Forget Me Not, new digi's, new challenge. Read on...

I am pleased to present to you, "Forget Me Not".  This is one of the projects that I submitted to the Whimsy Stamps Inspirations magazine that was published earlier in August.  The magazine is chalk full of gorgeous creations by so many people and so beautifully put together.  I hope you will check it out if you haven't already.  There's also an interview in there with Yours Truly in case you were interested.  Oh and did I mention, this gorgeous magazine is FREE!!!! I can't get over how professionally made it is.  It really is worth your time if you are at all interested in this craft.  There are tutorials in there too, really clear and well done I may add.  Zoe of Make It Crafty did one on merging digi's.  So cool. 

I coloured Forget Me Not (digital image) with Copics (sorry, no list of colours today!!) Here is your close-up. 

There's lots of sparkle on this card that this photo didn't pick up and so I used the sunlight to take a shot at an angle to pick up the glitter: 

I also paid attention to the inside this time (I don't always!) and here's what I did:

And here are my new digi's for September available now.  Click on the image names to go directly to where they are found at Whimsy: 

Birdie Friend

Frog Friend

Stuffed Turkey

Turk in Boots

If you want to see what the Whimsy DT did with some of these images, there is a hop on right now showcasing these and all the new digi's by all the Whimsy artists!  You can check it out by going to the Whimsy Blog and go from there. 

And, my new challenge starts today over at Sundays With Crissy!!  The theme is 

Friendship.  Easy peasy.  Check out what my lovely assistant Sarah has done to jump start your creative juices and get you going on this month's challenge!! 

See ya next time!! 

Last week's Hop winner!

Sorry I'm so late doing this!! Here is what I got from Random.org:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

35

Timestamp: 2011-09-01 15:17:15 UTC

Congratulations go out to

 

 35. Naomi 

 Please contact me and I will forward your email on to Denise of Whimsy Stamps and she will get your rubber stamps to you!

New magazine, new release, lots of fun!

Hello and welcome to the Whimsy Stamps August new rubber and die release BLOG HOP!

On August 10th, Whimsy Stamps released our August rubber designs and new dies. Today we are hosting a blog hop to celebrate this release and to share creations made using these 15 fabulous new Rubber Stamps and 3 wonderful new Shapeology Dies. These new goodies are available to buy right now from the Whimsy Stamps store along with all your Whimsy favourites. We also have our wonderful special guests joining us for this hop - Elaine Hughes, Zoe McGrath, Alberto Gava and Iwona "Chupa" Palamountain.

The Whimsy Stamps DT have been showcasing these fabulous stamps for the past 6 days, so if you missed them be sure to hop on over to the Whimsy Inspirations Blog for some more inspiration!

Here is a full list of the wonderful new August release rubber stamps and dies:

3 stamps from Crissy Armstrong
Bart Goes Golfing ~ Butterfly Sympathy ~ Hang In There

4 stamps from Meljen's Designs
Cupcake Treat Trio ~ Monkey Toes ~ Pen Pal Mouse ~ Topsy Turvy Cake

4 stamps from Kenny K
Bathing Beauty ~ Buggin Drummer ~ Wanda Wicked ~ Wedding Garter

4 stamp sets from Raindrop Echo Designs
Bottle Cap Sentiments ~ Film Markers ~ Schoolyard Fun ~ Vintage Seed Packets

3 dies/sets from Raindrop Echo Designs
Elegant Butterflies Die Set ~ Bottle Cap Die (coordinates with Bottle Cap Sentiments stamp set) ~ Film Marker Die (coordinates with Film Markers stamp set)

Today is also the release of the second edition of the Whimsy Stamps Inspirations Magazine! The magazine features never before seen samples and tutorials from our DT members as well as some creations from our customers and fans too! This issue is crammed full of crafty goodness and best of all it's FREE! Just click the link below and you will be taken to the magazine where you can read it online or download it and save to your computer.

CLICK HERE to view the Whimsy Stamps Inspirations Magazine Issue 2

If you would like to hop along with us today and you didn’t arrive from Patricias blog, please CLICK HERE to return to the beginning of the hop at Zoe’s blog.

The hop starts today (Wednesday August 17th at noon EST) and ends on Wednesday August 24th at noon EST.

For this hop we have 7 different prize draws! We have not one but TWO grand prize draws, so two lucky hoppers will win a large selection of new release stamps. Grand Prize 1 will be for those who help us advertise the hop, and Grand Prize 2 will be for those who hop along with us. We also have 5 mini candy stops throughout the hop where you can enter to win a new release stamp! I'm not going to tell you where all of them are, but I will say that one of the mini candy stops is right here!! So if you want a chance to win Bart Goes Golfing and Hang In There in deeply etched red rubber, scroll down to the bottom of this post and add your name using the Inlinkz option!  Here are the two rubber images Denise will be mailing to one lucky winner who enters the draw using the inlinkz option below:

Bart Goes Golfing:

Hang In There:

For my blog creation I used the large monarch butterfly from my new "Butterfly Sympathy" set.  Ann did the sentiments for it, which I appreciate so much.  I really don't like having to use these type of sentiments, but they are handy to have when you do need them.  I also used the swirl from my older Darling Daisy set to stamp around the outside edges.
I stamped the butterfly onto the orangey Basic Grey designer paper in Versamark Clear ink.  I then used black embossing powder and heat set.  I painted the white dots with white acrylic paint.  I painted more white paint around the outside of the image to make it stand out from the background.  I did not use any other colouring mediums at all, I just let the paper colour the image for me.  :-)  As a result this card came together relatively quickly!


So now it’s time for you to continue the hop by hopping over to Minna’s blog.

Finally, here is a complete blog hop list in hopping order:

Zoe McGrath
Patricia Garcia
Crissy Armstrong
Minna Paajanen
Simonne Clay
Alberto Gava
Iwona "Chupa" Palamountain
Donna Smith
Lori Pachkowsky
Debbie Eastman
Marley van der Heijden
Stephanne Maraver
Ann Vento
Iris Wiechmann
Elaine Hughes
Annika Ryan

Thank you so much for hopping with us today and I hope you enjoy the new release!

Design Team Call!!!

I am putting out a call for new Design Team members!  If anyone is interested, go to my other blog, Sundays With Crissy and you will see all the details neatly laid out for you!  I would really really appreciate it if you would grab this button for your own blog's side bar, and link it up to the post on the Sundays With Crissy blog where I have all the details of the call.  Just a favour, if you please.  Thanks people!! 

Blog Hop Winner

Random.org picked the following for the winner of last week's blog hop:

Here are your random numbers:

26

Timestamp: 2011-06-23 11:54:36 UTC

Number 26 is Glennis F !! So congratulations!  E-mail me with your mailing addy and Denise of Whimsy Stamps will send your prizes to you!

Whimsy Release! Blog Hop! Blog Candy! AMAZING NEW MAGAZINE!!!

Hi Peeps! Welcome to my blog today!  In case you don't know, Whimsy has a new release of Rubber Stamp Images, Rubber Stamp Sentiments and Metal Cutting Dies AND A NEW ONLINE MAGAZINE THAT IS FREE!  I have checked out this magazine and it is nothing short of STUNNING.  You would think Ann and Denise had been in the magazine business for decades.  Get ready to be pleasantly shocked about what you are about to feast your eyes on!! Go see it HERE!! Here are the details:

Today Whimsy Stamps is also releasing its first issue of the Whimsy Stamps Inspirations Magazine! It's packed with amazing samples from the design team and customers as well as three different tutorials that you can follow along with step-by-step. We are excited to bring you samples that have never been seen before and we hope that they will inspire you to create using your favorite Whimsy products! You can find the magazine here: http://issuu.com/whimsystamps/docs/issue1 Please feel free to leave your comments and click the Facebook "Like" button to let us know that you enjoyed it!
You have landed smack dab in the middle of the blog hop that is on from now through June 22.  If you have come here from Annika's Blog, you are right on track. Just in case you get lost on the hop, go to the Whimsy Blog post where the list of designers is in order.  You have til noon next Wed to hop from blog to blog to check out the new release and to enter your name for the many blog candy draws that are going on. For this hop we have 6 different prize draws! We have not one but TWO grand prize draws, so two lucky hoppers will win a large selection of new release stamps. Grand Prize 1 will be for those who help us advertise the hop, and Grand Prize 2 will be for those who hop along with us. To help us advertise, just post this button somewhere on your blog:

  

We also have 4 mini candy stops throughout the hop where you can enter to win a new release stamp! I'm not going to tell you where they are, so if you haven't found them you'll just have go back to the beginning and start hopping! *wink*  In fact my blog is one of the ones holding a draw and if you enter your name at the bottom of this post using Inlinkz, you will get a chance to win two of my new rubber stamps!  You could win the cute dragon I call "Bart's Bar B Q" and also my mermaid on a seahorse, "Journey Into The Sea".   Here they are as seen in the Whimsy Store: 

On my card I used Bart's Bar B Q (no duh!).  

The sentiment is one I made up on my computer and printed right onto the cardstock.  I coloured Bart with the following Copics: 

Blue skin: B21, 23, 26, 29 and for the scales I simply used the blender pen.  I held the brush tip of the blender pen down where ever I wanted a scale to show.  I sometimes held it down firmly, causing a large scale to form.  Other times I just lightly touched the tip to make smaller scales.  Once I had gone over all the blue areas with the blender pen in this way, I retraced my steps and did it a second and a third time.  I found the more I did it, the more the ink pooled, and the more the scales showed.  But I had to be careful to follow the pattern I had begun with.  Here is a super close-up so you can see the effect:

Now for the rest of the colours: 

Bart's tummy and back plates:

E81, 43, 44

Wings: R43, 46, 39, 89

Hot Dog: E08, 09 Blender pen.  Again, I love the blender for the effects it can do.  I made the hot dog look like it was shining with beads of grease (the way they do when cooked on grill) by removing bits of colour near the top surface. 

Puffs of smoke and fork: W00, 1, 3, 4, 5, 8

Ground: 

BG96, 70

I am not going to bother with the colour lists for the cup and little umbrella.  I went over it so many times and changed the colour as I went -- too many to list, lol!  

Now to continue on with the hop, go to Marley's Blog.  But first, enter your name in the inklinkz option below so that you have a chance to win two of my new rubber stamp images!! Winner chosen by Random.org and will be announced here sometime after the hop ends. Thanks for coming by!

Not my card... but BEAUTIFUL!

Cheryl Gorka created this beautiful card using an image illustrated by one of my best friends, Kathryne Kittmer of StampArt Design!  Kathryne and I have known each other for over a decade and I think I practically lived at her house when we were in the same city.  :-)  I am so proud of her artistic accomplishments!  Now Whimsy has (wisely) snagged her as one of their digi artists!  This is her Majestic Eagle Head for sale at Whimsy now!  Cheryl is one of the DT members at Whimsy and used Kathy's image on her card.  She entered it into a contest and she needs your vote!  If you think this card deserves to win, go vote for it HERE.  If Cheryl wins, she will get a $500 prize and also be donating $500 to a charity of her choice.  You only have til tonight (Sunday night) before the contest closes.  Please give Cheryl your vote!  Thanks for stopping by today! 

Coming up on Wednesday the 15th:  A brand new rubber and metal die release at Whimsy!  Along with a ton of new images from all the Whimsy artists, I have three new stamp illustrations to show you!! Please come back to check it out and to join in the blog hop!

New Online Stamp Magazine!!

Some exciting news to share today: 

Whimsy Stamps is starting a new adventure and we want you to take the journey with us!  On June 15, 2011, the first issue of the Whimsy Stamps Inspirations Magazine will be debuting alongside our June rubber stamps and dies.  We are excited to bring to you never-before-seen creations by the design team and by some fantastic Whimsy customers.  In a continuous effort to provide you with creative inspiration, this issue will be free and available to everyone.  Stay tuned - you won't want to miss it!

Also, today is the first sneak peek day for Whimsy's new release coming on Wed June 15!  Click on the button below to go to the Whimsy Inspirations blog for the details and for the list of Whimsy designers who have sneaks posted on their blogs!

 

New Digi's

Hi Peeps! Well it is June the first and that means a new digi release over at Whimsy Stamps!  I have three new images this time around.  Let me introduce you to Cranston Crab.  I don't think he really means any harm.  :-)  Probably just needs a calming soak in a hot tub, a vigorous rub down and a good night's sleep.  Oh wait a minute, I think I'm talking about me now (heh-heh). 

I didn't get a chance to join in the Whimsy Blog Hop this time around, but you really ought to check this one out!  Whimsy has TWO new artists and the release is incredible!  Go to the Whimsy Inspiration Blog to find out more!

I used Cranston on this no-layer clean-and-simple card (wow, two simple cards for me in a row, not bad!) and he is also a sample card for my challenge that I run over at Sundays With Crissy.  The theme this month is "Here Comes The Sun".  I hope you decide to join in the fun over there! 

I coloured Cranston with the following Copics: 

R30, 32, 35,37,39, 89. 

Sand:

E04, 11, 13, 15, 17, 50, 53 55. 87, W5

Blue sky: BG0000, 000, Blender

Thank you so much for stopping by.  I really am glad you came!

Bless you! 

Crissy 

Quick Wedding card

This is probably a record for me.  I think I made this card in approx. thirty minutes!  I had to do up a wedding card fast.  I used the stemmed rose from my Fragrant Rose set I did for Whimsy awhile back.  I also used one of the sayings that Ann designed that comes in the set.  The gorgeous music background is also designed by Ann and it is called Music Notes.  Hey here's a head's up!  Ann is doing a daily giveaway for the month of May to celebrate her 2nd blogversary! There's still time to pay her a visit and get in on it before May runs out of days! 

I ink distressed all the edges using Vintage Photo ink and Stained Walnut by Tim Holtz.  I love those inks! The rose was coloured using Copics. 

I cut it out and popped it up with foam tape. 

I think this is the first time in a year or more that I made a card without a) Spellbinder dies or b) designer paper!  It isn't my usual style, but I like how it turned out! 

There is also still time to get in on my challenge over at Sundays With Crissy!  This month the challenge is easy - Flowers!  Go see what my DT has prepared to inspire you!

Thanks for stopping by!

Big Comfy Cake

Hello precious Readers! 

I am sharing another painting today that I did for a good friend.  I used the image I did for Whimsy called, "Big Comfy Cake".   The image is on water colour paper and then painted with my artist quality paints.  I really love to water colour as much as I love to use Copics!  If I had to decide between the two I don't think I could.  Both mediums are so fun, yet sooo vastly different to work with.  

While the watercolours blend themselves practically, the Copics take a lot of getting used to at first to get a good blend.  And I don't think I could do the sky as I did here using Copics.  Maybe some super skilled Copic user could.  But the soft and seamless blend of pink to blue would be really hard to obtain using Copic markers.  

I had a lot of fun doing the grass.  It was actually quite challenging but in the end I think I pulled it off ok.  I'm still no expert water colourist, that is for sure, but every time I paint I get a little bit better than before. 

 I will leave you with pictures of my latest rubber release from Whimsy Stamps.  

Thanks for coming by today!

The first one is Wee Snippet and Mystic:

Mystic:

Wee Snippet:

Thunder Lizzy:

Thoughts on Love

 Love is not something to accomplish, and thus, it is not something at which we succeed or not succeed at. Love is not something God gives us directions and guidelines for so that we can go out and “do it”. Just by being who He is (love) God, aka Jesus, showed us what love looks like. 


But it is not something we can accomplish or do. When we look at Jesus and how He lived and what He did, we can recognize love when we see it.  Jesus provided a stark contrast between what Love truly is and what the world called “love”, which was actually hatred by comparison. 


The only way we love as He loves is to let and allow His love to flow through us. And the only way we let and allow His love to flow through us is by believing and receiving Jesus, His Love, on every level in our hearts. 


We love because He first loved us. That is the key to it. Behold He stands at the door (to our hearts) and knocks. We become like Him when we let Him in to our hearts. 


When we let Him in, He shows us who He is and who we really are. And when we know who He is and who we are on every level, we can let His love flow out from us on every level. Until we know, have a deep unmovable revelation and conviction of His love for us in the deepest places of our hearts, we are crippled by ungodly thoughts about ourselves, and about Him and about others, and in this crippled state, we cannot truly love as He does. But oh, what bliss, when we let and allow Him in, and let that conviction of His love take root (rooted and grounded in love). For then we witness, just like with Jesus, His love flowing in and through us and out to others. It is truly a beautiful thing. 


Learning to let Him in and to be all that He says we are is a process that takes time. We get to see glimpses of it as we learn and grow up into Him. And as we mature, these glimpses become a part of the flow of our lives, and become more than mere glimpses, but a way of life. 


It is not about doing though, it is about being – being in Love with God, being with Him in every moment, being Who HE created us to be, and truly knowing what that is. 


The “doing” of the righteous acts of the saints comes naturally out of such a state of heart and mind. It becomes “natural” to love rather than to hate, fear, or otherwise act unrighteously. And then we can say, it is not something we accomplished, or did. It is Someone we ALLOWED to flow in and through us.  It is Jesus loving through us.  It is that one-ness and unity with Him that manifests true love.  


Love is not possible without Him, for there is no love apart from God.  There is no set of instructions or rules to follow whereby we can say we have followed them, and thus we have loved.   For love is a Person.  Love is Jesus.  Jesus is God.  And God is Love. 


I wish to spend my life in Love with God, allowing Him to love me fully, and allowing His love to flow outward from me to others.  This is my passion in life: my God who is Love.  There is nothing and no one worth giving my life to other than to Him.   He is beautiful beyond description. 


And He is everything that you, dear Reader, have ever longed and wished for.  We all long to be loved passionately and fully and to be accepted and cherished for who we are.  I am here to proclaim to you today that this IS what you have in Jesus who is the God of all.  He loves you that much.  He wants you to know Him and His love for you.  It is personal and it is real.  


But it is up to you to let Him in, to let His love in. 


Won't you give it a thought today.  Give Love a chance.  He is longing that you would!


God bless you and thank you for reading! 
 
PS  Ann Vento of Raindrop Echo Designs graciously has put some of my love sayings into digi stamp format.  If you want to see the set she so beautifully created, go HERE.  Bless you!