Welcome to the jungle!

I have it listed here on my blog description that I like to paint and would be sharing some of my painting projects from time to time. Since I have recently gotten a couple emails asking me about my painting, I thought I'd share some with you here today. Believe it or not, to create this mural I did a LOT of stamping.


While all the animals are hand painted by me (using no stencils) almost all the background foliage is done with stamps. I say almost all the foliage, because there are some leaves, such as the palms above the leopard, that were hand painted. To stamp on the walls I used acrylic paint which I painted right onto the stamp with a foam brush. This way I could shade the stamp by applying several different colors of green paint. I could then get 2 images stamped per loading of paint onto the stamp. So, yes...it did take me a while to do this, as I did the entire room. It was a labor of love however, so I didn't mind. The room was painted for my boys (aged 9 and 7 at the time) and I loved seeing their faces when they would come home from school to see what I had painted that day.This is my youngest son Danny around the time that I finished the mural - had to be 10 years ago now. My oldest son eventually moved into his own room downstairs, leaving Danny with the jungle room...yes it is still painted like this much to Danny's dismay. He has been asking lately for me to repaint, but I must admit I hate the thought of covering up all my hard work. Actually, when he has friends over they all say it's cool...even though a lot of it is covered by speakers, amps and guitars.No, I don't have twins, but by the looks of this photo you might think I did. A couple months ago Danny asked me to take two photos of him - one playing his bass the other his guitar, then in Photoshop he combined the two...cool, huh? Danny is the one I talk about here when I say my son helped me figure this or that out on the computer. He's really good at computer stuff.

Anyways...back to the mural. The photos above show the main part of the mural which is on the wall under the window and can be seen from the doorway. I also painted other animals, frogs, lizards & snakes that you might find in the rain forest around the room strategically placed between dressers, desk, etc... One of my favorites was this cute little frog that is next to the door. I actually copied that little guy from a t-shirt one of the boys had at the time. The other animals I painted were inspired from posters, wall paper border and magazines. I had originally planned to paint a giraffe coming up from behind the bunk beds, but never did get to that.

Hope you enjoyed seeing photos of my very first mural project. I have painted several since this one, but I think this will always be my favorite. If you live here in the southeastern area of Michigan and are interested in having some painting done, please contact me. I also do faux finishes and stenciling.

Enjoy your day...it looks like it's going to be a beauty! I'm heading out to a family get-together in a while so I know my day will be good!

A few more Halloween projects

Here is a couple projects we did at this months Hostess Club meeting. The first project is a spinner card...sorry about the blurry photo. Batty for you is the perfect set to make a spinner card I think! I found great instructions on how to make a spinner card on my favorite stamping website.

Stamps: Batty for You, Everyday Flexible Phrases, Canvas background, Spooky Skyline & Speckled jumbo wheels
Ink: Lovely Lilac, Gable Green, Black Stazon & Basic black ink cartridge
Card stock: Lovely Lilac, Gable Green, Only Orange & Basic Black
Accessories: Vintage Brads, Stampin' dimensionals, Crop-A-Dile, 1-3/8", 1-1/4" & 1" cirlce punches, Photo Corner & Word Window punches

The next project we did was this cute little Halloween decoration that can be hung from a door knob, peg or any where else you can think of. This is made from 4" coasters.

The stars and fog coming from cauldron were stamped on the Perfect Plum card stock with Black Stazon ink and then painting them with the Aqua Painter filled with bleach. This fun technique turns dark card stock very light and allows you to then add color with pencils or markers. In this case water color pencils and a bit of reinker were used to color in all the stars and the fog. To highlight the fog even more, add some highlights using a white gel pen.

Stamps: Haunting Halloween
Card stock: Perfect Plum, Pumpkin Pie & Whisper White
Ink: Black Stazon, various to watercolor
Accessories: Orange grosgrain & Black Gingham ribbon, 1/2" circle punch, Crop-A-Dile, Vintage brads, Large Oval punch

Haunting Halloween is such a cute set and it's on special until the end of the month for 30% off! Contact me today to order it or to sign up for my Batty for Halloween class where we will use this set, plus others to create some fun halloween projects.

NEW: Sign up for blog updates

Lately I've gotten several requests asking me to add a sign up button on my blog that will let you know via your email when I update my blog. I think I figured out how to do it (and I didn't even have to ask my son! heehe) At least it is showing up here on my blog. (I'm such a computer whiz!) So, if you want to sign up, there it is on the sidebar to your right.>>>>>>>>>>>>

While I'm here, I may as well share a card with you, as I'm sure that is why you're here!

This card showcases the super cute Season of Joy set along with the new Wintergreen papers. I really like the papers, probably because they contain all my favorite shades of green: Artichoke, Sage & Celery along with a bit of Soft Sky. The only thing I don't like about these papers is deciding which side to use!

For the main image I just inked my stamp with Sage Shadow and then used my Artichoke marker right on the stamp to color in a few of the shapes for more interest. Quick & easy! I also stamped on the patterned paper at the top using the swirl from this set. The snowflake from the word "Joy" is stamped on Sage card stock and punched out with 1/2" circle punch. Then I added a rhinestone brad and popped it up with a dimensional. The final touch is some Soft Sky double stitched ribbon.

Hope you like this one! Have a great weekend!

Baby X 3 = Triplets

I mentioned here last month that a member of my downline just became a Grandma to triplets! She has been off spending lots of time with her daughter and the new babies, so it was only last week that I got to see her and give her the tri-fold frame I created for her out of blank coasters. She liked it so much that she wants to make more of them for the godparents. Since I had to type up a basic "how to" for her, I figured I would share it here as well.

I started by using blank 4" coasters. First, I cut and stamped 4" square pieces of card stock with my background stamp - if you have craft ink, that would be the best choice. For this particular project I used craft for the Blush Blossom pieces, but for the Soft Sky I used the Classic dye ink since that is all that is available for that color. You could also use patterned paper instead, and this project would go even quicker.

Next, cover coaster with a thin coat of Royal Coat Decoupage (Modge Podge is fine too) and adhere the card stock squares...don't worry about trimming the rounded corners just yet. Cover one side of coaster, set aside while covering another coaster. Then go back and cover the backside with solid card stock. After it sets a bit (only a few minutes...you just don't want it wet enough to slide around) you can sand off the corners with a sanding block or file. This makes the rounded corners fit perfect and is much easier than cutting.

For this project I wanted to have pastel hardware to match my card stock so I created faux hardware. If you don't want to attempt this, you could also use the new jumbo eyelets & Hodge Podge hardware.

To create the oval frame, first punch out the smallest oval in your desired color of card stock as shown below.

Next, use the larger oval punch and center it over the hole left by the smaller oval punch.

Punch out your frame shape after centering it as shown above.

Ta Da! Now you have an oval shaped frame! To create a jumbo rivet/eyelet shape. Do the same as shown above, only using the 1/4" and 1/2" circle punches.

Next, you will want your pieces to be shiny like metal hardware. To do this, you'll need to heat emboss them with clear embossing powder. Take the pieces you punched out and smoosh them in your Versamark pad and cover with clear EP. Use tweezers and emboss with your heat tool. Repeat this step 2 more times. If you have the Glassy Glaze EP you can probably just do this step once or twice. When you are done you will have any color hardware you want!

To make the holes in my coasters I used the Crop-A-Dile...it cuts thru these coasters like butter! I used the largest 3/16" punch for this. Now it is time to assemble and embellish your project. the fun part! Use ribbon, chipboard, cut out stamped images, etc... For the stamped images I used here, I stamped them on watercolor paper, which is nice and thick, colored and cut out.

Stamps: Bundle of Joy, Flannel Plaid background, & So Many Sayings

Card stock: Blush Blossom, Soft Sky, Barely Banana & Water color paper

Ink: Blush Blossom Craft, Soft Sky, Brocade Blue marker & Black Stazon

Accessories: Soft Sky double stitched & pink gingham ribbon, stamp-a-ma-jig, Punches: large & small ovals, round tab, 1/4" and 1/2" circle

Have fun...the possibilities are endless! Click here to see another coaster frame I made for my niece: http://lwdesigns.blogspot.com/2007/07/i-finally-created-something-with-my.html

Spooky Night

I can finally share the scrapbook pages I submitted to Stampin' Up! for their monthly contest back in August. I think they turned out awesome, (if I do say so myself!) but I guess it wasn't what they were looking for in a winning entry. Bummer! When I saw the category was pages created with a Halloween theme I thought for sure I had a chance (anyone who knows me knows I am a Halloween freak!)...so much so I had even picked out my free stamp sets! (now I know why my Grandma used to say, "don't count your chickens before they're hatched!" hehehe)

Oh well...better luck next time I guess. Now it just bums me out that all I have left are the these scanned images...wahhhhhhhhh! Guess I need to get busy and re-create them again for me to keep this time. Please note: to view these at full size, please click on images.

I absolutely love these photos of my boys in front of our graveyard entrance. (don't worry, I did not go into those details in my journaling to SU! hehehe They probably would have eliminated me just based on being weird enough to have my own graveyard!) Anyways...back to my layout. The title was stamped with Big Deal alphabet in matching color ink to card stock, but before I stamped it I used the kissing technique* with the Canvas background inked in Basic Black. I used my Stamp-a-ma-jig to add the spider, bat & cat from Batty For You to the letters. (used my black marker to ink just the image and not the words from those stamps) Each letter was cut out and matted on Gable Green card stock that was stamped in Wild Wasabi with the Canvas background...and cut out yet again...yes, I'm a glutton for punishment!.

The strip of Gable Green card stock in the middle also served as a pocket for my journaling tags. I hand lettered each of those in a spooky, dripping font. To do that all I did was pencil in my letters - penciling first allows me to figure out spacing and my mistakes can easily be fixed. After I had my spacing down, I went over the letters using my black journaling pen- I lettered all in caps. Then I went back and added the drips coming down off the letters...ooooh spooky! You might have noticed the black gingham ribbon with the pumpkin and black colored accents? I did that by taking the black gingham and running it over my Pumpkin Pie ink pad.

For the background I used the Spooky Skyline jumbo wheel, but I also have a hint to go along with that: When I wheel 2 pages straight across like I did here, I like to wheel them both together so that when they are next to each other in the scrapbook they are one continuous pattern. I used a bit of low tack artist's tape on the back of the card stock so I didn't have to worry about them moving while I was rolling them. Same goes with the Pumpkin Pie strip. I even kept the tape in place while using the Tearing Edge..

Stamps: Batty For You, Big Deal alphabet, Canvas background and Spooky Skyline jumbo wheel

Ink: Basic Black, White Craft, Perfect Plum, Pumpkin Pie & Wild Wasabi

Card stock: Basic Gray, Perfect Plum, Pumpkin Pie & Gable Green

Accessories: Black brads, Black Gingham ribbon, Round Tab, 1-3/8, 1-1/4 & Ticket Corner punches, Tearing Edge & Stamp-a-ma-jig .

*For those who don't know what the kissing technique is: Take a solid image stamp and "ink it up" by pressing it onto an inked up stamp with lots of pattern, and stamp as usual. This will transfer the pattern to solid image and make it textured looking. Hopefully I explained this OK. If you have any questions...just ask away..

Now I'm just wondering what the winning layout looked like? Oh well, my layout is still a winner in my book...oh wait...it isn't in my book now is it??? Gosh, I better stop before I make myself even more disappointed, hehehe. If anyone reads this and wants to make me feel a bit better - by all means post your comments! It's always nice to get a few comments - lets me know someone is actually looking at my blog.

Halloween Booquet

The Batty for You set is so fun! I've been having a great time coming up with all sorts of spooky projects using this set. This Halloween Booquet is something that we'll be making at my Batty For Halloween class coming up on October 7th.

Each image is mounted on a sucker so this makes it even more fun for the Halloween season. Wouldn't these be cute as table decorations for a Halloween party?

If you would like to make one of these, plus lots of other fun Halloween projects ~ including a Halloween luminary, sign up for my class. Sign me up!


Stamps: Batty For You, Spooky Skyline jumbo wheel
Card Stock: Basic Gray, Lavender lace, Gable Green & Only Orange
Ink: Black Stazon
Accessories: Scallop, 1-1/4 & 1-3/8 punches, crop-o-dile, paper crimper & orange grosgrain

Autumn Harvest

Here's another card I created using the new Autumn Harvest set. This set is so much fun to watercolor! I used the Coluzzle to cut out my oval first and then stamped my grouping inside the shape, rather than stamping and then cutting. How did I know to do this? Because the first grouping that I stamped, watercolored and planned to cut out ended up way to large to fit inside the oval like I planned.

To mask the images, I first stamped them on post it notes. I cut out the post it shapes and then I was able to mask the image easily without the mask slipping. Masking allows you to stamp overlapping images, without making the front image appear "see through" by seeing unwanted lines. Overlapping images makes a more natural, pleasing grouping than just a line of images. When doing a large grouping such as this, make sure to stamp the image you want in the foreground first and work back. For example, I started with the gourd in front, then the small pumpkin, then the large pumpkin and so on.

To make the curly tendril coming off the pumpkin, I just cut a sliver of Old Olive card stock and rolled it around a pencil. This adds a cute 3-D touch. I saw this done on another card somewhere in my internet travels, so I cannot take credit for that cute idea. To color this I used my favorite method: aqua painter and ink in my ink pad covers.

Stamps: Autumn Harvest Canvas background & Holidays & Wishes

Card stock: Really Rust, Old Olive & Very Vanilla

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Black Stazon & various to watercolor

Accessories: Coluzzle, Linen thread, Ticket corner punch

After working with this set and other fall themed sets and then having a Halloween themed workshop last night I'm really getting in the mood for fall! BUT...I still hope to enjoy more summer-like days...it went by too quickly!

Smilin' Jack

This is one of the first cards I have made with the new Autumn Harvest set from the Holiday mini catalog. I've found this to be a fun and versatile set. It is great for cards, scrap booking and fall home decor. I plan to make table decor for Thanksgiving with this set. I've made a couple place cards and napkin rings so far that turned out pretty cute. I share when I complete the set. I like that the jack-o-lantern face is a separate stamp so that you can create all different sort of fall groupings with these stamps.

No special techniques or explanation other than I water colored using my aqua painter and SU! inks. I then stamped over images using the Weathered background stamp inked in Creamy Caramel. I had to photograph this rather than scan it due to the bulkiness of the raffia so the color is a bit off.

Stamps: Autumn Harvest, Weathered background
Card stock: Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive & Very Vanilla
Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Creamy Caramel, Black Stazon & various others to watercolor.


Have a great day!

Some old favorites

Today I would like to share a card created using a couple of my favorite stamp sets~Touch of Nature and Floral background. Floral has always been one of my favorite, most used backgrounds, but I think this is actually the first time I have colored in the image and used it as a focal point.

I stamped both the background and focal piece using the new Basic Gray ink. Using my aqua painter and ink pooled in my ink pad lids, I colored the floral and butterfly images. Cutting out that butterfly can be a bit tricky...but worth the effort. I attached it to the card using Stampin' dimensionals. I think this card turned out really pretty...hope you like it too.

Stamps: Touch of Nature, Floral background & Everyday Flexible Phrases
Ink: Basic Gray, Black Stazon, various for water coloring
Card stock: Perfect Plum, Basic Gray, Whisper White & Elegant Eggplant
Accessories: Photo Corners & Window Word punches, Eggplant grosgrain, rhinestone brads

Holiday Mini Card Swap

I participated in a card swap with some very talented demos on SCS this month. I received the swap cards back on Saturday, so I thought I would share them here with you today. There were so many cards that it was easier for me to just scan them as groups instead of individually. It was so much fun opening that package and going through all the cards! The best part was seeing sets, ribbons and paper that I don't already have. The only bad part is now that I see it all in person it makes me want to buy even more stuff! I love the Apple Cider double sided papers (shown above) even more after seeing them in real life as opposed to just printed in the catalog
The Chocolate Chip Satin ribbon shown on the tag card above is just gorgeous! It comes in Pomegrante too! It was nice to see the Snow Blossom punch used on a couple cards...that is one punch I don't yet have. The Snow jumbo wheel sure is cute and so is Snow Burst! (I have been resisting getting this set...but I have a feeling it will somehow find it's way here;-)

This last grouping has two samples showcasing two of the new double sided designer paper assortments offered in the Fall~Winter Collection: Wintergreen, which is used on the Season of Joy card and Dashing, which is used on the Merry & Bright card. I love both of those assortments of paper! In fact I just got some of each on my last order but haven't created anything with them yet.

I must say, there sure was a nice variety of colors and sets used, wasn't there? Honestly, I was a little surprised that there were so few cards created with the traditional Christmas colors of red & green... but for me that made this swap even better! Thank you to all the talented demos who participated in this swap...I'm excited to share them with all my stamping friends at my upcoming workshops!