Thursday, July 17, 2014

Wacky Watercooler 1st Anniversary


Hello all you Wacky Watercooler fans.  Hard for me to believe that one year has passed since the idea of this blog hop materialized.  If you are popping in because you are one of my regular viewers, why not have a look at the entire hop?  The HOME button below will take you to the beginning and you can meander your way through that way.  Otherwise you likely arrived from Terri's blog full of tantalizing techniques.

Thinking about this anniversary had me philosophizing about groups and connections.  How are we connected to each other besides the obvious -- stamping?  It could be an interesting discussion as each one of us comes from different backgrounds let alone different places on this earth. The watercooler thread on our Stampin' Connection forum has been a dock for our many ships.  Here we "drop anchor" and chat about stamping and our lives.  We try to remain focused on our creative visions, individually and collectively. Then after a time, we "pull up anchor" and drift around until we return to discuss what we have created and learned away from the watercooler dock. These deep thoughts led me to this card to give virtually to my Wacky Watecooler friends:

stamps:  open sea, kinda eclectic, papillion potpourri and sentiment: teeny tiny wishes

This technique is on Buffy Cooper's website and Susan Horr's blog.  Both of these talented ladies stop by the watercooler! The basic technique is to use the firm foam pads to create the background.  Oh, and what do you think of the whimsical organza ribbon coming up on the side?  I feather-cut the edges and used a dauber to add a little crushed curry to the end.

ink:  hello honey, pool party, lost lagoon, baked brown sugar, soft suede, crushed curry, white e.p., versamark
paper: pool party, hello honey, whisper white
tools/accessories: 5/8" white organza ribbon, word window punch, heating tool

I've been playing around with layering colours and glosses. Seeing what other creative people make outside of the stamping world can be very inspiring.  When I was on vacation visiting my folks, I met an artist who makes paper look like ceramic tile mosaics.  Her name is Choleena DiTullio.  Here is a sample of her work:  

I have a long way to go to be this creative as she also has a Fine Arts degree.  Anyway, for this card below, I used the pad brushing technique again, layered with stamped images, embossed white flowers, then coated the finished product with a decoupage gloss.  Luckily I was able to catch a glimpse of the shimmer in the photo.

stamps: kinda eclectic, flower shop, and sentiment: express yourself (retired)

ink: lost lagoon, hello honey, pool party, white e.p., versamrk
paper: whisper white, hello honey
123759 * $17.95 cl-mount
papillon potpourri
130942 * $21.95 cl-mount
flower shop

135350 * $24.95 cl-mount
kinda eclectic












Thank you so much for stopping by to see where my imagination is flowing.  I invite you to experiment with colour, light and medium in your next project.

Consider using the blog hop buttons below to carry on in the direction you wish to go:

  

9 comments:

  1. Wow, Bev! I absolutely love your creations and I will have to add those techniques to my "MUST TRY" You are super talented!! Happy Anniversary to you, my fellow Watercooler Pal. :)

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  2. Wow - gorgeous cards, Bev! I love that direct to paper technique; I'll have to check the other's blogs for more details. Thanks for sharing, and happy blog-a-versary! :)

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  3. Fun backgrounds! Great idea to use the decoupage gloss. I bet it looks even better in real life.

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  4. Love this technique! Beautiful cards...thanks for sharing.

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  5. Hi Bev, thanks for being there from the beginning and also being part of this 1st Anniversary Blog Hop. It's been quite a journey! I love your projects! I love the virtual Anniversary card and the story that goes with it. I'm so glad you've dropped anchor beside me so frequently. You're a great shipmate. I don't blame you for wanting to perfect that technique which Choleena used on the tile. What a lovely creation! I'd say you're well on your way to competing with her because your creation has more depth and makes you keep finding new little bits that you don't even notice at first glance. I absolutely love it and have to try it. Thanks so much for sharing.

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  6. Love this technique. You did a beautiful job. Love these cards and they are going in my must do file.

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  7. Beb, love the beautiful backgrounds, that look so "artsy"!

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  8. Nice Job with your cards, I have never been able to make whimsical artsy cards.

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  9. Bev, I love your philosophical Watercooler card, but the second card is absolutely stunning! So many fabulous layers and excellent depth, and yet completely flat - and a superb layout, too. I can't stop looking at it, I keep seeing more to love!

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