Sassy & Sweet Notes

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!

Someone, please stop time.

Things have been EXTRA busy around here lately ... not a lot of extra time for anything, it seems. I feel like life is racing circles around me, and all I can do is spin, and I'm not getting anywhere. I think it's time to stop.

And smell the flowers.

And take a nap. Or three.

Someone, please stop time. I need to catch up!

Introducing Celebrate Nature & Woodland Critters

 
It's that time of month again! Time for another Whipper Snapper cling set release! This month, there are two sets being released: Celebrate Nature and Woodland Critters

For this card, I chose the happy owl from Woodland Critters and a sentiment from Celebrate Nature.

Click the images to see a larger view:

 
 

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

The Who's Who of March/April Featured Designers:
Andrea Murdock
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/ajmurdock
Blog: http://mystampingheaven.blogspot.com

Barb Hardeman
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/foster_mom
Blog: http://stampelicious.blogspot.com

Chrissy Le
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/bossboo
Blog: http://paperinkcolor.blogspot.com

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

Tobi Crawford
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/jazzytobi
Blog: http://tobicrawford.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!

Rain, Rain, Please come again!

We FINALLY got a dash of rain today. It's been too long already since our last storm. Hopefully the forecast for the next few days holds true, and we get more rain ... lots more rain. We already have large cracks in the ground from the dry conditions. Some of the grass in the yard is brittle, and browning. NOT a good sign for the rest of the year if conditions don't improve.

You know how much I love Texas weather.  

On the bright side, the wildflowers are getting more and more beautiful as the days go by. I've GOT to get out and take some photos!

And the June bugs are coming out in force, too. They are so uncoordinated! If turtles could fly, but mostly just crashed, they would be just bigger June bugs.

Happy Easter!

 
Hope you have fun celebrations today! Happy Easter!

Last night I decided to put a little color on some of our fresh eggs.

 
In coffee mugs, I used a simple solution of hot water, a tablespoon of vinegar (per color), and food coloring. While the eggs were still warm from being hard boiled, I let the eggs rest in the mugs to pick up color. I love how bright the colors turned out!

Enjoy your celebrations today, and be sure to enjoy an egg or two! I know I will!

I'd Forgotten!

On one of my flights during the holidays, my luggage tag went missing from my suitcase. I like to make sure my bags are marked as MINE in several locations, and luggage tags are a simple way to get my contact info in at least one location on my bag. So, I was in need of a new luggage tag.

Several weeks ago ... like maybe as many as 10 ... I went to the KLM website to design my own luggage tag using their FREE "design your own luggage tag" program. You can choose one of their images, or you can upload your own! Of course, I chose to upload my own.

 
It's been so long, I forgot all about it! Until today! My free tags arrived in perfect condition!

 
If you want to make your own custom luggage tags, it's easy! Check it out!

I've been busy!

 
With the recent release of new images over at Whipper Snapper, I've been coloring and glittering like a mad woman in the process of making card samples. And, if you take a good look, you might even see some sneak peeks in the mix of some things yet to come! *grin*

Introducing Think Happy Thoughts & Beautiful Day

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

Sneak peek cards I made using images from these sets can be seen here and here.

For this card, I chose the bitty chicken and sentiment from Beautiful Day. This is a fun set to welcome spring, or quick notes of friendship.

I've been asked several times to show close-up photos of details. I usually forget... but not this time!

 
The chicken was colored with markers, and the edges were inked a bit to be consistent with the other layers on the card. I added some glitter to the flower for a little glitz. Even chickens like glitter, you know... *grin*

Click the images to see a larger view:

 
 

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

The Who's Who of March/April Featured Designers:
Andrea Murdock
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/ajmurdock
Blog: http://mystampingheaven.blogspot.com

Barb Hardeman
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/foster_mom
Blog: http://stampelicious.blogspot.com

Chrissy Le
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/bossboo
Blog: http://paperinkcolor.blogspot.com

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

Tobi Crawford
SCS Gallery: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/go/jazzytobi
Blog: http://tobicrawford.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!

Whipper Snapper Sneak Peek!

Earlier this week I mentioned a new cling set release happening on Monday, March 22 over at Whipper Snapper.

Here's a sneak peek for you!

This image is from the set called Think Happy Thoughts -- a set that is full of expressions perfect for celebrating friendship.

I can't wait for the release; it's my favorite day of the month!

Spring 2010 Whipper Snapper Release

Exciting news over at Whipper Snapper!

I have new stamp images released today!

Check them out, here!

Happy Day!

Exciting news over at Whipper Snapper!

I have new stamp images released today!

Check them out, here!

Happy Day!

Happy Mail Day!

 

A few months ago, I needed to send some things in to The Stamper's Sampler for publication and I decided to decorate the priority mail box. Much to my surprise, my decorated box was featured in the current issue in the Mail Call section of the magazine. How fun! The goodies I sent in for publication will be featured in an upcoming issue -- more on that LATER! *grin*

I don't submit for publication very often, but it is very exciting to see something I made in a national magazine. Working with the folks at Stampington & Co is enjoyable -- and I appreciate being featured in their magazines.

 
Look for the February/March 2010 issue of The Stamper's Sampler on shelves now.

pretty please...

I've been working on some new illustrations and thought I would share one of them. This little "pretty please" gal started out as a pencil sketch that I later drew with pen and ink. I then colored the image with markers (I usually watercolor my illustrations), scanned the colored image and created this little digital version.

What do you think ... do you like her? Would you like to see her as a Whipper Snapper rubber stamp!? (I know I would!)

Mom, does she remind you of anyone?

Keep it Cozy!

There's an image release happening over at Whipper Snapper soon, and I can't WAIT! I love new releases!

The best part of being an illustrator is seeing the amazing creations people make with my images. I "ooooh" and "ahhhh" every one I see.

Of course I know which of my images are releasing, but it's always so fun seeing them on the Whipper Snapper site for the first time. I get happy butterflies in my tummy at each new release!

In the spirit of sneak peeks and new Whipper Snapper image releases, here's a little springtime cheer from me to all of you who might be experiencing heavy snowfall this weekend.

Keep it cozy!

PS: Be a "fan" of Whipper Snapper Designs on Facebook!

CHA, Here I Come!

Happy FRIDAY!! Finally -- the WEEKEND! Now that I've got things wrapped up from the work week, it's time for some FUN!

I've got to pack my suitcase and get ready for a few days of fun in sunny (?) California! I'll be attending the CHA Convention and Trade Show, and can't wait to see what's NEW for the coming year!

CHA, for those of you who might not know, is the Craft and Hobby Association. They have two major convention trade shows each year, where companies release their new products and lines for the year. It's very exciting for retailers, manufacturers, and designers like me! Not only is it a great place to check out new, exciting products, but it's a great place for bumping into celebrity crafters, too! 

I won't have a computer with me so I won't be able to post photos during the show, but stay tuned for an update from me when I get home. I'll showcase some of my favorites, and who knows...maybe I'll bump into a celeb or two, as well!

Have a wonderful weekend! ...

Oh, and drop a note here on the blog to Alan every so often. He's staying home to tend to the farm while I'm out in California oogling new crafty goods. *grin* But even while I'm away, he keeps up on the blog comments and gives me updates when we have time to catch up throughout the weekend.

PS: Do I smell a Whipper Snapper release coming soon!? Yes, yes! I think I do! Stay tuned for more!

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!

I'm in Print!

It must have been about a year ago when I received an invitation to be a contributing artist for the Cornish Heritage Farms Thomas Kinkade How To Guide Book. I was (and still am) thrilled to have been part of this project!

The book features many of the Thomas Kinkade images and a variety of techniques using the stamps. I was asked to demonstrate a coloring technique. Being such a sucker for watercolor painting, I chose to demonstrate watercolor painting with liquid inks. For my project, I chose one of my favorite images, The Light of Peace. 

The book is a wonderful mix of techniques including chalks, markers, pencils, and even some embossing techniques. You can read more here.

When I received my complimentary copy of the book, I was even MORE excited when I saw that one of my images made the cover! How exciting!

  

Thank you, Cornish Heritage Farms, for the wonderful opportunity!

I'm BACK!

Last week was a long week away from home. I was in the San Jose, California area on business, so I got to experience the monster rain storm that hit northern California early last week. I also heard that there was a small earthquake near San Jose while I was there, too!

The weather was no better for Alan at home ... about 6 inches of rain fell, making conditions on the farm quite wet and muddy. Things on the farm are starting to dry out now, but we're expecting more rain later this week. Thank goodness for muck boots!

Halloween is just around the corner...are you planning on doing anything fun? I need to put out some jack-o-lanterns!

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!

Happy Weekend, Busy Weekend...

Just a quick note tonight... I'm pretty beat! We've had a bit of extra work on the farm this week. The rain has really made a mess of the barn yard, and the mud just makes it extra difficult to get around. Hopefully, things will dry out a bit tomorrow. The soil here is a thick, black clay. And when it gets wet, it turns into a slimy, heavy, sticky, MESS! More than once I've been walking through the pasture and nearly walked out of my boots -- the mud has some serious suction skills!

In addition to extra farm chores this week, I've also been busy working on spring and summer illustrations for Whipper Snapper. What FUN! And, I've been busy getting ready for my business trip -- I fly out tomorrow afternoon, and will be gone until next Saturday. There's just so much left to do! Starting with finding clothes to wear all week! Ack!

Oh! Here's a tease for you ... Monday is release day for my October Whipper Snapper cling sets! I can't WAIT to see what the featured designers have been up to!

Hope you're enjoying your weekend!

Cluck, cluck!

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.....

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!

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!

cluck cluck!

Holiday weekends (any weekend, for that matter) are always too short. Just when we start getting into the swing of things, it's time to go back to work. Ah well... at least we could sleep in one more day!

I did a little bit of stamping last night. Here is one of the cards I put together using my recently released set from Whipper Snapper called Farm Fresh. A wagon full of chickens sounds pretty fun to me!

Cluck cluck!

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...

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 new baby!

Princess, one of our Dexter cows (the one that looked like a hippo during the last few weeks of her pregnancy), had her baby last night! She delivered him at about 10pm. We're happy he's here and seems to be strong and healthy, but DANG IT we were REALLY hoping Princess would have a GIRL this year. ARGH! Princess!!

We thought for sure the third time would be a charm (her first two were boys). We really are going to tie pink bows on her belly next year!

I'll get some photos this evening...

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!

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!

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!