Artist's Choice Card - S.S.U.S.

This is one of the cards I made last month for the Stamping 101 workshop I teach at my local SB store. This stamped background is created using a variation of the emboss resist technique. Stamped with a stamp by My Minds Eye on a white background with a purple cat's eye pigment ink, then applied clear EP and repeated many times before using heat gun. Then I applied EK Chalklets with a puff. This gives a very soft, subtle look - AND FEEL! I used a decorative EK slot punch on blank card to inset stamped paper into and added a little Stickle border BLING.

I sent this to Candy for the Artist's Choice Swap for the Snobby Stuck-Up Stamping Group.

Also - I finally figured out a name for my Etsy shoppe: SalonD'Arte

I created a blog and I need to photograph my Artsy things to eventually list on Etsy at SalonDArte...an exhibition of handcrafted items. Sb

TravelersH'art ABB round robin 'Self Portrait'

This is my entry in a seven player, Altered Book Round Robin I am participating in with the Travelers H'art yahoo group. This is Halcyon's book - with a "Self Portrait" theme and is one of those thick board children's books and on each page there is a mirror. I knew exactly what I was going to do when I looked it over. This photo is of myself at about age 2. I'll have to talk to my grandmother to find out for sure. Anyway, I have an album of old photos my mom gave me from way back when that actually survived what seemed like 100 moves here and there - and - and a damp, dusty basement where it was discovered. Some of the pages had the negatives sandwiched between the pages. There are three photos that describe the scene - I had enlarged them at the community school darkroom one day when I was playing with making B&W prints from color negatives in my photography class.

The first photo shows me seated on my grandfathers' lap sitting at the kitchen table with a fresh cake sitting in front of us. The second photo is me sitting by myself, in front of the cake, stealing a taste. This photo is the end result - and I should ask how long it took for me to destroy the cake and paint myself with the cake. It was chocolate, and to this day is not really my favorite cake...but a very tasty medium!
; ) Sb

S.S.U.S. Swap - Green with Envy

This card went to Jane in my S.S.U.S. group. The white is a piece of crumpled, torn vellum. It is not as transparent because it is cardstock weight. I have a huge IRIS box of scraps with leftover bits & pieces...it comes in handy when making these cards. I covered a metallic green pipe cleaner with several green fibers to decorate the edge of the card. I've been wanting to try that technique for a while now. The free space is stamped and punched from a leftover section of alcohol inked paper. "Lucky Numbers" stamped in peeled paint distress ink with my EK typewriter letter stamps [love those lil' babies - I finally got my hands on the number set to match]. The little green stapled tag is from a baggie of tags I collect from my DH dry cleaning. My way of artfully recycling them. The bingo card is a large wood mount stamp by hero arts [i think - i have to look at it and post later] stamped with Stazon on green metallic paper...

now off to work on the next set of cards for my stamping 101 class that is on tax day...Sb