Hello Everyone, I getting all geared up for my trip next month to California for the Art & Soul Retreat my sister and I  will be attending.  I’m so very excited!  I’ll be taking a 2 day class on making Nature Journals and a one day class to learn how to color black and white photos.

If you want to check out the retreat, here is the link:   

http://www.artandsoulretreat.com/Asilomar-2008.php

Check it out and attend.  I would love to meet you all!

It’s so funny, I need to take some stamps for the nature journal class.  How on earth am I going to decide which ones to take and what inks!  You know the brayer will be shoved in the bag for sure.  I’m planning on taking one suit case just for art supplies, so what if I’m wearing the same outfits over and over again, lol.

Has anyone else prepared for something like this?  Do you have any suggestions?  Check out the link and look at all the things I have to haul from Ohio to California.  There is a supply list for each class, yikes!

I’ll share my projects with you all when I return from the trip, whether they are good or bad, lol.  You all are my friends now,  I can show you the yucky stuff too right? 

Anyway, I am extremely excited to be able to attend this retreat!   Packing suggestions are so very welcome.

One more thing, I already have another tutorial done.  I will be posting it tomorrow.  I haven’t made a card without doing a tutorial on it in over a month.  There has been such an over whelming response to this blog.  I had over 17,000 hits in a month and one day.  Woohooo!  Thanks everyone for your kind words and support this last month. 

The sun was actually shining here in Ohio yesterday and it makes me long for warm summer days.  Here is a little piece of a beach scene to warm you this morning.  Let’s get started on today’s tutorial.

Supplies: 

On a 2 1/2″ x 6″ piece of Whisper White I brayered at an angle Hazelnut ink.

Keeping at the same angle, brayered River Rock ink over the Hazelnut ink and a little further up the card stock a bit.

Turned the card stock and brayered at an angle Aqua ink down to but not into the River Rock ink.

At the same agle, brayered Stonewashed ink on but I did not completely cover the Aqua ink.  Working on a graduation in color here.

Still staying at that same angle, brayered Denim ink at the top of the card stock, not covering completely the Stonewashed ink.

Stamped Sand dollar with Ginger ink.

Colored the sand dollar in with a Peach Beige Prismacolor Pencil.

Made some highlights on the sand dollar with a white gel pen.

Tore a Post It note and used it as a mask for the sand area so I could put in a water line.  Sponged on White Craft ink at torn edge of Post it Note.

Removed Post it Note and use my white gel pen to define the water line further.

Sponged a bit more Denim ink at the top left corner of the card stock to darken a bit.

Used my Cuttlebug machine and Cuttlebug embossing folder to emboss one of the card layers.

Assembled card front and stamped my sentiment in Denim, using my Stamp-A-Ma-Jig for placement.  I stamped the stamp off on scrap paper once to lighten the image before stamping on the card stock.

Added some brads and I have another finished card.