Blogger's Challenge #47 - Layout challenge (x2)

Today's Blogger's Challenge was to use the dog layout on Page 21 of the Stampin' Up! Occasions Catalog as inspiration for our creations. When I first saw the layout, I was a bit taken back -- the tear diagonally across the main panel not a look that I normally do on purpose with my artwork. Guess that's why it's called a challenge!

I started my creative process with the card on the right. The beautiful stamps on this card are from the same delicious stamp sheet from Oxford Impressions that I am giving away this week (to enter the giveaway, go to THIS post). I used the Embossed Watercolor Crayon Technique from the June 2006 issue of the Technique Junkie Newsletter for coloring the bird. (A close-up of what the bird looks like from a different angle is on the left). This turned out fabulouso in real life! A couple more touches with the punches and the ribbon, and this was a pretty easy card.

Okay, so now I am liking this layout! What else can I do? That is how the card on the right came to life. This uses the Penciled Twinks Technique from the February 2008 issue of the Newsletter to color the flower. These stamps are from Stampin' Up!. I admit it, I did change the layout just a touch, but I had to for balance's sake. I even managed to throw some Cuttlebug embossing in the mix.

I love having so many techniques at my disposal! I have produced OVER 475 step-by-step tutorials for 475 different rubber stamping techniques in the last 5-3/4 years. Without question, the Technique Junkie Newsletter has more technique tutorials than any -- ANY -- other resource on the Internet or in print. I think that is pretty cool!

Sorry about the shameless self-promoting commercial -- guess I am just in a celebratory mood today!

Wonderful Wednesday Give Away - Oxford Impressions

I am thrilled to have these beautiful stamps from Oxford Impressions to give away this week! This absolutely stunning sheet of stamps will knock your socks off. Deeply etched rubber with beautiful images are always a great combination.... But I have to say that every stamp on this sheet is delicious! "The Bird's Nest" is an 8-1/2"x 11" rubber stamp sheet with 20 images. These stamps give fabulous impressions and offer so many possibilites for so many techniques -- I can't wait to use them with the Color Collage Technique!

The card shown above that the winner of the giveaway will receive with their new stamp sheet uses the Aged Tiles technique from the April 2008 issue of the Technique Junkie Newsletter. I LOVE how this card turned out. I just love this card -- it is hard for me to give it away! I think I may have to make a second just to look at!

In addition to generously contributing the stamp sheet, Suzanne Melvin, Owner of Oxford Impressions, is offering Technique Junkie members 15% off the price of all unmounted rubber stamp collections. The discount applies only to Oxford Impressions rubber stamp collections - not single stamps or supplies. This offer is good from now until next Wednesday, May 22nd, so members will have 1 week to take advantage of this special offer. A new rubber stamp collection will be released at weeks end with a masculine theme - just in time for Father's Day! Two new collage sheets will also be available by the end of the week, so this is a good time to shop Oxford Impressions! The coupon code is: TJunkies and should be entered during the check out process.

Okay, want to know how this sheet and card could be yours?

ANYONE can enter this give away.
One entry per person, per give away, please. To enter the give away for today, simply leave a comment on this blog entry telling me that you would like to enter by 11:59am EST on Sunday, May 18nd. No other entry methods will be included in the give away. If you email me to enter, your entry will NOT be considered a valid entry. When you leave the comment, make sure to put your NAME in the comment -- if you enter your comment as "Anonymous", I cannot give you the prize! Blogger does NOT record your email address for me, so you will need to check back to find out if you have won or include your email address in your comment so that I can notify you. A good way to do this is like so: phuntoon at optonline dot net -- it will help protect your privacy! I will have a random number generator pick one number from the comments to select one winner. Each give-away is separate, so to be eligible for a specific item you must enter that day's contest on the post where it is listed. Enter today -- good luck! I have blog give aways every week -- come play!

TSSC - A bit late!

Usually I post my TSSC entry on Mondays, with everyone else -- and even though this card was done, I just had to set it on the back burner so that I could finish a few other things. This is one of those weeks I call my "creative weeks" -- a full out blitz and attack on my stamps and supplies to cook up new techniques and try techniques submitted by other people. I try not to get distracted by my computer on these weeks so that I can just pop out stuff!!!

I thought I better get this on here today, before the week slides away from me, though. I am eating my lunch (worried now, because I have over 400 emails waiting for me to look at -- how does it get so high in 24 hours?) so I thought I would post this.

I did not do the traditional rectangle from the original sketch, found on Mary Jo Price-Williams Technostamper Blog. I changed it a bit, using the diamond-shaped giraffe from Wood-'n-Paper Ink as the focal point (thanks, Dee!). The background on the chocolate paper is from Stampendous, and the circle words and background is from The Angel Company.

The giraffe was colored with Gamsol Pearls (June 2006 Newsletter). Now, I need to go get inky, so if you will excuse me....

Congratulations to Sharon E. Johnson!

Sharon E. Johnson is the winner of the I Brake for Stamps set from Last week's Giveaway! Congrats, Sharon!

Blogger's Challenge: Mother's Day Cards (x3)

I had a coupon to Michael's yesterday and it was burning a hole in my pocket. So of course, I went shopping... and out of that whole entire store, I only bought a few things: First, the butterfly image from Stampendous that is featured on these cards, and second, a really cool border punch from Martha Stewart (not featured here, it will be in another blog post soon). I also bought ribbon, because I simply cannot go to Michael's and not pick up a spool or two when they are only a dollar. I intended to use some of that ribbon for this challenge, but ended up keeping everything clean and fairly un-embellished.

So, I made three cards for this challenge. Since my Mom passed, I have had a hard time making Mother's Day cards. I do have a wonderful Mother-in-Law who I call "Mom", but the last three years I have given her cards that do not actually have "Happy Mother's Day" printed on them anywhere. I just couldn't do it. This year, I am emotionally free from that for some reason. I am sending her the "to MY mother" card. After being with her son for over 20 years, she is my mother.

Enough blathering. I used different techniques on these cards. All three of them feature the butterfly stamp I bought yesterday combined with a set called "Wonderful Favorites" from Stampin' Up!.The first uses the Burnished Watercolors Technique from the August 2007 issue of the Technique Junkie Newsletter. The second uses the Modern Grid Technique from the April 2007 issue of the Newsletter. The third uses one from way back...the Pencil over Ink Technique from the February 2005 issue of the Newsletter.

So why did I make three cards? Well, one will go to my MIL, one to a SIL and one to one of my sisters. I guess I just kept going on a theme yesterday. I was actually task-avoiding something else, too. I have a 4th one started, but I was called away from my studio yesterday and never made it back.

It is fun to see how the same stamps can turn out so different, isn't it?

I hope your Mother's Day is great!

Wonderful Wednesday Giveaway -- I Brake for Stamps-Collage

Today's Wonderful Wednesday Giveaway is a gorgeous Collage Elements Sheet from I Brake for Stamps. I absolutely adore this stamp sheet -- There are so many possibilities with the variety of stamps here!

The card that will accompany the stamp sheet to the giveaway winner uses the Simple Green Spritz Background from the April 2008 issue of the Technique Junkie Newsletter.

Della Warr, the owner of I Brake For Stamps, has an outstanding discount for orders placed from her website. The discount is for Technique Junkie Members only -- one you won't want to miss! Go to the Technique Junkie's Yahoo Group (you must be a subscriber to be part of the e-group) for details on the discount, or if you are a TJ member who is NOT on the e-group, email me and I will send you the offer.

ANYONE can enter this give away. One entry per person, per give away, please. To enter the give away for today, simply leave a comment on this blog entry telling me that you would like to enter by 11:59am EST on Friday, May 9th. No other entry methods will be included in the give away. If you email me to enter, your entry will NOT be considered a valid entry. When you leave the comment, make sure to put your NAME in the comment -- if you enter your comment as "Anonymous", I cannot give you the prize! Blogger does NOT record your email address for me, so you will need to check back to find out if you have won or include your email address in your comment so that I can notify you. A good way to do this is like so: phuntoon at optonline dot net -- it will help protect your privacy! I will have a random number generator pick one number from the comments to select one winner. Each give-away is separate, so to be eligible for a specific item you must enter that day's contest on the post where it is listed. Enter today -- good luck! I have blog give aways every week -- come play!

This week's winner was Sharon E. Johnson! Congratulations, Sharon!

TSSC16: Times two...

Today I made two cards for the Technostamper Sketch Challenge. Both cards are very simple. This is a great layout for quick and easy cards!

The first card, on the right, uses Stampin' Up!'s Priceless set, plus the designer paper from the hostess pack in the catalog (which, of course, I have had for almost 6 months and have not used until today!). Monochromatic cards are always in vogue, right?

The second card, on the left, uses Studio G stamps (the $1.00 ones in Michael's clearance bins!). The bottom of this card uses the Glittery Cuttlebug Technique -- directions for that technique are HERE. I am still not sold on the color combo I used -- but I am sharing it anyway!

The original sketch is below. Check out Mary Jo Price-William's blog to see the cards from all the players this week, and to find out how to play along, too!