I think I've got it ....

Thanks Debbie ... i discovered a couple other things along the way too!

Here's the active link to Wendy ... http://studio490art.blogspot.com/

I want to make a garden!

Are all of you familiar with Wendy Vecchi ... her blog, her art, and her stamps? If you're not you need to go look http://studio490art.blogspot.com/
(sorry, I'm still trying to figure out how to attach an active link, can anyone help me?)

I love her work because she uses all my favorite colors, her flowers always make me smile, and her stamps are so much fun to play with.

It was time for a little break from all the household tasks today, so I decided to try my hand at one of her flowers.

I stamped on grunge paper, cut out the design, colored them with distress inks, then the fun part ... bending, rolling and shaping the petals and leaves ... and voila, my flower! The most fun of all is trying to decide what to use as the center ... so many possibilities!! I used an ideaology sprocket wrapped with fluffy fiber.

Frenzy Stamper has a good variety of her stamps in stock if anyone wants to try their hand creating a garden!!

Think I hear the washer and dryer calling me ... guess I better wash the ink off my fingers and get back to work ...

Playing with metal ...

There is a new yahoo group dedicated to metal embossing. The group is called "repujado" if you'd like to search it out in yahoo groups. Lynda Abare is the moderator and does some very nice work with metal. She posted instructions for this technique for the group. Roxanne found the tool we needed, so we each tried our hand at it today.
The spiral design is done using a tool from Merck Art and made by using a back and forth motion as you turn the metal. I used alcohol inks to color the silver metal, and sanded it just a bit for highlights.

The idea of the nails holding the glass on the front is from a class with Josie Cirincione.

Those cute boys in the photo are Wesley and Vito ... my babies!

The beautiful Caribbean ...

There are so many pictures that I'd like to show, but I chose just a few of my favorites .. a few of the highlights for me. Yes, the water really is this color ..

This was at the beach of Labadee, Haiti ...
In Ochoa Rios, Jamaica we ventured into Turtle Park and found ... turtles!

In Grand Cayman, we took a boat ride to swim with the stingrays, and along the way stopped to check out the starfish ...
Just a few of my highlights ... I still have to show you the projects we made.

Happy Mothers Days

What a whirlwind the last couple weeks have been!

The cruise was amazing! I still have to upload all my photos. I haven't even had a chance to view them since I got back .. but they'll be coming soon with more details of the entire trip.

I spent yesterday and today at the Creative Escape Preview Days. All the volunteers, which I am one for the second year now, get to take the classes from all the teachers. Wow ... what a bunch of great projects for those lucky gals that are going to the event in August.

Keep watching for some photos .... soon!

But in the meantime ... have a very happy Mothers Day! If you are a mother I hope you are showered with love ... and if you're able, give your mom a great big hug and tell her how much you love and appreciate her.