyyyy Birrrthday to you,
Happy Birrrrthhhdaaaaaay, dear Alan...
Happy Birthday to YOU!

41 looks GOOD...
no, make that GREAT!
on you!

Country Bumpkin

The appointment with the oral surgeon this morning went well! They got me hooked up to blood pressure monitors, heart monitors, and got an IV run, and the doc twilighted me.

The last thing I remember saying was "is it supposed to be getting foggy in here?" I guess the answer was yes, because before I knew it, I was being escorted to the recovery lounge, chatting it up with the nurses as best as I could with a wad of gauze in my mouth. I don't imagine I was saying anything useful, but I certainly was chatty.

The tooth gave the surgeon a bit of trouble, but he was able to get it pulled and get the titanium post put in place. I feel like I have little antennae in my mouth where the sutures are ... maybe they're alien transmitters!

Fortunately for me, and for Alan!, recovery from the twilight was a snap! I didn't experience any of the "grossness" I experienced when I had my wisdom teeth pulled.

I was inspired to draw this evening... on pain meds, no less! And, as you can see, I was inspired by teeth! *grin* And even though the tooth I had to have pulled was a molar and can't really be seen when I smile, I chose to draw this little gal with a missing front tooth. She's a little bit country, and a lot hillbilly! The sentiment on the tag is from All Things with Love, and it works perfectly for this image!

Perhaps this little country bumpkin will be "adopted" by Whipper Snapper and made into a rubber stamp! Wouldn't that be fun! Her big toothy/less grin would be fun for tooth fairy themed cards. What do you think ... should she be made into a rubber stamp?

New Stamps and Mystery Chick Update

After each Whipper Snapper release, I order a few wood mounted stamps of some of my favorite images from the release. My order arrived yesterday, and I thought I'd share a photo! I absolutely LOVE getting the stamps in the mail. Sure, I draw the image and color the images for the labels, but actually having the product in my hands is most excellent. Whipper Snapper does such a wonderful job making the stamps; it is an honor to be able to work with them.

If you're not familiar, I am an artist for Whipper Snapper Designs, a rubber stamp company. They turn my illustrations into rubber stamps, like those above, for crafters. They are sold worldwide, and the complete collection can be found on their website. The stamps are available from Whipper Snapper as wood mount, cling mount, and as bare rubber, depending on the preference of the stamper. When I order my own stamps, I always order wood mounted; I love having the colored label and having the wood mounted stamps on display is something I truly enjoy.

On another topic, I've been asked about our "mystery chick". Here is a photo I took just a few minutes ago. This photo really shows the progress of feather growth. I still don't know what breed this little one is... and I'm REALLY hoping it's not a little roo!!

Sneak Peek!

On March 14th Whipper Snapper is releasing four new cling sets, by ME! We've got some amazing featured designers lined up for the release; can't wait to see their projects! Here's a sneak peek at one of my projects for the release... feelin' crabby? This little guy is sure to put a smile on your face!

We're one day closer to the weekend!

Happy Thursday!

Little Dude!

You haven't seen the last of the cards I've made using some of my recently released Whipper Snapper stamps! Here's another one I'll share with you. This card uses the image called Hayseed, and a sentiment from my His Favorite Things cling set. Hayseed is Jennybelle's partner in crime.

The image was colored with markers and colored pencils, with white gel pen to add highlights.

I don't make many "boy" cards. I guess it's because I don't really know many young boys! To my delight, my friend Jennifer recently had a son who is as cute as can be! You can see him here on the baby quilt I made for him, and he's even in his birthday suit! Cute!!

In other news...
I made a trip to see an oral surgeon this afternoon. A couple of weeks ago, I broke one of my molars in half, and ended up pulling half of the tooth out. Thankfully, there has been minimal pain. I have opted to have the rest of the tooth pulled and an implant put in. *groan*  Today's appointment was a consultation with the surgeon, and the procedure is scheduled for next Thursday morning. Alan will be driving me to and from the appointment. I feel like I need to warn him; I'm pretty sure he's in for an experience.

Dad can tell him all kinds of stories about how, uh, gross it was when I had my wisdom teeth pulled when I was in college. I went to college several hours from home, and Dad came down to take me to the appointment and to spend the weekend with me. And, well, it was gross. Too much motion, too early after sedation. I lost it. A lot! But even with all the grossness, he had a wonderful weekend chumming it up with the boys in my dorm while I slept.

Let's hope the activities following next week's procedure aren't quite as "gross"... I'll be sure to let you know, in full detail! *grin* I bet Dad's thankful Alan gets to fill-in as nursemaid for this event. Haa!

Happy Groundhog's Day!

Is it a day for celebrating? I'm not sure... it's been a cold week here on the farm. Though, not as cold here as other places, thankfully. If the critters can hold out until Saturday, things will be back above freezing again. Until then, there's lots of water hauling and extra feedings on our part, and lots of huddling on their part. 12* degrees is cold here... considering it was nearly 80 last weekend! Brrrr!!

I lost one of my two chicks (they're really "teenagers") last night. Unfortunately. Last night while we were making our farm rounds, I put her on the perch between two fatty hens so she could snuggle into both of them, but either she didn't say there, or it was just too cold for her. Tonight, the remaining chick (teenager) will go into the utility room to share the kennel space with Tiny Tim, Lovey, Little Buddy and Little Lovey, the frizzles that don't have enough feathers to keep them warm in such cold temps.

Hope you're keepin' cozy, where ever you are!

We've Got a Winner!

Good morning! Thanks to all of you for participaing in this week's Share the Love give-away, and for sharing your birthday. My birthday is October 7th... and autumn is my favorite season! *grin*

I randomly selected one name from all comments on the Share the Love post, and congrats to the lucky winner who is IDA!

Ida said: "How fun! That bear stamp is so cute. Thanks for the chance to win. My B-Day is March 20 (First Day of Spring!)"

Ida, what a wonderful day for a birthday! You've got a little something extra to celebrate each year, don't you! Get in touch with me and I'll get your "love" package sent out to you right away!

I've got time for stamping today ... how about you!?

Oh, and how about a sneak peek at one of my new Whipper Snapper Designs images, releasing in February!? Cluck cluck!!

My Little Annie

I have been hard at work finishing up the colored versions my spring/summer images for the upcoming Whipper Snapper release (not certain of the release date yet ... I'll update you when I know for sure).

I thought you might like a sneak peek. *grin*

I love Annie dolls, and thought it was time I had a little cutie of my own! I am particularly fond of her bloomers and striped stockings...and of course, her pet chicken!

Here's waking up to a happy Friday! One more day until the weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving!

From all of us here on the farm, warm wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving!

Rustic Snowman

I'm feeling the need to snivvel about the weather. It was 6pm when I went to deliver eggs this evening, and the temperature was 86 degrees. Come ON, already!! So, I'm posting this snowman card, and dreaming of cold weather, snowflakes, and maybe even a few hot totties!

I first introduced you to this snowman HERE. He has quickly become one of my favorites for this year. *grin*  He's painted with white craft stamp ink, and I watercolored a bit of brown around the edges of him to make him stand out a bit from the kraft background. The sentiment stamp I used on this card is from my Think Snow cling set, from Whipper Snapper.

The printed paper is from Melissa Frances -- it's included in a Christmas Page Kit that has papers, fibers, chipboard tags and letters, and even some stickers in cute holiday shapes. I happen to have an extra kit and would love to give it away to one of you! If you'd like a chance at the kit, leave me a note on this post and tell me your favorite holiday beverage. I'll probably toss a few extra goodies into the box too, just for fun! You might notice I'm kind of buring this giveaway in the post, so only those who actually take the time to read the post will know how to enter. I'm feelin' like a sneaky pete! *grin* I'll choose one name on Thursday morning at 9am Central.

Cheers to Wednesday! ...then Thursday, and FRIDAY!

Introducing Bee-Lieve in a Cure, Think Pink, The Witch Is In, and Happy Haunting

Time for a Whipper Snapper Designs cling set release! For this release, I put together two sets for breast cancer, and two sets with a Halloween theme.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and I wanted to create sets that are both supportive in nature, yet are whimsical and joyful at the same time. When illustrating sets I feel it is important that the images included be as versital as possible. The images in this month's sets are no different.

(Click on the images for a larger view.)

The images in Bee-Lieve in a Cure could easily be used for birthdays, valentine, and friendship cards. The set includes two small ribbon images, sized perfectly for adding to the bellies of the bees, the front of the bee hive, to the banner, or as small stand alone images in the background. All of the sentiments fit within the flying banner. My favorite bee ... well, I can't decide. *grin*

The second breast cancer themed set releasing this month is Think Pink. The images in this set can easily be used for supporting those not only battling breast cancer, but who are fighting other forms as well.

I hope you find the images and words inspirational; I do, and know I'll turn to them often.

We couldn't let October come and go and not do a little Halloween celebrating! Fall is my FAVORITE season, and I have always been a sucker for Halloween. Not the creepy, scary kind of Halloween... cute little witches, pumpkins, and ghosts are my kind of thing.

It might not come as a surprise that the mummy chicken in Happy Haunting is my favorite, but the skinny "creepy" dude in the hat is a close second.

And the ghost? Well, he's a personal favorite, too. His little hat, and stubby little arms tickle my funny bone. And how about a Halloween kiss from a one-eyeballed monster? I'm in!

I couldn't WAIT to use the crazy witch silouette image in The Witch Is In!

As I drew her, I imagined her flying in front of a large harvest moon. I let out a loud witchy cackle, just to practice. *grin*

Stay tuned, as I have lots of projects to share with you using these sets. Let the fun begin!!

Be sure to check out the galleries of the September/October Featured Designers as they showcase these sets! You're sure to be impressed! These ladies are AMAZING!!

The Who's Who of September/October Featured Designers:

Dawn Lusk
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/DawnL
Blog: http://dawnanewday.blogspot.com

Denise Marzec
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/peanutbee
Blog: http://thepaperlandscaper.blogspot.com

Kecia Waters
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/littleseaotter
Blog: http://stampingdeets.blogspot.com

Kelly Bee
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/kellybee
Blog: http://kelly.studiobeemusic.com

Holly McMillen
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/toy
Blog: http://toyzhaven.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com

and Me! Anna Wight
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/sweetmissdaisy
Blog: http://sweetmissdaisy.typepad.com

You can see all of the projects current and past Featured Designers have uploaded to their SplitCoast galleries by viewing the Whipper Snapper Featured Designer Gallery. Have a look -- it's a great place to find all KINDS of great inspiration!

Have fun!

Halloween Sneak Peek...

I have four cling mount stamp sets releasing on October 1st at Whipper Snapper. How about a sneak peek?! *giggle*

NEWS! Fall 2010 Release at Whipper Snapper

OINK OINK! Very exciting news!

All of my new images for the Fall 2010 release happening at Whipper Snapper are now available for purchase on the Whipper website. I had a blast creating some new characters for this release, and hope you enjoy the new art.

I have noticed quite a few new subscriptions to the blog recently, so if you're new to the blog and are unsure what this post is all about, here's a bit of info to fill you in!

I'm an artist/illustrator for Whipper Snapper Designs, a rubber art stamp company based in Wisconsin. I've been working with Whipper as an artist for over five years now  - WOW! Whipper Snapper turns my drawings into rubber art stamps that are sold worldwide in retail art stamp stores, as well as various online shops. Customers who buy direct from Whipper Snapper have the option of purchasing stamps as unmounted red rubber stamps, cling mounted stamps, or wood mounted stamps, depending on their own personal preference.

I love being a part of the Whipper Snapper family!

You will find more of my blog posts related to Whipper Snapper here.

Check out the Whipper Snapper website to see all of their wonderful rubber art stamp images, and their gallery for AMAZING inspiration!

If you would like to expand your craftiness into the art of rubber stamping and/or paper crafting, check out SplitCoastStampers. SplitCoast an amazing online community with endless inspiration, and fun!

Birthday Scotties

We've sure got a lot of September birthdays in the family, and I've spent a good long while making birthday cards this month! For this card, I wanted to feature two scottie dogs but don't have any scottie dog stamps. So I picked up my drawing pen and paper and drew up this little image. It's just what I had in mind. Fun how that works! *grin*

The balloons are punched out of colored paper and a layer of dazzling diamonds glitter was added using a clear adhesive. Once the adhesive was dry and the glitter was firmly in place, I stuck the balloons in place and drew in the balloon strings.

Now, I don't know about you, but this weekend just about tuckered me out. I'm ready to finish things up and crawl into bed for a nice snooze. Sweet dreams!

RAIN: it's a good thing!

We've managed to stay IN the path of the huricane weather that has been dumping fair amounts of rain on parts of Texas, among others. This is a GOOD thing, as our area is notoriously dryer than other areas, and we NEED the rain.

My muck boots are in need of a little fall cleaning -- gotta brush out the cobwebs and knock out the dirt. Rather than risk meeting a spider in my boot in the dark light of the morning, I chose to just slip on Alan's boots (they were fresh off his feet, clean as a whistle!)

This morning the duck pool is completely FULL (it was nearly empty yesterday), and the barnyard is looking more like a pond than a barnyard. That tells me we've had a fair amount of rainfall...here's hoping for a bit more!

Oh, and what do you know ... here's another sneak peek at one of my new images, part of the upcoming release at Whipper Snapper Designs! Can't wait!

A Birthday Chicken

Here's another birthday themed image, a sneak peek at another image that's part of the upcoming Whipper Snapper Designs release.

It's a birthday themed weekend! Stay tuned for more!

Today I spent a bit of time with the chickens and ducks, did a little cleanup in the garden (there's lots more to do!), did some illustration work, hung out with Alan, and started a batch of zucchini candy. I picked 12.75 pounds of patty pan squash today, so I decided to add some of it to the zucchini candy recipe. It works great in the recipe, and tastes super!

I also picked almost 9 pounds of butternut squash today, so I've got to decide how I want to put that up. We have 400ish pounds of steak burger coming our way some time this upcoming week, so Alan and I organized the freezers to make room. There sure is a lot of grated zucchini in the freezer! *grin*

What have you been up to?

Speaking of DUCKS!

We were, weren't we?

Here's a sneak peek of one of my new stamp images being released later this month at  Whipper Snapper Designs. And what timing, sharing a duck AND a birthday themed image ... someone near and dear is having a very special birthday this weekend! More on that later!

I'm not sure how it got to be Friday -- I was very busy this week, and the days just flew past. Not that I'm complaining... and I am REALLY looking forward to having Monday off work! Gotta love three day weekends!

This weekend I have plans to do some Spring/Summer drawing for Whipper Snapper, a bit of crafting, and I've got to get the last of the corn stalks out of the raised bed and get some fall seeds planted. Now just to decide on what to plant! I've got some containers that need some seeds planted in them, too. Maybe some radishes... maybe some onions... maybe some garlic! Decisions, decisions...

"Cheers" to the weekend... may it be DUCKY!

Carol's Chocolate Zucchini Bread

What does this image have to do with the title and topic of this post? Absolutely nothing! Just thought I'd share a peek at an new image for Whipper Snapper Designs -- part of the upcoming September release happening soon!

Friend and blog reader, Carol, sent me a chocolate zucchini bread recipe. Alan LOVES chocolate, and the recipe sounded delish, so Friday night I whipped up a batch. It did NOT disappoint! In fact, Sunday night I whipped up a second batch (stocking up the freezer with yummy homemade bread is a good thing!)

Carol gave me the OK to share the recipe, so here you go! Now go make it! Today! You'll be glad you did!

Carol's Chocolate Zucchini Bread
3 cups all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat flour with great success!)
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon (Carol and I use a little less)
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

2 cups white sugar
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups shredded zucchini (I used 3 cups)
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (why not add a few more, for good measure!)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. degrees. Lightly grease two 9X5 loaf pans

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix well. In a separate bowl, combine sugar and eggs, beat until well blended. Add oil and vanilla, mix well. Stir in zucchini. Add flour mixture, stir until just moistened. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Spoon into loaf pans.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, Remove from pans, cool completely on wire rack.

Enjoy!!

Thanks to Carol for the wonderful recipe! I love it, and so does Alan!

Instead of using zucchini for my second batch, I used patty pan squash! It was WONDERFUL!

Introducing Garden Gnome & Butterfly Kisses

 
Time for a Whipper Snapper Designs cling set release! For this month, I put together a garden gnome set and a floral set for sending cheerful greetings. For this card, I chose to use images from the Garden Gnome set and a sentiment from Butterfly Kisses.

 
"Good day to ya", says the snail...

I stamped the images on ivory colored cardstock in black ink and colored them with markers. I added a few subtle shadows using a light gray marker, and added a light green color to the larger shadows representing the ground. The printed paper is from October Afternoon, my current favorite. *grin* A few quick wraps of some natural colored twine and some brown buttons added for embellishment.

Here are the images of the full sets. Click on the images to see a larger view.

And of course, be sure to check out this month's Featured Designers - our Featured Designers always do an AMAZING job featuring new sets!

Danielle Lounds
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/dlounds
Blog: http://fatcatstamper.blogspot.com

Jeanne Streiff
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/jeanne_s
Blog: http://inkypaws.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com

Leigh O'Brien
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/leigh_obrien
Blog: http://sunflowerstudio.typepad.com

Shannan Teubner
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/steubner
Blog: http://withfeathersandsequins.blogspot.com

and Me! Anna Wight
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/sweetmissdaisy
Blog: http://sweetmissdaisy.typepad.com

Just a reminder, you can see all of the projects current and past Featured Designers have uploaded to their SplitCoast galleries by viewing the Whipper Snapper Featured Designer Gallery. Have a look -- it's a great place to find all KINDS of great inspiration!

Have fun!

A Dirty Girl Challenge

 

This week is the 'Dare to Get Dirty' week of challenges at SplitCoastStampers. Being a former Dirty Dozen Girl myself, I was thrilled to be able to host a challenge for the fan club! This is the project I made for my challenge ... you can find the details of the 'Dare to Get Dirty' challenges here (for SplitCoast fan club members).

 
Imagine this tag tied to a jar of fresh homemade jam, or homemade bread! Or maybe even a dozen of farm fresh eggs! What great gifts... but then again, that would mean I would have to share some homemade goodness, and well, that's hard to do! *grin*

If you're new to my blog, or are not familiar with SplitCoastStampers, it is an online community for rubber stampers, card makers, and paper crafters alike. Being that it is such a huge community of stampers (263,570 members), it is quite an honor to be selected as one of the Dirty Dozen design team members. I wore that hat proudly for 11 months, and am proud to be SplitCoastStamper Dirty Dozen Alumni.

The images on my tag are from my Whipper Snapper cling set called Sunnyside Up. I stamped the images in black ink and colored them with markers. I adhered the image of the girl to my tag using thick foam adhesive for LOTs of dimension. The pattern paper is from October Afternoon ... and I LOVE it!

Howdy Partners!

Things are busy behind the scenes for Whipper Snapper Designs, so I thought I'd toss in a sneak peek of something to come in September... Ten Gallon Tex will be one of my newly released images for Whipper, and I can't wait to see him in action as a rubber stamp!

I can't believe we're nearly done prepping for the holiday release, and are already in design mode for the 2011 Spring release! It's no wonder I always feel so behind when it comes to the holidays -- before I know it, they'll be upon us and I'll be in SUMMER mode!

But as always, I'm excited for the upcoming fall/winter release. I've seen some great sneak peeks on the Whipper Snapper facebook page, and I think it's one of the best I've seen for new art.

Exciting, exciting!!

Plans...

A holiday weekend is nearly upon us, and let me tell you, I am THRILLED!

#1 on the agenda: A nap.

I need one. I am, quite simply, tired.

I was soooo tired this evening after work - it's been a long week [month(s)] - but I decided I would make a run to the grocery store for the weekend meal items, and necessities we were out of. I knew that I wouldn't even want to think about making a trip to the store on Friday evening and have to muddle around in all of the other shoppers who saved their holiday weekend shopping for Friday.

I'm so happy to have all of that out of the way!

#2 on the agenda: Relaxation (which is different from napping). I need to recharge, and spending good quality time with Alan and the farm critters is just the ticket!

We're supposed to have 93 degree days all weekend. That's awfully HOT for some of the chickens, so maybe just maybe, a few of them will get to take a dip in the pool with me!

#3 on the agenda: BBQ! Sunday we'll have Alan's parents over for a wonderful BBQ dinner. I'm looking forward to it already!

 
What are YOUR plans for this Memorial Day weekend!?

Side Note: When I've mentioned my "real job" in the past, some of you have said that you're surprised to hear that I have a "real job" outside of life on the farm and the other things I do. Yes, it's true... I do have a "real job". I work full-time for a large computer software/security company as a project manager. I've been with the company for about 12 years now and really enjoy what I do, and the people I work with. Many, including me, are fortunate to be able to work from a home office, so I do not have any commute time to a corporate office which saves me 3 to 4 hours a day travel time. Time I can spend working, or feeding chickens. And don't tell anyone I work with, but I can even wear my overalls to work and no one giggles at me! *grin*

i love the weekend

 

I've been working a lot of extra hours recently, and just haven't had time for much else. Hopefully I'll start to get more time in the evenings to be crafty, soon! I thought I would share this card I made using images from my recently released Whipper Snapper cling set called Think Happy Thoughts.

 
I stamped the image in black Memento ink on linen paper and colored her with markers. I used some distress ink to warm up the edges of all the layers, and added some vintage buttons for extra charm.

 
I even decorated the backside with another one of my stamp images, from a set called Signature Series. This is one set that never leaves my workspace!

Now, I'm off to run errands. I can't remember the last time I went to the grocery store ... and there's not much else in the fridge besides farm fresh eggs. Time to hit the market!

Enjoy the weekend!