In the Works...

Trout Duo Winner

... and the winner of the Trout Duo stamp set (pulled from the napkin basket over breakfast) is annelies, who wrote:

I like them all, but when I have to pick one favorite I choose Dina's card. I think it's the colors that I find very attractive. Thanks for a chance to win!
Greetings from Belgium, Annelies

Here's her favorite by Dina:

So, Annelies, please e-mail me the necessary contact information, and I'll have the Brook brothers swimming your way in no time.

And to everyone who played by submitting a comment, thank you!  I loved reading them, especially the reasoning behind your various choices.

Just Keep Swimming

You'll never know how disappointed I am with this post... Well, not the post itself exactly, but the circumstances surrounding it... You see, I'd had this particular entry planned since February 1... The day I mailed out the Trout Duo challenge stamp set to the Cookies... I had chosen the set strategically:

• I knew they'd never done anything with a predetermined masculine bend, and
• I was planning to unveil their creations, this post, and the blog giveaway on April 1 -- the first day of fishing season here in Maine.  Such clever timing!

Imagine anticipating all that for so long, then getting the flu!  Yup, a true disappointment.  I think it might have been the biggest April's Fool joke ever!

Anyway, before I get to the Cookie projects and giveaway, I want to share a little bit about the Trout Duo set... My hubby is actually the artist, and the image came about after he and another teacher applied for, and received a grant to teach a conservation-type unit on brook trout in connection with a local stream called Finn Brook.

I can't give you all the details, but the real fish arrive in Mark's classroom as eggs from a hatchery, and his fourth graders monitor the hatching and growth for several months... Then they all take an expedition to Finn Brook, and release the surviving fishlings into the wild.  There's a lot which goes into it, and the children learn oodles in a very hands-on way...

Well, one of the things each student does at the onset of this trout unit is to create his/her own science folder.  Just one problem... left to their own devices, and being the fish they see are initially eggs, most of the 9-11 year old hand drawn renditions of a trout, look like something out of "Finding Nemo..."  Realism eludes them.

This both disturbed and frustrated hubby to the point of his uttering,
"If only there was a stamp..."
I started laughing like a hyena -- In our house there are hundreds, maybe even thousands of stamps!
"But you know what I mean -- the right stamp..."
More laughter -- every stamper's plight, finding the "right" stamp...
"Mark, honey, if you want to draw one, there can be a stamp... I own a stamp company!"
This time the laughter was shared.

A week or so later, hubby had the artwork ready, and the wheels were set in motion for the Brook brothers, "Finn" and "Finn Jr." to swim into rubber.

I must confess, not all the Cookies were thrilled with finding this image the mailbox, but each still did a wonderful job using it.  Their card projects can be seen HERE...

And as always, when there's a smART Cookie Challenge, I'm launching a little contest for someone to win her own set of the same stamps used in the challenge... For your chance at winning Trout Duo, here's what you've got to do:

Go take a look at all the Cookie creations then swim back here and comment on your favorite.  A winner, will be chosen by Mark, and announced here on Friday (April 11).

3rd Prize

Tying for 3rd Prize are two equally stunning, equally strong, equally well-executed creations:  "Small Things in Black" by Sarah Kornhaus, and "Cracked Glass" by Linda Carson.  Unfortunately, the scans simply do not begin to do justice to either of these cards... In real life, they are gorgeous!

For "Small Things in Black," Sarah used WD-198 Small Things, and combined a foiling technique with an elegant color scheme, and a classic layout.  The little "extra" which sets this card apart from others, is the way Sarah inlaid the saying panel (also foiled) for a unique and pleasing look.  I might add that the foiling on this card is done to perfection - full, even coverage without any stray specks... very difficult to achieve.

Vivid.  Cheery.  Unexpected.  These are the three words which best describe Linda's "Cracked Glass" card.  The combination of colors is eye-catching, and Linda's layout, although busy, still has balance.  Of course, it's the bright "red" used on the stamped floral which takes the viewer by surprise, and creates the card's "Wow!" effect.  It also bears mentioning that up close and personal, the cracked glass panel featuring BFL-02 Purpose is exquisite... one of the best jobs using this technique I've ever seen - the UTEE is smooth, even, and unclouded, with just the right amount of cracking to enhance the image... also very difficult to achieve.

Hence the tie -- these two cards went head to head, and other than for sheer personal preference, there was just no choosing one over the other... Each even had it's own advocate on the judge's panel who wanted it named the first place winner.

Sarah and Linda have each earned a $10.00 gift certificate good for more smART rubber.

2nd Prize

This quarter's 2nd Prize goes to another card entitled "Friends," but this one is by Karen Cheetham, a first time entrant, and other than using the same DK-01 Friends stamp set, the card itself is quite different than the one Sarah created.

Karen's original rendering paired the Friends image with a decorative print, reminiscent of the yellow, lined paper teachers used to pass out in the classroom.  One look triggers an immediate memory response of school days gone by, and that one special friend...

The word "friends"  was creatively added to the card using not only the word stamp from the set, but also a printed chipboard alphabet from an entirely different design line/company than the paper.  It's a unique touch which serves to solidify the triggered memory.

In theory, one would expect leaving the image completely black/white while adding color by way of the print to the rest of the card would have overpowered the image, and created an imbalance, but in this case that didn't happen.  In fact, Karen's choices have created almost the opposite effects... While the eye makes its way around the colored areas of the card,  it is also drawn repeatedly back to the girls... they are resting spot needed for balance to be achieved. 

The techniques Karen used on "Friends" are ultra simple -- basic stamping and basic layering, but everything is meticulously neat and well-executed. 

As for general appeal of presentation, let me share that this card was the one entry every judge really LIKED.  This means something because our judges often look at, and consider the merit of a submission without the card being a personal favorite.  As one judge put it,"This card is so bold, yet so simple, I can't help, but like it..."

Karen's prize: A $15.00 gift certificate good for more smART rubber, and (1) any size The Clear Thing handcrafted, acrylic block.

1st Prize

Sarah Stainback has been a faithful entrant of the smART Card Stamping Contest ever since she first read about its existence in RubberStampMadness magazine over a year ago.  She is also living proof that persistence pays off -- including this round, one of Sarah's cards has "placed" in each of the last four quarters.

This time Sarah captured 1st Prize with her entry entitled, "Friends" -- Here's why:

Created by combining two unrelated sets of rubber, DK-05 Friends, and BV-18 Ps.121:1-2, Sarah's composition is certainly original.  She used no words, yet her scene speaks volumes, and has the ability to transport the viewer to the place depicted.  One of the judges remarked, "I can look at this card, and feel summer..."

"Friends" is also unique in another way -- Sarah thought outside the box, and changed the lake in the BV-18 image into a field.  This ability to look at a stamp and expand its possibilities is always impressive.  Personally, I now keep asking myself, why I never thought of that?!?

Sarah's techniques of choice, stamping & watercolors on watercolor paper, and layering, are basic, but so well done that the element of stamping practically disappears... Friends actually looks sketched/painted. 

Additionally, Sarah strengthened the scene's sense of realism, and added depth by stamping the background image in gray, and the foreground image in black... She also stamped, colored, and cut out the girls image separately, then glued it (flat) onto the scene... Another nice, yet subtle, dimensional "booster shot."   

As for general appeal of presentation, I can't think of any friend who wouldn't be happy to open this card and feel the preview message before reading whatever has actually been written inside... Personally, I consider "Friends" to be not just a card, but frame-worthy stamped art.

Thank you, Sarah, and congratulations!

"Friends" has earned Sarah a $20.00 gift certificate good for more smART rubber, and 2 any size (even custom) The Clear Thing handcrafted, acrylic mounting blocks.

Winners Announced

The January - March 2008 quarter of the smART Card Stamping Contest had the most entries ever!  Lots of great stuff!!  Creative, well-executed, and gorgeous!!!  Judging was extremely challenging...

The core requirements for all submissions were that they be original works, and use only smART rubber for stamping.  Entrants were free to use any technique(s) or style they desired.

As always, entries were judged on:

• originality
• creativity
• execution of chosen technique(s)
• general appeal of presentation

For this round, there were five judges from a variety of age groups - a combination of stampers and non-stampers - men and women...

After all the criteria had been considered, prizes were awarded as follows:

1st Prize - "Friends"  by Sarah Stainback
2nd Prize - "Friends" by Karen Cheetham
3rd Prize - "Small Things in Black" by Sarah Kornhaus, and
                - "Cracked Glass" by Linda Carson

Yes, there was a tie for third prize (first time ever) -- It was either that, or have my judges permanently resign...

In the next few days, I plan to individually present and comment on each winning entry, but if you can't wait that long, you can always click on the orange links above, and take a peek.

Sisterhood Winner

And the winner of the "Sisterhood" collage stamp is........ Linda SS, who wrote:

My sister is 2 yrs. younger and when she started kindergarten, I taught her to write her name and she was so proud of herself.  Problem is, instead of teaching her how to write Janet, I taught her to write "Toe."  A couple weeks later her teacher finally said, "Why do you always call yourself Toe - your name is Janet".  Boy was she mad at me.  She still talks about it 40 some years later.

I enjoyed reading every sibling comment that was submitted, but did happen to find Linda's hysterical... One of those that made me chuckle on first read, and continues to make me chuckle every time I think about it.  Kind of like the time I got my little brother, John, to trade all his dimes for my nickles... After all, the nickles were "bigger."  ~hee hee hee  Awful?!?  Yes, but Mom made me give them back, so no harm, no foul...   

That confessed, Linda, please e-mail me with your contact information, and I will get "Sisterhood" in the mail to you pronto.  Then you can whip up a card for "Toe," and remind her what a good teacher you were...

A special thank you to all who participated.  Should any of you who didn't win this time be interested in purchasing the "Sisterhood" stamp, the cost is $5.50 plus shipping (58 cents for a single stamp set), or $6.08.  Not bad... not bad at all.

Sisterhood Collage

February first already!  Time to unveil the 3rd smART Cookie Challenge...

You may already know what a smART Cookie Challenge is, but just in case you don't, it's when each member of smARTworks' design team is given the same rubber stamp(s), and asked to create "something."

The stamp set chosen for Challenge #3 was "Sisterhood" --

Although the two gals appear as though they might be best friends, the stamp is called "Sisterhood" because in real life, these two were sisters.  Of course, that's not to say they couldn't also have been best friends, but the collage needed a name, and I decided to honor their sibling relationship.

To take a look-see at all the deliciously clever Cookie projects using this "Sisterhood" collage stamp, click here. 

But wait!   We're not finished quite yet...

By now, some of you also know that every time we have a Cookie Challenge, we also have a contest where participants earn the chance to win a free set of the featured rubber...

Soooooo, if you'd like to throw your name into the hat for the chance to win a free "Sisterhood" stamp, here what you've gotta do:

Submit a comment to this post sharing a favorite sibling moment you remember... It can be good, bad, happy, or sad -- just as long as it's a favorite.

On Monday morning (Feb. 4), I'll put the names of all those participating into a hat, and before he leaves for school, Mr. Eli will pull out a winner. That winning name will then be announced right here, later in the day.

Have fun remembering... 

smART Card Stamping Contest 2007 - Quarter #4

Another quarter of the smART Card Stamping Contest came to a close yesterday, Dec. 31. Sadly, this round had very few entries, so although first and second place winners have been announced, no third place prize will be awarded.

The names of the two winning stampers, Sarah Stainback and Ann Caldon, may sound familiar. That's because these two gals were also winners in Quarter # 3... This time, however, they swap places -- Sarah's card is in first place, and Ann's in second...

Oddly enough, each card used CMS-01 Sledding as it's focal image, and each combined this image, in one way or another, with trees and snow... But that's pretty much where the similarities ended.

For Sarah's - Boy on Sled -the color scheme is mostly blues and whites, with a bit of red thrown in for contrast. The tree images are in an actual photograph (used as the background), and the snow can be found, not only in the photo itself, but also by way of white, embossed snowflakes with opal glitter glue accents. All coloring was done with colored pencils, and a holiday sentiment was stamped on the card front. Snowflake and saying are from CMS-12 Reindeer.

Ann's - New England Winter - on the other hand, is done in earth tones (red, olive, brown). The trees are stamped in dye ink, and the snowy effects have been produced using a Snow Writer, and Dazzle Dust. Coloring was done with markers, and there are no words. Tree images are from WD-188 Snowy Pines.

The two cards, similar yet very different, were equally matched in originality, difficulty level of techniques used, and skill of execution, so believe me, choosing first and second places was very difficult.

"Boy on Sled" edged out "New England Winter," however, for two reasons --

1. It's images"carry" -- when viewed from across the room, they remain crisp, clear, and easily  distinguished.
2. Incorporating not just a photo, but such a well-suited photo for the background layer, then embossing the snowflakes over it, really is super clever... Every person who has looked at it so far says exactly the same thing, "Hey, it's a real picture...That's cool!" 

Congratulations, Ladies!  And thank you very much for participating.

Pear Tree Win

My dad's appointment is a bit later today than my mental calendar had noted, so instead of waiting for evening, I'm ending the suspense a few hours early...

Winner of the Pear Tree stamp set of rubber is Mary Dinucci of Florida!  Her rubber will be in the mail today!

Here's the stamping related item Mary would gift herself with this Christmas --

It's on my list... a Cuttlebug!  The embossed backgrounds are beautiful, and I could use it to cut shapes to use for my stamped cards.

Well, Mary, earlier this week, someone on the Gingerwood Bulletin board said Cuttlebugs are on sale at Creative Express... Hmmmm... Maybe you could don a Santa hat, and buy Mary her wish. ~wink, wink

To all you who participated, but didn't win, I enjoyed reading your comments.  Right now the "hot" wishes for the 2007 holiday season appear to be Nestabilities dies, the Circut cutter, and Copic markers.  My favorite comment, however, came from Renee K:

I would "buy" someone to help me get my craft room organized!

Wouldn't we all!  I chuckle every tiime I think of it.  So, Renee, for lightening my day, and putting a smile on my face, please e-mail me with your contact info. and address.  I'd like to send you "a little something" to add to all that disorganization. ~hee hee hee