Shaker cards!

Finally, I'm able to participate once again in an Impression Obsession challenge. It's been crazy busy at work(I work at IO) and I would literally fall asleep sitting up when I got home at night..lol. Anyway, it's getting back to normal and since I made a few shaker cards for a sample board for work, I thought I'd just show them all at once :)

IO has a new product called "Shake It" pouches designed to make shaker cards much simpler as it already has adhesive on it. Let me tell you, I made one and then couldn't stop.. They are addicting and so much fun!! There are 5 shapes (right now...sshhh, surprise coming soon!) and they work so well with the over 4,000 IO stamps available.

I took some individual pictures very quickly one day and just realized that they are all awful. So luckily, I'd taken this group shot and it was passable, so I'm just going to post it. Hope you enjoy all of the cards from the design team today...be sure to visit the other designers' blogs for some great work!

Ready for Fall?

I don't know about you, but it's mighty hot here in Virginia these days and I'm very ready for some cooler weather. In fact, while I was making this card, I turned down the thermostat and was downright chilly to get me in the mood for fall and winter card making!

This card was made using a brand new release from Impression Obsession called Halloween Window and one of the new giant backgrounds called Cover-A-Card Thin. I finally tried the Prismacolor pencils with baby oil technique and I must admit that I *love* it!! Very easy and lots of fun! It's hard to tell in this photo, but I also used yellow Stickles for the face of the jack-o-lantern.

Hope you'll visit the rest of the IO ladies to see what they've come up with for this fall challenge! And be sure to visit the IO blog and participate in this challenge by making your own fall card, sending it to our blog hostess, Shirley and be entered in a drawing for a gift certificate to the IO store!

Merry Christmas in July!

It's that time again! The Impression Obsession team is celebrating Christmas this time around and we're using *NEW* holiday images. Fun, right? When I first saw these adorable penguins, I knew I *had* to use them right away. And the background is a brand new huge stamp, too! Go check out the IO blog to see more info on all of the backgrounds and the new awesome Mega Mount.

We have a new guest designer, too! Her name is Kathy Menzies and we're so glad she's with us!! Don't forget to visit Kathy and all of the team members for some amazing Christmas inspiration.




Stamps: Impression Obsession CC014 Cover-a-Card Fluff, CL245 Penguin Party, B7278 Skating Penguin

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, VersaMagic Purple Hydrangea

Copic Markers and Prismacolor colored pencils

Gold wire ribbon

We're looking shimmery!

The Impression Obsession Design Team is teaming up with Shimmerz all this week. It's an official IO/Shimmerz DT swap! Check out the fun and see what kind of sparkle these teams create when Impression Obsession stamps collide with Shimmerz paints!

We've enjoyed a week full of shimmery impressions and here's what I came up with! This is a brand spanking new IO image by Gary Robertson --- is this a cute gingerbread house or what?? I colored it in with my Prismacolor pencils, then used Angel Wings Shimmerz on the snow(or maybe it's icing??) and Gold Glimmer on the tree cookie out in front. I cut out the image and attached it with some double sided foam tape and layered it on some card panels. Very "sweet" and simple, just my style..hehehe...

Be sure to go check out the Shimmerz and IO blogs to see all of the beautiful work from the entire week! What a fun swap this was--hope to do it again!!

A big thank you to Stacey at Shimmerz from all of us at Impression Obsession!!

First Serendipity Stamps Design Team Challenge

It's all about gardens! The Serendipity Stamps kind! Our design team has been hard at work to show you some garden inspiration, so be sure to visit each of the team members' blogs(on the sidebar ---->) and leave them some compliments-- they've done some beautiful work!

I love cupcakes!

It's time once again for an Impression Obsession challenge. This time it's stamps only, no patterned paper. I tend to just use IO stamps by themselves anyway, so this was right up my alley!


I {heart} cupcakes...seriously, I do.......I have cupcake dishes, cupcake hand towels, cupcake placemats, napkins, storage containers, stickers, scrapbook paper, cake pan in the shape of a gigantic cupcake, even a cupcake shaped pillow! Obsessive? I prefer enthusiastic {wink} Anyway, it was love at first sight when I saw this new cupcake clear set! Couldn't wait to get my hands on it!! It's called Create-a-Cupcake and it was designed by Tami Potter for IO.

This card is pretty straightforward in design....the background is stamped on Stampin'Up Pixie Pink cardstock with Pixie Dust VersaMagic ink. These chalks inks are awesome for stamping with clear stamps!! LOVE them!! The dimensional cupcake was stamped in SU Close to Cocoa ink and layered with double sided foam tape, then topped with a hot pink heart shaped jewel for the cherry on top :) The brown scalloped circle was punched out using a Marvy Mega punch(that's the pink one) and then I lined up the the saying stamp with the curve of the punched circle. That's the beauty of clear stamps--- they're flexible and can fit almost any shape.

Be sure to visit the ladies on the design team and see what they've created using stamps only! The links are over there ------------------> Enjoy!!

Design Team Announcement!

Serendipity Stamps is proud to announce the new design team! We had so many talented ladies apply and wish we could've chosen everyone. It was a difficult choice, but here they are!! Be sure to visit their blogs and congratulate them!

Amy Cokley

Anya Schrier

Jennifer Woodward

Kathie Bailey

Lynda Benden

Shannan Teubner

Sue Eldred

Yvonne Hagane


Congratulations ladies!

Summertime challenge

I love Summer! No schedules, lots of sunshine and beautiful colors. I also love this classic Impression Obsession butterfly set called Butterfly Counts. I've used it over and over and this time decided to use my all time favorite color -- lilac. The saying reminds me to take time to just relax and enjoy the moment.

The IO design team has lots of great summer creations sure to inspire you to relax! Be sure to visit their blogs and celebrate summer!

Laura Fulcher
Julie Koerber
Dina Kowal
Daniela Dobson
Tina Werner
Jeanne Streiff
Shirley Ross -- our awesome blog hostess

Surprise!

Happy Birthday Mitra!

Mitra Friant, the owner of Impression Obsession, is celebrating her birthday today and the design team got together to surprise her by showering her with birthday wishes! Be sure to stop by each blog and join in the celebration .

Hope you have a fabulous birthday, Mitra!!

Julie
Laura
Daniela
Dina
Tina
Deborah
Jeanne -- our guest designer
Shirley -- our awesome blog hostess

Stamp credits:

single balloon, birthday cake -- Impression Obsession MC206
Happy Birthday to You -- IO A5490
ribbon -- May Arts
Copic markers
Paper -- The Paper Cut

Design Team Call -- Serendipity Stamps

Design Team Call – Deadline May 22^nd, 2009 Serendipity Stamps is seeking applicants to expand our Design Team. Check our Gallery for an idea of the quality we're seeking.

All email for the Design Team Call MUST be sent to SerendipityDT@yahoo.com.

Skill Set

A successful applicant must possess the following qualities:

• Exceptional design, technique, and attention to detail.
• Flexibility in design level – be able to create a variety of designs that will inspire new, intermediate, and seasoned stampers. A simple design can be great as long as it’s not amateur.
• Good photography, scanner and computer skills. You must be able to photograph and/or scan your art and send me upload-ready files, in a variety of resolutions. Ideally you must be adept at using Adobe Photoshop, or similar graphic editing software.
• You must be able to send/receive emails, upload images, adjust photo file sizes, and use Yahoo Groups.
• A commitment to being published and to promoting Serendipity Stamps via blogs, forums, magazines etc. SS has a definite “look and feel”. If our images do not appeal to you, please do not apply.
• Techniques – Your medium is flexible, but over 50% of our images lend themselves to coloring and that talent is important. It’s great to use all the latest products and I definitely encourage that, but I have a soft spot in my heart for the old stand-bys that will appeal to new stampers who just bought a couple stamps and only have a set of old colored pencils or watercolors to work with.

Team Requirements

Each team member must fulfill the following requirements:

• Participate as a Serendipity Stamps Design Team member for an initial period of 6 months . June 09 through November 09.
• Each month, complete at least 2 projects using only Serendipity Stamps.
  • For each project, provide a materials list and simple step-by-step instructions
  • Email these projects to serendipityDT@yahoo.com
  • Upload these projects to the Serendipity Stamps blog, the SCS gallery and/or your personal blog
  • Mail the original or a duplicate of the projects to Serendipity Stamps each quarter. Exceptions may be granted for large or elaborate projects. (I have enough of these items sitting around the shop!)
• Prepare 1 one-page project sheet per quarter. This would include photos, materials list, and well-written instructions. All saved as a one-page .pdf file.
• Create projects in response to SS Challenges. These will be part of your 2 project/month commitment, not an additional requirement.
• Serendipity Stamps reserves the right to use images of projects, actual projects, and associated instructions on our website, our blog, in advertisements, as submissions to print magazines, online magazines, and on printed idea sheets that we send to customers. You will be given full recognition as the designer and creator of each project.

Team Rewards and Benefits

• As a member of Serendipity’s Design Team, you will receive a Welcome Kit. This will include $75 in Serendipity Stamps. This will include a selection of stamps specific to our first SS Challenge as well as stamps of your choice (individual, unmounted cling stamps)
• Each quarter you will receive a $50 spending allowance plus a set of stamps for that quarters’ challenges.
• When SS releases new images, you will receive a full set of these images.
• You will be featured on our website/blog as a Design Team member.
• A link to your blog from www.serendipitystamps.com.

Applications

Please note that your ability to comply with these instructions will be judged as part of your application. Follow instructions or you will not be selected.

To apply, email images of 5 projects that illustrate your particular talents and skills. Image files must be 300 dpi and no more than 600x800 px each.

• Include projects that would inspire stampers of a variety of skill levels.
• Projects can be cards, scrapbook layouts, jewelry, altered objects, or home décor items.
• While I love to see Serendipity Stamps in action, your submitted projects do not have to be made with SS stamps.
• Include step-by-step instructions and materials lists with submitted work.

In addition please submit a bio of yourself including:

• a photograph of yourself
• a paragraph about yourself that describes why you are applying for the SS DT and a little about yourself.
• the techniques or mediums you like best and how do you see using these with our images?
• how long you’ve known about SS and any experience you have with our line.
• information about participation in other past or current design teams.
• affiliations with specific stamp and/or scrapbook stores/businesses.
• a link to your blog.
• contact phone number and the best time to call, and your time zone
• a mailing address for you – it can be a PO Box or a street address.

Email applications to serendipityDT@yahoo.com with “Serendipity Stamps 2009 Design Team Application” as the subject. Your application should be simply an email with attachments – pdf, jpg, or doc files.

Application Deadline: May 22^nd, 2009

Design Team Announcement: May 29th, 2009

Term of Agreement: Initial appointment is for a 6-month period.

The fine print: Serendipity Stamps reserves the right to make any changes to both the selection process, requirements, rewards or management of the Design Team at our own discretion. Be assured that we will operate with all respect and appreciation of your time and efforts.

Challenge time!

This Impression Obsession challenge is all about friendship, so I thought I'd use a color combo that I normally wouldn't to celebrate my friends. Must admit that I sort of like the way it turned out!

Using rose red, butter yellow and celery green on a chocolate brown background, I stamped everything in the same chocolate brown, paper pieced the center red flower, added some sparkle with a stardust pen and then finished it off with clear jewels. Simple and easy!

Be sure to check out the IO team blogs for more fun friendship cards:

Daniela
Julie
Dina
Tina
Michelle
Laura
Shirley

I'd also like to thank Michelle Giraud for joining us for the past 3 months as our guest designer. She has added tremendous creativity and inspiration with her cards and I'm so glad she was part of our team!

Sending a big welcome to Shirley Ross, who is our new IO blog host. She's already posting lots of fun cards and awesome tutorials and we're glad to have her with us!

Can you believe it's March already? This year is just flying by! It's time for another Impression Obsession challenge and this time it's celebrating good luck, so I thought it was a good reason to use this new "Clover Tree" now available on the IO website by artist Leigh Hannan. I'm in awe of her art, she has such a creative imagination! Don't you wish you could grow a good luck tree??

I simply stamped in black ink, then colored in with markers(no Copics yet! I used Bic Mark-it markers) and accented the stars with a yellow Spica Glitter Pen. The shamrock jewels have been waiting for something like this image, I thought they were a perfect touch.

Be sure to check out the IO design team blogs to see what good luck they come up with :)

Michelle

Dina

Julie

Laura

Deborah

Daniela

Tina

And for some fun IO info -- check out the new IO blog! There's a special announcement waiting for you! But hurry, it's a limited time!

Thanks for stopping by! See you soon!

a friend like you

Here's a card using another set of the new Sarah Phelps clear stamps from Impression Obsession. The flower pot is stamped with teal ink and the flowers are just quickly colored in with Prismacolor pencils. I used one of the flowers on the teal paper for a random background and added some of this cute teal and green ribbon that I'm now out of and can't find anywhere(do you know where I can buy more??).

And now a challenge for you......go create a card for a friend, mail it and put a smile on his/her face!

Check out these blogs for more IO Spring flowers(if their newest card isn't posted yet, please be sure to check back!):

Laura

Julie

Daniela

Deborah

Tina

Dina

Michelle

Ready for Spring?

I know the weather has been rough around the country this winter and I feel lucky to have escaped it for the most part in Virginia(no snow...yet! but cold cold air and lots of rain), but I'm ready to welcome in Spring and here's a card to prove it!

The heart is a new Leigh Hannan image from Impression Obsession which debuted this past week in Anaheim, CA at CHA. All of the new stuff will be on the IO website soon!

Be sure to check out more spring-y cards from the IO team -- Julie, Laura, Daniela, Dina and Deborah.

happy thoughts to you!

It's time for another Impression Obsession CHA sneak peek! This week is happy birthday(to me!!) and those are the happiest thoughts to send!

Since I'm one of the few stampers who *still* don't have any Copic markers, I used my Bic markers instead and I'm pretty pleased with the outcome. For the water in the vases, I chalked the area with a light turquoise shimmery chalk and then added Diamond Glaze on top to add a clear dimensional look. I love this ribbon, but since I received it in a ribbon swap, I'm almost out and have no idea where to get anymore! If anyone knows, please tell me (and thanks!)

Be sure to visit the other team members blogs for tons of inspiration:

Michelle

Daniela

Laura

Julie

Dina

for my sweet potato

More new IO Valentine stamps! This is a set that has separate sayings such as, "true love", "sweet potato" and "sweetie". I used all three of them to make the bottom panel of this card......yes, I stamped 10 lines of words! It wasn't too bad, I just lined up the 3 sets of phrases on my long acrylic block and stamped away! The little flower embellishment at the top is actually dimensional. Sorry I don't have any upclose pictures of that this time.

Be sure to check out the IO team blogs. We'll be posting new CHA images over the next couple of weeks and I know you'll enjoy them!

Happy Valentine's Day!

No, it's not really February, but it is time for some CHA sneak peeks and I thought I'd start with some new Valentine images from Impression Obsession. This card is stamped with new images from a new IO artist named Sarah Phelps--there are so many new fun sets from her!! Wait until you see them all!

The details are very simple....background stamped on cranberry cardstock, trimmed with the Fiskars Threading Water border punch, the hearts are paper pieced and add an organdy ribbon bow. And there you have a sweet greeting for your favorite Valentine!

Be sure to check out the blogs of the IO design team ladies including our newest Guest Designer, Michelle Giraud aka flaxychick. We're so glad to have her aboard!

Michelle

Dina
Laura
Deborah

Daniela