Deadbeat Designs

Lots Of Dots

The other day I was doodling - or whatever the stamp equivalent is to doodling (stampling?) - and after tossing a few attempts in the direction of the good ol' circular file, this happened. Now it's not a masterpiece and I've posted a similar card before but this one is a little different. I used the new DOTS stamp for the background. I don't really expect this stamp to be a huge seller - let's face it, dots have been around since the dark ages of rubber stamps and you probably have a couple already. But because I'm selfish, I wanted my own version to add texture or pattern and I didn't want to have to refer to some other company's version.

You probably wouldn't even notice it at first but it definitely makes a difference. It gives the card an extra depth that wasn't there B.D. (before dots). First, I stamped the DOTS in Frost White Colorbox on a turquoise blue card stock. Then I cleaned the stamp and went over it again in Memento Bahama Blue. The various peace stamps are also in Mementos and the Heart Peace is in Kaleidacolor Birthstone.

Here's a close up of the dots.

Here are more DOTS adding some shading to the edges. I used the yellows and oranges from Memento. That's the new Crackle stamp at the bottom.

I'm afraid the DOTS stamp might seem a little boring so I'm working on a video to show it in action. Stay tuned.

Deep In The Heart

Back to work, and let me tell you.... it's been nonstop! I know I should be happy to sort of have a job but good grief. Sometimes I wonder if people think that rubber stamps expire. Relax people! If you don't get it today, you can get it tomorrow! It's not like I'm not selling kidneys!

Nevertheless, thanks for all the enthusiasm for the new stamps! I'm working my fingers to the bone trying to make the supply equal the demand. They are finally up on the website as well as in a few stores who got their orders in while I was away.

More samples with the new Texas Heart. It's not exactly a Valentine's stamp but maybe it could be. Anyway, this one is embossed with red.

This one's a little tricky. The Texas State Of Mind and new Crackle are stamped on vellum. I cut the vellum a little longer and folded the top around the inside card so there would be no adhesive to hide.

The inside heart is stamped in Memento Paris Dusk.

And finally, here it is embossed in silver on red card stock. I cut it out and layered it onto a piece of silver card stock to give it a border and Stickles around the edges.

More soon....

Caribbean Sunset

The sun sets on another great trip. Looking forward to getting back to my boring old schedule. NOT looking forward to the sit ups. Today while getting out of the shower, I saw myself in the mirror and caught a glimpse of my father. Scary. There is little chance of going hungry on a cruise ship, especially when delicious gelato is readily available.

Where shall I go next? So many places, so little time!

Wish You Were....

Wish you were here.... 

Actually, no.

Stay home.

There are too many people here as it is.

And they all look like this:

More soon.

Well, Butter My Butt...

Blogging from my vacation! Some deadbeat, right?

Nevertheless, here I am, trying not to doze off while I ramble on about one of my favorite new stamps. I'm going to need a few days off and maybe a nap when I get back to Texas!

Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit! Now I don't know about you but I've been called many things but never a biscuit and to my knowledge, I've never had butter anywhere near my butt (although I have suffered through Last Tango In Paris). Here it is along with the new large and small spirals and poor ol' Clementine, 'defaced' by googly eyes. Kind of creepy but kind of funny, too.

The two spiral stamps - and yes, it fits inside the bed of the pick up truck! But I forgot to add the tail lights. Oh well.

And you, too can have a buttered posterior, just not today. I'll be back soon and will hopefully have a stack of orders to fill to send to stores and will get them on the website as soon as possible.

After my nap.

Vacation Crustacean

Well, well, well.

I guess everything is NOT bigger in Texas. Here's Lynn in the Florida Keys just before being eaten by a giant lobster.

We'll miss her.

Luckily I was holding the car keys.

There's No Place Like...

I know what you're thinking. Not another hackneyed phrase stamp! Oh wait, that's what I'M thinking so it's probably NOT what you're thinking. Nevertheless, here it is. But if you think about it, there's no place like a lot of places, so I made this a two stamp stamp set. That way, if you want to make a card that reads, I don't know... "There's no place like... Arby's" you can. I've never been to Arby's so I don't know if there's anyplace like it or not. I'm guessing there is. Anywaaaaayyyyyyy...

Another background with the new Shadow stamp in Memento inks. The new Funky House repeated in black - kind of looks like suburbia. Then one house colored and popped up. There's No Place Like HOME stamp in Bahama Blue.

More of the Shadow stamp and this time There's no place like Texas in bright, fun colors. All Mementos - I can't remember which ones I used - just buy them all. The new Funky Texas is on top of the blue Shadow stamp and Stickles all around.

This time I used the Big Ol' Texas - I stamped it 3 times on the different colors and pieced them together but covered up the star with the Funky House. Then I used just the HOME part of the There's No Place set.

So while there may be no place like home, I'm leaving mine for a few days to go on vacation. I shall return, not by clicking my tennis shoes together three times, but by Southwest Airlines, and will get these new images on the website as well as into your local stamp stores. Hopefully I'll find some wifi in case anything blog-worthy occurs...

To Whet Your Appetite

Whet. Now there's a funny word. Not funny 'ha ha' but funny 'odd.' Nevertheless, here are a couple of cards featuring some new images. If you don't live in Texas, you probably aren't going to care very much but stay tuned. There may be some in future posts that you'll find more interesting.

Or not. One never knows.

Since the Texmas Tree was so darn popular, I thought I'd go out on a limb and try some other, less seasonal versions of the same idea. Sure, I could have had a brand new idea but, you know. If I can skate by on an old idea for awhile, why the heck not?

Besides, these are gonna be huge. I've made a ton of samples with these two stamps but I'm just going to show these two. This means I'll get to milk them for a few posts.

This one was embossed in red on a light blue card stock.

The Texas-shaped version is in Frost White Colorbox on royal blue card stock and then cut out. The background is another super cool stamp I'll talk more about soon. The Sam Houston quote is in Memento Paris Dusk on white but it sure didn't photograph well. I'm sure it was the camera and not the photographer.

Now I've got good news and bad news.
The bad news is that these aren't exactly available. They are not on my website and aren't in your local stamp store. Soon though....

The good news (if you can call it that) is that they will be available at both the Mesquite and Grapevine conventions this weekend and next. So if you're crazy enough to brave either of these shows, you can find these and more at the Googly Eyes booth at the Grapevine show or the Stamp Asylum booth at Mesquite. I, however, will be far, far away from both of these drunken orgies.

Been there, done that. They scare me.

I'll be having my own drunken orgy somewhere warm(er) with turquoise water, white sand and palm trees. I'll deal with the rubber if I decide to come back.

So if you find yourself at one of the aforemetioned booths, tell 'em Mark sent you. If you know the secret word, you'll win a special prize!

Otherwise, if your local stamp store orders them, they'll have them by the end of the month.

End of the month-ish.

2012 And The Road To Hell

"New Year's Day... now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual."

Mark Twain

I don't make resolutions. This allows me to keep on doing things just the way I've been doing them which, of course, is the best way.

Because I said so, that's why.

However, I'm quite sure the rest of you need a ton of resolutions starting with

MAKE MORE STUFF!

Stop spending so much time on the internet, including my little dog and pony show, and start stamping!

    Or drawing.

            Or painting.

                    Or sewing.

Or whatever it is you feel compelled to do! Stop thinking about it and

do it!

You're not getting any younger, you know.....

Busy, Busy, Busy

Hope everyone has survived the holidays, although I guess they are technically not over until after New Year's. While most of you have been having your big fat holiday celebrations, I've been busy making sure that I'll have some stamp-related news to blog about in 2012 (not that I can't and won't go on and on about a multitude of NON Stamp-related pearls of wisdom for your entertainment or disdain). Although I haven't been blogging, I haven't exactly been hibernating. After the first, I'll be sending out some catalogs and hand-stamped samples to a few lucky stores, hoping to entice them into carrying Deadbeat Designs. I know it's hard to believe but there are rubber stamp stores out there who have probably never heard of me! I know! Crazy! But I haven't bothered pursuing too many new stores since, you know, I don't want to be TOO busy! Keeping my business small also lets me give stores more attention, more samples, etc. But, it's 2012 and daddy needs a new pair of shoes! Not literally, but I do have a list.

So here's one of the sample cards I'll be sending. I think I'll make more tall cards this year.

And the inside...

... and the back. I figure it's best to let these stores know that I'm a little goofy.

So what's on my list that I need so badly? Well, I'm so glad you asked.

1. A heated toilet seat. I hate winter!

2. A heater for my closet - on a timer so I don't have to put on cold clothes in the morning.

3. Heated socks so I don't lose feeling in my toes on the tennis court.

These are just the things I'm thinking of at the moment and actually, I can probably afford all three. But then I couldn't complain about being cold. And as they say, comfort is the enemy of achievement so maybe it's better that I'm not too comfortable.....