Denise's Class Today

I attended a card-making class today, put on by fellow FSJ Coach Denise Weiger.  We had a great time and got to play with several new items (pan pastels, color splash pencils, and color burst pencils).  I had never tried the triple-stamp technique, so was excited to give that a try.  AND - she fed us!!  A delightful croissant and chicken salad sandwich, home-made chocolate chip cookies, and pineapple-coconut drink.  Yum.  We had a lot of fun, and made 5 lovely cards.  Thanks so much, Denise - it was a real treat to attend your class today.

Slippers

As fall approaches with cooler weather, I've been thinking about slippers.   Now, I'm a barefoot type of person.  I only put shoes on when I go outside.  I don't know if this started when I was a child, or when I lived in Alaska, where EVERYONE takes off their shoes when they come in the house, but it's an ingrained habit now and I'm more comfortable barefoot or in socks.  I find that as I've gotten older, my feet get colder in the winter so I'm more inclined to put on a pair of slippers.  Problem is, I don't really have any.  I used to have moose hide and beaver fur slippers in Alaska, but those are long gone.  I keep two or three pair of scuffs around for my mom when she visits, but I want slippers that have more than just toes.

I haven't done much sewing or crocheting lately, and need to get back into it, so I've been on the search for slipper patterns.  Free, of course!  Pretty Prudent has a really cute pattern that looks easy to make:  http://www.prettyprudent.com/2010/10/baby-kid/how-to-make-fabric-slippers-with-free-pattern-2/. I want to try these and will definitely post pictures if I ever get around to it.  Someone on latelyreconstructed.wordpress.com made them with an old sweatshirt.  Good idea, cheap and warm, and I could make several pair to have around the house.

I guess I could try crocheting a pair, but that sounds like a lot more work. There are a lot of free patterns on the internet.  These look easy, and they're a lot cuter than some I've seen!  I'll have to see what kind of yarn I have in my stash.  I sold a LOT of it at the yard sale.



Well, I've wasted some time THINKING about doing something...I guess now I have to get up and DO something.  Drink more coffee, maybe?  :-)

Outdoor Fun

Welcome to the August Amazing Journey Blog Hoppers Hop! This month’s theme is "Outdoor Fun." I'm so happy you're hopping along. If you arrived here from Betsye Rose’s blog, you're on the right track. If not, that's ok too! Just continue the hop and you'll come full circle.

Please don’t forget to click the Next button at the bottom to continue on the hop with Carol's blog.

I love living in sight of (and within easy driving distance of) the Wet Mountains Range of the Rocky Mountains in south-central Colorado. This card is missing the beautiful pines, but the sunshine, the mountains, and Lake Isabel are all here. I used pan pastels to add color, and had to do a LOT of masking. I love how the pastels blend together - the blues in the lake, the green and brown of the shore.

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I used one of the Journey
Rectangles stitched
dies to outline the
bottom of the banner.

These are just a FEW of the masks I
was working with.

BLOG ROLL:

Betsye Rose Cimino Erazo:http://betsyerose.blogspot.com/2016/08/outdoor-fun-with-fun-stampers-journey.html

Wilma Payne: http://stampintotheoldies.blogspot.com/2016/08/outdoor-fun.html

Carol Moffett Norby: http://stampincarol.blogspot.com/2016/08/fun-stampers-journey-outdoor-fun-blog.html

Becky Lemire: http://iwannastamp.blogspot.com/2016/08/outdoor-fun-fsj-blog-hop.html

Heather Flaherty: http://www.papercrafteranonymous.com/2016/08/outdoor-fun-blog-hop.html

Kim Lamos: http://pinkzebrapapercreations.blogspot.com/2016/08/journey-bloggers-blog-hop-outdoor-fun.html

Christine Pennington: http://www.christinepennington.com/my-blog/journey-blog-hoppers-outdoor-fun

Karen Seifert: http://karenismyangel.blogspot.com/2016/08/outdoor-fun-journey-blog-hop.html

Allie Gower: http://journeywithallie.blogspot.com/2016/08/FunStampersJourneyOutdoorFun.html

Ruth Cooper: http://www.sassyangelsstudio.com/fsj-blog-hop-outdoor-fun/

Click HERE to visit my online
Fun Stampers Journey Store.

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August Club Technique - Watercolor Lift

Our August club technique is "Watercolor Lift."  This simple technique seems to be all over the internet right now! Basically, large areas of color are protected by clear embossing, and then the rest of the color is "lifted" to create a softer look.  I tend to use splotches of color, but I've seen beautiful cards done with horizontal blocks to create a smoother look.  After you try the technique, make a card using your watercolor lift background. Here's mine: Share your creations on our group Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/315796892088019/>

1. Cover watercolor paper with random patches
of color using water-based markers.

2. Spritz with water to blend edges.  Let dry
completely or use heat tool to speed drying.

3. Rub dry surface with Embossing Buddy or
dryer sheet. Stamp image with clear embossing
ink such as VersaMark.

4. Dust with clear embossing powder. Tap
off excess.

5. Heat embossing powder until it melts.

6.  Embossed areas will protect the color beneath the image.

7. Spritz with water again.

8. Soak up water with paper towels. Extra
color will lift, leaving behind the darker
color behind the embossed image.

Facebook Group and August Class

I follow several Facebook groups, mostly stamping and card-making.  I enjoy seeing what others create, and think it's a good use of social media to gather together those with like interests, but I had never considered creating a group of my own.  My friend Carrie suggested I start a group for stampers in the Pueblo area as an easy way to communicate information about my monthly classes, our FSJ club, etc.  So I did...and it was EASY!  I don't know if many people will join, but it's a public group so others may find it.  If you'd like to check it out, here's the link:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/315796892088019/

I've made up the samples for the August 20th class. Seems like I always end up making 6 or 7 samples before I can decide on the three to take for class!  My mom (86 and counting!) was here, and helped me pick the "winners."  These are both ones that evolved from others.  I used my computer to print the sentiment for the light bulbs.  For class I printed four different sentiments in both landscape and portrait orientation so participants can choose what they want.  The butterfly card uses pan pastels, heat embossing, and vellum - it was a lot of fun to make.  I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut the mask for the sentiment, just to see if I could make it a bit different from the layered die. 

   

This one I copied directly from the February Bloom Box.  I loved that kit, but it came out the month before I signed on as a coach.  I bought the stamp set as soon as it came out.  I love that the stamps are available three months after they debut in the kit - and hate that I had to wait THAT LONG, lol!!

Just a few meandering thoughts...

Oh my - I just realized how the last couple of weeks have flown past, and here it is, AUGUST!  I have so many items on my "To Do" list, and I don't seem to be getting any of them done!  Summer is a time for relaxation and friends, so much of that list will have to take a back seat for now, but I really need to think about my August class.  I found some time yesterday to do a little stamping, and came up with this.  Not sure it will make the cut for the class (might be too time-consuming), but I like it anyway.  I used PanPastels on the background, and colored the back of vellum for the butterfly wings. (The butterfly die is not FSJ - not sure what company makes it.)

We were blessed to have a quick visit from my cousin and her daughter from Wisconsin this past weekend.  My mom came out also, so our time was spent eating and visiting, of course.


The weeds continue to grow no matter what I do to discourage them, so I need to get out and spend some time on my knees in the dirt...an enjoyable activity early in the morning before it gets too hot.  Still no tomatoes or peppers, but we planted late this year. The plants themselves are looking good.

We have a new fawn.  Five or six deer visit our "pond" (just a garbage can lid I keep filled with water) a few times a day.  Last night we sat on the deck watching the baby tentatively exploring the back yard.

Speaking of the deck, we finished the last railing on the new extension.  The only thing left to do on that project is to install the step.

And...I'm really excited to have my FIRST Fun Stampers Journey recruit!  Deb Muniz joined FSJ in July.  I'll be sending this card her way later today.  Welcome to the journey, Deb!