Running With Scissors...

Sweet Saturday

Hello, and happy Saturday to you!  I have a little something for your sweet tooth today.  My husband, Rich, always says if they were any sweeter they could give you diabetes.  It’s so true.  I don’t often capture Wally and LuLu’s utter adorableness in photos, as I usually photograph them when they’re playing, but on this day the hugability factor was high.  I get a catch in my throat when I look at them.

This was on LuLu’s second day home.  She just took her pain medicine and she’s feeling a little sleepy.

Are you sleepy, too, Wally?

I guess so.

Maybe I’ll just lay down here with you for a while.

We’ll play later.

Ni’, night.

Love.

Watercolored Freebie Digital Image

Before I plunged headlong into digital “stamps”, I did a Google search of free digital images, which led me to a blog called Digital Two for Tuesday.  Perhaps you’re familiar with it?  The blog author searches out vintage magazines, catalogs, books, you name it, looking for images on which the copyright has expired.  She then scans them and cleans them up and shares them on her blog for all to use.  I’ve saved several to my computer and will be using them from time to time.  I won’t always be able to direct you to the exact image as I picked them out here and there all the way back to the beginning of her blog.  This one, however, can be found here.  It came from an 1896 Burpee book, but I find it beautifully timeless.

This was my initial experiment watercoloring a digital image.  I’d read that you can heat set the printed image with a heat gun and it will prevent the printer ink from running.  Well, I can’t say I had such great luck with that.  With this image the ink didn’t smear much, but it did fade.  The water tended to wash out the printer ink, and since I use a lot of water when I watercolor I found that a negative.  I printed four different images on a sheet of 90 lb hot press watercolor paper, and I persevered through two of them, but it took too long trying to be careful, so I think the other two images from that sheet will be colored by some other method.  Please don’t take this as the last word, though.  I’m not at all experienced at this.

I hope you’ll enjoy checking out the Digital Two for Tuesday blog.  Look at the labels in her sidebar for different categories.  Fun stuff, seriously, especially if you like vintage images.

Now, about LuLu…  She’s doing great.  She wants to play and run, but I have to discourage that.  She and Wally have a hard time understanding the new rule – soft playing, only -- because roughhousing  was always okay before.  It requires reassurance that they’re good babies and I’m not mad at them, but they just have to be easy.  Wally understands the meaning of  “easy”, and when LuLu tries to initiate play, Wally lays very still and looks at me with an “I’m trying to be a good boy” expression.  A few more words to LuLu and she’ll go lay down with a toy.  She’s a good girl.  I have some sweet photos, but I’ll wait till Saturday to share them.

Enjoy the rest of your week, and I’ll see you again soon!

Stamps:  Digital Two for Tuesday blog freebie  Paper:  River Rock, Blush Blossom, 90 lb hot press watercolor, Webster’s pages (collection uncertain)  Ink:  Printer, Various Stampin’ Up! inks for watercoloring  Accessories:  Silk ribbon, decorative brad, lace from my sewing stash

Sweet Nature

Hello, again!  I’m back with another card today.  I know!  I’m just as surprised as you are… two days in a row.   If I’ve got ‘em I might as well share ‘em.  I had this pretty Sweet Nature set sitting out on my stamp table with a mask for the flowers already cut, so I thought I might as well color it up and cut into a fresh paper pad at the same time.

The papers are Alla-Prima by, of course, Prima.  Stampin’ Up! folks would recognize these colors as Sahara Sand, Crushed Curry, Old Olive, and Bermuda Bay.  They’re an exact match.  I used Sahara Sand textured cardstock for the card base, and Crushed Curry ribbon.  I stamped the flower image on Flourishes’ Classic White cardstock, masked it and stamped the script in Sahara Sand.  After that I was really stumped as to what color to use for the flowers.

Bermuda Blue is an improbable flower color, and too much Curry is… well… too much Curry.  I’m not sure why the flower color had to be such a tough decision, but this is one reason stamping is a slow process for me.  Finally, I decided to go bold with a deep red.  There’s a bit of that Curry color in the flower centers, and I sponged some Sahara Sand onto the image panel which, I hope, brings the whole thing together.

The coloring was done with Prismacolor Markers – alcohol markers just like Copics (but less expensive).  They do a great job if you’ve got the right combo of colors for blending.  I’m torn between rounding out my Prisma collection or collecting all the Various Inks for my Copic markers.  I do love all those beautiful Copic colors… A decision for another day.  These are the Prisma colors I used:

• Flowers:  Carmine Red, Mahogany Red, Dark Umber, Spanish Orange
• Leaves:  Avacado, Dark Olive Green

I used the Copic Colorless Blender to add highlights to the flower petals.

I know some of you are wondering about LuLu, so I’m happy to tell you her surgery went just fine.  As I write this she’s not home yet and it’s mighty quiet around here.  Poor baby didn’t want to leave her Mama so I had to walk her back to the kennel area.  She was frightened and trembling, knowing something funny was going on.  After lots of hugs and smooches and sweet talk I left her with one of her favorite soft toys and hurried away without looking back.  It just about broke my heart, but I know everything will be good in the end.  I’ll be there bright and early in the morning to pick her up!

Take good care of yourselves and I’ll be back when stamping happens.  I’ll be home having quiet time with LuLu this week so when we’re not cozied up on the couch I’ll be in my stamp room as much as possible.  See you soon!

Stamps:  Sweet Nature (Flourishes)  Paper:  Sahara Sand textured, Flourishes Classic White, Alla-Prima designer paper  Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Cherry Cobbler (sentiment), Prismacolor alcohol markers as listed above  Accessories:  Ribbon, pearls, Martha Stewart branch punch, 1 1/4” circle punch, Spellbinders Labels Eleven and Labels Four, Scotch brand foam mounting tape

Does This Remind You of Anyone?

How could you not love that face?  I think the artist did a wonderful job of capturing the Golden Retriever expression in this illustration.  This is a digital stamp from Just Inklined called Golden Retriever On Guard.  They have a lot of beautifully illustrated dog images at Just Inklined.  Type your breed in the search field and see what pops up.  In fact, they have a lot of great images, period.  I’ve spent a good deal of time looking around over there lately.

Now, I haven’t been one much for using digital stamps in the past.  Over the last couple of days I’ve concluded it’s because I haven’t invested enough time searching through the many images various companies have to offer.  Well, hold me back, I’ve now discovered the instant gratification of digital shopping.

I thought I’d try some different coloring methods for my digis, so this time I made a generous sized print and colored it with soft chalks.  I used mustard and pumpkin on the dog, with brown and black for the nose and paw.  Rust on the sign, and gray and black on the fence.  It’s very easy to make a soft background with chalks, so I sponged in some distant trees (olive) and a teal blue sky.

When the coloring was finished I sprayed on a couple of coats of clear acrylic sealer.  Chalk coloring simply looks chalky and some of the detail in the drawing will appear hazy.  The spray sealer not only prevents any of the chalk from rubbing off, it also pops the colors, removes the haze and lets the details show through.  This is my chalk coloring paraphernalia:

The chalks are from Stampin’ Up!  I’ve had them for years, used them often and barely put a dent in them.  All those colors at my fingertips and very compact for carrying to work in my bag.  In the photo above you can see a sampling of the sponge applicators I use.  There’s also a blending pen (Tombow blender) which I use in the smallest spaces, such as the lettering on the sign.  The blending pen will harden the chalks so I’m always careful to touch it to only one corner of the chalk pad.  The large craft tweezers are for holding the image while I spray it (outside).

Pictured below is the real deal and the reason this digi stamp speaks to me.

Love.  Have a happy day!

Stamps:  Golden Retriever on Guard (Just Inklined digital stamp)  Paper:  Ruby Red textured, So Saffron, Basic Gray (all Stampin’ Up!), Flourishes Classic White, BasicGrey Wags & Whiskers designer paper  Ink:  Printer  Accessories:  Soft chalks for coloring, leaves (CTMH), screw brads, linen thread, Martha Stewart edge punch

The Picture of Happiness

Hello and happy Saturday!  If you click to enlarge the photo above you can see the water droplets flying off Wally and LuLu’s wagging tails.  They have so much fun when we take them out, and they’re so appreciative and joyful it guarantees we’ll want to do it again and again because it makes us happy, too.

LuLu had never seen a cow before and she was fascinated… from a safe distance.

She feels secure with her big, strong Wally by her side.  Check out the curl in Wally’s tail (photo below).  The more on alert he is, the more his tail curls.  That is so not the Golden Retriever standard, but I so do not care.  Though he comes from registered AKC stock, we never bothered to register either Wally or LuLu.  We wanted Goldens for their temperament and intelligence.  Wally is the most amazingly brilliant, loving, sensitive and gentle soul and we could never have hoped for a better dog.  I don’t think LuLu could curl her tail if she tried.  She’s going to be a beautiful adult with a heavy coat, but most importantly she’s the very essence of love and sweetness.  She makes it her job to round up the family and usher us all into one room.  When she’s got us where she wants us she settles down beside Wally and waits for the cuddling to begin.  She doesn’t have to ask me twice.  I just sink down into the two of them and bury myself in their softness and love.  It overcomes me every time.

Anyone for a swim?

Come on in, the water’s fine!

LuLu makes like a big girl and brings back her own stick.

Sometimes you just have to run.

I’ll be making sure the kids get plenty of exercise this weekend because Monday LuLu gets spayed.  I’ll miss her during her overnight stay.  I’ll hurt for how sad and abandoned she’ll feel.  Wally will search the house and yard for her, then lay down with his head between his paws and a sorrowful look on his face.  I know him.  I also know what a happy reunion it will be after a long night apart.  Remember when we first brought LuLu home?  Boy, has she ever worked her way into our hearts.

Have a wonderful weekend.  I hope Wally and LuLu brought you a smile or two.  They’d be happy to know it.

She’s Got Class!

Meet Lady Loretta.  Isn’t she a glamor-puss?  She’s another one of my Loralie stamps I’ve been pussy-footing around and not getting inked up.  Shame on me!  But I’m happy now that Loretta and I have spent some quality time together.  Once you get to know her, she’s an awfully lot of fun!

I watercolored Loretta and her flowers with Stampin’ Up! reinkers using the lid of the matching ink pad for a palette.  The pink is Pixie Pink and the green is Old Olive.  Her nose is Close to Cocoa.  Her jewelry, lace trim, and the pupils of her eyes were colored with a black fine-tip Sharpie.  I used Tombow markers for the grays and her creamy complexion and the black flower centers.

The sentiment is an old Stampendous stamp which I just had to use with Lady Loretta, so I designed a 5 1/4” square card which would allow everything to fit.

The thing about Loralie stamps is the sample image on the package (plus a couple extra on the back) gives you ideas for how you might change things up on your own.  I used a fine-tipped waterproof Prismacolor Premier marker to add polka dots to her hair bow and to draw the lines on the bodice of her dress.  Any way you look at her, she’s a real charmer.

As you can see, I’m still not exactly producing cards by the dozens.  I’d like to spend more time stamping, but it just doesn’t always work out.  I sure do enjoy it when I’ve got the time, though.

Have a pleasant remainder of the week, and I’ll see you again on Saturday.  Take care!

Stamps:  Lady Loretta (Loralie Art Stamps), You’ve Got Style (Stampendous sentiment)  Paper:  90 lb hot press watercolor, black card base, BasicGrey Eva designer paper  Ink:  Palette Noir, others for watercoloring as listed above  Accessories:  Ribbon, silver cord, button, Scotch brand foam mounting tape (to pop up one flower on the left)

Snow Day!

Monday night at 10:30 it started snowing.  By 11:00 it looked like this.

What’s going on out here?

Tuesday morning we woke up to more snow than we’ve had here in years.  LuLu didn’t quite know what to make of it at first.

Wally just wanted to catch snowballs.

LuLu couldn’t figure out where they went.

I had to go to work, but Rich and the kids stayed home and played.

A day or two of snow is a treat, but I’m glad it doesn’t stick around too long.  We’re back to the same old rain now.  It’s easier to deal with, but snow is much more fun to play in.

Stay cozy and have a good weekend!

Sympathy

I found myself without a sympathy card recently and had to buy one.  Though it was lovely, I felt bad that I didn’t have a hand-stamped card in reserve.  Heaven forbid I should need a large collection of sympathy cards, but it’s a good idea to have one or two on hand.

I made this card with Flourishes’ Calla Lilies set.  I colored the image with Copic markers and cut it out with Spellbinders Labels Seventeen S5-025.  I sponged around the edges of the panel with Adirondack Sandal ink while the die was still in place, then added a narrow line around the edge with a Stampin’ Up! Creamy Caramel marker.  These are the Copic markers I used:

I have to keep this brief on a busy day, but I hope you enjoy the card and I sincerely wish you all good things and a happy rest of the week.  See you soon!

Stamps:  Calla Lilies (Flourishes)  Paper:  Brown textured, Flourishes Classic Ivory, Prima Romantique designer paper  Ink:  Memento Rich Cocoa, Adirondack Sandal, Copic markers for coloring  Accessories:  Ribbon, lace, Spellbinders Labels Seventeen S5-025

Flourishes’ Challenge

I thought I would play in Flourishes’ Pre-Release Challenge this week.  I’m not really a challenge kind of gal, but the color inspiration intrigued me as I wondered just what, exactly, I would do with the combination.  I saw the colors as being very similar to SU!’s Sage Shadow, Almost Amethyst, and Lovely Lilac so, even though I think my violet shades are too blue, I went in that direction.

The stamps I used are Let Them Eat Cake and the Damask background.  I also added one of those itty bitty sentiments from the new Tiny Flowers and Tags set which I cut with the Classic Tags die.

I used these few Copic markers for coloring the cake.

The gray was used only to outline the image.  You can see more details if you click for a close up.

Below is the color inspiration.

If you love color, I strongly encourage you to visit the Design Seeds site where this color combo was found.  Oh, my!  Scroll through and you’ll find something you love, whether for card making or for home decoration.  It’s worth the visit.

One more thing… the sketch:

I found it on Flourishes’ Pinterest board here.

I guess that’s enough for one day.  I’ll finish up with the recipe and wish you a happy day.  See you again soon!

Stamps:  Let Them Eat Cake, Damask background, Tiny Flowers and Tags (all Flourishes)  Paper:  Flourishes Classic White, Sage Shadow, retired SU! designer paper  Ink:  Elegant Eggplant, Sage Shadow, Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers as shown above  Accessories:  Prima flower, brads, Classic Tag die (Flourishes), Martha Stewart branch punch, Stickles Goldenrod and Stardust glitter glue

Happy Saturday!

Look closely at LuLu’s chest.  Do you see all the black?  Well, she’s not as small as she used to be and to crawl under the deck now is a tight squeeze, scooting over black, composted garden soil.  Wet garden soil.  But she loves to crawl under there and then poke her head out at Wally, teasing The Big Guy who has long since outgrown the space where he once loved to play, as well.

“You mean, just because she got dirty I have to stay outside, too?”

After a lot of water and scrubbing she was fit to come back in.  I believe she thought she’d done something naughty, so the whole time I was cleaning her I used my happy voice to reassure her that’s just what puppies do and it’s okay she’s a good girl Mommy loves her sweet baby and the dirtier you get the more fun you have and you sure look like you had a lot of fun.  You get the picture.  She carried the scent of the good earth for a while, but then, I like that scent, too.  My earthy little puppy.

Naturally, once the door was open Wally decided he preferred to stay outside on the sunny deck.  As long as he has a choice and he doesn’t feel cut off from his people, he’ll always choose outside.  I can’t wait for summer when the doors can stay open all day.

Wally and LuLu send their love.  They’re very free and generous with it and, believe me, nothing would make them happier than to give it to you in person.  Have a beautiful day!