michelle ward

Using them...new stencils

Thank you so much for the enthusiastic response to the new collection of stencils and stamps.  I thought I'd show you the prototype for a visual on the set of both stencil and mask you will receive on all but the Grasses and Noise sheets.  And here is a large canvas I made using them.  LOVE how thick they are, they work like a dream.  PRE-ORDER special offer for stencils and stamps good through Monday evening, December 3, then they will be produced and shipped.  My guy said turn-around will be quick, yay! 

Visit GREENPEPPERPRESS.com for the ordering info. if you're interested.

 

 

Calling all Frond Lovers - new stencils & stamps

I've been working on this for a while and I'm really excited to finally share this with you.  I'm introducing a new line of stamps, stencils, and stencil/mask sets.  Take a look - you get both the innie and the outie - the stencil and the mask with these sets.  How cool is that?  I've been teaching this technique and advocating that you utilize both the stencil and mask when you apply images.  I also love having images in multiple scales which is why you can get the fronds in stamps too.  After many requests following my Frond Chronicles workshop (which seems to be the most popular 'pin' of my work) I was swayed to launch this collection.  It is available for pre-order this week as I await the inventory, then the prices will adjust.  Visit GREENPEPPERPRESS.com to order.

Some digital samples...I like messing around with shapes, color, layering and composition digitally so I know they work prior to production. 

 

I will be teaching this workshop again next year.  I can't post details yet - announcement will come in January (I think!) so stay tuned.

turkeys, nutcrackers, and rock stars

First, let me wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving.  There is so much to be thankful for, especially this year as we reflect on all that has happened in our neck of the woods.  I am grateful for the walls and roof of our home, with full power restored to cook a turkey and all the trimmings.  I am grateful for my family - my parents are arriving soon to celebrate around the table with us.  I am grateful for an entire trunk full of memories visiting family and friends in England, and seeing the glorious sites of Venice. I'm a lucky girl.

 

With all that went on recently I wasn't able to share this news.  My latest Somerset Studio column came out November 1st, Make It Your Own: Nutcrackers.  I love nutcrackers!!!  It finally occured to me to put my own spin on them.   If you think you want to try it I recommend shopping Hobby Lobby - they have a wonderful unfinished large nutcracker this season.  My store is sold out and they aren't re-ordering :(  You could also buy a cheapy one from the dollar store and sand off all the cheesey sequins and add your own handsome bits to it.  Here are three of mine...the Royal Guard was described, but the photo was inadvertently left out of the article, so I will share here.

 

And if you don't want to go full-out with embellishment, you can always just spray paint a solid color.  They look cool too.

Again, Happy Thanksgiving!  And since tomorrow is 11/22, I have to wish my favorite rock star Hyvää Syntymäpäivää.

 

bookended by floods

Hello!  Alot has happened since we last met nearly three weeks ago!  I didn't get a chance to say goodbye because we were without power for nine days.  Luckily we had no real damage from superstorm Sandy - losing electricity was enough of a challenge.  We usually have flooding issues so we feel very blessed to have stayed dry with this hurricane.  I am thankful for smart phones as a means of staying in touch with the outside world - taking several respites in the parked car to warm up, charge our batteries, and hear the news on the radio.   By day three our still-electrified neighbor loaned us an outlet through a series of cords over the backyard fence.  It was such a nice gesture, and a thrill to be able to plug in a lamp, stretching out our days. Our community lost hundreds of trees - it looks like a disaster here but nothing compared to other locations in New Jersey and New York.  Like I said, we are blessed.

The stars were aligned and the airport opened just in time for Fallon and I to fly off to England and Italy, leaving the boys at home with Dad and lots of candles.  It truly was a spectacular experience....visiting Birmingham and London, and finally getting to Venice.  I will be sharing photos in the next few posts...still trying to get my inner clock adjusted to the time zone I'm in.  Thanks to all of you who piped in on facebook as I attempted to share photos from my phone for the first time.  And many thanks to those of you who checked in on us following the storm in NJ, and the news of the Acqua Alta conditions in Venice - yes, we got caught in it!  But...we were on the way to the airport the morning the sirens went off so it didn't put a damper on our trip - just soaked our suitcases!  What a way to end it!!  More soon!