Decidedly Debbie

It's Possible with a Potato

2014-02-04T13:35:00.000-08:00

I am a member of the Rubber Stampers Together e-mail list on Yahoo Groups and we have decided to issue a casual "monthly challenge" to the list members. This month's challenge is to carve a stamp, use a stamp that has a carved image, or...umm...there were other options that I have already forgotten!

I am a rubber stamper because I cannot draw, so asking me to draw an image and then use that image to carve a stamp is like asking me to swim the Atlantic Ocean. I did it anyway!

Sure, it was a VERY SIMPLE arrow image and I carved it from a silly old potato using a kitchen paring knife, but I completed the challenge. (And, if you ask nicely, I may swim the width of the swimming pool next summer but I will not attempt an ocean. Heehee.)

To construct my cards (I made Artist Trading Cards) I cut out my potato-stamped arrow images and added a variety of embellishments and die-cuts.

Hope you like them. Thanks for stopping by.

Shades of Red Challenge for Artistic Outpost!

2012-02-14T19:12:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd take advantage of the "Shades of Red" theme over at Artistic Outpost, so I set out to make a card that uses one of their great images. I used a variety of products from other manufacturers, but my favorite part of the piece is the image itself. Check out Artistic Outpost here.

Thanks and enjoy!

Still Working on Scrapbook *Life" Journal

2012-01-24T11:29:00.000-08:00

Here is a little bit more of the work I've done with my journal class:

Scrapbook Life Continued

2012-01-22T15:43:00.001-08:00

The next exercise in the Scrapbook Life class was to cut some random words out of magazines and use them in our journals. No stress, no pre-thought, no "plan". Mine were interestingly split into two categories. The first page pictured below is the page with the positive words and the characteristics that I aspire to. The second is a reflection of some past negative emotions and experiences that are better left in the past.

Scrapbook Life Journal Class

2012-01-06T07:59:00.000-08:00

I enrolled in Stephanie Ackerman's Scrapbook *Life* Journal class and have begun to do some of the artwork as suggested. I'm having a pretty good time so far, and here are my projects to date:

Yellow Owl Workshop Swap Cards

2010-12-16T11:26:00.000-08:00

Two of my stamping friends and I decided to use our recently acquired Yellow Owl Workshop stamps for a small swap. Each of us made one card and one ATC for each of the other two participants. Here are my results:

Alphabet Discovery Letter C:

2010-06-05T14:50:00.001-07:00

I've always been fond of clock parts and clock images, so I used a clock theme for my alphabet journal's letter "C" page. I had a clock transparency in my very large pile of unused scrapbooking stuff, so I layered that on top of the background I made using various paints, inks and stamped images. I added an actual clock hand to the piece using a brad, then affixed a few little ephemera items and ribbons. Hope you like it. :)Debbie

I am trying to use things that are on hand...

2010-04-30T07:53:00.000-07:00

...since I have soooo much "stuff" that I've accumulated over time! I'm past the stage where I say to myself "If I use this item now, I'll never have it to use again." and I'm REALLY trying to do things that are a bit out of the ordinary for me. This is the latest thing I've come up with! Credits to follow within 24 hours since I still haven't gotten to the point where I remember to write them down while I'm making something (darnit!). Enjoy, and have a wonderful weekend everyone.

My Hotel Room Creations Continue.

2010-04-27T06:27:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I tried to mix some colors and designs that I wouldn't ordinarily use together. This card is one of the results and I must say I think I did OK! Interestingly, the layer just above the red/cream dotted background was made using the plastic shower cap from my hotel room hospitality freebies! I also used the shoe shine cloth to clean off my stamps. What a hoot....

Credits: Nest and egg image: Red Letter Paperworks.
Bird image: Cats Life Press
Background stamp image: Impression Obsession
Papers: K&Company, Cosmo Cricket

Weekend wonders.....

2010-04-26T13:27:00.000-07:00

For further information, see my other blog: Creative Card Cafe.

Your Dreams...

2010-04-10T12:28:00.000-07:00

Don't tell her, but this is the card I'm sending to my sister for her birthday this month. I wanted to get it in the envelope, and it's going to be late as it is, so I'm going to skip the description with hopes that you'll enjoy it anyway. Thanks.

Backgrounds with Starch and PearlEx!

2010-04-05T12:07:00.000-07:00

The Next Generation Stampers yahoo group has been discussing using spray starch and PearlEx powders to make backgrounds and decorative papers for collage and cardmaking. I played with this concept over the weekend and thought I'd share my results. For some reason I expected that I wouldn't have to seal the PearlEx after I was finished because I figured the spray starch was sticky....NOT! I sprayed some clear sealer over the background so it wouldn't brush off, and then I layered a few pieces of decorative paper and a gold butterfly (the text is a pre-printed definition of love from a sticker sheet by 7gypsies). I hope you like it (other than the bow that I smooshed with the lid of my scanner!).

Vintage Red

2010-03-29T15:38:00.000-07:00

This past week I wanted to force myself to use some of the new papers and embellishments I had recently ordered. I have a tendency to buy the new styles and then set them aside, and I didn't want to do the "same ole, same ole" with these. Most of the papers are from the Camden collection by Collage Press, and the labels are from a sheet I bought from Artchix Studio.

Another Card Sample for My Friend Bonnie:

2010-03-23T10:59:00.000-07:00

As I think I've said before, I've been trying to help my friend Bonnie at Really Reasonable Ribbon by making some samples using the ribbon she sells on the website. This one uses the new silk ribbon and the ivory crochet lace.

Stamps: face, Renaissance...journey, Limited Edition

Decorative Paper: Prima

Button: K&Co

Alphabet Discovery Workshop:

2010-03-21T12:17:00.001-07:00

Today I'm alternating between being outside in the beautiful weather and spending some snippets of time in my studio. I finally finished another page for my "letter journal"; here's my letter P for Pink.

Some time in the studio....

2010-03-11T16:15:00.001-08:00

And here's one of my results:

RST List "Restaurant" Challenge card

2010-03-06T11:16:00.000-08:00

On the RST Yahoo list we're talking about using gleaned restaurant items in our art. Things like coasters, placemats, doilies and such. My son and I just got back from the local pizza parlor where we bought a couple of slices "to go". The pizza box had some crude but cute graphics on the lid...including this red window. I couldn't resist! The stamped images are from Stampsmith and the red dotted background paper is from Papertrey Ink. Unfortunately, I don't remember where I got the other decorative papers (if anyone recognizes them, let me know and I'll post the name). Last, but not least, the RIBBONS are a few of the awesome new styles over at my old "stomping grounds" Really Reasonable Ribbon (hi Bonnie!!).

Some older art I just scanned...

2010-03-04T15:06:00.001-08:00

More Leaf-Inspired Art...

2009-10-11T09:38:00.002-07:00

This time I decided to stamp ON the leaf and this is the result.

Weekend Autumn Leaves Card...

2009-10-10T14:20:00.000-07:00

I was inspired by the beautiful leaves here in New York today, so I created this card using some brayered and crinkled newsprint stamped with some subtle leaf images for my background. I found a pretty leaf in my front yard (my favorite red bud tree), dried it using my microfleur in the microwave, and added the leaf, some ribbon and some text. Layered the card on orange, black and then brown cardstock and it was complete. Hope you like it.

Finally, another page in my Alphabet Journal!

2009-09-27T17:38:00.000-07:00

I did another page today, letter "L" for leaves. I used mostly rubber stamps for this one, including leaf stamps from Fred Mullet, Judi Kins and Zimprints which I layered in different colors and in different directions. I also realized today that I keep picking the same colors! Next page will definitely be something different...

My Stay at Home Stamp Camp Cards....

2009-09-26T18:59:00.001-07:00

I did the first card, above, for the Hearts In Touch Sketch Challenge posted earlier today. This card, as well as the two posted below, are made using backgrounds I made with Clearsnap's Magic Stamp blocks that I promised myself I'd use today. The round image and the sentiment are both from Hearts In Touch (I love Frances, she's a doll and her list is so much fun).

This second card uses an image from Artistic Outpost and some gold embossed cutouts I bought years ago. The gold is really shiny in person but doesn't quite show on the scan. The background cardstock behind the black layer is also metallic gold and balances the gold of the hearts pretty well (again you can't see it on the scan).

I used the same image on this card but the background and embellishments I used were a bit different. I just realized I accidentally left a photo corner on the upper left corner....I meant to remove that!!

Alphabet Discovery Workshop - Letter Z

2009-06-30T15:24:00.000-07:00

This one was easy....Z is for ZIG ZAG!

The little red frame on the page outlines the definition of "zig zag". The large Z card and the i, g, a, g letters as well as the Zz beneath the frame are sewn on the page using the zig zag stitch on my sewing machine.

Alphabet Discovery Workshop - Letter "B"

2009-06-26T12:41:00.000-07:00

Letter "B" for a Blue Bumblebee!

The Next Page is "O"

2009-06-24T19:59:00.000-07:00

All I could think of for "O" was "OPEN" so I used some images of doorways, played with color and texture a bit, and added the heart when I was all finished.