Stamper's block

Well, I have it, I have stampers block again. I am getting sick of myself getting this all the time. Really! I have new stamps begging to be inked and I just can't make anything no matter what I try. We are going to the beach for a few days and I am hoping I can stamp again when I get back home. Oh well, coloring images isn't even helping. The challenges aren't helping either. I need a break I guess. Maybe I have run out of ideas and I will never be able to make a single thing again. argggggggg!

Copics oh my

Todays homework for me was to stamp some images and practice blending with my copic markers. These markers are fabulous and I love that they leave no lines and they look so smooth when you color with them. I started by downloading a color chart from Sharen Harnist blog.

I then colored in each square with the markers I currently own so I wouldn't ever buy another duplicate marker by mistake again and so I could see what the colors look like when I sit down to use them. Next I stamped my little Loads of Love truck from SU 3 times on PTI white CS using Aderondak Ink in black. Now I got busy coloring. I have read that you should start with the lightest ink and then add to it with your darker colors. I actually touched the tip of my light marker to the tip of the darker one to pick up the color. It isn't supposed to hurt it or ruin the markers. So I colored away and practiced the techniques I have been reading about. I realize I have a long way to go before I am good at this coloring, but, I plan to keep practicing and hopefully improve someday. Its not bad but I think when I photograph these images I can see where I need to improve. I just thought I would share what I am doing today because I am bored LOL.

Were ba-ack!

A very short long weekend at lake LBJ in Kingsland, Texas and I am so tired! We had so very much fun getting together, it was great. My MIL finally made it to a family function away from home. It was so wonderful. She has been an invalid with right-sided paralysis and speech paralysis for 3 years following a long recovery from a rare disease called TTP. My husbands family has 7 kids and we are all married with kids and we try to get together once a year to go on vacation in the summer. We were missing a few members this year due to a new birth, and my BIL Steve had to work back in Guam, my 17 yo DD stayed home to work so she was missed too. Luckily my SIL was able to bring the kids from Guam and attend. The kids all have cousins to play with and normally they all play great together and get along very well. It makes the grown-ups able to visit and enjoy ourselves. We now have teenagers chasing the little ones so there is lots of help. We always have way too much food and we always eat too much. We might even drink too much. I think we made a reservation for the same resort next year, it was awesome! Next year we are going to try to get a house with a pool though. We stayed next door to one and they let us use the pool on Saturday which was awesome! It just so happened that one of my SIL's was very good friends to the people staying next door with the pool and it was pure coincidence that we were all there at the same time. Talk about a small world!

PHOTO ALBUM

This picture you are seeing is the infamous family photo....every year we try and take a family picture. Its a mess. There are so many of us and no one is ever ready. We try to get a *good* shot and then we do the crazy face shot. We are missing my in-laws, they had to leave before the photo was taken. Today I recover and wash laundry! Glad to be home but ready for next year!

A Muse-a-palooza

Yippee its time for new stuff! I did a little *light shopping yesterday, to be followed by a little more on Thursday when I return for the class. Not all the stamps were available on the first day so I am hoping to get some more on Thursday. I really want the inter tuber! I was hoping for the 8 1/2" x 11" Vintage paper too, we shall see.

These are a few Deadbeat Design stamps I had ordered and I picked up at the LSS as well. I forgot I had them coming. They were added when I was gathering chocolate stamps. Now I have a ton of chocolate stamps. Chocolate for every occasion!

*edited to add... stamps say:
Happy Chocolate Day
From One Chocoholic to another
The big block says a bunch of things LOL

Now the time to stamp....hmmm maybe next week!