Lots of last minute eye candy!

I'm back again with four more entries!!

Nothing like leaving it 'til the last minute, hey girls?!! LOL!!

First up we have this cute card by Genevieve Payne:


Genevieve stamped Lucy’s Stamps "Paisley Border Large" on to white cardstock using Ancient Page Coal Black ink. She hand drawn the legs and beaks using a black gel pen and added small rhinestones for eyes. How cute are they??! :) What a cool idea!

Genevieve hand coloured the hearts on the birds using an aquash water brush and Lime Pastel Fluid Chalk ink. She used Lucy’s Stamps "Old Type Writer Letters" and Lime Pastel Fluid Chalk ink for the ‘Tweet Tweet’ words.

The Images and words were stamped onto white cardstock, and mounted onto Limeade Bazzill Basics on Lakeshore Bazzill Basics A5 Card base.

So cute Genevieve!

Next we have this card by Katrina Thompson:


Here's the directions on how you can make your own, courtesy of Katrina:

"Edge a black DL card with Brilliance pearl beige. Make a panel with patterned paper for the background with some cream card and black recycled netting top and bottom. Put a black safety pin through the top corner". "Stamp "Glimmering Hope" on a piece of cream, edge in black ink. Distress and thread a loopy brad, add some fibres and attach to base. "A Glimmer of " are Making Memories stickers mounted on black board and sponged with Brilliance pearl beige. "hope" is a wordsworth acrylic alphabet and is stamped into a panel of black opals enamel with the pearl beige. It is lightly heated again and stamped with a flourish for more texture".

Great work Katrina!

This great scrapbook layout was sent in by Fran Tynan:


Fran has used Heidi Swapp alpha stamps for her title, and a Maya Road measurement stamp as a feature on her page.

So cute Fran!

And last but by no means least is this great card by Joy Rumble:


Joy used cream card for the card base, and patterned paper by Chatterbox for her background onto which she stamped swirls from the Autumn Leave "SwirlsV:1" set. She stamped the images with versamark, then embossed them with enhanced pearl ivory.

Using the cuttlebug "diamond in the rough" embossing folder, she embossed the dark brown paper, which she stuck on top of the lighter brown paper.

Flowers were stamped onto metallic cream paper with versamark & embossed with enhanced pearl ivory. Before attaching the flowers Joy put ribbed ribbon over the join. The wording was done using 2 different types of alphabet stamps, using the same technique as before. Joy also used Kaisercraft pearls for embellishments.

Lovely Joy!

Well, there is still about an hour left until the deadline for the challenge, so I may very well be back again in the morning with another last minute entry!!

Good night everyone! :)

~Sarah~

Last day!

Good morning everyone! Sorry I wasn't around yesterday - I had a well earned day off! :)

Well, today is the last day of the Alphabet Stamps challenge! You only have until midnight tonight (Sydney time) to get your entries in to win one of the awesome prizes up for grabs from our sponsors!

This morning's entry comes from Lyn Smith:


Lyn stamped 'Happy Anniversary' with Image Tree Antique Typewriter alphabet onto white cardstock. She then punched out each letter with a small circle punch and sponged the edges with Tim Holtz Shabby Shutters Distress ink. They were then mounted onto burgundy grosgrain ribbon.

The 'We were made for each other' sentiment was stamped with the JustRite Stampers small letter alphabet set. Lyn then cut this out with a Nestabilities scalloped circle die and sponged it with the Shabby Shutters Distress Ink again.

Lyn has used a Stamp-It 'Distressed Swirl' stamp on the top right side of the card and added a button and embroidery thread to it.

From Lyn:

"I've added a punched heart, which I inked with Tim Holtz Aged Mahogany Distress Ink, and embossed with the Textile Cuttlebug folder.....actually I inked up the embossing folder to get that effect!". Cool idea Lyn!

And just check out how cool the inside of Lyn's card is:


Lyn has used Stampotique stamps (available from TSQ) and clear alphabet stamp set by Card Stamp & Scrap set to make the 'I {heart} You'.

Fabulous work Lyn!

Only 1 day until the 1st Birthday Celebrations begin! Thanks to everyone who has already showed interest in the Cyberstamp Birthday Party Weekend! I can't wait - it's gonna be heaps of fun! I will announce the List of events soon.

Stay inky!

~Sarah~

Another three!!

Good morning stampers! I am very happy to be bringing you another 3 entries today! Yay! At this rate we may even beat the entry record (31)! Here are entries 19, 20, and 21.

First we have this great find-a-word card by Chloe Nielsen:


Chloe used her alphabet stamps to create the find-a-word background! She has used Heidi Grace papers, vellum, Kaisercraft rhinestones and Sparkle Mod Podge for extra bling!

Next we have this robot-tastic birthday card by Suzanne McQuade:


Suzanne used her alphabet stamps to write the sentiment of the front of her card. She has also used bazzill cardstock, Darkroom Door robot collection Photochip, and felt and scraps to complete her card.

And last but not least we have this great masculine birthday card card from Helen Ross:


Helen used her alphabet stamps to create the background of her card. She has also stamped the "Happy Birthday Mate" stamp and embossed it with gold embossing powder.

Great work ladies!!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend everyone, and don't forget to get inky! :)

~Sarah~

Cool offer for USA Readers

Hi all - just came upon this great offer from Scrapbook.com and Scrapbook Trends magazine - sorry Aussies it's only for customers in the US! I know there are lots of Inkurable readers in the USA so I thought I'd pass it on! :)


Enjoy!

~Sarah~

Eye Candy Galore!

Wowee - I've had an influx of entries! Lots of new people coming along to join in the fun too which is great! Welcome everyone! :)

I have a whopping 3 entries to share with you today!

First up we have this great mixed media altered book by Annette Hanigan:


Annette's altered book is to hold cards that she has had published in magazines.

Annette used her Making Memories foam alpha stamps for the bottom half of her cover:


And Stampin Up "Rough Edges" alphabet stamps for the wording at the top:


How cool does all that buttery paint look?!?! Awesome work Annette!

Next up we have this great birthday card from Gina Rodgers:


Gina has used 'Alphabet Medley' stamps from Darkroom Door, Glimmer Mist, ribbon, Kaisercraft rhinestones, Marvy Marker, Glossy Accents, Stazon ink and an old book page.

Gina created the background by spraying an old book page with glimmer mist in 2 colours (coffee shop and juniper).

Gina then stamped the words 'happy birthday' using the Darkroom Door alpha stamps through a circle stencil (made from recycled packaging). She then coloured in the peace symbol with marker, inked the edges of the book page and adhered flower and ribbon. She also distressed
the edge of the card.

Fabulous work Gina!

Last but not least we have this lovely birthday card from Barbara Whitten:


Barbara used Kaisercraft paper mounted on thin chipbaord that was die cut with a Nestabilities die. She has also added a Kaisercraft flower, a chipboard button and some green ribbon.

Barbara stamped the words "Happy Birthday" using alpha stamps from Grant and the flourishes are from Autumn Leaves. She stamped with StazOn Stone Gray and VersaColor Black.

Great job Barbara!

As for the important news I was supposed to share yesterday - still working out the details so will get back to you asap! :)

Don't forget to get inky this weekend! Only 4 more days left to get your entries in!

~Sarah~

Bottoms Up!

Hi stampers! Great to see that you guys are excited about the Cyberstamp Birthday Weekend! If you haven't heard the news yet, please read the post below. :) I can't wait! It will be really great to have a chat and some fun games and challenges with you all!

I have another new entry to share with you today!

This scrapbooking layout was sent in by Belinda Boyce:


Belinda used her Making Memories foam alpha stamps and Manila paint to stamp directly over her photos and patterned paper on her layout. What a great effect!

To highlight the letters, she traced around them with a black pen.

Great job Belinda!

I'll be back tomorrow with an important announcement, so watch this space for details! :)

~Sarah~

Inkurable Stampers Birthday Party!

As I mentioned previously, Inkurable Stampers will be celebrating it's 1st Birthday next month! It was 1st of April 2008 that I set the first challenge and we've been having fun stamping together ever since!

So, what would a birthday be without a party??!

Scrapbookers out there may have attended (or at least heard of) a Cybercrop. Well, I'm going to hold our first ever Cyberstamp Birthday Weekend!!!

What is a Cyberstamp? Well, it will be a weekend of games, prizes, quick challenges, chatting (I'll be setting up a chat room for us) and lots of stamping and inky fun!!! All online of course, from the comfort of your own home! :)

When? 3rd, 4th, and 5th of April.

Games night will be held on Friday 3rd April from 9pm Sydney time. There will also be a couple of challenges - one revealed on the Saturday and one revealed on the Sunday.

If you are interested in joining in the fun, please leave a comment here so I have an idea of numbers.

Stay tuned for full details including timetable and list of events. :)

Please feel free to email me if you have any questions!

I really hope to see you all there!!

~Sarah~

Meow!

Well stampers I'm back again today with another entry! Yeehaaa!

This purrrrrty ATC has been sent in by Elizabeth Sandel:


How cute is that cat??!!

From Elizabeth:

"I stamped (using Staz On Jet Black) the cat (Happy Cat from Hero Arts) onto plain recycled card stock and then coloured with watercolour pencils. I then attached it onto some Bazzill cardstock".

"I stamped the word Friend (Celtic Alphabet from PSX) in maroon fluid chalk ink from the Color Box range. I then attached a scrap piece of paper with paw prints (from the Feline Friend 12 x 12 page from the Purrfect Kitty Collection by Adornit), onto another scrap of Bazzill cardstock".

"Lastly I outlined each piece of paper with black ink to give it some definition".

Great work Elizabeth!

Keep those entries coming ladies! :) (And any gentlemen out there who may want to enter!).

~Sarah~

A Monogrammed Card.

Good morning stampers! And what a lovely day it is! Well, it is here anyway! LOL! I hope it is as nice a day at your house! :)

Today's entry comes from Sue McGettigan (an Aussie in the USA!):


Sue created teh background of her card using a lettered alphabet from Judikins. The embossed monogram is from "Stampin' Up!", which she has embossed with Judikins 'Dusty Twilight' variegated embossing powder.

Sue has used masks from Tim Holtz, and lots of distress ink for the background, masking and even for the stamping. The scratchy edges are made from Tim Holtz new stamps by Stamper's Anonymous.

The diecut rectangle and scallops framing the monogram are Spellbinders Nestabilities.

From Sue:

"I made some blue/green distress ink backgrounds using the Ranger craft sheet and spritzed water, then stamped, masked, embossed, and generally inked all over them, it was fun :)".

Great job Sue!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend everyone! :)

~Sarah~

An ATC from the US of A!

I know I say it all the time, but YAY for the weekend!! :P

And what a perfect opportunity to take some time out for yourself to complete your entry for this month's challenge! Don't forget to tell your friends to enter, and make sure they nominate you for the "Bring a Friend" prize draw. To date I haven't had anyone nominated, so the prize will go begging!

Today's entry comes from Damaris M of the USA:


Damaris was inspired to create her ATC after seeing this card by Julia Stainton.

Damaris has used Kim Hughes stamps by Cornish Heritage Farms; Alphabet set by Hero Arts; Distressed Dot Background by Savvy; Kraft paper from SU; Distress Inks - Mustard Seed and Broken China; StazOn - Jet Black; Prima flower; Glitter; and Stickles - Turquoise.

Great job Damaris!

Only 9 days left of our challenge and we're no where near the entry record! So come on everyone, get out your alpha stamps, and get them inky!! :)

~Sarah~

An alphatastic ATC!

Hello stampers!

I'm back again today with another entry!

This alphatastic ATC was sent in by Vicky Fernando:


Now before I share with you how she did it, I have to point out that Vicky has also completed all 12 challenges here at Inkurable PLUS the very special Nicho challenge!! I didn't realise at first because Vicky's first few entries were under her other name (Virginia) or just Vicky without the Fernando! LOL! She has also been one of the top commenters here on the blog. So let me say a huge THANK YOU to Vicky for being such a fabulous supporter of Inkurable Stampers from the very beginning! Here's to many more challenges to come! Start stalking your postie too, because I'll be sending you out a Thank You RAK as well! :)

From Vicky about her ATC:

"I used my first ever UM alphas - a set that's been with me for so long I can't even remember where I got it from! LOL! It is a Leave Memories 'Our Baby' unmounted red rubber plate".

"I started off by stamping a random arrangement of the "QUIRKY" letters for the background using the alphabet stamps, gold ink & gold embossing powder".

"I then stamped "Smiley" from Stampotique (purchased from TSQ) using Versafine Onyx black ink & clear embossing powder. I then stamped a second "Smiley" onto a scrap of same colour card, using the same technique, and I painted his face & hands with bleach, & added highlights with my white Signo pen. I then stuck him down using double sided foam mounting tape".

Just check out all the fabulous texture and dimension in Vicky's ATC:


"For the mounted letters spelling out "QUIRKY" I've used my newest alpha purchase, a set from Studio G (series 15) using red, yellow & purple Stazon ink onto fawn coloured Bazzill cardstock".

"His tie is a bow from a Cuttlebug die set and it's covered with Kindyglitz".

Excellent work Vicky! Vicky said something in her email to me that I think is so true of all of us, and something that I'm hoping this challenge will help everyone see, and encourage you to get out your alphas and get them inky:

"Thanks for another great theme...I had forgotten all that could be done using alpha stamps!!!!!".

Alphabet stamps really are so versatile - I'm looking forward to seeing many more entries from you Inkurables out there! :)

~Sarah~

Our newest entry and some important info!

Hello again everyone! :)

Today's entry comes all the way from the Philippines courtesy of Nina Patena:


Nina has used Heidi Swapp alphabet stamps for her the title on her scrapbook page (which she just happened to buy from Tarisota with the voucher she won from Inkurable Stampers a few months back!).

She has also used a butterfly stamp from Inque Boutique; date stamp; vintage music and text sheet plus vintage ephemera from Gauche Alchemy's January 2009 kit; Chinese mailing envelope; butterfly die-cut from K&Co; rope; acrylic paint; ink.

Nina also made use of Jill GG's March Art Journal tutorial at Blue Bazaar to create the yellow music paper on her layout! It's a great tutorial from the super talented Ms Jill, so check it out! :)

Awesome work Nina!

Special Announcement from Derwent Howard - the people that bring you Creative Cardmaking and Papercraft magazine:

2009 Designer Awards

In recognition of the talents of cardmakers and scrapbookers, we are thrilled to call for entries to the 2009 Designer Awards. In conjunction with SIA, Derwent Howard Media will host an outstanding gallery of work created by papercrafters from all over Australia. For the first time at SIA, manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers and individuals will be able to enter scrapbook pages and cards for the opportunity to win advertising and cash prizes.

This is a once a year opportunity to be displayed alongside your favourite artists!

Four categories, four prizes to win! Enter one or enter all!

Designer of the Year – Scrapbooking:

Submit one 12 x 12inch scrapbook layout.
Prize: four quarter page advertisements for the store or business of their choice plus $200.

Design Team of the Year – Scrapbooking:

Submit four 12 x 12inch scrapbook layouts by a minimum of two people.
Prize: four quarter page advertisements for the store or business of their choice.

Designer of the Year – Cardmaking:

Submit a set of three cards, each card is to be no smaller than 4 x 6 inches.
Prize: four quarter page advertisements for the store or business of their choice plus $200.

Design Team of the Year – Cardmaking:

Submit six individual cards by no less than two people, each card is to be no smaller than 4.6 inches.
Prize: four quarter page advertisements for the store or business of their choice.

Fore more information, or for an entry form with full terms and conditions, please email sascha@derwenthoward.com.au

Good luck! :)

~Sarah~

Sponsor Update - and details of some great bargains.

Good morning everyone!

New in store at Darkroom Door are these cool shipping tags:


These white and buff shipping / merchandising tags are great for altering for use on cards, scrapbook pages etc!

The Stamping Queen have just received a new shipment of my favourite gothic stamps from Stampotique! Here's one of my new faves:



Whilst you're there, Don't forget to check out the following sales:

Art Declassified - 15% off!
Stampsmith - 40% off!
Sunday International - 40% off!

And free postage for all Australian orders over $65.00. :)

I also got an email from New Zealand stamp manufacturer and online store, Rubbadubbadoo, who from Friday 13th March we will only be retailing a limited range of ink pads and stamp related products. This means that they have excess accessories, ink pads, pens and card that they are selling off at crazy prices! They want it gone! Check out the bargains here - they are selling at cost +GST! (Although I don't think Aussies have to pay the NZ GST, so it's an even better deal!!). The exchange rate from NZ to Aus dollars in well in our favour at the moment, so it's a great time to pick up a bargain!

Happy shopping! :)

~Sarah~

Getting the best result from your acrylic stamps.

Almost a year ago here on the blog, I talked about acrylic stamps, and how to get the best impression from them. As we have many new readers to the blog, and people that may be new to stamping, I thought I'd revisit the tips to help you get the most out of your acrylic stamps.

Now, I bet you've used acrylic stamps that have given you a blurry impression - you may even have seen the ink beading up on the surface of the stamps. It has happened to me many times! You may have even put the stamps at the back of your stash and never used them again because of it! *gasps in horror!* Well, I have the solution!

Different ink manufacturers will work better with certain stamp manufacturers, so it pays to experiment! Always test the image first on a scrap piece of paper BEFORE you stamp on your project to avoid any disasters!

Most acrylic stamp companies suggest you use a white eraser on their stamps to remove any residue from manufacturing. It's this residue that makes the inks bead! They say it also helps to briskly rub your stamps against your jeans first, especially with more solid images, however I find that this can leave fluff or dust on the stamps that will ruin your impression.

Here is a great youtube video that I found that shows clear stamp conditioning in action:



I tend to wash my stamps with a little hand soap and water first - and then just shake them dry. After they've been inked, I have been known to clean them with soap and water using an old toothbrush! Of course, this will only work with pigment inks - if you've used Stazon or other dye inks, you will need a stronger remover.

There are a few different stamp scrubbers available that work great too - but buying them and the cleaning solution can become pricey. I most often use baby wipes - they work wonders for cleaning your stamps if you clean them right after you've used them. No need to rinse. Just make sure you're using alcohol free baby wipes as any alcohol based product will dry out your stamps (especially red rubber) and crack them.

If you find that your clear stamps have lost their stickiness, then washing them with soap and water will remove any dust or embossing powder etc and restore their tackiness. :)

There is a great article here on Using, Conditioning, and Storing Clear Polymer stamps.

If you don't have small sized acrylic blocks for your small rubber or clear alpha stamps, then you can improvise! I have found that my stamps will stick to the lids of my small Versacube inks (I know you have at least one!), and best of all they're clear, and are the perfect size for stamping small alphas or images! :)

I hope you've found these tips useful and this helps you get the most out of your clear stamps!

If you have any questions about using clear stamps (or any stamping question for that matter!) please leave a comment and if I don't know the answer I will certainly find out for you! :) If ever there is anything stamp / ink related that you want to see explained or demonstrated here at Inkurable, don't hesitate to let me know.

Please also free to leave a comment here with your acrylic stamping tips if you have any!

Next month I'll be doing a feature on storing your acrylic and rubber stamps, so stay tuned for details.

~Sarah~

More fabulous entries!

Hi again everyone! The entries are rolling in thick and fast now - it's so great to see!

I have 2 to share today!

First up we have this great card from Janet O'Brien:


Janet has used a variety of alphabet stamps to create her card. The large 'C' is by "See Dees", an unknown brand of stamps has been used for "elebrate" and "Age", and the words "your" and "old" are from the Stampendous typewriter alphabet.

The chicken is from Ferngully Stamps and Janet has used watercolour pencils and an aquabrush to colour him in. The card base is Bazzill cardstock, and Janet has used a Sizzix die and a lilac colour grossgrain ribbon to finish her creation!

Next up we have this great tin by Jenene Evans:


Jenene has called her tin "A Doodads, Thingamabob, Whatchamacallit, Thingamajigs, Gizmo Tin" LOL!!

Jenene has altered an old biscuit tin, first painting the tin, then using found images, stamps by "Judi Kins", "Art Declassified", a couple of other unknown stamps, and alpha stamps by Darkroom Door.

Here is a side view of Jenene's tin:


Jenene has have also used a paper shaper punch for the tree, and a rub on from Basic Grey to complete her design.

Well done ladies! Fabulous work!

That brings the total number of entries so far to 9! We've got a long way to go before we reach the record of 31, so get stamping! :) And don't forget to bring a friend for your chance to win some stamps! :)

~Sarah~

A scrapbook layout and a great tip!

Hello again everyone!

I hope you all had a great weekend! :)

Today's entry comes from the ever-talented Jen Sweatman. Now, before I show you her entry, I must tell you that Jen has now entered all 12 Inkurable Stampers challenges in a row! Not to mention our Australia Day ATC challenge, our very special Nicho Challenge, and has definitely been the person who has left the most amount of comments here on the blog! So Jen, for being such an amazing supporter of the blog from the very beginning, I'm sending you out a special Thank You RAK! Start stalking the postie!! :)

Here is Jen's latest entry:


Jen created this fabulous scrapbook page using 2 different types of alphabet stamps - "MINI OUTER SPACE" by Sassafras Lass, and "ANTIQUE" by PSX. The embellishments are all Cosmo Cricket.

Says Jen:

"Actually, it was really hard to decide what to do, because the possibilities are so endless! But since I have a gazillion photos waiting to be scrapped, I did a layout. I wanted my son's comments about decorating the gingerbread men to be a big focus for the layout, rather than on a small journaling area, so it was a good time to get out the alpha stamps. I heat embossed the letters in white, to make them stand out even more".

Awesome job Jen!

Jen has also very kindly sent in her tip for using alphabet stamps on acrylic blocks - complete with photos! What a champion!

TIPS FOR STAMPING WORDS WITH YOUR ACRYLIC ALPHA STAMPS:

Ever found it hard to get your head around putting your letters on the block backwards, straight and spelled correctly??? Then you might find this useful!

1) Rule a line on scrap paper and cover with a plastic sheet. Using the plastic is optional, but I find that the letters stay put better that way. Place your letters on the plastic cover with the stamping side of the letter face down, i.e. your word should look the way you want it to look on your project.


2) Place your block over the letters and press down.


3) Lift block away slowly from plastic and your letters should now be mounted perfectly on the block ready for you to stamp away!


Fabulous tip Jen!

Again, a huge thanks goes out to Jen for all her support and inspiration over the last year! Here's to the next year - and beyond! :)

I'll be back tomorrow with another entry! :)

~Sarah~

Skulls - ideas for the boys!

Good morning stampers! And what a fabulous day it is today. Can you believe that this is my 301st post??! I remember the 100th, and the 200th like they were yesterday!!! I hope everyone is getting excited about the birthday celebrations next month! I know I am! :)

I have another 2 entries to share with you today!

First up we have this great birthday card by Shelly Williams:


Shelly used Bazzill cardstock for the base card, Kaisercraft "Skull Boi" patterned papers, buttons for the eyes on the skull, DMC thread, Inkadinkadoo alpha stamps, American Crafts "Thickers" chipboard letters, and Versacube ink.

Next up we have this hand made journaling block for a scrapbook page from Lisa Balm:


Lisa used a Karen Foster Snap stamp set to create a grungy background for her journaling card, and used a different set of alpha stamps for the word "Dude".

Awesome work ladies! :)

Keep those entries coming!

~Sarah~

Babies and Birdies!

Happy Saturday everyone! I hope you've all got some stamping planned for the weekend! :)

I have 2 brand new entries to share with you today, both from newcomers to the blog, so Welcome ladies!!

First up we have this card from Rowena Ortile from the Philippines:


Rowena created the background of her card by stamping "baby" words on cardstock.

She also stamped the words "Special Delivery" using her alphabet stamps.

Next up we have this cute card by Dawn Barratt:


Dawn used a combination of Antique lower case and Antique tiles alphabet stamps to create the words on her card, which she then cut out individually.

Says Dawn: "This challenge has inspired me to leave my small alphabets on my desk, because they don't get used often enough, hidden away in my cupboard". Great to hear Dawn! That's exactly why I created Inkurable Stampers, almost 1 year ago - to give us all a chance to get out our poor neglected stamps and create art! :)

Yep - you read right! Inkurable Stampers has been going strong for almost a year! April 1st will be our 1st Birthday (no - that's not an April Fools joke! LOL!), so watch out for a HUGE month of birthday celebrations! More details coming soon, so watch this space!

Stay inky!

~Sarah~

Mixed Media Wall Hanging.

Good morning all! TGIF!!! :) I'm very much looking forward to the weekend! LOL!

I have our 2nd Alphabet entry to share with you today!

This mixed media wall hanging was sent in by Tania Davey:


Tania used her alphabet stamps in texture paste for the words "Carpe Diem", and has also used magnetic alphabet stamps from Making Memories for the "Seize The Day" sentiment on the tag.

Lots of crackle paint and distressing - even on the flowers! Awesome work Tania!

I'll be back tomorrow with another entry to share! :)

Have an inky day!

~Sarah~

Our first Alphabet Entry!

Yay! We finally have our first entry for this month! :)

This ATC was sent in by Marnie Lucas:


Marnie stamped her alphabet stamps repeatedly to create the background for her ATC. She then ripped a hole in the middle so that Kermit looks like he's bursting through the ATC! How cool! :)

Come on ladies! We're nearly at the half way point for the challenge! Bust out your alpha stamps and get those entries in! :) You've gotta be in it to win it, and there are lots of awesome goodies on offer this month! Don't forget to bring a friend!

~Sarah~

*** WINNERS FOR FEBRUARY! ***

Thank you to everyone who took the plunge and had a go at last month's Soot Stamping challenge! I'm so glad you liked the tutorial and were excited to give something new or unusual a try!

I will definitely do more technique based challenges from now on! :) So if you have any techniques that you'd like to see a challenge for, please let me know!

It was so hard to choose the winners this month! In the end I went with the entries that had the most impressive soot effect.

Congratulations goes to the following lucky winners for February:

* DANIELLE O'CONNOR! You have won the lovely set of "Ornate Elements" stamps from Darkroom Door!

* KATRINA THOMPSON! You have won the funky "Bouquet" Urban Lily clear stamps from Scrapbook Savvy!

* GENEVIEVE PAYNE! You're taking home A $25.00 gift voucher plus free postage from Paper Forest Designs!

* JOY RUMBLE! You're the lucky recipient of A $20.00 Gift voucher from The Stamping Queen!

* JEN SWEATMAN! You've won A $20.00 Gift Voucher courtesy of Tarisota Collections!

Check out the Soot Stamping Slideshow to see the entries. :)

Well done ladies! Have fun with your new goodies!

Don't forget about this month's Bring a Friend promotion! There are lots of talented stampers out there that may not know about Inkurable, so please point them in the right direction so they can join in the fun! :)

~Sarah~

The "Bring a Friend" promotion!

Hi everyone!

"So what's this "Bring a Friend" thing all about then?" I hear you asking! Well, here are the details!

This month I want to break our record for highest number of entries! The record is 31 entries and was set in July last year during our Fabulous Flourishes challenge.

I also wanna see lots of new people coming along and joining in the fun at Inkurable Stampers! There's lots of talent out there and I want to see it!

So here's the deal - I want you to bring a friend along to complete the challenge, and for doing so, you'll go into the draw to win this set of Fiskars Romance clear stamps (43 stamps in total!) that are perfect for your love themed cards and scrapbook layouts:


You don't need the Fiskars Stamp Press to use them - they are normal acrylic stamps that will stick to your acrylic blocks. :)

Here are the rules:

* You must enter this month's challenge.
* Your friend must also enter this month's challenge and when they email me their pics they must name you as the friend that referred them.
* Every friend you bring along that completes the challenge will get you another entry into the draw! i.e - the more friends you bring, the more chances you have of winning!
* Your friend can be a complete newcomer to the blog, or someone who has not entered the challenge in the last 3 months.
* Your friend can also refer their own friend, and go in the draw as well!
* Feel free to post details of the promotion on your blogs, yahoo groups, or forums etc if it complies with their rules and regulations.

If we break the record, I just might offer up another piece of loot! :)

So, get your alphabet stamps out, get inky, and and tell your friends to get their butts over to Inkurable Stampers and enter the challenge!! :)

~Sarah~

*** PRIZES FOR MARCH! ***

Hi stampers! :)

Here's what you've all been waiting for - the loot up for grabs this month! LOL!

This month we welcome back our friends at Crafty Individuals as our guest sponsor, taking the total number of prizes to 6!

So without further ado, here's what our generous sponsors are offering up this month:

* This delightful "Garden Greetings" stamp set from Darkroom Door:


* A very cool Colorbox Cat's Eye "Greens" Stylus Set courtesy of Paperforest Designs:

(These Stylus Sets from Colorbox contain a stylus handle, 2 stylus adapter tips and 5 Fluid Chalk Cat's Eye ink pads.The stylus adapter tip, snaps into the back of the Cat's Eye ink pad, for colour blending and direct-to-paper techniques. The ink pads give a soft, subtle chalk look on paper, wood and polymer clay and the adapter tips can be heated and moulded to create stamp patterns for backgrounds and borders etc).

* A set of Buzz and Bloom "It's a Date" clear stamps courtesy of Scrapbook Savvy:


* A $20.00 Gift Voucher from The Stamping Queen.

* A $20.00 Gift Voucher from Tarisota Collections.

* And last but not least, a fabulous prize pack from Crafty Individuals that consists of the following:

- This gorgeous stamp:
- 1 x Jet Black Ranger Archival Stamp Pad.
- 1 x Slide Mailer - (4-way Size: 15cm x 12cm).
- 1 x Slide Mailer - (Double Size: 10cm x 8cm).
- 1 x Slide Mailer - (Single Size: 9.5cm x 4cm).

Wowee - a huge thanks goes out to our sponsors for such an awesome stash of prizes!

This month there will also be a very special "Bring a Friend" prize - stay tuned because tomorrow I will reveal the prize and the details of how to win it. :)

~Sarah~

THE THEME FOR MARCH IS......

ALPHABET STAMPS!

This month your task is to create something (anything!) using alphabet stamps!

I'm pretty sure each and every one of you have at least one set of alphabet stamps in your stash! Heck - I have HEAPS! Keen eyed stampers will see that I've used 2 different sets of alphabets in the Inkurable Stampers blog banner. :)

But I have to say that my favourite set is my new "Alphabet Medley" set from Darkroom Door! And it is this set that I have used to make my example for this month's challenge:


My example this month is a Shadow Box frame - I wanted to make myself a new piece of art for my new house! :)

It can be hung on the wall, or sat on a shelf or desk. Here is the side view:


Sorry - the pics are a bit dodgy because of the glass in the frame. :)

OK - so here is a close up of the stamping that I did with my alphabet stamps:


I used red Stazon to stamp the letters - the background paper is by Pink Paislee (Vintage Moon Collection). The word "Art" is made from Grungeboard which I have inked with TH Distress Ink - "Black Soot".

The "Alphabet Medley" stamps from Darkroom Door are now available for shipping - and at $29.95 for not one but 2 different sized alphabets, you simply can't go past them!

The house is a chipboard house by Collections, which I have decorated with Collections papers, Prima paper, Collections chipboard heart, Darkroom Door Photobooth lady, Darkroom Door Wilderness Wordstrips, and a Darkroom Door butterfly stamp from the "Wildflower" set.

Here is a close up:


I attached the house to the background paper using foam mounting tape to give the artwork more dimension. The butterflies wings have also been lifted this way, and the "Peaceful Life" word are also mounted with the same tape.

For the roof I have used 2 different kinds of German Scrap, as well as a little copper coloured stud in the centre. Here is a close up:


The tree branches are also from Collections. I inked them with Antique Linen Distress inks, and then stamped an Amazing Creations swirl stamp on them to add some character.

The whole frame measures about 9"x11", and as I said before it is a shadow box with a glass front, so that all the dimension in my artwork can stay as is without being flattened or exposed to naughty little fingers that like to rip stuff! LOL!!

So now it's your turn! Here's some ideas:

* Use alphabet stamps to create a funky background for a card or ATC.
* Use them to write a title or journaling on a scrapbook page.
* Use them to write out the sentiment on the front of a card - or even the message on the inside!
* Use them for creating an awesome mail art envelope! Check out Rachel's example here.
* Press one letter into UTEE to make a monogram tile for the front of a card.
* Some alphabet stamps come in one whole block as opposed to single letters - like this one. Feel free to use these too if you have one!

The possibilities are endless!!

Email me your entry by midnight (AEST) March 31st 2009 for your chance to win one of the fabulous prizes up for grabs this month! (To be announced shortly). Entry details are in the sidebar of the blog.

I want to beat our record this month for most amount of entries! So come on stampers - get those alpha stamps out and get inky!!

Stay tuned for details of a special "Bring a friend" prize!

~Sarah~

Last minute Soot Stamping Entries!

Hi everyone!

Last night I got three last minute Soot Stamping entries!

First up we have this card from Joy Rumble:


Joy used stamp from Rubbadubbadoo - "AAA81W" ( the branches) & "B255B" (the boy fishing).

Joy stuck the net (which her fresh garlic came in!) in between the background and foreground images.

She used a punch on all corners of both the images, and put the green brads on 3 corners. She then used mounting tape to give each piece dimension.

Joy then stamped some little fish then scanned & mirrored them to have the fish going both ways. She then cut them out and sponged on some orange from an inkpad.

Next up we have this ATC from Tania Davey:


Tania used her thumb and forefinger as her stamps! She also used an awl to add scratches for a distressed look.

And last but not least we have this scrapbook layout by Suzanne McQuade:


Suzanne used a dragonfly stamp from Autumn leaves by Rhonna Farrer.

On the page she has also used Tim Holtz distress ink and paint dabbers, and Heidi Swapp Masks.

Great work ladies!!

That brings our Soot Stamping entry total to 14! This means that my official donation to the Red Cross will be $28.00! My donation will be matched by Jen Sweatman, Katrina Thompson, and Darkroom Door, so that means we've raised a total of $112.00 for the victims of the Victorian Bush Fires! Way to go everyone!

Stay tuned for the new challenge details! :)

~Sarah~