Wendy Vecchi Inspires Us To MAKE ART!!!

I don't have the best picture....but here is Wendy Vecchi (in the middle), with Heidi (left) and I (right) on the Artful Voyage cruise. I know the picture is out of focus, but...trust me, we are all good looking....(hee, hee)! Wendy is holding the super cool Inspiration Board she made, it was one of our classes on the boat! As you can tell, we had a BLAST in her class!

You all have heard about the Artful Voyage with Tim Holtz and Wendy Vecchi (pronounced like "Becky" but with a "V"), right? I know you all know who Tim Holtz is, right? But...we'll talk about him some other time!

Today I want to talk about the very talented and creative Wendy Vecchi (whom I also believe is the sweetest person on the face of the earth!).

Wendy has been in the industry for a while now. In addition to designing her own line of stamps (The Studio 490 Collection), she does design work for Maya Road, Tim Holtz, Idea-ology, and Ranger. She is also an exclusive demo artist for Ranger and teaches classes for Stampers Anonymous.

**All examples shown here are courtesy of Wendy Vecchi via her BLOG or the Stampers Anonymous (Gallery) website.

I tell you what - the GIRL LOVES GRUNGE! The things she can do with Grungepaper, Grungeboard, and Maya Road Chipboard are absolutely phenomenal! She uses colors that are warm and inviting. Her specialty, Grungepaper Flowers, are stunning and add texture and dimension to all of her projects.

We learned how to make the flowers on the cruise. You can stamp the image on Grungepaper and then cut them out. Then ink both sides with Tim Holtz Distress Ink and stamp with a background stamp. Curl the petals up - since they are made on grungepaper, the shape will hold! Layer different sizes and styles on top of each other to make a fabulous 3-dimensional flowers! Don't forget to embellish the centers!

Want to cover yours in your favorite paper? Just stamp the image on Grungepaper, cut it out, then glue it upside-down to the back of your favorite paper. Jenni Bowlin Mini Papers work great because they have small designs on them. Then, cut around the grungepaper again and sand the edges. You can leave them like that, or ink them up! Curl them, layer them, embellish them and voila!

Here's a fabulous picture of "Mr. Rick" (Wendy's trusty assistant and husband) rolling up his sleeves and getting ready to work hard. It's out of focus as well, but I just thought it was cute and wanted to include this picture too! He was such a nice and helpful man!

Wendy has a creative eye that allows her to "think outside the box" when it comes to use of embellishments. Tim Holtz's Game Spinners come to life in her art by becoming bodies for butterflies or flower stems. The center of flowers "pop" by using Buttons, Vintage Ephemera, Gemstones, Tim Holtz's Foliage, and especially, Tim Holtz's Snaps (she's a "snapaholic" - she buys them by the hundreds!). I know, I know, I could go on all day! Did I mention how sweet of a person she is too?!?!

So if you haven't seen Wendy's Art by now.....please squeeze out of that great big rock you've been living under and check her out!!!! HERE is a link to her blog. I know you will be inspired and you will fall in love, too!

We carry all of Wendy's Unmounted Stamp Sets, her book Make Art, Studio 490 Style, her Acrylic Storage Binder for the Unmounted Stamp Sets (as well as the refill pages), and most of her wood mounted stamps.

******BLOG CANDY ALERT*******You knew it was coming didn't you! I can't help giving stuff away. It is just so much fun! Here's the deal - and it is HUGE! Just become a follower of our blog (if you aren't already) and comment on you favorite Wendy Vecchi Stamp Set, Mounted Rubber Stamp, or even one of her techniques! At the end of the week, I will draw ONE lucky winner at random. That person will receive ONE WENDY VECCHI UNMOUNTED STAMP SET of their choice AND a copy of Wendy's Book, MAKE ART, STUDIO 490 STYLE. Whew, I just hope that person is sitting down when they receive the news so they don't faint! hee hee:)


My favorite, you ask? Well, I love the flowers in the Lower Case Art Stamp Set. The round flower is the one she turned into a pumpkin for the Halloween project she did to the left. I know, pretty creative, huh! It is so cute!

I also really like the Berry Tree stamp (it is also available unmounted in the Mail Art set).

But, my favorites are her sayings. I love "Always Move". It says "always move in the direction of your dreams". This one really inspires me everyday to be grateful for what I have and to work towards my goals in life. I am a big believer in dreams! Here it is in a piece Wendy made. So cool...did you notice the Sprocket Gear in the flower center?

Well, I guess it really isn't that easy to pick a favorite, is it? I hope that this has inspired you to "Make Art" (in Wendy's words).

Until then, happy shopping and good luck in the Blog Candy drawing!

~TERRA

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