In the Works...

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

Pear Tree Challenge and Contest

Posting the projects from the smART Cookie Challenge #2 to the smART website, was also one of those EOTM things for which I recently had to invest some time...

For this round of the challenge, the Cookies (Dina, Donna, Trish, Heidi, and Susan L.) had each been sent this set, and asked to create "something."

When all the finished results came back, I couldn't help but note how almost all the cards had similar layouts, but that each Cookie had employed entirely different techniques -- guilding, embossed vellum, gel pens, heat embossing, stitching, blended pencils, etc.  Hmmmmmm... it got me wondering, "Had I participated, what would I have done???"

Now, as with the last Cookie Challenge, I'm going to launch a contest, and give away one free set of "Pear Tree" rubber.  It's not only a fun thing to do, but it also allows one of you to contemplate the same question, "What would I have done?" And act upon it.

"Pear Tree" Contest Rules:
To participate, answer the following question by way of a comment, then Thursday morning (Dec. 6), before he leaves for school (7:40 a.m.), my eleven year old, Mr. Eli, will randomly draw one comment out of the proverbial hat.  The owner of the comment, wins the rubber.

The winning name will be announced right here sometime on Thursday (but since I also have to take my dad to the cardiologist that day, the post probably won't be made until evening.)

Here is the question:
Not that any of you actually do this, ~wink, wink, but supposing you did... What one stamping related Christmas present would you buy for yourself this year, and why?  Yes, you must narrow it down to just one, so think hard, wish big, and have fun.

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.

Got It!

The answer:  While riding my exercise bike, and the person who guessed it first was none other than Cheri Mosgrove -- the same gal who named "Bogie" and won the High Hopes giraffe set of rubber awhile back.

My bicycle is actually a Lifecycle that I've ridden five mornings each week for the past twenty years! (with of course, the exception of four weeks off after giving birth, and a few bouts of the flu). 

Believe me, not once in those twenty years have I gotten up saying, "Oh yeah!  It's time to exercise.  I just can't wait to get on that bike!"  Quite the opposite most days... That's why I've learned to pass the time doing other things...

My favorite activity while "biking" and sweating buckets, is to read any new stamping publications I may have acquired, but when the reading runs out, I also use the time to write rough drafts for different things, cut out stamped images from paper and shrink, balance my checkbook, paper piece or fold, color (but only some things) and since smARTworks came into being, cut and package rubber...

My pedal time fairly flies!

Okay, so that means Cheri will be getting a free Scarecrow set of smART rubber sent off to her in tomorrow's mail -- right after I ride my bike. ~hee hee.

Edited To Add:  Cheri submitted her guess today at 10:17 a.m. as a comment after yesterday's post - "Let's Polka...Dot!

 

Guess Again

Some great guesses on the Scarecrow Contest so far, but...

I don't have garage or a dining room, so those places are definitely out...

I will admit to having trimmed rubber in the car while waiting for kids, and late, late at night, on the couch while watching TV, but oddly enough, those places and times have mostly been when I trim for my personal stash...

Yesterday, someone came close to taking the right track, then dismissed it, and went in a whole different direction... ~hint, hint

Hmmmm... Let's narrow the possibilities a bit more:

The time is usually between 6 and 7 a.m. The place is in my bedroom while (fill in the specific activity)

Yes, you may guess again...

October Fun

smARTworks' official website has been updated for the month of October, and one of its features is the debut of the smART Cookie Design Team's "Cookie Challenge" -- Where each designer is given the same set of smART rubber, and asked do "something." 

This time, each designer has showcased her talents using the smART set called Scarecrow --

Once you see all the fabulous possibilities, I'm sure, like me, you'll start tailoring their ideas to suit your own stamping style, or envision the prefect print paper to use, or know someone who'd love a card like that...

Sooooooo... How's about the chance to win your own "friendly fellow?"

All you've got to do is guess where and when I do most of the cutting and packaging of all the smART rubber...

Leave your best guess in a comment, and the first person to guess correctly, will win a stamp set featuring a guy who's "outstanding in his field."  It's that simple... or is it?  ~wink, wink