Gina K Designs' March Release Hop, Day 2

I'm glad you could join us today as the GinaK Designs team features the brand spankin' new stamps that are available for purchase now. Let's go straight to the projects then. :-)

My first card uses Theresa Momber's latest set, Warm with Love. I had so much fun coloring this iris with Copic markers. The papers are from the pack that comes with the new STV Kit. I also stamped the lace from Vintage Backgrounds on the bottom for added interest. After I colored the image, I die cut it using Spellbinders' Labels 10 and sponged the background using Distress Inks.

My second card highlights Melanie Muenchinger's Bring the Bling set. I stamped a row of "bling" flowers on the bottom, and also white embossed the edge of the patterned paper (also from the new STV Kit). The doilies and border were die cut using the Spellbinders' Floral Doily Accents and FD Motifs. The sentiment is from Warm with Love.

My third card showcases Asela Hopkin's Make a Splash set. This is such an adorable set and it goes well with Cosmo Cricket's Salt Air. I dotted the jellyfish using a white pen. It's a technique I learned from my friend Kathy.

Are you ready for more inspiration and some giveaways? Make sure you visit the rest of the team's blogs:

• Gina K
• Lee Murphy
• Melanie Muenchinger
• Michelle Woerner
• Nina Brackett -- you are here!
  
• Sharon Harnist
• Theresa Momber
• Tina Gilliland
• Valerie Stangle
• Vicki Dutcher
• AJ Otto
• Asela Hopkins
• Carolina Buchting
• Cathy Tidwell
• Deb Felts
• Emily Giovanni
• Giovana Smith
• Janice Whiting
• Jennie Harper

You're the Best and Some Announcements!

I just have a few announcements for you today. Please join me and the Gina K Designs team as we showcase the new release stamps this week. I will be back tomorrow morning for the GKD hop using three of the new stamps. And as usual, Gina will be offering some generous prizes along the way.

Here's a CAS card that was shared at the release party on Thursday using my latest Lovely Labels 3. I white embossed it on Chocolate brown cardstock. I stamped the text background from Vintage Backgrounds on the bottom with Versamark for added interest. The sentiment is die cut using Spellbinders' Fancy Tags Two.

And tomorrow, my good friend Lisa Hjulberg will have the GRAND OPENING of her brand new adventure, The Craft's Meow. She has previews already showing on the blog, so make sure you check out what yumminess she has in store for us paper crafters.

See you back here tomorrow! Finally, don't forget to check out my 2nd blog anniversary giveaway. More details HERE.

Houndstooth Love

I'm so glad it's Friday. I'm sure you are, too. Spring is finally here in Croatia. The sun is shining and the buds are starting to show on our trees. I love spring!

Today's card is for Stamp TV's Color Spotlight Challenge. This is a clean and simple card using Vintage Backgrounds (houndstooth) and Christ is Risen (sentiment). I hope you can play along with us. The green is perfect for the Shabby Tea Room's current challenge.

Finally don't forget my 2nd blog anniversary giveaway. More details HERE. The winner will be picked from one of the commenters all week.

Have a great weekend!

Bright Thank You

Gina's colors for this week's Color Spotlight Challenge are perfect for this bright thank you card. The papers are October Afternoon Modern Homemaker and Seaside. The round label, which is die cut with Spellbinders Labels 9 (using my favorite new toy, Grand Calibur), is from Lovely Labels set.

The lace background stamp is from Vintage Backgrounds and the sentiment is from Christ is Risen set, which as you can see is not only for Easter cards. I used Memento Dandelion and Tuxedo Black inks.

Thank you for your kind comments yesterday about my girls' cards. SRM Stickers featured one of them on their Facebook fan page and that really made my little girls' day. Have a lovely weekend!

New Year Blog Candy

Before I show you my very first blog candy of the year, here's a card using my well-loved stamps, GinaK Designs' Many Wishes (dandelions), Vintage Backgrounds (text) and Heartily Yours Additions (sentiment). The papers are Webster's Pages. Speaking of Gina K Designs, the previews have begun for our January release. Go to Gina's blog for more info.

Just a little tidbit about my Heartily Yours Additions set: I designed the sentiment on my card below with my girls in mind. I had always wanted to be a mom and God blessed me three times that way. The reason I haven't shared anything creative in awhile on my blog is because I've been enjoying just hanging out with the girls while they're on Christmas break. And we don't start school again until next week, which makes me a happy mama :-).

Now, on to my first blog candy of the year to celebrate 500+ blog followers, 900+ email subscribers and 228K hits! I will be doing some more of this later on that will include my new stamp designs and dies! I've been blessed by your regular visits and kind comments and I hope this little giveaway will bless you back somehow. Thank you!

This little giveaway includes some of my favorite things:

• 18 yards of hand-dyed seam bindings (in 6 colors, 3 yards each)
• 2 yards of European lace (one cream and one white)
• a stack of paper doilies
• a dozen mini red roses
• 3 pink small roses
• 2 big tea roses
• 3 paper wheats
• 40 yards of red twine
• 40 yards of blue twine
• a copy of my latest Gina K Designs, Gleefully Yours (previews start on Thurs, available for sale on Thurs, Jan 6th) OR if you purchase this set on Thurs, you can pick another of my GinaK stamp sets.

How do you win? There are three ways:

• Simply leave a comment telling me how you found my blog. I'm just curious :-)
• Leave another comment if you are or become a follower.
• If you want to, leave another comment if you post the photo of my giveaway with a link to this post on the sidebar of your blog.

I will pick the winner randomly on Tuesday, January 11 and post it on my blog. Have a great day!

Merry Christmas!

I had planned to have a Christmas blog candy, but realized that most people will be too busy to visit blogs, so I decided to postpone it until next year and it will be a bigger prize that includes new stamps and a sampler of my seam bindings. So, stay tuned.

For my Christmas post, I thought share a few cards from each of the teams I have had the privilege to be a part of in 2010.

First is a card using Layers of Colors' A Touch of Elegance clear art stamps.

This one uses my Gina K Designs stamp sets, Heirloom Ornaments, Fanciful Tags and Vintage Backgrounds.

Here's a card using SRM Stickers Sentiments Happy Holidays using the upcoming Card Patterns sketch. Here's a little sneak peek for you. :-)

Finally, I hope you all a very merry Christmas. As a Christian, I have a huge appreciation for this holiday. Beyond presents and merriment, Christmas is a day that celebrates God's love toward mankind. As my pastor, John MacArthur says, "The babe Jesus Christ in a manger is more than just a tender child. He is the express image of God. He took on a body of human flesh so He could bear in that body the sins of the world. He made possible the gift of God--eternal life (Romans 6:23). That is the sum of the Christmas message."

I took the quoted notes above from Grace To You's article that you can find in its entirety -->> HERE. I hope you will take the time to read it and even follow the Scripture reference. It sums up why I, along with the many followers of Christ, celebrate Christmas. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me by clicking on the Contact tab above.

Here's my favorite new Christmas song this year. I love the lyrics!

Merci

One of the things I love about my girls is they are very well-adjusted kids. As missionaries, we are often in people's homes and host many guests throughout the year. My girls get along with them right away. Put them in a roomful of strangers and they will make friends within a few minutes. Even attending a school where they are the only non-white, non-Croatian and the only non-Catholic, they thrive.

They recently entered a Supertalent contest at their school singing a duet. They were one of the top winners. That was great, but the best part I thought was how the audience loved them. The kids applauded many times during their performance and that really encouraged them to sing better. As their mom, I was touched by how they're accepted by their peers in a culture that's experienced war in recent history and did not have foreigners living among them until we moved here 12 years ago.

My girls may look different, but they speak like their Croatian peers and thrive among them. I am so thankful to God for that. Here they were at the Supertalent show. They are truly a gift from the Lord.

Today's card is for Stamp TV's Sketch Spotlight #6. I used my Lovely Labels 2 and Vintage Backgrounds sets. The butterfly is also by GinaK called Hope is Faith. The yummy papers are Basic Grey's Curio. The seam binding is my own.

Here's a close up.

More Cosmo Cricket Circa 1934 Creations

Here are a couple more things I made with the Cosmo Cricket Circa 1934 Collection and SRM Stickers. I just love these papers, so easy to match with my SRM. I used the We've Got Your Stickers Sweet on both of them. The wings are from Layers of Color's Regal Wings. And I can't believe this color combo follows this week's The Color Room colors.

For this card, I added some stamped images on the Postcard (also from Circa 1934) using GinaK's Vintage Backgrounds and Special Delivery stamp sets.

Make sure you visit the SRM Stickers blog for the hop's winners and more Cosmo Cricket creations. Have a great weekend!

Bon Voyage

Happy Wednesday, friends. I hope your week's been going well. Mine is great, esp today as I look out the window and the sun is shining! We've been working to fix our patio and need it to dry before we start the next phase. We're also installing a wood stove to prepare for a harsh winter. I can't wait to have it all done.

Today's card is for this week's Card Patterns and uses some of my favorite products. The stamps I used are Layers of Color's Acanthus Leaves (fleur de lis), GinaK's Lovely Labels 2 (background frame), Vintage Backgrounds (text) and Fanciful Tags. The papers are Webster's Pages. The beautiful seam binding is from this week's Card Patterns' sponsor, Simple Treasures.

Here's the sketch. I hope you can play along with us to win some fabulous vintage ribbons.

I have a thing for butterflies

I just think they are some of God's most beautiful creations. Susan of SRM Stickers recently sent me an email with photos of a transparent butterfly. Isn't it amazing? We can only imitate, but God is the best artist of all.

Here's my meager attempt to create beauty using images of these gorgeous creatures.

Stamps: Flutterescent and Nature Walk (Layers of Color), Vintage Backgrounds (Gina K Designs)

SRM Stickers: Item #42038 Everyday Life and #49010 Live Life - Think Pink.

The SRM Blog is featuring Breast Cancer Awareness Projects today. Make sure you stop by and see so many pink lovelies!

My talented friend, Giovana, also has a CARD DRIVE going on on her blog. It's for a worthy cause to encourage two precious kids battling a debilitating disease. Be a blessing to them and be blessed back!

And my birthday blog giveaway is still going on. There are three prizes up for grabs. Have a good weekend, everyone!

Just For You

I am so happy to join the Layers of Color team blog hop featuring LOC's newest Cling Art Stamp Release. Yup, you read that right, LOC now offers their stamps in rubber on cling. If you're here from Melisa's blog, then you're on the right place. If not, please start on the LOC blog for more info about these new stamps and the Two New Release Prize Drawings.

I just love LOC's vintage style, esp because my good friend Laura hand drew them herself. As you may have noticed, I've been making more vintage shabby cards lately. There's just something special about the homey, heirloom feel of them. And LOC has the perfect stamps for this trendy style.

My first card uses Bird Queen. I colored it with Copics, then die cut with Spellbinders' Labels 16. I sponged the edges with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. The green paper is by Webster's Pages, stamped with a text stamp (from GKD Vintage Backgrounds). The sentiment is from GKD Fanciful Tags. The beautiful rose paper is from Pink Paislee's Sweetness Collection.

My second card uses the Embroidered Butterfly stamp, which was also colored with Copic and dotted with white ink. The papers are Webster's Pages.

Your next and last stop is the LOC blog to sign up for the prize drawings. Come stop by and visit the beautiful Layers of Color Boutique! Discover dozens of stunning new release artwork samples in the Layers of Color Cling Art Stamp Galleries!

See more of my artwork at my Layers of Color Card Gallery. And you'd like to visit with other Layers of Color fans and be inspired both creatively and spiritually, please stop by our forum on SNR! We have a group that's like family!

Thank you for hopping with us today and have a blessed day.

A Snippet and a Pixiepetal Giveaway

Before I share the giveaway, Gina K has started the snippets. Here's my upcoming stamp set that coordinates with the Spellbinder die I designed. This is going to be a fun release!

My card today uses my latest Grand Damask and Inside and Out. And did you notice that gorgeous flower embellishment? That beauty was sent to me by Pixie Petals, an etsy store that sells gorgeous handmade embellishments that are perfect for your crafts.

Pixie Petals is offering a generous discount for you, my wonderful readers:

AND, leave me a comment below and I will draw a winner of a $10 gift certificate to Pixie Petals. I will pick the winner on Saturday.
Supplies (All products are from GinaK Designs, unless noted otherwise):

Stamps: Vintage Backgrounds, Grand Damask, Inside and Out
Ink: Vivd Aqua, Memento Black
Cardstock: Turquoise Sea, Ivory
Patterned Paper: Thrift Shop by Oct Aft
Accents: button and flower from Pixie Petals

Pretty as a Peacock

Today, the GinaK Designs team is featuring two new releases, Pretty as a Peacock by Asela Hopkins, and Lawn and Garden by Rupa Shevde.

My card uses the gorgeous peacock image from Asela's set stamped with Aqua Vivid ink. I stamped the text stamp (from Vintage Backgrounds set) using Versamark for the background. The sentiment is from the new Free with Three set this month, Versatile Verses. The cardstocks I used are Turquoise Sea and Chocolate Brown. The turquoise ribbon is from the Stamp TV Kit, Enjoy the Sunshine. To highlight the sentiment and peacock, I added lots of bling :-).

For even more samples with the stamp sets being previewed tonight, check out these designers' links:

• Gina Krupsky
• Jessica Fick
• Theresa Momber
• Melanie Muenchinger
• Nina Brackett -- You are here!
  
• Cathy Tidwell
• Lee Murphy
• Donna Baker
• Emily Giovanni
• Erika Martin
• Asela Hopkins *illustrator of Pretty as a Peacock

We'd also like to invite you to attend our Release Party this Thursday, July 1st starting at 7 pm central on StampTV! There will be challenges, contest questions, and more samples from our designers on all the new stamp sets being released this month! We'd love to have you join in on the fun!

Kanzashi flower card

I've been wanting to try to make Kanzashi flowers ever since I found a tutorial on Youtube a few months ago. Moxie Fab's Fun with Fabric challenge was just the push I needed to try it. I adapted the video to use fabric instead of paper. Here is my first attempt:

For the background, I did an emboss resist technique. I first stamped the text background from Vintage Backgrounds set. I then white embossed the doily from Nana's Needlework and sponged the panel with a few pink inks. The sentiment is from the Botanicals set.

Here is a close up.

I think I will make more of these flowers. They are so pretty.

Go To Sketch Card

I know this is late news, but have you seen the new Go To Sketch magazine by Paper Crafts? It's chock full of inspiration. I have three cards in it and I'm sharing one of them here. This uses one of my early sets, Lord of the Season.

And here's a card created by one of my Designing Friends this month, Justine. I just love her sense of humor. She's so clever to use the distressed ribbon stamp and created the tread marks. You can find out more info about this card HERE. And while you're there, check this beauty out too.

This is the inside.

Another Emboss Resist Card

I am having a great time with doing the Emboss Resist Technique. If you don't know what I'm talking about, Gina put together videos on how to do it on StampTV.

I first stamped the text background from Vintage Backgrounds set. Then white emboss the flowers from Tropical Flowers set on the left side and clear embossed the right side. I sponged it with some Distress inks. That beautiful sentiment is from Masculine Messages, the new free with three sets purchase.

Our guests left early this morning and so far, it looks like their flights are unaffected by the volcano in Iceland. Now, I'm fighting a very nasty cold and I'll probably spend most of the day just resting. My voice is gone and I hope it's not the flu.

Have a healthy week, everyone!