490 posts later...

studio 490...

HEY...I just realized it's our GOLDEN BLOG-IVERSARY!

Since I hadn't realized it until this very moment...

we'll celebrate all 5 days next week...

Monday thru Friday...

Here's how it will work...

I'll post something...
YOU LEAVE A COMMENT...

and we'll do random drawings and I'll giveaway stuff from my favorites...

every day next week!


If the winner doesn't contact me before the next post is up...

we'll roll that prize over to the next day...
more stuff=more fun!

So, basically...the winner has about 24 hours to contact me...

I'll send goodies from some of my favorite companies...

Ranger...
Maya Road...
Jenni Bowlin...

and more...

We'll also have a guest artist...

you'll be impressed, I'm sure...

AND...NEXT WEEK...


I'll show you a quick, EASY very low cost STAMPED holiday gift idea...

it's something you can make...
15 minutes start to finish...


Sound like fun?
Next week...be here...


So...how did this blog come to be?

When I was invited to join the Maya Road design team in September of 2007, they suggested that I start a blog.


YIKES!!!
I was petrified...
AND...
basically computer illiterate...still am...
NOT a good thing...

I was thinking...

What do I know?
What could I talk about?
Would anyone come and visit me?

490 posts later...

this has been soooooooo much fun...

I had NO CLUE!

I've met TONS of people who enjoy the same things I do...

It's fun to talk with people who...
GET ART and LOVE stamping too.

And when we get to meet in person...
that's the icing on the cake for me.

I started the STAT COUNTER on January 7, 2008 and have had 322,652 visitors since then.

WOW!!!
The wonders of the internet...

Most days 700-1100 people stop by...

When there's an associated giveaway then we have about 1500.

I find this...AMAZING!!!

So ...

from the bottom of my HEART...

THANKS to all of YOU...

for making this blog a success!


Q&A time...
I'll answer this today, since the question has come several times this week...


I saw you demo the white pigment and distress inks, but it doesn't work for me...yours was dramatic...mine sucks...any hints?


Here's the technique...

Stamp your image with SNOW CAP WHITE pigment ink...
bolder images are best...

YOU MUST DRY IT,
or you'll wipe the image off the tag...


Then using the blending tool...
apply any color of distress ink over the image.

EVERY distress ink color works...

At first it doesn't look like much...
but TRUST ME...

keep applying the ink & magically, you'll see the image POP!

Make sure your white pad is well inked & the distress pads are too...
it takes ink to make this work...

Here's an old tag I found...

This uses worn lipstick, peeled paint and faded jeans...





The background, flowers and leaves used on this tag are from ...
dreams of art...set...

JOURNEY is tim's cool stamp...

So like I said...stamp the background with snowcap white PIGMENT ink...

DRY...
then
apply distress ink over the entire background, until the background pops...

Stamp the flowers and leaves on another tag, again with the white pigment ink...

DRY the images...
cut out & apply the distress inks...

it's another way to use the distress inks, add one product & get another completely different LOOK...

And speaking of tags...
STOP THE PRESS!!

LUCKY for us...

Tim is doing his AWESOME 12 tags of Christmas again this year...
YIPPEE! Talk about a TON of inspiration...

HOWEVER...he is sold out of tags...

I found that out when got a bunch of emails yesterday asking to buy tags here...

OK...I'll share...

Same price as Tim's...
20 for $5.00 which includes shipping to the US ONLY...
some have asked for more...

40 for $9.00...again US shipping only...

Pay Pal requests will be sent...after I get your email...

sorry...no checks this time,
so you get them in time to PLAY!

That's it...

Have a GREAT weekend...
happy Christmas shopping...

Make ART!
wendy