Saturday, November 5, 2011

Mamograms Matter

Art as an expression of hope and a reminder to my loved ones:



Just because breast cancer awareness month is over doesn't mean we can forget about taking care of ourselves and our loved ones.
Please do your self exams and get your mammograms. Here's a web site that will help you find free mammograms in the United States. http://www.liv.com/free_mammograms.php

 We all know someone touched by breast cancer--if you didn't before--now you do. I've had over 10 mammograms in the last 4 years, 3 aspiration biopsies and 1 very recent stereoscopic biopsy. It's all good so far, but these small steps make a huge difference in my health and my peace of mind.

Being kind to yourself makes you strong.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

21 days with a ciggarette

Bon Voyage to a tee shirt (and cigs) from my art journal.
I said a not-so fond farewell to my cigarettes 21 days ago today. This rocks.


I made my commitment to quit by using a nicotine delivery device known as the E-cigarette. 


Here are the things I love about my new life without "analog" cigarettes and my ongoing adventures with electronic cigarettes. (In no particular order)


  • I love saying "I don't smoke."
  • The smell--the tell-tale, nasty, smell---is gone.
  • I don't waste cigarettes putting them out before they are finished.
  • No more ash tray maintenance and butt disposal issues.
  • I have already lost my smokers cough and throat clearing.
  • The electronics come in cool colors including pink with light up crystals.
  • They are half the price of my former smoking habit.
  • I can whiten my teeth and they'll stay white.
  • No loss of the eye-hand habits I enjoy.
  • I can do it in the car with the windows up.
  • I don't annoy people around me.
  • No special accommodations required.
  • No waiting until "I finish this one" before moving on with my time.
Here's a video of Katherine Heigl on Letterman that shows how they work and what they look like:






Once I decided to try the electronic cigarettes, I found an incredible amount of online resources, products, and companies. There are some unbiased comparison sites and some very biased comparison sites set up to look like unbiased ones.


The company that works for me is called Vapor for Life. They don't pay any referral bonuses and I receive no personal gain by promoting their company. http://v4l.com/

Monday, October 31, 2011

Have a Witchin' Good Halloween

I tried my hand at coloring a black and white digital image. It's not a digital stamp, it's one of the ones I use from kits. She's a good witch with a good wish for a Happy Halloween to you.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Gift Enclosures

Artist's Note: During the first week of September when my two newest baby grands were born I was a quite preoccupied. I created a post for the Paper Temptress Design blog that never seemed to get published. I have finished my design team term with this wonderful company and left the post on their blog to be put in as a "filler." In the meantime--I really loved this post so I'm publishing it here too.

Bold & Bashful Gift Enclosures







Set yourself up for easy gift solutions by creating sets of these cheery and fun gift card holders and explosion boxes. As a demonstration of Paper Temptress card stock versatility, I created the exact same project using two different color schemes.






There are so many gifted and talented paper artists sharing their creations online these days that it’s not hard to find clever templates. Let yourself be delighted and amazed to see how selecting Paper Temptress products can move your projects to the next level of artful presentation.






Gift Card Holders



One of my favorite designers, Eli Harlon, demonstrated the template for this gift card holder on her blog “Firllions.” I’ve been a friend and fan of Eli for about five years now and I’m tickled pink that she now lives near me in the Palm Beach area.




Explosion Gift Boxes

Split Coast Stampers offers a wonderful online community that includes new templates and instructional videos every week of the year. This explosion box from Beate Johns is a fabulous way to package jewelry, candy treats, tea bags, and other tiny treasures.






Paper Tempress Supplies for the Bashful projects:

Graystone Classic Linen Text and Cardstock

Azeala Stardreams Text
Pink Basis

Nero Black Cardstock

Rose Quartz Text



Paper Temptress Supplies for the Bold projects

Kiwi Text

Azeala Stardream text

Sparkle Mangue Text and Cover Weight

Sparkle Orange Cover Weight

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Poison Ivory is anything but wrong

I am developing a whole new appreciation for markers, markers, markers....All my work with the Paper Temptress products has renewed my coloring on card stock time. My latest adventure was coloring onto the card stock called Poison Ivory. It's a pale ivory (almost white) sturdy card stock with a smooth surface and luscious gold shimmer.

Of course, like a raccoon, I am a drawn to all things sparkling. I experimented with a couple different styles and coloring techniques. Here's a card with the castle image done on poison ivory. The stamped image from Stamp Affair was stamped in black ink, base colored with Bic Mark-it(TM) pens, blended with Dove Blender pen, shaded and colored more with the Bic-Mark-It pens (including outlining the original stamp lines with the ultra fine tip) and then topped off with Glaze gel pens from Sakura. Finally, yes there's more, I squirted on some instant crackle medium from Ranger.

Can you believe how far I strayed from my normal--"flash" techniques? This process worked for my creative style because I worked in short sessions with multiple images at a time. I'd apply a layer of color, switch to something else, and then return to the project. It must have laid on my desk for over a week before assembling into the card you see above. Click to enlarge all the images--the close-up shots of the castle really show the layers.

All the card stock on this card came from the Paper Temptress. The other stamps are from Dream Impressions, the punch used for ribbon threading was from Martha Stewart.



See More Poison Ivory Designs

Two new designs, a card and a commonplace book went up on the Paper Temptress design team site today. Here's a sneak peak close up to entice you to head over there:




Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Hearts and Hands Linked by Love Layout


Dragon fly from layout featured on Paper Temptress blog.
 A new Artful Tourist project launches on the Paper Temptress blog today--it's an 8" by 8" scrapbook layout. Take a look at the full layout plus a quick tutorial on torn paper frames. 

The close up here shows my dragonfly that I colored with Bic Mark-It alcohol markers--my latest favorite coloring tools. They are vibriant, blendable, and perform great on different surfaces such as this Poison Ivory cardstock from
Paper Temptress.









Been Framed lately?

I promised the PT blog readers more information on overlay frames. Here's a fancy one from my wedding album  plus some others from older projects that aren't on my web site any more--When you click on this link you will go to my web page that gives more details on how I cut the wedding one.



Fancy Cut Frame from my wedding album.

This one is cardstock with print paper glued to the opposite side.

 I want to add a couple more frames but I'm out of time for now. May your day be framed fabulously.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

12 Excuses I made not to post on my blog Sunday





1. The only things I can think to write about world events today and 10 years ago Sunday sound trite and polly-anna-ish to me right now. See what I mean? I’m using self-created words which really annoy me. Stamp by Dream Impressions, part of a collage I made in 2002.






2. Because when I keep thinking I'll find a bigger audience
 for Paper Temptress projects and I can't post them here first.
.Sticky Note pads decorated with Paper Tempress Card Stock
 



3. I haven’t created the web page I have planned to feature the in-depth review of this technique yet. These are Journals I made with my Zutter--they are a series called "Time to Journal" and are made from blank time cards.
 
4. There are so many things to post and I don’t want to take away
from them by just squeezing them in quickly.New set of ATC from one sheet
 for a video I'm planning.





5. Because it’s a good time to just pet my dog(s). Our Daisy is always ready for a cuddle





6. Becasue I just woke up or I want to lay down.
Drexel, Lord of Nap, joins me in sleeping and
waking up twice a day. It's called Chronic Fatigue.




7. Because I can't always remember if I posted something earlier and I don't want to go back and check. Club Scrap pear stamp on tag in two color sets.

9. Because I thought I looked
skinner than this.

10. Because I feel compelled to explain things in detail
 that really just need to be shown. Sign on my doctor's desk.






8. Because looking through my foldiers
is so distracting. I keep finding photos
I wanted to use weeks ago like this live
lizard hood ornament as I drive down
Belvedere.





11. Because the photo would be so much better if I had time to crop it, enhance it, and add digital elelments.

These are some button rings I tried immediately after stubling onto a You Tube Video
 

Anna Claire Schloesser, born 8.28.11 to Sir Henry's daughter Molly and her husband Ryan.

It's Been Baby Grand Week Around Here--
which brings me to # 12:
 
When I look at what's really important to me all the other photos just dim in comparison.
 


Owen Marshall Haddad, born 9.1.11 to my
 God-daughter Brittany and her husband John.


Hailee Renee Chattin--two years old in July 2011. This picture of my first born grand baby reminds me of the stamp image face in the first photo.


As always, click to enlarge any photo....
Blessings of joy and peace