In the Works...

Another Year Older

On Friday, I officially turned another year older, and all things considered, it was a very enjoyable day.  I got everything I really wanted -- alone time with hubby, a Subway sandwich with Cape Cod Reduced Fat potato chips, & Green Mountain Autumn Harvest Blend coffee for lunch, some great birthday cards, a walk along an unfamiliar section of the Rail Trail, and a little jingle in my pocket...  What more could any girl want?!?

Among the great birthday cards I mentioned, were these from the smART Cookies:

From Dina -- using ABC-Sweater Teddy          

From Heidi -- Using Spring #1, and WD-180 B-day Dreams

From Donna -- using WD-56 Pumpkin Blessings

Thanks, ladies!  You helped make my special day a happy one.

BTW, in case you're wondering, the Rail Trail is a 6.5 mile groomed walking-jogging-skateboarding-biking, etc. trail that follows the shoreline of Maine's Kennebec River, is parallel to still active railroad tracks, and stretches across four cities/towns - Gardiner, Farmingdale, Hallowell, and Augusta.  It also happens to be wonderful way to get away from it all, exercise, and enjoy the beauty of God's handiwork all at the same time... It's one of my favorite things to do!

Tea Party

What goes better with cookies than tea?!?  Normally, I'd say coffee, but when we're talking smART Cookies, the answer is nothing... Nothing goes better with Cookies than tea -- Hence a  Cookies' "tea party" --

Today's hostess, design team leader, Dina Kowal, posted this sketch on the group bulletin board at Yahoo, and invited the rest of the team (and me ~Yeah!) to participate...

Here's what I did:

The focal image, ABC-Flower Friends, and accent flower from ABC-Birdie Bitties were stamped, embossed, colored with a combination of markers & colored pencils, and cropped or cut out. 

The dress portion of the image was stamped and embossed a second time on print paper, cut out, and adhered over the corresponding areas of the main image.

After assembling the card as "sketched," flower petals were covered with dimensional glaze, and flower centers with glitter glue.

When dry, the first word from one of the of WD-171 Friends Make sayings which reads, "Friends make life a lot more fun!" was stamped on the card front as shown, and the remainder of the saying was stamped inside the card.

For the finishing touch, two itty bitty white buttons were customized with one of the blue Fluid Chalk inks, heat set, and adhered to the dress.

Note:  smART images used on this card can be located in the catalog on pages 86 and 88.

For more tea party fun and other ideas using this sketch, visit each of  the smART Cookie Blogs:  Mama Dini's Stamperia, Dee's Studio, Tah Dah!, Sweet Somethings, and Susiesatampalot. 

Cookie Jar Blog

It dawned on me recently that I had overlooked telling everyone about smART Cookie Design Team's blog!  How did that happen?!?

Well, regardless, let me do so now -- The Cookies named their blog {from the cookie jar}, and it's a great place to see a lot of smART creations without a lot of "wordage" -- All you get are cards, cards, cards!

Additionally, a click on any given project will cause it to pop up into a larger version, which allows you to see all the important little details... Very nice!

Beyond that, and even more wonderful, to me, is that fact that each creation has been tagged with the names of all the smART rubber the Cookie used on it... Sooooooo just click the name of a stamp set, and you see an assortment of all the creations made using that set.  Oooooh, baby!  Ideas galore!!!

To get there, click on the link above, or hit the Cookie Jar button in the right sidebar.

Have a great weekend!

Ladybug Invasion

When I was a child, discovering a ladybug was a rarity, but such a treat! I always thought I could put 'her' in a jar with some grass, and keep her as my pet forever... Of course, that didn't exactly work out (especially for the ladybug), but nonetheless, ever since, show me any image of a little "spotted lady" and the thrill resurges.

Imagine then, my utter surprise and complete delight, when during the first year of marriage to hubby, I awoke one October morning to find a literal ladybug invasion!

It was one of those final summer-like days of fall, and there were hundreds of the little creatures e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e... in the air, on the windows, on the siding, on the car, and once a door got opened, in the house!  A few of the house invaders actually made it through that winter... Guess it must have been a case of bigger jar, better results.

Anyway, this invasion has taken place every October since (twelve years so far), and short-lived though it may be, when it hits, so does the excitement.  If you listen hard enough you'll be sure to hear:

Quick! Come see this one.  She's a beauty!
I saw the biggest one!  Did not. Mine's bigger!
Yeah, well mine has more spots!
Wait! Don't shut the door!  You'll crush one!
When I got to school today, one was on my backpack - Everybody wanted her, but the teacher told everyone to 'sit down', and made me put her outside.
How many this year?  Dunno.  Lost count.  (Well, it's impossible not to try.)
Remember when I ate one?  They taste really bad!
Did you know they're 'helpful' insects?  (This is followed by an entire list of ladybug facts.)
Are you sure some of them are 'boys'?
I've got one on my arm... It tickles!
Hey, Mom!  Gotta a jar?  (Oh, no!)

That brings us to this basic 12-circle card using smART rubber set WD-106 LB Thoughts (catalog pg.54) and Middie Messages #2 (pg.12):

Cardworks:
(11) ladybugs stamped in black and clear embossed on white stock. Colored with a red Sharpie.  Punched out using 1" circle punch. Layered onto (11) slightly larger red circles. 'Hello' stamped in black and clear embossed on red scrap. Punched out and layered onto slightly larger white circle. 1/8" hole punched at top. Threaded and tied with customized with sheer Swiss dot ribbon (see blog entry "Presto Change-o"). All (12) layered circles mounted in a 4 x 3 array on an A-2 black card. To create a bit of dimension, 'Hello' circle is mounted using foam tape.

Note:  Easiest done by stamping, embossing, and coloring the 'ladies' across a strip of cardstock, THEN punching them out.

Blessings Are Where You Find Them

Yesterday, a packet of cards arrived from smART Cookie Design Team member, Donna Duquette.  It was the highlight of a very long day filled with taxiing parents to appointments and shopping.  Even though I had the precious packet in hand before picking up my parents, I made myself wait before opening it.  Just knowing the treat I had in store for "later" seemed to ease all the driving, and the waiting, and the "Are you sures..."

Once my parents were situated back in their home, and I had returned to mine, I suppered the family, saw hubby out the door (off to his second job), made sure the boys were set with doing homework, brewed a cup of hazelnut coffee, sat down, opened that envelope, and savored...  The rest of the day melted away... I was in a stamper's oasis...  Almost as good as if I had time to stamp myself.

It's interesting, because the card which struck me as my momentary favorite of the bunch displays the words "Count Your Blessings," but that didn't really register until I was scanning it to share with you... I had simply fallen in love with the unexpected use of the rubber, the colors, and how fabulous the Brilliance Pearlescent Rust ink looks on the dark paper.

I actually had counted receiving Donna's cards a blessing, and had already thanked God for knowing exactly which day the packet needed to arrive... 

God is so incompehensibly good, and I know just visualizing this card in my mind, and the reminder it bears, will continue to be a blessing and get me through even today... Another day on the road with many miles to go for my mother's eye treatments, and a 2-1/2 hour wait while she has them... Thanks again, God... and thank you, Donna. 

Donna's "Wreath of Blessings" uses the natural florals from FL-16 Real Stems and Blossoms (catalog pg.21), and the saying from WD-56 Pumpkin Blessings (pg 33).

My tip for you today is try the Brilliance Pearlescent Rust on a darker rust or brick colored paper -- It is gorgeous!!!!

A Little Therapy

Here is the only card I've stamped in a week. (~sigh )

I can't really complain, however, because getting to squeeze in even "just one" was a huge treat... Those few minutes, lost in my world of paper, ink, and rubber -- where I think and don't think, hear and don't hear... where I talk with God, and problem solve (subconsciously)... then emerge feeling "happy" and refreshed, were extremely therapeutic.  I was reminded of one reason I love stamping so much, and why I love being able to share this passion with others...

Anywho, this happened to be one of those cards which went together exactly the way I envisioned it at the onset:

Cardworks:
FL-17 Grasses (catalog pg.21) was stamped repeatedly onto a Fabriano Mediovalis note card in Adirondack inks (lettuce, oregano, and caramel).  Saying from WD-38 Begin, Live , Enjoy (pg.21)  was then stamped in Memories black.  Butterfly from WD-91 Soar (pg.51) stamped and embossed on scrap, colored with Radiant Pearls, re-embossed, cut out, and adhered to card front with foam tape.  Butterfly trail was pin-pricked.   

Oh, Happy Day!

Happy Birthday to us!  Happy Birthday to us!  Happy Birthday dear, smARTworks... Happy Birthday to us!

Yes, indeed, today, smARTworks is officially 3 years old! 

In honor of our "Birthday Month" several specials are already currently running, but since this is THE big day, I think it fitting to celebrate with something extra special...

As a customer I know I always savor "free shipping," and when attending any party, have always loved leaving with a little party favor, so let's do that...

For today only, whether an order is big, small, or in between, it will receive free shipping plus a surprise "party favor."

To qualify, orders must be placed by 11:59 tonight - October 8 (EST).

Note: Today's feature card was designed by smART Cookie, Heidi Kingery, and uses smART rubber sets, Middie Messages #2 (catalog pg.12), and ABC Birdie Bitties (pg.86).  Thanks, Heidi, you captured just how I feel.

Winner #3

The third winning entry in the smART Card Stamping Contest for this quarter, surprisingly combines elements from the other two winning cards -- a resist technique, and white embossing...

Third Place
Title: Rainbow Double
Designed by: Linda Carson
smART Rubber Used: BF-01 Cone Flowers (catalog pg. 50 ), and BV-21 Phil 4:4 (pg. 71)

For "Rainbow Double," Linda brayered ink from a Kaleidacolor Autumn Leaves rainbow pad over a Versamark stamped layer of glossy stock.  She then white embossed a companion image over this resist.  The result -- dimension!

To further enhance the dimensional effect, Linda adhered her message tag to the stamped layer with foam tape.

There is also something "optical" about the way Linda created the corners of this card...  The decoratively punched foreground layer, combines with the square underlying layers, and draws the eye inward... Like peering into a tunnel -- another 3-D enhancement.  You just want to keep looking...

Finally, the raffia Linda added for a tag string brings out the fall-ish feel introduced by her chosen color palette.  I also love the way the raffia has been tucked behind card layers instead of left dangling.  It gives things a very finished appearance.

I'd want to add that "Rainbow Double" arrived with two other gorgeous creations, and the most difficult part was choosing only one for the winner's circle.  Linda's designs teamed up with the Word of God, are uplifting and satisfying.  Her other two cards are on display in the smARTworks' gallery.

Linda has won a $10.00 gift certificate good toward more smART rubber.

Way to go Linda!

Winning Card #2

Here's a look at winning entry number two for the third quarter of the smART Card Stamping Contest --

Second Place
Untitled
Designed by:  Sarah Stainback
smART Rubber Used: BFL-01 Purpose (catalog pg. 73)

Being a sucker for B/W artwork, this entry was my favorite.  Additionally, I can actually envision creating a set of 4-6 note cards using this formula... What a great gift idea!

At first glance, one sees the classic black and white contrast card, but hold on!  Closer scrutiny discloses a twist... Sarah created this card in grayscale.   One of the layers, from decorative print, has a cement colored design, and the stamped background, is in Adirondack slate gray... Very appealing, and softer for the eye than true B/W.

The foreground image is white embossed on black cardstock. As any seasoned stamper knows, embossing in white can prove to be a challenge -- difficult sometimes to get smooth, crisp coverage.  Sarah pulled it off nicely.

Like her winning entry in last quarter's contest, this card is also "all occasional."  Whatever message is stamped or written inside, will determine what type of card this becomes... birthday, thinking of you, sympathy, thank you, etc.  Probably the only category it wouldn't fit into is "masculine," but then, as another sucker for B/W, my hubby absolutely flipped over it.

Sarah has already claimed her prize of a $15.00 gift certificate for more smART rubber, and (1) The Clear Thing acrylic mounting block.  Can't wait to see what she sends back in as a quarter #4 entry. ~wink, wink

Seriously, Sarah, Congratulations!  Your work (at eighty-seven years young) is truly an inspiration!

smART Card Stamping Contest

Over the weekend another quarter of the smART Card Stamping Contest came to a close, which means we have had another round of winners!

Even with the winning entries on display at the smARTworks' website, I still want to present each one here, and say a few words about what placed them in the winner's circle...

First Place
Title:  Shadow Dancing
Designed by: Ann Caldon
smART rubber used: ABC-Dancing Duo (catalog pg. 105), and WD-158 In Color (pg. 102)

One of my big draws to Shadow Dancing is I never would have thought of it. 

The layout is simple, yet artistic, and in real life the vibrancy and spectrum of colors is eye-catching.  Also noted is how seamless the transition between colors appears - excellent brayering...

Then there are the little "extras" -- gel pen highlights, crystals, darling bow, and that adorable sequined flower -- Ann was able to add all these, without giving the piece a scrappy feel or detracting from the images she used.  In fact, quite the opposite... Ann's chosen embellishments enhance the images beautifully, as if they were meant to go there.

When you put it all together, the eye has lots of fun roaming while the brain says, "I like."

Congratulations, Ann!  Thank you so much for giving me a new way of looking at these images.

Ann's efforts have won her a $20.00 gift certificate good for more smART rubber, and (2) The Clear Thing acrylic mounting blocks.  These may be chosen from our standard sizes, or Ann may opt to custom-size.