I chose my profession.  I am an American Sign Language Interpreter for the Deaf. It’s in my blood, my brain and my hands.  It’s who I am and who I have wanted to be since I first saw an Interpreter in the 4th grade.  I focused on getting my National Certification and then set a goal to get my Bachelor’s Degree.  Since choosing this, my life has changed 100%.  I am now the proud graduate of the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelor’s Degree in ASL and I am a Video Relay Interpreter for Sorenson Communications.

The second reason is I got married and one month later, I was pregnant.  If you know me, getting pregnant at 40 was amazing but it was physically one of the hardest things I have ever done. (a separated pelvis, two months of bedrest, etc.)  I can’t say I ever want to do it again!!  But! At the same time, it’s one of the BEST projects I ever did.  =)  As I write this, my daughter, Lily Marie is 9 months old and the most wonderful little girl. She is the LOVE of my whole family’s life.

Now, back to stamping. I did manage to sneak some Halloween cards in while she was napping. They were smallish and simple, but I had fun and it was a great way to get back into stamping after such a long time.

I decided to make tags that were still full of the holiday spirit  and could be hung on a Christmas tree.   I stamped six of the same images on a piece of cardstock colored them all with Distress Inks and the blending tool.  After they were all colorful and pretty, I added glitter glue.  When all was dried I cut each image out and mounted them onto pretty Christmas-y paper. 

However, in the end I missed Christmas.  I slipped on the ice and fell on my concrete steps. I tore ligaments in my sacral (hip) joint and was on bed rest for two weeks. I still got to pass out some tags AFTER New Year’s but it wasn’t quite the same.  Oh well!  There’s always next year!! 

The colors are vibrant, beautiful and different every time.  I made these 5 cards last July and am thrilled to have another article with Stampington!    A lot of the stamps used are Inkadinkado.  Check out their swirls and birds at www.inkadinkado.com.  Go to www.rangerink.com for Color Wash inks and more!

   These cards are very fun and easy to make.  If you look closely,  all five cards have two things in common:

1.  The papers were all made with Color Wash

2.  All the cards have a piece of green with white polka dots in them somewhere. 

When I sent them all in to Stamper’s Sampler, I wrapped them in such a way that the front of the package queried, “All 5 cards have two things in common- one technique and one material.  Can you figure out what they are??” 

I figure everyone loves a good riddle! 

Inkadinkado makes some GREAT Halloween images.  Make sure to check them out at www.inkadinkado.com

This year for Halloween I only made about 25 cards,  If you didn’t get one, just know I did my best!!  Hope your Halloween was fun and spooky!

It takes several layers to create the colors and is a bit messy but fun to do!  Luckily, Kenz loved her card!  Hopefully you can make something you love for someone YOU love!

Spring is here!  It was such a tough winter!  A BLIZZARD in March! Very soon school will be out and I will be working only at Sorenson. I think (hope, hope, hope) that I can get more time in my beloved art room.  If you see me out on the bike path on my bike- yell at me and tell me to get into my art room!!

Hope you are having a good Spring!

This weekend, Columbus got buried under 20 inches of snow (some reports say).  All day Saturday Coco and I were stranded.  Malls, stores, restaurants and most businesses were closed. None of this deterred Coco The Snow Dog!!  Hope you were safe and dry in your little part of the world!

 I make a LOT of cards.  But, if you were to ask me to see them… the best I can offer you is a slide show on my lap top.  My cards are either 1.  sent to family or friends,  2. sent into The Stamper’s Sampler as submissions, or 3.  send directly to a stamp/ink company.  

Once, my friend Karan Olsen-Smith- the fabulous woman behind the fun company- Magic Mesh www.magicmesh.com told me that scrapbookers make things for themselves.  Card people make things for everyone else.  That’s so true!  If I did scrapping, I’d be the only one who wanted the personal pages.  Cards can be for anyone and I wouldn’t want to keep them all to myself.!  I remind myself of that when I wish I had more of my work with me!!  I hope you have a day filled with creation!

Here’s an amazing card I made this week.  I got some awesome stamps from “Just for Fun” at the Stampaway convention in Cincinnati. Stamp Your Art Out!!   Get busy with your holiday cards and check out classes coming up at The Color Wheel in Enon, Ohio and Wholly Craft here in Clintonville.

I taught a fun class at The Color Wheel in Enon.  We made a series of bird cards featuring Ranger Distress Inks, and Acrylic Paint Dabbers.  Here are a few pics of the class.