The floodgates are open!

Once again we have a last minute rush of entries! So get comfy - this will be a long one!

First we have this card that was sent in by Maureen from the UK:

Maureen says:

"I have used faded jeans distress ink throughout, the central pendant and the scrolls I cut on my cuttlebug and the centre stamped image is a larger village scene that I cut down in a nestie to fit. The background is stamped using a funky foam diamond shape and over stamped with holly and a music stamp, the flower is punched out".

Lovely work Maureen!

Next we have this card that was sent in by Julie Dudley:

Julie used a Russian stamp that she was given, and coloured her image using Copic Markers.

Great work Julie!

Next we have this card that was sent in by Laurence Colling-Schmitz from Belgium:

Laury says:

"I painted the page of an old book with acrylic paint (ivory) and glued it on my card. I added a scrap of paper at the bottom and used my sewing machine with a zigzag stich. The frame is cut out with the bigshot (nellies die cut) and I stamped the Xmas sock on a separate paper, cut it out and inked the edges".

"The next stamp (Infinimentscrap) I used is actually only one stamp, stamped on blue paper and on cream paper. I punched out a star with the snowman and glued the remaining text on top".  

Great work Laury!

The 4th entry for today is an ATC that was sent in by Ros Crichton:

Ros says:

"My ATC was mounted on pink card stock. The background was from Webster Pages with sponging around the edges. I stamped the christmas tree (from Stampin Up's Lovely as a Tree) in 'Pink Pirouette' tipped in 'Wild Wasabi' and added a little sparkle. Not sure where the word JOY came from. Added a little silver charm and some velvet ric rac and a distressed pink star on top".

Gorgeous work Ros!

Now we have a Christmas decoration that was created by Nina Patena of The Philippines:

Nina says:

"I recycled 3 old CDs and made this Christmas wall hanging for our front door".

"It was super easy to use gel medium to adhere my patterned paper to the front of 3 never-to-be-watched again VCDs. I positioned my elements, stamped on the tag, used foam tape to adhere my vintage image from an advertising catalogue, used double-sided tape for the other elements, and used Ranger Inkssentials Glossy Accents to adhere the green plastic star. I then swiped white acrylic paint all around the edge".

"I stamped my postage stamp images using Versafine brown and black ink and Memento brown ink. I adhered my Santa vintage image on white cardstock, then used double-sided tape to attach it on top of the cheesecloth. Then I attached the cheesecloth on the patterned paper with double-sided tape. I used Ranger Inkssentials Glossy Accents to attach the ribbon and embellishment. Swiped white acrylic paint on edge. Adhered ribbon with double-sided tape. Tied twine and metal charm to small tag, then stamped and adhered with double-sided tape at an angle. Used foam tape to adhere vintage image. Adhered Maya Road felt bird and bingo chip with double-sided tape. Swiped white acrylic paint on edge. I then glue-gunned two strips of glue at the backs to attach my "hanging" ribbon on each CD".

Terrific work Nina!

Next up we have a Christmas tag that was sent in by Lesley Dupont from Canada:

Lesley says:

"This is a manilla shipping tag on which I used Dusty Concord distress ink and distressed the background. Then while that was drying I painted some Tim Holtz grungeboard snowflakes with acylic paints, the top snowflake is a metallic and the darker is a flat dark purple. The background of the stamp I stamped again in Dusty Concord distress ink with a snowflake stamp from Inkadinkado Ornate Christmas stamp collection. I also inked the edges of the tag with the same ink".

"The image I used was from FlickR, a great source for art images, and I used Starform glitter border to give it a bit of bling. I added some lace and button embellishments and the Let is Snow stamp was from Studio G Holiday stamps also stamped in Dusty Concord and it was mounted on a paint chip strip".

Beautiful work Lesley!

Phew! Are you all still with me? You are? OK then! I still have 2 more entries to share, but I'm going to make you wait until tomorrow for those ones! Teehee! So be sure to pop back tomorrow to check them out - there are lots of pics! :)

Stay inky!

~Sarah~

More lovely entries!

Hello stampers!

For those of you over in the USA - I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving, and you are now getting some awesome bargains at the Black Friday Sales! Aussies - most of the US online stores are having sales too, so check out your fave sites and grab a great deal just in time for Christmas!

This weekend is the last weekend you'll have to get your challenge entry done before deadline! So be sure to set aside some time over the next few days to get inky. :)

Now onto the new entries!

First we have this card that was sent in by Karen Daley of Canada:

Karen says:

"The focal image (Winter Church by Paper Inspirations) was stamped on smooth vanilla cardstock using Versafine sepia ink, then covered with double-tack film, and a coating of Glitter Ritz (warm highlight colour). This was matted on chocolate brown, and layered over a blue panel, stamped with brocade (Cornish Heritage Farms), with some blue velvet paper on the bottom". 

"A ruffled ribbon and slide (stamped with Cornish Heritage Farms greeting) went at the bottom, and these were attached to the card base, which had been stamped with snowflakes (Stampin' Up!) in Seascape (Palette ink) and sponged with distress ink. The final touches were some rhinestone stars and glittery felt snowflakes".

Lovely work Karen!

Next we have this card that was sent in by Sue Davies of the UK:

Sue's Christmas Angel stamp is by Lost Coast designs, and she has used lots of lovely vellum and glitter to acheive her shabby chic look.

Nice work Sue!

Lastly we have this card that was sent in by Lyn Smith:

Lyn says:

"I started by inking up a Hero Arts distressed background stamp, firstly with light pink Hero Arts Shadow Ink, then swiping a darker shade of pink around the edges. I spritzed the stamp with a little water, then stamped it onto white cardstock. Once it was dry I stamped the Inkadinkado holly stamp onto it using Versafine Vintage Sepia ink, then stamped the Firecracker Designs greeting in the bottom left corner. I trimmed around the shadow background and then distressed the edges and layered it onto some green Bazzil cardstock with distressed edges". 

"The pink background piece is Cor'dinations cardstock which I've dry embossed with Cuttlebug Victorian embossing folder and sanded the raised parts. I also distressed the edges of both background cardstocks. Other supplies are Kaisercraft rhinestones, Stampin' Up Chocolate Chip Taffeta ribbon, white lace from my stash and a couple of staples".

Gorgeous work Lyn!

Well that's it for today! I hope you all enjoy your weekend! Keep those entries coming!

~Sarah~

*** WINNERS FOR OCTOBER 2010! ***

It's about time! LOL!!

Thank you to everyone who gave last month's sketch challenge a go! It's always fun seeing the different interpretations of a sketch, and it was great to see everyone using at least 3 stamps on their creation!

We had 13 official entries. Of those 13, 9 were from Australia and 4 were international.

The entries were all so fabulous! Refresh your memory with the slideshow:

Well done everyone!

Now go and remind yourselves what the prizes were here.

Now what you've all been waiting for - the winners!!

MAJOR PRIZE:

Congratulations goes to JENENE EVANS! I just loved the way Jenene used the window stamp over the Photochip to create a scene. Awesome job Jenene! You have won the 2 gorgeous stamp sets courtesy of Tarisota.

INKURABLE NEWBIE:

This month's lucky newcomer is MIM! Congratulations and welcome to the blog - we're glad you found us! You have scored yourself the awesome Seashells stamp set from Darkroom Door!

INKURABLE INTERNATIONAL:

Congratulations goes to LISA MASON of the UK!  I just loved the creative way she tore the dinosaur stamp into sections to fit with the sketch. Such a great card for a little boy! You have won a $25 Gift Voucher plus FREE postage courtesy of The Stamping Queen!

Have fun with your new goodies ladies!

~Sarah~

Back to the Shabby Chic Christmas challenge!

Hello stampers!

Yep - I know I still haven't announced the winners from last month yet. Sorry! Working on it now. But in the meantime I have 2 new entries to share!

First we have this card by Jenene Evans:

Jenene says:

"Making Christmas cards certainly brings it home how close Christmas is!!!!".


"I created my Shabby Chic Christmas Card using paper by Basic Grey (‘Two Scoops’ collection), distressed edges, and Embossing folder by ‘Stampin Up. I lightly rubbed with Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Tattered Rose), then cut out a couple of pieces. The shabby flower I made by roughly cutting circles, stamped with a lacy stamp (unknown), scrunched up & a snowflake brad to hold together. Reindeer by ‘My Stamps’, cut out and added some bling. Merry Xmas text – ‘Stampin Up’, background star stamp (unknown), & finished with a couple of flower pieces, one painted with green lumiere".

Nice one Jenene!

Next we have this card by Cynthia Schelzig from Germany:

Cynnie says:

"This Christmas card was masked and sprayed with red ink then stamped with various stamps. I attached a strip of music and a little square of watercolor paper edged in gold with a star and a small piece of red ribbon".

"On top of that I stapled a gold fabric star with the word NOEL. I finished it off by inking the edges with brown walnut ink".

Lovely work Cynnie!

Well that's it from me for the moment! Keep those Shabby Chic Christmas entries coming! :) (It's the perfect excuse to start making your Chrissy cards!).

~Sarah~

Gothic Arch Challenge #23 - SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC!

Wow - can you believe we're up to our 2nd last Inkurable Stampers 2010 Gothic Arch Challenge theme already?! Wow this year has gone fast!

Our 23rd Gothic Arch challenge theme is.....

SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC!

AKA - Star Signs, or Astrological Signs - Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces.

Your star sign is based on your birthday - if you don't know what your star sign is, or would like more information, find out here.

Your task is to create a Gothic Arch featuring a sign of the Zodiac. 

There are lots of things you can add to your arch for your star sign! Each star sign has a name, a symbol, and a pictorial representation. You could include your birth month, or even use colours that represent the time of year you were born! Lots of possibilities!

For example - my birthday is in January which means I'm an Aquarius. The symbol for Aquarius is a few wavy lines which indicates water. The picture is usually of a jug of water, or someone pouring a jug of water. So I could use any or all of these elements on my arch.

Here are the symbols for each star sign:

Don't forget - your stamps don't have to be Zodiac themed - as long as you use at least one stamp of any kind on your arch you still meet the challenge guidelines. :)

Fiona Shultz has created a great sample arch for us all:

Products Used:

* Stamps – Cherry Pie ‘Diamond Eye’, Crafty Secrets ‘Fairy’ (for the stars), DD Alphabet Medley
* Distress Inks – Old Paper, Frayed Burlap, Vintage Photo, and Embossing Ink.
* Other – black embossing powder, glue dots, small staples, brown artist pen, dark blue cardstock and white scrap.

Notes from Fiona:

"The old star map was found on the internet, which I have printed out, trimmed, scrunched up, and inked with distress inks (lightly). You can see Taurus the rushing bull, and Orion the mighty Hunter holding the skin of the dead lion".

"The arch was dark blue cardstock, which I stamped with stars and black embossed, then inked the edges in black soot as well. The map was attached over top and stapled. The eye was stamped and black embossed on white cardstock, but mounted on dark blue and the edges trimmed in black soot, before attaching with glue dots. The DD letters were stamped in black soot on white scrap, trimmed out and edged in frayed burlap. The ‘gazer’ letters were also mounted on dark blue cardstock before being attached to the arch".

Great work Fiona!

Now it's your turn stampers!

Upload your Zodiac themed Gothic Arch to our Dedicated Flickr Group - there's over 280 awesome arches there now! Well done everyone!

It's not too late to catch up if you've missed out on a challenge - the deadline is midnight 31st December 2010 to have all your arches completed and in the gallery for your chance to win an awesome prize (to be revealed soon!). See all the challenge themes here.

Happy stamping!

~Sarah~

Our first entries!

Hello stampers!

So sorry for going AWOL - I honestly didn't realise it had been a week since I'd been here! Have been busy doing lots of different things and time got away from me!

I have three entries to share today!

First up is a card that was sent in by Vicky Fernando:

Vicky says:

"With this card I got to try out a technique which I don't think I've ever tried before - Kiss Stamping! I wanted to use the Darkroom Door Christmas Reindeer set of stamps, but I wanted to get a different look, so I thought I'd try out the deer image combined with the Dots background stamp, some white cardstock, and some Brilliance ink (coffee bean) and I'm very happy with how it turned out!".

"I also used some white bias binding (dyed with some Glimmermist), some Kindyglitz (on the antlers and the string) cotton string, and a Tim Holtz Alterations die".

Lovely work Vicky!

Next up we have this card that was sent in by Lynne Quinn:

Notes from Lynne:

"Card stock soft suede by Stampin' Up, pointsetta flower a Quickutz die, Joy bauble from Stampin' Up , green mat stamped with Christmas words from Darkroom Door".

Great work Lynne!

And last but not least we have this card that was sent in by Mim:

Mim says:

"I was inspired by the Wedgewood christmas decorations I noticed while passing through Myer last week. The blue ornament (a Quickcutz die) was stamped and then embossed with my new favourite Puff embossing powder - I thought it went with the shabby look I was going for. I inked the background card a little and then added a strip of stamped music, one of dry embossed and sanded paper and finally, a little lace. To attach the ornament, I cut a slit in the top of the card at the fold and used double sided tape to attach the ribbon to the inside. This way, it can be taken off and used as an ornament or tag by the recipient".

Just gorgeous Mim!

I'll be back tomorrow to announce the winners of last month's challenge! :)

Stay inky!

~Sarah~

Shabby Chic Christmas Inspiration!

Helloooooo stampers!!

Boy it's hot here today! And humid! Yuck! I hope it's nicer wherever you are. :)

Fiona Shultz has sent in a lovely Shabby Chic Christmas Match Box to inspire you all:

Fiona says:

"I have painted a mid size matchbox with acrylic paint, and covered with MME Bella Bella paper, and added some Walnut Stain Distress Ink to age it a little. The stamps I have used are from the 'Seasons's Greetings' set by Stamp-It (the border stamp, joy, and background stamping on the mini tag). All stamping and inking were done with Walnut Stain Distress Ink". 

"I have added some buttons, crochet flower, charms, lace, and a stick pin. The base of the flower is a Tim Holtz tattered floral die on brown scrap paper".

So gorgeous Fiona!

And guess what stampers - in the spirit of Christmas, Fiona is giving this little beauty away - so pop on over to her blog for your chance to own it!

Whilst you're out blog hopping, you might also like to check out my set of 4 Shabby Chic Christmas cards on the Darkroom Door blog! Here's a peek:

You can see them close up, and read details about how I made them here on the Darkroom Door blog. :)

Stay inky!

~Sarah~

Gothic Arch Challenge #22 - MYTHICAL CREATURES!

Our 22nd Gothic Arch challenge theme is.....

MYTHICAL CREATURES!

Think fairies, elves, unicorns, mermaids, dragons, Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot, Pegasus, Vampires, etc etc. Check out Wikipedia's "List of Legendary Creatures" for more ideas!

Your task is to create a Gothic Arch featuring a mythical creature of some sort.

First we'll share guest Artist Jan Smith's example arch, followed by Fiona Shultz's example arch. :)

Here is Jan's gorgeous "Fairy Queen" arch:

Products used:

* 'Fairy Stamp' - Stampland.
* 'Doors-background Stamp' - Crafty Individuals (CI 249).
* Assorted Promarkers to colour.
* Gold, Silver and White pens to highlight.
* Distress Ink (Black Soot).
* Memento (Tuxedo Black) Ink pad.
* Stickles (Star Dust).
* Silver German scrap.
* Gems, Jump ring, Crown & Key charms and 'Fairy Queen' computer printed words.

Jan says:

"I stamped the 'Fairy' Image first using the Memento (Tuxedo Black) Ink pad then stamped it again on another piece of card to create a mask. I then placed one stamped 'Fairy' image (mask) on top of the other, and stamped the Crafty Individuals (Doors background Stamp) over the top of the 'masked' Fairy".


"I cut out the Arch shape, leaving some of the Fairy's wings protruding, and coloured in with assorted Promarkers. I highlighted some areas with the Gold, silver and white pens".

"I distressed around the edges of my Arch using 'Black soot' Distress ink, and added some (Star Dust) Stickles to the wings. I embellished my arch with Charms, Gems, German Scrap and Computer printed words".

Beautiful work Jan!


Thanks so much for being a guest artist here on the blog - we've loved having you!

Now let's check out Fiona's Gothic Arch:

Products Used:

* Stamps – Crafty Secrets ‘Fairy’, Tim Holtz ‘Sheet Music’, Stampotique ‘honeycomb background’, Stampit ‘Curlicue’, Queens dresser drawers ‘bumble bee’

* Distress Inks – Old paper, frayed burlap, black soot

* Cardstock – MME Bella Bella range

* Other – Martha Steward modern garland punch, sewing machine/thread, brown artist pen, edge distresser.

Fiona says:

"I used the patterned side of cardstock for my large arch, and inked it lightly in 'Old Paper' and 'Frayed Burlap' Distress inks. The smaller arch was the plain side of the cardstock, inked in 'Old Paper' and 'Frayed Burlap' and the edges distressed". 

"The bee, sheet music and ‘magical’ were stamped in 'Frayed Burlap', the honeycomb and curlicue in 'Old Paper'. The fairy was stamped in black on the plain side of the cardstock and not inked at all. I stamped a second set of her wings, which I coloured with 'Black Soot' Distress Ink and mounted between the two arches slightly offset to represent the shadow of her wings". 

"A little piece of the punched edge was edged in 'Frayed Burlap' and attached between the two arches. I added a bit of edging with the sewing machine and artist pen to finish".

Lovely arch Fiona!

Now it's your turn! Upload your Mythical Creatures Gothic Arch to our dedicated Flickr group - and while you're there, don't forget to check out the other 260+ arches in the gallery - lots of gorgeous  inspiration!

Wow guys - only 2 more themes until the end of our challenge! There's still plenty of time to catch up if you haven't started yet - the deadline for all the arched is 31st December 2010 and anyone who completes all 24 arches will go in the draw to win a prize!

If you'd like more information about our 2010 Gothic Arch Challenge, check out the details here.

Please note that the Inkurable Stampers 2010 Gothic Arch Challenge is in addition to our regular monthly challenges here on the blog. :)

~Sarah~

Introducing Gothic Arch Guest Artist - Jan Smith!

It's time again to announce another theme in our year long Inkurable Stampers 2010 Gothic Arch Challenge! But before I do, I need to introduce you to this fortnight's guest Arch designer.......

Jan Smith from the UK!

Jan is a self confessed ATC and Inchie addict, obsessed with all things crafty - especially rubber stamps!

Jan is also a wife, and mum of 3 boys who lives in Essex in the United Kingdom.

You can see more of Jan's work on her blog and in her Flickr Photo Stream (Smifferoo).

I asked Jan the interview questions - here are her answers:

1. Have you ever made a Gothic Arch before this challenge started?

Yes, I think I first saw a Gothic Arch in one of the swaps in an ATC group that I belonged to, and enjoyed working with an alternative ATC shape.

2. What will you do with your arches when they're all finished? Will you be making them all the same size, or mixing things up?

I'm making all my Arches the same shape/size and am considering making them into a Gothic Arch booklet at the end of the challenge.

3. When stamping, do you prefer red rubber stamps, or clear stamps? Why?

I do have a preference for red rubber stamps as they seem to stamp clearer images. Although, the clear ones are great for positioning, but I sometimes find that when using some clear stamps the ink tends to bead on the stamp resulting in an indistinct image. But, in general the actual image on the stamp usually determines my purchase.

4. What is your favourite stamp in your collection?

Mmmm, I had to think about this one, I don't think I have a particular favourite? Although I am attracted to and do buy a lot of 'Crafty Individuals' make of stamps.

I like to join in with lots of crafty challenges with set topics, so I tend to raid my stamp stash in search for a stamp inspired by the particular theme at the time.

5. How often do you use stamps in your projects? 

I love using stamps in my projects, usually most of the greeting cards that I make incorporate a rubber stamp of some kind. And I like to join in with 'Rubber stamping' Challenges like the Gothic Arches one.

6. What is your favourite stamping / inking technique?

I love to build layers of stamped images to create a montage, so a favourite stamping technique that I do seem to use is the masking technique which allows multiple images to be stamped without overlapping each other.

I'm also really into shabby, grungy themes at the moment, so I love to distress everything with my distress inks!!

Thanks for helping us get to know you better Jan! Welcome to the blog as a guest artist - I can't wait to show your arch to everyone!

Stay tuned for Jan's gorgeous arch, and another gorgeous sample arch from Fiona Shultz this afternoon!

Until then....

~Sarah~

THE THEME FOR NOVEMBER 2010 IS.........

SHABBY CHIC CHRISTMAS!!!

I always like to do a Christmas theme with a twist in November, to get everyone into the festive spirit! This year I was undecided on a theme, so I asked our Facebook fans to help me pick. They did - and so I've gone with "Shabby Chic Christmas"!

Your task is to create something Christmasy (could be a card, ATC, decoration, gift box - whatever you like!) using the Shabby Chic style! (And of course, at least one stamp).

What is Shabby Chic?

The 'Shabby Chic' style originated in the Interior design world - check out Wikipedia's definition of the style for more information.

The Shabby Chic style is a pretty, feminine, romantic, antique, vintage look, with soft pastels (pinks, blues, greens etc) and whites or creams as the predominant colours. You'll often see book pages or music sheets, vintage buttons, lace, crackle paint, haberdashery items, or whitewashed metal embellishments.

The most notable Shabby Chic range in the papercraft industry is that from Melissa Frances, but I'm sure there are lots of different companies that have brought out Shabby Chic ranges.

For inspiration you simply must check out Melissa Phillips' blog - she is the queen of Shabby Chic papercraft creations and her blog will have you mesmerised for hours!

I recently taught a class of 4 Shabby Chic Christmas cards using Darkroom Door stamps - here's a sneak peek:

And you can check them out in full here.

And if that's not enough inspiration and eye candy for you - check out this house that has been created in the Shabby Chic Style (it's a slideshow, so be sure to check out all the pics). AWESOME!

Now onto my example:

I started with a dusty pink coloured paper for the background, and stamped a damask background stamp (from Stampotique) on the lower section using Victorian Velvet Distress ink. I inked around the edges of the paper using the same ink and a foam blending tool. I then tore some sheet music into a strip, and inked it with Antique Linen Distress ink and adhered it across the bottom of the background. I added some lace across the top of the sheet music.

I tore a section out of the top of the background, and inked the torn edges with Antique Linen Distress Ink. I then adhered some sheet music (that had been inked with Antique Linen) behind the tear. The greeting (Kaisercraft) was stamped onto some cream Basic Grey patterned paper with Timber Brown Stazon ink, then cut out. I inked around the edges with Victorian Velvet Distress ink, and adhered the greeting over the tear.

To make the Christmas Tree, I stamped the Kaisercraft Doily stamp onto dusty pink paper with white ink, and then heat embossed with white embossing powder. I cut out a tree shape, and then inked over the embossed image (which acted as a resist) with Victorian Velvet distress ink, and Vintage Photo Distress ink for the edges. It is mounted onto the card front using foam mounting tape. The "star" is a prima flower with a Kaisercraft Pearl in the centre, and the tree trunk is a piece of dark brown Bazzill cardstock.

The deers (from Crafty Individuals) were stamped on last using Timber Brown Stazon. The card base is made from dark from Bazzill cardstock.

Now it's your turn!!

Entries are due by Midnight 30th November 2010 (AEDST) to be eligible for one of the prizes on offer from our sponsors! Entries must comply with the challenge details and the participation guidelines set out in the sidebar to the right. If you have any questions, please let me know!

Happy Stamping!

~Sarah~