Caardvarks challenge

I love the design for the cards - simple and elegant. I created two cards to enter, but will continue to use this wonderful design.




I had fun working with this design. April 3rd, 2009 is the last day...

Latest Cards

I have stamped one layer cards, but mostly non-Hero Arts (HA) stamps, so when the challenge went out for a one layer card this week, I really didn't want to do it... which surprised me.. well, no, it didn't... to be honest, I just knew it would be more work than I wanted to do... hahaha

Here's a fairy (dearly love this stamp) that I stamped, colored and mailed to a wonderful person I've met through Flickr in Japan along with the second card here:



I love the fairy stamps from Stamps Happen. I just checked and I don't see very many now. The one I have must have been retired... she must have become a bit overwhelmed with taking care of all the flowers. The woman collage is by Inkadinkado - no name on the stamp.

Now on to the HA card. I am pleased with the results, but I just didn't want to cut out the masks so I could do the background for the little dolls. Oh, well, it didn't hurt... much... and now I have the masks for future use. I used a torn piece of copy paper to hold against my card so that when I sponged the colors, there wasn't a straight line definition, but a more natural flow. I used the piece of copy paper with the torn edge facing down from the top of the card, moving the paper around the card, dabbing in greens for the bottom and blues, pinks, yellow for the top. I turned the torn part so it was on the bottom for some of the sky. The two dolls stand out so vividly against the background. I stamped the Slanted Tree onto the sponged background and masked images twice; the second stamping looks like little bushes. I lifted the masks and colored the dolls, fan, and tree. Voila!



Thank you for checking here.

A good day to stamp

I got two envelopes with stamped images to send out today for a swap on swap-bot and some of the copies that didn't turn out as well as I wished, I kept for me. You know the ones - stamped too light in one area and too dark in another or missing pieces. Frankly I had a lot of them turn out that way. Then after I sealed the envelopes, I found I had left out two stamped images I had wanted to include.... big sigh... and I was not going to open the envelopes... I'd had stuff in and out three times already.



I wanted to do a card for the Hero Arts challenge this week - a card with a window. I choose a circle - simple and fairly quick. I got out the little ol' Cuttlebug and easily cut a circle in the front of the card. I stamped the Hero Arts Slanted Tree on the front with scrap paper where the cut circle was, stamped the same stamp on the patterned paper I had also cut and just a little bit more patterned paper, stamped some flying birds (Tim Holz - Stampers Anonymous), some simple sentiments and I was done.





Then the stamped images that I had set aside kept calling my name, so I worked on three more cards - non-Hero Arts images.





I was pleased with the colors and variety of the cards. I hope you like them too.

Chipboard - a link to a wonderful how-to spot

It's been awhile since I last posted and I've been busy at swap-bot or checking all the great cards out at the Hero Arts flickr group... or watching a movie or two.

I have discovered a great place through one of the card makers , Avital Gertner, in the Hero Arts group who made referrence to Creativity Prompt which has tons of ideas on what to do with that naked ugly chipboard to turn it into a lovely creation for your scrapbook or card.

I don't have time to check it all out, but since I know next to nothing about working with chipboard, I think this is a good start.

I did make a geisha bookmark last week that I think I may try in washi papers. It's very delicate though, but lovely.



Have a great weekend.

Winterfest 2009 at Two Peas

Upon reading Andi's blog, I discovered she is hosting a challenge at Two Peas . You have to visit if you love challenges and stamping... lots of challengess and goodies being offered - it's a time to get your creating juices whirling in a winter fever... winter and fever - hope you don't have any fevers other than the stamping, creating kind.

Go now... read, create and challenge yourself, post and do it again...

Walking shoes Mar 2009

Walking shoes Mar 2009,
originally uploaded by Clarian's Hawk * Arlene.

Hero Arts bloggers won a day on Hero Arts to amaze and tantalize us all. Loved every day - such unique and wonderful displays. I loved them all and wanted to do a card for each one. Sadly, it was not to be.

I liked Deborah Nolan's parading elephants and just couldn't help think of that song with these lyrics, "these boots were made for walkin' and that's just what they'll do..." So, I created shoes walking across the card. I chose bright red and hot pink to make sure no one missed a walkin' shoe. All I was hoping too, was that I not color OUTSIDE the lines on the last shoe. Whew! It turned out much better than I thought too.

When I saw this set of stamps in my local stamp store, The Stamp Art Shoppe, it drew me. Never in a million years did I think I would use this little shoe so often. It is so utterly versatile... I think I have more cards with shoes than I have shoes.... ooooh. And I'm not into shoes or fashion... except for this set... Neither am I, nor have I ever been a girly girl... much to the chagrin of my grandmother...

There is a contest for best scrapbooking in Sacramento area and the Stamp Art Shoppe is listed. If you've been there, you may wish to cast a vote at KCRA A-List.

One more thing. I just posted a blinkie for the Hero Arts site here too.

Swirls and circles 02-16-09

Swirls and circles 02-16-09,
originally uploaded by Clarian's Hawk * Arlene.

Angelina (9 years old) stamped almost two full sets of Inkadinkadoo stamps I received from a give-away at Gaal Creative, Anne Gaal's blog. Angelina and I spend quite some time stamping together. She takes her art seriously. She loves to color. I'm sure most of us stampers never left coloring behind. I wanted to showpiece her two newest stamping sessions here.