Sassy & Sweet Notes

Whipper Snapper Release

Exciting news over at Whipper Snapper!

I have new stamp images released!

Check them out, here!

Happy Day!

Inspired by Amy!

On Friday, Amy posted the CUTEST holiday tags in her Splitcoaststampers gallery, that she made with images from my recent Whipper Snapper sets.

So that I remember her fantastic idea when it comes time to make my holiday tags for the year, I whipped up a little "reminder" tag for myself.

I chose to use the shorty snowman from Gardening Snowman, and a sentiment from Think Snow.

Thanks for the inspiration, Amy!!

The Man in TAN!

 
After using my snowman image on the crazy rainbow striped Cosmo Cricket paper earlier this week, I decided to do something a little less WILD.

I present ... THE MAN IN TAN!

Simple does it these days. Not such a bad thing, you know?

PS: I love Glee.

PSS: Thanks for all the suggestions on my nail polish post! Quite helpful! I found a couple of your suggested items on ebay, and look forward to amazing results!

Ice Skating Chicken

 

Yesterday I announced the release of my two new cling stamp sets with Whipper Snapper. Here's a project I put together using my favorite ice skating chicken, from the Think Snow set. The sentiment on the card is also from the same set.

What's not to love about an ice skating chicken?!

Weeeee!

Introducing Think Snow & Gardening Snowman

It's that time of month again! Time for another Whipper Snapper cling set release! This month, there are two sets being released: Think Snow and Gardening Snowman

I chose to use images from Think Snow for my first couple of projects, and I had a ball! The set has this cutie snow fella, a chubby cozy penguin, and an ice skating chicken (of course!), and is PACKED with cheery winter holiday greetings.

The second set being released today is called Gardening Snowman. The set has a couple of fat fellas, along with all kinds of gardening themed items to accessorize them with. I'll share something with this set later this week.

Click on the images for a larger view...

 

 

It is also my pleasure to introduce you to five new Whipper Snapper Featured Designers as well! Be sure to check out the galleries and blogs of the November/December Featured Designers as they showcase these sets! You're sure to be impressed!

The Who's Who of November/December Featured Designers:

Amy Rohl
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/rohla
Blog: http://inkaboutme.blogspot.com

Carla Murphy
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/cardsbycarla
Blog: http://cardsbycarla.blogspot.com

Gabriela Divine
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/gabydee
Blog: http://gabiwithaneye.blogspot.com

Jennifer King
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/jkincolorado
Blog: http://lookiewhaticando.blogspot.com

Randee Elsing
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/Randee_E
Blog: http://www.mystampingground.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!

Happy Sunday!

I thought I'd better get a post up before I get a call from my Dad telling me that people in 'blogland' are going through withdrawals from lack of information! *grin*

Yesterday, we took Stewie, Runner, and Baron to their new home. The same woman who bought Chuck last year bought this year's three boys. Her and her husband own a large Tennesee Walking Horse facility, and the boys will live out their life on the horse ranch. (In Texas, horses do not count towards a land owner's agriculture exemption, but cattle do. And since we raise Dexter [the smallest breed of cattle], our little fellas are ideal for providing an agriculture exemption for a horse ranch owner.) Not to mention, they're just the cutest things!

After we unloaded the little guys, the owners of the horse ranch took Alan and I out to the far corner of the pasture (on golf carts - cool!) so we could see how Chuck was doing. He looked wonderful! I wish I'd had my camera with me, but I didn't think to take it along.

Stewie, Runner, and Baron are going to be so happy on the ranch! After they get settled, they'll be put out in the same pasture with Chuck, and they'll be belly deep in the best coastal pasture grass we've seen in a long time! Happy cows = Happy farmers!

Today, I'll problably do a little work around the farm, and then, time for more illustrating and painting - what FUN!

Hope you have a wonderful day!!

Snowman Pals

I'm sorry I haven't had much in the way of paper craft projects to share lately. ...but, like I always say, that doesn't mean I haven't been busy! I've just been busy on SECRET stuff! *grin*

Monday, November 16th, two new Whipper Snapper cling mount sets release, and I get to introduce you to five new Featured Designers. You know how much I love doing that! So, I've been busy making samples with the new sets, AND I've been busy with Summer 2010 images. Can you believe it! It's no wonder I always feel like I've been left in the dust with each holiday that passes.

I thought I'd share a little sneaky peeky of one of the new single images being released later this month, with Whipper Snapper. I really do love snowmen, and what's not to love about a group of snowman pals!?

Hope you're having a wonderful Wednesday...we're one day closer to the weekend!

Introducing Her Favorite Things & His Favorite Things

 

It's that time of month again! Time for another Whipper Snapper cling set release! This month, there are two sets being released: Her Favorite Things and His Favorite Things

I wanted these sets to release before Christmas, because I think they'll be great fun for gift tags for kids! And, they're not just seasonal -- I think they'll work well for other occasions, too... like birthdays!

Click on the images for a larger view...

 

 

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

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

Jeanie Witmer
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/Jeanie_Witmer
Blog: http://thespottedchick.blogspot.com

Katarina (Kathy) Menzies
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/katarinam
Blog: http://thecreataholic.blogspot.com

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

Stephanie Kraft
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/booga3
Blog:http://handkraftedbystephanie.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!

Chicken Snowman...

We're headed into the weekend.... easy does it! I decided to use my chicken snowman image .... honestly, this just cracks me up! Cluck cluck!! The fun patterned paper is from Basic Grey.

I have been hard at work getting ready to be away from home all next week for business. It's one thing to be gone for a day or two, but an entire week is a bit crazy. I don't like leaving Alan here on the farm without my help. I know he'll be fine, but it's just a lot of work for one person, for that many days. Give him some love while I'm away from home next week.  *grin*

On a farm related note: We have Dexter Cattle for sale... write for more details if interested.

Simple Quilt

 

Just in time for the weekend, as luck would have it, I managed to put a kink in my lower back and it causes me great pain to do even the simplest of tasks that require me to bend or twist. I can't tell you how many hours I've been on the heating pad since Saturday morning. More than I care to count. And, as luck would have it, it seems to be getting better...just in time for the work week. Sometimes weekends just get washed away. And this weekend, we really were nearly washed away! We got quite a bit of rain this weekend, which is SUPER! The only problem is the barn yard. It's now a pond. Good thing we've got rubber boots!

Because I haven't been able to sit at my craft table for the past few nights, I thought I'd share a card I made a couple of weeks ago that I don't think I've gotten around to sharing yet! I made this card using blocks from Homespun Quilt. I love how simple it is to use this set, and adding faux stitching gives the project a little extra something.

Hope you've enjoyed the weekend!

Repurposed Popcorn Jar

Here's a quick project to share with you! I wanted to send a special fella a thank you gift -- a BIG jar of pistachio nuts -- one of his favorite things! I had a large plastic container left over from some of that delish specialty popcorn from Target, and found it was the perfect size for what I was wanting to send.

I removed the original labeling from the jar and cleaned it all up. I wrapped the container with fun Cosmo Cricket paper. I added the faux stitching to the edges of the paper for a little bit of texture and interest. I made a little swivel-style tag using my Singing Cowboy and his rascally little dog. I adhered the tag to the brown twill using hemp twine and a worn button.

Once the container was redecorated, I filled it to the top with yummy salt and peppered pistachio nuts and got it ready to mail. Perfect!

Take a second look at containers in your kitchen. You might find something just perfect for containing a quick gift! I particularly like jam jars, and cute little fruit jars! Filled with pretty little candies and decorated with simple tags, they make perfect (and inexpensive) gifts!

Spirit of Christmas Angel

We had a nice, somewhat relaxing weekend here on the farm. The weather was still a bit too warm for my liking (90s, ugh), but at least it didn't hit 100! I'm looking forward to cooler temps this week. I can deal with 70s and 80s. I will say that one thing this warm weather has done after the rain we had over the past couple of weeks is give the pasture grass a bit of a boost. Finally, we're getting some green around here!

The animals are enjoying the fresh grass, and there seems to have been an increase in grasshoppers and dragonflies too! The chickens are having a hay day in the backyard catching bugs and snipping off the fresh tips of the new grass.

I thought I would share this card I made using my Spirit of Christmas set. I stamped the angel in StazOn ink and painted her with re-inkers. I sponged some brown inks to all layers to warm things up a bit. I added some glitter to her wings, star, and dress for lots of sparkle.

That super fun paper is from Memory Box.

That about sums it up!

Hope you had a wonderful weekend, and your week gets off to a good start!

Three Toy Ponies

Here's something a little different than then quilting themed projects I've been working on lately. I used my toy horse image on this card to create a card for a wee little fella. My dear friend Vivian recently sent me the coolest little box of wooden disks. They look like they may have been used for bingo, but I'm not sure. I chose the B1 disk to use on this card as an embellishment, rather than a button or bow. YeeeHaw!

Hope you're having a great weekend!

Quick & Easy Quilting

This card was quick and simple to make - perfect for a stamper on a time crunch (like ME)! I used the empty quilt block from my Homespun Quilt set and stamped the image on several sheets of printed scrapbook paper. I used my 1" square paper punch to quickly punch out the paper blocks and assembled them in a eye-pleasing pattern. Some quick zips here and there with my tracing wheel for a faux stitched look, a sentiment (from my Winter Quilt set), a pretty shell button, and this little bugger is ready for the mail!

I'm tuckered and just want to go crawl into bed. I'm beyond ready for the weekend. But I have a crazy busy day tomorrow, so I'm off to catch some Zzzzz's...

Quilted Hearts

Here's a card I put together using the heart quilt block from Homespun Quilt. I stamped the blocks in black StazOn ink and painted them with re-inkers. I added a bit of ultra fine glitter to each heart for lots of sparkle.

Wasn't yesterday Monday? How did it get to be Wednesday night, ALREADY!? Crazy! I think time is passing in double-time...

Thanksgiving Quilt...and Pie

Thanks for the enthusiastic response to the new sets! I have been having a blast with them, and hope you find all kinds of inspiration for them from the Featured Designers. If you haven't checked out their sites yet, do! You're in for a treat! You'll find a list on this post.

Here's a card I made using two blocks from Homespun Quilt and the girl and sentiment from Turkey Time. I chose to use rich browns throughout the card for lots of extra seasonal goodness. The quilt blocks are stamped on natural cardstock in memento ink and colored with markers. I punched out the blocks using a 1" square punch and used brown distress inks to warm up the edges of the blocks before assembling the entire quilted layer. Then, once the quilt was assembled, I inked up the outer edges of the quilt even more. How cozy does that look!

Thanksgiving Girl is stamped on watercolor paper in black StazOn ink and painted with re-inkers. I like to use watercolor paper for images I plan to cut out and mount to the front of the card for the papers extra heavy weight and stability.

Mmmmm, pie.....

Introducing Homespun Quilt, Winter Quilt, and Spirit of Christmas

It's that time again! Time again for this month's cling set release with Whipper Snapper!

I have been having so much fun with the sets for this month, and I cannot WAIT to see what the Featured Designers have been creating! It's just so much fun!

The sets I created for this month were all inspired by quilts that my Mom has made over the many years she has been quilting. (That is not to say that my Mom is old... she's not. She's just been sewing and quilting for as long as I can remember...so maybe that makes ME old?) *grin*

Homespun Quilt and Winter Quilt have a combination of traditional blocks and hand drawn blocks. For the more traditional blocks in the sets, I chose blocks Mom used in some of my favorite quilts that she has made. The hand drawn blocks in the sets were inspired by Mom's quilts done using the applique technique. There isn't a single quilt of Mom's that I don't love, and it's so much fun each time I visit to see all of her new projects. Each one is a piece of art, and everyone who receives one is truly grateful (not to mention LUCKY!).

I created this holiday card using images from Winter Quilt. The blocks in both the Winter Quilt set and in the Homespun quilt set are a smidgen smaller than 1", so they are quickly and easily punched out using a 1" square punch. If you don't have a 1" square punch, they are simple to trim using scissors. 

Following with the "quilting" theme is also Spirit of Christmas, the third set for the month. The images in the set were drawn with visible stitching, making them subtly coordinated with the quilt block sets.

Click on the images for a larger view...

Sneak peek cards I made using images from Spirit of Christmas can be seen here and here.

It is also my pleasure to introduce you to five new Whipper Snapper Featured Designers as well! Be sure to check out the galleries and blogs of the September/October Featured Designers as they showcase these sets! You're sure to be impressed!

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

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

Jeanie Witmer
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/Jeanie_Witmer
Blog: http://thespottedchick.blogspot.com

Katarina (Kathy) Menzies
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/katarinam
Blog: http://thecreataholic.blogspot.com

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

Stephanie Kraft
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/booga3
Blog:http://handkraftedbystephanie.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!

Spirit of Christmas Snowman

Happy FRIDAY!! Because it's the weekend, and because Monday is release day, how about another sneak peek? *grin*

The snowman is from the soon-to-be-released Spirit of Christmas set from Whipper Snapper. I stamped the image in black StazOn ink and painted it with re-inkers. I used a couple different Memory Box papers for the quilt block background.

My Dad had surgery yesterday. He had his second knee replacement surgery, and this one was a doozy. The operation took over 5 hours not only for the regular knee replacement procedure, but also due to an old injury on the same knee. He's going to be sore for a long while. I talked to him tonight (he's still at the hospital for a few days) and he was very groggy! But he'll get back to his cheery self in no time. I know there are a lot of you who enjoy his blog comments, and if you're interested in dropping him a 'speedy recovery' card, let me know! I know it would really make his day! (Shhhh, Mom, don't tell!)

I'm soooo looking forward to the weekend. Some "down" time is greatly needed around here. I've got several projects that need my attention though, so hopefully I can get some serious work done while still enjoying the weekend.

Have a good one!

Spirit of Christmas Santa

Monday, September 21st is the release date for my September Whipper Snapper cling sets, and I'm so excited! On Monday, I'll be introducing you to five new featured designers and the new sets. So how about a sneak peek? You know I can't keep these things secret very well... Happy Thursday!

We're back online...

...and it feels GOOD! Holy COW, we were without internet for so LONG! They finally got the tower fixed, and we're off and runnin' again! We've had a lot of rain over the past handful of days. At one point, the barnyard was a lake, the chicken yard was a lake, and even the pond out in the pasture was full to the top! But we aren't complaining...we need the rain. We'd even take more, gladly! I think the best part was that we were actually able to have the windows open for the first time in MONTHS! It has been such a HOT summer. The rain was certainly refreshing!

I thought I'd share a project with you -- one of the several I completed during our long communication-free 4 days! This is Franny Farmer, a long-time retired Stampin' Up set. It's probably evident why I had to add her to my collection. She's adorable!

I stamped her in black StazOn ink and loosely painted her with re-inkers. 

The sentiment is from my recently released Whipper Snapper set called Farm Fresh. I thought it worked perfectly with Franny's basket of garden goodness.

Welcome to the farm, Franny Farmer!

Rustle Up...

How about some string pickin' birthday wishes for a fella! I made this birthday card using image from Singing Cowboy, one of my recently released sets from Whipper Snapper. The images of the cowboy and guitar are stamped in black StazOn ink and painted with re-inkers.The images on the background are stamped in a pale tan ink. A quick little birthday sentiment banner is tucked under the main image panel.

Before I adhered the guitar to the front of the cowboy, I used an Xacto blade to cut out around the fingers and cuff of his shirt. Then I slid the bottom of the guitar right under his hand. This is an easy way to add some simple dimension to a project. Worked like a charm!

Yeehaw!

sweet, wonderful you...

I recently used the last of a jar of jelly and decided to re-purpose the jar - it's a cute shape! I filled the jar to the rim with some of my favorite jelly bean flavors and got busy on the decor. I had intended on using the Singing Cowboy fella, but the colors of the beans looked more girly (lots of pinks, yellows and greens), so I chose to use my Cowgirl Up gal instead.

For the tag I used a piece of light weight cardboard (probably from a paper pack insert), Cosmo Cricket paper and twill, a couple of Rusty Pickle buttons, and hemp twine. My cowgirl is stamped on watercolor paper, painted, cut out, and adhered to the tag with foam adhesive. I added lots of faux stitching using one of my vintage tracing wheels.

The sentiment is from my Sweet Expressions set, from Whipper Snapper. When the tag was all assembled, I lightly spritzed it with Glimmer Mist (in Coffee Shop and Autumn Leaves colors).

Instead of using fabric to cover the lid of the jar, I chose to use a coordinating Cosmo Cricket paper. I cut a large square of paper, inked the edges, pressed it carefully around the lid of the jar, inked the creases and edges some more, and added some faux stitching around the outside edge. Finally, I tied it to the jar with hemp twine.

The most difficult part of this project was resisting all of those delicious jelly beans! I didn't sneak a single one!

Introducing Turkey Time, Singing Cowboy & Farm Fresh!

It's that time again! Time again for this month's cling set release with Whipper Snapper!

I have been having so much fun with the sets for this month, and I cannot WAIT to see what the Featured Designers have been creating! This month there are three sets being released, and I really can't choose a favorite. I made this card using images from Turkey Time. The set is packed with Thanksgiving goodness.

The other sets being released today are Farm Fresh and Singing Cowboy.

Click on the images for a larger view...

 

I shared a sneak peek card using this set, here.

I shared a sneak peek using this set, here.

Be sure to check out the galleries and blogs of the July/August Featured Designers as they showcase these sets! You're sure to be impressed!

The Who's Who of July/August Featured Designers:
Heather Pulvirenti
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/inglishrea
Blog: http://heatherpulvirenti.blogspot.com

Kimberly O'Rosky
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/kauai17
Blog: http://sunshinydayswithkim.blogspot.com

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

Lisa Kind
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/lakind
Blog: http://kindcreations.blogspot.com

Susan Liles
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/susiestampalot
Blog: http://susiestampalot.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!

What's this... a cowboy!?

 
Hi ya'll! I'm still up north visiting Mom and Dad, but wanted to drop you a quick note. We had a great time camping and floating (and flyfishing) the Kootenai River. I have lots of photos and even a few stories to share (but not tonight). I was planning on posting a few photos here during the trip, but we didn't even have cell phone service, nevermind remote wireless internet access!

Anyway, we returned home to Mom and Dad's house this evening so I thought I would share a little something crafty before I turn in for the night.

Before I left for my trip up north I was busy getting things ready to go. I got this cowboy image painted, but not made into a card. I thought I would share the painted image to give you another little SNEAKY PEEKY at one of my new stamp sets that will be releasing with Whipper Snapper on Monday! Yeehaw! You know my standard routine... the image was stamped in black StazOn and painted with Stampin' Up re-inkers.

Hope you've all had a good week... I talked to Alan earlier this evening and he said the weather in central Texas has been typical all week... sunny and 100+. Yippeeeee. What a *dreadful* thing to return home to... =)

Until next time, sweet dreams!

One Last Peek...

 

Whooo-hoo! Only one more week until this set is available! I can't wait!

Tomorrow we're headed to western Montana to do a little camping and fishing. I'm looking forward to the trip! Be back by Thursday!

Tractors & Chickens, oh my!

Now do you see why I'm so thrilled about this month's release?! Here's another peek for you!

Another Peek!

How about another peek at one of my upcoming new sets for Whipper Snapper... can't you just hear the engine rollin'! Be still my tractor lovin' heart!

About the time that this post gets published (scheduled blog posting is a Typepad feature that I love) I should be somewhere around 32,000' elevation, midway between Denver and Spokane on my way to spend the week with my parents. And in all honesty, I'm probably sound asleep on the plane. Zzzzz...

Oh! And speaking of flying! Alan and I picked up the new Wii Resort game a few weeks ago. One of the games included is called Island Flyover, and oooooh I love it! What a fun, stress free way to pass some time. We recommend the game!

Till next time!
Zzzzz...

This and That

Way too early in the morning on Saturday I'm flying up to northeastern Washington to spend a week with my family. I'm looking forward to the time with Mom and Dad, and I'm looking forward to not having to work! I took the entire week off, which is pretty unusual for me. We'll spend some time around the house, maybe attend the local county fair, and we've also planned a few nights camping in Montana where Dad will spend lots of time fishing and Mom and I will maybe do a little sewing on her hand-crank Singer. Sounds like loads of fun to me!

Alan is staying home to tend to the farm, and he will be missed. I wish he could go too -- I know he would enjoy this trip. But it's just too much time away from the farm in the heat of summer for us both to jet up north. He always reads my blog, so maybe you can post lots of nice comments for him to read while I'm away!

The August Whipper Snapper release will be Monday, August 24th. I'm over-the-top excited for this month's release! There will be three sets, and I can tell you right now, I *LOVE* every single one of them!! I have a couple of posts drafted up to share with you next week while I'm up north, but how about a wee little sneak peek now!?

What do you think the theme might be?!

Witchy Woman

Fall has always been my favorite season, and fall colors are my favorite colors to use. Everything about this project makes me happy. As I was digging through my drawer of patterned paper remnants looking for a piece of that Bo Bunny rust colored polka dot paper, I also came across this plaid die cut sheet from Pink Paislee! I think the combination of the two prints is fun, so I pulled them out for this project.

The images on the card are from my recently released Halloween Fun set, from Whipper Snapper. I stamped little Witchy Woo and her accessories in black StasOn ink and painted them with a water brush and Stampin' Up! re-inkers. Once the card was all assembled, I added some spritzes of Glimmer Mist in colors of Iridescent Gold and Autumn Leaves.

I have used Glimmer Mist on some of my recent projects, and have had a few people ask for more info about it. Glimmer Mist, a product from Tattered Angels, comes in a wide range of colors. It's a water-based product sold in small spritzing bottles. There are itty bitty little shimmery particles that suspend in the liquid solution and when spritzed on your project, you get a nice shimmer of color. I like the lightest colors (like pearl and iridescent gold) for adding more over-all shimmer to a project, and the darker colors (like Coffee Shop and Autumn Leaves) for adding just a bit of country/rustic character. ...and now I'm seeing that they have a new range of fall colors available! Ooooh, I might have to pick up some Caramel Apple, Indian Corn, and Pinecone!

To get the really fine misting of spray like you see on this project, it's best to spray the mist into the AIR in front of you and then lift your project up through the fine mist, rather than spraying directly onto your project. You will avoid the larger "blobs" that can happen if you spray directly onto the project. Blobs aren't a bad thing if you're expecting them, but when you don't want them on your painted project, they're not so fun. A word of advice... since the product is water-based, be careful when applying it to projects finished with other water-based mediums (like watercolor paints, or even re-ininkers). Adding too much can cause your watercolored work to bleed, or cause the color to lift. But you can see on this witch card that it is possible to combine Glimmer Mist with watercolored images -- just be careful.

Stampers' Sampler Take Ten

What a fun mail day!

I received my comp copy of the latest Stampers' Sampler Take Ten magazine from Stampington.

Whooo!

They did a three-page "doodling" special feature article using my cards. Thanks to the Stampington folks for the fun publication opportunity!

Playing Favorites!

My friend Shellie and I decided to have a little stampin' challenge. Shellie has great ideas for challenges, so we used one of hers: Playing Favorites - Create your piece using one of your favorite stamps or stamp sets, your favorite coloring technique, with your favorite piece of designer paper.

I chose my Sunflower Vase stamp -- it was one of the first stamps I released with Whipper Snapper and is still one of my favorites! I stamped the image in black StazOn (of course), and watercolored the image with re-inkers since that IS my favorite way to color an image...

And what's not to love about all the fabulous colors of Bo Bunny polka dot basics paper!? On this card, I chose to use Rust. Fall is my favorite season, and this color just screams autumn to me.

I also chose to use some chocolate colored twine, and a chocolate colored button. And more favorites, faux sewing and inked edges!

That's a lot of favorites!

You must check out Shellie's Playing Favorites card, posted in her SplitCoast gallery! And take a long look through her gallery while you're there -- you're sure to see why Shellie is one my favorites, too!

Charlie, sweet Charlie...

I was poking around in some of my stamp storage drawers the other night to see what I could find. I came across my Charlie stamp, and thought he would work perfect in a scene with this "old" (1998) stamp called Garden Fence from Stampington & Co that I recently purchased for a couple of bucks on eBay. I stamped the garden fence in black StazOn ink and painted it with re-inkers and a water brush. I added ultra fine glitter with a 2-Way Glue pen for LOTS of sparkle.

I stamped Charlie on a separate piece of paper, painted him the same way, added some glitter to his flower and neck tie, then cut him out. I adhered him to the card using dimensional foam adhesive, so he's popped up a bit from the garden fence. I think he turned out pretty cute, standing in the garden having picked the prettiest flower for a friend.

Here's hoping you have a happy Monday... let the countdown to the weekend begin!

a little bit country

I wanted to make a thank you card for a friend, so I inked up the cowgirl from my recently released Cowgirl Up! set from Whipper Snapper. Of course, I had to include Tiny Tim in the scene as well -- he's such a ladies man!

I stamped the images in black StazOn ink and painted them with a water brush and re-inkers. Instead of using a bouquet stamp for her flowers, I chose to use some paper and felt flowers instead! I created a little mini bouquet and used some seriously strong white craft glue to adhere them to the card. To country things up a bit, I spritzed the entire card with Coffee Shop colored Glimmer Mist from Tattered Angels. It added a bit of rustic charm, and ooh-la-la shimmer at the same time!

Christmas in July

This week's High Hopes blog challenge is Christmas in July! I chose to use Tropical Santa because with temperatures in the 100s here, poolside is the only place to be!

I stamped Santa on natural cardstock and colored him with Prismacolor pencils, and used Gamsol and a paper stump to blend the colors.

I decided I didn't quite get enough of my crystal snowflakes last winter, so I pulled out the glass glitter and the snowflake punches and went to town! A little holiday sentiment from my Whipper Snapper set called Snowman for Peace fit nicely on the snowflake.

Join the challenge...more details on the High Hopes blog, along with loads of samples from the other design team members!

A Cowgirl's Thanks

Did you check out the wonderful designs posted in the Whipper Snapper Featured Designer Gallery today!? I'm telling you, the featured designers WOW me every month! I love their creativity, style, and humor!

Here's another card I made using images from Cowgirl Up! I stamped the girl in black StazOn ink and loosely painted her with re-inkers and a water brush. I stamped the flowers on a separate piece of paper, painted them the same way, cut them out and adhered the bouquet to my card with foam dimensional adhesive.

The little sentiment is from one of my sentiment sets from last year called Sweet Expressions. It's full of small sentiments just perfect for little tags.

Hope you're having a super Monday!

Introducing Cowgirl Up! & Halloween Fun

It's that time again! Time again for this month's cling set release with Whipper Snapper!

I have been having so much fun with the sets for this month, and I cannot WAIT to see what the Featured Designers have been creating! I feel like I repeat myself month after month, but really -- it's just so much fun!

This month there are two sets being released, and I really can't choose a favorite.

I made this card using images from Halloween Fun. The set is packed with witchy goodness and several fun Halloween sentiments.

Most of my scene cards are masked, but I decided to make a card that didn't require any masking at all. Rather than masking the bottle and frog, I stamped them on a separate piece of paper, cut them out, and adhered them to my card using foam dimensional adhesive.

I did something a little different with my sentiment banner. Because I used twine around the main image, I also decided to use twine to create a couple of stitches on the side of the banner. This was easy to do with a really small hole punch. The twine threaded through the holes easily, and I was able to make a little knot on the backside to hold the twine in place.

I also added lots of shimmer to this card using Marvy Twinklette pens. They really lay down a lot of color, so I only added a few dots to an area before my next step. Because they're a water based product, I used my water brush to move the color around just like paint! It worked like a charm! But I'm not sure you can see it in the photo... (click the photo to see it larger). And if you're wondering, atyou Spica pens from Copic are also water based and will work in this same way.

As I was putting this set together, it occurred to me that it would be a great set to combine with Chicken's in the Kitchen and What's Cookin'. All of those cooking implements and sentiments ... what a fun combination! The Halloween Fun set doesn't have bubbles for the cauldron, but if you want bubbles you can borrow the bubbles from Fish Friends or Swimmin' By. And don't forget Spooky Expressions, which released last year. There are lots of great Halloween expressions in that set that would work perfectly with Halloween Fun!

The other set being released this month is Cowgirl Up!, a fun girly set featuring a cowgirl, lasso, her chickens, her beverages of choice, several sentiments, and more! I shared a sneak peek card using this set, here.

Click on the images for a larger view...

What's even more exciting is that I get to introduce five new Whipper Snapper Featured Designers! Be sure to check out the galleries and blogs of the July/August Featured Designers as they showcase these sets! You're sure to be impressed!

The Who's Who of July/August Featured Designers:
Heather Pulvirenti
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/inglishrea
Blog: http://heatherpulvirenti.blogspot.com

Kimberly O'Rosky
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/kauai17
Blog: http://sunshinydayswithkim.blogspot.com

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

Lisa Kind
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/lakind
Blog: http://kindcreations.blogspot.com

Susan Liles
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/susiestampalot
Blog: http://susiestampalot.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!

dust it off

The head-to-toe adorable and endlessly crafty Val Stangle posted a card on her blog today using an older Hero Arts stamp called Watercolor Coneflower that she found stashed in a box of Hero Arts stamps she recently dug out of her supply cabinet.

Knowing I have that stamp too, I left her a comment and said that my Watercolor Coneflower stamp was probably dusty, too! In true Val form, she sent me an email and issued a bit of a challenge telling me to dust it off and create a 10 minute card.

And well, when Val tells me to stamp, I do. You just do.

I inked the flower with Marvy Brush Markers, spritzed the colored stamp with water, and stamped it on my paper. I added a bit of inking around the edges of the paper layers with a sponge, and chose a sentiment from my Blooming Expressions set from Whipper Snapper. A button and some Creative Impressions twine finish it off.

This one's for you, Stampin' Gal Val!

Visit Val's blog Creating Paper Sunshine -- she sure does!

a sneak peek, a cold drink, and good advice!

How about we kick off the weekend with a little Whipper Snapper sneak peek, a cold beverage, and some good advice!

Monday July 20th marks the release date for my July Whipper Snapper cling sets ... and like every month, I'm having a BLAST with the new sets! The "waiting to release" part of being an illustrator and designer is the hardest part!

I love how this project turned out! For added dimension, I popped two corners of the main image panel up on foam adhesive. The other two corners are stitched down with some zigs. All of the edges were inked a bit, and don't you just love that Cosmo Cricket paper! I think it's very country/prairie/cowgirl looking!

The images were stamped in black StazOn ink and painted with a water brush. Her knees make me giggle... And do you see Tiny Tim! How fun for him to make an appearance in a stamp set!

This weekend the temps are supposed to settle in below 100*... an icy beverage will still be required.

Cock-a-doodle-dooo!

Hand Carved Wildflower Bloom

I thought I would share another project I made using one of my hand carved stamps! For this stamp, I drew my design directly on the block (instead of on scrap paper and transferring it to the block) and carved it out. I used a white pigment ink by ColorBox called Frost White. While I love the look and coverage of this ink, it's quite a pain to have to heat set it. Pigment ink takes a lot longer to dry, so if you want to continue working away on your project, heat setting is highly suggested. Otherwise, you run the risk of getting your fingers, palms, workspace, other layers, and NOSE inky. Speaking from experience.

While I had the heat gun out, I decided I would actually emboss the sentiment to make it a bit more unique. Because the pigment ink is so sticky, I was able to stamp the sentiment in the same ink and then emboss it with clear detail embossing powder, which made it shiny! The sentiment is from my Friendly Expressions set, and reads "it's the little things you do that make all the difference".

I'm not much of a technique gal, so just having to dig out my heat gun is pushing the limits for me. Techniques usually require more space than I have available on my work table. For some reason, even though I have a 4' table, I always end up working in 12x12 inches of space, on a good day.

For more info on the tools used to make hand carved stamps, see this post.

Moooo!

Happy Independence Day, to Mooooooo!

Card Recipe:
Crooning Cow: Whipper Snapper Designs; Dotted Paper: Melissa Frances; Paper Ribbon and punched stars: Cosmo Cricket (ribbons is a narrow strip from the strip sheet from the Honey Pie line, and stars are just punched stars from a different strip on the same sheet); Pearl Brads: SEI "guy"; Ink: Black Stazon; Image painted with a water brush and Stampin' Up re-inkers.

Whipper Snapper Release!

I'm so proud, and excited, to be part of Whipper Snapper's Fall/Winter 2009 release!

175 new images just released and honestly, my shopping list is a mile long. Maybe 2.

Check out the ADORABLE new art! If you like images you can color, you're in for a TREAT!

Poultry Paradise

My parents are getting ready for a short camp trip, and oh how I envy them! Sure, life on the farm is all glitz and glam, but imagine... me, Alan, and the chickens, dipping our toes in a cool mountain lake. We could be enjoying the sweet song of crickets and frogs, instead of the deafening whistle and whine of the Texas cicadas (though, I actually like the cicadas...) How sweet it would be! So, rather than wishing they (my parents) were here, I wish we were there!

I made this card using images from my recently released Whipper Snapper sets. The chicken and sentiment are from Beach Bum, the island is from Hooked on Fishing, and the trailer is from Great Outdoors. And of course, what's not to love about the Mr. Campy Cosmo Cricket paper... *swoon*

I was recently asked if I would show photos of project details now and then. You bet, Pam! Here you go! On this card, I chose to double-layer the chicken's body, for added detail. I lightly colored the chicken in the background, and then colored the top-layer chicken darker with more detail. I also sketched in some grass sprigs and made little dots to quickly and easily add ground.

Here is a close-up of the twill, button, twine. Normally I use a couple of small glue dots to hold things in place. I'm almost out of glue dots. *gasp!*

Note to self: ORDER GLUE DOTS!

And speaking of chickens (aren't we always?)...

I have a four chicks hanging out with me tonight. The black one is 3 or 4 days old, one of the yellow ones is a couple days old, the other yellow one hatched yesterday.

The younger chicks need to get their legs under them before I'll put them in with Ginger (the mama) and her slightly older chicks. I brought in a couple of the chicks that are a few day old to keep the new chicks company, and to encourage the new chicks to eat. They'll learn faster if they can mimic the older chicks.

After a day or two when they've got the hang of their legs and of eating, I'll put them all out with their mama and the other babies. Ginger will never notice... 11, 12, ...14... who's counting. Not Ginger! The newly hatched chicks are still in the "need sleep" stage, and Ginger is too busy showing the older chicks food to worry about snuggling down with day old chicks. They'll do better with her and the older babies in a day or two.

This is the little gal that hatched today...a bit too early, thanks to the egg she was in getting broken about a day before she was ready to hatch. I'm lucky I found her in the nest when I did. It could have been disastrous for her... She spent most of the day in the incubator, until she thought it was time to kick the last of her egg shell off and join her friends.

This modeling stuff is hard work when you're newly hatched!

mmm...gummy worms!

I was looking through some of my older projects and came across this Reindeer Delivery package I made last winter. I thought it would be fun to do something similar with my Hooked on Fishing set!

And it just so happens that I love gummy worms. Yes, it's true. Thankfully, I managed to save enough for this little project! Delicious, those little worms!

The paper I used to wrap the clear pillow box with is from the Mr Campy Cosmo Cricket line. I stamped the fishing chicken image, from Hooked on Fishing, in black Memento ink and colored the image with Copic markers. I used cotton rope from Stampin' Up, hemp twine and a button to join the tag to the package o' worms.

Wonder who I'll send this wiggly package of goodies to!?

a bear and his picnic basket

I think picnics are better shared with a friend... don't you?

The images on this card are from three different sets: Beware of Bears (bear and basket), Hooked on Fishing (skeeter), and Friendly Expressions (sentiment)

I love being able to combine images from multiple sets to create one scene. YAHOO, what FUN!

The wooden button is from an OLD card of buttons I bought at a local antique shop a couple of months ago. Six vintage wooden buttons for a quarter. Not bad! I warmed it up a bit by rubbing it with the sponge I use to ink the edges of my cardstock with. The ink added just a bit of depth to the wood grain. Much better!

Introducing Beware of Bears, Great Outdoors, & Hooked on Fishing

It's that time again! Time again for this month's cling set release with Whipper Snapper! I could not WAIT For these sets to release! You might have guessed that since I had a hard time keeping them secret! And while I have been having a blast with them, I cannot WAIT to see what the Featured Designers showcase, and what other stampers create with the images. That's the BEST part about being a stamp illustrator.

 
I made this card using images from Great Outdoors, a sentiment heavy set for adventurers. Before I moved to Texas, I owned a little 1950s retro travel trailer just like the one on this card. Now my parents own it, and use it to go camping in the the Pacific Northwest and the occasional National Park. It's a great little trailer that's just perfect for extended weekend trips. I wish we could join them on their trips!

I wanted the truck and trailer to really POP on this card, so I kept all of the other colors very neutral. I don't know if you can see it or not, but the patterned paper has a map printed beneath the random black dots. The buttons I chose to use look like they've been carved out of stone, although I'm sure it's some sort of clay or resin. Either way, I was excited to find them in my stash!

The three sets releasing are Beware of Bears, Great Outdoors, and Hooked on Fishing. Don't be shy about using the sets together, mixing and mingling images to create your own scenes. You have permission! *grin*

Other cards I've made (and posted as sneak peeks) with sets releasing this month can be seen here, here, and here!

Click on the images for a larger view...

Be sure to check out the galleries and blogs of the May/June Featured Designers as they showcase these sets! You're sure to be impressed!

The Who's Who of May/June Featured Designers:
Julie Campbell
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/juliemcampbell007
Blog: http://stampedinhisimage.blogspot.com

Joanne Basile
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/basilefamily
Blog: http://stampedbyhand.blogspot.com

Sandra MacLean
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/b-gin-r
Blog: http://paperfuntastics.blogspot.com

Shellie Daniel
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/shellied

Tab Robinson
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/tabbycrafts
Blog: http://tabbycraftdesigns.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!

From the Worm's Perspective...

Monday is the day that the Featured Designers and I will be officially sharing designs made with the three Whipper Snapper sets being released for June, but I can't resist posting another sneak peek!

I made this card LATE last night (actually, really early this morning) with images from the Hooked on Fishing set.

It is meant to be from the perspective of the worm...before he high-tailed it outta there! Sassy little worm!

It's too bad you can't see the shimmer in the painted images. Once I had the image painted (I used Stampin' Up re-inkers), I added more color and shimmer to the fish and water with Twinkling H2Os from LuminArte. For the highlights on the fish, I used a white gel pen after the painted color was dry.

I'm having so much FUN! And I just can't WAIT to see these sets in the hands of other stampers!

Whipper Snapper Sneak Peek!

It's late and I'm still up. 2:49am kind of late. Alan went to bed hours ago, but before he did he said "you haven't posted in three days..." .... yeah, yeah, yeah... I've been busy. I've been in illustration mode (winter holidays and beyond!) and that usually means I can't share most of what I'm working on! But it'll be FUN when I can, I guarantee! *grin*

But every now and then I like to break the rules of illustration secrecy! So, how about a sneak peek at some images from a June Whipper Snapper set that the featured designers and I will be introducing on Monday, June 22!

I have been waiting and WAITING for this month's release! I am just so exited to see the images from the sets being released IN ACTION by fellow stampers! There are three sets in total for June, and I'm totally lovin' how they work so well together. It's almost like I planned it... *grin*

Tonight, I used images from one of the June sets that was inspired by my Dad. He loves to fish... and Hooked on Fishing is all about fishing! And I love it!

I stamped the images in black Memento ink and colored them with markers. I used a white gel pen to add just a few white highlights. I used distress ink to sponge around the edges, and added some stitching.

I've taken a couple of days off work (Thursday and Friday), so I get to sleep in and tinker around the house and try and catch up on things over the next few days. I'm looking forward to it! I need to finish putting netting over the big chicken yard, do a little sweeping and cleaning in the coop, and I might even spend a few extra hours crafting! And who knows... maybe I'll get around to posting another sneak peek, or two!

And now that it is 3:17am, I'm going to hit the sheets. Toodles!

PS: I just noticed that you can catch a glimpse of one of the other June sets in the top photo... ooooh ahhhh!

Tinkering with Animation...

870 Degrees.

I just looked at the forecast for the next week for our area. Unreal.

Sunday: 96
Monday: 97
Tuesday: 97
Wednesday: 96
Thursday: 97
Friday: 97
Saturday: 97
Sunday: 96
Monday: 97

And if you do math like I do, that's 870 degrees. Yup, every day. Why don't they just say "Blistering HOT!" In fact, as I write this it's 1:52am and it is STILL 85 degrees with 69% humidity. I might just die.

Time to stock up on frozen fruit bars! I'm putting bottles of frozen water in the chicken waterers now too, to help keep the chickens cool. I do believe Summer is officially here. *ugh!*

it's gonna be hot.

The forecast for the week looks grim. Seriously. Temperatures for the next 10 days promise to be 90+. Even as high as 98, if you can believe it. I've added it all up, and for the next 10 days it's going to be 950 degrees. And let me tell you, for someone who doesn't like heat, it's going to feel like 950 degrees EVERY DAY to me!

I think it's time to go poolside.

Yup. For sure.