A sample of my art work

I thought it would be fun to post my art work now and then. I may add a new page to my blog, but for today I wanted to share a pen-and-ink drawing I just completed for a friend, who is giving it as a wedding gift. I call this a house portrait.

Hope you enjoy this. Let me know if you have any questions!

Sugar Creek Hollow photo inspiration challenge

I just discovered that Sugar Creek Hollow has a weekly challenge! How did I miss that?!
This week's challenge is to make a vintage/shabby chic or primitive style card using a photo for inspiration. Here is my card:

Vintage image: Digital Two for Tuesday
DP: My Mind's Eye "Lost & Found - Madison Avenue"
Sentiment: Inspired Stamps' Labelmaker Alphabet
I used this week's sketch (#110) over at the OWH Stars & Stamps blog.
Here's the inspiration photo:

I enjoy making vintage/shabby chic cards so I'm very glad to learn about Sugar Creek Hollow's weekly challenge.
Thanks for stopping by; I love company!

OWH Sketch #110

Here is this week's sketch at Operation Write Home:

And here's my card:

DP: My Mind's Eye "Lost & Found - Market Street"
Hero Arts OWH clear stamp set "Right At Home"
Metal heart brads (stash)
After I posted this, I could see that a little white bow at the top might have been a good idea! I paper pieced the house and touched up the windows with white gel pen and black Copic. That didn't turn out quite as neatly as I intended, lol.
Thanks for visiting!

Fortune cookie for Mom

This is my card for Hambo Stamps' current challenge, using their new fortune cookie digi, free to all who joined in the Hoedown last week:

And the inside:

So, I was able to use Fortune Cookie to make a card for OWH's current Mother's Day card challenge! Thanks, Hambo!
DP: Me & My Big Ideas "bloc de Passepartout" mat pad (the fortune cookie is paper pieced); round gold stickers from stash.
Thanks for stopping by!

A card to remember Alice

My dear mother-in-law, Alice Hickey, would have been 100 years old today. She was the most wonderful MIL a girl could hope for! I miss her.

The image is from Digital Two for Tuesday. I could have used it black & white, but I decided to color it with a monochromatic palette (Copics: BG10, BG15, BG18).
DP: My Mind's Eye "Lost & Found - Market Street" (6x6 DP pad).
I just found these yummy little crochet flowers at Michael's today; I could only find one package! Love them.
I hope a hero's Mom will like this one!

Duck, gnome & big red hat

Three cards for Mom, all based (more or less) on this week's OWH Sketch #109:

Doodle Pantry (this week's sponsor at OWH) has a cute freebie digi named HAROLDduck:

DP: Echo Park Paper Co. Victoria Gardens
Coloring: Copics

I have always liked this cute gnomie digi, created by OWH's own Yolanda (Imagine-Make-Share) and it goes so well with the mushrooms and fairies on this Heidi Grace DP:

Sentiment is made with Inspired Stamps "Labelmaker Alphabet".
Coloring: Copics

Finally, a lady with a big red hat, one of my favorite vintage images I found at Digital Two for Tuesday:

This must be my Yolanda day; she posted that piece of vintage newsprint on her blog not too long ago.
DP: Victoria Gardens
Sentiment: set of clear stamp sentiments; no name but I think from Michael's

OK, now I have to clean up the paper mess I made, lol!
Thanks for visiting; have a good week.

A punny green & blue dragon!

Hambo Stamps specializes in puns and laughter. This sentiment, paired with this new dragon digi, really makes me laugh. I decided to poke fun at the vintage cards I love to make by inking paper edges and using this vintage "toile" DP from Glitz. Hambo challenged us to use silver or gold, so I used this vintage-y silver Stampin' Up brad.
I'm also posting this card at OWH's Midweek Throwdown, which calls for green, blue and kraft.
I will line the card and stamp "Happy Birthday" inside.
Thanks a lot for stopping by!

OWH Sketch #108

Here is this week's sketch over at the Stars & Stamps blog:

And here's my card:

I inked up this Provo Craft embossing folder (I wish they'd print the names on 'em) with Color Box pigment ink (Harbor). I ran it through the CuttleBug first on white paper to use later and then used the remaining ink to run this DP (Quite Contrary - Jack & Jill - My Mind's Eye) through the CB. There was just enough ink to play up the embossing of the patterned paper without overdoing it (luck). All the DPs are from this MME stack except the strip I stamped the flower on, but it's from one of those cool 6x6 pads I've been finding at AC Moore.
Rubber stamp: Inkadinkado (I like how the stamp & the swirly ef complement each other)
Joy sticker: Glitz
Copics
Thanks for dropping by!

Rain forest color challenge

Challenge #11 of the VCMP is to use green(s) with a splash of color. This little toucan stamp made me think of a rain forest and the chubby rickrack and flower provide a splash of sunny yellow against the green print.
This has been such a fun and motivating week of challenges at OWH! I didn't get all the challenges done, but had fun trying.
Have a good week!

A touch of ribbon

The challenge sponsored by Our Daily Bread Designs at OWH this month is to use ribbon. This card uses just a bit of gingham ribbon. The cute rubber stamp and sentiment are from Hambo Stamps.

VCMP Challenge #12: Boats and Ships

I forgot that I do have a nautical stamp -- this cute Hambo rubber stamp and sentiment. The DP is new, a sheet by Disney called "Waves & Bubbles" which I found at A.C.Moore today. I colored the image with Copics and the strip is embossed with a Tim Holtz folder. I used an early OWH sketch.
Thanks for visiting!

VCMP Challenge #6: Sand & sea colors

The challenge is to use blues and tans; I realize I don't have any nautical images (I predict a shopping trip) so I focused on the colors for this masculine card:

Vintage Postal stamp set from Stamper's Best
Background: SU Crumb Cake ink on tan striped DP (Lost & Found Madison Ave. My Mind's Eye).
Postman: ColorBox Midnight ink.
Navy striped DP and stickers are from Glitz.
Ranger Vintage Photo distress ink/Tim Holtz distress tool
Jeweler's twine (JoAnn's)
OWH Sketch #82.

My sister just called and asked me to meet her at AC Moore; she didn't have to ask me twice! Thanks for stopping by; have a great weekend.

OWH Cruise Week fun: Vintage

I love making vintage style cards, so I was delighted when Paula asked me to put one together for this evening's challenge!
This is a pre-colored image you will find at Clearly Vintage, the sister site to another favorite of mine, Digital Two for Tuesday.

Card recipe:
DP: "Victoria Gardens" Echo Park Paper Co.
""Lost & Found - Madison Avenue" My Mind's Eye
Sentiment: "Sentiments" (Set of 3) Stampabilities Item #889527
Stampin' Up BoHo Flower Punch
Fiskars Corner punch
Tim Holtz Distress Tool
Ranger Distress Ink Orange Marmalade
Pink half pearls

I really like this sentiment set (I believe I found it at Scrapbooks.com) because all 3 unmounted rubber stamps are just shy of 4 1/4" wide, great for A2 cards. Also, this one has a nice art deco look to it, perfect for vintage/shabby chic cards.
Love the SU Boho flower punch because you can make whatever tiny layered flowers you need to complement your card.
After studying the colors in the image, I went with the unexpected pink & orange (with a dark brown mat). The prints complement and don't overwhelm the image. Distressing and inking paper edges really add charm and an aged look. And it's fun!
Enjoy this challenge! Thanks for visiting.

Easter bunny

This is one of the cute digis I won from Hambo Stamps last week!
I wanted really soft coloring to go with this piece of DP from my stash, so I got out my Prismacolor pencils. Yolanda used a double ribbon on one of her cards recently; that gave me the idea to use two ribbons. The tiny yellow bow is one of those ready-made ones, but sometimes they work well.
Thanks for hopping..er stopping..by!

OWH Cruise week VCMP: Masculine Nautical

I used Paula's fab new compass digi (pre-colored version); it's a freebie you can find at Paula's blog. I didn't have any nautical themed paper so I downloaded an old map image from Shutterstock. The epoxy "Love" sticker is by Glitz.
Paula, can you leave me out of this prize drawing? I already have that Hero Arts stamp set.

Funky Fold Challenge

Here's my card for the OWH Cruise Week Funky Fold challenge:

Sandy posted a funky fold tutorial over at the Stars & Stamps blog. I used DPs from "So Sophie - Graceful" 6x6 DP pad by My Mind's Eye, as well as the new Hero Arts OWH "All the Time" clear stamp set.

Hot Tropics color challenge: hot pink, green, yellow

Hello! I wanted to break out one of the new Hero Arts OWH stamp sets. I really like this set! The word "Mom" is from a Lawn Fawn alphabet set.
Thanks for stopping by!

Sketch 107 and Hambo Hoedown challenge

I used OWH's new Sketch #107 for my Hambo Hoedown challenge card. This week's challenge is to use the new Bailey Cupcake digi to make a birthday card. Here is Sketch 107:

Here's my Bailey birthday card for a little girl, first the outside:

The inside:

The digi comes with two sentiments.
Copics; papers from stash; Cuttlebug ef.
Thanks for stopping over! Enjoy the Super Bowl (and Downton Abbey, which is what I am REALLY waiting for) and have a good week.