Girlfriends...

If you haven't figured it out yet, I kinda like Stamping Bella stamps :)

I need to find out who the artist is that does the "Uptown Girl" series, because she is a fave of mine!  All of the girls in the series are super tall & thin with super-skinny legs... sooooooo unlike me ;)  

 The paper is by Three Bugs in a Rug.

LOVE how the ethnic skin & hair came out!  And blondie's dress was kinda fun, too.  Please note the Stickles overload on the boa ;)

And there is the wavy-ribbon trick... which was NOT easy to do with this double-thick grosgrain/twill ribbon!  Turned out pretty cool with the green stripe and all.

What do you think?

Fiendishly Fun Friday, HDH081 - Dastardly Diva, Macabre Mistress style...

Woo Hoo, baby... I was able to play along my Haunted Design House blog challenge this week, and I thought I'd share it over here, too!  And though my card doesn't exude a lot of dastardliness, the image is still smokin' hot :)

Yowsa!  If I batted for the same team, I think I'd be turned on right about now...

I had a lot of fun coloring up this awesome image from Barbara Jensen:  Poison Ivy.  The look in her eyes is enough to call this one a dastardly diva!  Since she was earthy feeling, I used some paper from DCWV's green stack & got all flowery with fabric & stick pin flowers.  The ribbon is some random awesomeness I came across at Michaels last year.  Sentiment is from TAC's Joy, Found.

I could not capture the coloring of Ivy as good as it is in person, so you'll have to trust me ':)  These are the Copic colors I used for her skin:  E11, E01, E00, E000, R02 (cheeks)

Hair:  E07, YR18, YR15, YR12

Ivy:  can't remember... oopsie!

Well kids... you still have a few days left to enter your Dastardly Divas for the HDH081 challenge!!  Be sure to enter for a chance to win some fabulousness from Barbara Jensen's shop!

Happy Holidays from Foster Design House!

My last (only?) Winter holiday card for you this year... and actually it isn't really THAT holiday-ish... me thinks I could send this anytime.  And let me say that every time I use Stickles or glitter, I can't get the color balance & lighting right, so once again we have photos of the sucky variety :)

Nice sentiment, right?  Yeah.  I like it, too :)  It's from Stamp Insanity.  I'm picturing the adorable little Octopode Factory Angel yelling at the Christmas tree... like a few bulbs are out or something :)

Yes... yes... I like to make up little stories for my cards.  And that's just one of the MANY reasons why y'all come back to FDH all the time, right?!

I hope you and yours have a very Happy Winter holiday, and a joyful & prosperous New Year!

~Barb

Gossip Chicks

As soon as I saw this image, that's all I could think about... gossiping :)  Can't you just hear those two ordinary yellow chicks cackling about how brazen the pink hussy chick is acting?!

{giggling}

I know... right?!

I almost put a different sentiment on this card:  "Life is too short... singe out loud".  Still very fitting, but I'm diggin' these gossip hounds instead :)

Stamps:  Tail Feathers, Oh No She Didn't

Paper:  Mia's Cottage dp, Cha Cha, black, white Ultrasmooth & premium white cardstocks

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo

Other:  EK Success edger punch, misc. ribbon & rhinestones

Copics:  0, BV20, E57, RV02, RV10, RV13, RV14, Y11, Y15, YG03, YR04, YR07, YR18, YR23

(there was another yellow that I borrowed from someone & I can't remember the number)

I'll say it again... yellows are HARD!  Same thing goes for reds... ugh.  If anyone has some tips for Copic yellows, let me freakin' in on THAT info!

What do you think?

Hedgehogs Gone Wild

... courtesy of fellow TAC Angel, Chelsea C.!!  May I please direct your attention to the following blog post:

 

Chelsea's Hedgehogs 

 

Please note that not ALL the facts are represented... I was NOT the only instigator in this challenge :)

I'm just sayin'.

Thanks, Chelsea for the fabulous Ode to Hedgehogs... 

... no one will ever look at that stamp image the same again :)

Thank ewe...

... to the wonderful few that showed up to our open house today!  It was great practice for setting up my tables for future events & crops... hoping to get quicker and quicker with set ups!  I was hoping to unload more of my samples, but at least I've got gifts ready to go when I am in need!

On to today's bit-o-goodness :)  Isn't she sweet?  This little sheep is from a vintage stamp of the month that was released some time last year.  LOVE IT!  Look...at...that...face!  

She TOTALLY makes me smile.  

:)

See?

Stamps:  Great Greetings, Mini-bet, sheep (retired)

Paper:  Bazzill mono-reds, Lilly Anna pink, DCWV green, white ultrasmooth cardstocks

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo

Other:  EK Success edger punch, pearls (Recollections), random ribbon, foam tape

Copics:  0, YG01, YG05, BV20, RV10, RV13, E57

This little sweetie is now at my friend's boutique, waiting for a good home :) 

Well, I'm off to either try to be creative, or totally veg-out and watch movies... hmmmmm....

What do you think?

Miss me?

I know... but I had classes Tuesday & Wednesday nights and then I'm hopping over to Topeka tonight to teach another!  So, no time for creativity until (hopefully) tomorrow and Saturday.  Sunday, I'll be teaching a little Copic marker coloring... a little one-on-one with a fellow Angel... {waving} hi, Avis!

So, on to today's bit of fun.  And I do mean fun :)  This is the card that I didn't show before because it is a class project... well here it is now.  I must tell you that the sentiment is not not NOT a TAC sentiment :)  After seeing the look on the deer's face, it just screamed for something a little ornery... and it just popped into my head :) 

Stamps:  Greatest Dad, computer generated sentiment 

Paper:  Hip Hop, basic brown & kraft cardstocks

Ink:  Noir & Burnt Umber Palettes

Other:  Scor-Bug, Crystal Lacquer, 1/2" circle punch

The deer is popped up on foam tape, and the green circles are coated with Lacquer to give it a little sumpin' sumpin'.  So far, everyone has really liked the card... I think the sentiment was the clincher!  Seriously... look at that face... I'm just sayin'.

Y'all know I don't do masculine cards very well... no foof... not much of anything, so...

What do you think?

Oh what a weekend...

Okay, so Amy and I are driving along Friday morning, on our way to Laurie's house for a bit of stamping fun with Jen & Bren (wow... that sounds like a nursery story or something).  ANYWAY, once we get to Emporia, I (being the navigational ree ree that I am) somehow ended up on the wrong 2-lane highway.  No biggie, right... I mean it still leads to the right town eventually, it's just a different way... yeah, ok.  Little did we know, THAT particular highway is a favorite of semi-trucks... and not just a few... we were sandwiched within a dozen or so in some truck convoy headed west.

Let's throw another little wrench into the mix, shall we?  Just before Emporia, the snow started coming down pretty good... AND a nice little blustery wind decided to join the party.  Now, on this small highway, there are these lane sections every once in awhile for semi's to veer off to so that "faster" traffic can whiz on by.  Well... the dude in front of me was more than happy to oblige... nice right?  NotSoMuch... since the extra lanes were not plowed, all it did was throw more crap up in my windshield, further blinding us.  Did I mention you couldn't tell where any lines were?  30 mph?  Yeah.  I know.  It sucked... and NOT in a good way.

WELL, the 3-1/2 hour trip from Topeka was SO worth it :)  We had a great time once we got there!  Stamping, chit chat, a little alcohol, and loads of laughter were EXACTLY what we needed!  Did you see the CA-YOOT cards we made?!  We decided to each bring a shoebox project for everyone just in case the mojo wasn't flowing.  You've seen the card project I brought before... it was the Happy Heart Day rock-n-roll jobbie.

I've always loved doing shoebox swaps... it gives you a chance to  work with stuff you might not have, use techniques you might not know, and gives you design ideas about which you might not have thought.   

This bunny card was one that I watercolored while I was there.  This stamp was one that I bought a LONG time ago... pre-TAC :)  I've always loved it... I can't remember who made it... Art Impressions maybe?  My favorite is that cute aqua bunny... look at that face!

And now, I'll leave you with this...

...a nice row of bunny butts

:) 

That's just how I roll.

What do you think?
.

Bow chica bow wow...

Well, now that the latest Serendipity Street magalogue has officially been released from The Angel Company, I thought I'd share one of the card samples I created that didn't quite make the cut ;) 

This card was pretty fun to make, and went together fairly quickly... apart from cutting out the little dog... but definitely worth the trouble!  Isn't he cute?  And that saying:  "bow chica bow wow"... O.M.G. Becky... I will never let that one escape my stamp collection.  It makes me smile :)

Stamps:  Bow Chica Bow Wow, Animal Thoughts, Great Greetings
Paper:  More Mimi SWIC (double sided), Mimi, Lilly Anna, White UltraSmooth, Kraft, & Brown cardstocks
Ink:  Burnt Umber Palette
Colorant:  Prismacolor pencils with mineral oil
Other:  Mimi Hardware, Pop Dots

It needs ribbon & brown Scrapper's Floss, now that I look at it again, and the pink strip should have followed the profile of the tag... I'll know for next time :)  Would make a fun Valentine's Day card, right?
{wink wink}

What do you think?
.

Halloweenie Diva Two-fer...

You're probably going to be sick of this stamp set by the end of this post, but I just couldn't stop coloring :) I went with my buddy Cindy's idea about going Halloweenie with the Diva... I LOVE IT!!! The first one is my favorite... probably because there is more 'stuff' on it :)

Stamps: Haute Couture (retired), Spooky Swirls (soon to be retired!), Glitter Goblins, This Girl
Paper: Mulberry Meadow cs (retired), Penelope cs, basic black cs, Premiumn White cs
Ink: Noir & Orangerie Palette
Colorant: Prismacolors & mineral oil
Other: Crystal Stickles, orange sheer ribbon, misc. jewels

How uber-cool is she?!!! I like how the moon balances out the whole card... before I added it, there was FAR too much white cs showing!

It looks like the 'spooky' medallion is popped way up because I had knotted the ribbon prior to attaching the medallion. I might go back and pop up the moon, too... I just don't know yet.

The second card is far more simple-looking. It was a bit of a pain to cut around some parts of the image, but I am so glad I did! The ultra wide black ribbon was another HL bag-o-ribbon find, and the feather was plucked from a boa.

Add a little Cutterbee Bug piercing, Black Stickles, and misc. jewels and
BOOM!
A little gothic Diva :)

I also used TAC's Mini-Bet (goth) and a VersaMarker to add shadows. She was actually more difficult to color than the others... I don't know why... maybe because it was REALLY late last night (early this morning?).

Anyway, there they are! My Halloweenie Divas. I haven't made the wedding diva yet, but once I do, I won't bore you with it :)

What do you think?

Sophisticated AND Sassy...

... kinda like me? :) Are you tired of the scrappy cards yet? This is looking like the last of the Mimi scrappy cards for awhiile... I put the rest of the scraps away for now :)

Stamps: Silly Sayings (Hostess Level A)

Paper: Mimi SWIC & Cardstock, Ivory UltraSmooth, Kraft cardstock

Ink: Burnt Umber Palette

Other: Bitty Blossom, misc. ribbon, foam tape, flower jewel

I love this stamp set. It was the first one I chose when the catalogue came out... it is so... FUN. Obviously, this is one for your girlfriends, or sisters... maybe not for Mom :) Although, mine would probably get a kick out of it. A little sassy saying paired with the sweet papers of Mimi... perfect!

What do you think?

***ETA: believe it or not, the floral really does match better than these photos show... and my kraft cardstock is looking yellow, so my apologies :)