Shady Tree Studio, LLC

Love Notes

2012-01-23T14:03:00.001-05:00

It's that time of year when thoughts turn to expressions of love, conversation hearts and valentines! But really. . . any time of year is a good time to tell someone you care.

My first card today features patterned paper from Basic Grey's Picadilly collection. By now you know that I LOVE almost every Basic Grey pattern. . . but they are really knocking it out of the park these days with Picadilly and also Kissing Booth and Out of Print!

Here, I used two patterns from Picadilly, cutting the floral into 1/2" in strips and layering it onto the stripe pattern:

The base is Bermuda from A|S and the image is from a previously

released Shady Tree Studio stamp set. Brads are also Basic Grey.

The main image is raised on foam adhesive and the white

panels are sponged with gold.

A second card today has a base of A|S Damask shimmery cardstock:

The hearts are colored with Copics and an SU brad added to the A|S paper flower.

If you haven't been to the Etsy store in awhile, be sure to click the link and see all the new florals! Before too long I'll be adding Easter and Spring images from last year's stamp sets. And also images from previous Cornish Heritage Farms stamp sets!

Pretty soon I'll be hitting a stretch of drawing time, so you'll have brand new images to choose from in the Etsy store. I'm thinking of popping in here now and then with sneak peek sketches, too, so stay tuned!

In addition to art projects for our school auction coming up (I'll share photos of them soon), there's a LOT going on at A Muse Studio!

Our new Catalog and Inspiration Guide will launch on February 1st! Be sure to head over to my A Muse blog for all the news and updates :) : Nan Stamps with A Muse Studio.

Be back soon ~ thank you for stopping by!!

Birdhouse Art Panel

2012-01-18T00:04:00.001-05:00

Hello! I've been thinking about making some collage style wall art, and thought I'd get started simply by working with familiar materials first.

I happened to have a 10 x 10 inch wood panel covered with textured Gesso that I decided not to use for another project, so thought it'd be a good place to start playing around . . . here's where I ended up:

I'm kind of happy with how it turned out. Although I initially thought I'd be adding

3D embellishments to it, I decided to wait and work my way up to that :).

I also had good intentions of taking photos every step of the way,

but as it evolved that sort of slipped my mind.

The short version is that it's a wood panel covered with textured Gesso,

using Distress Ink stains for the background, an ink tint, sponged A Muse ink,

and water spritzed for variations. I sketched the birdhouse from the original

rubber stamp illustration, and the other images are Shady Tree Studio stamps

other than the eggs from Crafty Secrets and "Imagine" from CHF.

There's also a text background from A Muse Studio

that I wish showed up a little bit better.

The birdhouse is hand-drawn and colored with Copics.

Other painting is done with waterbrush and A Muse Studio ink

Here's the first round of the background.

I started with Distress Ink stain, spritzed, blotted, and used

the heat gun to speed up drying and move it around.

You can see that at one point some of the background was quite bright!

This photo shows some of the textures a bit better.

The last coloring step was to use the waterbrush directly on A Muse

ink pads to paint the bird and the birdhouse so they didn't blend

in to the background too much.

Here's a little detail of the 'vegetation' stamped at the bottom:

And the background script text that I wish I'd stamped a little more boldly:

To me this is the best way to try something new ~ just jump right in and experiment. I wonder what I'll end up with the next time :) .

Thanks for coming by!!

Old Photos

2012-01-17T17:16:00.000-05:00

Getting ready to try to take some decent photos on this dark day!

For now, I'm stopping in with an apology if you've tried to access posts with missing photos. Please bear with me - I'm working on it! Last night, just when I thought I was almost finished, I discovered that most of the missing ones are from very old posts!! It's a puzzle sometimes as I try to recall the card by the description :) .

Be back soon!! Stay warm :)

Floral Trio with A Muse sneak peek

2012-01-14T21:46:00.005-05:00

ETA: So, have you clicked on a photo in Blogger lately? I just did and it brings you to a great view of all the photos in the post ~ nice!

A double dipper today!! I have one of the new florals uploaded to Etsy recently, and found in one of last year's spring stamp sets, AND a sneak peek at new cardstock colors from A Muse Studio.

Let's start with the card, and then I'll deconstruct it a bit for you - although fairly straightforward at first glance, it's really a collection of simple techniques :)

Let's start at the beginning!

For the main image, the first thing I did is create a background.

Doesn't look like much, does it?

I began with Distress Ink stain daubers, and added Spun Sugar

and Wild Honey in somewhat random sweeps onto Bristol vellum.

I then misted the paper, let it react with the ink a bit, and using the

heat gun dried it thoroughly. You can also "push" the water rivulets

around with the air from the heat gun to create different effects.

With this technique, I usually start with a much larger piece than what I need.

Then I can select my favorite area to use, and also have perfectly

coordinating surplus perhaps to add a coordinating strip or diecut in the project.

I stamped the floral onto my background with a new ink color

from A Muse Studio that will be released February 1st in our 2012 catalog.

It's the same as the cardstock base color, and is called Titian, one of five colors

in the Venetian color palette. Titian usually refers to a golden red shade, but in

this case it is a deep rich olive-y brown. . . think "bark" or "timber."

Two other colors from this new palette are represented here,

and you'll see much more of them in the coming weeks!

The Burano patterned paper was a little bright for my image,

so I sponged it liberally in visible streaks with Buttercup ink.

The pattern of the paper is actually white, so not only did the layering of ink

tone down the color but it also 'dyed' the pattern lines.

And I sponged Buttercup onto the tissue tape as well.

Now back to the image - I colored it by using my waterbrush dipped onto

the tips of Derwent Inktense pencils:

You can use the lid as a palette for mixing or watering down the hues.

Just a few colors applied to 'shape' the petals and leaves,

letting the background show through.

To 'ground' the image and make it pop from the background,

I used a Prismacolor pencil around the perimeter,

first in diagonal strokes in one direction then in the other

for a cross-hatched effect. For a little more depth, I colored in a small

circular motion around the image.

As a final touch, I sprayed Stardust Finishing Spray over the image panel.

It was then matted with Rialto and adhered with foam adhesive.

Finishing touches are the fleur de lis clip and a sentiment in Titian

from Waltzingmouse Stamps has the perfect old world look.

The combination of the patterned paper which reminds me of a window, and the golden tones of the image, along with streaks of ink on the background and visible pencil strokes on the shading, all combine for a sense of early evening sunlight streaming through the window and warming everything it touches in a cozy room. At least to me ;) .

Hope you enjoyed today's card, hearing how it was created, and the sneak peek from A Muse Studio!! For another card with sneak peeks, stop over at my A muse blog!

See you soon ~ thanks for visiting!

A quick note....

2012-01-04T09:06:00.001-05:00

Just popping in -- want to upload some photos for you but in a rush. It's that time of year again when I'll be working on art projects at my daughter's school for our annual major fundraising auction event.

Speaking of photos though - I know some folks have been back to check out some of the older posts and I'll be working on adding back those photos that are missing.

Be back soon! The kids are working enthusiastically as always but wish me luck on those projects! I'm still one idea short, LOL!

Have a great day!

Bouquet of Flowers from Roxie

2012-01-03T09:51:00.000-05:00

Nancy put some new imgaes on her Esty store site and this is one of them, great for all occasion and nice for Valentines, weddings and showers too.

Copic markers were used to color the image.

The buttons are cut with a punch and double layered then I run them through the Cuttlebug to emboss them and they are stitched to the panel.

The lace is wrapped around to the back and secured with single sided tape then the entire panel with border is raised with foam tape.

Ranger tea dye ink was used to distress all the layers but brown and also on the insert.

Images: Shady Tree Studio

Paper: Bazzill peach textured, Paperbilities brown, Beckett Expressions – Iceberg for image, unknown designer paper

Ink: Memento – Tuxedo Black, Ranger Tea Dye distress ink

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T13:18:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the Shady Tree Studio blog!!

What better way to start the new year than to share an STS card :) . It features one of my favorite floral designs and how appropriate ~ this and many other florals will become available in the Etsy store within the next few days :) .

This image was colored with Copics ~ I just love "made up" flowers :) .

You really can choose any colors you like!

The flower is mounted on foam, and underneath that

is a piece that I sponged using the actual Nestabilities die

from the Postage die set.

I affixed it with Post-It tape and then used an Inkssentials

blending tool with Wasabi ink from A Muse.

The patterned paper is from Basic Grey's Out of Print.

Oh. My. Goodness. I have one 6 x 6 pad and I will have to

order another ~ LOVE this paper.

The sentiment is stamped on the coordinating green from the pad.

I added some washi tape from A Muse instead of ribbon

because I wanted to keep it subtle without too much going on.

Hope you enjoyed today's card! Keep an eye on the Etsy store for more images, and you'll also notice at the top of the left sidebar there are "sections" to help you more easily locate specific types of designs.

Thanks for visiting!! And I wish you all the best in 2012 :) .

Polka Dots and Iris

2011-12-24T11:52:00.000-05:00

It's Roxie here again playing with more Shady Tree Studio images, love this iris in pink!

The image was colored with Copic markers.

The sentiment is a 1 ¼” and 1 1/8” circle punch glued together and cut in half and it’s glued to the card with Aleene’s tacky glue.

And the rest if just arranging the papers and the image panel is popped up with foam tape.

Images: Shady Tree Studio

Paper: Paper Adventures – pink and yellow, Making Memories – polka dots, Fiskars – black, The Paper Company – cream textured, Beckett Expressions- Iceberg for image

Ink: Memento – Tuxedo Black

Artsy Flower

2011-12-20T21:42:00.004-05:00

It's Roxie here...I've been playing with some Shady Tree Studio flowers and this is one of them, more will come along on another day.

The image was colored with Copic markers.

The out of the box feature I marked the image on the back while holding to a light source then used the paper cutter to cut to that mark. Scissor cut the image out. I used a Coluzzle and craft knife to cut the sides. I do have a pictorial if you need photos in the right side bar under pictorials on my blog Paper Scaper.

Oval punches were used for the sentiment.

Both the sentiment and image panels are popped up with foam tape.

The Faux brads are circles from a tag Cuttlebug die cut that I glue to the card then apply Aleene’s Paper Glaze for a shiny finish. I use the CB die because it rounds the edges like a real brad. These are very easy to pick up with a straight pin dipped in glue then touch the back of the circle and it’ll pick it up, now place it on the card by pressing down with the finger – it will allow you to move if needed before the glue dries.

Images: Shady Tree Studio from the set Floral Occasions

Paper: Bazzill white textured, Beckett Expressions – Iceberg for image, unknown maroon, DCWV designer paper

Ink: Memento – Tuxedo Black

Willing the connection to stay....

2011-12-20T09:31:00.000-05:00

Hello!

Just dropping in for a brief post. . . .

I recently added some new images to the Etsy store and will be adding many more in the next couple of weeks. Christmas preparations and sporadic internet have kept me from posting much lately but things should be back to normal very soon!

I actually have been stamping very little in the last month or so, but I'm looking forward to returning to it and other projects as well. Hope you are enjoying this Christmastime and thanks so much for coming by!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T16:50:00.000-05:00

Just popping in to wish all of my U.S. friends a very blessed and

H a p p y

T h a n k s g i v i n g

Oh deer!

2011-11-14T10:49:00.001-05:00

Just sharing a quick card with you this morning!

{click to enlarge}

I die cut the deer twice using the Memory Box die.

First, I used it as a mask and sponged with A Muse inks.

Then I applied Nutmeg ink direct-to-paper to the second diecut and adhered.

I used a dry paintbrush to add the darker grasses.

The sentiment and leaves from Papertrey Ink were then embossed in white.

Lastly, I misted with water and then attached to a navy cardstock base.

Simple and fun, and perfect birthday card for a hunter!

Thank you for visiting!!

I'm back!! waving

2011-11-13T15:39:00.002-05:00

I was beginning to wonder if this moment would ever come!!! So nice to be back... online, downloading photos, everything in working order!! I even finally loaded some software I use to plate stamps and play with digital images, so more of that soon.

Today I have a Christmas card, but this one doesn't use Shady Tree Studio images. Although you'll still see a lot of STS, and find all the latest news here, I think I'll be sharing some of my other cards on this blog, too :) . Like most of you, I'm sure, I have stamps from all over ~ variety is the spice of life, right?!

I've also begun another blog, which I'll link you up to another time, where I'll be sharing other art adventures with you as well.

So now. . . a Christmas card a la Hero Arts:

When I saw this Hero Arts stamp set at Ellen Hutson LLC

I just had to have it!!

The cardstock is A Muse and the patterned paper is from
Basic Grey's Nordic Holiday.

This is also the first image I colored on

X-press It Blending Paper.

It was a joy to use Copic markers on this surface ~ it blends beautifully:

I love him leaping for holiday joy :) .

The snowflake is from the A Muse die and I used a glue pen to add glitter.

You'd think with all of this time "off," I would have a stockpile of cards made, but alas not so. I have been working on new drawings and also taking care of some long overdue projects around the house.

I want to close today by sharing a blog post by Holly from Eat Cake Graphics. I admire her ~ she's a generous, creative soul. And I really like the encouragement she shares here that would apply to anyone with creative dreams: Sprinkles of Thought . I can totally relate to this ~ it wasn't easy to sit down and even make a card after being away from it for awhile. And some other pursuits are even more challenging. Any artistry carries with it some level of risk ~ the whole process can mess with your mind if you let it. Thanks to Holly for talking about it so eloquently :) .

Hope to keep climbing that slope and see you back here real soon!! Thanks for stopping by :) .

Just Believe Charley Brown Tree

2011-10-24T21:55:00.001-04:00

Hi friends! This is Carla here, with another Shady Tree Studio card for you. This card is from the oh so sweet set, Just Believe. I love this folksy little tree, it reminds me of the first tree my husband and I ever bought. We didn't have much money, so we came home with the smallest, scraggliest little tree you ever saw. It was so small, we set it up on top of the buffet, and decorated it. We loved it, and each other, and all was well. However, over the course of the next few days, the little tree began to stagger under the weight of the ornaments. Slowly, it began to bow down, until the top was resting serenely on the buffet. We still loved it, and its gallant effort, and its dignified posture. Ever since then, no matter how much money we have had, we've always brought the Charley Brown tree home. It's our duty to show the unlovable some love, and we take it seriously. We still love each other, and proud little Christmas trees.

Your STS relief is here!

2011-10-23T17:36:00.001-04:00

Hi gals! It's Carla here to add a little color to Nancy's blog! Her computer woes are ongoing, but soon to be over! I thought I'd help out by showing a little Shady Tree Studio goodness. You can think about what you might need to add to your cart when you stop by the STS Etsy shop! Remember, one of the advantages of digital stamps is that you don't have to wait long before you can use them, so have your list ready and check back here for all the latest details.

I have been going a little crazy with this snowman this year. The image is just so sweet, and it looks so great colored, even if you're not an expert, which I love! You can get him here. This is one of my skinny cards. I use the piece left over after I cut a five inch square card. I'm back on an A2 kick right now, so you won't see one of these for a while.

There is still plenty of time left for Christmas card making, so let's get crackin'!

Update

2011-10-16T21:57:00.000-04:00

Unfortunately, my beloved computer needs to be replaced :( . Even though I have access to my files and the internet, of all things the problem lies with the USB ports, so no photo uploads. How frustrating!

In the meantime, I've been working on new drawings and will keep you all posted when new stamps and digital images become available. I've added a lot of past Christmas images to the Etsy store already!

And of course I'm making some cards - very much in the mood to do Christmas cards now. And I was trying a couple of new-to-me products just today. First is X-press It Blending Card - I bought mine from the fabulous Ellen Hutson LLC. I was very impressed with Copic blending on it! And I also tried flocking for the first time. I know, like I live under a rock, eh?! LOL! But I loved it!!

So I'll be back, soon I hope, with projects to share ~ and I'll also link up to my other blog for non-STS projects, too.

Can't wait to get back into blogging! Happy Stamping :) .

Etsy Shop Open!

2011-10-09T18:57:00.001-04:00

UPDATE:

Unfortunately, I'm still having some technical issues with the laptop. It's made me quite sad. . . .

Sorry things are not back to normal yet ~ but the Etsy shop will remain open!

thanks for your understanding and patience.

I've reopened the Etsy shop now that I have access to my files again!

Stop in at Shady Tree Studio LLC -- there are Christmas images up and more to come!

I'll be back soon ~ just need to reload a few items and all should be back to normal :^) .

Thanks for visiting!

Chrysanthemums and my computer

2011-10-05T08:53:00.000-04:00

I was just stopping in to let you all know that my computer is "in the shop" and I won't be posting for a bit. . . I then remembered that I had a draft of a post started and was going to try for a better photograph. Well, I'm just going to post it anyway since I don't know when I'll be back. Please keep your fingers crossed for me that this repair is swift!!

The Etsy store has also been set to "vacation mode" for now. . . I'll be back as soon as I'm able! Thanks for your patience. And I hope you like the card even though the photo isn't the best:

Today's card is mums, mums, mums!! I used Eclipse tape to cut multiple masks at once and then got to stamping :) .

I originally intended this design to be purely decoration,

but I was in need of an extra special card and this one

is just right for the recipient!

It's colored with Copics and then mounted on a

base of A Muse Buttercup cardstock.

Sorry to say I didn't upload photos of the inside

before my laptop crashed. It is a 6 x 6 card,

and because of the large panel on the front,

I added weight to the back by using patterned paper.

Pictures to follow when I'm back in business!

Thanks for visiting ~ hope to be back soon :^) .

Sliver Bells

2011-09-26T21:03:00.002-04:00

It's Roxie here, even though I enjoyed working with the holiday bell today I was ever so happy that the rain falling outside wasn't snow!

The full image is stamped and cut out, and then the ribbon was cut away from the bell.

The ribbon portion of the image was stamped on velvet paper and cut out just inside the line then glued on the first stamped piece for stability.

The bell portion was stamped a second time on good cardstock, cut out and colored with Copic markers (R24,27,29,35,39, C1,2,3,5) then glued onto the first stamped piece. I also layered one piece each of the grey and velvet under the bell so both ribbon and bell are at the same height/level when joined together.

The felt paper strip was pierced on each side. Before I attached it to the card I embossed two lines on each side using the Scor-Pal.

Images: Shady Tree Studio
Paper: Bazzill - white textured, The Paper Man – grey, Stampin Up – red velvet, Beckett Expressions – Iceberg, unknown white for under layer
Ink: Memento – Tuxedo Black
Accessories: The Paper Studio – brads, Aleene’s tacky glue

A Fall Hello

2011-09-18T17:13:00.001-04:00

Click photo for a larger view.

Hello, it’s Roxie posting today and I'm showing you the Autumn Porch digital image that Shady Tree Studio now has for sale at the Etsy store. I printed the image to 3 1/8" x 1 7/16".

It's a real simple card to create. I used Copic markers to color the image. Prismacolor pencils to color the punched leaves and I embossed them with a metal ball stylus and folded paper towel for cushion. They are glued to the sentiment oval.

Paper: K&Company, The Paper Company off white and black, Beckett Expressions white

Other acessories: Nailheads, Aleene's tacky glue and Paper Glaze for attaching nailheads, foam squares to pop up the image panel

Lots of Important Information!

2011-09-15T10:14:00.007-04:00

Hello Friends!

I have some info to share with you today regarding Blogger, blogs, stamps, and free trial images!

First, Blogger: Recently, Blogger wouldn't let me change a photo in the sidebar of my A Muse blog, so I began investigating.

Interestingly, I found that I was at my limit for photos ~ but I was only trying to replace a photo so I thought this was odd.

On further investigation, I learned that Blogger photos are stored in Picasa web albums and that there is a limit. Since at the beginning this was not a Shady Tree Studio only blog, I had a lot of old photos from a lot of other companies early on. So I thought I would delete them. I don't think many readers have the time to go back months and months on anyone's blog - it's hard enough to keep up with bloggers' new posts, right?! (Many of these are still visible in my SCS gallery.)

When I pulled up the Picasa albums, I found that there were many photos that are not on my blog and many were duplicates. What's up with that?! I have no idea :^/ .

So if you scroll back a bit, you will find photos missing. A lot of them were sneak peeks or reveal images, too, and you can see what's available any time on Etsy. *see final topic, STS Stamps

I hope if you do look back, this isn't too disconcerting. Many of you read and have followed my blog for much longer than the past year of STS-only, and I apologize if you go back looking for something and it isn't there. And I'm quite annoyed that there is an ugly black box where the photos used to be! There was no warning that this would happen - I thought there would simply be a blank spot! Grrrr.

At some point in the future, I will likely simply purchase additional space. In the meantime, I am reducing the size of images ~ but you can still click on them and then click again to magnify! You all know how much I love those closeups ;^) .

This lead me to my next topic: Blogs

Many of you know that I have an A Muse Studio blog that is linked in the sidebar.

I have also started a personal blog. It's through a different blog service so will not impact my Blogger photo limit. These days, in addition to STS and A Muse, I am making cards for sale locally, so I am back to working with stamps and products from many other companies. And I have artwork I'd like to share there that won't necessarily be greeting cards or even stamping, but that I hope will still inspire you in your stamping and artistic pursuits as well!

So, I'll link that blog as well once I get things going and I'd love to see you there!

All STS news and events will continue to be shared right here on the STS, LLC blog.

I will keep you posted on what's being uploaded to the Etsy store and on new ventures for my company. Incidentally, I just uploaded more digital images this week and many Christmas images will be added shortly!

And of course I'll continue to share samples made with STS stamps, techniques and digital images.

AND last topic for today, STS STAMPS:

If you are interested in any stamp sets that are not listed on Etsy, drop me a note! I have several stamp sets from the manufacturer's first run that have a single defective stamp and would be happy to sell these at a discount.

Also, I am happy to maintain a backorder list. Due to minimum order requirements from the manufacturer, I am not carrying a large inventory of stamp sets at this time.   But once the backorder list reaches that minimum, stamps will be ordered! Write to me with your request at shadytreestudio@gmail.com.

* I will add a tab up at the top for the reveal images of all stamp sets to date, for your wish list making!

And if you have never tried using digital images, I am going to upload a couple of freebies to the blog soon.   Give it a try!

I had never used them myself until recently and was pleasantly surprised ~ I had heard so many stories of Copics smearing inkjet lines, but they did not! Originally, I simply thought I'd use a different coloring medium but just had to try the Copics, you know :) .

Although I'm a stamper at heart, just like you, and will never give them up, for me the image has always been the "thing."   I may not be able (personally) to use every stamping technique with the digital images, but that's okay - I have lots of stamps to choose from for that. So I'm hoping that if you love STS images, you'll consider purchasing the digital versions from the Etsy store!

PLUS: Watch for information on a Reward for posting on your own blog with STS images!

WHEW! Thanks for sticking with me!    And thanks for visiting STS!    I hope this post has answered any questions and I'm looking forward to bringing you more designs and more inspiration!

I'll be back with you soon :) .

Digital Thank You

2011-09-12T11:29:00.003-04:00

Hi! Well this should be interesting -- it seems from day to day I have no idea what Blogger will do with my fonts! :) Such an adventure!

Today I have a card for you with one of the digital images available in Etsy, Thatch Birdhouse. It's one of my all-time favorites and I paired it with Basic Grey Origins and October Afternoon Campfire patterned paper:

The image is colored with Copics and cut out.

Then I used direct-to-paper

application of A Muse Studio Wasabi

to add a colored edge.

Directly beneath that is white that has been sponged with Apricot

and Squash from A Muse. Next, is the tree paper from

October Afternoon, and then a layer of A|S French Roast.

The card base is French Roast layered with

Wasabi and a panel from BG's Origins.

My sentiment is thanks Waltzingmouse Stamps.

I haven't used so many layers in awhile!

The addition of foam adhesive adds some nice dimension.

I also added the pieces of 'sprig' punched from the Campfire paper.

This is a Martha Stewart punch -- I don't have many punches anymore.

They take up too much space and I've had too many that were defective -

but this one is well worth hanging onto.

The pieces are attached with Tombow liquid glue.

Hope you enjoyed today's card!

I know you typically see a lot of birds and birdhouses

on cards in the springtime, but they are on my mind

just as much this time of year

when filling the feeders and providing shelter

are even more necessary for those

backyard birds that stay with us all year!

I'll stop back in as soon as I upload the next batch of images to Etsy!

Happy Stamping!

:^)

I'm back!!

2011-09-08T14:00:00.003-04:00

ETA: Even on the old interface, there is something very odd with the font sizes. I can't seem to get them to be consistent. Hope to figure this out for next time!

I see that Blogger has a new interface so let's hope I don't mess anything up today!

For the last several weeks, I decided to make the most of summer vacation with my daughter. She is 10 now and I just chose not to let stamping be a distraction. Now that she's back in school and a new routine is slipping into place, it's fun to be back with you :) .

I've been working on getting more digital images ready for the Etsy store. I'm also enjoying the prospect of getting new images up with a shorter lead time ~ from drawing, to scanner, to you!

With the addition of digital images to the STS family of art for crafters, I decided I really ought to give it a go myself! I had heard that inkjet printers can be troublesome -- that Copics will smear the printed images, for example.

So I went at it ~ lo and behold, I had no difficulty with it at all! Whew!

This is one of the images presently available in our Etsy store

(see link at right).

The cardstock is A Muse Studio kraft, Wasabi and Onyx gingham.

For the ribbon, I used vanilla grosgrain, laid it on my Wasabi ink pad,

and pressing one finger on it, pulled it through the pad to dye it.

The sentiment stamp is from A Muse also - love this font!

I sponged the kraft with A muse Squash ink - a new favorite

for sponge distressing. Just a little softer than another

favorite of mine, Nutmeg.

A couple of black Twinkle stickers finish it off!

Hope you enjoyed today's card and if you haven't tried

using digital images in your projects before (as I hadn't!),

I encourage you to give it a whirl.

I'll never give up my stamps but I certainly do like options!

Be back soon ~ and thanks for coming by :)

New Digital Listings in Etsy, magazine lookout, and vacation days!

2011-08-23T12:44:00.006-04:00

Hello!!

Well I have been away from stamping and drawing for a bit with a stretch of vacation and home reorganization ~ I'm not sure which was more tiring!

But all is falling into place and at my favorite time of year . . . . we still have a month of summer, but with autumn just around the corner, the hot days are so much more tolerable and the cool nights and mornings are pure joy.

Speaking of pure joy, I want to share a couple of photos with you --

Our dog hasn't been swimming much but now that our friends

have shared this swimming hole with us, it's bound to be more frequent!

Here she is with our daughter, and in this next photo,

with her playmate, our friend's dog -

Yep, you see that "wake" out there a ways?!

I wouldn't throw the ball quite that far for our girl yet!

Our real vacation was a few days at one of our favorite locales,

Mackinac Island

in northern Michigan.

It's one of the most beautiful places I've ever been.

I could do a regular travelogue on this destination :^) ,

but here are just a few photos of our first day:

The island is reached by ferry and the roostertail always impresses!

Only a handful of emergency vehicles are on the island ~

transportation is via horseback, horse-drawn carriage, bicycle or by foot.

It's a real treat to stay at the Grand Hotel.

My daughter brought a good friend along this time ~

it's double the fun with a pal :^) .

Geraniums line the view from . . .

. . . the longest porch in the world!!

and here's some good timing on the other end of the porch!

I downloaded several hundred photos of this trip today, LOL!
We had several "firsts" this time around, including ~
swimming in the Esther Williams swimming pool at the Grand,

the "Haunted History" tour,

and Arch Rock:

There's always something new to do on Mackinac Island :) .

Many of my photos from this and past trips are proving quite
inspirational for future art and stamp designs, too!

And now, some current artsy stuff!

I've added some new digital images to the Etsy store!

I'll keep adding more, and you'll soon be seeing images from previous
STS clear and rubber stamp sets,
and some brand new images there as well.

And here's something fun for you:

See anything familiar?

This thatched birdhouse image is available now on Etsy!

This is an ad in the current Stampington Stampers' Sampler Take Ten magazine.
I'm waiting for my Catch-Up Issue to arrive with art by the talented
Sherrie Siemens, who has done some beautiful work with STS images.

Check out a few posts:
Fruit Basket
Home Tweet Home
Fabric Project
Cafe Project
Bluebird
more Bluebird!
Just Believe Snowman

Beautiful projects, aren't they?!

Thanks for stopping by and I'll be back soon!

:^)

Autumn Blackbird

2011-08-15T00:59:00.004-04:00

It’s Roxie here and I wanted to show this great digital image Shady Tree Studio has to offer.

I colored the image with Copic markers and what you see in black is how the image prints out.

After tool distressing the dark tan cardstock I used Ranger Walnut distress ink on the edges.

The image panel is mounted on foam pop dots.

Image: Autumn Blackbird

Papers: Bazzill black, unknown tan, Beckett Expressions – Iceberg, Basic Grey and K&Company designer papers

Accessories other than listed above: The Paper Studio - brads

Penguin Wishes

2011-08-10T21:19:00.002-04:00

Hi there! Michele from I Am Derby here. I've got one more little card for you. This one features the adorable penguin. I masked the bow onto his neck so he looks a little more festive. I hand drew the ice flow. I colored everything with my copics. I mounted the image on black patterned paper and then matted that to the card. I added some cute white snowflakes and a sentiment in black. A little black and white ribbon and we are all done!

Snapdragon Surprise!

2011-08-09T19:20:00.001-04:00

Hello!! Aren't you just loving the post-release Christmas samples?! Wow - this is one seriously talented group of designers!

I'm just popping in with something a little different today. After weeks of air conditioning with miserable humidity and high temps, we are enjoying a glorious 75-degree day with 60% humidity!

The windows are open, the sun is shining - although we did have a wild summer thunderstorm briefly today - the birds are singing!

And I pulled out a sketch I did awhile back, colored it up and made it into a card -- thought you might like it, :^) .

Once the image was colored with Prismacolor pencils and blended with Gamsol,

I trimmed the panel "out of the box" and matted it in black.

I chose the gorgeous A Muse color, Eucalyptus for my card base.

I have a feeling I will be going through packs of this color

for Autumn and Christmas cards!

And I knew I wanted something patterned with a little bit of black,

and found this piece of a Webster's Pages pattern ~ design-wise, a perfect fit!

Two large black rhinestones add balance to the layout and the color scheme.

I mounted the floral panel on foam to enhance the out-of-the box look.

I have loved snapdragons all of my life, especially the

golden, orange-y, pinkish ones.

And of course, they are fun to *snap*!

Thanks for coming by and I'll see you again soon!! Happy Stamping :^) !

Old and New

2011-08-09T00:11:00.002-04:00

Hello, Friends! Carla from Paper Pastorale here! I made this card for a challenge recently, using one of Nancy's sets from Cornish Heritage Farms. It was called Athletic Hands. I find myself going back to her stamps because the images are timeless. I thought you might enjoy seeing this stamp, even though it is not currently available. Nancy did mention that she is going to be listing several digital stamps in her Etsy shop, so you might want to check there to see what kinds of gorgeous images she has decided to share!!

This is a baby card I made using the little lamb from Naturally Christmas. This is a set that I will turn to repeatedly throughout the year. I'll never put it away with my Christmas stuff because it's so incredibly versatile! All the supplies I used on both of these cards are too old to even mention. I've been trying to use things up or find a new home for it. I find that a new stamp set can really make my old stuff work. In the case of the top card, it's all old stuff, so sometimes that works, too!

Simple Beauty

2011-08-08T06:00:00.002-04:00

Hello, its Roxie here today showing you a card created with the Homespun Holiday set along with some punched or die cut snowflakes.

I stamped the pine garland and used a stamp positioner to stamp the bells and colored with Copic markers.

Copic colors: C1,3,5, R32,35,37, YG67

Tools used:

Martha Stewart – largest snowflakes

Cuttlebug – medium snowflakes and stars

EK Success – smallest snowflakes (these came from the Snowflake border punch)

Cuttlebug and Herringbone embossing folder

Spellbinder Nestabilities – scalloped border

The image panel and borders are mounted on foam tape and the snowflakes are attached with Aleene’s tacky glue.

I hope this gives you some inspiration for another holiday card.

Contest Winners!

2011-08-05T21:55:00.003-04:00

A quick reminder to the following winners to

please email me at shadytreestudio@gmail.com

so I can send you

your free stamp sets!

Salamanda's Scrappy Adventures

sonyaverding

Babe O'Mara

Thanks!!!

eta: My apologies to Babe, whose email was in my spam folder ~ I've never had that happen with a customer before. I discovered there that I must know lots of people in China and have won many prizes all over the world, LOL!

Celebrate

2011-08-05T09:00:00.017-04:00

Hello! It's Lisa Silver and I have another Shady Tree Studio project to share with you today.
Celebrate

I love the Just Believe stamp set for holiday cards. It's been one of my go-to sets each year since Nancy designed it. The Homespun Holiday set is the perfect companion to Just Believe.

I stamped the vine to create a frame for my snowman on kraft cardstock. I used Distress inks and Snow Cap pigment inks to watercolor the image. To give the eyes, buttons and the berries of the vines some texture, I added a bit of liquid pearl pens (Viva Decor). Super simple!

Thanks for visiting,
Lisa

---------------------------------------------------------
Supplies:
Stamps: Just Believe and Homespun Holiday by Shady Tree Studio
Ink: Walnut Stain, Barn Door, Pine Needles, Spiced Marmalade - Distress inks by Ranger, Snow Cap pigment ink by Ranger
Paper: Kraft by Bazzill, Red by Core'dinations
Patterned Paper: Tinsel and Twig by Girls' Paperie
Other: Clear embossing powder by Ranger, twine, pearl pens in red and black by Viva Decor

Thank You and Congratulations!

2011-08-02T15:41:00.003-04:00

Congratulations

to the Blog Hop Winners!

Please 'hop' on down to Carla's post from earlier today

to see if your name is listed there!

If it is, email me at shadytreestudio@gmail.com

with your mailing address so I can send you some free stamps!

And a Heartfelt Thank You

to the Design Team,

Roxie

Lisa

Michele

Carla

and special Guest Designer

Joanne

for the beautiful designs and inspiration

you shared with us throughout

Christmas in July!

It was really a blast hanging out with everyone and getting a head start on that Christmas card making!

You may have noticed a few changes in the sidebar of the blog. There's a lot going on behind the scenes here at Shady Tree Studio and I thought this would be a good time to let you in on some of the changes.

Available inventory of our photopolymer stamp sets will now be listed in our Etsy Store. If you prefer, you may still contact me by email, but I think you'll love the ease of those three magic words, "add to cart!"

In the future you will be seeing digital image designs and possibly cling rubber single stamps for sale there as well. And you never know what other surprise may pop up from time to time ;^) .

New photopolymer stamp sets may be sold in other online stores in the future, and I'll post that information right here in the Shady Tree Studio blog! Handy-dandy links will be included in the sidebar in case you miss a "very important post!"

The entire design team, past and present, including guest designers, has been invited to participate whenever Shady Tree Studio is releasing new products ~ hence the changes in our list in the sidebar!

I think it will be loads of fun to see who might be inspiring us from time to time!

I'm very excited about this new chapter in the life of Shady Tree Studio and am so glad to have you along! It's still all about the images you love, the inspiration, and the service you've come to expect.

If you ever have any questions, my 'door' is always open at shadytreestudio@gmail.com.

Thank you all so much for making Christmas in July a great event, and special thanks to Carla Mayfield for her coordination of the Blog Hop!!

See you soon!!!

Our Christmas in July Winners!

2011-08-02T00:59:00.000-04:00

Hello, friends! Carla here from Paper Pastorale. This card features one of the gorgeous and FREE digi stamps you can get with a Shady Tree Studio purchase right now. But you want to know if you won stamps, don't you!? If you see your name listed below, please email Nancy here: shadytreestudio@gmail.com and she'll get your set right out to you!

Salamanda's Scrappy Adventures
sonyaverding
Babe O'Mara
Sharon34
Jan Stone
Mary

It’s a Pink and Purple Christmas!

2011-08-01T06:00:00.001-04:00

For the blog hop post click here.

Hello, it's Roxie here and I am still having loads of fun creating with the Naturally Christmas set, I can’t believe this is the fifth card using the set and I still have more images waiting to touch the ink pad, it’s just packed with cute images and the set works for cards other than Christmas.

Copic markers were used to color the images and snow: hat, scarf and path – R81,83,85, nose – Y35,38, YR04, hair – E31,33,35,37, shading for snow and around holly C00,0, snowflakes – B0000, holly – G07,28, R35,39, star string - 100

Sakura glitter pen was used for the star, Signo white gel pen was used to add dots to the patch.

Images: Shady Tree Studio – Naturally Christmas

Paper: Beckett Expressions Cover – Iceberg for image, Bazzill – textured white, Paperbilities – dusty purple, Making Memories – designer paper

Welcome to Shady Tree Studio's Christmas in July

2011-07-28T23:59:00.040-04:00

We are so glad you are here, and hope that you love our two new stamp sets and enjoy looking at the projects the STS Design Team have cooked up for you! Also, we have prizes!! We are so proud of our STS stamps, that we want eight hoppers to have a set of their own-for free!! All you have to do is leave a comment on all six blogs to be entered, it's that simple! We will post winners on Tuesday, August 2, so please send your friends and family over so they can have a chance to win as well! As a bonus, if you follow the Shady Tree Studio blog, post twice and you'll be entered twice! Mention our hop on your blog, come back and post again, and you're entered THREE TIMES!

Here is the hop order. If a link gets broken anywhere, you can always come back here to get back on track. This will be such a fun and easy hop with only six blogs to visit and terrific swag up for grabs!!

1. Nancy Baier (YOU ARE HERE)
2. Roxie Glaza at Paper Scaper
3. Michelle Hetland at I Am Derby
4. Joanne Allison at Ambrosia and Iron
5. Carla Mayfield at Paper Pastorale
6. Lisa Silver at Silver Stamping

I'd like to thank Carla Mayfield for the beautiful work she's done organizing the blog hop!! Everything you've read in this post up to now has been thanks to her!! :^) Thank you, Carla!!!

We have lots more to share with you right here today ~ first, a few of my own projects with our new stamps!

Creating the images for this set began with our friend, Mr. Moose. When I was thinking back to the "Just Believe" set, I really wanted to do something with animals and the moose was the first idea that popped into my head. I thought I was headed down the 'woodland animal' road, but along came the polar bear and penguin, followed shortly by the lion and the lamb. Sometimes, you just go with the flow :^) .

Since they each have a sweet, innocent expression, I think they look nice together and started a collection of ornaments ~ these would also work well as gift tags or the main image on a card!

With the moose and Santa/reindeer pieces, I left the die in place

and sponged. But on the vintage ornament shape, I sponged a little

more heavily on one side of the shape to add dimension ~

I don't know why I haven't done that before because

I really love the effect from it.

The moose is paper pieced and a simple mask allowed me

to layer the two trees. Before adhering the moose on foam,

I sprayed the ornament with A Muse Stardust Finishing Spray.

Our penguin was also paper pieced and then mounted using

foam for dimension onto the embossed star shape.

I had colored this Santa and reindeer quite some time ago

with Prismacolor pencils blended with Gamsol,

and today cut the circle shape and added the button border with sentiment.

The three sizes of button stamps in this set come in handy!

And I have another card for you today too!

I happen to have my birthday near Christmas and my family always made it special.

It was never 'lumped in' with the Christmas festivities ~

my presents were wrapped separately and saved for my day and

I'd still get to choose my birthday dinner.

It's a nice time of year to have a birthday ~ people are generally

cheerful, the Christmas lights sparkle all over town. . .

and for most, it is a deeply meaningful and magical time.

And sometimes I would receive a birthday card that acknowledged this,

and it was truly heartwarming.

So I included a special birthday sentiment in one of our new stamp sets:

I revisited the 'warm fuzzy blanket' pattern you saw earlier this month,

and layered the line image of the tree with the solid one for an accent by the sentiment,

"Happy Birthday Wishes at Christmastime."

Hope you like it :^) !

Northern Lights

2011-07-28T11:37:00.002-04:00

Hey Everyone!

So are you excited to see the complete stamp sets?! I know we're all looking forward to sharing them with you tomorrow!!!

I have a quick little card today with a very simple but stunning background:

Doesn't this just cool you off on a hot and humid July day?! :^)

The background of aurora borealis was created using
Pebble shimmer chalks and then sprayed with A muse Studio

Stardust Finishing Spray.

A little warning about this product ~ you may just want to use

it on every single thing you make once you see how pretty it is in person!!

The 'snow' is simply white cardstock with a torn edge.

I was tempted to add glitter to it, but the sky is enough sparkle for me!

Keep scrolling down to see Joanne Allison's cozy polar bear

from earlier today!!

You'll love it!

See you tomorrow ~ Release Day!

Beary Merry Christmas!

2011-07-28T07:00:00.008-04:00

Hello, Joanne here again today with a little gift tag project for you.

Roxie colored this adorable image as a brown bear for her post on Monday but I've kept mine Polar by adding just a tiny hint of shading with a warm gray Copic and otherwise leaving him white - quick and easy.

I decided he needed a little extra protection from the winter chill so I've stolen the scarf - it really belongs to the snowman from this stamp set! I paper pieced it onto one bear's body and then cut out a second head and mounted it over the top of the scarf on a foam dimensional. I cut a paper fringe to add to the end of the scarf, too.

Supplies:
Naturally Christmas stamp set
Paper: DCWV mat stack (stamped with a text background stamp)
Ink: Brilliance by Tsukineko (Graphite Black), Distress by Ranger Tumbled Glass
Other: Copic Markers (Warm Gray 1, Black, Pale Pink), Detail white embossing powder, Inksessentials white pen by Ranger, Threading Water edge punch by Fiskars, Eyelet, Baker's twine, Nestabilites by Spellbinder

Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to come back tomorrow as this will be the starting point for a blog hop round all the Designers and I hear a whisper that there may be a prize or two (or maybe even eight!) so do drop back to find out how to be in with a chance of winning new stamps!

A Little Moose

2011-07-27T09:58:00.002-04:00

Good Morning! Michele from I am Derby here. I have a clear card for you this morning. I love acetate cards but I hate photographing them. You probably noticed long ago I am not much of a photographer. I usually don't even bother with my clear cards but I really wanted to show you this one. It features that great little moose in leg warmers! Love him!

The moose is stamped on a paper panel which is adhered to the inside of the card. He is colored with copic markers and mounted on some patterned paper. On the front of the card I used white staz on to stamp the sentiment, the border, and the snowflakes. These are all new stamps from Shady Tree Studio and will be released on the 29th. And because I am feeling bad for the bad photography I've got one more card for you:

This one is similar to the card I did last week. I used the green fir tree strip with the tiny silver bells. I stamped the bells on silver cardstock and added some dimension with my grey copic marker. I also stamped the bows. Yes it was a bit of fussy cutting but I liked the way it came out. A little bit of ribbon at the bottom and a double stamped sentiment to finish it off. Hope you like it!

Sweet Little Lion

2011-07-26T00:01:00.003-04:00

Hello friends, Carla from Paper Pastorale here! Is this a Christmas card? No, but this adorable little lion is one of the many sweet images you will get in Shady Tree Studio's new Christmas set! I stamped him in Versafine and embossed with Ranger Holographic, then painted with my shimmer paints. I added lots of little die cut pieces and some twine and a clothes pin as a final touch.

Please come back and join us right here on the 29th for a look at the complete sets in the July release and for a STS blog hop! We are looking so forward to sharing these two wonderful sets with you, and there will be prizes!!

A Winter Hello

2011-07-25T06:00:00.001-04:00

Happy Monday to everyone! Roxie here to show a card that will work for Christmas or winter greeting. I just love the Naturally Christmas set because the images are so versatile and can be used all year.

All images are colored with Copic markers: Trees – G85,94,99, W3,5, Bear- ears - R20,22, heart – BV0000,01,04, snout – 100, body – E27,31,33

The middle tree is mounted on ¼” circle punched cardstock so the smaller trees can slip right in behind it. Stickles were added to the snow area.

The bear is debossed on the front around the heart and black nose, flipped over and embossed inside those lines. The pink of the ears were debossed on the front and embossed from the back around the pink. The entire body was embossed for a more realistic look to the bear then it’s mounted with foam pop dots.

The lavender background was faux embossed which means cut out shapes, in this case its snowflakes are glued to the cardstock. I used a border punch to get the smaller snowflakes and rather than punch the entire border I cut strips about ½” wide and insert into the punch under the snowflake design.

Paper: Bazzill, Beckett Expressions – Iceberg

Ink: Memento – Tuxedo Black

Accessories: Stickles, Copics, foam pop dots, Aleene’s tacky glue

Tools: metal ball stylus for embossing, Spellbinder Nestabilities, snowflake punches – Marvy (larger size), EK Success Snowflake border (smaller size)

Little Lamb

2011-07-22T09:00:00.002-04:00

Hello! It's Lisa Silver with another project to share with you. We've started with sneak peaks on the newest Shady Tree Studio sets to be released at the end of the month. While the sets are definitely Christmas sets, there's so much potential to be used for more than holiday cards.

Little Lamb

It seems like I'm always in need of a baby card. Ladies at work, family members and friends are all expecting lately. I stamped the darling lamb and colored with copic markers. To give my card a patchwork feel, I die cut three colored squares and added a bit of paper piercing for texture.

Thanks for visiting and I'll have a holiday card for you next week!
Lisa

--------------------------------------------------------------
Supplies:
Stamps: Shady Tree Studio
Ink: Black Soot Distress ink by Ranger
Paper: Solar White by Neenah, pink, green and blue by Core'dinations
Other: Piercing tool and mat, enamel accents by Ranger, Clear embossing powder by Ranger, Nestabilities by Spellbinder, sanding block, polka dots embossing folder by Provo Craft
Copic markers: RV32, E42, 0, C1

A winter hello

2011-07-21T07:00:00.002-04:00

Hello, Joanne here with a very simple little card today, made with a bitter chocolate colored piece from my "trimmings" box as the card base and stamps from one of the new sets! It measures approx 4.25" x 3.25".

Carla used this same skinny snowman stamp for her project on Monday. I've given him a different look by using the branch stamp to give him arms and doodling a few buttons down his front then giving him a touch of color with Copic markers.

A single row sentiment like this one is really easy to curve on the block so you can make it look as if the snowman is holding up the words like a banner.

A row of machine stitching and some white Flower Soft are the only embellishing touches so this is light and flat for mailing, perhaps to friends who don't celebrate Christmas but you'd like them to know that they're in your thoughts.

Supplies
Stamps: Naturally Christmas
Paper: bitter chocolate, Cryogen White
Ink: Adirondack Espresso
Other: Copic markers, Polar White Flower Soft, Zig drawing pen, sewing machine

Thanks for stopping by today, hope you're enjoying the peeks at the new stamps!

More Moose!

2011-07-20T15:00:00.001-04:00

I can't help it -- I just love this moose!! He looks noble yet quirky to me -- guess it's because he's standing tall. . . . in those leg-warmers!

Here he's hanging out in nature accompanied by one of my favorite lines from a Christmas carol, and one that comes to mind all year long:

This is the first card I made with the new stamps.

The coloring is done with Copics, and on the piney border stamp

just loosely swept over the lines.

I left the area between the forelegs and hind legs untrimmed

and mounted on foam adhesive pieces, but if you prefer to trim them

you can always attach using drops of crystal glaze/lacquer for depth.

A little Sakura glitter pen brightened up the moon, the star,

a bit of the pine trees, and the crest of the snow, too.

Oh, this is a nice thing about Christmas in July. . .

it's midnight as I write this and unpleasantly warm outdoors ~

kind of fun to think of freshly fallen snow,

even if I will probably be swimming tomorrow!

I hope you're all having a nice summer

and thanks for coming by

to see what's new at

Shady Tree Studio :^) .

Jingle All the Way

2011-07-20T08:58:00.002-04:00

Good Morning Friends! Its Michele, from I am Derby. I have a pretty little Christmas card for you today featuring NEW stamps! Ah, I love new stamps, don't you?

It looks like a pretty simple card but let me point out a couple of details that might not come across the computer screen right away. I started with a hunter green base and stamped the fir tree "vine" in white. The sentiment is also stamped in white. Next I stamped the jingle bells on some silver shimmer paper and cut them out. I also used my grey copic marker to add a little depth. Some jingle bells are popped up on a foam dot, the others are glued straight down. Finally I added some tiny red bows. I think this is my favorite card of the release. I hope you like it too!

Peace on earth

2011-07-19T15:00:00.006-04:00

The lion lay beside the lamb . . . such a heartwarming image of peace.

I colored the images with Copic markers, and on this one, I actually

sponged with Lichen and Cranberry.

Of course, green and red will give you brown, but by combining these two shades

the subtle tones added warmth and interest with glimpses of them both.

Because this is a pretty busy patterned paper, rather than add anything *more,*

I trimmed out some trees from the same paper

for my accents adding little stars to make them pop out a bit.

I love these creatures to represent Christmas peace, but we all love

versatility in our stamps, and I'm sure my lion and lamb will find their

way onto a baby or child's card somewhere down the line!

So what do you think so far?! I know the animals you're seeing

are a departure from the style you've seen in the past here at Shady Tree.

It's fun to change things up a bit, don't you think!?

Thanks for coming by . . . be back soon!!

Make New Friends, But Keep the Old!

2011-07-18T23:59:00.003-04:00

Hello friends, Carla from Paper Pastorale here! Aren't I just so clever with my post title? I know, I can be a bit cheesy from time to time, you'll get used to it. I have a reason, though! The top card here is a sneak peek of three stamps from one of the new sets!! There's nothing flashy or complex with this card, just sweet, primitive images in the spotlight!

This bottom image is from an old set called Embrace Christmas!! This snowman graces the cover of a card portfolio. I just stamped him up and painted him with my Japanese shimmer paints. So, if you like snowmen like I do, you really need both of these terrific stamp sets in your collection!!

Rustic Angel

2011-07-18T15:00:00.002-04:00

Christmas card? Not a Christmas card? You decide ~ this one could go either way!

I am finding myself enjoying cards without a sentiment on the front. Especially cards for the 'stash' vs. those made for specific and immediate needs.

This one features our angel from this past Christmas with the perfect accent stamps from one of our new sets:

The vining frame around our angel is one of the new stamps,

a length of vine with berries; and just under the pinked edge of Daisy D paper

is a rustic checkerboard band. You'll be seeing more of these in the days to come!

And again, the sweet little bow stamp, this time accenting the upper left corner.

The bow and other elements in these sets work nicely as

ornamentation for the vine stamp, trees, animals, etc.

And hang them from anything by simply drawing a line as your string!

I sponged the edges first with A muse Lichen and then Cranberry.

The angel is mounted on adhesive foam.

In this photo, you can see the inner white of the A muse Cranberry cardstock.

What a tremendous time/money-saver this will be for a stack of Christmas cards!

No more adding that lighter neutral panel on the inside!

If you need to stock up on some simply stunning colors of cardstock,

be sure to check out the sidebar for my A muse blog.

That's where you'll find a link to all things A muse including my webstore.

The cardstock and ink are wonderful. Really.

Be sure to come back over these two weeks for more inspiration with

brand new stamp designs - to be released on the 29th!

And I have a feeling you'll also be seeing some

non-Christmas cards with these sets, too.

Thanks for joining us!

:^)

Square card & Gift card

2011-07-18T00:00:00.014-04:00

Hi, Roxie here again and I have a sneak peek to one set you'll see in the next release from Shady Tree Studio. The set name is Homespun Holiday and it's packed with some great border images.

This is a super simple card to create, its a 4.25” square card and I try to put every piece of cardstock to use and I sure didn’t want to save even more scrap so I took the 1.25” piece that I cut off the A2 sized card and made this gift tag:

And if you haven't guessed already, the white and red are scraps.

I put a strip of tape on the back for attaching to the card or punch a punch and run ribbon through it.

Because square cards require more postage for mailing I always use an A2 sized envelope for mailing to cut cost; directions with photos for preparing the envelope can be found on my blog here.

Supplies used for the card:

Images: Shady Tree Studio - Homespun Holidays

Paper: white, The Paper Company green and red, unknown designer paper

Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black, Ranger: Distress Ink - Pine Needle

Accrssories: Recolections - brads

Tools: Spellbinder Nestabilites, paper piercer for brads, stamp positioner, Additional supplies for gift card:

Copics: C1,3,5, E71,74, R29

Let the Previews Begin!

2011-07-16T22:32:00.008-04:00

~ ~ ~ Remember, be sure to watch for multiple posts each day! ~ ~ ~

To kick off our showcase of samples using the new stamps being released on July 29th, I have a very stampy "pair" of cards for you today!

It's really just one card but after it was finished I realized I could add an image for a completely different look. First up ~ pure pattern:

The pattern was created by repeat stamping of the same little graphic tree silhouette.
I'm sure you're imagining many more possibilities for this stamp already :^).

ETA: Pattern-making tips ~ 1) Start in the middle 2) Turn the cardstock
instead of reorienting the block/stamp in your hand.

The edges, sentiment and checked ribbon are all sponged with

A Muse Studio (a | s) Nutmeg ink, and the card base is a | s French Roast.

The message panel is mounted on foam. For the little bow, I touched

the tip of a blender pen to my a | s Eucalyptus ink pad.

I added a vintage brad and was very happy with the result.

It's fun to let the pattern take center stage!

And then. . .

I looked over and saw another image I had stamped and waiting

for a card or project, and thought - why not see how it looks?!

:^)

I like this too ~ a completely different look, but it works and

brings out the lighthearted quality of the sentiment and bow.

{click & +zoom for close-ups!}
I'm finding the outdoor photography and the usual
software tweaking are finally doing the trick for the photos :^).

There are oodles of stamps in these new sets,

and not only do they coordinate nicely with last year's "Just Believe,"

I'm sure you'll enjoy combining them with lots of other stamps you already have, too!

I can't wait to see what the Design Team has in store for us

over the next couple of weeks!

Thanks for visiting!!

Silver Bells

2011-07-15T08:00:00.004-04:00

Hello! It's Lisa Silver again with another Christmas in July project to share with you.

Silver Bells

I love to use paint in my stamped projects. I stamped and embossed the bell from Winter Day stamp set. I stamped it a second time to paper piece the bow on top. Then, to color in the bell, I used some silver paint and lightly painted in the image. Before the paint dried, I gently wiped the image with a paper towel to remove the paint from the embossed lines. It's just perfect to give this bell life! See all that shimmer?

Thanks for visiting,
lise

---------------------------------------------
Supplies:
Stamps: Winter Day by Shady Tree Studio
Ink: Black Soot and Antique Linen Distress inks by Ranger
Paper: Natural White by Neenah, Kraft by Bazzill
Patterned Paper: Jovial by Basic Grey
Other: Ribbon, Liquid Metal Acrylic Paint in silver by Sargent, Clear embossing powder by Ranger
Copic markers: W1, W3, T1, 0

Jolly Holly!

2011-07-14T07:00:00.009-04:00

Hello, Joanne here - I've been playing with the Holly Jolly set for today's projects.

My first project is a shade to turn a wine glass into a little table lamp. This one was really difficult to photograph but I hope you get the idea!

I cut my shade from vellum cardstock (lots of templates available on the internet if you're not confident about sizing up your own) and then put my acrylic block over the edge and laid out my stamp to follow the curve. As a circle is perfectly symmetrical it will be the same when you flip the block over to stamp and the curve is the same all the way round so you can just move along to get a continuous border. Adjust the curve for the inner circle to get the border round the top too.

I chose to heat emboss with fine detail gold powder and added colour with Copic markers and dots of Glossy Accents over the berries for extra shine.

Pop a tea light into the glass and you're ready for a festive table setting!

Supplies
Stamps: Holly Jolly set
Paper: Vellum cardstock
Ink: Versmark by Tsukineko
Other: Copic markers, detail gold embossing powder, Glossy Accents by Ranger

This little gift card holder gives the set a more contemporary look just by using a slight twist on traditional colours with a brighter green than your usual shade for holly and hot pink in place of red.

The sentiment is from the Embrace Christmas set and is a perfect fit inside the wreath.

Although the wreath shape looks quite intricate, it's very easy to cut out as you don't need to be super-accurate, just leave a little margin around the edge and follow the approximate shape. I stamped the potted holly and then coloured and cut out just the bow to add to the base of the wreath.

I finished off the inside by stamping the holly border along the top of the pocket that holds the gift card in place (you can just see it peeking out on the left side of the photo).

Supplies
Stamps: Holly Jolly set plus sentiment from Embrace Christmas
Paper: Cryogen White
Ink: Adirondack dye ink by Ranger (Espresso)
Other: Copic markers, Inkssentials gel pen by Ranger, Corner Chomper, Scor It, Foam tape

Two very different projects from the same set - hope you enjoyed them!

Merry Christmas Candle

2011-07-13T00:48:00.002-04:00

Hi there! Michele from I am Derby here to share with you this card I made using last year's holiday set, Home for the Holidays. I adore this scene. Its so much fun to color as well. All the coloring was done with my copics. I cut out the image and mounted it on a green scalloped square. The whole thing is adhered to a Hero Arts card. I stamped on the sentiment and holly berries with fresh snow ink. I hope you like it! I have one more card on my own blog today. Click here to see it.

Cracked Glass Angel

2011-07-12T15:00:00.005-04:00

NOTE: With myself, the design team, and our guest designer all posting for Christmas in July, be sure to check each day for multiple posts!! :^)

It's amazing how quickly a card comes together when you use art you have stashed away!! :^)

I already had this angel image colored and just hadn't decided what to do with it. But flipping through some Christmas papers, I decided this bit of close-up Christmas tree would do the trick.

The base and mat are A Muse navy cardstock.

For the sentiment, I used a less-busy and light area

of the same patterned paper (sentiment from "Nativity").

I thought I had a couple of red rhinestones but settled for green,

placed on the sentiment panel like tiny ornaments, and a large one

for balance and to accent the sentiment.

In the past, I know I tried the pastel route with this image,

focusing on the checks . . . but nestled in the tree branches here,

I really like her ~ like a little angel ornament.

You are sure to see her again next week, as the new stamp sets include a couple of stamps in particular that will go beautifully with our angel! Yay!

Hope you are having a very merry July!!

Just Believe

2011-07-12T01:24:00.002-04:00

Hello friends! Carla here! I hope you are having as much fun with Christmas in July as I am!! Haven't the cards been wonderful?

For this little card I used the gorgeous set, Just Believe. It's so much fun to use, and jam packed with sweetly primitive images. This card was pretty quick because I punched inchies out of much larger stamps, so there was little to color. I used my shimmer paints, gave the images a quick touch of color, did a little aging, and last but certainly not least, I added glitter!!

Stay tuned for the sneak peeks you'll be getting soon, you won't want to miss the new sets-I promise!!

Holly

2011-07-11T14:00:00.001-04:00

Hi its Roxie showing you a card I did using an image from the set Home for the Holidays.

This is a quick card to create and we can all use those for the holidays.

After punching the EK Success Scroll and dots border punch I used the Scor-Pal to emboss lines above the design wider than the ribbon and at the very top of the panel. The bow was tied before attaching to the card and the ends are taped to the back side.

The image was colored with Copics: R35,39, BG18,YG63,67,G28,C1,3.

The envelope was colored with Prismacolor pencils: Kale Green, Dark and Grass Green, Tuscan Red, Cool Grey 20 and 50%.

Images: Shady Tree Studio - Home for the Holidays

Paper: The Paper Company – dark red, Beckett Expressions Cover 80# Super Smooth white

Star of Wonder

2011-07-11T12:40:00.002-04:00

NOTE: With myself, the design team, and our guest designer all posting for Christmas in July, be sure to check each day for multiple posts!! :^)

I have another announcement for you today.

I am sorry to say that Jennifer Scull has made the decision to step down from the Design Team. Jennifer is an incredibly talented papercrafter. Her unique designs, vintage flair and generous enthusiasm will truly be missed. For the duration of the "Christmas in July" celebration, Joanne Allison will now be sharing with us on Thursdays.

My card for you today is made using one of Jennifer's favorite stamp sets, "Nativity."

I came across this background piece that I had created some time ago and instantly thought of the shepherd and star from this set:

The background was made by applying ink pads directly to

my craft sheet, spritzing with water, and then laying the cardstock on top.

I stamped the star directly on the piece, added white gel pen lines

radiating from the center and a rhinestone.

The sentiment is on a separate piece of cardstock, sponged around the edges.

I stamped the shepherd directly also and painted over him. but then

I decided to have him mounted on foam for more dimension.

Once colored and attached, I covered the entire image in crystal glaze.

I hope you're enjoying our Christmas extravaganza this month! I know I am -- it's so much fun to see what everyone is creating.

Thanks for visiting today ~ see you again soon!

Christmas Bell

2011-07-11T00:00:00.009-04:00

Roxie here this fine Monday to show you a non traditional color for a holiday card.

I used Copic markers to color the bell image (C1,3,5, BG11,15) and Stickles to add some sparkle to the ribbon’s edge.

After cutting the image out I colored the very edge with a Marvy black marker and mounted it to the card with foam pop dots.

Spellbinder Beaded oval was cut first then I lined up a regular oval to cut and deboss the center and form a frame for the bell which is mounted on the next size smaller oval cut from the piece of cardstock that was cut out of the beaded center, the beaded oval is mounted on pop dots.

I cut a ½” strip of glitter cardstock from DCWV and inserted it under the snowflake design of the EK Success border punch to punch out only the snowflakes, I like the size of them and it’s just another way to utilize the punch. They are attached to the card with Aleene’s tacky glue and I used Aleene’s Paper Glaze to attach the half pearl to the corner flakes and a touch of Stickles to the flakes around the bell.

For the insert I continued the sentiment from the front of the card so I masked off the image with a sticky note before inking up. The bell image was stamped off on scrap paper before stamping the insert for a faded color or use a lighter color ink.

Images: Shady Tree Studio – Winter Day
Paper: DCWV – glitter cardstock, K&Company – designer paper, unknown white textured and shimmer silver
Ink: Memento – Tuxedo Black

Cardinal

2011-07-10T06:00:00.002-04:00

This is Roxie here to share a card that would be suitable for the guys this coming holiday season using the cardinal image from the set Home for the Holidays.

I have some shimmer cardstock that is not wide enough to create the A2 sized card so I design the panel going across the card to the correct width and now it won’t move around in the envelope during its travel through the mail system. After punching the edge I also scored two lines at the panel top and above the punched design before attaching the designer brads. I stamped the sentiment using StazOn ink and dry embossed across the top of the card base.

I stamped the image with Memento Tuxedo Black and colored with Copic markers, it’s a simple image to color and cut out. I attached the cardinal to the card with foam pop dots.

Thanks for stopping by today and I hope you're enjoying our Christmas in July creations.

Let it snow!

2011-07-09T07:00:00.000-04:00

Hello, Joanne here - delighted to be joining the STS ladies for a month as we celebrate Christmas in July!

I'm sharing a project made with the Just Believe set with you today. I think this set is perfect for pairing with kraft and a simple, classic layout to make a card that would be suitable for mass mailing as it's totally flat and a regular size so there's no risk of extra postage. Quick and easy to make too with no need for any specialist tools - you could whip up a batch sitting in front of the TV!

I simply stamped the snowman, added the border by hand with a fineline marker and stamped the sentiment. Dark brown ink gives a softer, homier feel than black and slightly wobbly framing goes with the homespun charm of the image so don't worry about trying to draw perfectly straight lines!

Colored pencils (Prismacolor or equivlent) work beautifully on kraft cardstock as it tends to have a bit of "tooth" to it so you get good coverage of white for your snowman. I added a tiny bit of shading down the back of his body and head with a brown pencil. The snowflake is stamped repeatedly around the outside and a few white gel pen dots fill in the flurry.

Hope you're enjoying the projects so far!

Supplies
Stamps: Just Believe stamp set by Shady Tree Studio
Paper: kraft (mine is a chopped up file folder!)
Ink: Adirondack dye ink by Ranger (Espresso) and Pigment ink by Clearsnap (Frost White)
Other: Drawing pen by Zig, Prismacolor pencils, Inkssentials gel pen by Ranger, Corner Chomper by We R Memory Keepers

Vintage Skates

2011-07-08T07:00:00.002-04:00

Hello! Happy Friday! It's Lisa Silver with a quick project to share with you to celebrate Christmas in July with Shady Tree Studio!

Vintage Skates

I had a lot of fun creating this project. I stamped the skates image on Natural White cardstock and carefully colored with Copic markers. Then, to give it an aged look, I used a sanding block and gently rubbed over the whole image. Distress inks were then swiped over the image to age the image to match the patterned paper. Super easy!

Thanks for visiting!
Lisa

---------------------------------------------------------
Supplies:
Stamps: Winter Day by Shady Tree Studio
Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento ink by Tsukineko, Antique Linen and Frayed Burlap Distress inks by Ranger
Paper: Natural White by Neenah, Kraft and dark brown by Bazzill
Patterned Paper: Jovial by Basic Grey
Other: Sanding block
Copic markers: T3, T5, E40, E42, E44, 0, W1, YG11, BG10, BV23, R22, R24, R27, R29

Nativity Joy to the World

2011-07-07T04:48:00.008-04:00

Hello and Merry Christmas to you! :)

This is Jennifer singing 'Joy to the World' to each and every one of you this morning! hasn't it been wonderful to get such inspiration this week with the fabulous creations by the Design Team?

My card today uses the set, Nativity. I love the beautiful images Nancy drew that take us back to that glorious time several thousand years ago. The sentiment was stamped onto a small tag that was also sprayed with glimmer mist and then popped up on foam tape. Some crochet trim and crinkled seam tape (also sprayed with glimmer mist) help add to the shabby feel. A few dew drops finish off the card.

I am so excited to see what everyone else has to show us! and please be sure to extend a kind welcome to both Carla as a new DT member and Joanne as our Guest Designer. :)
Jennifer

Soft Focus Ornament

2011-07-06T15:00:00.001-04:00

NOTE: With myself, the design team, and our guest designer all posting for Christmas in July, be sure to check each day for multiple posts!! :^)

How are you enjoying our celebration so far?! I'm having a ball getting inspired for Christmas cards ~ maybe I'll really get them sent out this year!

Today, I have something quite different for me ~

I began by stamping the ornament image from "Holly Jolly"

in Memento Tuxedo Black on A Muse Sugar cardstock.

Next I used the sponge attachment on my brayer

to brayer A Muse Lichen ink over the entire surface.

Then around the edges and toward the center, I brayered Watermelon,

then a little bit of Cranberry right near the edge.

I love the sponged look that was easy to attain with the brayer.

I then highlighted the center image with my Signo white gel pen,

and outlined the image in a pale green Copic marker.

The edges were finished with a Tim Holtz die.

For the jute tie, I cut a length and then lay it on my Lichen ink pad

and with my finger on it pulled it across to dye it.

The A Muse Studio ink pads are so easy for coloring things like

paper flowers, brads, and twine ~ the soft spongy surface handles this like a dream.

The image panel was then adhered to kraft cardstock

sponged lightly at the edges with cranberry.

This has a similar look to the "glaze resist" card I shared with you in this post.

I hope you enjoyed today's card ~ it was fun to get the brayer out as it's been awhile. And if you don't already have the sponge attachment, trust me - it's a great tool for different effects!

See you back here soon!!

Happy Holly Days

2011-07-06T00:01:00.000-04:00

Hi Michele, from I Am Derby here! I have a little Christmas treat for you today featuring the holly branch from last year's Home for the Holidays set. I've been in a paper piecing mood lately. If you check out my blog post from yesterday, you will see the pieced cardinal from the same set. I used some Bo Bunny paper to piece the holly leaf. I added some detail with my copics. I matted it on more pp and then stuck everything down to my card base. I added some silk ribbon and a button at the top to finish it off. Oops I almost forgot to mention... the sentiment is a little sneak peak for you!

A Winter Day Today!

2011-07-05T15:00:00.002-04:00

NOTE: With myself, the design team, and our guest designer all posting for Christmas in July, be sure to check each day for multiple posts!! :^)

And, if you follow the blog in a reader or email, please click over to the blog ~ special announcement in the sidebar!!

I wonder if we create different Christmas cards if we make them at different times of the year.

Today's card has a decidedly non-winter flair even though it's all about winter and uses Christmas colors. Maybe it's just my mood as it's a beautiful summer day :^) .

And I discovered how much I love taking photos outside!! I've been struggling with proper lighting and focus on my cards lately ~ but this one made me happy:

Just right for our Christmas in July ~ can you almost hear the birds singing?

It's evening and perfect photo conditions with the reflected light from our yellow house.

Now, about the card itself!

The image is from "Winter Day" which works so well for any occasion in the snowy season,

or add the appropriate sentiment for Christmas wishes.

I stamped in Memento black, cut with a Spellbinders die, and colored with Copics.

I sponged a bit around the die but didn't like it on the snow,

so used my electric eraser to remove it from the white areas.

The Kraft sponged with white ink is from A Muse, the patterned paper from

Tim Coffey and Basic Grey, tissue tape by Tim Holtz, and paper flowers by A Muse.

The brads are A Muse white pressed into the Cranberry ink pad,

and dried with the heat gun (hold in craft tweezers!).

To color the sled, I used Copic's carmine and then added sweeps of gray

so it would look weathered, worn and well-loved.

I absolutely love the Basic Grey Jovial pad and can't wait to see what they come out with this year.
The Spellbinder's patterned shape is from Tim Coffey paper.

Today's stamp is from

"Winter Day"

Hope you're enjoying our Christmas cards - are you making some along with us?

See you right back here again tomorrow!!! Merry July :^) !!

My Very First Shady Tree Studio Blog Post for Christmas in July!!

2011-07-04T23:59:00.001-04:00

Hello! Carla here! Nancy just sent me Holly Jolly a few weeks ago, so it's a set that is new to me. I have to say that I have really enjoyed every image I have used, and have been pleased with the final results as well. The images are just so sweetly appealing, they stir up that lovely Christmas feeling we all enjoy so much. This is a small card, 3.50" x 5.50". It's a size I work with regularly because my go to size is a five inch square and this is what's left over. It's fun because you can let all sorts of things hang off the edges, and it will still fit into an A2 envelope.

This stocking has a bit of an old world vibe, and is so easy to color. I need forgiving images because my coloring could stand some improvement! I used my tiny collection of copics here, and even though I'm just learning, I think the stocking still looks pretty. It's so nice to work with beautifully drawn images, it makes stamping an even bigger pleasure.

I hope that you will stop by and see what Michelle has in store for you tomorrow; I know it's going to be great! We have all kinds of Christmas in July fun planned for you! I know I'm thrilled to be a part of Shady Tree Studio, and I hope you enjoyed my little card!

Christmas in July!

2011-07-04T16:35:00.006-04:00

Welcome to Shady Tree Studio!

I hope all of our U.S. friends are having an enjoyable 4th of July holiday!

Today, to kick off STS's Christmas in July celebration, I'd like to introduce you to two incredibly talented designers.

Carla Mayfield has joined the Design Team at Shady Tree. She has a truly lovely style and I know she will inspire you. Carla is very creative and comes up with wonderful designs. I am tickled to have her on the Design Team and so glad you'll all be seeing a lot more from her!!

Welcome Carla!

Carla lives in Holyoke, Colorado, and has been stamping since 1999. She remembers walking past shopping mall rubber stamp stores in the 90's and thinking disdainfully, "Who does that?" Her first experience stamping was at a home party, where she was struck with a sudden and intense longing to own all of the stamps, paper, ink and glitter in the entire world. After that, she traveled a predictable road, signing on as a demo with that first company, and going on to design for several companies and be published many times. Still on her quest to have all of it, she knows the answer to her younger self's question is, "I DO!"

So good to have you with us, Carla!

And we have another introduction to make today! The amazingly talented Joanne Allison from the U.K. has agreed to be our Guest Designer for July. Her creations will inspire you in so many ways!

Welcome Joanne!

Joanne lives in Northumberland in the UK and has been crafting in one way or another since she could walk. When she was little, her mum's habitual response to a crafting mistake was "Well, can you make a feature of it?" which provided great training for spotting a creative opportunity! Joanne has been stamping since 2007 and enjoys using those creative opportunities to see how far she can stretch her stamps. She has been a Guest Designer for Crafty Secrets and spent two years on the DT for Cornish Heritage Farms which is where she first enjoyed working with some of Nancy's early Shady Tree Studio designs. She has recently joined the Design Team for Craft Stamper, the UK's number one magazine for stampers.

I had to save this comment about Joanne for after her biography because I have admired Joanne's work from the very beginning ~ when I first started stamping ~ and I was amazed to learn that she, too, began stamping in 2007! Oh my goodness, I was so surprised. . . she's so accomplished I had assumed Joanne began stamping many years before. Thanks for joining us, Joanne!

Hope you're ready to gear up for Christmas with us! I'm so excited to get a jump on my holiday cardmaking. . . and started off with this one:

The images in our set, "Holly Jolly," are deceptive ~
they may look intricate but are a snap to color!

Here I've stamped the image on A Muse vanilla with French Roast ink.
I don't know why I've not been using patterned paper
much lately, but Christmas cards are the perfect reason
to pull out some of my favorites, this one from Basic Grey's Wassail collection.

Another thing about this stamp set that I love is
although some of the designs have a delicate aesthetic,
they still maintain a gender-neutral quality
even with a little splash of Sakura glitter pen at the base of this image.

Keep watching all month as the Design Team, Guest Designer Joanne Allison, and I continue to bring you inspiration for Christmas projects ~ just think how relaxed we'll all be come Thanksgiving!! :^)

Warming Up for Christmas!

2011-07-01T01:16:00.000-04:00

Just popping in with a little info before our "Christmas in July" festivities get underway!

You'll be noticing some changes in the design team this month. I am sorry to say that our dear friend Tracy Harp has decided to step down from the Design Team. We will miss her and her wonderful creativity, but we thank her for having been a part of the Shady Tree Studio team and wish her well with everything! HUGS, Tracy!!

Joining our Design Team will be the very talented Carla Mayfield. Carla's blog, Paper Pastorale, is truly inspiring. We look forward to seeing her creative interpretation of STS stamps starting with this Christmas in July event!

In addition, we are honored to have as our Guest Designer this month, Joanne Allison. Joanne is an amazing artist and does a beautiful job sharing her creativity on her blog, Ambrosia and Iron.

You'll be hearing more about Carla and Joanne in my post on Monday!!

Then, starting Tuesday, we kick off our "Christmas in July" celebration ~ two weeks of inspiration with a variety of our Christmas stamps. Then you can look for previews of new stamp sets; and watch for a blog hop and some special pricing for the event!

And I also have a card for you today!

These stamps are from last year's popular

"Just Believe" stamp set.

I used the little illustration board inchies,

colored with Copics and sponged with Distress Ink Tea Dye.

The sentiment is from "Embrace Christmas."

Cardstock and washi tape are from A muse Studio.

This will be a fun event for me as I don't usually start thinking of Christmas cards until the beginning of December!! :^) I know many of you are much more conscientious ~ so this will be a great chance to add some new stamps to your collections and be inspired to get a jump on spreading holiday cheer!

I'll see you back here on the

4th of July!

Have a safe and happy holiday weekend

~ God Bless America! ~

Paper Piecing with Fresh Air

2011-06-30T07:36:00.006-04:00

Good morning to everyone! It is Jennifer stopping by with a quick hello!

I wanted to show you a simple, well, for me anyhow!, card I created using the wonderful Fresh Air digital image that is free with any purchase you make from Shady Tree Studio. I love the versatility of digis - they can be resized to fit your projects quite easily.

This time I paper pieced the image, simply running my designer paper (Julliane from K & Co.) through the printer and then fussy cutting the curtains. I did a wee bit of shading with my inks before adhering to the main image. Everyone in my family loves to cook with fresh herbs, so it was fun to use an empty seed package on my card.

Are you getting excited about all of the fun coming our way next week with Christmas in July? I know I am! see you then!

Webster's Pages and STS

2011-06-28T08:00:00.003-04:00

Hi! Notice anything different?! Yes -- sprucing up the blog a bit for our big "Christmas in July" celebration. In addition to the banner in the header, the tabs are back! Some stamp sets are under multiple headings ~ and all are listed at least once.

Today I have an altered pocket calendar to share. I have found too many times that I can't schedule appointments and such 'on the fly' because I don't have a calendar with me. I came across a handy one with a clear plastic cover the other day with a blah design, so . . .

I first covered the pocket calendar with

Currant cardstock from A Muse Studio.

Since this calendar goes well into 2012, I reached for Webster's Pages paper,

because I know I will never get tired of looking at it!

I added stamps from "Backyard Spring" and "Naturally Imagined"

stamped in Currant ink from A muse Studio.

The accents are a diecut and chipboard stickers from

Basic Grey's Curio collection.

I sponged a little Distress Ink

in Tea Dye along the edges.

Stamping on patterned paper is a great way

to add dimension to your design!

I'll be back tomorrow with another card ~ see you then!

Summery Ducks

2011-06-27T15:19:00.001-04:00

Today's card is from "Backyard Spring," but these little ducks are good to go all summer long!

Except for that brad from Basic Grey,

all supplies are from A Muse Studio.

The pearls are colored with Copic marker.

I colored the image several weeks ago,

and when I started to make the card, I decided that

the ducklings would be mallards.

So I added some brown tones and then

used the colorless blender to make

them a little spotty:

I feel like the sleepy one today ;^) .

Stay tuned for news about our upcoming

"Christmas in July" promotion!

With the 4th of July holiday coming up,

we'll be getting things moving on Tuesday, July 5th.

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamp On!

:^)

Painted Backyard Flowers

2011-06-23T07:08:00.004-04:00

Good morning everyone! It is Jennifer here, popping by with a bit of shabby vintage pinkness to hopefully inspire you with a new technique to try! :)

I was so gobsmacked by several projects I saw in blogland recently featuring these glorious swaths of paint that I had to try it for myself. and of course I just HAD to use pink paint! ;) I really like the way it turned out, in my own shabby little style, and will do this again some day soon. I used the flower trio stamps from the Backyard Spring set by Shady Tree Studio. I stamped these in brown staz-on directly over the pink acrylic paint that I brushed onto a page from an old book. the aging on the page's edges is natural, not done with inks this time. Papers are from Basic Grey Curio and Sweet Threads. I adore these sparkly roses from Making Memories! they come with glitter already on them, but I added a bit of stickles to the leaves for a bit more shine. the same stickles was added to the centers of the stamped flowers. I also highlighted the stamens on those same flowers with white gel pen to help them stand out a little from the paint. Couldn't for the life of me find my label maker, which is what I wanted to use to make a sentiment, so opted for these metal tiles I received in a swap eons ago......

All of you have a wonderful day! and big new stuff is coming from Shady Tree in the next few weeks! keep your eyes open for fun! :)

Inching toward July

2011-06-20T13:22:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Shady Tree Studio!

As promised, I have some news to share today, but how about a little hint first?

:^)

Yes, another card with inchies ~ but a Christmas card!

Next month, we will be celebrating

"Christmas in July."

The design team and I will start the month off with

creations featuring our past Christmas release,

and later in the month,

New Stamps!

In addition, we'll be introducing a

new Design Team member,

and a special Guest Designer!

Today's card is made with stamps from "Holly Jolly"

a Basic Grey brad, ribbon from Papertrey,

and cardstock from A Muse Studio.

The sentiment was embossed in white to "pop"
and the ribbon, though lighter in the photo,
was colored with Copic marker to match
the inchies' background.

Now start playing some Christmas carols to get
in that holly jolly mood ~
and I'll fill you in on the details as
we inch closer!

Thanks for visiting Shady Tree Studio today!

:^)

Thank You Inchies

2011-06-17T21:26:00.000-04:00

Another card with inchies today!

One of my favorite designs from

"Naturally Imagined"

is stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa

onto inchies, and colored with Copic markers.

Buttercup and Cherry cardstock from A Muse,

plus washi tape from the "winter collection,"

and a single antique brad (maker unknown) ~

I snipped off the prongs and attached with Scor-Tape.

Sentiment from a | s stamp set, "thank you mix."

I'll have another inchie card for you on Monday,

with a couple of special announcements,

so please come on back then!

Have a great weekend, and

Stamp On!

:^)

Tiled Field Flowers

2011-06-17T00:25:00.001-04:00

Inchies. In the last couple of weeks, I keep thinking of card designs using them!

Some months ago, I purchased a little box of pre-made inchies. I'm not even sure what they are made of ~ they're like a very light chipboard and a surface similar to Bristol paper. I love the instant depth they create on the card front.

Now I could tell you exactly how I made this card, but I think I'll tell you a better way instead!

I suggest that you first use temporary adhesive to position the inchies on a piece of scrap cardstock rather than adhere them directly to your final piece.

There are two reasons for this: First, when you stamp the image, if it goes beyond the inchies, as this one does, there's a chance other parts of your stamp will ink up the underlying cardstock. Secondly, after you stamp the image, if you're going to color the entire surface, you can color the edges too.

I didn't get "over stamp" but I was stuck with not coloring the edges.

I stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa and colored with Copics.

The cardstock is all A Muse Studio, in French Roast,

Latte, Blueberry, and French Roast polka dot.

The butterfly twill ribbon is from an unknown source ~

unless you count my friend Tracy -

I'm pretty sure she's the one who sent it to me!

Thanks, Trace!

It's good to be stamping again ~ lately there's been a lot more drawing going on in the ol' studio.

Next week, I'll have more cards to share but also a few announcements to make, so stay tuned!

If you'd like to learn more about A Muse Studio, click HERE! We've announced a brand new program this week with savings for you!

Hope you have a great weekend!

Catching Up

2011-05-26T18:36:00.003-04:00

Hi Friends,

I know it's been quite awhile and let me say I've missed being here. Life happens, right?!

I'm working on listing Shady Tree Studio stamps on Etsy to simplify your purchasing process! Check out Shady Tree Studio, LLC on Etsy!

Future releases will be for sale at the Etsy store, but if you are more comfortable with emailing your order to me directly, feel free to do so :^) .

Also, I am purging some items from my personal non-STS stamp collection and the first installment is in the sidebar on the right. Just email me if you're interested in purchasing and I'll give you a shipping quote.

Hope you have a relaxing and enjoyable holiday weekend! I'm going to take my antibiotics and put compresses on this eye infection, get some business taken care of, work at the Highland Festival here in town for our school, get my daughter's dance recital costumes altered, and squeeze in some stamping time!

Take care, and I hope you have some stamping time this weekend, too :^)

Antique Floral

2011-05-12T08:00:00.004-04:00

If the "retro" card of the other day was "Mom's," today's card would be from Grandmother :^) :

This is one of my all-time absolutely favorite florals ~ yet another

stamp from the jam-packed "Backyard Springtime" released in March.

The delicate vine stamp is from the same set, and here I curved the stamp

into various shapes to create an oval frame around our flower.

Both were stamped with Memento black and the flower colored with Copics.

I trimmed the framed floral by hand and sponged with Distress Ink Wild Honey.

The card base is amuse | studio vintage cardstock in Onyx,

the next layer is solid a | s Onyx, then a selection from 7 Gypsies Conservatory,

and a strip of Tim Holtz tissue tape, and ivory vintage ribbon.

The fabric brad is from Basic Grey, and a vintage safety pin

and silk ribbon are the final finishing touches.

One more look at this sweet little flower . . . just because I love it :^) .

It was fun to get back to posting and card making ~

did you have a favorite this week?

Thanks for visiting!

Stamp On!

:^)

Floral Trio Blocking

2011-05-11T08:00:00.003-04:00

Stepping away from the vintage look today with a card that I simply cannot categorize . . . it's modern, it's soft, it's bold, it's natural. . . it is eclectic!

Where to begin?!

I'm going to work my way from the bottom first:

The card base is Wheat cardstock from amuse | studio.

Next, just inboard from the top and bottom edges are strips of a | s olive green washi tape.

The next layer is a piece of faux marble glossy cardstock in shades of green

that I created awhile ago for another project.

On top of that is a panel of white stamped

with the blossom trio from "Floral Occasions"

in a | s Blackberry ink and sponged over with the same.

I think it should be called Gorgeous Blackberry :^).

The floral panel is layered with a blackberry shade of washi tape,

then the sentiment also from "Floral Occasions"

stamped on white with a | s Fern, and lightly sponged with Blackberry.

A rustic star brad with a couple of punched evergreen sprigs,

and two French Roast pearls add interest, dimension and balance.

One trick to this kind of card is paying close attention to the positioning

of the layered pieces. For example, you'll see that the width of the olive green

washi tape on the short edges of the card is the same as the amount of blackberry

washi tape showing to the left of the sentiment. Similarly, the sentiment panel

is the same height as the amount of faux marble showing at the top and bottom.

Consistency in these distances and careful balance of dark and light

create an aesthetically pleasing design in this block style.

Overall the card has an uncluttered almost modern look,

but a closer look at one little corner shows that softness and warmth

is achieved through the layers, textures and patterns.

I love the unique finish of the washi tape with the glossy faux marble!

I hope you enjoyed today's card as much as I enjoyed seeing it all come together ~

I think I have a soft spot for things not easily defined :^) .

Thanks for visiting!

Stamp On!

:^)

P.S. I am starting to wonder if it's not entirely my camera nor photo editing skills that are frustrating me with my photo uploads here. I am finding that the card photos look fine to me in my photo editor, on my laptop, or uploaded in other galleries. . . but in Blogger they look a bit washed out and less sharp. Anyone else noticing this? I'd appreciate any feedback! Thanks!

Meadow Flowers ~ Retro

2011-05-10T08:00:00.005-04:00

Every time I look at this card, I think - this looks like something my mom could have sent to someone. It has that 50s vibe to me and I think it's the overlaying of the dictionary-style tissue tape that gives it that old-fashioned sewing pattern look - minus the actual sewing which is not my forte!

That retro feel begins with polka dot cardstock from amuse | studio

which I sponged around the edges with Distress Ink Tea Dye ~

seriously, I could've found this tucked in a drawer with my mom's white gloves!

*insert moment of nostalgia here*

The image is comprised of the meadow flower grouping from "Backyard Spring,"

stamped in Versafine Onyx Black and watercolored with Derwent Inktense

pencils and water brush. The flower centers are colored with

black marker and a smattering of Sakura glitter pen.

Besides the Tim Holtz tissue tape layered behind and strategically

over parts of the image panel, we have a 'band' of amuse | studio

Buttercup cardstock. I tore one edge to expose the white layer

and lightly sponged the edges with Tea Dye ink.

For final touches, I stamped a couple of vintage style stamps in Tea Dye

on the floral panel, and placed pieces of a | s Onyx cardstock

under diagonal edges which to me is reminiscent of old scrapbook photo corners.

A single black button balances the black corners and tissue tape lettering.

A little closeup of the watercoloring.

Thank you so much for visiting and I'll be back again tomorrow ~

in the meantime,

Stamp On!

:^)

Spring Garden with Little Bird

2011-05-09T20:48:00.003-04:00

Today we're combining the sleepy little bird and garden flowers from our first release set "Little Birds" with a sentiment from the recent release, "Floral Occasions:"

I first stamped the flowers and bird onto Bristol vellum with Memento ink,

and then colored with Prismacolor pencils blended with Gamsol.

The next step was to sponge around the edges with Distress Ink Wild Honey.

The sentiment was stamped with amuse | studio Nutmeg ink.

The paper flower embellishment is also from amuse | studio.

I stamped the same sentiment with Nutmeg in a staggered fashion

over the flower and also sponged with Wild Honey,

and added an a|s large Twinkle sticker.

Here's a closeup showing the flowers, and here you can see that

I used Derwent Inktense watercolor pencil and a water brush to

add a soft light blue sky wash behind the scene.

The image/sentiment panel is then adhered

to a card base of Buttercup gingham cardstock

with the edges sponged, too ~ love it!

Not only will I have more cards for you all week

here at Shady Tree Studio, :^) . . .

but if you are curious about seeing more amuse | studio products,

there will also be posts at Nan Stamps with a*muse_studio !

Thanks for visiting . . . and . . .

Stamp On!!

:^)

Bow Closure and Layering Pencils

2011-05-05T17:39:00.006-04:00

The card I have to share with you today is a little bit different. I tend to stick with a traditional single fold card but today I have a tiny twist on that with a bow closure.

Today I'm using a slight variation on my usual Prismacolor pencils with Gamsol blending technique. When I choose to color with these products, I'll lay down a single color of pencil pigment in a circular motion in the shadow areas first. We don't want to press really hard but with a little bit of pressure go over the area repeatedly to lay down more color. This works especially well if you want to use simply one color and have the blending process give you varying degrees from dark to light.

For this card, I applied my first color a little more lightly than usual in the shaded areas, knowing I would be adding a second color:

Surprised?! Yes, I thought to snap some photos as I went along!

I then blended this red with Gamsol and a blending stump. In this next photo,

I left one petal to show you blending of just the one color,
but you can see in the other petals

that I then added a more orange-y red,
still leaving some areas very light, or white.

And next, you can see the result when I finished
adding the second color and blended:

I used a gold colored pencil on the center but blended with the same stump

to add a little bit of an orange glow to that area.

For the dots and the border of the bloom center, I used Spica glitter pen in brown.

And here's the completed card:

My goal today was a clean and simple design but with an antique finish.

I stamped the bloom repeatedly with Versafine Sepia ink

and sponged the edges with amuse | studio Latte.

The cardstock is from amuse | studio and the

bottom flap is layered with a | s washi tape ~ and I added a few a | s

antique eyelets for threading the twine bow closure.

I love this flower ~ this line drawing style lends itself nicely to stamping

without coloring ~ but if you choose to color, the lines help define the shape and shadow areas.

And don't forget the power of the eraser!!

An eraser is another artist's tool, just like a pencil ~

don't hesitate to use an art eraser or even a regular #2 pencil eraser

to further define the highlights when using colored pencils!

The areas without lines are lightened with the eraser to give a more

three-dimensional effect. It's the distinction between the lights and darks

that will give your image more depth, so try not to over-blend.

If you do, remember your handy-dandy eraser!

Remember this card from awhile ago?

I used my eraser as much as my pencils on this one!

The result was a very smooth finish and lots of variation.

Hope you enjoyed today's card!

Thanks for coming by!

* * * * * amuse news * * * * *

I've had two neglected blogs lately but I see stamping time in the very near future! Next up at the a | s blog will be more product description and review ~ I just received a great order and can't wait to share with you!

Stamp on!

:^)

where am I?!

2011-04-28T15:22:00.001-04:00

hello blog friends!

just wanted to drop you a quick little wave "hello!"  

thanks for your patience ~ 

and to the Design Team members 

for their posts here!  

beautiful cards!! 

i've been working on some new things for STS 

and right now I'm out of town. . . 

but I'll be back to regular posting soon :^) .

 from STS stamp set "groovy kind of love"

Stamp On!

:^)

Backyard Spring Duckies

2011-04-27T09:12:00.002-04:00

Good Morning! Michele from IamDerby here! I have a cute little card that utilizes all that patterned paper we buy as well as this cute little image from Backyard Spring.

I used pp from My Minds Eye to create all the scallops and layers. The base is kraft cardstock. The little duckies got the copic treatment. I used the pp as my guide for choosing color. I've got some yummy ribbon and super cute buttons as well.

Three Flowers

2011-04-25T14:19:00.000-04:00

It's Roxie here, playing with a Shady Tree image from the set Floral Occasions.

The base of the card is cut 8” by 5.5”, scored at 4” and the oval is placed ¼” higher than the fold to make it an A2 sized card. I lay the card base on a ruler and let it guide me when placing the overhang/oval.

Prismacolor pencils and baby oil were used for the image color and blending.

I used the out of box with Nestabilities technique for cutting the image panel.

Stamps: Shady Tree Studio – Floral Occasions
Paper: Bazzill – white textured and lavender, The Paper Company – pink, unknown white for the image
Ink: Memento – Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Pearls, Stickles, foam tape, Prismacolor pencils, baby oil, Aleene’s Paper Glaze and tacky glue
Tools: Nestabilities, Martha Stewart border punch, cutting scissors

Happy Easter!

2011-04-22T06:00:00.003-04:00

Hello! It's Lisa again with another project to share with you today. I'm designing again with the Backyard Springtime set... and was really inspired by my design team colleagues' use of this sweet, sweet bunny!

Happy Easter

I just had a ball with this card. It's fun to color these sweet bunnies and give them each personality. I added a bit of Polar White Flower Soft to their bunny tails and some pearl pen drops to frame them in shine!

I hope you have a blessed and wonderful Easter!

Thanks for visiting and letting me share!
Lise

----------------------------------------------------
Supplies:
Stamps: Backyard Springtime by Shady Tree Studio
Ink: Walnut Stain Distress ink by Ranger
Paper: Solar White by Neenah, Kraft by Bazzill
Patterned Paper: Blossom Soup by Jillibean Soup (again!!!)
Other: Nestabilities by Spellbinder, clear embossing powder by Ranger, Polar White Flower Soft, Pearl pen in Ice White by Viva Decor, die by PTI
Copic Markers: E21, E23, E25, YG91, YG93, YG95, YG99, BG70, T1, T3, T5, W1, 0

Fresh Air

2011-04-20T17:33:00.002-04:00

It occurred to me that I have yet to share a card made with our first ever free-with-purchase digital image! It's time to correct that oversight :^).

It's the first thing I look forward to with warmer weather ~ open windows:

I colored the image with Copic markers and added polka dots to the fluttering curtains.

The card base is a*muse | studio and the paper is My Mind's Eye (Stella and Rose).

I used the out-of-the-box technique by drawing my border lightly in pencil

with the help of a grid-lined straight edge, then cutting along those lines with an X-acto knife

up to the out-of-the-box portion which I then freehand cut with the knife.

The curtain and window frame are actually outlined in pale blue

which you can see more clearly here:

The paper flowers, colored with Copic markers, and the rhinestone are a*muse.

I am finding that with the a*muse cardstock colored on one side and white on the other,

I have more of a tendency to complete the inside immediately.

I used a sentiment stamp from "Floral Occasions," accent stamps from "Eastertide,"

and a strip of paper from the My Mind's Eye pad used on the front of the card.

Thanks for visiting Shady Tree Studio!

New Blooms Birthday

2011-04-18T15:44:00.004-04:00

Welcome to a new week! It's spring in Michigan, and the grass is green, the birds are singing, and the snow is falling. Here's how beautiful it was here earlier today:

and the bulbs nestled in the snow:

I know it's tough on the new plants. . . that's a lilac budding in the foreground.

But it truly was a beautiful snow ~ big flakes drifting down without a breeze.

Since I know there are Michiganians ready to throw some snowballs at me about now,

we'll move on to the card for today!

Our neighbor and friend is going through a tough time right now and today's her birthday. Maybe a card and a special birthday cookie will help to cheer her for a few minutes.

I used one of the most popular Shady Tree Studio stamps from the CHF days . . . called Artsy Blooms back then, it is now part of the gloriously flowery set, "Floral Occasions:"

I stamped the florals on Bristol vellum ~ seriously one of the best papers ever to work with

for many coloring techniques. Here I used a*muse | studio French Roast ink

and colored with water brush and Derwent Inktense pencils.

The gingham and pale pink cardstock are also from a*muse | studio!

This is a great pattern that can go from cute to elegant, feminine (call it gingham)

to masculine (call it checks!), and comes in loads of colors.

I rounded a couple of corners of the Bristol,

threaded the PTI ribbon through a slot at the fold,

and added the two a*muse pearls.

Often when I use watercolor, I'll add a light wash behind the image to

ground it and add interest and color.

When coloring with Copics, we'll frequently see an outline of the image

also with Copic to serve the same purpose.

This time around, I used the Derwent Inktense as watercolor to create just

a line of shadow around the image, as we do with Copics,

and even though it's a small change, I really love the different look to it ~

still watercolor but more subtle than a wider area of wash.

Clean and simple for the inside!

I used sentiment stamps also from "Floral Occasions"

and stamped it off once with a*muse Bubblegum ink

to accent the lower right corner.

[I'm going to be getting a second light source for photos ~ just want you to know I'm well aware that the shots lately have not been adequate!]

ETA: I replaced the card front photos - just couldn't take it anymore, LOL! These are a bit better :^) .

Thanks for visiting!!! See you soon!

* * * * * a*muse news! * * * * *

New post today on the a*muse blog :^) !

I'll be placing an order this week to have more products to share here at Shady Tree ~ I am really enjoying the cardstock and inks . . . the foundation of every card.

Stamp on!!

:^)

Quick Easter Card

2011-04-16T15:48:00.001-04:00

What else to do when you have a few minutes, not enough time to get really "into" something, but have to DO something?!? How about a 10-minute card to share with blog friends?! :^)

Be forewarned. . . it is a dark, dark day here, and photo editing can only do so much with a mostly white card!!

This is not the concept that immediately sprang into my head when I started out, but I'm pretty pleased with the CAS result:

I thought I would stamp "JOY" across the center of the middle egg,

but the proportions are really all wrong, so I shifted the sentiment to the lower right corner.

That led me to trying something I don't think I've done before. . .

I embossed the freshly stamped image with clear embossing powder.

Now, you know me -- I love the look of embossing!!

But I usually use Versamark and clear or colored embossing powder.

For this card, I used the new inks from a*muse | studio and wanted to test it out with e.p.

Fabulous!!!

What is it about this ink?? It dries when I want it to and stays wet when I need it to.

Psychic ink, that's the only explanation.

;^)

The stamps, of course, are from our "Eastertide" set and the inks and stones are all from a*muse.

Notice the variation ink color on the eggs?

That's called "the serendipity of the lazy stamper."

My stamps were not completely clean and I'd hang my head in shame if

I didn't end up with the coolest color variations as a result!

Hope you enjoyed this rare Saturday post as much as I enjoyed sharing the card with you!!! Hmm... wonder if I have time for one more 10-minute card?!! And. . . I'm off ~~~ Later, friends!

Stamp on!

:^)

Curio Flowers

2011-04-15T06:00:00.003-04:00

Hello! It's Lisa again with another project to share with you today. I'm designing again with the Backyard Springtime set... this time with a different feel to the project fun.

Curio Flowers

This project was completely inspired by an older paper pack I had on hand. In fact, when I saw the large flowers in Nancy's set, I instantly thought of what a great fit it would be with the Curio Basic Grey paper!

My Curio Flowers were colored with Copics to match the patterned paper. I also used a marker spritz (something I had from years ago from Stampin' Up - sorry, I don't know if they still sell this item or not) to add a bit of distress to match the Curio paper. I stamped an extra set of the flowers to pop up on the main panel for extra dimension too. You can see that dimension in this picture.

Are you ever inspired by beautiful papers and images?

Thanks for visiting and letting me share!
Lise

----------------------------------------------------
Supplies:
Stamps: Backyard Springtime by Shady Tree Studio
Ink: Black Soot Distress ink by Ranger
Paper: Natural White by Neenah, Black and Kraft by Bazzill
Patterned Paper: Curio by Basic Grey
Other: Nestabilities by Spellbinder, clear embossing powder by Ranger, Bamboo Leaves and Rich Cocoa Memento markers by Tsukineko, marker spritz
Copic Markers: E00, E02, E04, E07, E09, YG91, YG93, YG95, YG99, E40, W1

Follow by Email

2011-04-14T23:11:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to stop in and let you all know that Blogger has added a new option -- "follow by email." There's a new field to enter your email in the sidebar. Once entered into the system, you'll receive email updates for new blog posts!

I have simply discontinued the prior Feedblitz subscription service, so if you had been a Feedblitz subscriber, simply add your email address to the "Follow by email" field in the sidebar and you're all set to continue receiving email updates :^) .

Thanks for subscribing to the blog!!!

Easter Egg

2011-04-14T19:22:00.000-04:00

So you know those sugar eggs we used to have at Easter? You look through the hole in the end and see a little scene of Easter critters? And the egg is sugar sparkly? Yeah, this card doesn't really look like that.

;^) But it was inspired by that!! I had a tough time getting the effect I was after but once I discarded the idea of glitter, things moved along pretty well. My daughter would like a glittery Easter card but I'll have to revisit that idea another time. . .

I used the cloisonne style stamps from "Eastertide" - the egg is decorated with the egg stamp.

I embossed the egg in white and the duck & rabbit in silver,

and then used a waterbrush and Derwent Inktense watercolor pencils to color.

The cardstock, polka dot paper, ribbon and flowers are all from A muse Studio!

I'm really loving the A muse products.

The flowers all began white and were colored with Copics.

They are nice and sturdy and perfectly suited to a mini brad in the center.

Hope you liked today's card!

Thanks for coming by ~

Stamp on!

:^)

Naturally Imagined

2011-04-12T11:45:00.003-04:00

Hello blog friends!!

Yes, recovering from a little more illness here . . . this has been a rough year. My daughter's school has not escaped a single thing! Recently it's been fifth's disease and strep throat.   Hopefully this is the end of the sick season.

Last week, I did have the distinct pleasure of participating in her school's Fine Arts Day event but unfortunately forgot to bring my camera. The kids were really receptive to learning what's involved in illustrating stamp designs, seeing some of the "hardware" involved in the process, learning about different coloring media, and of course doing some stamping!   Now I think I am finally unpacked for awhile and can get back to business!!

Surprise -- I actually have a card for you today!!!   I broke away from some of the more specifically spring sets (I'm learning to not capitalize the seasons, but it's hard ;^) ). Today I chose "Naturally Imagined."

This looks like a lot of coloring but really not. . . I started each blossom with a lighter color,

and colored what I chose to be the limit of the petals.

Then I took a darker shade of each color and simply outlined the petal layers,

and came back in with the lighter color and 'pushed' that darker color outward a bit.

I used the same process for the leaves and then colored in the background area.

The Copic colors for the blooms are:

Chrome Orange and Orange; Light Prawn and Salmon Red; Hydrangea and Light Hydrangea.

The leaves are Yellow Green and New Leaf, and the edge of the image area is

outlined with Light Hydrangea.

With this stamp and others like it, you really can decide to have more "blossom" or more leaves.

Only the absolutely largest of shapes is distinctly leaf-like. This time I thought I'd like more

leafiness surrounding the blooms.

And by turning the stamp and stamping off the page in places,

it doesn't even look like one stamp used repeatedly -

the blooms appear much more distinctive.

After adding the French Roast ribbon from A muse Studio, I added five little

white gel pen dots to the center of each bloom.

Cardstock base is PTI, and paper is from Basic Grey.

Hope you like today's card! I think this is a floral design that actually could be sent to a man -- it all depends on the person, of course, but I don't write off all florals as purely feminine cards. Actually, I think the quote helps to make this a more gender-neutral card.

Thanks for coming by and I'll be back soon!! I'm also working on some new stamp sets so watch for a release date announcement :^) !!

* * * A muse News * * *

I finally managed to ink up some A muse stamps with A muse ink!! Yay! Just follow the link on the sidebar to the A muse blog if you are so inclined ;^) !!!

Stamp On!

:^)

Spring Duckies

2011-04-08T06:00:00.004-04:00

Hello! It's Lisa with another fun project for you. This week's project uses the Backyard Springtime set.

Spring Duckies

I'm officially addicted to Jillibean Soup's new Blossom Soup patterned paper. I am flying through the pad of paper at alarming speed! And for me, that's saying a lot, since I'm a self-described hoarder of all things pretty. I'm turning a new leaf this year and enjoying what I buy, so the Blossom Soup is getting a lot of use!

I paper-pieced part of my stamped and embossed image so tie the image to my patterned paper cardfront. I would seriously love a pair of polka dotted red rain boots, wouldn't you? They are too cute for words!!

Here you can see the detail of the main image and my paper-piecing.

Some twine and rolled roses round out my Spring card.

Thanks for letting me ramble at you today! I hope you're having a wonderful, warm Spring day wherever you are.

lise
--------------------------------------------------
Supplies:
Stamps: Backyard Springtime by Shady Tree Studio
Ink: Black Soot Distress Ink by Ranger
Paper: Kraft by Bazzill, Solar White by Neenah
Patterned Paper: Blossom Soup by Jillibean Soup
Other: rolled rose dies by MFT, quickie glue pen by Sakura, blade, twine by Garnish, clear embossing powder
Copic Markers: YG91, YG93, YG95, YG21, Y15, RV63, RV66, BG70, BG72, YR16, 0

Chocolate Bunnies and Easter Peeps!

2011-04-07T09:48:00.002-04:00

Today's project is all about CANDY!!!!! yummmmmm...... our youngest son Ryan is our big candy-a-holic. gosh, that guy is a sugar addict from the word go. he cracks me up with his love of every sweet morsel, nothing escapes his desire for candy, candy, candy! I love to cover these great big candy bars for something a little different to do, so when I saw the wonderful rabbit and duck in the Shady Tree Studio set, 'Eastertide', I knew at some point I wanted to create a chocolate bunny and Easter Peep with them. Hopefully I have accomplished that look here. I embossed the images by first stamping in versamark ink and then into the various SU! classic inks. I did this because I don't have craft inks that correspond to the colors I wanted to use - marigold morning and early espresso.

a month or so ago I was blessed to win a My Favorite Things gift certificate. I have quite a few of their fabby stamps, so decided to get some of the dies that they have started to carry. I bought the grass and flat bottom clouds dies with my certificate and have used them here. the papers are all from the Cosmo Cricket Garden Variety collection. I punched the little baby flowers with my SU! flower trio punch. Ribbons are from an assortment I won a while back, as is the felt flower & button, so I apologize that I don't know manufacturers for those. the mulberry flower is Prima.

Try making one of these yourself! it is a great way to dress up a fun giftie! Jennifer

Butterfly and Flowers

2011-04-07T00:03:00.002-04:00

Hi there! Michele from IamDerby here. I have a really cute card for you today using Backyard Spring. You may have noticed that I love those flowers! I used my spellbinders to cut a circle out of the card. Then I stamped the flowers on white card and used the next size up circle to cut them out. I colored them and added some stickles. I stamped that sweet sentiment on the front of the card and then added this sparkly die cut. I made it sparkly with sparkle embossing powder and more stickles. A little bling to finish it off.

Hey there!!!

2011-04-04T19:13:00.000-04:00

It's good to be back in blogland!! It's been an incredibly crazy last couple of weeks ~ and now I'm finally unpacking for the last time for awhile . . . I hope!!

I know you've been in good hands with the Design Team :^) . I'd just like to give them all a HUGE thank you for posting such beauties and continuing to be such wonderful inspiration for us. *applause, applause* !!!

This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of taking STS "on the road" to Stamp Therapy in Grand Rapids. The owners, Jan and Ron Kirkconnell (and their sweet little pooch, Cooper) were incredibly gracious hosts ~ I felt right at home in their well-equipped and spacious crafting area!! We had a great group of ladies stop by for a make & take, and a chance to try out Shady Tree Studio stamps first-hand. Jan is now carrying a selection of STS stamps in the store, and I'm pleased to say her inventory was going fast on Saturday! Thank you so much, Stamp Therapy & friends, for a wonderfully successful outing!

Today I thought I'd share the cards we made on Saturday. First up, a new one I prepared specifically for the class, and then a little remake of one you've seen in a previous post here.

Here's our first card, using a Tim Holtz technique with Distress Ink for the background, and Prismacolors with Gamsol and blending stumps for our main image:

This speckled background was achieved by applying a few Distress Ink colors (in this case,

Tumbled Glass, Wild Honey, and Peeled Paint), directly to the craft sheet,

spritzing with water, then applying the panel face down, and drying with a heat gun.

I love the spotty, speckled look - very much how I like to dye Easter eggs!

We then repeat stamped the fence image across the bottom with Distress Ink.

The image is Prismacolor pencil with Gamsol, and I used first just one color per flower, coloring

deeply along the shadows/edges first, then blending with Gamsol. Then I added some yellow

to the "high" areas of the petals. For the center, we used a little Sakura glitter pen and then

white gel pen for the dots in the flower center. That little touch adds a lot of interest to the image.

I love this flower cluster -- simple field flowers that are suitable in any color you choose!

Our next card is a variation from this post - this time with no masking involved:

I simplified the card slightly by leaving out the masking and stamping the sentiment

directly onto the patterned paper, but added interest by using an EKSuccess

ribbon slot punch across the bottom. The ladies in the class enjoyed playing with variations

on weaving the ribbon through the punched openings - lots of great effects!

Here's a link to the ribbon slot punch!

Some cardmakers also used a piece of complementary patterned paper to put behind the tulip panel.

It really feels good to be "back in the saddle" here on the blog!! I'm in the midst of preparing some new stamp sets for you, but I don't plan on being a stranger!! I need some of my own "stamp therapy" too, and can't wait to share more cards with you :^) .

I also received my initial a*muse | studio supplies, and you'll start seeing those products used here in the near future!! I've decided that at the end of posts using a | s products, I'll add a little "amuse news" info for those who are interested. It will appear at the end of the posts as sort of a "if you're interested, read on" feature. I'm getting a lot of really nice feedback on a | s and our online shopping is now available, too, so I've added links in the sidebar here!

I'll be back again as soon as I can with more cards! And I'm thinking about that next release date. . . I just can't wait to bring out this next group of stamps :^) .

Take care, friends, and thanks for visiting!!

Stamp On!

:^)

Shady Tree Studio, LLC

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I'm back!! waving