HAPPY NEW YEAR! (and blogaversary to me!)

Today's blog candy contest is closed! The winner is:

Amy Johnson said... Happy New Year. I had a huge New Year's Day Party yesterday, so I wasn't able to get on-line till today. I love your frame of your son's name. I think your animal images are my favorite of yours. I just love them. My biggest blessing in 2008 was good health. I was sick for half of 2006 and all of 2007, so to be completely well in 2008 was such a blessing.

Congrats, Amy! Please email me your addy and stamp set pick, I will let Gina and she will ship it to you! :)

Let me be the first to wish you a Happy New Year! Thanks for stopping by my blogaversary celebration and one year anniversary of illustrating for Gina K designs, I hope you'll spread the word about this week long celebration and goodies giveaway (the more the merrier!) and join me every day this week! This year I have been SO blessed, and I'm so happy to be able to share my love of this craft with you every day, and thankful you all keep coming back! YOU put me on the Stampin Top 50 map and I hope to say there and keep moving up in 22009! I have lots of exciting things planned for us and for the blog this year, some you'll hear about this week, can't wait! (Actually been completely distracted the past couple days putting finishing touches on sets coming out later this year you will LOVE, but more about those later!) ;)

My first post I'm sharing a simple project I made for my younger son for Christmas: his very own name frame. (Remember when these were really BIG a few years ago? are people still amkign them as much?) I grabbed several of these frames at the Dollar Spot awhile back and they have been a dream to have on hand whenever I need a quick personalized gift for someone. I dug out my old SU! Headline Alpha* and stamped his name in Brilliant Blue, Summer Sun and Real Red letters(he actually requested orange, green and purple but those colors are nowhere to be found in his train -themed room, so I had to exercise my executive veto power!:) The majority of my releases were animals sets the first half of 2008, and I'm sorry I haven't been playing with them as much the past few months, many of you have asked, so I'll have to do something about that! Many have also asked "when are you releasing more animals?" that's a good question! So many sets, only 12 months in the year!! we'll see...)

Instead of masking in the animals, I strategically placed some of the "skinnier" ones(sorry, hippo!) between the letters where they had room to fit and cut out the hippo to place in front of the name. These pint-sized animals from "Hip Hop Accessories", my 5th release, are the perfect scale for these letter and size frame. Adding a few little balloons (which I placed dot my "i's"and butterflies from my 2nd release "Just So Hoppy" completed this storybook-sweet scene! Everything was colored with Box A Copics (BTW did you hear I'm giving away Copics this week?? ) plus one sketch marker and I made a little shadow underneath all the animals and the letters with Pale Aqua, it really finishes it off. I completed this project in about 30 minutes, they are one of my go-to projects for baby showers or kinds birthdays! :)
Crafty, Decorating $$$-saving TIP(NSR): Now that 2009 is here, all those pricey calendars you've been seeing everywhere are on sale!! I wanted to do a train theme for William's room last year when we transitioned him out of his crib, and I found a "big boy" train calendar with beautifully photographed trains at Border's for only $1 last January! Buy 12 frames in one color or accent colors (these were from IKEA, $2 each) and create groupings with all the pages, your walls will be done in no time! :)

Now! for the prize: My first blogaversary sponsor, has to be, of course, Gina K! Thank you, Gina for being the best boss/mentor/friend I could ask for, your company and this opportunity has been one of the best things that has EVER happened to me! Now! Please leave a comment on this post telling me which has been your one of biggest and best blessings this past year (craft related or other) and you will be entered into a drawing for any stamp set from Gina K Designs valued at 19.95 or less, thanks Gina for donating this prize! (It doesn't have to be one of my sets (but if it is, uhh, don't tell me LOL! (you probably have them all, right??)) Winner will be drawn randomly and announced here on my blog Friday night, January 2nd!

Tomorrow I will be sharing a new sample and a new prize to win! But come back later today, becuase I have another post!! (I know it gets hard to read one long ginormous post!!!)

After leaving your entry, you can find more samples using my sets today from Cindy Lawrence, and Donna Baker, fellow Gina K Senior Design Team Members, and Jessie Rone, Dirty Girl and past guest designer for me! Thanks, ladies!!

*If you don't have a large stamp alphabet, you can print out a perfectly spaced named on your computer! :)