Autumn is Second spring

 Autumn is Second spring

I do like the Autumn.  The weather is cool, and you can get away with wearing a sweatshirt, or just a sweater.

I had a good time making these cards.  Do you know why? I'll tell you, because I carved the pumpkins!  If you look close you can see they go in different directions.  Instead of coloring the pumpkins I stamped them on pattern papers.  

Thanks for stopping by.  Leave me a comment and let me know if you like to carve your own stamps.

Carve a Pumpkin

 Carve a Pumpkin

I'm back to carving my own image!  It has been years since I have carve an image ... I found my stash of carving material, and tools ..... so I said to myself "why not, carve something!" 

I actually basically carved the same image, a partial pumpkin twice.  I did it twice because I had a square of the pink rubber, and a bigger square of the white rubber carving material.  The pink rubber is a softer material, and easier to carve. 

The white carving material is a lot thicher, and harder material.  This white is more like carving in linolium, which is harder to dig out the material.  

If you look at both pics you will see that the carving are opposite ... left and a right pumpkin.  Had the materials, and time to do two so I did.  I stamped the pumpkins with black ink then colored them in with my prisma color pencils.  Added some squiggles, a sentiment, and even some stickles glitter glue for some sparkle.

Thanks for stopping by.  Come back soon.

Kokopelli

Kokopelli

Years ago I carved lots of different images.  This kokopelli and sun are just a couple of the many stamps I carved.

                                                            stamps used:  My carvings

For this card I blended some colors to make it look like a sunset. To fancy up this card, I die cut it out with a postage stamp style die. 

 Kokopelli represents story, growth, joy, and more to the people native.   

                                                        January 15, 2023 sunset - my photo

I took this photo around 5 p.m. the other night.  

Thanks for stopping by.  Come back again soon.

Art journal wk #49 create a list

week #49 create a list

stamps used:  bird on left hand carved by me, bird on right by Joggles

Really made this layout simple by using pages from paper pads.  stamped and cut out birds and adhered to the pages and done.

Art journal adventure wk#44 eyes and #45 birds

Two more weeks added to my yearly art journal.

Left side - week #44 theme Eyes

I started this page by just brayering some green paint ... I'll tell you a secret... I brayered the paint because I really started this page with an idea that I would draw my own eyes.  Well, that didn't work and if you look close you will see a hand drawn eye under the green paint.  So then of course, I went to my stamps and found an old cube stamp with these eyes in squares.  after that I went into my stash of papers and found a sheet with what look like postage stamps of eyes so there you have my eye themed page.

Right side - week #45 theme Birds

First I stamped two birds of which I had hand carved a couple of years ago.  why I used a rust color is beyond me .... just happen to be handy.  then back to that stash of papers where I found the postage eyes; I found bird postage so why not just continue with added it to my birds page.

thank you for stopping by.  more of my art journal pages to follow.

Tea and sympathy

stamps used:  teapot hand carved, saying MFP

I carved this teapot years ago, and decided it was time to bring out my box of carved images to life again.  I used the pink rubber that you can get at the craft stores in the art section.  

Here is a photo of the teapot and some other tea related images I carved.  I've used different materials over the years for carving as you can see in this photo.  so get out your carving tools and rubber and carve away!

Another cup of tea

stamps used:  my hand carved tea cup, sayings by My Sentiments exactly,  Stampington and Co.

Here are some more tea cards I created with my hand carved tea cup.  It's fun to go back and bring life to an old image and that is what I did with this image.  hope you like it.

tea anyone?

stamps used:  tea cups/pots hand carved by me, teabag paper by Stampington&Co., time for tea by Stampassions, if you are cold...by Stampourri!

I had fun with these hand carved images that I carved years ago and decided to pull them out to play.  I pulled them out for two reasons ... 1. I saw a canvas painting that looked similar to my carvings.  

2.  I wanted to make a bunch of cards to share with a family member for a thank you gift.

I went to town and think I made almost 20 cards and postcards.  They are simple designs but very satisfying because I carved the main images and it's fun to create with something you did from start to finish. I used a variety of ink pads from Adirondack to Stampin'Up.  Basically any inks work with stamps you carve so go for it.  Now it's time to get out your carving rubber and make some stamps!  and if you do please leave me a comment so I can see what you created.

Year of the Rooster art journal

week #15 curvy and/or round elements

dylusions paints, sayings, black paint pen and distress oxide ink pad

hand carved bird

flying geese - stampscapes

Just had fun with this journal page layout by doodling circles around where I used the round blending tool and dabbed or pushed down to make circles of paint.  as always with me, I used what was out and at hand on or around my craft table so that's why the dylusions paints and distress wilted violet oxide ink pad.  I did a water-wash with the oxide ink inside the figure 8's I drew.  oh, yes that bird is also my creation that I carved a while back.  stamped dylusions quirky sayings just for the fun of it.

Fun with tags

 stamps used: Limited Edition, Stampotique, dylusions and hand carved bird

dylusions sprays, stencils and paints

washi tapes

still in my green and purple mode with these two large tags.  the silhouette tag has a couple of masks/stencils on it with some washi tapes and ink blending with regular distress and oxide on it.

the bird tag has the ink sprays dripping down it for dimension and fun.  I carved the bird a while ago so it is a bit primitive but I like it and that is a good thing otherwise I would use it...right?  I did stamp the little daisies (co. unknown) with distress wilted violet oxide inks...I'm liking those inks! also got out a couple of spotted/splatter stamps that I've had forever ... think the cluster one is by Printworks which is out of business, unfortunately.  Oh, yeah I colored in my carved bird with dylusions white paint and beak is prisma orange color pencil.  tie on some twine and or ribbon to finish off tag.

Easter...Spring is here!

It's Easter and that means Spring has sprung!!!  let's keep it that way ....yes, I'm talking to you...Mother Nature!  here's the gate fold card I made this time around.  Look at me getting out my HouseMouse stamp and even remembered that I carved a couple of jelly beans.  the jelly beans are not perfect but they work for me.
happy easter!

New round of Postcard Buddies

Just to recap my little group of local postcard buddies finished up our Alphabet postcards which all turned out great! If you missed any of Alphabet postcards just click on tab labeled Postcard Buddies under header on top of my blog......  and so now we have started a new round with different themes for each month.  Our new round started March 2012 with the theme of Springtime so without further ado here is our month of March postcards:

Flower by sue (me)- carved a flower from a photo I saw online. sorry don't remember the name of the flower but still think it came out well.

HouseMouse in tulips by muriel - aren't HM just adorable and she did a wonderful job of coloring.
Birds by brenda - beautiful flowers background paper and all those punched out birds!
Spring flowers by leslie - metal spring art flowers outside in her yard!  aren't they the coolest works of art.

Springtime band by susan - what a fun party!
It's always fun to get "Fun Mail!"

Favors for friends

Here is what I will be bringing to get together for my favors.  Little bag of m&m candies is covered in a stamped piece of cardstock.  Did you notice the m&m character?  I carved him a few years ago .... it's nice to be getting more use out of him.

Also stamped the same carved m&m guy on mini canvas bags.  I think these favors will be a nice little gift for my friends and wait till they see what else is in the bags besides the chocolate. I'll keep that a secret till after this weekend just in case any of them visit my blog.  enjoy!