Celebrate You........ and winners!!

Winner day!

The winner of the 4-inch canvas is:

Maria V

Please send me your address in an email with "canvas winner" in the subject line so I can mail this little sweetie off to you!

My ten digital stamp winners are:

Payne Holler Cards

ColleenB

Paper Creations by Shirley

G/J

Kathy (kslogan)

Anabé

Ruth

Pam

Judycs 
Marcie S. 

Ladies, please send me an email with "digital stamp winner" in the subject line so I can send you your prize!

Here's my final card for Hope You Can Cling To - I didn't make it with any challenge in mind - I made it as an expression of thanks to those who have participated in the card drive all month long. I've tried to be faithful to comment on the cards with less comments - for such a special cause, I think it's right that everyone gets a 'thank you'!

This image is a free gift from Krista Smith of Saturated Canary and she's still available if you want to download her for yourself! You can read all about her by clicking here and download her from the online store HERE. Colored her with Touch Twin Markers, really focusing on her face... not really comfortable with that yet, so I keep pushing myself, and studying the shadows around people's eyes when they're talking... ha!! The sentiment I used is from JustRite Stampers, one of their older ridged stamps that are now retired.

What are your plans for the night? Halloween isn't really celebrated here, so just a normal night for us, unless the kids come up with something creative! Be safe!!

Heartfelt Creations DT Alumni Hop

It's time again for the Heartfelt Creations Design Team Alumni monthly blog hop... We've chosen the last Tuesday of each month to share a project featuring Heartfelt Creations' stamps when we can, just for fun.  If you'd like a chance at winning a prize, be sure to leave a comment on every blog along the hop by Friday - there is a $25 gift certificate up for grabs for one random commenter! I am at the top of the hop list today, so if you're ready to hop, you are in the right place!

I shared this card earlier in the month on Splitcoaststampers as it fit one of the challenges for Hope You Can Cling To. It has been such a fun month of creativity, support, and encouragement!

The Cardinal image is stamped onto four white Inchie Plus squares from Inchie Arts. I used reinkers, watercolor markers, and Inktense pencils to color in the scene. I can't find it on the site now... maybe it's been retired...? I'm keeping mine though... this is my favorite cardinal ever. :)

Ready to hop on? Your next stop is Tesa's Scrap! Thanks for joining us!!



Here's a list of all the blogs in today's hop:

Dina Kowal - mamadinis.blogspot.com
Tesa Broman http://tesasscrap.blogspot.com
Olga - http://craftieodamae.blogspot.com
Kristina - http://reflectionsofahappycrafter.blogspot.ca/
Linda http://paynehollercards.blogspot.com

Busy week!!

Just a quick 'heads up' on what's coming up this week - it's a busy one, and prizes are involved!

Tuesday you can start here to hop with a few of the Heartfelt Creations DT alumni, for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate!

Wednesday I'll be announcing the winners of my Blog Birthday giveaway. Still time to enter if you haven't yet!

Thursday I have THREE posts scheduled...!

• The Impression Obsession team will be sharing a variety of gift-giving ideas in our bi-monthly challenge - you can join that challenge with your IO stamps for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate! 
• The Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps team will be sharing cards made with our favorite stamp sets to celebrate SNSS's 5th birthday - more chances to win and discounts throughout the month! 
• And finally, the Touch Twin team will be kicking off a new challenge - we're moving to monthly challenges instead of bi-monthly, so you have more time to play along for a chance to win markers!

On Saturday, I'll be sharing the details for another fun contest from Daily Window Bags!!

Here's a fun little card for your Halloween week! Keeping it simple and cute - that's how I do Halloween. I used three different Spellbinders ovals, leaf dies from Impression Obsession, and swirls from Quickutz.

Lots going on - hope you'll join me!
 

Happy birthday to my blog!

So SIX years ago I started my little blog...! I think that's pretty fun... And six years ago I had no idea that someday my little pieces of art would be seen by over 1000 people a day, and who knew that I'd be blogging about my own stamp line?! So crazy. I love blogging - it keeps me moving forward - and some days it's the only reason I know what day it is! I've always loved creating, and I've always loved writing, so it just makes sense really...

I'm grateful - for the people I've met along the way that have pushed and encouraged me, believed in me, and told me to keep creating, keep pushing my boundaries. This isn't my 'day job' but it gives me an outlet for times when life and ministry get overwhelming. Thanks for visiting, leaving comments, and asking questions - I love that!

So I was thinking it would be fun to share some love here for all you share with me. I painted this little 4-inch canvas the other day, and would love to send it to one of you. I used acrylic paints and stamps from Impression Obsession, Sweet 'n Sassy, and smARTworks, plus a digital stamp that I designed myself. This "Holding My Heart" image isn't available anywhere but here at this time... yet! The actual image is six inches high, so it can be resized for different sized canvases, pieced, or colored as is.

 As an additional prize, I'd like to send out 10 limited edition digital stamp sets. All you need to do to qualify to win is leave a comment under this post! I'll announce my 11 winners on Wednesday, so you have until Oct. 30th at midnight EST to leave a comment. 

Thanks so much for stopping by!
 

sale items.....

I posted some stamps and other items for sale yesterday after a few good hours of purging and organizing my studio... the items are listed HERE, or you can find them by clicking the FOR SALE button under my header. Email me if there's anything that interests you...!

She has wings...

Here are a couple of quick, clean, and simple cards I made this month for Hope You Can Cling to, using my stamps and dies from Impression Obsession..

Dies used: Bird Set, Border Duo 1, and Birdcage 

The sentiment can be found HERE. 

Just wanted to give you a heads up - Saturday my little ol' blog is having a birthday! Hard to believe that I've been blogging 6 years already. I have a few fun prizes to share, so make sure you stop back! I've been working on a fun project I can't wait to show you. :)

P.S. I'm also entering this in this month's DIE-CUTS challenge over at Oozak!

Show Time!

A few of my Hope You Can Cling To cards reflect a red-black-white color rut I found myself in one day.......... but it was a fun rut, and the cards match, so I want to share!

The first card was for a music challenge, posed to us by Tenia, who is a professional jazz pianist. I had a card similar to this sketched in a notebook I always carry with me when we're out... I thought this would be a fitting time to try it! I used the smallest Flags die from Impression Obsession to cut out the keys, and freehanded the curve of the piano with scissors. The sentiment is from Flourishes' Tag Lines set.

The stamps for my second card are from Hambo Stamps, one of the sponsors of our card drive this month! Hambo Stamps are brilliantly 'punny,' and perfectly appropriate for a challenge entitled "You Have Me In Stitches!"

I actually used my crimper on this card - I can't remember the last time I pulled that out! The tag and scalloped edge are both dies from Impression Obsession as well (Border Duo 2, Mini Rectangle Tags 1). 

I used an oval diecut for the spotlight 'spot,' and cut a vellum triangle to show the rays. Tied it all off with some twine from the Twinery! Fun stuff. The main image is watercolored with Inktense pencils.

Hope you're having a great weekend!



P.S. I'm also entering this in this month's DIE-CUTS challenge over at Oozak!

Designed to Color Challenge Crew

I'm always up for a challenge and a little something different, and if that challenge involves coloring - all the better! You know I love to color, no matter what the medium. So here's a fun announcement - I've been invited to join the Designed to Color Challenge Crew! If you're unfamiliar with DTC, here's a little info from their blog:

Designed to Color is an online magazine dedicated to coloring in the crafting world.  From card making to altered objects and scrapbook pages we use amazing digital or stamped images to make our projects complete.  This is where we come in.  We love all the amazing ways that different types of coloring mediums come together to make an image come to life.  Celebrating color and creativity is what we live by!  And we hope you will learn to love color as much as we do! 

Challenges are posted monthly on the 15th of the month, so keep an eye out for my work on the Designed to Color Blog beginning in November!

Pop over and leave me a little love on their announcement post, will you?

Impression Obsession DT Challenge: Have a Bewitching Halloween

The Impression Obsession team's challenge today is to create a card with a Halloween theme.

I thought it would be fun to create a little Halloween wreath! I created the door panels with rectangle dies and my Scor-Pal. I used several I.O. dies for the wreath - Twig Wreath, Halloween Hill, Nest/Hole, Flags, and Fancy Ornament.

I mentioned earlier in the week that I used the cut-out swirls from the Ornament die on this card - did you see? The bow is from that die set too. The sentiment I used can be found HERE.

Be sure to check out these other designers' blogs for inspiration -

Daniela @ For the First Time
Jeanne @ Inky Paws
Julie @ Out to Impress
Kittie @ Kittie Kraft
Laura @ Laura's Stamp Art Journal
Vicki @ Summerthyme Studio

Remember you can enter these challenges too, using your Impression Obsession stamps! See the I.O. blog for all the details - you might even win a $25 gift certificate!! We'd love to have you join us.

P.S. I'm also entering this in this month's DIE-CUTS challenge over at Oozak!

Friends... share ideas!

I love finding different uses for the supplies that I have, since there are times that I have to make things 'stretch'... here's a card that I made with seasonal dies from Impression Obsession that are used in a non-seasonal way. It's a clean and simple (CAS) style that doesn't really come easily to me, but I love the earthy tones and effect. The sentiment I used can be found HERE.

These are the dies I used:

Leaves

Border Duo 2

Border Duo 3

Fancy Ornament

The little swirlies that are cut out from the ornament die are fun to use too - I'll show you how I used them on a Halloween card on Thursday! Have a great week!!

Some weeks are like that...

I wanted to share another card I made for my Show Tunes challenge - this card is inspired by the song title "I Shall Scream", from the musical "Oliver". My brother performs in his local theater, and had the role of the Beadle in Oliver a couple of years ago - I'm so proud of him!! - but before watching his performance I didn't know this song existed, since it didn't make it into the movie.

I thought this little stressed out mama looked like she might scream... and who doesn't have 'those kinds of days'? and weeks?! Stamps are from Art Impressions, colored with Shinhan watercolors.

I am loving being involved with HYCCT - and as a hostess I have the whole challenge list in advance, so I've been working ahead, and my daughter's been making cards as well. We should have a pretty good stack of cards to send by the end of the month!! 

Hope You Can.... Sing To!

It's my turn to host a challenge for our Hope You Can Cling To card drive over at Splitcoaststampers! I love this cause, and it's such a blessing to be able to participate as a hostess, enabling our members to focus their talents on encouraging others. I would love for you to join us!

So I got to toying with the concept of awareness when I was developing my challenge theme, and for some reason a conversation about music and show tunes that same week entered into my thoughts as well... so, my challenge is entitled...

 "Start Spreading the News!" 

...and participants are to create a card inspired by the title or lyrics of a song from a musical or movie. I chose the song "Embraceable You", which is from An American In Paris. (Click the song title for a favorite version of mine by Ella Fitzgerald... it's beautiful!) 

I love this "There For You" digital image by Mo Manning especially because it's one that I requested. I'm drawn to huggy images, but sometimes a happy, cheerful hug image isn't appropriate for someone going through a hard time. I wanted one that expressed support and sympathy. Sooooo grateful to Mo for coming up with this image - it's perfect.

I printed the image in a very pale grey, and colored it using Touch Twin Markers. These are the colors I used:

Encourage one another............ ♥