Join Stampotique over at Crazy4Challenges today as we sponsor their challenge of "GREEN". Create something green and have a chance to win a $30 gift certificate for Stampotique Stamps!

Here's my little creation!

Stamps by Stampotique Originals:
Keykeeper, Word Collage

"They'll sell you thousands of greens. Veronese green and emerald green and cadmium green and any sort of green you like; but that particular green, never."
Pablo Picasso, 1966.

SDC50: Wearable Art

It's time for another Stampotique Designer's Challenge.  This week is my turn to select a theme and I am going with Wearable Art!!  I just love the idea of wearing something that you made yourself - something totally unique that reflects your own personal sense of style!

Will you take something apart and rebuild it, alter an existing item or will you start from scratch? And then of course, the real test will be - will you wear it!?!

Here's my little bobby pin hair clip creation for this theme.  The flower centre has been colored with Copic markers, punched out, covered in glossy accents, layered over a little scalloped circle and then surrounded by baby pearls.  It was then attached to a large brad that has been pushed through these beautiful paper flowers and the head of a bobby pin to create a fun hair accessory or lapel clip.

Girl with Heart Purse by Stampotique Originals

"Fashion fades, only style remains the same."
Coco Chanel

TSC28: Flip 'N Fold

This month, The Stampsmith Challenge is to find interesting ways of incorporating folds into a project. For example, use an interesting new fold if you are creating a card, incorporate pieces or parts that flip up, down or open on your project, or put folded pieces of paper or fabric into your creation in some way. Lots of latitude on your interpretation of this one!  Be sure to play along for your chance to win your choice of a full sheet of Stampsmith Stamps!

Here's my little creation made with beautiful paper kindly given to me by my SIL, Janice.  In the finished piece you can't really tell that the picture frame is made from folded paper but I took a few pictures along the way to show you its skeleton!  This brilliant frame fits a 4"x6" picture perfectly and is made from just one piece of card stock - too easy!

The origami frame is complete, it just needs a 4" x 6" photo inserted
Pattern from The Origami Handbook by Rick Beech

I inserted a 4" x 6" piece of card stock mounted on cardboard

Here is a view from the back showing the "kickstand"

A very distressed Stampsmith image completes the project

"But friendship is the breathing rose, with sweets in every fold."
Oliver Wendell Holmes

SDC49: Purple/Pink with Black

It's time for the next Stampotique Designer's Challenge!  Nellie is our hostess this week and she thought it would be fun to give us a color challenge this time.

Here is what she said about her challenge:

"And of course I picked a color combination that I really love to work with: pink, purple and black. It’s as simple as that! So go get your Stampotique stamps out and have fun with this challenge. As always you can win a $30 dollar gift certificate for your choice of Stampotique stamps."

Here is my little project for this challenge.  I used a page from a 6" chipboard heart-shaped book as my template for this piece.  I traced around it onto my patterned paper and then turned that into an easel card.  I have used the centre of the Nautical Wheeler die as the stopper at the bottom of the heart.  It hides nicely under the heart when the card lays flat.

Stamps by Stampotique Originals:
Lovelyarethesound, Hug Enclosed

"You can't wrap love in a box, but you can wrap a person in a hug."
Author Unknown

Stampotique's New Release - A Blog Hop!

Welcome to the Stampotique blog hop introducing a new Stampotique artist, Roc Nichols, as well as many new stamps from the other brilliant Stampotique artists!! You should have hopped here from Gez's blog. If you did not come from Gez's blog, you will want to start at the Stampotique Designer's Blog.

Join the blog hop for a chance to win some new stamps as a random winner will be chosen from one of the designer's blogs as well as one from the Stampotique blog, so make sure to jump through the hop leaving comments along the way as well as on the Stampotique blog when you finish.  Let us know what your favorite new stamps are. The random winners will be announced on 2/22/12 when the next Stampotique Designer's Challenge begins so you have a week to hop around.

Stamps by Stampotique Originals:
Friend, Oh Boys!

From my blog you will hop on over to see what fabulous new stamps Willy uses. I can't wait to hear what your favorite ones are!

Roc Nicholas

Kaz Boughton

Jane Wetzel

Gez Butterworth

Valerie Wilson

Willy Anderson

Maria Sabina Raita

Kim Howard

Nellie van Leeuwen

Vicki Garrett

Kate Crane

Joanne Wardle

Janet Klein

Kira Nichols

Stampotique Designer's Blog

SDC48: CASE A Stampotique Designer

Today it's time for another Stampotique Designer's Challenge and this week, Kim has us trying something a bit different than usual.  She has asked us to CASE one of the Stampotique Designer's. What is a CASE? Copy and Steal Everything.

 Pick out a favorite project from any of the Stampotique Designer's personal blogs or any project on on the Stampotique Designer's Blog or The Stampotique Challenge Blog and create your own version of their project.  You can make it quite similar or loosely based on the original (i.e. different stamps, colors, embellishments, etc.)... just put your own spin on it!

Make sure you link to the one you are copying so we can see the project that inspired your creation!  My inspiration came from Jane Wentzell's lovely creation posted back in September called "Under The Parapluie".  I have used the same stamps and layout but I have changed up the color scheme.  I really enjoyed this project as it used up some of my favorite scraps of paper and combined them into one fun project!  Thank you for the inspiration, Jane!

Jane's Wonderful Original

My CASE of Jane's Original

"Imitation is the sincerest of flattery."
Charles Caleb Colton, (1780 - 1832) in Lacon, volume I, no. 183

TSC27: Love & Lace - Sponsored by The Cutting Garden

This month, Debbie challenges us to create a project using her theme of Love And Lace for The Stampsmith Challenge! From puppy love to romantic love, anything goes!! Haul out your stash of lace and have fun creating!

This month's prize is being provided by The Cutting Garden in Halifax, Nova Scotia where four members of the Stampsmith Design Team will be holding a Stampsmith workshop on Saturday, February 11th. The Cutting Garden is now stocking Stampsmith stamps and invites you to drop off or mail in a project to be displayed in the store until March 31. All entries will automatically be entered in this month's Stampsmith Challenge and draw for a free sheet of Stampsmith stamps. Visit The Cutting Garden web site for further details in the Events Calendar.

Here is my little creation for this challenge.  It will be the project that I will be teaching at The Cutting Garden Stampsmith Workshop!  I'm looking forward to this special event! :)

"Maude's Memories"
featuring Maude by The Stampsmith

SDC47: Alter Something

It’s time for another Stampotique Designer's Challenge and Kate is here as our host this week! January seems to be a time when many of us decide to use what we already have so with that in mind I challenge you all to alter something! It can be anything from a matchbox to a coaster, an old CD to an empty cardboard box. Have a good hunt around, see what you can find and give it the Stampotique treatment!

I have altered an old CD case and created a round card that fits inside.  I thought this would be a fun way to give a giftcard to a friend... hope you like it!

Stamps by Stampotique:
Great Moon, Wee Owl, Bow Heart

Here's a Third Coast project I haven't had a chance to show you yet!
I know it's subtle, but I have colored this image with Copic markers to create some natural shadows and shading.  This beautiful stamp really does all of the work for you! :)

Stamp by Third Coast Rubber Stamps:
Bernadette's Blooms (FA216L)
Colored with Copic Markers
W1, W3, W5, W7

"A garden must combine the poetic and he mysterious with a feeling of serenity and joy."
Luis Barragan

SDC46: Pocket or Purse Calendar

Seriously, how does the time go by so fast?  I'm so sorry I missed posting my last Stampotique Challenge card... it was waiting for me to find a memory card for my camera!!  I have found the most ancient card ever (128mb!!! LOL!!) and am now at least able to take a few pics before running out of room on the card!  I'm convinced my DH has the others in his gear from when we were travelling in November!! Gah!

Anyway, without waiting any longer, it's time for this week's Stampotique Designer's Challenge! This week Maria gave us the challenge to create a handy pocket calendar or purse calendar. The challenges are now Stampotique only so grab your favorite Stampotique images and join us for your chance to win a $30 gift certificate for Stampotique stamps.

Here's my little purse calendar (did I mention that I love little things to tuck in my purse?!?)  I know I've used this same monster before, but the idea hit and I had to run with it!! The fold is a slightly modified basic origami square base and since there were 4 flaps, I included 16 months (4 per flap) using the time and date online calendar creator.  I think I'll experiment with an acetate belly band or perhaps just a pretty ribbon closure!

"Live not one's life as though one had a thousand years, but live each day as the last."
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

SDC44: Shimmer, Glimmer, Glitter & Glitz

It's that time again when we get to share the new theme for the Stampotique Designer's Challenge!  This week, I've selected the theme and am hoping you'll break out your "Shimmer, Glimmer, Glitter and Glitz" using shimmery paper, glittery embellishments, glimmery paints/washes/spritz or any kind of glitzy bling in your creations....let your inspiration shine!  This week is going to be the last challenge where you can use ANY stamps, so be sure to join in the fun for your chance to win!

Here's my glittery little creation for this theme using the sparkly Lost and Found Christmas paper from My Mind's Eye - the bling's built right in!! LOL!  One thing that struck me funny about this pairing of stamps is that Snowman has the same hunch to his back as adorable Dweeze does!  Do you think Dweeze made him that way!?!

Stamps by Stampotique Originals:
Beauty Verse, Snowman, Dweeze

"Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

2011 CD Calendar - December

Can you believe December is here already!!!!????
This is the last insert for this year's CD calendar!!
Click here to see the rest of the pages during the past year!
This has been a fun project... one I'll keep doing each month!

Stamps by Stampotique Originals:
Santa Baby, Xmas 5-sided Cube

"Believe in love. Believe in magic. Hell, believe in Santa Claus. Believe in others. Believe in yourself. Believe in your dreams. If you don't, who will?"
Jon Bon Jovi

2011 CD Calendar - November

Well, the last time I posted, we had just finished a snow storm and the kids were outside building snowmen - which was my inspiration for November's cd calendar.  Now, of course, it's taken me this long to post it and we're now having T-shirt weather with green lawns and Spring bulbs sprouting (no wonder they're confused)!!  In any event, this was a fun one to make! :)

Stamps by Stampotique Originals:
Snowy Fran, Bella 

"I'm glad that life isn't like a Christmas song, because if my friends and I were building a snowman and it suddenly came alive when we put a hat on it, I'd probably freak and stab it to death with an icicle."
Matthew Perry

Surprise!!

That's what we have here in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada - a white surprise!! The first significant storm of the season dumped 16+ inches of snow here yesterday creating a beautiful winter wonderland! Anyone not prepare got buried, just like this unsuspecting fella below! It was hard to capture how much this card sparkles covered with Glitter Ritz... hopefully, you can see some of it in the closeup when you click on it!

FA3550 Snowy Scenes (Crow) by Third Coast Rubber Stamps

Wishing a very Happy Thanksgiving to all of our friends celebrating today!

"Winter is the time of promise because there is so little to do -
or because you can now and then permit yourself the luxury of thinking so."
Stanley Crawford

SDC43: It's A Non-Traditional Christmas

It's time for another Stampotique Designer's Challenge!  This week Vicki is challenging us to create a Christmas card with non-traditional colors - that means not red and green!! Fun!!

Pull out your Stampotique Stamps and play along with this week's challenge for your chance to win a $30 Stampotique Gift Certificate - now that's a great Christmas gift!!

Here's my little project for this challenge.  This Basic Grey paper reminded me of a partridge in a pear tree, so I ran with it!  (Now that I look, I guess there is a bit of green in the pattern, but I think it is very non-traditional and does the trick!  :)  To me, it looks like Kira's Monster is giving the gift of friendship to his budgie this Christmas!  Awww.... isn't he cute!!?

Monster and Budgie by Stampotique Originals

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone celebrating this week!
Val :)

Congratulations to The Cutting Garden!

The Cutting Garden has a new location opening today at
70 Lacewood Drive, Halifax, NS!
See http://thecuttinggarden.ca for all of the details!

SDC42: Sketch Challenge

Here is the current Stampotique Designer's Sketch Challenge hosted by Lisa who says, "I don't know about you, but I love to use sketches as a jumping point for my work, so for this weeks challenge, I'm providing you the following sketch."

Feel free to rotate it, change the focal image, but try to keep the sketch in tact. For this weeks challenge you can use ANY Stamp companies images, but if you have Stampotique images, we'd love for you to use them. Play along with this weeks sketch challenge for your chance to win a $30 Stampotique Gift Certificate!  Here's my little creation for this challenge!

Stamps by Stampotique Originals

Best wishes,
Val :)

Stampotique Welcomes Kira Nichols!

Announcing new images and new artists are always exciting at Stampotique Originals and so we are thrilled to announce our newest artist, Kira Nichols.  Kira has designed some very unique monsters and kitties for her first line of stamps and here is a look at the collection (plus a few great corresponding sentiments)!
Here is my little creation to celebrate the new release! (I just had to giggle while I worked with these adorable 'monsters'!)
Want a chance to win some of Kira's new images?  Hop along with the designers as well as our special guest, leaving comments along the way, for your chance to win some of Kira's new images.  We will randomly draw a winner from one of the blogs and announce the winner with our next challenge.Make sure to leave comments along the way and a randomly chosen commenter will win some of these new stamps.  From here you will want to visit Maria Sabina Raita.

Below is a complete list in case you go off the beaten path and need some redirection.

Kira Nichols

Kaz Boughton

Jane Wetzel

Gez Butterworth

Valerie Wilson<----you are here 

Maria Sabina Raita

Lisa Somerville

Jo Capper-Sandon

Kim Howard

Nellie van Leeuwen

Vicki Garrett

Willy Anderson

Kate Crane

Monique Verbeek

Joanne Wardle

Equinox Greetings!

I know it's a wee bit late, but I was inspired by the changing seasons!
Here's what wikipedia has to say about the equinox...

An equinox occurs twice a year, when the tilt of the Earth's axis is inclined neither away from nor towards the Sun, the center of the Sun being in the same plane as the Earth's equator. The term equinox can also be used in a broader sense, meaning the date when such a passage happens. The name "equinox" is derived from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night), because around the equinox, the night and day have approximately equal length....

An equinox happens each year at two specific moments in time (rather than two whole days), when there is a location (the subsolar point) on the Earth's equator, where the center of the Sun can be observed to be vertically overhead, occurring around March 20/21 and September 22/23 each year.

Candle Bearers and Equinox Greetings by Third Coast

Although the word equinox is often understood to mean "equal [day and] night," this is not strictly true. For most locations on earth, there are two distinct identifiable days per year when the length of day and night are closest to being equal; those days are referred to as the "equiluxes" to distinguish them from the equinoxes. Equinoxes are points in time, but equiluxes are days. By convention, equiluxes are the days where sunrise and sunset are closest to being exactly 12 hours apart.

TSC24: Ribbons and Lace + Anniversary Blog Hop

This month is The Stampsmith Challenge's one year anniversary and there are two prizes with extra chances to win... read on!!

This month's lovely theme of Ribbons and Lace was suggested by Lynne. Create a project that includes ribbon, lace and at least one Stampsmith Stamp and link your project here! All projects will be entered in a random draw at the end of the month.  The winner will get to select their choice of a full sheet of Stampsmith rubber valued at $21!

In addition, at the end of this month, ALL of the comments from this blog and each of the designers' blogs will be put in a hat to draw for an additional full sheet of Stampsmith rubber - also valued at $21!!! The more love you leave, the more chances you'll have to win!!

If you arrived here from Debbie Reid's Blog, Scraps From A Broad, then you are in the right place and you have reached the last stop in the hop! Below is a complete list of the blogs in this hop incase you have missed any! Be sure to leave a comment at each stop for more chances to win! Have fun hopping and best of luck in the draw!!

• The Stampsmith Challenge
• Melanie Bennett
• Karen McAlpine
• Lynne Moncrieff
• Julie Mutch
• Debbie Reid
• Valerie Wilson

Here is my Ribbons and Lace project for a bit of inspiration! Won't you please play along!

Stamp from the Wedding Bells Sheet by The Stampsmith

2011 CD Calendar - October

Well, October sure has been a busy month!  My CD calendar is almost exactly a month late, but better late than never!! My godchildren had their family Halloween dance at school this week and they all looked adorable in their little costumes!  They must have put me in the mood for dressing up because I put poor Jammin' in a girly ballerina costume for Halloween!  With a little help from Jo's Pretty Party Dress and my sharp little scissors, Jammin' pulls off a pretty convincing pirouette on his repositioned legs!!

Stamps by Stampotique Originals:
Pretty Party Dress, Jammin'

"When you dance, your purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor. It's to enjoy each step along the way."
Wayne Dyer

SDC41: Altered Poison Bottle

I have no idea where the time has gone lately! It's been super busy this fall!  It's time already for the latest Stampotique Designer's Challenge!

This week, Maria is issuing a great new challenge:

"I have a new fun and creative challenge for you all this week. Are you ready for Halloween? Well, guess what? My challenge for you today is an: Altered poison bottle. I have a passion for sweet/spooky bottles and I would love to see your creations using Stampotique stamps."

Here's my take on this creative challenge theme! I'm not sure it looks as much like a house as it is supposed to, but it'll do the trick I think! LOL!  I hope you'll join the fun for your chance to win!

All stamps by Stampotique:
Enchantress, Halloween Cube 1, Welcome Door

Drink from this bottle those who dare;
It offers the promise of green hair!
Valerie H. Wilson

Braaains!!!

Don't ya just love how Hallowe'en brings out all of the creepies!!?!

My hubby has been playing a zombie game on his iPhone an awful lot lately so I made him this fun little zombie bookmark!!  The green matches his office colors - hope he likes it! LOL!

This great Creep In The Cellar stamp is from Third Coast.  Be sure to pop over to the Third Coast Creative Coterie where the design team is celebrating 31 Days of Halloween this month!

ES-221-H  Creep In The Cellar
from the Halloween 2006 Catalog

"Don't worry, the zombies are looking for brains.
You're safe!"
Unknown

SDC40: It's Tag Time!

It's time for another Stampotique Designer's Challenge!  Nellie is our hostess this week and here is what she says about her challenge theme:

"I love to work on a tag. For me it feels like it somehow invites you to think and work in another way than when you’re making cards. So I challenge you to make a tag or some project in which you use a tag. Any size, any color as long as there’s at least one tag involved in your artwork."

You can use stamps from any company for this challenge. But even better, grab your Stampotique stamps and get stamping!  Here's my not-so-little 5"x 9" tag for this challenge...

Stamps by Stampotique Originals:
Wish Word, Fly Word, Spider from Birds and Bugs Cube,
Web, Tangled, Brrr, Bat Like Wings

Borrowed Wings
Born to ground
I dream of flight.
Toil and frown
I seek the night.
Prison of soil
I begin to scowl.
Close my eyes
I become the owl.
To the moon
and back again.
I soar by grace,
as do my friends.
With wisdom wrought
from borrowed wings,
I begin to write
what this heart sings.
Scott Scherr

The Stampsmith Celebrates!

Congratulations to Laurie Quick who won the contest celebration over at The Stampsmith Blog!
Here is my little creation from the event!  I had fun using all of my cutting tools for this one!

Image: Thank Heaven for Little Girls Sheet by The Stampsmith
Card base: Labels 8 by Spellbinder
Frame: Ornate Frame #3 by Sizzix
Flower: Daisy Whale of a Punch by EK Success

"Newlyweds become oldyweds, and oldyweds are the reasons that families work."
Author Unknown

Happy World Card Making Day!

I can't think of a better way of celebrating World Card Making Day than spending time in the craft room! Have a crafty day everyone! :)

Here's a little creation made using a brand new witch from Third Coast Rubber Stamps!

VB-369-M Big Head Witch by Third Coast

On Hallowe'en the thing you must do
Is pretend that nothing can frighten you
And if somethin' scares you and you want to run
Just let on like it's Hallowe'en fun.
Author Unknown

TSC23: Halloween - Using At Least One Stampsmith Stamp

Happy World Card Making Day everyone!!

Today brings a new Stampsmith Challenge theme of Halloween! Starting today, you will now have an entire month to join The Stampsmith Challenge by creating a project featuring at least one Stampsmith stamp! One random winner will select their favorite full sheet of Stampsmith rubber valued at $21 at the end of every month!

Congratulations to Estelle on her new Stampsmith On-Line Store - there's so much new to see - an interactive catalog with online ordering, tips and tricks, a beautiful gallery and much more!!

Welcome to the new Stampsmith designers, Melanie Bennett and Debbie Reid - be sure to check out their beautiful, inspiring work!!

Image: from Darling Boys Sheet by The Stampsmith
Sentiment: Computer Generated

"I've always wanted to be Wonder Woman, of course. She had the greatest costume."
Kelly Hu

SDC39: Humorous Birthday - Using Stampotique Stamps

It's time for the next Stampotique Designer's Challenge!  Today is Vicki's birthday (happy bday Vicki!!) so she has challenged us to create a humorous birthday project!!  Here are her words about the challenge,

"Hi, Vicki here! Since today is my Birthday, I'm excited about sharing a Birthday Challenge with you......you must send me all your cards~ (Just kidding! lol) anyway, at my age, in order to deal with deteriorating gravity, laugh lines and achy joints, humour has become a fabulous coping mechanism!!!
So here's the challenge: create a humorous Birthday Greeting! Something Funny, Sarcastic........perhaps an image that will evoke a giggle or a good belly laugh, which I particularly enjoy! What is even funnier (to me) is that it's Challenge#39......hehe.......I have some pals that have been 39 for quite some time! If the truth be known, in my experience, life begins at 40!
I can't wait to see what you create!!! Don't forget that one lucky player will win some Stampotique Bucks! This is a Stampotique only week so please remember to use those Stampotique stamps on your creations"

Happy Birthday Vicki!  Have a blast!

Stamps by Stampotique Originals:
Relaxin', Christmas 5 Sided Cube
Sentiment: computer generated

I still have a full deck; I just shuffle slower now.
Author Unknown

TSC22: Autumn Delights - Using at least one Stampsmith stamp!

This week at The Stampsmith Challenge, we are so excited to welcome Melanie Bennett and Debbie Reid to the Stampsmith Design Team. We are thrilled that they will be sharing their inspiration on The Stampsmith Designers' Blog and joining us for The Stampsmith Challenges!! They each have their own fabulous creative genius and we know you will be as inspired by their work as we are!! Welcome ladies!

For this week's challenge, the lovely Lynne challenges us to celebrate Autumn. She asks us to use autumnal colours, an image from this season, or elements that reflect the transition from Summer to Winter. Here is my crafty project for this theme using one of my favorite Stampsmith stamps!  Thank you to Kim Blanchette for having me over for a fabulous crafty time and sharing these extraordinary blingy leaves with me!!

Image from the sheet called My Honey by Stampsmith

"Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all."
Stanley Horowitz

Baby It's Cold Outside!

I have finally finished the luminary that I have been working on for a while now!!  It's perfect timing too because the temperature took a major nosedive here today and this sentiment is perfect!!

This gorgeous caped beauty is from Third Coast and I thought she would be fun to paper piece with this whimsical paper from Chatter Box called Light Snowflakes.  It took me a while to stamp and cut her out 4 times so I could use both sides of the paper for different parts of her garb!  Her fur has been splashed with Glamour Dust and the snowflakes have all been kissed with Stardust Stickles - you should see this thing shine in person - especially pretty with an electric tea light inside shining through the velum!!

Stamps by Third Coast:
VB-376-M, Caped Lady Winter
WS-173-A, Cold Outside (word stamp)
AP-453-A, Flake

"Winter is the season in which people try to keep the house as warm as it was in the summer, when they complained about the heat."
Author Unknown

SDC38: Black, White and a HINT of Color - Using Stamps From Any Company

This week is a new Stampotique Challenge issued by design team member Kaz. Here is what she has challenged us with:

"I'm setting you another colour challenge as you all did such a good job of the last one. This time it's to use black and white and add just a hint of another colour. You can make anything you like. This week is also a non-Stampotique stamps week for your chance at a $30 gift certificate for Stampotique stamps."

Here's my little project - an ATC.  I'm afraid it seemed to morph into more than just a hint of orange... sorry, Kaz!!!

Stamps by Stampotique:
Batty About You, Tetewea

"Mistakes are the portals of discovery."
James Joyce (1882 - 1941)

2011 CD Calendar - September

When I remembered that I had this awesome pad of school paper, I knew exactly what I wanted to create!    Doesn't Toby look like a school teacher who is dejected by Twinkie kicking a soccer ball down the hallway at school?! LOL!

Toby and Twinkie by Stampotique

"You send your child to the schoolmaster, but 'tis the schoolboys who educate him."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

TSC21: Fabulous Faux - Using Stamps From Any Company

Can you believe it's time for another Stampsmith Challenge already!?  This week, Karen challenges us to create a project that includes a faux technique. Now this certainly leaves a lot of choice - as stampers, we're always creating something that imitates something else!

by Anne Hadara

I went hunting for a new technique to try and I found a lovely one on Splitcoaststampers called Faux Pressed Flowers.  I took Anne Hadara's idea and pressed my flowers in a Cuttlebug dry embossing folder.  When I get a little more brave, I am going to try this again embossing the entire card front like Anne did and see how it turns out!

Image from Thank Heaven For Little Girls Sheet by The Stampsmith

"We have magnificent brains, but we use a great deal of our brilliance to keep ourselves stuck and ignorant, to keep ourselves from not shining. We are so afraid of our beauty and radiance and brilliance because it scared the adults around us when we were children."
Patricia Sun

Stampotique New Release Blog Hop

Giant Flower Bookmark

Welcome to Wednesday!

Have you been chomping at the bit waiting for Stampotique Originals to release some more of your favorite stamps? Well, you have stopped in at the right place today! We are thrilled to announce our newest release featuring many of your favorite designers.

We've got new images from Jo Capper-Sandon, Maryse Carrier, Janet Klein and Daniel Torrente and Jill Penney. There's a great mix of Halloween images, nature images, some winter images and some cute kid images. There's an image for everyone to ink up and you are sure to find more than one that you will have to have.

Are you drooling yet? Are you wanting to see some of these creepy, crawly, cute and furry friends? Then join the design team and our special guest for our new release blog hop today starting here. Make sure to leave a comments along the way and randomly chosen commented will win some of these new stamps.

If you arrived here from Sue Roddis' blog Jabberwocky then you are in the right place. If not, you will want to go back and start the hop at the Stampotique Designer's Challenge. From here you will want to visit Vicki Garrett's blog Summerthyme Studio. Below is a complete list in case you go off the beaten path and need some redirection.  Have fun hopping and let us know what you think of the new stamps and which ones that you have seen are your favorite!

• Stampotique Designer's Challenge
• Gez Butterworth
• Jane Wetzel
• Joanne Wardle
• Karen (Kaz) Boughton
• Kate Crane
• Kim Howard
• Maria Sabina Raita
• Monique Verbeek
• Nellie vanLeeuwen
• Sue Roddis
• Valerie Wilson
• Vicki Garrett
• Willy Anderson
• Jo Capper-Sandon

SDC37: Bookmark - Using Stampotique Stamps

It's time for the new Stampotique Designer's Challenge! This week, the wonderful Kate Crane has us creating bookmarks! Kate must have known that bookmarks are one of my favorite projects!!  Kate says anything goes... a traditional straight bookmark, a corner bookmark, a swinging tag, whatever!  It can be any style... vintage, funky, cute or weird. Just have fun and be sure to link up your project for a chance to win $30 to spend in the Stampotique Shop!!  Here's my little creation.  Moon Belly's wings really do sparkle in person - honest!!

Stamps by Stampotique Originals:
Journey Collage, Moon Belly, Concentric Squares Block

"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on."
 Robert Frost

Deep End Of The Ocean

Here is another Third Coast project.  This one features Waltz of the Sirens from the Winter 2006 Supplement.  To create the background for this card, I used a smooshed watercolor background technique using Crayola markers and a Platinum Planet Brilliance re-inker.

You can check out Dawn's video featuring this technique and then put your own spin on it!  I scribbled Crayola markers on inside of sheet protector, added a few drops of reinker and spritzed it with water.  Then I  smooshed the sheet protector together,  opened it and add 2 pieces of white card stock.  I re-smooshed the sandwich and then removed the paper and dried it with the heat gun.

Using one of the background pieces, I stamped Waltz of the Sirens and heat set it before coloring the vines with Copics, the hair with Spica and the tails with Crystal Stickles.

Image: Waltz of the Sirens by Third Coast

"Magic 
 Sandra’s seen a leprechaun,
 Eddie touched a troll,
 Laurie danced with witches once,
 Charlie found some goblins gold.
 Donald heard a mermaid sing,
 Susy spied an elf,
 But all the magic I have known
 I've had to make myself."
Shel Silverstein (Where the Sidewalk Ends)

TSC20: Gettin' Sketchy - Using At Least One Stampsmith Stamp

This week, The Stampsmith Challenge has a sketch to use as a starting point for your project! This challenge asks us to push the boundaries and come up with some innovative ideas for the sketch following these easy guidelines:

• project may be any shape or dimensions
• sizes and positioning of layers may be altered to meet your needs
• colors of squares and circles have no impact on paper choices (i.e. reuse papers, etc.)
• embellish any way you wish (any materials, any placement)
• add sentiments anywhere you wish
• this is just meant to be a starting point
• most of all, just have fun!! :)

Here is the little project I created.  I flipped the sketch around, modified the shapes a bit and added a bow embellishment and a few pearls.  I hope you'll join the challenge too for a chance to win a gift certificate to spend in the Stampsmith Store!!

Image: from the Wedding Bells Plate by Stampsmith
Paper: from the Botanical Collection by Prima

"Success in marriage does not come merely through finding the right mate, but through being the right mate."
Barnett R. Brickner

SDC#36: Altering A Book Page - Using Stamps From Any Company

It's time for the next Stampotique Designer's Challenge and this week I got to pick the theme again!  I have been so inspired by all of the art journals that I have been seeing in magazines and online that I thought we should all try a book page!  So this week the challenge is to try altering a page in a book - any book: novel, journal, sketchbook, cookbook, music book, coloring book, dictionary, whatever! Any book counts!  Be sure to grab some inspiration from the amazing design team projects to get you started!

Originally I chose this theme mostly to challenge myself to try something new. That certainly happened and then some... it worked too well!!  I found myself waaaayyyyyy outside of my element with this one but gave it a go anyway. I hope you'll give it a go too - even if you've never tried one before!! This week, the challenge is also open to any stamps - so
"have at 'er" and let's see what you create!! For your chance to win, link up here!!

All stamps by Stampotique Originals:
Femme Collage, Princess, Goddess,
Single Tear, Honeycomb Background

Here's my attempt!!!!  I used a background paper and then stamped the Honeycomb on it and stamped Single Tear on a spare scrap and placed it in the corner.  Then I layered a piece of tissue paper stamped with Femme Collage over the background with glue stick (icky &amp; difficult with tissue paper!!!!!!!!) Next, I popped up the Femme sentiment on another layer and then and added the side and bottom sentiments.  Finally, I grunged everything up with a bit of sponged Ancient Page Lavendar ink. C'est tout!