Bakugan

Sorry, this post is WAY off-topic. Come back tomorrow if you're looking for stamping!

I always try to answer any questions my blog readers ask ... but I think this is the first non-stamping-related one! These, friends, are Bakugan.

If you are a parent, grandparent, aunt, or uncle of an elementary schooler (boy or girl), familiarize yourself with these if you haven't already, LOL! I posted a few days ago about having to go to four different stores in order to find these. The first three stores carried them, but the hooks were all empty.

They fold up into little spheres around an inch in diameter and have some kind of magnet in them that causes them to spring open when you rest them on the accompanying magnetic card. Just like Pokemon, there's a game that goes along with them, as well as trading, collecting, comparing, etc. And even if they look alike on the outside, they might be different on the inside. It's a "G" thing - 500G is good (I think), but I don't think you see how many G's until after you've opened the package. They retail at Target for around $5 each. If the child you're shopping for isn't with you, don't be lured into buying the accessories if the Bakugan are sold out. My son was only interested in the Bakugan themselves.

Did I mention how happy he was that we did find some in the end? Just look at this face:



They make a great discipline tool, too, by the way. "Cole, you can choose not to set the table, but if you don't, you'll have to give me one Bakugan to keep for the rest of the school week." I love when he loves something. Leverage ;)

RAKS Galore, Part 1

Check out all this craftsmanship I've been lucky enough to receive lately! I have loads more to share in the days to come, too. And tomorrow I'll have a card I made, too!

From Julia Aston (artystamper on SCS):




From Sue Hyer, my most fantabulous Stampin' Up upline:




From Christine Davis at Artful Legacy in Surfside Beach, SC (a store I visited this summer while on vacation):




From Gretchen Belknap (grbscrap on SCS):




From THE Jenn Balcer (jbalcer on SCS):




Have a great day!

Our Daily Bread Designs - New Release!

Hi friends, just a friendly public service announcement here. Today, Our Daily Bread Designs is releasing five new sets!

We Three Kings

Flourished Christian Symbols

Reason for the Season

Footprints in the Sand set

Footprints single

The design team has been making some gorgeous samples. When you look at each individual set, right at the top you'll see a link to the card gallery for that set. Or you can always go to the main gallery to see artwork for the full line of ODBD stamps.

I'm sitting out this release and the next couple as well, so no samples from me (sniff, sniff). I'm actually taking a short break from both of my design teams. I might post more on the whys and what-fors separately, but for now, I'll just say I feel so blessed that both companies are allowing me to take this time off! The down side is I don't have any of these new ODBD stamps (yet!), and they are GORGEOUS!! Whatcha waitin' for? Have a look :)

Opposites Day

I was at AC Moore yesterday and spotted this beautiful pack of two-sided 5x7 designer paper called "The Story of Us." It is SO me! The elegant cream and black, the florals, brocade, and striped patterns, and the splash of rich blue. I couldn't wait for the kids to go to bed, so I could go play. I thought the fancy, schmancy Black-Tie Birdies set from Verve would be the perfect set. (Incidentally, you could stamp these birdies on a dishcloth and they would still look elegant!) Here I stamped on one of the neutral papers in the pack using Versafine Onyx Black, then heat embossed with clear powder. I stamped a second bird, heat embossed, trimmed out his body and popped it up on a dimensional. The wing and bow-tie are stamped on one of the blue papers in this pack, heat embossed and popped up again on dimensionals. Two large clear gems and three lengths of shiny satin and taffeta ribbon complete the elegant look.

I'm usually good for only one card a day, but I wasn't ready to stop, so I made a second card using Verve's Some Bunny set.



I had the best time dressing this sweet little bunny in his denim overalls and engineer's cap - it was just like playing with paper dolls! I free-handed the overalls and cap using some old, old, old denim designer paper made by Frances Meyer. The fuzzy dot ribbon by May Arts is one that I got in a ribbon share through Jody Morrow/texasjodylynn. The bunny is stamped three times and layered up using the paper tole technique. I could see a whole "Some Bunny Accessories" set, couldn't you?

Thanks, as always, for stopping by!



"Enjoy Today"
Stamps: Black-Tie Birdies (Verve)
Paper: Ivory Naturals, Basic Black, Buckaroo Blue (SU); The Story of Us cardstock pad (ATD/Momenta)
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black (Tsukineko)
Accessories: corner rounder, dimensionals, paper piercer, Ivory taffeta ribbon, clear embossing powder (SU!); black and blue satin ribbons (Offray); clear gemstones (Heidi Swapp)
Size: 5 1/4" square


"Some Bunny"
Stamps: Some Bunny (Verve)
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Kraft, Ivory Naturals (SU!); denim designer paper (Frances Meyer)
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa (Tsukineko)
Accessories: Prismacolors and odorless mineral spirits; brown fuzzy dot ribbon (May Arts); Not Quite Navy marker, dimensionals, paper piercer, 1/4" circle punch, Vintage brads (SU!)
Size: 4 1/4" square

Cut It Out!

I spent part of the morning finishing up my sample for Jen del Muro's Sketch for You To Try, and now I'm being summoned by my oldest son to take him shopping for some new Bakugan (his money - yay!!). Is that the new craze everywhere? It sure is at my son's school! [Update: Cole and I spent three hours going to four different stores for Bakugan (plus two craft stores for me) and FINALLY found them at the last store, which was the closest to home, LOL! He is VERY happy, and so is Mom.]


I toyed around with some different ideas for Jen's sketch this week (check it out at i{heart}2stamp), especially for the star, which just indicates any kind of embellishment. I kept coming back to some kind of flourish. I went to bed last night after a really fun scrap club with the plan to use one of my grungeboard flourishes, but somewhere along the way took a notion to use the branch-like image from Stampin' Up's Kindred Spirits set. I love the look of this image trimmed out! It takes some time, but the results are worth it. So I guess I kind of "adapted" the sketch (it sounds so much nicer than "maul," huh?) and turned the embellishment into the focal image. Anyway, the card is really not at all what I envisioned, but I'm calling it done all the same :D

In addition to the sketch, you can see Jen's and guest designer Suzanne Dean's samples at i{heart}2stamp.com. While you're there, be sure to wish Jen and her husband Tony a happy anniversary! You can see even more samples from Amy, Carole, Shannan, and Susan. As always, we'd love to have you play along. If you upload to SCS, remember to use keyword: SFYTT.



Stamps: Kindred Spirits (SU!); So Happy (Verve)
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Ivory Naturals, Kraft, Always Artichoke (SU!); Archaic dp (Basic Grey)
Ink: Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Always Artichoke (SU!)
Accessories: word window punch, vintage brads, distressing tool, dimensionals (SU!); classic square Nestabilities (Spellbinders); Forest Branches Cuttlebug folder (Provo Craft); brown twill (Offray); sewing machine, ivory thread, chocolate brown thread

The Lion and the Lamb

This week, over at Our Creative Corner, I issued a challenge to use colored stitching on your project. The stitching can be by machine, by hand, or even faux, just as long as the thread (or faux thread) is not white. We'd love to have you play along!! And we've sweetened the pot this week too, with a Halloween-themed giveaway sponsored by Michelle Rodgers of Stamper's Dream. Thanks Michelle!

Be sure to check out Michelle's sample for the stitching challenge, as well as samples from the rest of the OCC gang over on the Our Creative Corner blog!

I knew I wanted to try some blanket stitching, and thought the lion and lamb image from Our Daily Bread Designs' Peace on Earth set would be perfect. I stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on watercolor paper, then colored with reinkers and a water brush. The blanket stitching is done with embroidery floss. I'm not likely to give this another go anytime soon - I just couldn't get the stitching nice and even to save my neck! (Anyone have any tips?) As my friend and scrapbook club member Kate said when she stamped something crooked last night at scrap club, "Oh well, it looks handmade!" I like that! You can say that about my crooked brad, too, LOL!

Don't forget about the FREE SHIPPING on Peace on Earth and all other stamp sets by Our Daily Bread Designs (US orders only). But hurry, it's this weekend only!

Have a great weekend!



P.S. I'll be back in a few with my sample for this week's Sketch for You to Try!

Stamps: Peace on Earth (Our Daily Bread Designs)
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Mellow Moss, Really Rust (SU!); watercolor paper (Canson); "Archaic" designer paper (Basic Grey)
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black (Tuskineko); various reinkers (SU!)
Accessories: decorative brads (Making Memories); brown twill (Offray); paper piercer, corner rounder, water brush, foam tape, embroidery floss, sponge daubers

Free Shipping at ODBD!!

Lookie, lookie!! To celebrate her first half-year in business, Kelley of Our Daily Bread Designs, is offering FREE SHIPPING all weekend!