Sleep is a Symptom of Caffeine Deprivation...

Isn't that a great sentiment? I love coffee and collect coffee related stamps of any kind, and tend to be somewhat of an insomniac...hmmm. I wonder if those two are related? I am also hooked on the emboss-resist technique of collage stamping, which I first learned from Michelle Zindorf's blog!

• I stamped the coffee cups (Stampington) first with black ink and colored them in with Prismacolor pencils. Then I colored them in completely with a Versamarker, being very careful to stay within the lines, and clear embossed the cups.
• Next, I stamped the steam (Stampin' Up! Like it a Latte) and embossed with white powder. I offset slightly and stamped it again in pale gray, using a stamp positioner to get it in the right place.
• Next I stamped "Sleeping Kizette" (Cherry Pie Art Stamps) and colored in with Prismacolors.
• I masked her shoulder and stamped "Product of Columbia" (source unknown) and colored in a waxing crescent moon in the center.
• Next the sentiment that inspired the whole card - "Sleep is a symptom of caffeine deprivation" (Impression Obsession, discontinued I think).
• Then I sponged brown ink on anything that still showed white cardstock and edged with a Krylon Leafing Pen in Copper. I love it that the Krylon Leafing Pens come in so many metallic shades!

Cherry Pie Art Stamps is the creation of Marina, a lovely Italian lady who now lives in the States. She started her rubber stamp company while she was still living in Genova, Italy, which is about 50 miles north of where I lived for several years in La Spezia (actually in the village of Tellaro, near Lerici). I had the pleasure of visiting her at her home, and seeing how she designed the stamps and pressed the rubber. She also showed me how she does her wonderful water colors. Please visit her site and check her gallery and the user galleries - totally inspiring! She also has a very active Yahoo group, which are always doing trades and swaps!

Many of her stamps are Marina's interpretaton of fine art - she has a wonderful line of Klimt stamps, and I suspect that "Sleeping Kizette" on my card today was inspired by a Tamara de Lempicka, a famous painter in the art deco period. She also has tons of Halloween related images and scenic stamps. One of Marina's trademarks is the fantastically fine shading she achieves on her stamps. The way she processes her images to get the fine shading is a trade secret - you will be amazed at the subtle shading she achieves in rubber!

Well, that wore me out. I think I need a cup of coffee!!