Cleaning Lady

My favorite yahoo group has started up once again (only active Spring and Summer) and Kimm, our challenge leader is getting us ready for a season of creating with a series of challenges.  The first challenge was to find and clean your stamp area. Ladies are posting their before and after photos - gosh, I love seeing where other ladies create.

Because of all this activity,I thought I'd do a little cleaning lady...

Her face was borrowed from a  picture in an old stamp catalog - Stamps by Judith - Judith Kleinschmidt.
Her shoes were borrowed from my memory of Carol Burnett and her cleaning lady character.
Her hair is the postage stamp punch with another piece of it punched next to the hole to give a front layer
Dust pan is the pennant punch trimmed to have a handle
Collar is from the cupcake punch
The rest is the usual mess.

and here without any mess is my clean space....

Hopefully it will be covered in punch droppings soon (and for the next few months...)

In Color Clown

This started out as a color challenge but I got distracted and missed the deadline, so now it is just another piece of punch art for the pile.  Maybe you can use the idea.

Nothing wildly different about this guy - the hands are part of the butterfly punch - repunched with a largish circle - the pants are the breast from the owl punch - and the rest is pretty obvious.

Here it the link to another clown I did back in the early days of the blog that I think I like better - Click Here.  Maybe you can mix parts of the 2 clowns and add a dash of your own creativity for a new and improved version.

I'm not "clowning around" when I say THANK YOU DEAR READERS!!  Yesterday the blink blog passed a million page views.  Yes, I said 1,000,000 page views in less than 2 years.  I sincerely appreciate your support, your inspiration, your comments, and most of all your hanging with me through my emotional upheavals and scrapbook phases.  Love y'all!

Tennis Power

Surprise!  Third post in a row...

I don't play tennis (I don't play sports - I think I'm "allergic" to exercise) but if I did, I would not want this character hitting a ball in my direction - this gal has some muscles!

Head - Owl punch (minus feet and ears)
Hair - NEW postage punch - as is, turned on the diagonal
Strip of something (I already forgot) for headband
Usual, usual usual  blah blah blah - legs are modern label with a line drawn to separate them. Lips are the tiny heart from the owl punch.

Color your hair and find a new career...

Once a brunette baker, next a blond artist, this same "face" now belongs to a Red Headed Science Major.

or maybe a lab tech, or maybe a doctor - give her the prop you need for your project  (Graduation card perhaps?)

Face from THIS POST
White coat - large oval - cut flat on bottom, cut in V at neck.  I actually cut the thing in half to make her coat but it is exactly the same size so I recommend you just draw the line down the middle and keep the oval whole - draw on collar and buttons
Sleeves - 1/4 small oval
Arms - large oval around small oval hole - cut to get the pieces for her forearms
Pocket - end of word window
"dress" behind the coat - just a couple of tiny rectangular scraps (no punch needed)
Legs - one word window with line drawn down the middle to get 2 legs
Shoes -  drawn on - I tried the smallest heart to heart around a small circle hole  (small part and hard to attach - recommend you use liquid like Tombo Multi if you choose this option)

A Little Artist

So the baby steps continue... I took the first baby step face again and instead of making her a baker - I made her a blond...

This hair looks like one of kiddo's best friends, who happened to be in my kitchen at the time of creation so I asked her what she would like to be and she answered "Artist, artist with a green smock".

Just a few minutes later I had this done so I guess I am starting to find my groove.  I just need the I-fairy to find her way home and we'll be totally back in business!

Face, Neck and Hair info - HERE - from 2 or 3 posts ago  (I added another scallop oval behind her head to fill in the hair totally)

Beret - small oval and slot punch (slot is retired, use a tiny scrap)

Smock - half a medium oval at the top, wide oval trimmed (diagonally on each side) draw on the "gathers"

Sleeves  - wide heart to heart

Hands - itty bitty circle at ends of modern label

Palette - medium oval trimmed in, standard hole punch paint spots

Brush - tip of one of the Blossom Petals and word window on edge of paper

Another Baby Step

Slowly getting back to punching - continuing the baby steps....

Nothing fancy, no sponging, nothing complex but a character that you can use for just about ANY recipe card... or a card for a cook... or a scrapbook page about cooking up trouble...

oh, just use it for SOMETHING

How to:
Face from previous post
plus
Hat - 3/4 inch square (retired punch, just use your paper trimmer to make one) and small oval
Arms - large oval around small oval hole - trim to get the parts you need
Hands - itty bitty circle at ends of modern label
Chest - small oval - trimmed
Apron/Dress - first I punched the neck hole with that retired 3/4 inch square - then punched the 1.25 square around it, then trimmed the sides on a slight diagonal - so you might as well free hand this (sorry)
Bowl - 1 inch circle on edge of paper
Spoon - itty bitty circle - put on a post it note, the sticky part, and repunch with same to get oval spoon shape - add narrow strip of word window punch for spoon handle

Not the Dallas Cowboys...

Ha, you'd never know it by all the hoopla the Super Bowl is getting around here but another big event is going on in North Texas right now - the Stock Show and Rodeo in Ft. Worth. 

In honor of that, I made a little cowboy...

Hat - large oval and the very "top" part of butterfly in brown - word window in red
All the rest is the usual stuff

Belt buckle is brushed silver paper, embossed with the Vintage Wallpaper folder and strategically punched with the medium oval. 

Yes, this belt buckle is proportioned correctly - they wear them BIG - this IS Texas!

Waiting on the recipe....

Yes, another unfinished project... just WAITING on me to add the recipe.  Waiting... Waiter...  You knew I couldn't resist that one.

Couple of retired things here - Key Tag which as we have discussed before you can get from a rectangle and a corner rounder - and the slot punch which you really can't get but you can substitute little straight scraps.  I really can't imagine why SU retired that one and I think they should bring it back - even ladies who don't do punch art used it to put ribbon on cards...

I won't keep you WAITING any longer (giggle)
Here's the recipe for the waiter:

Hair - small tag punch shortened
Face - key tag (retired)
Eyebrows and moustache - slot punch
Eyes - a standard hole punch in white and black
Nose - small circle (itty bitty punch pack) trimmed on sides
Mouth - small circle next to small circle hole (just need that sliver)
Shirt - key tag (still retired) punched at top with key tag and I inserted the bottom into the ornament punch to get the point (you could cut with scissors)
Tie - Full heart next to full heart hole (just need a sliver and then trim to shorten
Arm - small tag  - trimmed (hint - the elbow is the small top part of the tag punch)
Gloved hand - wide heart to heart
Tray - scrap
Serving Cover - Wide oval end and a standard hole punch

Remember you can change his expression by moving the mouth and eyebrows!

Nurse Owl Request

I get lots of nurse requests.  I usually refer them to this gal. 

This week however, I got a more specific request (from Sharon McNeely) for a nurse from the owl punch.  And it just so happened that I read her email after eating breakfast with my favorite nurse, my friend, Liz.  

That little coincidence coupled with how easy it is to dress up the owl punch led to the immediate creation of...

Of course you can give her different props if that big old syringe scares you!

I had to give her supportive shoes from the small heart punch

I had to show her heart because we all know that nurses have BIG hearts!

Her hat is from the pointed end of the ornament punch (had to dust that one off - shocking, isn't it?)

The red cross is from the itty bitty punch pack.

Parental Guidance Suggested

Attention:   The following material is rated PG and is not suitable for all audiences.

(And if you are still going to look, you probably should swallow your coffee now)

I woke up yesterday morning with the idea of punching the back view of a golfer (hubby does have a birthday this month).  While attempting that, the classic plumber's crack came to mind.  So, I looked at some clip art and well, ya know...

I HAD to do it!

Surely you can think of some clever use for this character

• 
  
  even if you don't send cards to your plumber
• 
  
  even if your "man" isn't a handy kind of guy
• 
  
  even if you do all the house repairs yourself. 

'Cause you have to admit, you grinned when you saw it..... didn't you?  And don't you think that is worth passing on?  Make it and Mail it!

Now I'm out of here to spend the long weekend with the family.

Have a Happy Labor Day! 

See you again on Tuesday.

Twinkle Toes - Big Foot Part 2

I like it when a plan starts working....

I successfully completed a second BIG FOOT character so I CAN call it a series! 

This is what you call "taking joy in the little things".

Oh jeez, hush up Ellen, they don't need a positive thinking speech this morning - they came to see the punchin'!

Here 'tis...

The Thanks element opens up to read "That was tu-tu sweet!"

And here is some info on making Twinkle Toes:

Same face as Diver Dude from yesterday.
Added ears from tips of small oval
Changed hair to wide oval and added a 3/4 inch circle bun
Tutu is small oval and 1/2 inch circle
Arms and Legs are oval ring (large oval around small oval hole)
Toe Shoes:

• Flesh part is large oval
• Shoe part is large oval NEXT TO a small oval hole - if you hold your punch upside down you can see what you are getting.
• Laces - punched the word window on the edge of the paper to get HALF of it - cut that  into smaller pieces to have laces

I used a black marker on all the Pink Pirouette  (I HAD to use this color with that name for a ballerina!)  to distinguish it from the blush blossom (retired) that I used for her skin.

We could hum a couple verses of Elton John's Tiny Dancer now, but I think these feet would disqualify her.

Diver Dude - Big Foot Part 1

This is a simple little summer guy - the first of what I intend to have as a series of Big Foot characters.  I have several ideas, but this is the first that has made it to completion.

You can make him AS IS (punch list follows) or you could make his body, arms and legs flesh tone and add a little bathing suit for Snorkeler Somebody.

Here's the punch list for Diver Dude:

Head - Wide Oval

Hair - 1.75 Inch Circle, cut in half, snipped in a couple of times for bangs

Eyes - smallest heart of Heart to Heart in white - standard hole punch in black, white gel pen highlight

Mouth - word window offset from word window hole

Body - 3/4 Inch Circle

Hands - Modern Label, repunched on both ends with the circle from the Itty Bitty Punch Pack

Flippers - Large ovals, repunched by inserting just the tips into the Square Scallop

Arms and Legs - rings from punching a circle punch around a smaller circle hole - the bigger the circles you use the less "curve" you will have.  Snip the ring to the size arm/leg you need.

Mask - ring from Large Oval around Small Oval hole

Snorkel - Wide Oval next to a Large Oval hole (not surrounding it - just offset), then I snipped both ends with a small circle so they would look "indented"

I outlined all the "non black" parts with a black marker.

Guess HOOOO is Coming for Dinner?

Guess Hoooo is Coming for Dinner?

With all the cute little dressed up owls that are showing up on Stampin' Up blogs - I couldn't resist trying one myself.

This was inspired by the now retired stampset Viola! with the double buttons on the chefs coat.  All I did was lay a small oval on the "breast" and use that edge to draw the slightly curved line (then pitch the oval).  Dot on some buttons.

NOT my idea to add the wings - that is a borrowed idea from Peggy-Sue Stuckky (and I'm sure others). Wings are half a scallop oval punch - cut in half the other direction to get two wings.

Hat is scallop oval trimmed with scissors.

Eyes are the circles from the owl punch but I added a standard hole punch too - and a gel pen highlight.

Moustache is short end of curly label next to short end of curly label hole.

Beak is one of the small circle punches on the corner of a scrap paper.

Ran the owl through the square lattice embossing folder for some texture.

Could easily add some cooking props....

This will wind up on a recipe page I'm sure.

Partial Person

Sharing Joan's genie yesterday and bringing up that old challenge, got me going on that "partial punch art" train of thought again. 

I like the thought that you can do simple punch art to communicate your IDEA without having to do a the FULL character.  Faces can be hard, ya know?

Think about some of the Santas you have seen over the years - The hat, beard and belly pretty much get the message across.  In fact, you don't even need the belly - just the hat and beard should do it because I have seen skinny Santas and known exactly who the were supposed to be.

Here is an example,

Barbershop Quartet anyone? 

And he doesn't even have a mouth!

I look at the hat, moustache and vest and I am humming tunes from Music Man.  You could make four of these "men" altering their hats or moustaches - adding a bow tie - changing the "fabric" of the vest - but you would never have to add faces or hands or legs and MOST people will get the full idea - with just PARTIAL punch art.

By the way, this vest is the wide oval punch - snipped in top and bottom with the star - snipped in a bit at the arm holes with an oval.  The moustache is the end of the curly label next to the curly label hole.  The hat is the 1.25 circle part on a trimmed word window.

Could you take the detective hat, moustache and vest and still have Man of Mystery?  I don't know, try it and see!

So if some of the complex punch art scares you - or you haven't invested in too many punches (is there such a thing as TOO many punches?) try making some of the parts and seeing if it is ENOUGH to convey your idea. 

Three circles stacked will always represent a snowman...

What can you come up with?

I Spy a Spy

Spy? or Detective?  I don't have a clue....

But I DO know it is another character using the fabulous new Owl punch.

Here are some clues on making him:

Hat, Legs, Shoes the same as Man of Mystery - from the Owl punch  (I just added a band to the hat)

Upturned collar - the OWL punch - upside down with the feet trimmed off

Body of coat - wide oval - shortened by reinserting into wide oval - then cut in half vertically - overlapped at the neck so you get a gap to see his pants

Belt - some oval or circle next to the same hole to get curved band - draw on belt buckle

Face - small oval

Moustache - heart to heart next to heart to heart hole

Nose - some little circle trimmed flat on one side

Arms and Hands - the usual - heart to heart arms, modern label trimmed with small circle hands

Note:  I outlined all the pieces with a black marker - thought they looked better.

Now, lets hear some clever captions - you all did so great on Wino Kitty - I bet you can help me out on this guy too.

Man of Mystery

This little guy uses ONE punch - the Owl - and he just fell into place for me. 

I "saw" the hat and

**POOF**

the Inspiration Fairy waved her wand and there he was!

First the parts:

(Remember - these are ALL from the new SU Owl punch)

Now the results:

Pretty Clever, Huh?

Here is how you alter the punch parts:

Cut the owl foot off to become the moustache
One owl breast - cut at widest point to become the hat
One cut in half vertically to become his suit coat
The gray one shortened at the bottom to become his vest
Red heart trimmed "under" the bumps to become the bow tie

Cut the "spare" flesh circle down to become the neck - you don't REALLY see it but you need it to hold him together.

He can be a little taller and wider depending on how you glue your parts together.  Remember you can "roll up" mini glue dots and still use them on tiny parts (like moustaches and bow ties)

I used this little guy on a Birthday Card - Front says "Happy Birthday"
Inside says "I find no evidence that you have aged at all"

Of course I had to put the inside sentiment in a magnifying glass out of punches.  Sometimes I just can't stop.

Thanks for your support as a result of the prior post.  There is no way for me to know who submitted that particular card to Stampin' Up! - I only saw it by chance on someone's blog and she was not presenting it as her work - just sharing samples from the boards at convention. 

Hopefully my post will educate the demos that are getting ideas from others that adding a ribbon or changing a color on someone's original artwork does NOT mean you should present their work as your own.  This is a touchy subject and I know there are ladies that think "you shouldn't share if you don't want to be copied" - but let's remember to copy, giving credit.  And NEVER copy and submit for contests or publication.

Thanks!

Strong Man

Same as the Italian Man in previous post, adding body and props.

I stuck the far ends of his "bat hair" into a small circle (1/2 inch probably) punch to round off the tips.

Groomed his moustache.

Left the whole owl as his belly  - feet cut off (of course)

Used the owl upside down for his feet and pants - just slipped the owl into the word window to separate his legs.

Sleeves and Arms - the usual small oval and wide heart to heart

Hand - the usual modern label tips punched with a circle punch

Weights - strip from trimmer and 1 inch circle punch

Won't your guy be pleased when you use the "Strong Man" on a card for him?:

Flattery might get you dinner out!

Punch Doctor

I was teaching an online punch class yesterday and showing how you could combine punch parts and move them around to get different characters.  The last face I did was this one and someone mentioned it looked like Mr. Spacely from the Jetsons.  Hmmmmmm.....

But first he wound up as Doctor Spacely... 


Nothing new here - just the usual bits and pieces I always use - but with my color choice you get the "scrubs" look so all I had to do was add a stethoscope.  Punch art is just that easy - take a character and make a few changes to create another one. 

The stethoscope is a small oval cut in half.  Then I punch a little hole in the center to get my scissor in and trimmed out the middle.  Used part of an oval ring (large oval around small oval hole) and added a standard hole punch for the part that is cold on your chest (not its technical name)

Put a scalpel in his hand and he is Surgeon Spacely.

You could put him in a suit and tie - a space suit - swim suit - clown clothes - make a few changes and get many different men.  Use your imagination!

Working Woman

This could be a teacher or an office worker, maybe even your PTA president.  You can give her sexier shoes and different props if that fits your needs.  Don't be afraid to start with my idea and take it to another level!

Here are the punches to make her:

Head - 1 3/8 circle

Hair – 1.75 circle pieces

Neck – word window

Eyes – small heart to heart

Nose – piece of ½ inch circle

Lips – standard hole punch offset from modern label HOLE

Blouse – 1 3/8 circle snipped at neck with small star – pieces of heart to heart wide for collar

Jacket – tips of butterfly, wide heart to heart sleeve, small oval sleeve

Skirt – wide oval trimmed

Shoes – 5 petal flower

Wrist, Ankles – small My Way arrows

Hand – modern label re-punched with word window

Old School Teacher

Teachers love to hear the pitter patter of little feet

... going out to recess.



Did I hear someone say "Amen"?

See Dick Run.

See Jane Run.

See Ellen teach you how to make the teacher.

Head - word window shortened by re-punching

Nose - point of middle arrow My Way

Hair - piece of ornament

Glasses/eye - NON SU oval punch from my stash, scrap strip

Neck - small My Way

collar - small Heart to Heart

top - small oval

sleeves - square punch offset from square hole

skirt - large oval, snipped with scallop square

feet - 5 petal flower trimmed

hand - slot

ruler - scrap strip

Class Dismissed before that mean old teacher whacks me for all the grammatical errors in my posts!