More Sites to See!

So I was roaming the internet ... again ;) So what's new! I see something and before you know it I'm blog hopping! or researching something I heard or read about.


Quilling, Cards & Crafts check out Giddy Greetings; it's a great blog site with lots of quilling tutorials. Monica has some great quilling tutorials! She also started a new blog called Going Green Greetings. Monica just did a "chocolate candy" quilling class...yummy! You can find it HERE at Anne Hayward's blog...Stamping at Blue Moon Creations.


Another fun site I saw was Stamp TV blog/Gina K Designs. I read Gina's Presenting "Faux Nestabilities" and "Faux Snake Skin" tutorials...pretty interesting.


I was going through Splitcoaststampers and saw this pretty Autumn leaf card by Wendy Janson. Her blog site is It's All About Stamping. I know summer isn't over yet but I really liked the card and besides some people are already making their Christmas Cards!

Stamps: Happy Harmony
Paper: Whisper White, Sahara Sand, Autumn Traditions
Ink: Soft Suede
Accessories: Crystal Effects, dimensionals, Mat Pack & Paper Piercer, Sponge, White Taffeta ribbon, small rhinestones, Ticket punch, Scallop Circle Nestabilities

My two friends, Jeannie and Pam, told me into a blog site called Christian Paper Crafts by Cindy Coutts. In Cindy's "About Me" she stated, "I consider myself to be beyond blessed. I love everything about paper crafting, stamping and scrapbooking. " What a great statement to make! I believe I will enjoy visiting her site!


Hold the phone! I don't know a thing about Photoshop but I found this site which might help me... pshero. If you know of any other "easy" instructions for Photoshop, let me know and I'll update this post!


The Cutest Blog Book! Yep turn your blog into a book. Some bloggers have some great blogs...this would be a great tool for them. My blog is still in it's infancy stage and I haven't posted much of my own work :(


I just recently joined Rubber Stamp Chat and Christian Paper Crafts Community. I am already a member of Splitcoaststampers. I usually pop in once and awhile just to see what is going on in the stamping world.



'till next time,



Con

Thank You - Crackerbox Palace

1321 W Court St, Janesville, WI 53548

(608) 755-4638

www.crackerboxrubberstamps.com

The Crackerbox Palace
Sells their stamps and other paper crafting items
at their STORE
and
the INTERNET.



They also have an Ebay Story...
1 Rubber Room

I cannot tell you enough how much I love visiting the
Crackerbox Palace!!!!

As I sit here and write this post...I wish I was there. I enjoy their quaint store, their down home personality, warm smiles, and wonderful, quirky since of humor. Whenever I get a chance to go there I am made to feel right at home. And I just adore their dog, Savannah. She is at the store with them. ..usually in the basement with John. She is so gentle and wouldn't hurt a fly.

When I was looking for some background information on the Crackerbox I found two wonderful reviews that I just have to share with you [because I agree with them]:

Innovative!: This is a hidden charm! I wish I lived closer to attend the card making sessions often. Wonderful array of stamps and great ideas. Charming staff too!

by mcrojo008

The owners are the most "REAL" people you will ever meet. Get your own personalized stamp made to mark your cards. The card swaps are wonderful and I pretty much live at the store. I even joke that if my husband could never find me he could call there. Plan to stay. There is sooo much to see. AND BUY!!!

by peyattriot

They are the greatest. Chicks demos I really enjoy so much, she does them on most Wednesdays and the last Sunday of each month, but in July she is doing her demo on third Sunday and her demos are all day long. Several of my friends and I try and go as much as we can, we drive from Kenosha it's about 1 hour drive one way, most of the time we end up spending the day.

Vicky Briggs [with glasses] was born and raised in Fort Atkinson but now lives in Janesville, WI with her husband, John. She loves to play! Her crafting got started with her grandmother’s help, who taught her how to quilt, embroider, cross stitch, crochet, knit and make new treasures from the “saved treasures”. They would cut up old cards to make new cards and placemats. Vicky vividly remembers her excitement in being able to use a few treasured buttons to embellish them. She started stamping 20+ years ago when her children were small. Her kids still remember how the card stock would brown in attempting to emboss over the breakfast toaster. Her grandmother told her “never quit playing”, and I don’t think she ever will.

John and Vicky opened the Crackerbox Palace stamp store in Janesville, WI. In addition to retailing from numerous stamp companies, they also make custom stamps that are shipped world wide. Currently they have taken in to a new level and are introducing their own line of stamps.

Chick Alizadeh [in black] is from Wisconsin, but lived overseas for nearly twenty years. When returning from Iran in 1998, she discovered the phenomenon of stamping. Although her standard job is teaching English as a second language, she has always been interested in Art, but she feels because of being away from drawing for so many years that she had lost her drawing skills. Stamping filled that hole. Although at first, unimpressed with the basics of stamping, through Vicky Briggs of the Crackerbox Palace, she was introduced to techniques. It didn’t take long for this association with Vicky to become a bonding of talents. Chick self claims to be an addict of everything new, and is especially in love with experimenting with new techniques, many of which she has developed on her own. Her answer to people coming in and saying they were virgin stampers, “If there is such a thing as a virgin stamper, then I must be the “whore stamper”. She says, “I’m so excited to be going away from my home area to stamp and teach… As a teacher I truly believe that one is taught by one’s students…I’m looking forward to learning as much as I teach."

This information about Vicky and Chick was gathered from DOOR COUNTY RUBBER STAMP which also have a show but unfortunately the Door County Rubber Stamp, Scrapbook & Paper Arts Escape! had already ended by the time I made this post. The show was May 29-30-31, in Bridgeport Resort, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.

Crackerbox Blob/News

*** D I D - Y O U - K N O W ***

Crackerbox Palace

Will be one of many vendors
At the One of a Kind Rubber Stamp & Scrapbook Show.

Date: November 21 & 22, 2009
Time: 10-5 Saturday, 10-4 Sunday
Where: Alliant Energy Center Exhibition Hall, Madison, Wisconsin

Classes all day Friday, Saturday Sunday!

*** P E T - T I P ***

Love you Savannah!

Did you know that Xylitol, the artificial sweetener in many chewing gums and some "sugar-free" baked products, is very toxic to dogs. Two or three sticks of gum can cause a 20 pound dog to have weakness, vomiting, seizures, or even liver failure. Another reason that people food is for people only! [New Hope Veterinary Clinic newsletter]

'til next time,


Con

"Helen" can be bought at Crackerbox...she is my "icon" on Facebook!

Thinking Inking blogsite

Thinking Inking

Debbie Olson has a B.A. in Commercial Art/Graphic Design plus an M.S. in Secondary Education. Much of what Debbie learned in art classes still applies to her today (basic designs, color theory, drawing and coloring skills). A busy mom, she home-schools during the day and creates mostly after 10pm. Debbie describes her style as eclectic - she appreciates so many different styles from clean and fresh to detailed and vintage. We hear she is rarely without a sanding block at her finger tips! (info from http://spellbinderspaperarts.com/blog/2009/07/)

I checked out
Thinking Inking's
Copics category and
discovered some really beautiful cards and techniques.

Here Debbie shows us how to use Copic markers to make this card...

Eye on the Sparrow: CPS123

Check out Debbie's...

"Sites that I spend too much time on"

"Categories"

"Archives"

If you like to be notified what Debbie has been up to you can "Subscribe to Thinking Inking" newsletter.






Every time I look at a blog at love to review what they have done.


'til next time,


Con

Spellbinders CHA Blog Frenzy CONTEST!

The CONTEST starts TODAY!!!!!

I found this contest on Facebook. I am a fan of Spellbinders!





First day starts with Thinking Inking blogspot...

Design Team Member, Debbie Olson




Thinking Inking used Spellbinders' die
S5-019 Labels 8 Die Templates...

Debbie shows us a gift set of four note cards, measuring approximately 2-3/4” x 4” folded, complete with coordinating envelopes and a clutch purse container.

Debbie also explains how to make the clutch purse container!

CONTEST RULES

(from spellbinderspaperarts.com-blog site)

Any participant wishing to be included in the daily drawing for the Spellbinders CHA Blog Frenzy give-away must adhere to all of the following rules. We are happy to welcome US and international blog guests for this Frenzy.

To enter each drawing on sneak peeks between July 9 and July 22, visit the reveal blog and click on the contest link to reveal an e-mail window. In the subject line of the e-mail, enter the die template name being revealed (on this post, the S5-019 Labels 8 Die Templates). Each blog reveal will remain open for 48 hours. Only 1 entry per blog is allowed and participant must use the same email address daily to be considered for grand prize entry, no exceptions. Please consider whether you will have access to the same e-mail address from July 9^th through July 22^nd and plan accordingly.

Spellbinders Design Team members and employees are not eligible for drawings.

Any participant wishing to be automatically entered into the drawing for the CHA Blog Frenzy Grand Prize must enter all 14 blog reveals and follow all the above rules.

Please note:

*Spellbinders will only use email information to contact the winner.

*Spellbinders will not share this email address with any other parties.

*Spellbinders will not use this email information for advertisements or communications

other than to contact the winner.

*If you wish to be included in further communications from Spellbinders, please go to their homepage SpellbindersPaperArts.com and sign up for their newsletter.

AND

SPELLBINDERS HAS A

Pendant Project Contest!!

July 1 through August 10, 2009

check it out!

'til next time,

Con