The Rogue Stamper in Vietnam

Hi again 

I have been away from my art studio for 2 weeks now. I'm starting to get a little twitchy. I've never realized how much creating and immersing myself in a project keeps me focused and relaxed. I guess I am more high strung that I thought.

We have been exploring Vietnam. We started up in the north (Hanoi). There are wonderful friendly people here. Our hotel was absolutely beautiful  The Hanoi Elegance Diamond. It truly is a gem.

Check out the crazy wiring system they have!

We drove up to HaLong Bay for the exquisite Indochina Junk cruise. We feasted on 6 course meals for the 3 day/2night cruise.  The weather was very cold unfortunately, but beautiful all the same.

But the thing that I will be talking about forever was dinner in a cave! Amazing, warm, beautiful.

(Sorry, not the clearest picture but you can see our group and the staff surrounded by the amazing limestone)

Back in Hanoi we walked the streets lined with shops. I noticed a man hand carving stamps out of wood! The intricate detail was astounding. Of course I had to buy one.

The dark images are not pictures or labels, they are the actual wood carving of the stamp.

Here we are testing out the dragon stamp I purchased. I will be playing with this one when I get home.

Well, it's off to Malaysia and Thailand after we see Ho Chi Minh City, so I will probably start blogging again when we get home. Thanks for stopping by. Until then, be safe, be happy.

Fishing Trip

Hello again,

I wanted to share the birthday card I made for the man.  He loves fishing and camping in the summer. However my idea of roughing it is staying in a hotel without room service  HAHAHA!

I used the Bo Bunny papers for this 3D card.

I used the Tattered banner die and a birthday sentiment from Stampa Rosa (it's an oldie)

next I made a gift box and mini trailer to go with the card.

SVGcuts.com has some awesome kits. This particular one was from "Camp Firefly"

Using paper from my Prima Art pad, I cut the pieces and began assembly.

The huge compass stamp I have fit perfectly on the top circle of the box (life's little victories)

The little jack russell file is on the Silhouette store

I made a fishing rod out of a bamboo skewer

Here it is all finished. These 3D projects are always a big hit with people I show them to. It's amazing what you can do with paper and glue!

Thanks for looking hope you'll stop in again soon.

Now go get your craft on...

Steampunk Couture

Hello again,

I had mentioned in a recent post that January is a busy birthday month for me. Both of my daughters birthdays and the sweet man's birthday are within 2 weeks of each other.

This is a card for my first born, who turned 22. I called it "Steampunk Couture"

I love the "feather boa" and the liquid pearls faux necklace

Hope you enjoyed the card as much as my daughter did. Thanks for stopping by.

A is for Album

Hello again,
Simon Says Stamp is having the "Letter A" challenge this week. 

 http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/904/

I made a baby's first year album for a friend of mine. Her best friend had an adorable baby boy in October.

The best thing about Stamping and Paper Art is that you can personalize each gift. You pour a little bit of yourself into each project.
So without further delay, here is the album I designed for Jaxson, welcome to the world little one.

My Mind's Eye background paper, Tim Holtz on the edge star cluster die-cut, stamp with perfect pearls for a subtle shine

Brenda Walton alphabet dies

Number badges are a silhouette file

Rubber duck - Silhouette cut file

Echo Park paper scraps 

There are so many things I used in a project like this, I didn't really have a plan, except for the wonderful paper from FabScraps, then I just "let it happen". I hope you enjoyed the tour. Thanks for looking.

12 Tags of 2014 - Embrace it

Hello strangers, 

I haven't posted anything for a while but it's not to say that I haven't been busy creating in my art room.

I was sad to put away all my Christmas stuff. I vow to start the holiday creating in October this year, but January brings me a ship load of birthdays for the most important people in my life, and they are all within 2 weeks of each other.  But I am getting sidetracked. This is about the January tag. The first one of 2014.

Tim Holtz always inspires me to do something fun, and that's exactly what happened. I had so much fun creating the first one, that I made two more. I wanted to do something waaaaayyy out of my color comfort zone, so I made an orange tag. Orange is sketchy. Nothing rhymes with it. LOL!

Tag one: Embrace life

These are the supplies I used for this tag.

Subway art. Embrace life.

Tag two: Embrace time

We always seem to be running out of time. Embrace it, just let it happen. Tomorrow will come it's inevitable.

Here's the supplies I used for this one

I really like the effect of sanding the rub ons. Thanks Tim, that's cool.

I forgot to add the black soot distress paint to my pile of goodies. I used that on the watch rim. I followed Tim's step by step for the watch. I didn't have grungeboard so I used grungepaper instead.

Tag three: embrace Winter

Man I hate winter. No really. I HATE it. It's too long. The only good thing about winter is that we usually go somewhere disgustingly hot in February. 

These are the supplies I used for the tag

I used a left over piece of paper for my stencil and inked up the tag with my fav Broken China.

Oh shoot! I forgot to include the Tim Holtz grungy snowflake stamp set in my pile. Yeah, I used those too.

I've always loved how some people use the pediment die to extend the tag. I don't even remember which blog I saw it on first but I thought, " that's such a great idea." So here it is.

And here's all three tags together

I love that they're all so different, but the main elements are the same. Foil is a great medium to use.

You can check out other designers tags on Tim Holtz's blog here:

http://timholtz.com/12-tags-of-2014-january/

Thanks for stopping by today, until next time...

Light up my New Year

Hi again...

I wanted to do one last post for 2013. I made this project for me - just me. No agenda, no challenges, just pure fun and creativity for the things I love - paper, lanterns, and Christmas.

I was a lucky girl this December. I got a Silhouette Cameo for my birthday from the sweet man. It has been a bit of a learnig process for me, but I've managed to figure out blade depth, SVG files and the right kind of paper to use for the projects. 

SVGcuts.com is a fantastic online store for 3D paper projects (another passion of mine). 

Here's the project I pieced together...

It stands at about 32 inches tall. I kept the color scheme to white, gold and green to match my Christmas tree.

I created a banner that can be removed to ring in the New Year.

I learned how to weld 2 shapes together (pictured here with the lantern side and swirlies.) i did it wrong though, because I "lost" the score lines so I had to hand score the folds.

I used the flourish embossing folder from Tim Holtz to add texture to the banner.

The base is my favorite because everything is made of paper. The drum, pinecones, greenery - all assembled on Christmas Eve while watching the Dr. Who Christmas specials marathon on TV.

Side view...

Happy New Year everyone, "let's hope it's a good one without any tears." 

SVGcuts.com files used:

Spooky soiree - lantern

3D wintergreens

Santa's Visit - drum

Swirlies

Stamps on the drum: Graphic 45 12 days od Christmas

Numbers on banner: Brenda Walton for Sizzix

Random foliage and picks: Michaels

Recycled cardboard tube for lamp post

Jack Russell Joy

Hi everyone

 I just wanted to post a quick card that I will share with the Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge. 

Stamp out 2013 and the Wednesday challenge "Bling it On"

http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/challenge-stamp-out-2013/

http://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/simon-says-bling-it-on/

I have 2 Jack Russells and they are my joy. I never thought I could love them as much as I do. They are my fur babies. I found this super cute stamp at Michaels, and I knew it had to come home with me.

I created a splattered/sprayed background using Heidi Swapp's color shine. Using Tim Holtz's holly stencil, I inked in some peeled paint and festive berries distress ink. Then I layered washi tape and glittered tape around the matted image.

I added a tattered banner with the glittered letters. I felt it needed something else, so I created an "ornament" with a circle die cut. It was stamped with the paw print then double embossed with UTEE. The top was cut from the Tim Holtz carved ornaments die.

I colored the Jack to look like my Roxy, using Copics.

Here's Roxy, my model.

And wishing you all peace, love and joy in 2014.  Merry Christmas from me, Laurie "the Rogue Stamper"