Sunflower Studio

NEW RELEASES AT STARVING ARTISTSTAMPS - BLOG HOP TODAY!

STARVING ARTISTSTAMPS will be featuring some brand spanking new stamps on their blog hop today, July 8th.  Click on the graphic below for more details!

 

 

2 SKETCHES 4 YOU - STARVING ARTISTSTAMPS

STARVING ARTISTSTAMPS is sponsoring a sketch this week on the 2 SKETCHES 4 YOU blog.  Be sure to click over there and participate!

My card features a little owl - ummm, pink! - well, because I can! - from the DOODLEFACTORY ANIMALS sheet.  His name is Ezner.  He had to match the paper, didn't he?  And to tell you the truth, I didn't notice that he was a "he" until just now....oh dear!  I puffed him up just a bit with some pink FLOWERSOFT.  It's my first try with it...from my "had to have it all" pile in the craft room.  It's fun!

I got in my shipment of new In-Color papers from Stampin' Up! this week so I decided to use those - I squeezed in four of the six new colors - Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango, and Soft Suede.  The colors actually coordinated perfectly with some really nice patterned papers by Crate Paper in their Lillian Collection.  The polka dotted ribbon is also new from SU!  The button on the sentiment is from Papertrey and the other three accent buttons are from Storage Units, Ink & More!

Hope you decide to play along!

STARVING ARTISTSTAMPS will also be featuring some brand spaking new stamps with a blog hop on July 8th.  Click on the graphic below for more details!

VAN GOGH TECHNIQUE & STARVING ARTISTSTAMPS

So, a while back, IRENE SILVA, the artist who creates the DOODLEFACTORY line of stamps for STARVING ARTISTSTAMPS, made this amazing card using the DOODLEFACTORY COUNTRYSIDE BACKDROP.  It was over the top artistic...I mean, yes, Irene is an artist and we should expect no less but this was combined with stamping.  I fell in love with her card.

Now, a few months down the road, and Irene's technique is being featured in the June/July 2009 issue of PAT HUNTOON'S TECHNIQUE JUNKIE NEWSLETER.  All of the members of the SA design team contributed cards using the technique and they are terrific.  YOU just must check them out at the STARVING ARTISTSTAMPS BLOG.  As for the technique, you can learn all about it by becoming a subscriber to the TECHNIQUE JUNKIE NEWSLETTER.  I promise you won't be disappointed and you'll be inspired to use all of your "must have" stamping supplies in new and unusual ways.

In addition, there's a little VAN GOGH challenge goin' on at the SA Blog.  You can find all of the details HERE but, basically, you create a card using the technique and you can win stamps, of course, from STARVING ARTISTSTAMPS and  a year's subscription to the TECHNIQUE JUNKIE NEWSLETTER.  How excellent is that?!

Here's my card...I also used the COUTRYSIDE BACKDROP and a kitty kat, Tobias, from the DOODLEFACTORY ANIMALS sheet.  I really can't compete with Irene but it was fun to try.  Poor Tobias seems to be lost in the wilderness...floating on his boat...and he's not very happy about that.  Crack me up!

STARVING ARTISTSTAMPS - 2 SKETCHES 4 YOU CHALLENGE

This week STARVING ARTISTSTAMPS is sponsoring the 2 SKETCHES 4 YOU challenge blog.

Kazan Clark, one of the dynamic duo who host this challenge site designed this fun sketch for us this week.   You can click over to the SA Gallery blog to see what the design team has created using her wonderful sketch as a jumping off point.  Once you have checked out all the eye candy here be sure to visit the 2 sketches site to see what their fabulous design team came up with and see what you can win by participating in this weeks 2 sketches challenge!  PLUS, there's a code for you to use to get 20% off of your next STARVING ARTISTSTAMPS order!

I'm featuring CLARA the cow on my card.  She's part of the DOODLEFACTORY COUNTRY collection.  I matched her up with these patterned papers by SEI in their Winnie's Walls collection.  I had to dig deep into my stash to find those.  They're in the "gotta have it...um, where did those papers go?" category...ha ha!  The sentiment is from the COUNTRY #2 set of sentiments, also from SA.  My big ole button is from Creative Imaginations and I used some new Melon Berry twill ribbon and Rustic Twine by Papertrey to tie it up.

MARYLAND STAMP CONVENTION THIS WEEKEND!

Stamping by the Sea is happening this weekend in Ocean City, Maryland at the Carousel Resort! The show is hosted by Seaside Stampin' Ink and it's going to be FABULOUS!  STARVING ARTISTSTAMPS will be there along with lots of other incredible vendors with TONS of great products to buy and GORGEOUS samples to inspire you.  This will be the first time going for me and I'm looking forward to a little splurge...shhh...don't tell the DH!

Here's the direct link to the show information: STAMPING BY THE SEA

Hope to see ya there!

DOODLEFACTORY - AMERICAN GOTHIC?

So, you know the famous painting, right?  AMERICAN GOTHIC is a painting by Grant Wood from 1930.  (Yup, just looked it up on Wikipedia..ain't the internet grand?!)  I sat down to make something using the DoodleFactory Easter set and while flipping through my stamp binder I noticed the grumpy looking male bunny in the DoodleFactory Country set.  His expression is classic!  And the whole American Gothic image just popped into the front of my brain.

I stamped the boy and girl bunnies next to each other and hand drew in the pitchfork.  I sort of "stippled" in the grass to give it that mottled look.  I cut these guys out but just the upper portion so that I could "pop up" the people to make them look way forward of their background.  The barn scene from DF Country fit the bill perfectly here, although, the house from that set would work just as well.  I added a white cardstock layer as the base for the stamped images and used my Fiskars Deckle edged scissors to make it look like an old photograph.  I aged it a little using a light brown Copic marker and the Copic Airbrush system.  Some black photo corners and this fun wood patterned paper finished it all off.

I've posted this little challenge over at Paper Craft Planet.  Anyone else wanna give it a try?!

Supplies:  Stamps - DF Country and DF Easter set from Starving Artiststamps; Paper - SU! Chocolate Chip, Kiwi Kiss, white and black textured by DCWV, patterned paper from Cosmo Cricket, Papertrey White; Ink - Tuxedo Black Memento ink; Other - Copic Markers, Fiskars deckle edged scissors, Copic Airbrush

DOODLEFACTORY - EASTER and CHICKS RULE!

I've been working with some new DOODLEFACTORY cards this week.  Irene and Tracy came up with more of their fabulous animals - a whole new set for Easter.  You can always count on these gals to be unique and fun...that's for sure!

HIPPITY HOPPITY   

This adorable bunny just screamed out "Hippity Hoppity Easter's On It's Way!" when I saw it.  I paired her up with this great fence stamp from the DF Country set to set the scene.  The DF Easter set also has these great flowers and includes the big spotted egg too.  I tried a bit of "stippling" for the grass.  This is something that I've seen Irene do - and I think Julie Ebersole too.  I love the mottled look.  I'm still practicing.  I wanted my sentiment to be a part of that famous Easter song so I used my JustRite stamper and small letters alphabet to create the medallion.

Supplies:  Stamps - DF Easter and DF Country from STARVING ARTISTSTAMPS, JustRite stamper; Paper - Papertrey White, SU! pink textured, DCWV yellow textured, Coredinations green textured, patterned papers by Paper Salon; Ink - Tuxedo Black Memento Ink; Other - Copic Markers, Nestabilities dies, Janome Sew Mini machine, Martha Stewart ribbon, Creative Imaginations flower button.

CHICKS RULE!

Aren't these chicks so funny?!  I love them.  I had this "chick" paper in my stash for forever.  (You know, hoarding and all....)  Speaking of hoards, here's a hoard of little chicks. You can hear them all "peeping" at once!  The chick stamp is in the DF Country set.  The "chicks rule" sentiment is in the FRESH AND FUNKY FARM sentiment set.

Supplies:  Stamps - DF Country set and Fresh and Funky sentiment set; Paper - textured papers by Coredinations and DCWV, Papertrey White, patterned paper by Reminisce; Ink - Tuxedo Black Memento ink; Other - Copic Markers and Multiliner, Stamping Bella Baubles, Pinking Shears

EASTER DOODLEFACTORY/2S4Y CHALLENGE

This week, DOODLEFACTORY and STARVING ARTISTSTAMPS are sponsoring a sketch challenge on the 2 SKETCHES 4 YOU blog.  It's a very interesting and challenging sketch and there are some really fun cards to give you inspiration featured on the blog.  You should definitely give it a try!  There's even a prize for the challenge winner - DF/SA stamps!  Yea baby!  AND - read the whole post and you'll see a 20% off code to use at SA.  Go on....you can't pass that up!

My card features this oh-so-cute little bunny wabbit - he's called Buttons - from the brand spankin' new DOODLEFACTORY EASTER set.  This is another "must-have" set, of course!  My friend, Holly, came over today and shared some new paper with me.  She's so great with the sharing thing - I have greatly "enabled" her to purchase and hoard her stamping supplies so it's a wonder that she'd even think about sharing with me.  (And of top of that, I'm a terrible share-er!  Ask my sister....ewww...that's a story for a 'nother day!)  I got off track - anyway, this gorgeous sparkly paper is by DCWV and it's from one of those 8x8 pads.  They're so great and all coordinates so well that you just can't go wrong.

We had amazing warm weather here over the weekend and that really makes you want to break out the flip-flops and bright colors and say good-bye to Winter.  I think that's how Buttons here feels too! 

Supplies:  Stamps - Doodlefactory Easter set and All About Easter sentiment set from STARVING ARTISTSTAMPS; Paper - green textured by Coredinations, patterned papers and pink and blue textured by DCWV, Papertrey White; Ink - Tuxedo Black Memento Ink; Other - Copic Markers, Nestabilities dies, paper piercing tool; Bo Bunny buttons, Karen Foster Scrapper's Floss.

CARD POSITIONING SYSTEMS - SKETCH #102

STARVING ARTISTSTAMPS is sponsoring Sketch #102 this week on the Card Positioning Systems (CPS) blog.  The sketch is by Tami Mayberry and it's definitely "outta-the-box" for me.  That's why they call it a "challenge", right?!

Here's my take....two fun little bees making their special Valentine's delivery!  The large bee and the sweet envelope are from the DF VALENTINES REMIX set, the little bee from the original DF VALENTINES set, and the "special delivery" sentiment is in the VALENTINES sentiment set.  I dug in my closet for some Fiskars decorative edge punches...and I had to really dig too!  (I'm not sure that I've ever even used these.  I might have gotten them for Christmas a few years ago...oh dear!)  I'm thinking that I saw this idea of stamping a background using a sentiment - one red and the remainder black - on another blog but I can't for the life of me remember where it was or who it was.  So, whoever you, are I'm giving you a "thank you" shout out.  (Woundn't wanna be copyin' without proper representation, don'tcha know!)

I love sketch challenges...it's so fun to see what different creative minds do with the same layout and what stamps they choose to feature.  Make sure you stop by CPS to see what the rest of the DOODLEFACTORY Design Team has in store for ya!

TODAY'S THE DAY! - STARVING ARTISTSTAMPS BLOG HOP

Yup...today is the day!  The big reveal of something new and wonderful from DOODLEFACTORY at STARVING ARTISTSTAMPS.  I'm so excited to be a part of the party for the first ever DF blog hop!

SO, as I'm sure you're aware, I am a DOODLEFACTORY freak.  I love this whole line of stamps.  They're really unique and just...wacky...they always make me laugh!  And now, to go along with this line of creatures and characters, they've come up with BACKDROPS!  The SET THE SCENE line, being released today, features four great scenes in which you can place your DF critters and their stuff:  JUNGLE, COUNTRYSIDE, ROOFTOPS, and TROPICS.  They're so much fun...here's some inspiration to get your creative juices flowing!

YOU DRIVE ME BANANAS

Malbec (from the VALENTINES REMIX set) is wingin' it through the jungle canopy here in the JUNGLE BACKDROP.  I tried to color mine up fairly realistic but think of what it would all look like in bright colors...like a cartoon!  Love it!

UHH...HI!

Anybody for some camping?  Little Bink the Beaver looks a little bewildered out in the COUNTRYSIDE BACKDROP all by himself.  I think he's enjoying the purple mountain's majesty, right?  I had this backdrop all colored in when the 8 year old dictator in my family came along to supervise.  He chose the camper, tent, and logs (which had to look like the fire had been put out because it's daytime...yes, Boss!) for my little scene.  I think he would have sqeezed/squoze in a few more camping items from the GREAT OUTDOORS set but I had to put the kabosh on that.  I added Bink cuz he's so stinkin' cute!

HANGING AROUND WITH YOU   

Burgers and dogs for Trouble (from HALLOWEEN II) and Pogue (from the GREAT OUTDOORS) are enjoying a little rooftop B-B-Q in the ROOFTOPS BACKDROP!  The do look a bit startled that we've stopped by.  This is more of a Gotham City type of scene with all of the bright colored buildings.  The Dictator stopped in after this one was done.  "I don't like that sky!", he said.  "Well", I said, "It's nighttime."  "Then it wouldn't be light gray at the top!", he said.  "Okay, then a storm is rolling in.", I said.  That seemed to be okay with him.  And maybe that's why the guys are so shocked...it's a BIG storm!

ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE

Ahhh...to be with Cliff....just loungin' around in the TROPIC BACKDROP.  What I wouldn't give to be in this scene right now....clear blue sky and turquoise waters.  It's a beach lover's dream, for sure!  All Cliff (from the TROPICS set) needs here is a little umbrella topped fruity drink - that I forgot to add in - and he'd be perfectly happy.  Let's all think about this scene and wish we were here!

I'm so glad that you stopped by my blog to check out the scenery.  I am thrilled and honored to be sending you over to visit IRENE SILVA now.  Irene is the illustrator behind all of these fabulous and freaky DOODLEFACTORY creatures and characters.  I just love her sense of humor and style!

You're going to want to visit all the other blogs too because one of us has some great blog candy to give away!

 

Here is the complete list in case you just started hopping from here:

 

Juliana Swanson    http://stampinwinkyfingers.blogspot.com/

Lisa Somerville       http://www.lisasomerville.com/

Donna Baker           http://stampamaniac.blogspot.com/

Donna Duquette      http://www.deesstudio.blogspot.com/

Kathy Daume'         http://www.kathy-prettyinink.blogspot.com/

Lori Tecler              http://www.inkingaloud.blogspot.com/

Lydia Fiedler          http://www.understandblue.blogspot.com/

Andrea Cloutier      http://andreasscraps.com/

Natasha Trupp        http://palmtreesandpogosticks.blogspot.com/

Heidi Kingery          http://www.sweetheidijo.blogspot.com/

Irene Silva              http://doodlefactory.blogspot.com/

www.starvingartistamps.com