Happy new Year!!!

Just a quick greeting to wish you a Very Happy New Year!!!

I wish you all the best in the New Year...health, happiness and a year full of creative art and smiles!!!

blessings,

Amber

A very busy December...

Boy, I bet you wondered if I fell off the edge of the planet or something LOL!!!

Some of the highlights of what kept me too busy to post much this December:

Remodeling our 2 bathrooms...

Celebrated 20 yr. anniversary with hubby...

Hubby on a 2 week vacation from work...

Daughter back for a 3 week Christmas vacation from college...

Smallest son celebrated 7th birthday...

These are all good things but kept me very busy :0) I do hope January brings me a more quiet schedule...so I can spend more time creating!!!

...more to come soon...in the mean time enjoy the vintage image freebie from my collection!

I hope you all had a Blessed Christmas and a wonderful December!

Santa Claus Fest...image freebie

I found a wonderful blog dedicated to St. Nicholas Day, Dec. 6th and to participate we are to share something...

I found this lovely vintage image in my special Holiday file...I hope you can use it and enjoy St. Nicholas Day and the coming Christmas Season!!!

Visit the blog here ...scroll down and check out the links on the left hand side...enjoy!

Also over on Tim Holtz's blog he is demo'ing the 12 days of Christmas tags, with all kinds of wonderful ways to alter the tags...Don't miss this great free resource!

A week of Thanks and Giving Challenge...

Dont' you just LOVE it when things come together for a greater good??!!!

...Last night while listening to one of my favorite radio stations, they had a call in called "Thanks and Giving" and I thought How cute is that???

...so this morning over my cup-O-joe, I was looking over this card I made from Crafty Secrets products "Grateful"...and it all fell into place!

I would like to start off this challenge with a Thanks and a Giving for the next 7 days...and extend it to all my blog friends to do the same...then post a link here to your blog...

Doesn't that sound like a great way to begin the Thanksgiving countdown week???

International bloggers, please feel welcome to participate also :0)

...I'll go first...

My Thanks is: ...that God is the center of my life, I will be married for 20 yrs. in Dec. to a loving husband...I have the most talented and beautiful 3 kids any Mom could ask for...and that my Melanoma was discovered early and removed completely!!!

and my Giving will be: these free images for you to use from my collection!

To the best of my knowledge these images are free from copyright and can be downloaded and used in your art :0

Now, it's your turn! What are you thankful for and what to you want to give/share with us??? The giving can be anything...if you have been inspired by this challenge and made something for a friend or family member or you can also share a recipe...anything! Kind of like a Pay-It-Forward :0)
To participate, just post a link below :0) Looking forward to seeing all your links!

When Fairies go bad...

Fluffy Fatbottoms Twisted Tuesday challenge this week had such a fun theme I couldn't help but sit myself down and create...

This little fairy has mischievously stolen a feather, when no one was looking...and she couldn't be more proud of herself! Someone really ought to explain to her that that's not a very nice thing to do!

You Are 9: The Peacemaker

You are emotionally stable and willing to find common ground with others. Your friends and family often look to you to be the mediator when there is conflict. You are easy going and accepting. You take things as they come. Avoiding conflict at all costs, you're content when things are calm. At Your Best: You feel connected, trusting, and fulfilled. You feel at peace with your place in the world. At Your Worst: You compromise your values to make sure peace is maintained. You give in to bullies. Your Fixation: Harmony Your Primary Fear: Causing conflict Your Primary Desire: To preserve things as they are Other Number 9's: Marge Simpson, Ronald Reagan, Audrey Hepburn, Jerry Seinfeld, and Abraham Lincoln.

What Number Are You?

Pumpkin Brownie recipe and newest cards...for Fall

I had wanted to post these cards earlier but, better late than never as they say!

These cards are made on a blank notecard base with some fabulous vintage images from CRAFTY SECRETS...

These brownies are "to DIE for" waawahhwaawahh!!!

Seriously they are absolutely delicious!!! Try them and let me know if you like them as much as my family does :0)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies

Cream until Fluffy…
1 C. butter
1 C sugar
1 C brown sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. Vanilla

Combine separately…
2 C flour
1 tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. nutmeg

15 oz. canned or freshly cooked pumpkin
2 C chocolate chips

Alternately add dry ingredients and pumpkin to the butter mix. Stir in chocolate chips.
Spread dough into greased 9X13” pan. Bake at 350* about 40 minutes.
Slice when cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar to serve.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

A few artists over on the Paper Whimsy Yahoo group submitted some pink inspired art for breast cancer awareness...This IN THE PINK limited edition sheet will be available for a limited time, through December 31, 2007.
All profits from the sale of this sheet will be donated to promote breast cancer awareness. Purchasing this sheet will, not only give you amazing images to use in your art but also support the fight against breast cancer.

Click here to go to the Paper Whimsy website order page...

I have three featured pieces on this sheet :0)

...this sheet was electronically reproduced for my blog with Gale Blair's permission...

I won! Very exciting news...

I entered an Studio Challenge Design Contest (you know me, love those challenges) at Julia Andrus...the theme was Fall projects...and I won! Whoot Whoot!
Very exciting too because I get a wonderful gift certificate to spend on her website! I will show you what I ordered after it arrives...
Go here to see my featured art on the home page http://www.juliaandrus.com/
and of course I used a fabulous image from Paper Whimsy !

Altered tags...and Arty Girlz

These three tags were made for the Paper Whimsy Tag Book that I hosted this Summer, using Gale Blaire's fabulous images and art bits...(from the Left) Front Tag Book cover, (middle) Inside back cover, and (right) Outside back cover

It was so much fun and the Tag Book turned out spectacular if I do say so myslef!...

Arty Girlz is having a TAG challenge on their blog and since I had been wanting to post these anyway, the timing couldn't have been better!

WS...Inspiring Autumn

I just love Autumn!!...The crisp, cool air and the anticipation of the coming Holidays...
The colors of Autumn are what the Wednesday Stamper theme is for this week... I originally made this ATC for the Gallery but found that it fit in quite nicely in all its Autumn colors for Wednesday Stamper!

Background: acrylic and paper napkin cutout
Image: Paper Whimsy
Charm : Speckled Egg
Text and embellishments: Vintage and found

Courage...and flowers

This was made for a gal in one of my art groups that has just experienced a close family members tragic death...One of my dear friends is putting a 5X5 fatbook together for her...
It is always so hard losing a loved one and especially before their time...sending healing prayers!!!

Background: acrylic and watercolor
Image: Paper Whimsy
Found flowers and ephemera

This is also my entry in a new challenge group Arty Girlz
with the theme flowers...

The quote says "The only courage that matters is the kind that gets you from one minute to the next"

Freebie image ...

I have been fiddling and fussing with my blog template (as I am sure you have noticed) recently and just wasn't happy with one thing or another...I finally decided on this black one :0)

I will probably leave well enough alone for now...thanks for bearing with me as I have been trying on new colors and designs!

For your patience I am adding a FREEBIE image from my collection...for you to download.

Happy creating!!!

Smile...Think Monday Think ATC

This is another ATC I made for the Gallery...I am also entering this is this weeks Think Monday Think ATC challenge...the theme is smile :0)

Wednesday Stamper...fish ATC

This is the first of several ATC's I am sending off to a Gallery...It just so happened to fit in with this weeks WS theme!
I will be uploading some more over the weekend, so keep watch!

Background: Mulberry paper and ephemera
Fish stamp: source unknown

It's about time...

It's about time I checked in on my blog and gave an account about my whereabouts in the last Month!...a lot has been happenning...

**I got some scary news about my health that made me stop in my tracks... I was just diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer but caught it early enough that it hasn't spread...read more about it here : TheARTofhealing Care Page...

**My husband and I had been toying around with the idea of me returning to the work-force, but thankfully it was agreed upon that I would continue to stay home and sell my Art for extra income! So I am going to look into selling for the first time on Etsy...stay tuned as I hope to get a site up and running soon!

**I was asked to become a co-moderator in one of my very favorite Yahoo groups; PaperWhimsy The group is not only a showcase for using Gale Blaire's fabulous images but it is a gathering of some of the most talented artists (I feel) on the web...so I am very excited to begin this fun new adventure!

**I am getting ready to send off several pieces of art to a New Gallery in Gresham, Oregon called RAGING TORCH...it is a glass blowing gallery with featured local artists...I will update you as soon as I can get some photos uploaded...

And if that's not enough...

**My oldest ( DD) has flown the nest and is settled in a Private Christian Liberal Arts University about 3 hrs. away...I really miss her...This will be the first time in 15 years that I haven't had at least one of my three kids at home.

I think you can see that I won't be sitting around wondering what to do with all my free time LOL!

Blue ATC

This is my newest ATC made for the Wednesday Stamper group...the background paper (that I altered with blue acrylic paint) and bird stamp is from Crafty Secrets...I also used a Paper Whimsy image. This will go on the front of a blank journal that I am working on...

Blog template and update...

This morning I was playing around with my blog and realized I needed to update a few things...before I knew it I had updated the template so I could easier add page elements but I realized when I did I lost several things... one being my blog friends links...OOps!!

Ah well, I wanted to add several new blogs to the list so I guess this is an excuse to do so...

If you visit my blog or I am on your blog links and would like to be included, please just leave me a note and I will add you :0)

Thanks for your understanding, I'll try to get right on this!...

Double the honor!

Wow, I couldn't be more honored than this...I have been nominated for the NICE MATTERS blog award from two seperate blog friends...How did I get so lucky???

First Gail from shabbycottagestudio nominated me and then Angela Angela's Art Diary nominated me also... I couldn't be more grateful! Thank you both for considering me for this wonderful award...I am truely honored!!!

I will update this post with who next will have this award bestowed on them shortly...

Happy surprises...

My sweet Hubby brought home some beautiful flowers to me on the anniversary of our meeting each other 20 years ago...What a sweet surprise!!!...Our real anniversary isn't until December :0)

...I popped into the bookstore the other day and picked up the current copy of Somerset Studio and Cloth Paper Scissors magazines to peek at what was new...In both magazines many things caught my eye but in particular one artists work really stood out and demanded I look at it over and over again taking in all the small details that make her art what it is...The artist is Tracie Lyn Huskamp and if you haven't witnessed her art I encourage you to do so :0)

Call it timing or call it fate but when I got home I looked her up on the internet and was pleased that she was having a giveaway on her blog and I threw my name in the hat for the drawing...I was one of the winners of her outstanding bird stencils...They came in the mail yesterday all tied up in a pretty pink ribbon...I couldn't be more excited!!!I never win anything it seems... and I LOVE birds, so I am one super happy girl!!!

I can't wait to start playing around with them and see where my little mischevious MUSE takes me :0)
Thank You so MUCH Tracie, what a fun surprise for me!!!

What color is your soul painted? Yellow Your soul is painted the color yellow, which embodies the characteristics of joy, happiness, optimism, idealism, gold, hope, sociability, friendship, courage, intellect, confidence, communication, travel, movement, attraction, persuasion, and charm. Yellow is the color of the element Air, and symbolizes the sun, grain, and the power of thought. Click Here to Take This Quiz

Quizzes and Personality Tests

Where's the Mouse???

Here are some of my favorite photos from our Disneyland trip...Did you notice something missing? Where's the Mouse?

I tried to get the interesting elements of our trip as well as those great D-land shots of the kids and Family, but I think I only got one shot of us with Micky....

The top left shot is of my 12yr. old son waiting in line for one of the rides...The Red pick-up was at a California roadside fruit stand that we stopped and got fresh fruit for breakfast one morning on the drive down...The two middle are just fun elements in the park (people were really funny watching me and trying to see what I was taking a picture of LOL)...

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer!!! I have more to post later, so check back soon :0)

WS Wednesday Stamper Challenge...BUTTONS!

This ATC has been created for Wednesday Stamper Button Challenge...I used an All Night Media button stamp and turned the buttons into flowers :0)

Some photos from our Seattle trip...

I am having trouble with my USB port on my computer not recognizing my digital camera...so instead of photos of our Disneyland trip, I'll share with you some belated photos of our Seattle trip.

This first photo is a hand-painted/altered photo of the Starbucks clock tower. The sky was a little drab so I decided it needed color...and so why stop there...I added a little color to the star, crown and architecture :0) We love our Starbucks!!!

These next two are of Pike's Place Market...I real cultural experience! So much to do and see---art, music, gifts, people, food---you name it!...and these last two are just a small example of some of the incredible produce you can find there!!!

I want to wish all of my friends from the US and worldwide a happy July 4th ...something we all have in common...( LOL!)

hugs to all!

Wednesday Stamper... Polka dots

I have to make this a quick post...but I am back!!! We had a wonderful time ( details to follow tomorrow) and I couldn't help to jump in on this weeks Wednesday Stamper with my Polka Dot ATC....

I used my favorite polka dot maker: a toy Nerf foam dart (you know the kind with the suction cup on the end?!) ...taken from my son's abandoned collection :0)

I also mounted the image on a button and made a black crepe paper flower center...

Be back on tomorrow...I have to go catch up on laundry LOL!

Hugs :0)

The Happiest Place on Earth!

We are off to Disneyland on Vacation until the 18th...We are taking a family trip and driving down...( I know, with the gas prices, why are we driving???...but it is cheaper than all of us flying LOL)

So with sunscreen, bandaids( for blistered feet) and my new digital camera (yipee) we are heading off for a much needed vacation! I hope you all will enjoy creating while I am gone...and I will sure miss playing,painting,stamping and collaging... and of course all of you while I am away!

This will be the first trip to Disneyland that I haven't been pregnant LOL! Actually, the last time we were down there, I found out I was pregnant with my youngest! LOL (Boy, that's a story in itself and worth saving for another time:) Hugs to all...see you soon!!!

She sells seashells by the seashore...

Here is my 4X4 that I made for my assigned swap partner for a swap hosted by Danielle Muller The Vintage Dragonfly ...
It reads "Never let Yesterday fill up Today"...The theme was vintage bathing beauties ie.--"She Sellls Seashells By The Seashore"...
I bet if you put your ear up to the seashell, you can hear the ocean...LOL!
Have a great artful day!!!

House work Stinks! Collage....Wednesday Stamper theme DOORS

Boy can I ever relate LOL! Housework is not my favorite thing to do LOL!!I started out with a vintage photo and a rough idea of a heart within a door...

The painted background is on artists matt board with stamping into wet paint for texture...I turned the photo into a house shape... collaged with found ephemera and then hand painted the flowers and clouds...

I didn't quite plan it that way but it turned out to be a Claudine Hellmuth style collage :0)

Hope you like it!

WS games collage

"Queen"...this is my entry into the Wednesday Stamper theme this week.

This was done on a vintage BINGO card...gesso'd,painted and stamped. Then collaged and glittered! Thanks for taking a look :0)

Crafty Secrets: crown, wings, playing cards, vintage games &

background stamps

Wednesday Stamper...Fleur De Lis card

I wanted to enter last week but couldn't come up with the right stamp...this week the theme is Fleur De Lis and I couldn't find and appropriate stamp either but got a little creative and found some card stock with Fleur De Lis image (from K&Co)...I background stamped a beautiful flourish from Crafty Secrets "Cherub"Clear art stamps in ColorBox chalk olive pastel ink...I added some fun image stickers from Crafty Secrets Heartwarming Vintage collection "Wonderful Women" and finished off edging the card with the olive pastel ink and added some ribbon trim... Oh, I almost forgot---the inside says "Your support means everything"...Thanks for looking!

http://wednesdaystamper.wordpress.com/

Neatness VS Creativity???

I need to put to rest a question that has plagued me since my earliest creating adventures...

Please Leave a comment below and help me answer this artful question...

Is neatness more important to you ( ie. executation, attention to detail etc.) or the creativity (color combo's, and design) of the artwork???

I would love to hear from you on this!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

I want to wish everyone a very Happy Mother's Day...I hope you had a wonderful day!!!...

It was a perfectly beautiful Central Oregon afternoon and I enjoyed it with my family...we took a nice hike with a picnic and then tonight my kids and hubby cooked me dinner...Yum!

hugs,

Amber

This card is from some of my new papers and images from Crafty Secrets ...

Thank you!!!

Just a quick note of thanks for all of you wonderful art friends who have stopped in and left comments on my blog...I wish I could respond to you personally but haven't figured a way to do that yet! I really appreciate you taking the time to look at my art and leave a note of encouragement!!! It means a lot to me :0)

I just returned from a quick trip to Seattle ( a business trip) with just my hubby...Never left all three kids before, but it worked out just fine. My DD (18 yr.) watched the boys and my wonderful neighbor even invited them over for dinner for the two nights we were away!!! I even had time to take some great photos while hubby was in a meeting! I didn't take along my digital camera, just my SLR so I will have to get them developed and scanned before I can post them...hopefully soon!
Hope you all are having an art-filled day!
hugs and blessings,
Amber

Wednesday Stamper..I've been framed!

Here is this weeks entry for Wednesday Stamper...the theme was "framed"...

I decided to make a card with a border to "frame" the card...

I started with a vintage map paper background and vintage "Au Revoir" image from Crafty Secrets...I stamped "Bonjour" and misc. stamps, then added a transparancy image of the Eiffel tower from Artchix Studio...

I played around with pen doodles on the inside edges of the girl image and around the outside edges of the card...the black arrow and letter B is from Crafty Secrets...the red numbers are found ephemera, then added red punched stars, inked and chalked it to distress...

Thanks for looking!