"Tech Talk" Winner!

and the random winner of the "Tech Talk" set from my sneak preview blog candy is....

Cammy said...
This set is awesome and I love your cards! I've made some fantastic friends on SCS and the pleasure to meet one of the girls & her family this fall. It was such a great day! Everyone had a blast -- husbands, kids & most of all moms.

(It doesn't hurt that hubby is in IT, so this set would be perfect!)

November 30, 2009 10:11 PM

Please email me your snail mail addy within 48 hours Cammy and I will send it out to you! I just loved reading her comment and everyone else's about the lifelong friendships you have forged through the wonders of modern technology! :)

I'm off to the party! please come, by now it's in full swing!!!

Sneak Peek: "Free with Three" Sweetest Memories

Today we have our final new release peek, GinaK's "Sweetest Memories", this month's free with Three" set! It is full of larger scale sweet greetings that make terrific scrapbook elements and titles, as well as tags or focal points for your cards. Greeting sets often make the best free sets because we stampers can always use more greetings! :)

My sample is super simple, I used Pure Luxury White and Chocolate Kiss with Basic Grey Indian Summer as a background. These layered flowers and vines in the pattern are just so dazzling I though it would be perfect with the "unforgettable" sentiment. The stitched and lined border around it makes it easy to crop even without Nestabilities. I adhered it with pop dots and added a few punched flourishes to embellish and create the illusion of the vines coming out of the patterned paper. Sometimes simple is best! (especially when you're sick, like me today, booo!) Off to rest for the big party, sorry I don't have more today, I'll be sharing lots more samples over the next few weeks with this set, some photo Christmas ornaments, gift packaging etc!

For even more ways to use this fabulous stamp set, please check tonight's featured Illustrator's blog:

GinaK {Sweetest Memories}

Then, visit our Designer's blogs participating in the previews tonight:

Carolyn,
Cathy,
Emily,
Erika,
Jessica,
Lee,
Lynn,
Melanie,
Nina
Tami,
Theresa

Don't forget the party this Thursday night 7PM CST for more samples, full set reveals, contests, challenges and chatting!

Sneak Peek: "Life is Good" & "Warm and Wonderful"

Welcome back!! Our first preview tonight is of Theresa Momber's "Life is Good" set! While Theresa has included a snow covered cabin perfect for winter, there are a number of other greetings and images in this set that allow for cards year round. When I saw the steam train, though, I couldn't resist making an extra Christmas-y card with it, based on "The Polar Express" by Chris Van Allsburg! Most anyone receiving this card would recognize the nod to that celebrated holiday classic. :) The train fits perfectly into the "Festive Frame" window, with the poinsettias setting the holiday tone, and the borders are reminiscent of framed up illustrations in a book.
After coloring the frame and train (I took some liberties on the colors here not being a "train expert" LOL! as well as adding a little wreath to the front with a green ring and red dots) , I reverse masked the oval so I could sponge blue ink around the edges to make the stormy winter night. I cut a little diagonal beam from scratch paper to sponge around the create the light coming from the front of the train. Add falling snow with the Inkssentials white pen. The nail heads around the frame and on the bell make wonderful "train bling" rivets! Last I added the "Believe", the theme of the story, this greeting is from "Botanical Dreams". This is a two layer card, using Pure Luxury White and In the Navy. I just love this set! Thursday night at the party I will have sample using that cabin I mentioned... ;)

"Warm & Wonderful" has all these snuggly knit images in it, and I noticed the rounded cap would be SO cute plunked on top of die cut heart (made from Cosmo Cricket Jolly by Golly DP) I stamped both this cap and my scarf onto Rocket Red CS, which has the ribbed texture, perfect for knitwear!) accented with White Inksenntials pen. The scarf I cut in two so I could have it hanging over the other side. It may be a bit difficult to see, but if you click for a closeup I stamped the argyle from Gina's "Ribbon Stripes" over each in red for a subtle tone on tone look , this gives these images some additional knit texture! Now my bundled heart on the scalloped square goes perfectly with this greeting "You warm my heart" from the set. I stamped snowflakes from the set onto the new Pure Luxury Ocean Mist and added some adhesive rhinestones to a couple of the flakes centers.

For even more ways to use these fabulous stamp sets, please check tonight's featured Illustrator's blog:

Theresa Momber {Life is Good}

Then, visit our Designer's blogs participating in the previews tonight:

GinaK,
Carolyn,
Cathy,
Cindy,
Donna,
Emily,
Erika,
Jessica,
Lee,
Lynn,
Melanie,
Nina

We also have one of our special Center Stage Spotlight Designer joining tonight:

Peggy Wainman

Sneak Peek: "Tech Talk" and "Lovely Shelf"

Hello! Today we are previewing new Gina K sets from Nina and I, and I couldn't be more pleased that we are showcasing the two together, as you will soon see how perfectly they coordinate! :)
First, a little about my newest set "Tech Talk": the perfect set for making cards for the techie men in your life that they can really appreciate or for all your online "besties"! Whether a computer is more for work or pleasure for you, it's become a huge part of all our lives, and even if you don't consider yourself someone who is "technically savvy" (and I'm not certainly not!) if you think in emoticons or "LOL!", this set is for you! (I saw a funny quote recently on Selma's blog recently that completely captured the spirit of this set: "I love my computer, my friends live in it." SO! TRUE!!!) I've seen other computer stamps in the past, but none I felt were really suited for both masculine and feminine cards...you're going to LOVE all the options this one provides! :)

Here I made a card/Valentine for my husband, the greeting stamped onto the screen is one of many from the set. He, like most men, likes things really plain, so I used neutrals (Soft Sand base) and kept "his desk" very minimal. Isn't that fun making a quick scene with the mug and picture frame images?? I stamped the open frame over a photo of myself, trimmed it out and adhered over the center of stamped image as if I were paper piecing.
Now for the fun part inside of the card for a surprise reveal, a few changes to my new scene and a pop of red, I couldn't leave it that plain, could I?? I stamped this little heart from the set all over both desktops (hee!), changed out the "DAD'S" on the mug to a little smiley emoticon and substituted this photo of us nuzzling at our wedding in the frame. I love this Valentine! Hang on for a more feminine desk set in a minute... ;)

Next, I have a card using Nina's new "Lovely Shelf", she is just an illustrator after my own heart with these elemental sets she designs! It has, of course, a shelf and lots and lots of other lovely things to pile on top. Today I stamped the shelf upside down, this way the brackets can look more like bookends or turn the shelf into a serving tray, so I added a teapot, cup and vase. Super sweet and simple! And how do you like that beautiful card base color?? It's the new Gina K Pure Luxury Ocean Mist and I am in heaven!!! It freshens up any color you pair it with, here I went with clean Black Onyx and White. The scalloped mat behind it looks great with the all the curvy details in these images. I added just a touch of color to my pot and cup for shading and vase of flowers with pastel Copics.

Now do you see where I'm going with these two sets? Plunk another one of her vases next to my 'puter (pink!) from "Tech Talk" and add some fun and funky DP (Basic Grey Lime Rickey) and you've got a hip and cheery card for a friend! Don't these images look like they came from the same set?? The clean lines and open images make them all amazingly simple to color, too! There's that Ocean Mist for the base again! A little tip for creating some dimension for your "desk": use a straight edge and draw a line behind the computer and other images you've stamped into your scene with a pen (I did this on the hubby card above too) Now you've grounded all your objects in a snap! On this card, I cut out everything above the line so my DP would be like a wallpaper backdrop behind the images. Showing the DP below too makes for a more interesting layout and also makes the desk look like a more modern counter top. ;)

Something else simple and fun for inside: I cut out a second computer I colored, scored between the screen and keyboard, and adhered it to the card, adhering the back of the screen to a little "box I made with a strip 1" x 4 1/2", that I scored at one inch intervals and then adhered the little half inch left over. When you stick this into the scored middle of the card, the computer will open and close as you open the card and give you a 3D scene...

I also added lots of flowers from the vase to the screen with the masking technique, I love all the possibilities this screen provides go crazy making your favorite "screen savers" with stamps, DP, postcards, whatever!

So you don't have to drag out the Post Its every time, I recommend stamping the computer onto scratch paper and cutting out the screen. Now you can place this over your image stamped on CS and go to town adding whatever you like. Remove your mask and color as desired.

Below is one last pic of it so you can see the dimension and pop up mechanism. I added the vase and mug again more subtly to the background in Versamark this time and a couple more sentiments from my set above and below. Oh, BTW, I can't believe I almost forgot: how do you like my keyboard I designed? In my perfect world I wouldn't make any more typos: just send some love out with one click! LOL! Just another little bit of whimsy (as well as all the hearts hiding in the set!) that I hope you'll really enjoy when creating with this...

Would you like to win "Tech Talk"? Please leave a comment here telling me about an online friend you've made (I know you have some if you're reading this, and will need this set to make them some special cards!) I will draw a winner randomly and announce it Thursday before the release party. I have been blessed meeting hundreds of wonderful women online in the past two years of blogging, too many to mention here, but I will tell you about a special one later in the week who is guest designing with my set this month! ;)

For even more ways to use these fabulous stamp sets, please check tonight's featured Illustrator's blogs:

Nina Brackett {Lovely Shelf}
Melanie Muenchinger {Tech Talk}

Then, visit our Designer's blogs participating in the previews tonight:

GinaK,
Carolyn,
Cathy,
Cindy,
Donna,
Emily,
Erika,
Jessica,
Lee,
Lynn,
Tami,
Theresa

We also have two of our special Center Stage Spotlight Designer's joining us with samples as well:

Cheri Weston
Melissa Shultz

More previews tomorrow, thanks for visiting! :)

The Look of Fabric

Here is a simple card using "Arranged with Love" stamped in gray on one of the digital Summer Fabrics, a freebie from Gina K Designs, which I printed out on Pure Luxury White. Doesn't that look like real fabric? I love how stamping over this looks like a woven tapestry! This photo looks so dark I know, but the layer underneath is In the Navy to go with the pale blue flowers. Get well cards I often try to combine a mix of muted as well as more cheery colors to try and convey both "I'm sorry you're sick " and "things will turn around!". This card measures 4 1/4" square, I used a scalloped Nestabilitie under the image, which is also an example of how you can crop the larger flower frame from this set to adapt to your square cards.

Gina K new release sneak peeks start tomorrow night, eek!!! :)

Triangle Tree

This was my first time to try out my new Cuttlebug Herringbone folder, it's such a cool intricate design, and makes fabulous pine needles on the All Spruced Up Pure Luxury CS! I cut out a tall triangle of the embossed paper (you can get 2-4 of these out of a mat you've embossed with the folder, great for mass production!) and then added several buttons from the Gina K Holiday assortment, tied with hemp and then adhered with glue dots (I left the big white one untied to add a little more interest) I popped up the tree on this dotted Basic Grey Junebug DP and layered onto the same green mat and a Rocket Red base, easy peasy! (except for tying those little knots! Still worth it, though, no time spent stamping or coloring here!) ;)

We Wish You a Merry Christmas

..and a happy new year!! (this sentiment from the set is what's stamped inside the card, sorry I forgot to take a pic!)

This is a two layer card, with the Festive Frame stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black on Pure Luxury White with a Rocket Red base. I used Copics Lionet Gold for the borders and Strong Red for the background. Let me tell you I loved coloring instead of cutting out an extra red layer and it doesn't add weight to my card! :) Oval was sponged with Antique Linen Distressing Ink and stamped using Nina's music border to go with the Christmas caroling title/greeting from the set, and to be honest I can't look at this card without wanting to burst into song! (come Dec 1, Christmas music will be playing in my house during every waking hour for the WHOLE month LOL! Last , gold edges white organdy ribbon provides the "necessary" holiday sparkle!

This was very simple to make, I hope it inspires and put you in the holiday spirit! Thanks for visiting! :)

Bye! (goes off humming...)

Scored Mosaic

Here is a card I made before the "Inspiration Mosaic" release but hadn't shared yet, realized we are about to get out of the "pumpkin months" for awhile, uh oh! LOL! This was a fun way to use the mosaic for an understated card: stamp your grid on colored or neutral CS (here Pumpkin Spice Pure Luxury), in any color ink, it won't matter because this will be the BACK. Now line up the different lines over your tracks on your Scor-Pal and score away until you have the entire frame scored, I did all the verticals at one time first, then turned the CS and finished the rest. Once done, I flipped it over and now you have this beautiful tone on tone dry embossed look! I mounted it on Ivory Pure Luxury.

I inked up the "Tropical Window" with an olive and pumpkin marker and stamped, then trimmed it to pop up onto the grid. I wanted to recreate that same thin live border on my base as on the image, so I just drew one 1/8" in on all sides with my marker and a straight edge.



Hope this gives you new ideas for how to use that mosaic! :)

Blessings

Here is a photo I took of my 4 year old catching a butterfly on a trip to a farm outside of Austin last month. The color pic was beautiful too, but I love using the black and white option and trying to do a little photo tinting with my editing program. This photo reminds me of blessings great and small: the tiny hands that belong to one of my most precious gifts, and the joy small things things like a butterfly bring him (and could bring all of us if we take the time to stop and appreciate them!)


I pray all my readers have a very safe and happy Thanksgiving. I would love to hear about what God has blessed you with this year. :) A special blessing of late is a bible study I began a few months ago: "Lies Women Believe" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. I highly recommend it, you could do the study on your own or perhaps get a small group of friends together. It is really working wonders in my life... :)

More to come!

Final Festive Week with Linda Payne!

Ahh, it's been a festive month with Linda, hasn't it? We are one week away from our next Gina K release, and i have one more of Linda's "Festive Frame" projects to share with you! No"frame" today just this sentiment and some gorgeous poinsettias (from the matching "A Year of Flowers" set) and it's just a symphony of colors and patterns! Cranberry Tart, Good as Gold, White are all Gina K Pure Luxury and the SU! Purely Pomegranate thrown in ties in the fuchsia in this beautiful swirly Basic Grey Eva print. I am just lovin this two tone look of the poinsettia in deep these jewel tones! TIP: A printed ribbon could get too busy with another print, but these patterns and gold that ties them both together is really working here, a bold and artful choice, great job Linda! Finally the gold embossing and cut work really takes it over the top, plus details like the nail heads, cording and highlighting the words with a bit of yellow are just the cherries on top of this amazing card!

Let's have some applause please for the amazing Linda, thanks for sharing your talent with us this month! Please go see Linda's blog now for another "Festive Frame" project! :)

Farm at Dawn

Here is a silhouette card I made using Signs of Autumn and Thanks a Million. I stamped the rooster first in Vivid Coffee Bean and then stamped the wheat all over the bottom stamping off into the distance. The ones closest to the bottom I colored in with a dark Brown Copic to match my rooster since the wheat is a line art image. Leaving the ones behind it open, though, give it a little more variety, depth and texture. then I sponged olive ink on the bottom and rust ink to the top, adding a circle mat at the end and sponging a little more to make a sun (and give me a nice spot to put my greeting.) I placed a square nestabilitie over my mat and traced a square border to frame it up, then ran the marker along the outside edge to give it a double border. A few punched large flourishes from Chocolate Kiss Pure Luxury finish it off. Card base is Sweet Corn.


I love how these images and colors evoke the quiet countryside! I made it months ago and had to share it while harvest time is still here! :) Have a happy Thanksgiving later this week!

Christmas Cardinal

Here is one of my favorite cards fro this release, I just love the way the colors turned out and how the Good as Gold base just sets it off! "Festive Frame" as stamped in Memento Black on Pure Luxury White and colored with Copics, the the bird from "First Christmas" was cut out and popped up after coloring, the edge of the window makes the perfect little perch for him! A few adhesive nail heads to the top balanced out the layout.



Christmas gets closer every day, do you feel it?? I'm getting so excited! :)

Punch it Up Tree #2!

Here's another simple card (no stamping today!) you can make using one of the corners from the EK Success Curved Corner double punch. (be sure to see this post for a tree made with the other half of this punch!) Aren't those three points perfect for a layered fir tree?? I punched out 6 for this 4.25" square card, but you could make it taller to match the proportions of your design. Starting from the bottom, I put a little adhesive at the the top of the punch and lined up another one over it, repeating the punches and adhesive until I got to the top. I popped the completed tree up on to the die cut scalloped Pure Luxury white mat, then added some little adhesive strips of 3 mm pearls for garland and a little shiny red button from the Gina K Holiday button assortment at the top with a glue dot. Card base is All Spruced Up.

Happy Sunday!

Monogram Mosaic

This paper pieced mosaic uses some of my favorite prints from one of my all-time favorite Basic Grey packs: "Ambrosia", how sweet it is! The easiest way I've found to piece the grid is keep one DP grid whole as a base for the smaller top pieces, here the pale orange and grey print is all one, with 2 - 3 smaller pieces each of the dark gray and dark orange prints adhered on top. I matted the peiced grid onto Pure Luxury Black Onyx and Moonlit Fog, then added some punched curved corners and a monogrammed pieced(stamped with a Just Rite letter over the grid. Last I embellished it nailheads (colored witha black Copic) and ivory sateen flowers.

Thank you for visiting! Curious: would you be interested in doing a Mr Linky blog hop with the Inspiration Mosaic? let me know! :)

A Child is Born

I love the combination of sets on this card: my "Festive Frame" and "Hand in Hand", and "Vintage Borders" by Nina Brackett. After stamping the frame in Memento Black onto Ivory Pure Luxury, I colored the images and borders with Copics (trimming the image leaving about 1/8" around, lining the edge with black and coloring with red to make the double border) and then masking the center oval and stamping the greetings border (love all the languages in this one!) across in Antique Linen Distressing ink, I love that soft look on ivory. Next I stamped the pair of hands in the middle, colored and then sponged more Antique Linen ink into the oval around them. Last I inked up just the "a child is born", part of the Bible verse from the Festive Frame set and stamped at the bottom right. I wrapped a Large Flourish punched from Fresh Asparagus to the top accented with a few adhesive pearls I colored with my Cardinal Copic to look like the berries in the arrangements.

Have a blessed weekend! Thanks for visiting me in our first ever STV member hop! Be sure to check Gina's blog here for the complete list of participants! :)