Blog candy :D

I have found another blogcandy where you can win some of the new Magnolia stamps. Whohoo! Click on the link below to get there:

Magnolia blogcandy

To have some more chances to win the owner asks to show your best and your worst work. Here's one that I am very happy with. Don't know if it's my best, but it's been over 1/2 year since I did it and I still love it. That's how I measure if it's a good card or not, haha. It is colored with the 2 twinkling H2O's I own, a purple and olivegreen. LOVE that combo. The embossingpart is made by hand with fiskar's texture plates (no cuttlebug-cheating here ;)



Now, for my worst work I had a couple to choose from, haha. I was flipping through images of one of my earliest cards (8 or so years ago) and here's the embarrassment I found. Although I must admit it's nice to see that I've gotten better (and that it always could be worse) :D



I remember, instead of buiding layers I used to cut out the middle and glue the image/paper behind the aparture. It got exhausting after a while with all the handcutting. The little smears that frame the heart are little cupids versamarked and embossed with some glittery powder. Haha, now that's a blast from the past. This is more embarrassing than showing you my messy craftcorner.

My bookmark

Here's my bookmark for the cancerresearch challenge. I was actually done with it yesterday, even if the due date is today. That is so not like me, lol. I often have half an hour left before the duetime. I'm very happy with how it turned out :) Perfect for those bath-reading times...



Stamp from stampelgarden, colored with aquarellpencils and gold gelpen. Stickles on the foam and fixed with fixative to prevent damaging the book. Text printed out on the computer. Paper unknown (some kind of mullberry-like I got when I bought a surprise box once) The text says: One with the courage to laugh is master of the world - Italian.

I also fixed a better photo of the "love is in the air" card. I photographed it in daylight so the top pic is the new, more accurate one.

Blog candy giveaway!

I found this while surfing the net. It's a candy giveaway when the owner's blogcounter hits 10,000 visitors. Wanna see if you can join or if it's too late? Go to:

blogcandy

Make a bookmark and help cancerresearch!

Unfortunately I didn't win with my previous card :( It was decided randomly. I'm sure that if it had been decided on talent I would've won ;) I'm so modest...haha.

I'm struggling on though and this time the challenge is to make a bookmark using "chick lit" (which I guess is female litterature) or just a bookmark in pink. Most of the items you use should be things they have in their store. The prize is 2 sets of pink decorations that will be randomly picked, so anyone can win!
The best part is that for every entry they get they donate 5sek to the "pink ribbon" breastcancer research. Maximum of one entry per person.
It all ends tomorrow saturday 25:th oct. so hurry to make your bookmark!
Scan/photograph it and send it to (max 400x400pixels):

blogg@stampelgarden.se

Here are the details (in Swedish) and some inspiration:
bookmark challenge for breastcancer research

To check out the things they have in the store klick the link below. They have Magnolias that I know are popular, but I have to say that I'm totally bonkers about their own line of reindeer-stamps. They just released a bunch of totally new images and I have to have at least two of the new reindeers :D
www.stampelgarden.se

Love is in the air - triple the sketch challenge

Ok, so I have a little thing to tell you. You remember before, I wrote about this new Swedish company that I predicted would be the new Magnolia or hÄnglar? Well...I mailed the woman making them and said they were adorable and came up with some tips on advertising etc. She got so happy that she offered me one free stamp of my choice! It was so generous of her. I chose this one because it can be used for so many occasions. I call this card "Love is in the air".

I made this card for a sketch challenge and thought the card would be bigger so I could fit everything better, lol. I originally wanted it to say "is in the air" on the green panel under the "Amour/love" text, but it just didn't fit. I'm actually very proud of how it turned out.

The image is from scraplyckan.se, colored in using a new technique I have found. Me like a lot! Hearts are from a scrapsheet, cut out. Textstamp from Stampabilities, green border cut with a fiskars' decorative edgepunch and finally some primaflowers. Hope you like it :)

Teddy bear convention coming up!

Every year at the end of october there's a teddy bear convention in my town. I've been going every year for the past 5 or so years together with my fiancée. It's kind of our tradition now. It's very cute and lets us be kids for a little while, which I apreciate a lot. They have a lottery, teddydoctor and an exhibit among a bunch of booths where they sell everything bear-themed. Some of the bears are collectors items and are very expensive. The other ones that are for sale can be quite pricey too, for example Steiff bears. They also have a box where you can leave your stuffed animal for children that are not so fortunate. I plan to leave one every year, but I can't bring myself to give away my childhood friends :( More often I come home with a new friend, haha. Here are some pics from last year's convention.

These were diplayed in a glasscase. Originals from the 50:ies. Can you spot the Robin Hood bear?



Different companies. I love those bears with the long necks, but they were so expensive! Can you see the pricetag on the one stargazing? It's 815 SEK (roughly around 82 euros) I'm not saying he's not worth it. I'm just saying I don't have that kind of money to waste on teddybears. No matter how cute they are...








I love kangaroos and I thought this one was so cute!

I also fell inlove with these little birds, but they were made by Steiff and were too expensive too. I think these birds were around 300SEK if I'm not mistaken and they were lifesize.

There was also this adorable heartbreaking hippo, but I won't show it to you because he might just break your heart. I know I can't look at the photo of him without getting a thug in my heart ;)

PS. You can click the photos to get a much larger and detailed image.

So many blogs...

...and so much talent!!!
For the last couple of days I have been finding new blogs, companies and contests. I never thought there would be so much stuff out there that needs a new home. I can provide it ;) Some are blogcandy where there is a random draw and some are challenges: make a card after a sketch, use certain colors or companies. I really want to enter most of them, but as soon as I sit down by my craftspace: nothing! It's hard not to be intimitaded by those who make just insanely wonderful cards. If I'm like a daisy they are delicate orchids, lol. Some are just so beautiful I can't even begin to imagine how it's put together, not speaking of how they came up with it. And some are so well-made they are like little projects. Every little corner is decorated and the inside and back looks just as good as the front. I have so many windows open in my browser right now, lol.

One of the contests I wanted to enter is one that also spreads goodwill. I like doing that and thought I'd help. It involves making Christmascards that will be sent to US soldiers so they can send greetings to their families at home. I think it's a wonderful idea. It's getting a little tight though timewise and I need to send out these cards tomorrow or thursday at the latest since it takes about a week for mail to get to the US. I want to make simple yet beautiful cards, but I can't quite get it together. As soon as I do I thought I'd make a batch. I'm also thinking that the cards are going from guys to their families, so I don't want them to be too fuzzy and cute. And finally I want to go back to stamping. I love all those colored in images with pretty patterned paper and prima flowers, but I want to be a stamper, not just a cardmaker.

To my assistence I have my cuttlebug and some gorgeous embossingfolders. That's all I will say for now. We'll see if I get anything done today. If you want to help and be in on the lottery of some great prizes go to:

cards for soldiers

A great company

I want to tell you about a great stampcompany that I have found. As some of you might know, I love to search the net for "new" small companies that have great images and personal service. Well, so does this one called Inkastamps. I bought a bunch of stamps from her a couple of months ago and two of them were a bit uneven. One of the stamps I think I managed to ruin myself. Don't know how or why it happened just to that one, but it got all black, hard and the rubber got all "slidy". Stamped off awfully. With no questions asked she just sent me new ones and even included three free ones! Isn't that great service? Now I'm not saying this just because I got some free stamps :D I have noticed though that the bigger and more expensive the company the crappier the service.

That's why I'm always on the lookout for those underdogs. I like supporting the small business and they are often the less expensive ones. I just purchased an item from an old lady in the US. The pricing was the best I had found and she went to the postoffice herself to give me the best shippingoption that she could. Since the USPS has so odd and different rates I was very thankful to her that I didn't have to pay $12 in shipping for one item only. So if you're looking for something specific, let me know. I might be able to help you find the cheapest way, especially if you need them to ship outside the US.

Take a look at this company. She has great images for collage, asian ones, Alice in Wonderland and others. She also has some collagesheets and patterns. Click on the link to get to her site. She has by the way the best stamproom I have ever seen!

Inkastamps

Some of the stamps I got are these ones. The most handsome Asian guy I've seen. First young asian guystamp I have come across.




Pics are taken from Inka's website