Cards for men are difficult for me, are they for you? I've had this Nick Bantock stamp for quite awhile and pull him out when I just don't know what to do. It's quite versatile actually. He has such rugged good looks.



More feminine cards come easily for me, perhaps because I have so many feminine images to choose from. This is an old Hero Arts image stamped on a background I made using oil pastels.

Orange seems to be a favorite color of mine this summer...what's yours?

Cherish Freedom...this is dear to my heart. I believe we live in uncertain times and should never take our freedom for granted.

This is another Alcohol Ink Monoprint background. I chose this particular one because it looks like there are flames coming out of the the word 'Freedom'.

Stamps are from Club Scrap.


I hope you enjoy a wonderful holiday, if you're celebrating.

Happy Independence Day America!

Studio L3 is hosting several weeks of challenges based on Tim Holtz techniques from his recent book 'Compendium of Curiosities'. As a Tim Holtz fan, I purchased this book as soon as it came into print. The challenge this week is based on using the Alcohol Ink Monoprint technique from this book.




 This is the card I submitted for the challenge, using  Ranger alcohol inks in Denim, Stonewashed, Slate and Metallic Silver. The stamps are from Artistic Outpost, which happen to be one of my favorite stamp companies these days.

Thanks for stopping by, hope you're gearing up for a wonderful holiday weekend.

It is quite interesting where we gather our inspiration. I find myself looking at ads, printed material, signs, almost everything for inspiration. Usually, it is the color combination that grab my immediate attention.

My daughter sent me this thank you note, which has been positioned over my kitchen sink for about a month. These were her wedding colors, and the florentine images of the card caught my attention.

As a stamper, I have been mulling around in my head how I could translate this into something I could use. Then, how do I get it onto paper and what stamps would I use?





I needed a sympathy card, so this spurred me into action. I love the clean quiet simplicity of this card. It invokes feelings of tranquility for me.

I would really like to own a stamp similar to this, obviously I don't. When the card was finished, I was pleased.

Day 2 at Creativity Boot Camp and the inspirational word of the day was Picnic. For some odd reason, I saw a checkerboard table cloth. The words say 'Come Dine'. I know for many of us, when we start a piece we have no idea where it's going. Often, I'm not very satisfied with where I ended up. The fun is in knowing, that it just doesn't really make any difference. It is play. I hope you get some time to play this week.

Hey Dad, it's me Julie, your oldest daughter. I just wanted to take a moment to wish you a Happy Father's Day and tell you how much you are missed. You were really a wonderful father, in so many small, quiet, ways. I love to recall how you brought me treats home from the shop almost every day in your lunch pail. Sometimes a roll of life savers, or maybe just a stick of gum. I knew they were meant just for me, because I don't think I ever saw you chew a stick of gum. Just a few years before you left us, you took my old fishing pole and re-wrapped it for me. I remember seeing that old pole and looking at your gnarled hands, you'll never know how that touches me still Dad. You were always such a quiet man, so few words...too few to suit me. But, you always taught me the things you felt were important. 'Remember to scrub yours heels and elbows Julie'...'never wear scuffed shoes', and 'blue jeans were meant for farmers'. That one still makes me smile. In the 47 years you worked in the shop, you missed 5 or 6 days of work. I didn't hear this from you, but mom. The only time I remember you telling me you were proud of me was after I graduated high school. I actually over heard you telling someone else. I had worked 2 years at the nursing home while going to school and never missed a day of work. These things I learned from you. You've never seen this place I call home now Dad. I think you would like it. When I walk the property in the spring and see all the white daisies in bloom...your song reverberates in my head...I'll bring you a daisy a day dear... I hope your day is special dad and that you are walking in fields of daisies next to your favorite fishing stream.

This garden is beginning to have a life of its own...a little overwhelming. Remember, I'm a first time vegetable gardener. We've been eating salads and radishes from the garden. Everything that is suppose to flower, has. The green cabbages have 4" heads on them. I guess we're on track. I've read that pollination is problem for some gardeners, with the lack of bees, they are having to hand pollinate. I think I have plenty of bees in my flower garden, so hopefully this won't present a problem here. I found an organic fertilizer recipe on motherearthnews.com. It is 4 PTS seed meal (I'm using cottonseed meal), 1 PT lime, 1 PT Bone Meal and 1/2 PT Kelp Meal. They seem to be enjoying this diet. Who knew veggies needed calcium? What I do know, is that I enjoy picking a salad out of my back yard.

Just finished another Art Journal page for my round robin group. The author of this journal had music on the cover, so I kept with the theme...only in a much more playful way. The background is a glue crackle technique. I was inspired by this advertisement, so colorful and fun. What type of things inspire you in your artwork? I hope you enjoy a very 'colorful' weekend.

Light brayering with rainbow ink can make a quick background for more detailed stamps. After the image is stamped, you just slice it up into even sections and put the puzzle back together on another sheet of cardstock. This is one of those 10 minute cards, with great results.

A reader had asked that I further explain this technique. I'm unable to provide step-by-step visuals, but will explain as well as possible. I recommend that you start with 2 or 3 different pieces of brown colored card stock. Bleach reacts different on each type of paper. Be sure to protect your surfaces and clothing. Grab a cotton ball and plain old bleach. Dip the cotton ball in the bleach and pounce it around on the paper. If you have a heat gun. apply heat which will make the color change quicker. Again, dip in bleach and pounce in areas that you have not bleached yet and in some of the areas that you have already bleached. Continue to do this until you have a freckling on the paper. If enough bleach is used, the brown will probably turn to orange in some areas. At this point stop. Dry the paper. Then take a pigment ink pad...camouflage colors and color some of the areas. You can use a clean cotton ball, sponge, or use the corner of an ink pad. Blend some of this ink in a circular motion. I used a little forest green, brown and a ocher ink color. Dry the ink. Now take a fine line black ink pen and separate out some of the colors. If you take a close look at my previous post and the example, you will see what I mean. You can also do this on gray, navy, black or any dark colored card stock.

This technique uses bleach on different colored card stock to achieve these results. I used a gray, black and brown card stock to create three backgrounds. I have to admit that there is a lot of trial and error, because all card stock bleaches differently. I thought they ended up quite interesting, and this technique does create a background that looks quite similar to camouflage.