Winner Winner Winner not Chicken Dinner!!!

Please accept my heartfelt THANK YOU for all of your support by commenting on my blog posts. I will be giving away 3 prizes today (yup) as well as 3 runner up thanks you gifts (yup! surprise again!) because nothing feels better than giving presents!!!

Using "Random Picker online" I first assigned a number for every single comment you have posted from February 14 through February 28 midnight. Some of you commented once (thank you) and some of you commented up to seven times (lots of thanks!)!!! Seriously, I was not even keeping any kind of tab on how many times you commented. Re-reading all of your comments felt like a BIG and HAPPY surprise for ME 2!!!!

Ok, ready? Prizes are: One $25 gift certificate to Online Card Classes (squeee!!); Two $15 gift certificates to either Gina K. Designs, Simon Says Stamp (or name a stamping company & we will get you a credit!). I am not affiliated with or compensated by any of the companies I am promoting. I will post winners here and attempt to contact via email or social media. AND without further ado...

Under Public Info is a number -- scroll down to see who the number belongs to!

Prize ID	Public Info	Internal Note	Random Number	Weight
1: $25 Online Card Classes	37		00C6F642-9F17-4727-860B-08DFCDF6C85E	1
2: $15 SSS or GKD (other online stamp company)	19		00DA657D-85C9-46DD-9C86-BC18850C4858	1
2: $15 SSS or GKD (other online stamp company)	11		0564BA9E-8763-4DE1-9F4E-93D59EA3638B	1
3: Surprise gifts	53		0757E471-1B02-44E2-ABD2-B17A4013DCE3	1
3: Surprise gifts	3		077868D4-C882-4204-BB7F-47E18C7BC283	1
3: Surprise gifts	12		097FF91E-F3E0-4F47-BB36-7D09D80EC6A4	1

I listed all of your names, then attached numbers for each of your comments. 

Ready Freddy?

The $25 Online Card Class Winner is: #37 Verna Angerhofer (comment entries #35 thru #41)

$15 to Simon Says Stamp or GKD (or another stamp company) #19 Shari M (entries #14-20)

$15 to Simon Says Stamp or GKD (or another stamp company) #11 Judy Woodland (entries #7-13)

Surprise gifts #53 Kathryn A, #3 Joyce Erb and since #12 is Winner Judy Woodland, I picked the person with the most comments after all the winners were chosen, and that is Lisa K!!!

Congratulations to each of you and thank you everyone for each visit to my humble blog. All of you are winners in my book!!!!!

I will be sending out notification emails to the 3 winners and get the extra 3 little surprise extra gifts into the mail asap. If you are one of the 3 winners, let me know which class (Verna) or stamping store (Shari M and Judy Woodland) you choose!!! With aloha to everyone in our stamping world!!!! Keep coloring ♥

Coming Attractions. Signed, the vegetarian card maker.

Flamingo Toes & Last Day for Chance to Win

Aloha everyone!!!

I hope your day was absolutely fantastic, or at least very close to it!

Today is the last day to comment (by midnight Hawai'i time, 10 pm Pacific time, 7 pm Eastern time). I will draw winners and post them tomorrow! Excited? I am!

The thing is this -- When I visit stamp companies, blog hops, or other stamping giveaways, the chances to win anything is so very small. They usually pick one winner out of hundreds or over a thousand entries. And the winner sometimes gets something nice and small or a giant giveaway. Most everyone else has little to no chance of winning. And if it is a creation entry prize, well MY chances go down even more LOL!!! That is why I have few entries here but three prizes given away. Isn't that waaaay funner? Ok. Moving on :)

Today's card is for a friend who absolutely loves pink flamingos!!! I mean she LOVES pink flamingos! The more the merrier.

Remember VersaMark "Dazzles?" Most of us use regular VersaMark but don't know what to do with the Dazzles, at least for me. I thought of a "tone on tone" look for white cardstock (the background here). I sprinkled some glitter onto it but it only stuck to a small area because it dried fast while I was distracted by the chickens. Yes. They scream for me under the lanai until I throw some seeds down - like right now. BRB.

Now I love Dazzles and look forward to creating different backgrounds for a tone-on-tone look. If you've pushed it into the back of your stash, I hope this gives you reason to bring it out and start stamping with it for a soft image or a soft background!

Stamp Set: "Aloha" by Theresa Momber for GKD; and "Leafy Background" by JustRite Stamps
Cardstock: GKD White and SU Pirouette Pink
Inks: "Dazzle" VersaMark, Memento "Angel Pink" and "London Fog"
Copic Markers in RV group, Grays and B00
"Cherry Blossom" embossing folder by Darice
"Raindrops" in clear and silver by The Robin's Nest
Multi Medium Matte adhesive, Sakura "Clear Stardust" pen, Wink of Stella Clear and Platinum embossing powder by Ranger

The "Dazzles" VersaMark Background

Thank you sweet ones!

I'm very happy to be drawing prizes later tonight

to say "Mahalo" for encouraging me to keep trying!

Names will be posted tomorrow ♥

With Aloha 

Friendship

Aloha dear friends!

How is your day? Are you slowing down buying more pattern paper nowadays? Are you using as much as say, a couple of years ago? Or are you trying to to buy less (like I am) until you use up most of your current stash?  ♥

One of my sweet nurse friends is going through a very, very rough patch of life right now. I hope this card will remind her of how much I care. We used to work together in the local hospital and she was always so sweet, optimistic, cheerful and conscientious as a nurse - a delight to work with!!! She is also native to Hawai'i and I love the connection to the real local people here.

Instead of using markers for this card, I used Prismacolor Pencils and the blender pencil that comes with it. Yesterday I watched a Sandy Allnock Video - Vanishing Point in which she shows how to draw a tile floor with angles the way it would really look. Just pick a central point at the top of your card, then using a ruler, draw vertical angled lines to depict the tiles on the floor.

I cut the floor with the little nurse out, even the teeny space under the nursing bag handle lol. Using a black Memento marker I shaded the edges of the cut out image. Then I adhered it to some pattern paper. I was all finished with the button and flower until yup - I smudged the ink around the sentiment and had to add some sequins. Oh well. Bruce likes it :D  Since my buddy lives not too far from us, Bruce said he would drop it by for me. What a man!



Stamp Set: My Favorite Things: "Best Medicine" (from the Pure Innocence line)
Cardstock: GKD
Colored with Prismacolor Pencils
Designer Paper: BasicGrey "Plumeria"
Ink: Memento "London Fog" and "Lulu Lavender"
Sequins by Pretty Pink Posh
Multi Matte Medium, Wink of Stella clear, Gold & White Signo gel pens, a felt flower, peachy button & Aileen's Clear liquid adhesive

Thank you sweet friends

for taking the time to look & comment!!!

Don't forget my blogaversary this Sunday as I draw 3 winners, announce

Monday and send notifications to winners!

(See Thursday's post for details)

♥ Aloha for now ♥

Iris

Aloha dear friends,

I went "normal" today and just colored an iris for the StampTV "Spring Is In The Air" Challenge.

Copic Sketch and Ciao markers are easiest to color with a "feathering" technique because of their brush nibs. The Original bullet-type nib is harder for me to get the thin lines. Most of the colors are in the B and BV family. Before I could add any yellow to the center bottom petals, I had already started spreading deep blues and so this iris will just have to be a simple blue one.

We do have some iris by the front door, in the shade in a planter. I'm not sure what kind they are but they send out flat shoots that hang down and flower on the ends. They are very pretty, are lavender / blue with a few spots, white and yellow on them. The flowers only bloom for a day, maybe two and then are gone.

Stamp Set: "Warm With Love" by Theresa Momber for GKD
Cardstock - GKD 120# White and SU "Perfect Plum"
Ink: "London Fog" for the image, "Lulu Lavender and Summer Sky" for the background, all by Memento
Spellbinder Large Circle Die (taped the negative piece down to sponge the background)
Fiskars corner punch
Clear Sequins by Pretty Pink Posh

Thank you for stopping by and 

I am so looking forward to choosing winners on Sunday!!!! 

(See yesterday's post for details)

Do you decorate your envelopes? And GIVEAWAYS!!!

Hi there dear friends!

Have to say, the last two days have felt more like a great Hawai'ian fall day. The sun is out, sky is powder blue and the ocean is sapphire rich faceted blue with diamond sparkles. I see fishing boats waaay out. We are just to far away to spot any whales but I've heard we have quite a few leaping and smiling with their new babies!

I made an envelope to send the kitty card (to Lydia in Texas but she doesn't know it yet. She picked me as a winner for a nice stamp set and matching dies from SU and sent it right out = fabulous!)

Simple, stamped hearts and paw prints on the borders front and back. The back says "You are Pawsitively Furtastic" in the cutest fonts ever. And this is the front. I usually do not post pictures of envelopes, but was just wondering --- Do YOU decorate YOUR envelopes? And I used Prismacolor Pencils to color the kitty on the envelope.

BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN BELOW THE PICTURE FOR A HAPPY ANNOUNCEMENT!

S U R P R I S E

I am having a blogaversary this Sunday. To say "Thank You" for all of your support and encouraging comments, I am going to enter your names into RandomPicker to draw 3 winners! For every comment you have posted for the last five of my blog posts, you will get entered that many times (squeeeee)!!! Don't you LOVE surprises? I feel this makes it fair, says a sincere thank you to all of you and while I love new visitors, I want to say THANK YOU to all of you who stop by to look/see and comment! I will also include your posts up to any posts I make through midnight this Sunday and choose winners (YES, WINNERS x 3).

The first place winner is going to receive a $25 gift certificate towards "Online Card Classes." Seriously, isn't that a FAB giveway? I am waiting to hear back from either Jennifer McGuire or Kristina Werner to just make sure that the $25 can be applied to any class, including the $33 ones if you choose those, and just pay the difference if there is one. Most of their classes are $25 or less, so I hope you like it!!!***

*** I just heard back from Online Card Classes. I am to pick any $25 class and then YOU can apply that gift toward ANY class you wish - joy!!!

Winners #2 and #3 will receive a gift certificate for $15 towards SimonSays Stamp or Gina K. Designs, whichever store they choose!! Thank you for all of your kindness and support over the years. And keep on stamping ♥ sharing your love, and sending snail mail ♥ Aloha!

Krafting Kitties (redone)

I know this looks gaudy. But I just had to get this out of my system. It was cathartic. Those of you with kitty kats know what it is like to try to type, color, or craft with them dancing on your laptop, locking it up, shutting it down, deleting your typing, and stepping all over your inks.

I stamped a couple kitties, mouse and yarn from the set, then drew the rest in. The card falling off the desk really is a mini card with a message from me to the recipient of this card, a friend with two kittie kats that look like these (sort of) and might understand the gist of this drawing. The Copic "markers" are cut out and colored lol, as well as the little crumpled papers. And the "mouse" is a "mouse." This is a thank you card for a stamping buddy in Texas.

Stamp Set: Simon Says Stamp: "Playful Kittens"
Cardstock: GKD 120# and 80# white
Copic Markers and Multi Liner 0.3, Signo White Gel Pen, Wink of Stella Clear
Stickles Glitter Glue
"Little Things from Lucy and Cards" sequins, stars in "Phosphorescence" (aquas)

(I redid the kitties, yarn and mouse, fussy cut, glued over the previous ones)

What happens when you 
leave for a moment.

I'll apologize now if this hurt your eyes!

Thank you for stopping in ♥

I Only Have Eyes For You

Do you love that song? Yes? I DO!

I used a sheet of acetate to create a mirror image of the bird. Just stamp your image onto acetate. I used my homemade stamp press tool to add as much ink as I could to the acetate. Then I pressed the acetate to the card. If you see any missed spots, simply use a black marker (I use a black Copic or black Memento marker as they are compatible with Copic marker coloring) to fill in the line image.

Looking at these two birds, well, I guess not too many other birds would have eyes for them. I colored them kinda kooky cause I don't know. Maybe I should have stopped before I went nuts with the Blender Pen.

They "used to be" a fairly decent shade of colors before the dots and lines got added :) Once again, I've gone too far. But can you FIND the BIG DIPPER? It's upside down. Maybe these are strange unknown birds in Tasmania :D Anywhooo! I do love nighttime scenes just to shake it up a bit.

I'll try to enter this into the Paper Smooches "Fun And Cute" Challenge this month!

Stamp Sets: Paper Smooches "Chubby Chums" and "Bold Buzz Words"
Dies: MFT Pierced Tags
Cardstock GKD 120# and 80# Pure Luxury White
Distress Inks: Broken China, Seedless Preserves, Walnut Stain
Memento Ink: Rich Cocoa (around the sentiment); VersaFine Black (sentiment)
Ranger Silver Embossing Powder (moon); Red Tinsel EP (little heart), Clear EP (sentiment)
Stickles Silver Glitter Glue (stars)
3D Crystal Lacquer (eyeballs, beaks, moon, stars, heart)
Silver Cord GKD (love her silver and gold cord)
Signo Gel Pen, Copic Markers, Blender Pen
Cropadile Corner Chomper; SU 1-inch round paper punch

Thankee very much for stopping by

leaving some love

big hugs right back atcha ♥

I Whaley Love You!

And I do!!!

I'm still not sure who this card is for but it is definitely for friends' anniversaries. I really need to get on the ball and kick out a lot of anniversary cards!

This is a darling set by Lawn Fawn and wouldn't you know it? After I cut out a couple of these stamped hearts, I was popping the paper out of the die AND dropped the miniature heart die for the set. I looked all over because it looked like it fell into a big box of stamps, all in alpha order. Sigh. This is not the first, nor probably the last time I will lose a precious little stamp or die cut! Should I paint the dies a florescent neon color when I receive them? How do I not lose a mini stamp, esp the clear ones? Bigger sigh. I would appreciate your thoughts and helpful suggestions!!!!

Entered into: Lawnscaping Challenge ~ Celebration!

Stamp Set & Dies: Lawn Fawn "Whale You Be Mine?" and "Stitched Square Stackable" dies
Cardstock: GKD Pure Luxury White 4-1/4 inch base; Bazzill Color layers
Copic Markers in BG and RV; Memento Black Tuxedo; Wink of Stella Clear
Paper Smooches Curved Stitch die, then used scissors to cut the curves out.
Lifestyle Embossing Folder "Tide"
3D Crystal Lacquer (on the heart); Multi Matte Medium (behind the sequins)
Pretty Pink Posh Sequins ♥ (clear, pink & aqua), SU Strawberry Crush Twine
Fun Foam and Aileen's White Glue, Monoadhesive Tape Runner

A Whale of an Anniversary!!!

 

Thank you dear ones!!! 

I appreciate your comments SO much ♥ 

Stamp Tool

Hi there friends,

I have not been able to afford the mega popular and very expensive stamp tool many stampers have purchased and raved about. Fear not. When dollars are lacking, imagination and YouTube can help.

Below is a stamp tool I made in about 20 min (mostly it took 20 min to highlight the inches and half inches lines, about 1 min to cut out the fun foam). I searched a lot online for how to make one and finally found something that even I can do without power tools or a hubby.

The hard plastic dvd case cost about $3 and the shipping was just under $3 (but I did get a 2 other items on sale or the shipping would have been even less).

I already had the thin fun foam, graph paper and adhesive. This is what happened:

I hope the original designer continues to have endless customers who can afford the positioner she made. I have read that others had made something similar before she patented hers, and the instructions have been online for a long time. I won't post the details here out of respect for her, her costs, and those who can afford to purchase them. But I found a video on YouTube I will be happy to share with you if you let me know. The total cost to make this, inc shipping was around $6.50 and about 20 min of my time to highlight the graph paper, cut the foam, and adhere it.

I appreciate your visits!! Thank you dear friends!

Gorjuss Girl and Pretty Kitty ♥

Aloha!!!

I hear it's even c-o-l-d-e-r than it was a couple days ago!! I really feel for you all. But wind chills way below zero? Wheww! So glad we are here. However, we have many memories of snowy, icy, blizzardy, freezing-rainy, bone-chilling/hurting weather! And still not missing it {grin}.

This is the first time I am using a Gorjuss Girl image and am falling in love with them! Yup, I'm a slow poke. These have been out about 3 years (at least this image) and yup, here I am finally getting one. It was on a big-time sale so I don't feel too painful for getting it.

This is for a sweet stamping gal who recently had to put her kitty kat down. For all of you who understand you know it can take a long, long time to heal from losing our dear pets. And I will try hard to catch up making a card for everyone who has recently had to say goodbye to a dear furry friend. (Wish I could redo the hair on this card though.) And our dear friend plays piano so I was overjoyed to find the Authentique music dp.

Stamp Set: "Gorjuss Girl on a Swing with a Kitty"
Paw Print: SimonSays Stamp "Playful Kittens"
Copic Markers (I stayed with apricot/peach and white with touches of grey. Her hair is brunette with little red highlights)
Prismacolor Pencils (added to hair)
Dies: Spellbinders Pierced Rectangles; MFT Blueprints #8; SimonSays Stamp "Friend"
Designer Paper: Authentique
Cardstock: GKD; Peach glittery cardstock from stash
Sequins: Pretty Pink Posh

 

And a SURPRISE pop up kitty inside :) 

 

Thank you one and all for stopping in

and sharing your love ♥ 

The Wild Sea

Aloha friends,

This is a card for the StampTV Kraft Challenge this week. Come on over and play along with us! It's Kendra's Challenge!

This might make a manly man happy to receive.

I started off by stamping the images  and sentiment from "By The Sea" (Theresa Momber for GKD) in Chestnut Roan ink by Color Box. It is a rich dark brown with just barely a hint of deep red in it. Becca Feeken "enabled" me to buy this a couple years back lol.

Then I highlighted the images with a Signo White Gel Pen (it's new and very inky). Let it dry. Then I took some Memento Cloud White ink and sponged it around for clouds. Using Prismacolor Pencils, I added shading under the waves, behind the lighthouse, rocks/foundation, boat and birds. I also added a little flag on top of the sails, have no idea why. It kinda felt naked for some reason, a sailboat with no flag in a gusty sea.

Theresa Momber, I am thinking of and praying for you to keep 

on getting better and stronger because we all miss and need you!!!! 

Stamp Set: By the Sea GKD
Cardstock: GKD Pure Luxury (Ivory and Black Onyx)
Prismacolor Pencils
Memento Ink "White Cloud" and "Jumbo Java" (cloud highlights and shadows)
Color Box Ink "Chestnut Roan"
Spellbinders Dies: Pierced Rectangles, Pennant Flags
MFT Dies: Pierced Tags
Black Floss: WeRMemory Keepers (so soft!)
Gold Sequins, Multi Matte Medium, Stickles Diamonds (all over the black floss)

 

Thank you for stopping by & leaving some ♥ !!!

 

Hiya Peacock!

Aloha dear friends,

I hear it's incredibly cold where most of you live. I even hear it's zero degrees for our sweet Verna A. which I cannot and do not wish to comprehend. I admire each one of your ability to thrive in adverse weather! Be safe on those roads ♥

After I finished this card, it had a blank spot on the left side that just "bugged" me! So I cut out a notch and made a pull out slider with a bug on it. I am not sure who it is for yet. Would you believe it's the only clear or cling stamp I have by Hero Arts with flowers on it? Yup, pretty much. I have some wood blocks someplace, but this was easier to find and use.

Under the top layer is foam tape placed in the shape of a rectangle and a 2-inch opening on the left. The slider has a "T" shape inside which hits the foam tape. Those two components keep the slider so it cannot be pulled all the way out.

Challenge: Hero Arts "Fabulous Fllowers" February

Stamp Set: "A Happy Hello" (an oldie but greatie!)
Cardstock: GKD, SU, Neenah
Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black & Summer Sky, GKD Black Onyx
Copic Markers, Memento Markers
Pink Twines: Moments & Memories
Signo White Gel Pen
Wink of Stella Clear
SU 1/4 inch Hole Punch
SU Washi Tape
Ice Stickles "Diamonds"

I'm sorry the exposure is blown on the 2nd picture. I didn't know how to fix it.

Thank you dear ones!!! Be safe whatever your weather is like

& come by again soon ♥ With aloha ♥