with the turn of a key...

I went from sad to oh so happy...

a few months ago, the key turned & my local scrap/stamp store closed...

even though it's about 70 miles from here,

it's the closest to me & I considered it my HOME store...

I LOVE the owners, LOVE the staff &

ADORE their customers, who are now my friends...

I was sad to hear of the closing...

back in May I taught @ a new (to me) store in Moline, Illinois called The Scrapbooking Studio...

it's an AWESOME store...

very well stocked with all sorts of goodies...

nice, neat & ORGANIZED...

just what I love...

and a VERY nice staff...

@ the end of the day, Amy Sprague, the owner,

asked my thoughts about opening a store in Bloomington...

she had heard that MY store closed...

fast forward...

the key will be turned on September 17th @ the same location and MY store will re-open with Amy as the new owner...

Jennifer & Malika will be working there again...

they are expert scrappers & instructors, should you need assistance or ideas to get you started...

I'm happy they're back!

rumor is Amy Coon will be teaching there too...

Amy Sprague likes full day EVENTS...

and makes it nice & convenient by including lunch for everyone...

hey... we gotta have energy to...

MAKE ART...

so, on October 29th...

I'll be back @ MY home store for a full day of inky/stamping fun...

workshop details will be announced soon...

now that little turn of the key,

will make me VERY HAPPY...

3 cheers for Amy & best wishes for continued success

@ The Scrapbooking Studio!

since it's getting close to Halloween...

(and everything else I've been creating is TOP SECRET)

I thought I'd share a fun piece I made for tim's idea-ology booth @ CHA, this past July...

it's constructed from an art parts large creative cover, an art parts circle and 2 art parts rulers...

the creative cover was covered with the new Halloween kraft resist paper...

this piece is loaded with fun stuff...

corked vials...

new Halloween adornments...

the title is ransom alpha parts...

you'll see my art parts bottle inked & stamped, then painted with rock candy crackle paint...

and Ranger's memory foil tape creates the seal for the bottle ...

and the dots on the seal are made with the sewing tool that I talked about in the previous post...

I cut the head from the kraft resist paper & used Glue N Seal to add it to Clearly For Art...

that allowed me to heat it & shape it to create a shrunken head, that's nice & sturdy...

I LOVE my spider hanging down...

that's it for today...

I still have LOTS to accomplish before I head south tomorrow to

The Stamping Place in Columbia SC...

I *hope* to be back early tomorrow morning for a quick post with a link to some eye candy...

it's a beautiful sunny day here...

a PERFECT day to...

make art!

wendy

tiny details matter...

it's true...

and I'll show you here...

I stamped my paintbrush stamp on grungeboard, using jet black archival ink...

& cut it out...

then I inked the handle with tim's new brushed corduroy distress stain...

I waited so long for this color!

LOVE IT...LOTS!

and I inked the bristles with faded jeans distress stain...

it looks...ok...

but just...OK...

not spectacular...

YET...

now with a few tiny details added...

I used tim's AWESOME drill punch to make a hole in the handle for a black eyelet...

and a bit of Ranger's Memory Foil Tape to make it look more authentic...

the memory foil tape is self adhesive...

so it's simple to use...

just peel off the backing & add to your art...

the foil was a bit too new looking for my project, so I toned it down with sepia archival ink...

applied with a Cut N Dry nib...

did you know that alcohol blending solution, in addition to lightening, blending & removing alcohol inks,

will remove archival ink from NON-porous surfaces?

it's cool...

because if your stamping is crooked...

or if you apply too much ink...

or don't like the color...

you can remove it & start all over...

like magic!

I found this handy dandy little tool in my mom's sewing stuff, when we cleaned out the house about 7 years ago...

I had no clue what it was...

but it looked interesting & I thought it had potential...

so I saved it...

we used it in my class last weekend & the gals said it's a sewing pattern tracer...

now...with those 2 details...

the paintbrush looks so much better...

here's a closer look @ the foil tape accent...

and because the brush was stamped on grunge, it's simple to shape it & make it dimensional...

just bend the bristles...

crackle paint is another option to add to the bristles...

that looks cute too...

and that eyelet in the handle...

is the finishing touch...

the moral of the story today is that tiny details do matter!

so pay attention to the details when you...

make art!

wendy

ps...one more thing...

stop the press!

about that handy dandy sewing tool...

run it across an ink pad...

and then on to your art...

it adds a subtle detail...

and with lots of ink colors to choose from...

the detail can be any color you need!

label it art...

let the GIVEAWAY continue!

Rick LOVES mailing packages...

it's job security for the head of shipping & receiving!

today's set is called label it art...

this set has lots of fun stamps, that I reach for often...

the labels are a perfect fit for tim's corked vials...

or my ink bottle art part...

the "serum of art" was designed to fit the new large bottle art part...

and I like it because there are lots of elements that can be used alone...

and a few photos, for a better look...

take note of the seal on the art parts bottle...

just a tiny strip of Ranger's Memory Foil Tape adds the perfect little detail...

and another look @ the labels...

this time I used the tape to add detail to the paintbrush stamp...

it's @ the far left, under the ink bottle...

OK...sorry...sounds like I left out one vital statistic from yesterday's post...

the size of the box used to store ALL my distress stains...

it's 8 3/4 inches square...

it fits the stains perfectly & still has room for a few misters...

here's my very BEST storage tip...

toss the packaging...

when I first started "making art"...

I kept everything IN the packages...

I like nice, neat...organized...

30 years in surgery does that to a person...

then as I collected more & more supplies, I needed a way to gain more space...

the day I tossed ALL the packaging, I'd bet that I tripled my storage space...

this photo shows 12 of tim's ring binders in the original packaging on the right...

and on the left, in a little container with the packaging all gone...

it's a HUGE difference...

try it...

you'll see...

now about yesterday's stamp winner...

congrats to...

eyeleeeen Tue Aug 02 14:49:24 UTC 2011

OK, that background stamp is one I need TODAY!!! Puhleeeeeze pick me! :)

please send your shipping info & the head of shipping & receiving will do his job!

wbv1213@me.com

if you would like "label it art" to be shipped to you...

just leave a comment on the EWV group...

I see that Lori just announced another challenge this morning...

check it out...

play along...

I pop in & every once in a while and a random participant gets a prize from Lori or from me...

there is TONS of inspiration in the files too...

they are a really nice talented bunch!

we'll draw a random winner tomorrow @ 7am...

thanks for all your sweet comments...

you make me happy!

ok...go comment...

toss the packaging...

and then...

make art!

wendy

believe in art...

here we go...

NEW studio 490 stamp set #11...

"believe in art"...

I loaded up this sheet with so many images that we had to put some sideways on the storage sheet...

YIKES...it's a stamp overload!

the tour starts on the left...

another flea market find...

this "vintage ad" has so many elements/words that can be used alone...

you can bet I'll be using "plants & flowers" as a sign...

the mini clothes are fun to cut out & layer for dimension...

this works with the steampunk craze too...

"she opened her eyes"...

a fun saying for altered projects...

"who you are"...

simple but true...

I used this framed in the square art parts book plate for one of the projects in book #5...

this is a good stamp for using the individual words...

and it's fun to color in the open letters...

"she always felt different from the others"...

another fun saying for edgy art...

I *think* I'm liking the word edgy...

do you?

"she was certain she could, so she did"...

I wanted more sayings to use with faces, birds & butterflies...

it's also good for a graduation card...

promotion @ work etc...

"she believed she could be"...

another fun altered art saying...

like above, good for a graduation card...

promotion @ work etc...

or just a pep talk...

and finally..."normandy lace"...

another vintage find...

this is a large background/border...

good for stamping on a large area or use it as a background stamp for small art parts pieces...

here's "believe in art"...

the set with the sideways stamps...

moving on to #11 art parts package...

this is called "potpourri of parts"...

and it is LOADED with 20 art parts...

as you can see, there are flowers, a stem with leaves that can be used with these flowers or any flower...

the leaves @ the top are sized for these stamps, or they can be stamped with any background stamp for unlimited possibilities...

I LOVE the layered lamps...

I love them so much I HAD to do 2...

one smaller than the other...

same with the flower pots...IN LOVE...

and the flourishes...I thought we needed 2 sizes...

this is indeed...

a potpourri of parts!

oops... WAIT... the bottle...

it's 5 1/8th inches tall...

it was designed to fit the new SERUM OF ART label...

I like to ink it, then crackle it with tim's rock candy crackle paint...

and then to make a seal with Ranger's Memory Foil Tape...

here's a mini peek of a project I made for tim's Advantus booth...

.

the editing is DONE for book #5...YIPPEE...

(yuck job!)

I'll get the BOOK prototypes @ CHA...

can't wait to see it in person...

and I'll try my best to snag one to give away here...

the cover looks like this...

with the SERUM of ART label I mentioned above...

after CHA, the art adventure starts again...

first stop is a brand new store for me with a cute name...

it's Cafe Crop...

it's located in Crown Point, Indiana, which I understand is not too far from Chicago...

so I can drive! I LOVE that!

I hope to see some Illinois & Michigan friends there too...

since this seems to be a good central midwest location...

Here's a link to the classes...

just scroll down to see them...

hope you can join the inky fun on Friday evening August 12th & on Saturday August 13th...

after that, I head farther east to The Stamping Place...

it's in West Columbia South Carolina...

a GREAT store...

an awesome classroom...

& a fun staff!

class info is here...

tomorrow is FINALE FRIDAY...

the last of the new stamp sets...

and the last art part reveal...

kind of sad that's it's over...

I *think* Friday's frame is my most favorite art parts LARGE frame...

and that's why I saved it for last...

thanks for stopping by & leaving comments & sending emails...

I LOVE hearing your thoughts...

see you tomorrow...

for FINALE FRIDAY...

I'll show you a project

that will bring back memories & I HOPE...

make you laugh...

until then...

make art!

wendy