An experiment gone good!!

Okay, I know it's been forever since I've been on here. Sorry, but life gets in the way. Working full time again is kicking my hinnie. Plus keeping up with everything else. This month I've been to Champaign twice and Rachael's been up here once and is coming again next weekend. This the first free weekend all month. I have stamped or done stamp related activities, like shop. We started Christmas cards one weekend, stamped on a Friday night another, and then last Saturday went to a convention in St. Charles, IL. and spent a ton of money!

So some of that money bought this stamp set. I found a new company, at least to me, only in business a year. They're in Memphis, Tennesse and do internet orders. They have whole sheets, which are great and only $12 each. Of course I spent tons of my convention money just at this one booth and even went back a second time and bought 3 more plates. The first time was like 6-7! This company is called Artistic Outpost. http://www.artisticoutpost.com/

So that brings me to my card. I finally got time today to sit down and play for an hour and this is what I came up with. I'm not 100% crazy about the background, but love the Serenity part. It's just done on cheapo paper. Using another convention purchase, Ranger's blending foam and handle, you take your distress ink pads and smoosh some on a teflon sheet, then using the blending tool, I used Mustard Seed, you blend the ink onto the paper. I took another piece of paper and made a torn edge. Then changing foam used Marmalade Distress Ink and holding the torn edge add the Marmalade, moving the torn piece to give it some layers. Then I stamped the image in black permanent ink. Then changing blending foam again, used some vintage photo distress ink and just added a bit of color around the edges. Mounted that on black glossy after it dried. The yellowish background I used the flower from the set and first off stamped onto scratch paper then randomly stamped the flower using SU going gray. Then I used SU creamy caramel to stamp the verse, and more mustard to add just another hint of color with the swirly stamp from the set. Mounted on an orange paper (from Hobby Lobby) and then onto black. I don't know where the brads came from but they matched sort of so they went on too.

I stopped at one of these deciding to not press my luck today. I felt lucky to get into my room for even an hour. We decided to put up Halloween decorations today and what I thought was going to be a couple hour project ended up being over 5. I managed to make it through without killing or even yelling at my husband though!

Next weekend is a stampscape class at the Peddler's Den in Somanauk, so hopefully I'll finally learn how to do those and can post some success stories there.

I'm going to a stamp club!!

I got a phone message today about joinging a stamp club at the LSS. I had been on a waiting list since June! Anyway, I signed up. It's once per month and cost $5, but they provide dinner. A new technique is taught and then you make 8 cards for the next month's swap. Sounds pretty simple to me! I had to commit to 4 months worth, so I'm good to go until after the December meeting. Then I can decide if I want to continue going or not. I'm excited about it. Hopefully it'll be fun.





I also found another great find at the GoodWill store yesterday. I got a cabinet to keep my paper in for $20. I'm not sure what the original use was, but it's looking good holding my paper. I just love that store!! I was able to get rid of an old dented up filing cabinet that really couldn't handle the load of paper in it. It was a cheap thing from about 10 years ago. So it was past time to retire it.

That's all for now. Hopefully I'll get some chances to stamp in the next few days. Ed and Steven are suppose to make a trip to Kansas to check on the house and relist with another agent so I'll have two nights alone!! Surely I can get into the stamp room then. I don't think the cat will want my undivided attention.