Thank you!

Just a quick post today to thank my friend Veronica for the sweet card she sent me!  I love the yellow edging she used!  The color is fabulous too! You can check out her blog here:

http://www.artfulcreations1.blogspot.com/

I love the sentiment- so sweet!  Thanks again, Veronica!
             

           

Newbie Stamper!

Our grandson, Ezra, came to visit this past weekend.  Ezra in not quite 4 years old but already is showing his artistic side.  He is new to stamping but really seems to take to this art form!  I just love it when he visits my Studio.  In the above picture, he is studying his next move. "What color shall I use next"! Look at the intensity that goes into his design! What an inspiration!

 

Finally, he displays such satisfaction in his work!  I can't wait until his next visit!  I am in hopes of having him come back during my vacation for more fun in "Mimi's" Studio!

Mermaid Collage Art

I have had this Mermaid for sometime but couldn't quite figure out what I wanted to do with it. Since I have been playing with Canvas Art I decided to use her for this project.     I used a template from a magazine that was advertising rugs and cut that out of Tim Holtz's Grunge paper.  I love using the metal and molds from Ten Seconds Studio to make my Mermaid shine!  You can check out their site here:
 http://www.tensecondsstudio.com/
The background colors are painted with Claudine Hellmuth's paint.  I used Sizzix dies for the fish and the waves.  I read the saying somewhere on line- You are the waves, I am the ocean-Know this and be free!  I think I will hang it in my guest bedroom since it will add to the nautical fee I am trying to achieve. 
 

New Home!

My sister, Connie and her husband are moving from their condo to a new home.  My Mother is going to live with them too! They are only moving about 15 minutes away but I am going to miss  them being right next door!    I decided I better practice my " Congrats on your New Home" card making skills.  I love this as a Pocket Card!  I have made it as a flower pot but not as a home.  I used SU's edger for the roof.  The white window surround is from Marianne Design's Birdcage.  I just cut a little out of the middle.  The leaves are from Marianne Design too!  The sentiment on the roof is SU's Well Scripted.  Here is a close-up!

I decided to use Tim Holtz's Easel die to make the card stand up so it can be displayed by the recipent.  I love, love this die!

Garden Trellis

I love the look of Martha Stewart's Garden Trellis punch!  I love it even more when I tried using it as a frame!  Check out Becca's technique to make this fabulous frame-

http://www.amazingpapergrace.com/page/9/

I used Marianne Design die in silver to add to my flower bouquet.  My new favorite thing is feathers.  So I couldn't resist adding a few to my bouquet.  The back of my card is held up by Tim Holtz's new easel die.  I love how you can fold it up and mail it and then the recipent can open it and stand it up on their desk or shelf.  I am so glad the weekend is upon  us!  Maybe I will have more time to work in my Studio!  Have a great weekend!

The Secret Place!

My husband and I decided we wanted to use our patio again!  It is just a small area outside of the sun room at our condo.  We had a large eating table and umbrella before-but we never used them!  This year, I want to be able to sit out here and eat breakfast or even read a book!  The shutters were a gift from my sister, Rochelle and her husband, Mark -Thank you!  We were going to use these shutters to make a head board for the bed in the guest room but I really like the warmth it adds to this space.  I will look for more shutters for the bed! The table was from Homegoods and the chairs from Pier 1.  We bought the planters and plants from Skillin's Greenhouse.   I still needs plants for the pots on the ground.  That will be fun to try and decide what flowers to plant.  Oh, the sun was from an indoor flea market in Scarborough.  I am really going to love it out there!  Let's hope for some warm weather!

My Fine Feathered Friends!

There is nothing more relaxing for me than to work on an art project!  I am still having fun with my new book by Julie Nutting, Collage Couture.  I love her ideas!   She is able to draw her models but I have a hard time getting them to come out they way I want.   I used her suggestion to find a magazine and use a model in the pages of the magazine.  I bought US Magazine's Hot bodies issue and found many great models.  Here is one below.

I photocopied the picture and then cut out my model.  I did make mine just a little thinner.  I will keep my template to use again whenever I want.  This is really an easy way to get the model you want. 

I cut out 3 models from the Sunday newspaper.  You can really use anything- old dictionary, music or an old Atlas!  I was wondering what the funny papers would look like?

I painted my canvas board with Claudine Hellmuth's acrylic paints.  I also used small bubble wrap to make my bubbles.  You press the bubble wrap on your canvas board in any length you want.  I love how it came out! 

The hardest part for me is painting the hair.  I need to really practice getting it right!!  It is fun trying to come up with a good hairdo!  Here is a side view of the finished project.  My sister, Connie and I went to LL Bean's to get the feathers.  You can find a great selection in the fly fishing department.  I plan to use them in some future cards for embellishments.  Feathers are my new favorite thing!  It was fun dressing these models!
Check out Julie Nutting's blog for more ideas and inspiration!
http://julienuttingdesigns.blogspot.com/

Mini Golf

I haven't had much time to play in my Studio lately! Sorry to have been absent from my blog.    I  have been preparing to move my office to a brand new office just down the street.   My big girl job is Branch Manger at a local bank. Yesterday we closed the  doors at 3 pm and worked until 9 pm moving in and trying to get organized so we can reopen the doors on Monday.  Whew! What a job!  We are working today to, hopefully, finish the move.  It went smoothly with everybody pitching in!   I thought I would share a few pictures of our grandson, Ezra, playing mini golf for the first time a few weekends ago!  I was the photographer that day and had a blast watching him play.  My husband is an avid golfer and loves that Ezra is wild about golf! 

Ezra practiced his putting all winter in our living room with his big boy clubs!  I think he has become pretty good at putting.  I think he enjoyed his first try at miniature golf!

I loved how they use water and greenery to really add to the fun at the miniature golf location in Brunswick.  It really was a fun day!

Ezra loved it when the ball made it into to cup!  He really looks serious about his putting. 

I love this shot of the two of them!  It really was a fun way to spend the afternoon.  We finished the game just before a rain storm.  We can't wait until we can take  him again. 

Birthday Girl Card

I have been playing around with Julie Nutting's ideas from  her book - Collage Couture!  If you scroll down to my last post you will see the link to her blog.  I took her suggestion and copied a form from a magazine to make my model.  After making the template below, I cut it out of newspaper print. I love dressing the models in different clothing! 

My daughter's birthday in June 7th and I wanted to make a different card for her this year.  The hardest part is getting the hair right.  I used Claudine Hellmuth's acrylic paints to add the hair. My daughter's hair is very curly.  I don't think I quite captured her hair but I hope to get better with practice.  Here is the inside of her birthday card.  Shhh!  She is going to be 29!  Oh, to be 29 again!!