An Absolutely Fabulous Foursome ...

Happy Monday, stampers ... hope your holiday weekend was safe and happy!

Today's card project was created for no-good reason using this vintage-inspired collage style stamp from Diva Impressions.

I added some sanded vintage-style photo corners, some Stampin' Up! twine and ribbon, and a cute l'il sentiment from Papertrey Ink.

For all the mesmerizing product info, check out the supply list, below.

Sooooooo, this weekend Sheila and I went downtown to do some window shopping. After driving around for 15 minutes, we decided to go park in the expensive-but-convenient parking garage.

Our bad luck continued as we ended up driving around and around the garage in search of an available space. Nothing. Suddenly, Sheila noticed a couple walking just ahead of us.

"Going out?" she called to them.

"No," replied the man, "just friends."

~Hugs,

• Card Stock: Textured Card Stock by Bazzill Basics; "Stampers Select" White Card Stock by Papertrey Ink; "Riding Hood Red" Card Stock by Stampin' Up!
• Stamp: Collage-Style Stamp by Diva Impressions; Sentiment by Papertrey Ink
• Ink: "Riding Hood Red" Dye Ink by Stampin' Up!
• Accessories: Striped Grosgrain Ribbon by Stampin' Up!; Twine by Stampin' Up!
• Tools: Die-Cut Machine by Provo Craft; Vintage Die by Provo Craft; Tiny Tags Die by Provo Craft; Sanding Block; Edge Distressing Tool by Tim Holtz; Scotch ATG 714 Adhesive; Scrap Fusion Adhesive by Ivy Scraps; Foam Tape
• Finished Size: 5 1/2" x 4 1/4"
  

Baby's First Photo ...

Yay, it's Friday! Hope you have lots of fun stuff planned for your weekend!

Today's card project was created using a "frame" I created with card stock, the track of a paper trimmer, and a bone folder. Once made, I distressed it and sponged on a variety of Distress inks.

I framed my stamped image, added some die-cuts, leaf punchies, a twill ribbon, a felt bird, and a Prima flower. I'll add the sentiment to the inside later ... when I figure out how I'll use this card!

For all the heart-pounding deets, check out the supply list, below.

So last night, Sheila and I went out for our 'dessert and monthly meet up' with some of our friends.

'Cuz Sheila's DH was out on a glass job, Reid-the-Wild-Child had to come with us.

When we arrived, Sheila plopped him down in a chair and gave him some pencils, crayons, and paper to draw on. And strict instructions to pipe down and mind his own business.

After dessert and a milkshake, Reid piped down and got busy ... drawing pictures of all us.

We "oooohhhhh'ed and ahhhhhh'ed" over each of our likenesses as he finished them. Finally, he turned to our friend Barb, who's just the weensiest l'il bit overweight, and said, "Here ya go, Aunt Barb, here's you!"

Barb reached across the table to have a look at it and said, "Hey, that's great, Reid! You made me look so tall and slim."

"Yeah, I know," he said, "but I was running out of paper."

Hope you're weekend is full of cake and milkshakes!

~Hugs,

• Card Stock: Bazzill Basics Textured Card Stock; "Dark Chocolate" Card Stock by Papertrey Ink; "Very Vanilla" Card Stock by Stampin' Up!
• Stamp: Diva Impressions
• Ink: "Old Paper," "Antique Lace," "Vintage Photo," Distress Inks by Ranger; "Chocolate Chip" Dye Ink by Stampin' Up!
• Accessories: 3/8" Twill Ribbon, Unknown; Felt Bird by Maya Road; Black Pearl by Mark Richards; Flower by Prima
• Tools: 12" Paper Cutter; Bone Folder; Sharp Scissors for Distressing Edges by EK Success; Die-Cut Machine; Shapeabilities Flourish Die by Spellbinders; Rock Fern Punch by Punch Bunch; Pine Branch Punch by McGill; Sanding Block; Scotch ATG 714 Adhesive; The Ultimate Glue by Api
• Finished Size: 4 7/8" x 5 3/8"
  

Cake Minus Two Makes Glue ...

Happy Monday, stampers! Hope your weekend was fantastical.

Today's card project was created for SCS "Sketch Challenge," SC232. For all the challenging deets, including a look-see at the sketch I followed, clicky HERE. To go straight to the SC232 card gallery, clicky HERE. For the ginormous view of my card, clicky on the photo.

For all the mind-blowing products I used, check out the supply list, below.

So, this weekend Sheila popped in while I was whippin' up a yummy layer cake.

"How come when you mix water and flour together you get glue. And then you add eggs and sugar and you get cake? Where did the glue go?" I pondered aloud.

"You know darned well where it went! That's what makes the cake stick to your butt!" Sheila replied.

Food for thought, huh?

~Hugs,

• Card Stock: "Dark Chocolate," "Vintage Cream," and Kraft Card Stock by Papertrey Ink; "Riding Hood Red" Card Stock by Stampin' Up!
• Stamp: Diva Impressions
• Ink: "Antique Linen" Distress Ink by Ranger; "Chocolate Chip" Dye Ink by Stampin' Up!
• Accessories: Button by Making Memories; White Twine; Grosgrain Ribbon by Stampin' Up!
• Tools: Die-Cut Machine; Cuttlebug Photo Corner Die by Provo Craft; "Swiss Dot" A2 Embossing Folder by Provo Craft; Foam Tape; Scrap Fusion by Ivy Scraps
  

Let's Play:

Scrabble! OR, we could play ON a Scrabble board like this l'il winged tyke is doin' ... I'll even let you choose and go first!

Today's card was created in a New-York-Minute using a vintage-inspired stamped image, a CB'ed card stock background, some vintage anagram letter tiles, some Sinamay ribbon, and twine.

Some fun facts: I stamped my image on a scrap of "Ledger Combo" DP, (retired, I think), from Making Memories, I distressed the dickens out of some card stock using sharp scissors, I sanded the embossed card stock with a sanding block, and I sponged "Old Paper" Distress ink on the anagram tiles to make them look older. Which shouldn't have been necessary since they're over 50 years old, but unfortunately, they still look brand-new.

For the rest of the heart-poundin' deets, check out the Supply List, below.

So, last night we toddled over to Sheila's for dinner. The table-talk turned to sports and Sheila's DH, Ken, told us about his days playing football in college as a defensive lineman.

"Did you play sports in college?" Sheila asked my DH.

"Yes," he answered. "I was on the shooting team."

"That's great," she said, appropriately impressed. "Offense or defense?"

Give it a minute ... it'll grow on ya.

~Hugs,

• Card Stock: Bazzill Basics; Papertrey Ink
• Designer Paper: "Ledger Combo" from Making Memories
• Stamp: "Scrabble Angel" by Diva Impressions
• Ink: "Chocolate Chip" Dye Ink by Stampin' Up!; "Old Paper" Distress Ink by Ranger
• Accessories: Vintage (1950) Anagram Letter Tiles; Sinamay Ribbon by Pixie Press; Twine by Stampin' Up; Waxed Linen by 7gypsies
• Tools: Die-Cut Machine by Provo Craft; "Distressed Stripes" A2 Embossing Folder by Provo Craft; Sanding Block; Scotch ATG 714; "The Ultimate" Craft Glue by Api
  

Wish You Were Here ... And Were Rain

Well, happy Monday everyone. I hope your weekend was fantastical!

And yup, we do need rain here ... lots of it. Soooo, if you have any that you're not using, feel free to send it my way.

Today's vintage-inspired card was created for SCS's Sketch Challenge, SC225. For a look at the sketch I followed, clicky HERE. To go straight to the SC225 photo gallery, clicky HERE. For the ginormous view of my card, clicky on the photo.

I used DP from a long discontinued Daisy D collection, some vintage trim, and some Kaiser Craft pearls. My image was stamped on ... something old ... then sponged with Distress Ink.

Easy-peasy and ready to serve in ... oh, say, twenty minutes. For all the heart-poundin' product info, check out the Supply List, below.

So, I was hangin' out with Sheila this Saturday, and our conversation turned towards pregnancy and motherhood:

"I just don't share the enthusiasm some new parents have for babies," Sheila said.

"I hear ya," I responded.

"In fact," Sheila continued, "After spending a whole afternoon with Barb and her two brats, my Fallopian tubes tied themselves!"

Yikes! That gotta hurt!

~Hugs,

• Card Stock: "Riding Hood Red" by Stampin' Up!; "Dark Chocolate" by Papertrey Ink
• Designer Paper: Unknown Collection by Daisy D's; Unknown Vintage Something or Another
  
• Stamp: "Wish You Were Here" by Diva Impressions
• Ink: "Chocolate Chip" Dye Ink by Stampin' Up!; "Old Paper" Dye Ink by Ranger Industries
• Accessories: Vintage Lace Trim; Self-Adhesive Pearls by Kaiser Craft
• Tools: Foam Dimensional Tape; Scotch ATG 714 Adhesive
  

Wake Up; It's "Vintage-Little-Girl O'Clock!"

Hey, there you are! So nice of you to swing by today!

Today's card project was created for no-good reason ... well, I'll add it to my stash, but I just love using this stamp from Diva Impressions.

I stamped the clock girl on Kraft card stock using black archival ink and mounted her on a flower image cut from vintage-inspired patterned paper from Daisy D's. The "buttoned" trim was also fussy-cut from this paper. If you'd like to take a look at this kewl discontinued paper, clicky HERE. It looks real though, doesn't it?!?

For the rest of the delicious ingredients, check out the supply list below.

So, I was hangin' out with Sheila last night while the DH's went out night fishing ... for fish, not for night. Confused?

"Reid, I need you to go out back and bring me the broom." Sheila said.

"Aww, Mommy, don't make me go out there. It's dark."

Sheila smiled reassuringly and said, "Reid, you don't need to be afraid of the dark. Your Guardian Angle is out there and she'll look after you and protect you."

"Are you sure she's out there?" Reid asked.

"Yes, I'm sure," Sheila answered, "and she's always ready to help you when you need her."

Reid contemplated this for a minute and then went to the back door and cracked it open.

Peering out into the darkness, he called, "Guardian Angel? If you're out there, would you please hand me the broom?"

Jess so's ya know, that didn't happen ... yet.

~Hugs,

• Card Stock: Papertrey Ink
• Patterned Paper: "Forget-Me-Not" Collection by Daisy D's
• Stamp: Diva Impressions
• Ink: Archival Ink by Ranger; "Chestnut Roan" Fluid Chalk Ink by Clearsnap
  
• Accessories: Metal Photo Corners by Provo Craft
• Tools: Die-Cut Machine; Circle Die by Spellbinder's; Cuttlebug "Swiss Dots" A2 Embossing Folder by Provo Craft; Foam Dimensional Tape; Scotch ATG 714; "The Ultimate" Glue by Api
  

It's Time for Some Blog Candy!

Happy Sunday, boys and girls!

Ahhh, the sights and sounds of Fall in So. Florida! It's ... well ... electric!! And when it comes to electricity, ya might as well use it before ya lose it!

Close your eyes and drink it in: the buzz of table saws biting through 1/2" plywood, the whir of drill bits grindin' into concrete, the steady beat of falling hammers ring through the air ... the sweet scent of fresh-cut wood ... the feelin' of controlled panic is practically palpable!

And, then, the child-like wonder of living in a completely encased structure ... kinda like that scary cave you bravely explored when you were 8 ... minus the wide opening. Or, that tree fort you built one summer then realized too late that you'd forgotten to add windows. A dark and cozy love-nest, soft, quiet, candle-lit, with only one way in or out ... till the final screw is set. Then ... trapped.

Now, the wait. For the force of 4 million jack-hammers to start pounding away at your heavily mortgaged home ... keepin' an ever watchful eye to make sure the place isn't fillin' up with water. And then, you brave a sneak-peek out through the 1/2" peephole ... just in time to see your entire grove of mature fruit trees go sailin' by. Good times, I tells ya, GOOD times!

Yes, my dear imaginary friends, these are the sights and sounds of Fall in the tropics (sub-tropics for all you perfectionistas). And, as I fondly gaze around at my landscape, I can't help but think, "I hope my house is still standin' in this spot next week ..."*

ONward Hoarding-Card-Makers!

'Cuz I'm so busy battenin' down the hatches (and we have 30+ oddball-sized hatches to batten ... together with lots of other w-a-y fun preparations), I thought it was time to give away some Diva Impressions rubber stamps. Not that one has anything to do with the other, but when do I ever let logic stand in my way?!? Right. Never.

I have four*~* bee-you-tea-full, brandy-new, deeply etched, unmounted, red rubber stamps from Diva Impressions to give away! And I'll add one more to the winner's packie prior to shipping. *~* So, five. Math: not just a good idea, it's the law!

And, since we're expecting a v-e-r-y important visitor, (Mr. H. Cane Ike), I'll leave this up until I'm back online ... after I get my power back. Knowing F P & L, that could take awhile! So, just keep entering every day until I post again** letting y'all know I'm back in action. DH.org'll chose a winner then.

THE DEETS: If you subscribe to my blog, or have your blog linked to mine, you can enter to win these stamps twice a day ... giving you lots o' chances to win! Even if you don't subscribe or link to my blog, you can still enter once a day. As always international visitors are welcome to enter ... I'll ship anywhere mail is haphazardly delivered.

Remember to check back to see if you've won. If I don't have power and can't get back online, just keep on entering! I'll have DH.org draw a number when I DO have power ... whenever that might be. And who knows, we may not get clobbered***!

So, go forth ... enter many times, and good luck!

And wish good luck on us, too! I jess hate searchin' all over the neighborhood for parts of my house ...

~Hugs,


*Really, I'm not THAT fussy; standing intact in any spot works ...

**I've got a couple of post automatically scheduled for the middle of next week jess so's you don't die of boredom visitin' my cob-webby ole blog! I'm not r-e-a-l-l-y back 'til I announce a winner, okeedokee?!?

***We are sooooooooooooooo due to get clobbered ...

Punch a Crow, Stamp a Crow, Counting Crows ... a 15 Minute Project

Happy Toasted Marshmallow Day! And anyone who says, "anything is possible," hasn't tried to strike a match on a marshmallow ... toasted or otherwise.

ONward-Hoarding-Card-Makers!

Today's 15 Minute Project was created in a flash using my favorite craft tool: punches! Or, in this case, punch!

I stamped my image, available HERE, on DCWV card stock, and double matted it.

Then, I punched out six birds with my bird punch, which also punches out those cute l'il star/flower shapes, and adhered everything down on my card base.

Easy-peasy and ready to serve in just 15 Minutes!

Cute story to share with you: The little boy next door found a dead bird in his yard and asked me if I'd attend the "funeral." Of course, I agreed.

As we solemnly stood by, Adam officiated. As he laid the bird's tiny "casket" into the hole, he prayed, "Glory be unto the Faaaather .... and unto the Sonnn .... and into the hole he gooooes."

Now go toast a marshmallow or two!

~Hugs,

• Card Stock: DCWV; Bazzill Basics
• Patterned Paper: Rusty Pickle? Junkitz?
• Stamp: "Tree Full of Crows" by Diva Impressions
• Ink: Brilliance "Graphite Black" by Tsukineko
• Tools: Bird Punch by McGill; Scrap Fusion PA by Ivy Scraps
  
  

15 Minute Project ... and A Black & White + 1 Challenge Entry

Hi boys and girls and welcome to the show!

Today's "15 Minute Project" was created for Sharon's "Stamp Simply" blog challenge. This week, Sharon asked that we create a paper project using just three colors: black and white, plus any one of your choice ... including various shades of that color. Umm, obviously, I chose orange!

I loaded my "Tree Full of Crows" stamp with a thick coat of Versamark ... followed by "Black Soot" Distress ink, then stamped on Xerox 110# card stock. Using my heat gun, I embossed using clear embossing powder. This kewl stamp by Diva Impressions, is available HERE.

I added some white highlights to the trees and the crows using a Sharpie Paint Pen ... and used the same pen to add a little dotted border around the focal image.

I sponged some Palette Hybrid orange ink over the stamped image, then wiped the embossed images down with a soft cloth.

I stamped my sentiment, added some white brads, tied a grosgrain ribbon around the mats, and finis! Easy-peasy and ready to serve in just 15 Minutes!

RANT ALERT: Why do my brads always have a ding/indent on 'em? Am I the only one that always ends up with seconds? They look fine (and so stinkin' cute!), in their little plastic box in the store but somewhere between here and there, they get all these awful-lookin' ding-thingies on 'em.

Moving on. This card is going right into my stash; my first official Halloween card of 2008! Seriously, I send out dozens of Halloween cards ... I rarely send Easter cards, occasionally a few Valentine's, but Halloween? Oh, forty five or so!

Thanks so much for sharing part of your busy day with me ... you guys rock!

~Hugs,


Card Stock: Xerox 110#, DCWV; "Tree Full of Crows" Stamp by Diva Impressions; Sentiment by Papertrey Ink; Ink: Versamark Watermark Ink, Distress Ink by Ranger Industries, and Palette Hybrid by Stewart Superior; Color Medium: Sharpie Extra-Fine Point Paint Pen; Clear Embossing Powder, Unknown (I dump all of it into a lidded plastic storage container); Brads: American Crafts; Grosgrain Ribbon: Unknown; Dimensionals: Scotch Foamies; Adhesive: ATG 714

I'm a Bad Blogger ... Will You Like Me Again if I Give You Candy, Little Girl?

Hey, everyone! So sorry I haven't posted in a couple of days ... the DH and I took a little time off just for the two of us. So, now I'm behind on everything and the hurrier I go, the behinder I get!

Couple of things I wanted to let you know about before announcing the winner of the stamps.

Beth, owner of Diva Impressions, is running a special sale - just for newsletter subscribers. So, scurry on over to Diva Impressions, sign up for her newsletter and receive 25% off ALL stamps! WowZA! This offer will expire on June 15, so hurry!

Also, Beth announced the addition of six new members to her Design Team. They are: Belinda Spiwak, Cindy Cade, Debi Wind, Judy Jackson, Rosemary Rowe, and Elise Hubka! And of course me, LOL. Congrats to all of the new members; I'm looking forward to working with all of you!

And, Beth is seeking magazine submissions. If you want to earn free stamps, just get your artwork published in a major stamping/scrapbooking magazine, (i.e.,: RSM, Somerset, Altered Arts, etc..) and get $30.00 in stamps from Diva Impressions! (Artwork must contain at least 75% Diva Impressions images). You can contact Beth at DivaImpressionsStamps@hotmail.com for more info.

Finally, I hope you all will sign up for the Diva Impressions Yahoo Group. This group is specifically for ideas, tutorials, contests, challenges, etc., using Diva Impressions Rubber Stamps. As things get rolling, there will be chances to win prizes, learn new techniques, get special offers, and find out about special sales for members only. Sign up and be inspired by great some designs from the Design Team and other group members! Please sign up today at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/divaimpressionsrs/. Oh, and tell Beth that I sent ya!

Okay, on to this week's winner! I went to random.org and got this:

Here are your random numbers: 18
Timestamp: 2008-06-03 22:05:00 UTC

So, comment #18 reads, "#18 - Ack, I missed yesterday! It was too busy a day to blurf - can you believe such a thing? Sooo....you want me to choose 1 stamp? I can't choose just one! There are so many great ones. How about I'll choose one per entry, teehee?! For this one I'll choose floral arch, because I love the silhouette flowers and the shape of the stamp is unique - perfect for all these half-circle sketches we're seeing lately!" This comment was left by Jennifer (scs: Jennifer-g).

Congrats Jennifer! Send me your snail mail addy and these pretty l'il things will be on their way home to you soon!

Thank you all so much for posting to win ... I wish you all could win! But, you know me, I'll be giving more stamps away before you know it!

I'll be back tomorrow with a project or three!

~Hugs,

Blog Candy, Blog Booty, Blog Freebies, Blog Goodies ... a/k/a FREE Stamps!

Happy Saturday! And, lookie! I have more free stamps from Diva Impressions for you!

If you'd like to win these four vintage-inspired, unmounted red rubber stamps, simply leave a comment on this post and these babies will be calling your house "home!"

Here's how: simply visit Diva Impressions online store, choose which stamp you'd love to add to your collection from Beth's amazing inventory, then return here and tell me which one you love the most! You can click HERE ... a new window will open and you're on your way.

On Tuesday, June 3, I'll choose a winner by numbered comment at random.org.

THE DEETS: If you subscribe to my blog, or have your blog linked to mine, you can enter to win these stamps twice a day ... giving you eight chances to win! Even if you don't subscribe or link to my blog, you can still enter once a day ... giving you four chances to win!

This giveaway is open to everyone ... including previous winners. And, as always, international visitors are welcome to enter.

ALSO: Please number your comments ... and remember to check back on Tuesday evening to see if you've won! Easy-peasy!

Thanks so much for spending part of your busy weekend with me!

~Hugs,

15 Minute Project ... Using the Walnut Ink Resist Technique

TGIF! And, just askin', but was this the longest week in the history of the world, or what? Or was it just me?!?

Today's vintage-inspired "15 Minute Project" was actually created in two sessions. In the first, I used THIS gorgeous stamp from Diva Impression, to create my focal image using the Walnut Ink Resist Technique. Basically, you stamp on your matte finish card stock with clear embossing powder, heat, then treat the paper with lots o'walnut ink. For my complete tutorial on this kewl technique, click HERE.

I matted my card stock with DP from BasicGrey and added my sentiments using matted twill stickers from All My Memories.

Finally, I added some dark brown grosgrain ribbon, and finis! Easy-peasy and ready to serve in just 15 Minutes!

Now, if the weekend will pass as slowly as this week did, we'll be golden!

Thanks so much for spending part of your busy day with me ... and I hope your weekend goes by slowly too!

~Hugs,


Card Stock: Sorbet "Cappuccino" from CutCardStock; Designer Paper: BasicGrey; Stamp: "Sunflower Collage" from Diva Impressions; Ink: Versamark; Walnut Ink: 7gypsies; Sentiments: "Twill Sayings" from All My Memories; Ribbon: Unknown (Obtained in a Ribbon Share); Adhesive: ATG 714

RAK's From Allison ... and a Blog Candy Winner!

WoWZa! Look what I received in today's mail from my BBFF ... All the way from Calgary, Alberta, Canada!!!! Now, I ask you: are these cute or what?!? I love the card ... Allison's coloring skillz rock ... but the little monogrammed notebook is to-die-for! Thanks so much Allison, I'll treasure these for-evuh!

Onto the blog candy winner! I just went to random.org and plugged in the number of comments and random.org said, (well, it didn't say anything, you have to read it):

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers: 8
Timestamp: 2008-05-28 23:24:47 UTC

Comment number 8 reads, "Hey Deb...I hope you have a wonderful time celebrating the holiday!My favorite stamp at this VERY second is the Magnolia Stamp. One of these days I'm going to take a deep breath and order those expensive beauties.Thank you for sharing your awesome candy and enjoy your day.malieta:)"

Malieta, congrats!!! Please send me your snail mail addy and I'll get your babies home to you posthaste!

Thank you all for entering; I wish you all could win ... and, at the rate we're going, sooner or later, you all WILL win! I'll be posting up more blog candy from Diva Impressions soon ... you guys know how much I LOVE givin' away rubbah!

Thanks so much for sharing your busy day with me ... I'll be back tomorrow with a project or three for you to CASE.

~Hugs,

Blog Candy 4 You ... 4 Beautiful Rubber Stamps!

MAY 26, EDITED TO ADD: Hey, I just discovered that Diva Impressions is having a huge Memorial Day weekend sale! Stamps in every category are discounted, so might want to take a peek and see if you can find a deal on your favorite Diva Impressions stamps!

Hello boys and girls; happy Sunday!

I'm going to be taking tomorrow off to enjoy some family time (see THIS post), so I think it's the perfect time for someone to win some awesome rubber stamps from Diva Impressions!

Simply post a comment on this post ... telling me which stamp company is your current favorite ... and why, and I'll have random.org choose the winning post on Wednesday, May 28.

THE DEETS: If you subscribe to my blog, or have your blog linked to mine, you can enter to win these stamps twice a day ... giving you ten chances to win! Even if you don't subscribe or link to my blog, you can still enter once a day ... giving you five chances to win!

As always, international visitors are welcome to enter ... I'll ship anywhere mail is delivered.

ALSO: Please number your posts ... and remember to check back here on Wednesday evening to see if you've won. Easy-peasy!

AND: If you've previously won some of these kewl stamps, don't let that stop you! Everyone and anyone can enter ... including previous winners.

Thanks so much for visiting!

~Hugs,

Blog Candy Winner ... and The Yogurt Video!

If you read Carol Burrage's blog, you've prolly already seen this video. But if you haven't, or want to watch it again 'cuz it's hysterical, well, here you go:


Okay, now that I've gotten that outta my system, (LOL - that statement is way funnier after you see the video), it's time to announce the winner of the Diva Impressions rubber stamp give-away. I went to Random.org and plugged in the number of comments (not including deleted comments), and got this:

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers: 9
Timestamp: 2008-05-20 22:58:18 UTC

Comment #9 reads, "Favorite technique, huh? I'd have to say distressing. Right now everything I do needs to be distressed in one way or the other. Love the look and the process. Thanks for offering these great stamps as blog candy. You rock!," and was posted by Sheila D. Congrats to Sheila and please send me your snail mail addy so I can get your new stamps off to you! Oh! And you rock too ... almost as much as J.K.!

Thanks to all of you for visiting, comment, and posting. I have lots more of these stamps to give away ... so check back for another chance to win some time this weekend.

Finally, I quickly wanted to respond to a couple of questions I received about THIS project.

First off, the secret to creating these particular flowers is the punch:

This is called the "Mega Lily Theme Punch" ... I purchased mine some time ago and don't remember exactly where but I believe I found it online. A quick Google search indicates it's still available ...and can be purchased for around $17.00. This punch contains all the lily petals and the leaf.

I shaped my punched petals with a molding tool but a small spoon will work too. I use tweezers to curl the tips and the edges of the flowers and the leaves and a stylus to create veins. The whole shebang is created on a punched snowflake base; if you don't have a snowflake punch you can do what I do, which is I cut a snowflake die in my Cuttlebug and glue all the flowers and leaves in place on the 'fingers' of the snowflakes. And speaking of glue, you want the fastest drying, strongest hold, clear-drying glue you can find. For me, that's "The Ultimate" glue by Api.

And I think that about covers it ... if I can clarify anything for you (and that would prolly be every thing since I'm sure my explanation is as clear as mud), I'm happy to try.

Thanks so much for spending part of your busy day with me!

~Hugs,

MORE Blog Candy 4 You ... 4 Gorgeous Stamps from Diva Impressions!

By the time you read this post, I'll be frolickin' in a large chocolate fountain!

A dear friend of mine is celebrating her birthday today, and between the two bands, the raw bar, the dessert pavilion (!), and a large, flowing vat of chocolate, I just might have found heaven on earth. I'll get back to you on that ... if I manage to survive!

I have four more beautiful, deeply etched, unmounted, red stamps from Diva Impressions to give away!

If you'd like to win them, simply leave on comment on this post ... telling me what your (current) favorite stamping technique is. That's it! On Tuesday, May 20th, I'll choose a winner.

THE DEETS: If you subscribe to my blog, or have your blog linked to mine, you can enter to win these stamps twice a day ... giving you eight chances to win! Even if you don't subscribe or link to my blog, you can still enter once a day ... giving you four chances to win!

As always, international visitors are welcome to enter ... I'll ship anywhere mail is delivered.

ALSO: Please number your posts ... and remember to check back on Tuesday evening to see if you've won!

I love give-aways!

~Hugs,

Blog Candy Winner!

Hi everyone ... hope your Tuesday was/is a happy one!

First off, I want to thank all of you who took the time to enter ... and re-enter ... the drawing for the four Diva Impressions rubber stamps!

I went to random.org and:

True Random Number Service
Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers: 33
Timestamp: 2008-05-13 21:22:30 UTC

Comment #33 reads, "33 good morning! back again - looking at Altered art stamps today - I like the Victorian dress negative stamp! very fun stamp!"

This comment was posted by Julia Aston. Congrats Julia! Please email me (see right sidebar for the "Email Me" link), with your mailing address and your new Diva Impressions rubber stamps will be sent to live with you posthaste!

I really wish everyone could win 'cuz I really care for all my regular readers ... soooooo, I think I'll give away more Diva Impressions rubber stamps this weekend! Be sure to check back for that!

I'll be back later ... or tomorrow, with a project or three. Thanks so much for sharing part of your busy day with me; you guys rock!

Hugs,

A Vintage-Inspired "15 Minute Project"

Today's 15 Minute project was created in a flash using designer papers and die-cuts from Daisy D's "Chasing Butterflies" collection, and a Diva Impressions rubber stamp. This stamp is one of four I'm giving away tomorrow ... see my post below. And you still have time to enter to win!

I stamped my image, available HERE, using "Black Soot" Distress ink, then stamped again on my patterned paper. I then cut out and paper-pieced selected areas of my image ... doing so really helps your stamped image to "pop!"

After double-matting my image, I added a polka-dot bow and created a flower by stacking three flower die-cuts, then mounted it to my card using dimensionals. Easy-peasy and ready to serve in just 15 Minutes!

I wanted to answer a stamping question I recently received from Julie P., who asked how I get such dark, rich images when I stamp, especially when using dye inks. The answer is that I actually stamp them twice! How? By using a stamp positioner!

I own two different types of stamp positioners: I use a "Stamp-a-ma-Jig" positioner when stamping images I don't intend to color in and a "Stamp-O-Graph" positioner for stamping images I plan on coloring. And that's my deep, dark, stamping secret!

Thanks so much for sharing part of your busy day with me! And don't forget to post a comment on the entry below for a chance to win four vintage-inspired stamps from Diva Impressions. I'll be drawing the winner tomorrow evening; see you then!

~Hugs,


Card Stock: Bazzill, Xerox 110#; Designer Papers: "Chasing Butterflies" Collection by Daisy D's; Stamp: Diva Impressions; Ink: Ranger Distress Ink; Brad: American Crafts; Ribbon: Michael's; Adhesive: ATG 714; Dimensionals: All Night Media

Some Blog Candy 4 You ... 4 Gorgeous Stamps from Diva Impressions!

As promised, more blog candy from Diva Impressions!! Wowza, aren't these stamps beautiful!?! They can be yours ... absolutely free, mailed right to your stamping room ... well, maybe not right to your stamping room, but definitely right to your home!

These four unmounted, deeply etched, red rubber stamps will be given away on Tuesday, May 13, to one lucky blog visitor. I decided to run the offer a bit longer since a lot of you will be away for the Mother's Day weekend.

So, just like last time, simply visit Diva Impressions online store, choose which stamp you'd like to add to your collection from Beth's amazing inventory, then return here and tell me which one you love the most! You can click HERE ... a new window will open and you're on your way. Then on Tuesday, I'll choose a winner by random drawing.

THE DEETS: If you subscribe to my blog, or have your blog linked to mine, you can enter to win these stamps twice a day ... giving you eight chances to win! Even if you don't subscribe or link to my blog, you can still enter once a day ... giving you four chances to win! As always, international visitors are welcome to enter ... I'll ship anywhere mail is delivered.

ALSO: Please number your posts ... and remember to check back on Tuesday evening to see if you've won!

I'll be taking tomorrow off to celebrate my 29th birthday ... again ... but I'll be back on Monday with a project created using one of the Diva Impressions stamps shown above.

Thanks so much for spending part of your busy day with me ... have a very happy Mother's Day, you crafty Mother you!

~Hugs,

We Have A New Winner ... For All the Wrong Reasons

No good deed goes unpunished.

When the Diva Impressions stamp giveaway winner didn't come forward, I decided it would be nice of me to spend some time hunting her down. And, in the so doing, I discovered that the 'winner,' had already stolen received her prize!

Confused? Turns out the 'winner' has an online scrapbook store ... and in that scrapbook store she's selling some vintage ephemera. Which is fine with me ... what's not so fine with me is the fact that she stole photographs and listing descriptions from my eBay store.

On the photographs, she's neatly cut off my watermark and the name of my eBay store ... text, she's copied verbatim. This is beyond wrong, it's also illegal; blatant copyright violation such as this is enforceable in any court in this country. If this happened on eBay, this gal's store would be shut-down completely in a matter of minutes pursuant to eBay's VERO policies.

Never in a million years would I expect someone in this craft to do such a lousy thing to another crafter! And then to have the stupidity audicity to come to my blog, post comments, and enter to win goodies I'm giving away! Well, I like to think I'm a nice person but I'm afraid giving this gal free blog goodies is beyond my threshold for pain!

So, I went to random.org this a.m. and entered all comment numbers (not including deleted comments), for a new winner.

Here's the results:

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:16
Timestamp: 2008-05-03 15:14:20 UTC

The new winning number is #16, nappy2cu, who's comment reads, '"This "Bloom" stamp makes me feel happy and hopeful, which frankly has been a bit of a challenge lately. Diva Stamps are good medicine!'"

So, congratulations nappy! Please contact me with your mailing address and I'll get these gorgeous Diva Impressions rubber stamps to you ASAP!

~Hugs,