paying it foreword...

when I started on this art adventure in 2007...

I was extremely LUCKY to be helped by some WONDERFUL PEOPLE...

let's start with the first person I met...

Michelle Cutts (aka Mrs Stampers Anonymous)...

I adore her!

who introduced me to her hubby Ted...

(aka Mr. Stampers Anonymous)...

he is a very hard working, honest...GREAT guy!

which led me to meeting Tim...

Rock star to the world...

but a dear friend & mentor to me...

I think the world of him...

which lead me to the fine guys who own Ranger...

Alain & Justin...

yep...you guessed...

REALLY good guys too!

and along the way, there was also Caroline & David, from Maya Road...

who have become my friends...

ok...gotta say it...

they are great people too...

because these people believed in me & gave tons of support...

studio 490 came to be...

LUCKY me...

now it's my turn to...

PAY IT FOREWORD...

back in May, I demoed @ a convention for Ted, in Novi Michigan...

that weekend I met Jillian Vance & her mom Bunny...

as we chatted the first day...I learned that Jillian had her own stamp line...

that's pretty cool...

but here's the AMAZING part...

Jillian is 12 NOW...and she was only 11 then!

and she was 10 when the company was started!

seriously...

I know I was still playing with Barbie...

I demoed all weekend & we talked about every product that Ranger makes...

and we've corresponded since then...

they are now RANGER users & lovers!

I *think* CONVERTS is the correct term?

recently they gave me a stamp set & asked if I could fit in a little project, using their stamps...

I chose to receive the stamp you see below...

it's actually Bunny's logo for her hair salon...

I spotted it on her email signature & told her it would make an awesome stamp...

so...I'm paying it forward...

please take a minute to look @ Jillian's blog...

remember...she's 12!

she even does fun videos!

and YES...she designs the stamps herself...

the lovely face you see below is her stamp...

I used the textured gesso background technique, that is one of the techniques incorporated into my Ranger workshop...

if you'd like to recreate something like this...

I randomly painted a manila tag with Claudine's gesso...

and dried it...

I stamped the face with jet black archival...dried it, then masked it off & stamped my script background over it & dried it again...

I used coffee archival for the background...

remember to...

***dry EVERYTHING when stamping over gesso***

the face was inked with brushed corduroy, using the blending tool...

and the background is broken china distress ink...

I die cut her with tim's mover's & shapers mini baroque...

and edged it with my fav gold paint dabber...

I used jet black to stamp my gingham background on some kraft card stock...which makes the border...

it's mounted on gold paint dabber edged black card stock, which is then mounted to more kraft...

I used Cut N Dry nibs to ink the tiny flowers & leaves in her hair...

I can't remember the last time I made a card & this was fun!

so if you can spare a minute...

pop over to Jillian's blog...

best wishes to you Jillian...

CHEERS!!!

here's to SUCCESS for YOU!

ok...back to those kits for the QUEEN trip...

as always...

don't forget to...

make art!

wendy

ps...THANKS SO MUCH...I'm thrilled you like the hoodies too!