Sunday, October 30, 2011

Do I LOVE Ribbon? Yes I Do!

Today I finally get to announce something I have had to keep under my hat for a little while! I am excited to say that I have been asked to be on the Really Reasonable Ribbon Design Team for their next term! I have been a RRR customer for a long time, and I am thrilled to work with Bonnie and the rest of the A-M-A-Z-I-N-G team for the next six months. You can read about everyone at the RRR blog.
Today I want to show you a little something using RRR Ribbon, Rubbernecker Stamps, and inspiration from the SCS Featured Stamper Challenge.

My background is made with the Ink, Spray and Smash Technique that I used last week as well. You always have two pieces when you make it, and this is the second background piece. I stamped Spooky Leaf Tree and the sentiment from the Fall Trilogy set from Rubbernecker Stamps with Memento Tuxedo Black and then embossed with Judikins Clear Detail Embossing Powder. I chose Michelle's fun Spooky Pumpkins card here for my inspiration and the FS Challenge at SCS today. My ribbon is Lavender Satin from Really Reasonable Ribbon here. The camera lighting makes it look textured, like grosgrain, but it really is satiny smooth IRL.

I am excited to show you several Really Reasonable Ribbon projects this month, so be sure to come back on November 2nd to see one of the other things I have made with their awesome ribbon!

Yesterday my mom and I took a two hour excursion to Lincoln, where we shopped at Michael's (yep, that is the closest one to me!) and a couple of other places before enjoying a nice lunch and the long ride home. It probably wasn't the best day to choose to go to Lincoln, since there was a home football game between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Michigan State Spartans (GO HUSKERS 24-3!). But we managed to come and go inbetween the traffic of the almost 90,000 people inside the stadium. When full, the stadium becomes the third largest "city" in the state, after Omaha and Lincoln! It was a beautiful fall day!

Thanks for stopping by!

Other challenges for this card: 
Come and Get It Challenges - Anything Goes 
Dream Valley Challenges - Anything Goes
Di's Digis Designs - Halloween
Just Some Lines - Halloween
Secret Crafter - Spooky or Whimsical
Sweet Stampin - Anything goes


Stamps: Spooky Tree and Fall Trilogy set (sentiment) by Rubbernecker Stamps
Paper: Glossy White, Basic Black, Pink Pirouette, Not Quite Navy
Ink: Not Quite Navy, Pink Pirouette, Lavender Lace, Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Judikins Clear Detail EP, Mark Richards silver half pearls, Spellbinders Ovals and Scalloped Ovals die cuts, Lavender Satin Ribbon (RRR), MS edge punch
Techniques: Ink, Spray, Smash

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Fishin' You A Happy Day!

It's NEW RELEASE DAY at Hambo Stamps!
Head on over there to take advantage of Hogtoberfest! To help celebrate HOGtoberfest and Hambo's new Winter/Spring release, Monica has a little goodie for you: include any of the new rubber designs or sayings on your Hambo order -- thru Oct. 31 -- and a free stamp will be included in your order. The free stamp will be one of Hambo's current designs - no retirees!

I stamped Ice Fishing with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and then colored in using Copic Markers and Spica Glitter pens. The sentiment was stamped on vellum with the same ink, and then embossed with Clear EP. I added some Glitter to the snow for added sparkle.
Click on the photo below for a close-up view!
Check out what the rest of the Bacon Bits have for you starting at Talk to the Ham!

Stamps: Ice Fishing - 4722 and Fishin' You - 4701
Paper: Whisper White, Baja Breeze, Dewfrost DP (Memory Box), vellum
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic Markers, Clear Spica Glitter Pen
Accessories: Cuttlebug EF, Studio G clear gems, Krenik Metallic Thread (6420), Fiskars edge punch, Spellbinders dies, vellum tape, Sparkle N Sprinkle Crystal Ice Glitter, Sakura Glue Pen, Ranger Clear EP

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Newsprint and New Releases!

It's Wednesday and that means it's time for another Hambo Hoedown Challenge! Today's challenge is to use newsprint on your creations. If you head over to the Hoedown, you will see what the rest of the Bacon Bits created today using a brand new digi image: NEWSCASTER!

My job today was to have a sneak peek for the brand new RUBBER images that will be released TOMORROW by Hambo Stamps! There are some really fun snowmen, and penguins and leprechauns - lots more - and this adorable duck! Get your sunglasses out!

I used Echo Park's Summer Days designer paper to decide my colors. The DUCK UMBRELLA was stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and then colored with Copic markers. The sentiment (also brand new!) was also stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black ink.

I added a touch of Spica Glitter pen to his beak, feet and hat. Click on the photo below for a close-up view!

I am excited about these new images and will have another to show you tomorrow! Hope to see you then. And hey --- come play along at the Hoedown! You get a FREE digi image every week you play!

One more quick note - Hambo Stamps is having their LAST SALE OF THE YEAR and today is the last day of the sale that started last week! Get over there today to see what that is all about! (Did I say 30% off??)

Other challenges for this card:
More Than Favors Wacky Wednesday - Anything Goes
Paper Shelter Challenge - Anything Goes
Scrapbook Sisters - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
Whimsical Wednesdays - animal
Whimsy Inspiration - buttons
365 Cards - Celebrating the Everyday
Jen's Digi Stamps - Polka Dots

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Once upon a midnight dreary...

This card make me think of Poe's narrative poem, "The Raven." And I guess it's that season, isn't it? I wanted to make a colorful sky for this beautiful laser sticker I bought a few weeks ago. I used the Ink, Spray and Smash technique and a couple of my favorite colors: Not Quite Navy and Lavender Lace. My sentiment is from Rubbernecker Stamps.

Pretty easy Halloween card! Thanks for stopping by! Tomorrow I have a sneak peek at a new release from Hambo Stamps, so I hope to see you then!
Challenges for this card:
Crafty Boots - Autumn or Halloween
Creative Stamp Friends - Halloween
Forever Friends - must include animal - Anything Goes
Hooked on Crafts - Something Spooky
Kaboodle Doodles - Halloween/Fall
Paper Creations Ink - Halloween Theme
Pollycraft - Spooky Goings On
Addicted to Stamps - Halloween
Stamps: Happy Halloween SKU:372 SO (Rubbernecker Stamps)
Paper: Basic Black, Rich Razzleberry, Baja Breeze, Glossy White
Ink: Not Quite Navy, Lavender Lace, Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: velvet ric rac (Basic Grey), Sizzix embossing folder, Laser Sticker (Night Watch by Mrs. Grossman's)

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Boo Frickity Hoo!

I love this little Mummy from Rubbernecker Stamps! I am usually not one for making a lot of Halloween cards, but I think I am on a roll this week! This one is for my sister's birthday which is a week from today. Easy peasy card with that great Eerie DP by Basic Grey! I am still working with stuff just laying around on my desk!

Off to do some birthday shopping for my son and sister (both in the next couple of weeks!)!
Have a great day~!

Challenges for this card:
Allsorts - Halloween
Craft Your Days Away  - Halloween Colours
Crafty Calendar - October Spooky Birthday
Di's Digis Designs - Halloween
Just Some Lines - Halloween
Sweet Stampin - Trick or Treat
Card Makin' Mamas  - Halloween
Crafts 4 Eternity Recipe Challenge - at least one metal embellishment
Delicious Doodles - Halloween but no orange
Fashionista Friday - Halloween or fall
Poodles Parlour - Spooky Halloween
Stamp Man - night time
      

Stamps: Boo-Frickity-Hoo (SKU:475-06) and Mummy (SKU:474-01) by Rubbernecker Stamps
Paper: Basic Black, Perfect Plum, Elegant Eggplant, Kraft, Eerie DP (Basic Grey)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, ticket corner punch, clip

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Boo To You!

Today I want to showcase one of Rubber Stamp Tapestry's new sets - Spookytown:
I love the way that this turned out. Basic Grey's Eerie DP is the perfect complement for background, and Really Reasonable Ribbon's Checkerboard Satin Black ribbon is a perfect embellishment!
Click here to see more examples - and Rubber Stamp Tapestry's awesome Positioning Templates (which I also used) in action!

I am entering this in Samuel Taylor's challenge for this month. The awesome prize is a Tim Holtz Configuration Box!

Other Challenges for this card: 
CCEE Stampers - Fall/Autumn
Paper Crafting Journey - Colours: Black, White and Orange
Paper Play - Use Black

Stamps: Spookytown by Rubber Stamp Tapestry
Paper: Basic Black, Tangerine Tango, Whisper White (SU!), Eerie DP (Basic Grey)
Ink: Tangerine Tango & Pumpkin Pie (SU!), Memento Tuxedo Black, VersaColor Pinecone
Accessories: pearls (Mark Richards), border punch (Martha Stewart), Circle Positioning Templates (Rubber Stamp Tapestry), Checkerboard Satin Black ribbon (Really Reasonable Ribbon), Spellbinders dies, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, vellum tape, vellum metal-edged circle tag, Simply Stated Alphabet rub-on letters (Making Memories)

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

A Hoedown Sketch

Today at the Hambo Hoedown our challenge is a Sketch. Play along and get in the loop for a free digi image every week! This week's image is ZOMBIE BUNNY. I think he is so funny and can be colored a lot of different ways.
I used Copic markers to color my Zombie and used one of the sentiments repeatedly as a background. Here is the Sketch for this week:
 
 
Check out what the rest of the Bacon Bits created for today over at the Hoedown. There is BIG NEWS there about HOGTOBERFEST too! Hambo's annual EPIG sale starts tomorrow, but you can get a head start with a special CODE today! Click HERE to read all about it! Stock up on all your cling cushion - they carry my favorite kind! And who can resist all of their punny stamps??? Not me (obviously)!
While you are there, grab some May Arts ribbon at 60% off!

It's a once-a-year event you don't want to miss!

Other challenges for this card:
C.R.A.F.T. - Autumn/Fall
Crop Stop - Halloween
Delightful Challenges - Halloween
Forever Friends - Use Sentiment/text (ends 2nd Nov) 
Crafting for all Seasons - Halloween
Divas by Design - something Spooky
Freshly Brewed - black, orange, purple
I Brake For Challenges - Halloween
Inky Impressions - Halloween

Stamps: Zombie Bunny - digi by Hambo Stamps
Paper: Spooky Icons DP by The Paper Studio, Lauderdale DP by Basic Grey, Basic Black, Lovely Lilac, GP White
Ink: Copics 0, C1, C3, C5, V12, V15, RV00, Y11
Accessories: paper flower (Prima), button and brads (The Paper Studio), Licorice Baker's Twine (Really Reasonable Ribbon), lime green embroidery thread (Making Memories),Rectangle and Scalloped Rectangle dies (Spellbinders)

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Spooky Spiders

Welcome to  
Rubbernecker Stamps' 
Fall Blog Hop! 

Thanks so much for joining us. Rubbernecker Stamps has such a great variety of images, and we wanted to share some of the Fall and Halloween ones today!  There is a HOP ROUTE for you to follow at the end of this post. Make sure to leave some LOVE at every stop, for you will want to be eligible for our PRIZE!!  What fun would it be without a PRIZE?
You could win your choice of one of the awesome stamp sets at the end of this post!

Here is my Spooky Spider creation for today! 
Using Hang in There (SO1703) and Happy Halloween (SO372)

The Stampin’ Sisterhood has lots of creations to share with you, so grab a cuppa something, sit back, relax and get hopping! I know you will enjoy what the rest of the Rubbernecker Design Team has created! 

Come back for another Rubbernecker fall card tomorrow! Here are the fun new sets for the winner to choose from:




Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Swimming For Katie Blog Hop - Please Join Us!

I am honored to be participating in this special blog hop today. From October 10-12 some of the best stampers are joining together to support and encourage our friend and fellow stamper, Katie Renz, who is currently battling inoperable gastric cancer.  If you're not familiar with her, Katie’s cancer story started just before Christmas last year.  This young, beautiful, healthy, vibrant mother of 3 with her infectious smile was suddenly diagnosed with an inoperable cancer, virtually overnight.  A few tummy aches and then stage 4 gastric cancer.  Her first post about it is here.  

The idea of “Swimming for Katie” came from her recent post here.

 
This exclusive stamp used in my sample, designed by Becky Oehlers, is available as a clear stamp, as well as a digis or a dig and SVG cut file.  100% of the profits go to Katie's fund to help her and her young family.  Her husband Kevin and her three young children need our help and support.  In addition to the Keep Swimming Octopus, Marianne Walker and True =D Doodle Designs both also donated digis that are for sale.  

Direct donations are also being accepted.  Information central is HERE.  This is a permanent page that will stay active at i {heart} papers with current information and the full 3 day blog hop listing, as well as the donation button. 
Here are all the items available for sale.

I hope you will join me in supporting Katie through a purchase or donation.  The following is a list of everyone who has projects posted today.  Visit them in any order you wish. I hope you will be inspired by them and moved to purchase or donate.  Thank you! 

If you would like to send Katie a card, her address is:
Katie Renz
PO Box 5913
Bellingham, WA 98227-5913
^^^^^DONATE HERE^^^^^


Thank you so very much! The paper crafting community has such big hearts!

Friday, October 7, 2011

On the Road Again

Don't you love this little armadillo? He is one of the newest rubber stamp releases at Hambo Stamps. I made this card for the Splitcoaststampers Hope You Can Cling To Sketch Challenge on Wednesday of this past week.
Hambo Stamps is one of the sponsors for HYCCT and I hope you will join in any of the daily challenges between now and the end of October. It is for such a worthy cause!
 

Stamps: Armadillo and On the Road by Hambo Stamps
Paper: Riding Hood Red, Always Artichoke, Very Vanilla, Debbie Mumm Travel DP
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Spica Glitter pens, Copic Markers
Accessories: dew drops, Spellbinders dies, grosgrain ribbon, Cuttlebug EF, paper piercer

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Welcome the New Hambo Stamps Design Team!

Welcome to the new Bacon Bits for Hambo Stamps! All this week on Talk to the Ham, Monica has been introducing the six new Bacon Bits that will be joining Hambo for the next four months, and I am excited to also introduce them here:
Today at the Hambo Hoedown, they are all highlighting the newest Hambo digital image: Flower Monster! Head on over there to see what fun creations they came up with for their debut!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I want to share some fun photos with you of a recent "Junk Jaunt" to a wonderful place I discovered while looking for vintage lace and props for my play I am directing (opening night is tomorrow!). This place is in a little tiny town 25 miles west of my town and takes up an entire block. Here are some pictures I took on my phone (hence the fuzzy quality) of some of the aisles and areas where you can find ANYTHING and all sorts of treasures you didn't expect!

There are rows and rows of old tins and containers:
Aisles and aisles and aisles of old books and current paperbacks, as well as old sheet music, movies, and records (I found a great Frank Sinatra record I needed for my 1966 play setting, got a John Grisham paperback and a large print book for my mom!):
 Drawers and old post office box doors:
And fabric, seam binding (I bought it all!), vintage tablecloths, lace, old crochet hooks, cigar boxes (also needed for my play!), ANYTHING you can think of!
 Rows and rows of knickknacks, teapots, glassware, china, kitchenware -- I even found a little giraffe!
I didn't even take photos of the furniture, farm equipment, photographs, paintings, toys, oh the list goes on and on. Basically, the owners buy up full estate sales - yep, everything - and then put it in their store. They are only open on Saturdays, and it's like a big party when you go there. Anyway, I found oodles of gorgeous vintage lace and seam binding (some of the packages were from JCPenney's and said 8 cents!) - probably 100 yards of lace! And for a cost to me of $4!!! Yep - one package of fancy satin lace trim that I got would have been at least $8-10 retail now. I came home and bagged it all in Ziplocs ready to use on crafts and cards. What a fun day! Joy #22! (I have sort of forgotten about posting Joys, so am ready to continue with those!)

Thanks for stopping by today! I appreciate all of you!

Monday, October 3, 2011

Celebrating World Animal Day with Sparkle N Sprinkle!

It’s World Animal Day! At Sparkle N Sprinkle we’re celebrating the animals in our lives, and the critters of this world by having a blog hop. Critters bring such joy, happiness and beauty to our world, and we’d like to recognize them for the contributions made to our hearts!
If you arrived here from Dawn Thomas's blog, you are in the right spot. But if you happened here by chance, have a look from the beginning. There are wonderful prizes to be had and lots of things on special!

My card today is made using the Bird Swirl Stamp Set 432. I stamped my branch and owl using dye inks, and my sentiment using a pigment ink. The sentiment was then embossed with Copper EP. After coloring the branch and leaves, I added Starfire Glitter with Brushable Glue. I added a feather for some interest.

Today is my last post as a Sparkle N Sprinkle designer. I want to publicly say what a wonderful company SNS is, and how generous their hearts are. I have loved working with Margaret and Donna and the rest of the team for the past year. Thank you for a delightful time!

Be sure to leave a comment here to be eligible for two grand prizes! Now hop on over to Julie Zippel for another wonderful critter! Thanks for stopping by today!

AND: Winner of the Verve Harvest Blessings blog candy: Ashley Nguyen Newell!
Email me with your address, Ashley! Congratulations!
Stamps: Bird Swirl Stamp Set 432 by Sparkle N Sprinkle
Paper: Taken With Teal, Pumpkin Pie, Pretty in Pink, Very Vanilla, Making Memories Journaling Tag
Ink: Soft Suede, Chocolate Chip, Pinecone VersaColor, Copic markers
Accessories: Cuttlebug EF, rust striped grosgrain ribbon, felt flower, button, copper cord, corner rounder, Starfire Glitter, Brushable Glue, circle punch, large oval punch, feather

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Celebrating World Cardmaking Day with OWH!

It is World Cardmaking Day and I am celebrating by sharing a holiday card to send to our Troops! If you came here by chance, click on the link above to take you to the beginning - lots of goodies along the way! If you aren't familiar with Operation Write Home, I heartily support their cause and I hope that you will too~

Here is my card:
Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Stamps: Printworks
Paper: Whisper White, Purely Pomegranate, Basic Gray, Basic Black
Ink: VersaFine Black
Accessories: Cuttlebug EF, Pomegranate Satin Ribbon, silver bead gems