Wednesday, February 29, 2012

SImply B Stamps 12 Months of Halloween & Limited Offer digis!

 Halloween in February?  Darn straight! At Simply B Stamps it can always be Halloween!  And just to prove it we are doing a monthly Halloween Challenge on the SBS blog!

This month the challenge is to create a Halloween Treat package of some sort...bag, box, tin, whatever!  I made a quick and easy treat bag with a piece of 5" x 11" pattern paper (Eerie from Basic Grey).  Score at 5" and 6" and fold.  Using a long window punch make a long slit along the top as a handle and to tie the ribbon through.


I stamped Vampire Christian, from the Halloween Emo Collection and colored him with copics.  I matted him on black and then red (my red I punched one edge first with Martha Stewart Sipderweb border punch) and then glue him to the front of the bag.  My title is from an old Unity set.  Yummy silk red ribbon is by May Arts.


Don't you want to play along this month?  Here's the 411:

Here are a few guidelines to enter our challenge:

1. There must be at least 6 entires for a prize
2. It does not have to be an SBS image, but any SBS images will get 2 chances to win
3. Please link to your Halloween post, not just your blog
4. If there are 12 entries we will have 2 winners, if there are 18 we will have three winners and so on and so on, for every six entries we will choose one winner
5. Your entry must be uploaded by March 26th at 11:59 PM PST

Prize: Halloween Queen of the next Halloween challenge! You will get a badge, an image to use (SBS will choose the image for you, but it will be a fun one that may not have ever been available in digi form before, so don't miss out)!

ALSO an announcement!!  Want some digis from Simply B

 Stamps?? Limited time offer below!

The digi sales were so popular I decided to continue giving you digi lovers more opportunities!  I won't be doing a Limited Digi release every week, but I will be giving you all special offers, sales and deals every now and again!

I explained before that I had fears about digis (cause of the sharing, and re-selling and re-distributing we have discovered).   I still have fears!  However, I can't be fearful forever.  So here are the top two most requested digis tonight!

Playtime Jude: these will be available in digi form from tonight until Sunday night March 4th.  After the digis have been taken down they will only be available in rubber.


 Teen Scenes Kitchen Fun!  These are even more limited as you have only about 3 1/2 days to purchase these!  Tonight, Wed, Thus, and Friday!  After Friday they will not be available, even if they post was missed, or the post was read Saturday, any time after Friday at 11:59 PM PST they will not be available in digi under any circumstances so grab them while they are digi! Whoohoo


Have fun coloring these Digis while they are digi!  Please, please share your projects with us on our facebook page!  We will pick a monthly favorite and ask the winner to be our Guest DT for a month every month!

facebook fan page to upload and share: HERE
Jude Playtime Digis: HERE
Teen Scene Kitchen Fun Digis: HERE

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Skipping Stones Sketch #117

Its another CAS card for me, miracles never cease!  Today is my last challenge as one of the February Guests at Skipping Stones Design.  So sad.  But without further ado, here is my card for sketch #117 using our feature set this month, Garden Stamp Kiss.


I used one of the background stamps all over the bottom of the card, and also on top of the butterfly, which I reverse masked.  Here's the sketch if you want to play along for a chance to win!


My colors for the card were inspired by this week's Moxie Fab World inspiration challenge of navy...






Monday, February 27, 2012

There's no nest like home...

 Happy Monday!  Sorry I didn't post this weekend, I've spent the weekend driving my cheerleader to extra practices, crafting with Lea, and helping Betty reorganize at The Stamping and Scrapbooking Room.  Now I need to straighten my scrap room.  Granted, I've been organizing for the last two weeks, but every time I go into creativity mode it gets trashed!  Lots of what I'm creating I cant share until April, but today I have a card I made with one of the new Stampendous! January releases.


I started by stamping the nest from Stampendous! Nest Egg in Versamark ink and heat embossing with Clear Bark Embossing Powder (found in the Scenic Selection Embossing Kit).  I trimmed the panel and tore the right edge, adding more versamark ink and Shabby White Embossing Enamel to the torn edge.


The eggs were stamped in Versamark ink and Aged Aqua Embossing Enamel using the solid egg shape, then I stamped the open egg with crackles and embossed in more Clear Bark.  The eggs were added to the nest with Crafty Foam Tape from 3L Adhesives.


My sentiment was stamped with the words from the same Nest Egg set.  I also added some Gold Shimmerz spray to the brown panel and some ribbon to finish off the card.

Don't forget, this is the last week to play along in Stampendous' month long Texture challenge, but we'll have a new one for you this weekend!

Thanks for flying by today, I hope you have a great week!  -Cyndi

Challenge List:
Stampendous: texture challenge (DT)
Paper Shelter: add a sentiment
2 Sisters: anything goes
Crafty Catz: beginning with a "B"
Ladybug Crafts: Spring is in the air
Lollipop Crafts: anything goes




Friday, February 24, 2012

Stampendous! and May Arts Blog Week continued

 Our week of Stampendous! stamps and May Arts ribbon continues!  For your chance to win some great stamps and yummy ribbon head to the Stampendous! blog to get the 411.

My card for today uses one of the newest Jumbo Cling sets, Jumbo Hollyhock.  I was a bit afraid of this stamp at first until I colored it, and oh my goodness I fell in love!  for this card though instead of coloring the flowers I used the painting with powder technique with Vintage Olive, Vintage Plum, and Vintage Lilac Embossing Tinsels.  I also stamped Calligraphy Sampler in Victorian Velvet ink on the backgrund light plum layer.


Here's a close look at the flowers, the PWP technique is a great way to subtly shift between colors.


My sentiment is Cling Wings of Eagles embossed in Vintage Olive Embossing Tinsel.  I used my jumbo scallop scissors across the top of this piece as well as 2 of the corners of the flower part.  And of course the finishing touch on the card is the beautiful May Arts magenta silk bow in the top corner.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Dreamweaver Stencils February Challenge

Its your last week to go green at Dreamweaver Stencils!  This Thursday be sure to visit the rest of the Dream Team and see what everyone has created for you!  I pulled out a new stencil from CHA called Flower Quatrefoil.  I paste embossed my stencil with Glossy white then partially dried it, speeding up the process with my heat gun (Note: a warming tray is way better, the paste can flatten if you hit the heat too directly on to it)  While the paste was almost dry I swiped some Glacier and Kiwi Metallic FX across the raised area with a stencil brush.


Here's a closer shot at the flowers in all their shimmery beauty.  I also added a bit of a border with one of my EK Success punches.


My sentiment is also paste embossed and Metallic FXed in the same manner using Birthday words stencil.


Please be sure to join us this last week of February for a chance to win a gorgeous flower stencil!

Challenge List:
Dreamweaver stencils: Go Green (DT)
Pile It On: Sending Happiness
Karen's Doodles: Celebrate
Crafty Emma's: Spots and Dots

Thanks for dropping by!  -Cyndi

Stampendous! and May Arts Blog Week


Once again Stampendous Designers have teamed up with fabulous May Arts Ribbon to showcase our new images and accessories just released at CHA in January. This week we’ll be featuring beautiful May Arts Ribbon on the Stampendous!  blog and those of our Design Team. The May Arts Blog will be featuring some of our newest products as well. Each manufacturer will have three terrific prize packages to give away as well.
For your chance to win a terrific prize combination of Stampendous stamps and May Arts Ribbon, be sure to comment on the Stampendous! blog and/or our Facebook page this week. Then hop on over to May Arts Blog and Facebook page leave a comment there. Each company will pick three random winners this week from the comments.




For my card today I used the new Cling Parasol Portrait stamp from Stampendous! which has been heat embossed with Clear Bark powder from the Scenic Selection Embossing Kit.  I adhered her to a kraft envelope that was stamped with Flying Machines background stamp.  I used the same Flying Machines background on the tan mat behind the tag/envelope.


The sentiment at the top of the tag (inside the envy) was stamped with Time Flies Cear stamp set.  And of course the tag has some yummy May Arts silk ribbon attached!

Challenge List:
Stampendous: add texture (DT)
Allsorts Challenge: anything goes
Lollipop Crafts:anything goes
The Pink elephant: something with words
DYSU:layers

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Skipping Stones Sketch #116

Its time for a new sketch at Skipping Stones Design!  This one is a fun one to work with, playing with the different possibilities of the elements on the sketch!  I actually created the card last week for my dad's bday but then didn't get a chance to give it to him because my parents were OOT for a long weekend.


I chose the set Holy Carp because its just too damn funny!  There are tons of possible sentiments in this one :)  I colored my fisher dude with copics to match papers from Cosmo Cricket's Salt Air line.  Other than the small pieces at the bottom, some ribbon from Target, and a Bo Bunny button theres not a lot going on, but its a man card, so CAS is always best!



How frickin cute is he?  Here's the copic colors I used if you are interested:


And heres a shot of the whole stamp set.


If you want to play along with us this week here's Kazan's sketch:


You have until next Monday night to enter for a chance to win a Skipping Stones set!  Thanks for swimming by today.  Have a great one :)  -Cyndi

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Scrappy Chick Sunday Sketch Challenge

Sorry its so late in the day, but I got sidetracked cleaning up my stamp room and basement.  I'm back for this week's new sketch challenge, but first, last week's winner...Allison H!  Email me your snail mail gf and I'll get your mica out to you!

For todays card I started with the new By the Sea stamp from Stampendous! that I heat embossed with Aged Taupe Embossing Enamel onto a pale pink cardstock.  I distressed the edges with a bit of Antique Linen distress ink from Ranger then added Rose Color Fragments by Stampendous! using a wet adhesive.


Here's a coser shot at the shell itself...


And the bottom portion of the stamp, the greeting is part of the whole stamp.


This week's sketch is below.   Feel free to rotate it or make it your own.  You have until Saturday March 3rd at 10pm EST to play along.  Please link your creation at the bottom of the post :)  


I chose my colors for today from this weeks Color Throwdown color challenge:


And , even though I didn't post yesterday with some of my Stampendous! teammates I wanted to remind you that you still have 2 weeks almost to enter this month's Stampendous challenge to add texture to your card!  (I added mine with the color fragments)




Challenge List:
Stampendous: texture (DT)
Color Throwdown:color combo
Allsorts Challenge: anything goes
Crafters Companion: Anything goes
Cupcake Craft: Use twine
Sew Many Challenges: use buttons

Winner of this Scrappy Chick Sunday Sketch Challenge (picked randomly from US entries) will receive the Hero Arts Simply the Best clear set.





Friday, February 17, 2012

Basic Grey Sketch Challenge

Guess what?  I have been finally scrapbooking again!  Well, not a ton like I used to, but one page at a time helps, right?  Today I thought I would play along with this week's Basic Grey Sketch Challenge.  (See sketch below).  For my layout I pulled out a few pics from our 2010 New York trip.


I started with some papers from the Basic Grey Wander line, because how perfect is that subway map paper?  I know!  I followed along pretty close to the sketch and even found some old cut out BG letters from the Color Me Silly line.  The city part was cut with High Rise alphabet from Lifestyle Crafts.  The two frame elements are also by LSC, Nesting Frame 2 dies.  I simply printed my journaling and subtitles onto vellum and then layered them over the die cut frames.  (BG paper is from BG Basics line, and subtitle cream piece from Ambrosia)



I also added a bit of a border to the bottom using my wavy dots EK Success punch.  Finally I added some brads and a button from Basic Grey (I can't keep up with what collections they wee from, I sort my buttons by brand into jars) and a piece of divine twine.


Here's the sketch if you have time to play along!


Thanks for visiting today!  Hope you have a great weekend :)  -Cyndi

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Dream Team Thursday Challenge

Are you ready for some more green?  Its Thursday again and time for another round of Dreamweaver Stencils Go Green challenge!  For this week I thought I'd play around with my alcohol ink from DWS.  I started by embossing my Birdcage Stencil with Glossy white embossing paste.  After that was really dry, I re-taped the stencil on top and then applied Citron Color Solutions alcohol ink to the embossed ares with a precision q-tip through the stencil.


And my cage of course needed a little bird so I used this small bird die cut from Memory Box.  I added a touch of black dots with my copic 0.5 multiliner pen, some paper from American Crafts Letterbox line, ribbon and a sentiment tag (sentiment from Rose Branch Border by Stampendous!)



We would love for you to play along with us this month and there are two prizes up for grabs!



Also please visit my fellow DT's blogs and see what they have created for this week, and don't forget to leave everyone some love while you are there!



Other Challenges I'm entering:

Pile It On: Heartfelt Thanks
Make It Monday: Linky party
Flutterby Challenge: anything with wings


Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Desert Island Crafters Challenge

Its the 15th of the month and that means its time for a new Itinerary at Desert Island Crafters Challenge blog!  This week our very own Taylor made our itinerary:

1. 2 or more patterned papers
2. stars
3. green
4. sparkle/bling
5. kraft
6. polka dots
7. twine
8. stitching (faux or real)
9. 2 or more die cuts
10. stickers



I used #1,3,6, and 9.  My layout features the set Silly Cats 2 released by Skipping Stones Design yesterday.  I'm honored to be one of the guest designers this month, and you should go check out yesterdays blog hop HERE.  Such cute silly kitties!!

So I couldn't resist pulling this set out again to make a layout with my 4 cats: Bitsy, Apollo, Starbuck, and Roxie.  My papers are from and older Bo Bunny line that was just purrfect!


My title was created with Nesting Pennants, Nesting Frame 3, Clip It Kit, and High Rise alphabet...all dies from QuicKutz by Lifestyle Crafts.


Here's one of the cute felines from the set and one of the many sentiments.  Below is the other sassy miss.


I added lots of brads to the layout and also a border from the Lifestyle Crafts Edge It kit.  Ok, thats it today!  Hope you'll join us for our challenge in the next 2 weeks!  Thanks for stopping in today.  -Cyndi

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Skipping Stones Design Blog Hop!

Welcome to Skipping Stones Design Sketch Challenge #115 and the release of Silly Cats 2!  If you just arrived from Shannan's blog then you are in the right place!  If you just happened by my blog then start at the beginning of the blog hop at Skipping Stones Design.


Oh my goodness, this set has the most unbelievably adorable sentiments!  I can't pick a fav, but for today I just had to use the "does this card make my butt look big?" one!  Snort!  I stuck pretty close to the sketch this time, and you can view the sketch at the bottom of my post if you want to play along with us!

My papers are all from A Walk in the Park by Echo Park.  Nesting Frame 3 die (behind the kitty) is from Lifestyle Crafts, as is the Nesting Scallops circle die.  My ribbon and button are both from Bo Bunny.


Here's a better look at this sassy little feline.  Is he cute or what?  That look is priceless and one I often get from all of my cats!  Below is the closeup of the ribbon treatment, tied off with some Tangerine twine.


And heres a peek from the side so you can see all the dimension going on.  I used Crafty Power Tape from 3L Scrapbook Adhesives for all the popped up pieces.  Its great cause I can cut a large piece for the large mat or a small bit for behind the kitty's tail.  ALSO, it comes in black or white!


Here's this week's sketch:



OK, so be sure to hop along and leave all the designers some love!  I am honored to be a guest this month at SSD along with Barb Turpin and sketch artist Kazan Clark!  Today's sketch (along with the rest of the sketches we are using this month were designed by Kazan)  

From here head over to Taylor's blog!

Here's the hop order in case you get lost:


Other challenges I'm entering:
Crafts and Me: new image
Scrapbook Sisters: anything goes
CES Challenges: 3 or more layers
Crafters Companion: anything goes

Simply B Stamps Valentine Challenge

Its challenge day again at Simply B Stamps!  You have a whole month to complete the challenge, so get busy...use any valentine Simply Betty Stamps Valentine image and add some spritz, mask and smear!  Huh?  I interpreted this to basically use any Shimmer sprays you have...Glimmer Mist, Smooch, Shimmerz, Pefect Pearls!  I have 3 things to share today, one with and two without the shimmer.


First is my spritzed bag I created with Lavinia from the SImply B Stamps Steampunk collection.  I colored her a long time ago when I was rereading the Laurel Hamilton Meredith Gentry Series...I wanted her to have Sidhe red hair.  (No clue what that is?  Read the books!  Al about the Seelie and Unseelie Fairies!)

I turned her into a gift bag upcycling a bag I had from somewhere or another.  I simply added some Star Dust and Iridescent Gold Glimmer Mist to the image and the pattern papers (My Minds Eye)


 Isn't she just gorgeous? If you like her then theres a whole line of these Victorian Steampunk beauties in the SBS store!

Next I have a card I created for Betty at The Stamping and Scrapbooking Room using Valentine Rio from the Valentine Emo collection.  No spritz on this one but I had to share since its V day!


Here's a closer peek at Rio atop the Nested Hearts and Nested Lace Hearts dies from Lifestyle Crafts.  The papers are by Little Yellow Bicycle.


I also added an arrow through the heart with the Arrows die and 2 interlocked hearts from the Hearts die.  All 4 of these dies are from the Lifestyle Crafts Sweetheart collection.


And finally, a pic of most of a card that I created for my DD bestie Ashley to give her boyfriend on their one year anniversary.  It uses Lola and Miller, also from the SImply B Stamps Valentine Emo collection.  This was a ton of fun to make for her, using their favorite colors of red and purple, some fun Rusty pickle paper cutouts that I colored with copics and yummy black web from May Arts.  I hate I didn't get a better pic before I gave it to her, this is her shot of it off facebook!


OK, so go get busy creating!  And hope you have a wonderful Valentines Day with your sweetie!

Thanks for stopping in!  -Cyndi