The word from....MR STAMPERS ANONYMOUS

Yikes..it's Friday. What happened to the last few days?? Why didn't I blog???

Kits, kits & MORE kits....but I'm winning the KIT-WAR!! I'm making good progress. The teaching is fun...kits are UGLY.

On to the news...

FINALLY...I have some Stampers Anonymous answers to your questions...

I talked to Ted, MR STAMPERS ANONYMOUS yesterday....

AND...I got some answers from him...

The clear acrylic covers that fit studio490 stamps should be up on the website by Tuesday...He set a very reasonable price of $20. You get a front & back cover & the 3 binding rings too. Think of the opportunity to customize these. I've done 2 & they are really fun.

When I find the update on the site, I'll post the exact page, to make your shopping easier.

And check this out... ask & you shall receive. Stampers Anonymous aims to please...

This is a plain version of the storage sheets for studio490 stamps.

When my friend Jessica was in the ST booth @ CHA...she ordered my stamps, (THANK YOU) but she also wanted extra plain white sheets, with the scallops, for storage of her clear stamps. BRILLIANT IDEA.

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Since then we've had several requests, so Ted listened. These sheets should be up on the site by Tuesday too. They are huge...6 1/2 x 12 1/2... stamps can be stored on both sides, so each sheet will hold a ton of stamps. Again, a very reasonable price...he thought they would be $2.50. But...if they end up to be $3...don't shoot the messenger!

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I really like the idea of being able to write the company name on the scallop, put them together with the binding rings & you have a very good way to organize your clears. Simple & easy...for use @ home...or for taking to crops.

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And he also said stamp sales are GREAT! THANK YOU ALL...

Stores are already reordering! YIPPEE...

Set 2 is in the works! Some images are on paper...some are still in my head.

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I'm taking a vacation day today. Hey...a girl HAS to shop!!

ROAD TRIP!

Have a wonderful long holiday weekend.

Remember...

TAKE TIME ...MAKE ART!!

wendy

guest artist ...THE watch!...and awards...

Debby Lewis sent me this layout. WOW! I was impressed with how many stamps she used!

Take a look!



Debby also included all the ingredients she used for this piece.

Here's what she said...
Can you just begin to imagine how much fun I'm having!?! LOL!
Yes Debby...we can see that you had fun!!


Family
Studio 490 Stamps (Stampers Anonymous)

"on the dot" pattern paper

K & Co chipboard house frame

Lil' Davis chipboard word "family"

Grungeboard (idea-ology)

Anna Griffin Ribbon

Maya Road Sunshine Sheer and Chipboard Arrow

Tim Holtz's Fragments (idea-ology)

Tim Holtz's Butterfly Stamp (Stampers Anonymous)

Distressing Inks (Ranger)

Dabber (Adirondack) Ranger

Alcohol Ink (Adirondack) Ranger

Thanks so much for sharing DEBBY!!

NEXT...

Here's THE WATCH I told you about yesterday, made by Karen Morikawa.





Click for a bigger look.

Was I right?? VERY COOL??? She also sent another photo...but that's a gift, so I'll post that in a few days...

NEXT...





Now on to the AWARDS!

I got this award from Sherry Cheever and also from Paper Patti ( Patti Behan). THANK YOU. I also got one from Jenna Franklin, a LONGGG time ago...and never had time to get that one done. YIKES!! Sorry!

Here's the scoop...

This award is for blogs you really like to visit. As most of the awards go, you are to nominate seven blogs with their blog links, email them, post this award on your blog with the link going back to the person who awards you the award, and then they nominate or award seven blogs.

My choices are...

1. Suze...not only for her creations...but because her posts are SOOOO funny. She always says that the only reason she has a kitchen is because her house came with one. She makes me laugh, because she is quite serious about that! I can tell!


2. Linda Cain...she's the queen of metal & doodling. Tons of inspiration on her blog. Check it out.

3. Katie Watson...for her totally cool & unique style. She can pair red with anything & make it look sooooooo good.

4. Lisa Pace... because she is THE queen of classy glitter. Now she's on to something new. MOASICS, using a kit from Ranger.

5. Ali Edwards... I finally got to meet her when she demoed in Ranger's CHA booth. Just as I expected...She's TOTALLY cool & oh so nice. She's the originator of ALI DOTS, made with alcohol inks.

6. Claudine Hellmuth...another art chick with very funny blogging. Her new "sticky back canvas" from Ranger is a great new toy. It sure makes things so very convenient & quick.

7. tim...you want talent & inspiration?? For me...he's the ultimate! I'm happy to call him my friend.


PHEW...LONGGGG post.
If you're still here...
THANKS!!
wendy

Due to popular demand...swivels continued!

Ok...I got the message loud & clear that lots of you have the swivels, but haven't used them yet.

Here's a few ideas to get you started...

For those of you taking my "Use Your Scraps Fragments Journal" class...you can use the swivels to personalize your journal. USE those charms & trinkets you've been hoarding. Get them out & ENJOY them...don't leave them sitting in a drawer.



I used a swivel to "label" a piece of art I made for Maya Road's booth @ CHA.


And again...I used one with a Memory Frame from Ranger, to jazz up my CHA demo tags. If you haven't played with the Memory frames yet...they are REALLY fun. Hmmm...might be an idea for a post some day...



And I saved THE BEST for last.

These were designed by KAREN MORIKAWA (aka keychain) and were the make & takes for the Advantus booth @ CHA this summer. These are to die for cool!!!

Karen is a jewelry geuius. She wears THE COOLEST watch...with a band that she made from Idea-ology bits & pieces. Hmmm...maybe she'll send me a photo & I'll show you!

Take a look @ what she designed...



So there you have it...4 ideas to jump start your creativity. Just get the swivels out & PLAY!

Now about all those embossing folders...........

I ended up with the "Big Kick" machine. I went with the intention of getting the Cuttlebug...but the cute gals talked me into buying the Big Kick... I tried it...I LIKE IT!! I also got a few big dies to cut grungeboard...yep...the dies are...

flowers...

I swear I'm addicted!

Come back tomorrow...

Debby Lewis will be the "guest artist"... with a really fun layout.

Thanks for stopping by!
wendy

A tip for today...Take 2 ...

Swivel clasps...


Add a jump ring...and make a hanger!

Just a little reminder to look at things for what they COULD be.
It's so much fun when it...works as planned.

Stamp (studio490, of course!) some grungeboard, add it to a Maya Road chipboard page, add the hanger...done!


Here's a closer look...anything can be a flower center...



And yes........... I took the plunge...thanks to all your comments...



I REALLY like the Cuttlebug embossing folders...Now all I need is some spare time to play...

Keeping it short today. I've got LOTS of kits to get done for upcoming classes. Anyone want to help??

Have a GREAT week!
wendy

Welcome...GUEST ARTIST...JUDY HAYES!

I met Judy Hayes @ CHA. She's the postmistress somewhere in Minnesota. She's a real cutie...

Look what she sent me yeseterday!!





This beauty is made from the "Art by the Number" set, from studio490. Judy said she challenged herself to use every stamp in the set. Looks wonderful...doesn't it??

I LOVED the idea of using the corner stamp as a flowerpot! I've used it as a roof for a mini house and also as wings. I thought this was really a GREAT idea.

Thanks so much JUDY, for sharing!!
Keep up the good work!!

If anyone has some art to share...we'd love to see it.

Have a wonderful weekend and remember...
MAKE ART!
wendy
ps...the "art by the number" set is in the 8.3 supplement, page 13.
I guess all the Stampers Anonymous links I posted before just took you to the main site. SORRY! I'll try to be more specific with exact page numbers. ANYTHING...to make your shopping easier!

THANKS...a tag with a tutorial and some talk...

THANK YOU ALL for all the posts & emails about being a cover girl. Believe me...I'm counting the days 'til the October 7th release!

As you could see, Ranger made himself comfy for the photo shoot. He got TONS of fan mail. For those of you who asked how I got him to stay put...FRIED CHICKEN. He loves it & he actually will sit like a dog & beg for it. Too funny!

Ok now...

A little talk...I've been meaning to tell you this for a long time. When I started teaching, a gal in class told us this story about being safe. She had used her heat tool for a project and left the room to take a shower. Somehow...her project fell over, right onto the switch, turning the heat tool on...which in turn started a fire on her worktable. She arrived back into her studio to find a pretty big fire. Luckily she only lost her table & a bunch of art supplies...not her whole house!

So...the moral of the story...BE SAFE!! UNPLUG your heat tool when you leave the room!! Same thing with an iron...don't take a chance!

OK...now the tag...

The Maya Road design team was asked to make a tag for the monthly consumer newsletter. We were asked to add our name & a fact about us.

Here's mine... wbv loves flowers...

And here's the instructions & ingredients...I added Maya Road product numbers to assist with your shopping...NEEDS!

WARNING...

ENABLER alert!

I used one page of the 6 x 6 Maya Road square binder as my tag base. (CO25)

1. Cut paper (Fancy Pants) to size, round corners & machine stitch around the perimeter, with black thread. Ink the edges of the base with black Soot distress ink. (Ranger)
2. Adhere the paper to the base & pen stitch around the edge.
3. Stamp the metric ruler stamp (SMP944) toward the top of the tag as shown, using Jet black Archival ink. Accent with glaze pen dots. (Sakura)
4. Cover the chipboard letters, heart (C010) & leaves (C877) with peeled paint distress ink (Ranger) and stamp with screen
stamp (studio 490), using Jet Black Archival ink. Accent with doodling.
5. Adhere green scrap paper behind the heart. Stitch 2 jewel pins (TK022) in place, using black thread.
6. Stamp the scrolls (studio 490) & accent with dots from a glaze pen. (Sakura).
7. Add a strip of double stitched green velvet (DS965) above the ruler stamp.
8. Glue initials, heart & leaves in place.
9. Add 3 black felt blossoms (TK982).
10. Add a few stamped butterflies (SMP851) and some jewel flowers (TK985). I added some fun mini brads to the flower centers.
11. Hang with a loop of the double stitched green velvet ribbon.
12. Sit back & ENJOY!

Here's the link to the newsletter if you missed it. There are some really COOL tags from the other members...each with a unique style. And as a bonus...there are instructions for all of them!

Happy Thursday!

wendy

FINALLY...I can spill some beans...

I'm a COVER GIRL...

Well...not exactly, but my STUDIO & Ranger the cat are!!!

This is the secret that couldn't be told...BUT...today I got the word that I could finally share this exciting news.

Take a look!!! Click on the photo for a really big look!




I was thrilled when I got word that some photos of my studio would be included inside this special issue of Cloth Paper Scissors. It's called...STUDIOS. Hmmm...that makes sense...


Then...the story got better when it was considered for the cover. And the worse part??? KEEPING MY LIPS SEALED...geez...it about killed me!


So...we had a conference call...then a professional photographer came...and above is the result.


The process was very cool. He took photos, we emailed them to Larissa @ CPS.

..she made suggestions.

..we bribed the cat.

..and ended up with this shot. The photos were tricky because the room has 5 windows & 4 skylights. The lighting for me, as an artist, is perfect, but from a photography point of view...not fun to deal with. The shadows changed by the minute. But he did a great job & I'm beyond thrilled with the photo.
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The photographer is Jake Krancic. He's an amazing photographer & all around GREAT GUY!!
THANK YOU JAKE!
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The first issue of STUDIOS was such a huge success that they were bombarded with requests for a second issue. It is loaded with great photos and TONS of tips for organizing. If you haven't seen it...it's a must have.
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I have to tell you that dealing with these folks was THE BEST experience. I've had many emails from Cate Prato...threatening to come steal my drawers...


she was kidding...I THINK??


She wanted a photo of me...I declined...she threatened to "photoshop" the cat's head on a body & say it was me...


she was kidding...I THINK???


I guess we'll see when this gets released on October 7th.

So...preordering info is here. It will be on newsstands on October 7th...


I'm anxious to see what's on the inside. I sent several room photos & some closeups.

I'm expecting LOTS of great photos from other studios & more organizing tips too. Floorplans, inspiration & MORE!!!


That's my story & I'm sticking to it!
The end!
wendy