A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Pig

Here's a card that's been brewing in my head ever since I saw this adorable little artist pig from Hambo Stamps, and their "Stampers leave a good impression!" sentiment. When I hear the word "impression" I think of Impressionist Art, my favorite! So I knew I wanted to pair this cute little play on words with my artist pig - and then when I was cleaning my stamp room recently I found this Karen Foster DP that I had bought ages ago - I loved it because it looked like a Monet painting to me, but I had never used it (you know how that goes - what stamper/scrapbooker isn't a Collector of Fine Papers?? I can't afford Fine Art, like a Monet, but I can certainly afford Fine Papers!!) I created the frame by doing the direct to paper method with my Close to Cocoa ink pad - I love the faux wood look it created! And the portrait is "hung" with some hodgepodge hardware. There are a couple details on the pig that you can't really see in the photo - the buttons on his painter's smock are done with a silver paint pen, and I used a bunch of glaze pen as well - to give his hooves and beret some black shine, and some clear glaze on the paints to make them look fresh & wet. I also had to "sign" the portrait, heh heh. :-) If you love this sentiment as much as I do - it happens to be on sale right now!!! It's one of Hambo's retiring stamps - check them out! And since I told you about my love of Monet and Impressionism, I feel compelled to share some photos with you from a trip we took back in 2003. We went to France! We spent a couple days in Paris and visited the Musee d'Orsay where I got my waterlilies fix (aaah, Monet! aaah waterlilies!) then rented a car and ventured out into the countryside, where one of our stops was Giverny - Monet's home and garden! We were there in late fall, not prime flower-blooming season, but it was still absolutely gorgeous. (Leslie you would love it!!) And of course I had to pose for a photo on that "same" bridge from the painting!! (I don't believe it's the original bridge, but still a prime photo-op for us tourists!) Thanks for stopping by today!

• Stamps: Artist Pig and Good Impression from Hambo Stamps
• Paper: Ballet Blue, Close to Cocoa, Neenah Solar White, Karen Foster DP
• Ink: Adirondack Pitch Black, Close to Cocoa
• Accessories: Copic markers, clear & black Glaze pens, silver paint pen, Antique Brass Hodgepodge HW, grosgrain ribbon