Friday, January 30, 2009

Easter Blessings...and a winner!


I may be rushing Easter just a tad, but I couldn't resist coloring this cute image. It's Northwoods Bunny With Tulips . I stamped it on watercolor paper using Onyx Black Versafine ink, then embossed with JudiKins Detail Clear embossing powder. The stamped image was colored using Tombow (water based) markers and a damp paint brush. The squares were cut and embossed using my square Nestabilities.

The sentiment is Northwoods Classic Easter Blessings . After stamping and embossing, I cut it with my Spellbinders Double Ended Tags die.



The pink border on the bottom was made with a Spellbinders Pierceability. I added Hero Arts Assorted 2 mm Gemstones and Assorted 3 mm gemstones to the points. I also used them for the flower centers.

The designer paper is from my stash, and the cardstock is Majestic Purple Prismatics medium and Razzleberry Prismatics (currently on reorder). The ribbon is purple sheer by May Arts.

So.....I guess you probably wanna know who won the Dreamy Treats, now don't ya? Drumroll please....

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

255

Timestamp: 2009-01-31 00:26:16 UTC

The winner is Stephanie Hargis!

Stephanie Hargis said...

A second chance??? Woohoo! Thanks so much! I am excited to see your pictures! It looks like you are having a blast! :D

January 28, 2009 7:24 PM

Stephanie, please contact me with your mailing address so I can get the prize out to you.

Thanks to everyone for playing along. I will be back soon with something new!

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Back from CHA!

OH MY GOSH! What a fabulous trip I had! I don't even know where to begin to tell you about all the exciting products we saw!

Our first stop was at the JustRite Stamper's booth. I just happened to know that Debbie Olson was going to be there! Since she is MY IDOL, I had to stop by to see her in person. When I introduced myself she stood up, reached across the table and gave me the biggest hug! I must say that she is one of the sweetest and most lovely people! Love ya Debbie!

The new products in the JustRite booth are sooooo exciting! We had a long visit with Kellie Fortin, who has become a great friend! It was fun to finally meet her in person. I got big hugs from her too! LOL! We also visited with Craig, the owner of JustRite and got a lot of insight into product development and great things to come.

Their new Demi Phrases set is only one of their new releases, and it's such a fun one! It fits on their new 2" Wood Stamper, and has unlimited possibilities. I really love the flexibility. Imagine the different phrases you can make to complete the demi phrase that comes in the kit!


This is a picture of three of my cards I had in the JustRite booth. I was honored that Kellie asked me to bring them for display. You can see my original blog post with these cards HERE .

The first shipment of stamps from JustRite will be March 10, so be sure to watch the store for the new releases. I bought A LOT of them for you! :-)



The new Cosmo Cricket paper is absolutely gorgeous! I love all of it...so I ordered ALL OF IT! I haven't stocked 12 x 12 paper in the store before, but some of it is just irresistable. So I finally decided to bite the bullet and add it to the store's inventory! I think you will be excited about all the new papers I'm adding! I know I am!


I so enjoyed our stop at Our Craft Lounge! I met Joy , Cambria and Kim, and I must say they are all just the sweetest! Don't you just love their stamps? Do you want them? I DO...so we're getting them. Fun, fun, fun stuff! I think those will be shipping in a couple of weeks.

The Penny Black booth had some of the cutest samples! This is one of the sample boards using some of their critter stamps. Of course I placed an order, but they couldn't give me a ship date, so we'll see them when we see them!


This may not come as a surprise to you, but I spent A LOT of money in the Spellbinders booth! There was just no getting around it since we love it all! I can't wait to get my hands on it! This is a sample board they had in their booth using Spellbinders dies with metal. Isn't it gorgeous?

While I was waiting in the airport I met Stacy's sister and we had a great visit. She had all the new Spellbinders dies with her. I kept trying to get her to go to the ladies room while I watched her bags. But she was on to me! ROTF!



As much as I hate posting my picture, I had to share this photo! I realize I don't need to tell you who these ladies are, but I'm going to anyway! It's the infamous Debbie Olson and Ellen Hutson . I can't begin to tell you how sweet and kind these ladies are, and how easy they are to talk with. We visited as if we had known one another for years! I truly admire them both. They are so humble, and I find that very appealing! True stamping royalty indeed!

So, that's it for now. I have packages to ship and more unpacking to do. I will be back soon. Thanks so much for stopping by!

And if you haven't registered for the Dreamy Treats, be sure to do that in the posts below. The winner will be announced tomorrow night.

Until then...

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Checking in from CHA!


Yes, I know I've neglected my blog since I've been gone, but I've been sooooooo busy!

I woke up early this morning (again) and wanted to let you all know I am still here, working hard at buying lots of good stuff! And believe it, it's hard work spending all this money! LOL!

I'm sure you've been reading a lot about CHA and seeing lots of pictures of new products on other blogs. I happen to know that Cowboy Sock Monkey is doing his 5 top pics every day. You may even recognize some of the hands holding him...or not? In the off chance that you've missed it, be sure to check it out on Laurie's Blog .

Sunday night we went to the SCS Cupcake Reception, and I met a LOT of people who you would know. This is just one quick pic with some of my favorite people. Amy Sheffer of Pickled Paper Designs, Laurie Schmidlin , the short person with the dorky look in the middle is me. I have never been photogenic! Then there is Tosha Leyendekker and the infamous Carolyn King . I can't begin to tell you how fun it was to meet these ladies for the fist time! It's as if we've known each other forever!

I have so much to tell you, and some photos to share as well. But time is at a premium, so it will have to wait for now. I will be back when I can.

I WILL tell you now that I've been reading the blog candy comments in the post below, and I think you will be pleased with many of the purchases I've made so far! October Afternoon isn't here, so I haven't seen their new releases, but I've already made it to MANY of the other booths. More about that later. I need to hop in the shower so I can be ready when the convention center opens. Only a day and a half left, and there is much yet to buy!

Don't forget to register for the blog candy. Oh...what the heck. If you have already registered, why don't you get a second chance on this post? Any old comment will do?

I'll be back as soon as I can. Until then....

Friday, January 23, 2009

Announcement, CHA and Dreamy Treat!

I wanted everyone to know that for the next 5 days I will be shopping...not shipping! All orders placed Saturday, January 24 through Wednesday, January 28 will not be shipped until I return on Thursday, January 29. I apologize for any inconvenience, but it's just unavoidable. I assure you that every order placed while I'm at CHA will go out on Thursday when I get home! I sincerely appreciate your patience. I have never left the store before, and it's very hard for me to do!

But we DO want lots of new goodies for the store, now don't we? And it's my mission to find as many fabulous things as I can while I'm there. Since Laurie and Tosh will be there to help me shop for you, I'm sure we will be ordering some awesome stuff!

I am taking my laptop and camera with me, and will do my best to blog from there. Frankly, I am just going to have to play that by ear. I don't know how much free time I will have. But if it's at all possible I will pop in to let you know what's going on from CHA. With pictures, of course! :-)

In order to keep you busy while I'm away, I decided to leave you with a dreamy treat! Even though there are two pictures here, it's one prize. One lucky winner gets it all! All you have to do is answer this question: From what you have seen from the CHA sneak peeks so far, what 3 things would you like to see in the store at Stamper's Dream . You MUST list 3 things in your comment to qualify for the prize. Please, only one comment per person. I will use the random number thingy to choose the winner, and announce it on my blog post next Friday.

So, that's it for me. I'm going to finish packing, then try to get a good night's sleep before leaving for the airport early tomorrow morning. I will be back with another blog post as soon as I can!

Until then...

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Blackeyed Susan and Butterflies


I have had this gorgeous Northwoods stamp for a while, and just now found time to color it. I DO LOVE to color my Northwoods stamps! This one is called Blackeyed Susan and Butterflies .

I stamped it on watercolor paper using Onyx Black Versafine ink, then embossed with JudiKins Detail Clear embossing powder.

The stamped image was colored with Tombow (water based) markers and a damp paintbrush.

I stamped the image once again and cut out some of the flowers and the butterflies, colored them, then popped them up using foam tape.

The sentiment I used is Penny Black's Eternal Bliss . (And it's on sale in the store!) I stamped it then cut it using my Spellbinders Ribbon Tags Trio die. Before taking it out of the die I sponged a little lavender ink.

The main panel was cut out using my Spellbinders Curved Rectangles Mega Nestabilities . The size I used was the second from the largest in the set. The notecard was cut using the largest size. This is the first card base I've made using the Nestabilities, and I actually like it!

The ribbon is purple sheer by May Arts.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I will be back before I leave Saturday morning for CHA!

Until then...

Monday, January 19, 2009

Rainbow's End...and CHA plans

What a glorious day it was today! I was off work for the holiday. I slept until 7 am (never happens), and did a few things in preparation for the trip to CHA later this week. I went to town and had lunch with my best friend! Oh yes, I DO love my days off! :-)

I made this card yesterday. Honestly, I didn't like it when I finished it, but it's beginning to grow on me a little bit. Ha! The main image is Stampendous Lucky Bee Friends . Aren't they cute???

I stamped on watercolor paper and used Tombow markers to color. After coloring the image I used my oval Nestabilities to cut and emboss all the layers.


I realized as I was making this card that obviously I'm really into glitter these days. It seems that I have used it on a lot of cards lately!

After coloring, I used my Quickie Glue Pen as adhesive for the rainbow and the bee's wings. Then I sprinkled Art Institute Crystal Ultrafine Glitter for some sparkle!

The shamrocks were made by punching 3 hearts with a Marvy heart punch, then adhering them with foam tape. The stem is just a sliver of cardstock. The center of the shamrocks is a self adhesive rhinestone . The ribbon is by May Arts .

On the inside of the card I used Stampendous Rainbow Friend sentiment. I just love what it says!

So, that's it for me tonight. Unfortunately, it's back to the salt mines tomorrow. But not to complain...I have a lot to look forward to with CHA coming up.

I am leaving Saturday morning, flying into Anaheim. I haven't been on an airplane since 1981. Obviously, all the rules have changed a bit. I spent some time on the Internet last night trying to figure out all the rules. Geez!

Tosha and Laurie are picking me up at the airport in California. Even though we email regularly and talk on the phone often, we have never met...so I am super excited! Several of my favorite people are also going to be there...so we're trying to make plans to meet up somewhere. Those include Carolyn King , Kimberly Crawford and Amy Sheffer . If anyone else is going, please be sure to let me know so we can make plans to meet! Am I gonna have fun, or what???

Let's hope it's a short week so it gets here soon. Only 5 more sleeps till then! :-)

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Spring Blossoms

It's been a while since I colored a Sarah Kay image, so I was happy to choose this one for today. The name of the stamp is Spring Blossoms . I tell ya, I don't know which Sarah Kay image I like best, because I love them ALL!

I watercolored the stamped image using Tombow (water based) markers and a damp paintbrush. The hat was stamped a second time on scrap paper, colored, cut out and popped up with foam tape. The butterfly is a Martha Stewart punch. After adhering three purple gemstones to the body I used my Quickie Glue Pen for adhesive to cover the butterfly, then sprinkled Art Institute Crystal Ultrafine Glitter to make it sparkly. I adhered it to the main panel using a glue dot.

The yellow cardstock is Intense Yellow Prismatics . I embossed it using my Swiss Dots Cuttlebug folder. The green cardstock is Intense Kiwi Prismatics , and the designer paper is from an old Basic Gray collection that I've been hoarding!

On the bottom left side of the card I added three Hyacinth Dew Drops for balance.

Do you see this award? It was given to me by my good friend Amy Sheffer of Pickled Paper Designs . Thanks Amy...I am truly honored and humbled!

"This award is given to a blog that invests and believes in PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind of bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers!"

The rule of the award is to now pass it on to another 8 people who demonstrate this spirit. So, here is my list of some incredibly talented stampers and cardmakers. Yes, most of them are on my Dream Team...but they ARE incredibly talented! Please be sure to visit their blogs and appreciate their wonderful work.

1. Carolyn King
2. Charmaine Ikach
3. Cindy Motherway
4. Denise Marzec
5. Kimberly Crawford
6. Laurie Schmidlin
7. Tosha Leyendekker
8. Joan Ervin

Thanks so much for stopping by. I'm off work tomorrow for a holiday, so I get a little extra stamping time, as well as time to make some preparations for my trip to CHA next week! I will be back soon!

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Simple Pleasures


There is just something about this stamp set that really appeals to me. It's Impression Obsession's Simple Pleasures cling mount set.

I stamped it on watercolor paper using Onyx Black Versafine ink, then embossed with JudiKins Detail Clear embossing powder. The stamped image was colored with Tombow (water based) markers and a damp paint brush. I was going for the look of delicate bone china, but I'm not quite sure I got there.

I stamped it once again on a scrap of paper to get the cookies and butterfly. Those were colored then popped up with foam tape for added dimension. The pink edge on the cookies and the butterfly were covered with adhesive using my Quickie Glue Pen then added Ultrafine Transparent Glitter .

I know the glitter is hard to see in the photo, but it is sooooo sparkly!

The stamps used on the inside are also included in the Simple Pleasures cling mount set. I stamped the little flowers and colored them with Tombow markers. The borders on the bottom were made with a Martha Stewart punch. The designer paper is a piece of Anna Griffin paper I had left from another project, and the cardstock is Prism Papers .

I have to say that I am excited we had so many participants in the Stamper's Dream Dreamy Challenge this month! Such beautiful cards, and great artistry...I'm so honored that you shared with us. I enjoyed each and every card!

I numbered the entries then used the Random Number Generator to select the winner of the Dreamy Treat, and this is the result:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

13

Timestamp: 2009-01-16 00:59:05 UTC

The winner is Christi

Christi said...
I am so glad I got to play along this month!! Here is my card: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1194061?cat=13651

January 14, 2009 11:25 PM

Be sure to see her card in the SCS gallery. In fact, you can view ALL the challenge cards in the SCS gallery HERE .

Christi, please send me your snail mail address and I will get your Dreamy Treat right out to you!

BTW...have I told you that I'm leaving next week to go to CHA? Woo hoo! More about that later. Until then...

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Rainy Days and Mondays....


Or is it Tuesday? From my work day at the office today, I could swear it was really a Monday! LOL!

This adorable stamp is called Rainy Days . It was designed by Rachelle Ann Miller for Stampavie.

I stamped it on watercolor paper using Onyx Black Versafine ink, then embossed with JudiKins Detail Clear embossing powder. The stamped image was colored using Tombow (water based) markers and a damp paint brush.

I stamped just the top portion once again, cut it out, and popped it up with foam tape for added dimension.
I added a bit of Stardust Stickles to the water puddle and some of the little asterisks for sparkle.

The edge of the Yellow Prismatics panel was cut using my Fancy Scalloped Pierceabilities . The rhinestones are Hero Arts Assorted 2 mm gemstones and Assorted 3 mm gemstones .

The designer paper is some I've had in my stash for quite a while...no writing on the back. The cardstock is Orange Prismatics and Yellow Prismatics .

Thanks for indulging me once again. I do so appreciate you stopping by!

Monday, January 12, 2009

New Stamps from Northwoods...


I just received a shipment from Northwoods Rubber Stamps . I've spent most of the evening getting them in the store for you, so be sure to check them out!

Forgive me for being short and sweet in my post tonight. I will be back tomorrow evening with a new card for you.

Thanks for stopping by!



Sunday, January 11, 2009

Sweet Treats for you...

I got a VERY late start this morning! I slept in...until 9 am! Mind you, that's after taking a 45 minute power nap yesterday afternoon! Geez...I NEVER do that! Guess my body was trying to tell me something, huh?

But it wasn't too late to check out the SCS Featured Stamper challenge, and play along! Today's featured stamper is none other than Jaydekay . I'm sure many of you have been to her gallery before. If not, you're in for a real treat...there's LOTS of inspiration there!

Her card that inspired mine can be seen HERE .


I used the same stamp, which is one of my faves. It's Stampendous Tiers of Treats . I stamped on watercolor paper using Onyx Black Versafine Ink , then embossed with JudiKins Detail Clear embossing powder.

The image was colored using Tombow (water based) markers and a damp paint brush. I used my Quickie Glue Pen for adhesive on several of the treats, then added Crystal Ultrafine Glitter for a little bling! The strawberries and cherries were covered with a light coat of JudiKins Diamond Glaze for a bit of dimension and gloss.

The designer paper is from the Basic Grey Bittersweet paper pad. I LOVE that stuff! The hearts were also punched from Bittersweet scraps using an EK punch I've had forever!

The cardstock is Blush Red Prismatics dark, Suede Brown Prismatics light, and Pink Prismatics .

The sentiment on the inside is a favorite of mine. It's Penny Black's Special Treasures . I think it's appropriate for a friend at Valentine's Day...or any other time, for that matter.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I appreciate each and every one of you and the kind comments you leave for me. I'm working on something new, so I will be back soon! Until then...

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Stamper's Dream January Challenge!

This month's Stampers Dream Dreamy Challenge is a sketch challenge. My special thanks to Tosh for the sketch!

I just this very moment realized as I uploaded the sketch that I kinda blew it...dang it! Now how in the heck did I do THAT! I should have angled one of my panels...but at the 11th hour it's too late to fix it now. Sorry guys! I totally suck at challenges! Should go to the time-out room now or something! :-(

The images I used are from the Stampendous Fluffles Wuv clear stamp set.
I stamped on watercolor paper using Onyx Black Versafine ink, then embossed with JudiKins Detail Clear embossing powder. The stamped image was colored with Tombow (water based) markers and a damp paint brush.

I punched a few hearts and adhered them to the oval panel, then used my Quickie Glue Pen for adhesive, then added Crystal Ultrafine Transparent Glitter to the small hearts.

The designer paper is from the NEW Basic Grey Bittersweet paper pad. The cardstock is Pink Prismatics .

In order to keep my card square (and follow the rules, or so I thought), I added a strip across the bottom. The ric rac is Raspberry Velvet by May Arts.

We encourage ALL of you to play along with this month's sketch challenge. And it would be nice if you follow the sketch instead of screwing it up like I did! LOL! Please link your card to this blog post. If you upload to SCS, please use the keyword SDDC4.


All those who play along and link here have a chance to win this little Dreamy Treat! I will use a random drawing and announce the winner in my regular blog post next Thursday night.

Be sure to visit the Dream Team to see what the rest of them have done with the sketch. (I'll bet they did it right..don't you think?) Here are the links to their blogs:

Charmaine
Cindy
Denise
Kimberly
Laurie
Tosha

Thanks so much for stopping by. I can't WAIT to see your challenge cards!

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Row Baby Row!


I received these stamps in a recent Stampendous order. I thought they were just too cute not to ink up! The main image is Stampendous Row Changito Row !

I stamped it on watercolor paper using Onyx Black Versafine ink, then embossed with JudiKins Detail Clear embossing powder.

I colored the image using Tombow (water based) markers and a damp paintbrush. The image was stamped a second time on a piece of scrap paper just to get the umbrella they are rowing with. I cut it out and popped it up with Scotch mounting tape for a little added dimension.

The sentiment is Bailing Me Out , also from Stampendous.

The designer paper is from the Basic Grey Eva paper pad. The cardstock is Pink Prismatics and Kiwi Prismatics .

The ribbon is Celery Satin from May Arts. I added Dew Drops from the Peony collection for added interest.

Thanks so, so much for stopping by tonight! I appreciate all your thoughtful comments, and promise to be back soon.

Until then...

Monday, January 5, 2009

Fannie's Cuddle


I couldn't wait any longer before inking another Sarah Kay image. This one is called Fannie's Cuddle . I think she looks so, so sweet cuddling that precious little puppy!

I stamped the image on watercolor paper using Onyx Black Versafine ink, then embossed with JudiKins Detail Clear embossing powder. The stamped image was colored using Tombow (water based) markers and a damp paint brush.




The designer paper is from the Basic Grey Blush paper pad. The cardstock is Island Mist Prismatics dark, and Crabapple Prismatics light and medium.

The ribbon is from my stash. The border punch is by Martha Stewart, and the heart pin is something I found at JoAnn's a while back. They were really inexpensive, and there were quite a few in the package in assorted colors. Don't you just love it when you find a *deal*!



The sentiment on the inside is a new stamp from Impression Obsession called Best Part . I love that sentiment!

So that's it for me tonight. I'm posting earlier than usual so I can get some things done around here tonight. Isn't there always something to do? I mean, do people really do nothing???

Thanks for stopping by. I will be back soon...and hope you are too.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

For Her Royal Rubberness

I had another card ready to post today, but when I saw on SCS that today's featured stamps is Julie HRR , I knew I just HAD to make a card to honor her on her special day!

I know it doesn't look like it took very long to make this card, but it took me forever! Actually, it took a long time to choose just one from her awesome gallery!

The card I chose to CASE is Red Elegance . I used Adirondack Red Pepper ink to stamp Best Wishes from the Inkadinkado Expressions clear stamp set. I cut and embossed it with my Labels One Nestabilities. Then I cut and embossed two more from the Blush Red Prismatics cardstock in order to make my layers for the sentiment.

The designer paper is from the Basic Grey Ambrosia paper pad. The antique white layer and the paper for the sentiment is also from the Ambrosia collection.

The ribbon is Red Sheer by May Arts. I especially like the little gold edge. The brad is Spare Parts from Hobby Lobby.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I have more cards ready for you...so I will be back soon!

I hope you enjoy your day!

Friday, January 2, 2009

Basic Grey and Stampendous just arrived!


Finally, the new Basic Grey Bittersweet paper pads and Bittersweet Glazed Brads have arrived! It seems as if I've seen waiting for the shipment FOREVER!

The Stampendous shipment arrived tonight as well. Such cute, cute images, with complimentary sentiments for each.

I also added some of the new Fun Flock colors, as well as their Chocolate Brown Embossing Powder .

Be sure to see them all in the store at Stamper's Dream .


Thanks for stopping by. I will be back soon with a new card!