A Happy Inky 2014!

From all of us in the design team, we hope you all have a happy, wildly creative, fantabulous, and inky 2014!

We leave you with a couple of creations from the design team: 

What an awesome New Year card by Shirley!

...and who's ready to partaaayyy with the adorable dog in this super cute card by Nonni?

PS: There's a little over a day left to enter our December challenge here.

Inspiration Project + December Challenge Reminder, Final DT Call & January Stamps Preview

Hello, fellow crafters! Our current challenge ends in 4 days and so does our design team call. We'd love to see a few more projects added so how about it? Run and have fun with our theme this month: Stamps & Silhouettes.

For your inspiration, here's an awesome project from DT member Nonni where she used stamps in the VIGNETTE: Tree Silhouettes set. We've linked the photo to her personal blog where you can let her know what you think!

Oh, and here's a preview of the 4 new stamp sets we're releasing in January. We're introducing the PATCHWORK FRENZY series and kicking it off with the Graphic Pentagons and Graphic Squares sets. We also have 2 new VIGNETTE sets: Eclectic Florals and Retro Mod Shapes. These sets will be available in the shop by January 10, but check out our Facebook page post for an early bird deal!

Happy stamping! :o)

Spotlighting: Inspiration Projects + December Challenge Reminder

Our December challenge and DT call end in 11 days! 

Clicking on the graphic will take you to the December challenge post but before you do, check out the inspiration projects from 3 ladies in the design team that we're spotlighting in today's post. The photos are linked to their personal blogs where you can read more about their projects and leave some comment love. We hope these inspire you to create a project and share it with us by entering it to our challenge :-) 

Nonni

(using one of the swirls stamps in the Distressed Floral Swirls set)

Shery

(using trees and sentiment in the VIGNETTE: Tree Silhouettes set and stitch stamp from Patchwork Frenzy: Graphic Pentagons)

Vicki

(using trees and sentiment in the VIGNETTE: Tree Silhouettes set)

All of us at STAMPlorations wish you a very merry Christmas and a most prosperous 2014! We'll be back after the holidays to share more inspiration and previews of 4 new stamp sets we're releasing mid-January!

STAMPlorations Reminder: December Challenge + DT Call

A couple of quickie reminders, friends!

First, our current challenge ends on December 31 at 11:55 pm PST so there's still plenty of time to enter. We'd love to have you playing along with us! Just click on the graphic above.

Second, we're still looking for a couple more creative paper crafters to join our design team. Details are here.

Here's an inspiration project for the current challenge. Click on the photo to visit Shery's blog for the card details:

December Challenge: STAMPS & SILHOUETTES

Welcome to the December challenge. We’d love it if you’ll join us for the entire month of December! Each month we have a theme, and for December, we’d love to see any and all kinds of paper crafts using STAMPS & SILHOUETTES.

November Challenge Winner and Top Picks

Thank you to everyone who entered their projects to the November challenge. Nonni and I had a wonderful time looking at all 33 entries. We were amazed at the awesome creativity in each one! So without further ado, here are our top picks and the winner.

Nonni's Top Pick: #29 Debra James

Congratulations, Debra!

Please grab your top pick badge above to display on your blog!

Shery's Top Pick: #7 Lorraine's Loft

Congratulations, Lorraine!

Please grab your top pick badge above to display on your blog!

And we saved the best for last! The winner of our first monthly challenge is: 

#17 Vicki Dutcher

Congratulations, Vicki!

Please grab your winner badge above to display on your blog!

We'll also be in touch with you regarding information on claiming your prize :-)

NEW DT MEMBERS

We also want to thank everyone who expressed interest in becoming part of the STAMPlorations Design Team. Congratulations to the following ladies:

#1 Kylie

#14 shirley-bee

#17 vicki dutcher

#25 Monika

#29 Debra James

I (Shery) will be contacting each one of you in the next few days with the details. Nonni and I are excited to have you on the team! :-)

Thank you again to everyone who participated in the November Challenge. The December Challenge starts tomorrow, Friday, so do come back to find out what this month's theme is!

~ Shery

November challenge reminder post

Hello to all the crafty folks out there! There’s still time to enter our November challenge! You have until November 30, 11:55 p.m. PST to enter your creation(s). Our theme this month is STAMPS & SEQUINS and we’d love to see your take on it. Winner gets 2 Vignette stamp sets of her choice from STAMPlorations 

We are also having a DT call so if you’d like to be considered, create any paper craft project and enter it to our challenge.

Here are cards that Nonni and I whipped up for your inspiration. (Click on our names to be taken to our personal blogs and read more about our creations.)

NONNI
(using stamps in the VIGNETTE: Chevron & Arrows set)

SHERY
(using stamps in the Holiday Artsy [paint/brush stroke, ink blots], VIGNETTE: Artful Flutters [butterflies], and VIGNETTE: Tree Silhouettes [sentiment] sets)

Are you game? Try creating any paper craft for  any occasion that features stamps and sequins and enter it to our challenge. Link to the challenge is here or simply click on the graphic below.

We can’t wait to see your creations!

~Shery

New Releases: 9 Clear Stamp Sets in the VIGNETTE Series + Win 2 Vignette Sets

I’m pleased to announce that 9 stamp sets in our new VIGNETTE Series are available now and they are 25% off until November 22 only or until our current inventory sells out. Each set is just $5.25 + flat rate shipping (based on your location).

I’ve been playing with these new stamps all weekend and here are a couple of cards that feature the stamps. (I’ll be posting more cards in the coming days.)

“Thank You So Much!” one layer card using stamps in the Art Deco Border Builders set.

“Hello, dear friend” one layer card using stamps in the Trendy Feathers set.

WIN 2 VIGNETTE SETS
You can win 2 Vignette clear stamp sets (you pick!) by entering your paper craft projects in our current monthly challenge. Click on the challenge graphic below for the details 

DT CALL
We’re also looking for a few crafty, creatives to be part of the STAMPlorations design team. Details are here.

Make a wonderfully creative week!

~Shery

Bi-Weekly Challenge #2 Winner, DT Call, and VIGNETTE Clear Stamps Preview

Thank you to everyone who entered their projects to our 2nd bi-weekly challenge. Like the previous challenge, DH and I deliberated for some time as we thought all the entries were really good!

Ornate Autumn Butterflies Card by SmilynStef
We thought SmilynStef’s card was gorgeous — from the embossing to the
cut-out butterfly, color combo, pearl accents, and sentiment.
Congratulations, SmilynStef! Please grab your winner badge below to display on your blog!

Grungy Christmas Card by Sandie
We loved Sandie’s modern, trendy take on the sketch and
her use of non-traditional Christmas colors.
Congratulations, Sandie! Please grab your top pick badge below to display on your blog!

Thank you again to everyone who participated in our bi-weekly challenge. Our next bi-weekly challenge will be in January 2014 — once we have a few ladies join Nonni and me in the STAMPlorations design team. If you’d like to be part of the STAMPlorations DT, applying is super-simple: create any paper craft project that fits our current monthly challenge and enter it there! As a DT member, you’ll receive samples of upcoming stamps in the STAMPlorations line. 

And starting next week, 9 new clear stamp sets in the VIGNETTE Series will be available on the STAMPlorations shop and Etsy shop. These stamps are perfect for creating CAS and one layer cards, as well as a variety of paper crafts.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

~Shery

November Challenge: STAMPS & SEQUINS

Welcome to our first monthly challenge. We’d love it if you’ll join us for the entire month of November! Each month we have a theme, and for November, we’d love to see any and all kinds of paper crafts using STAMPS & SEQUINS.

PRIZE
The winner will receive 2 clear stamp sets of his/her choice. He/She gets to pick from the holiday sets and Vignette sets in the shop. (Visit the link to see the stamp sets.)

A DT CALL
We’re inviting creative paper crafters to become a part of the STAMPlorations design team. If you have a blog dedicated to sharing your paper crafting projects (cards, tags, altered art, mixed media, etc.) and you’d like to be part of our design team for a minimum of 6 months starting January 2014, show us your stuff! Simply create a paper craft project that fits our current monthly challenge and submit it. Include “DT” after your name so we know you’d like to be considered (e.g., Jane – DT). As a DT member, you’ll create a minimum of 3 paper craft projects per month (1 for the monthly challenges and 2 for the bi-weekly sketch challenges). You’ll have plenty of time to create your projects because we’ve already got challenges scheduled until the end of 2014. As a DT member, you’ll receive samples of upcoming stamps in the STAMPlorations line as well as previously released stamps when they are available.

INTRODUCING OUR FIRST DT MEMBER: NONNI

She’s one of the most creative paper crafters I was fortunate enough to bump into a couple of months ago and her card creations never cease to amaze me. But I’ll let Nonni introduce herself in her own words:

“I’m Nonni, a 33-year-old card-making enthusiast from Finland. I get to work in my dream profession as a musician but even the best jobs can be stressful… So the world of crafting is a great place to run away to! I got interested in card-making when I was planning my wedding invitations a couple of years ago. I got hooked right away! I enjoy making cards in various styles but Clean and Simple and Vintage are maybe my favorites at the moment. I love stamping and coloring in images with Copics. And I l also like to learn new techniques playing with embossing powders, inks, mists and such. Those who visit my blog often know I have an obsession with doilies, lace and pearls — I tend to put them on all my cards, vintage or not! When I’m not working or crafting, you’ll find me doing various sports or resting on the sofa in front of telly — a girl needs her downtime too!”

INSPIRATION PROJECTS
Here are cards that Nonni and I created for this month’s challenge. We hope they’ll inspire you and we’re excited to see what you create!

Nonni
(using the distressed floral stamps for the background)

Shery
(using stamps in the Holiday Hexagons,Distressed Floral Swirls, Holiday Artsy (outside sentiment), and Jesus is the Reason (inside sentiment) sets)

READY TO PLAY?

• Create a card, tag, mini album/scrapbook cover, layout, home decor item, or any paper craft that features STAMPS & SEQUINS. Any style is welcome — CAS, shabby chic, vintage, grunge, and so on. Post your creation on your blog and submit it by11:55 p.m. PST on Saturday, November 30. Don’t have a blog? You can post a photo of your project on your Pinterest page, Flickr, or any public online gallery.

• You must use stamps (rubber, cling, clear, digi — from any company) in your creation(s).

• Copy the link of your blog entry where you have your project posted and enter it to the linky found at the end of this post. Remember to link directly to your blog post, not just your blog URL. (This will make it easy for us to find your submission and leave a comment.)

• Include a text link back to this challenge in your blog post to encourage other paper crafters to participate.

• You can submit up to 3 entries for this challenge.

• You can submit your creation(s) to other challenges — as many as you want.

• Follow our blog to qualify for the prize.

• And lastly, have a great time creating your project! 

We’ll announce the winner and top picks on Thursday, December 5, here on the STAMPlorations™ blog and on the All About Scrapping page on Facebook. That’s it…we look forward to seeing what you create!

~ Shery

An InLinkz Link-up

Preview: TRENDY FEATHERS

“Trendy Feathers” in the STAMPlorations Vignette series. These artsy feathers and sentiments are perfect for creating CAS and one layer cards. They can be used with the other stamps in the Vignette series to create a variety of paper crafts. These clear stamps, as well as several more in the Vignette series, will be available in mid-November. I hope you’ll check out our shop at http://stamplorations.com/shop/

Bi-Weekly Challenge #1 Winner

Thank you to all the ladies who entered their projects in our last challenge. Your entries were all incredible I had to pull in dear hubby (DH) to help in deciding the winner.

Monika’s Vintage-Inspired Two-Toned Memory Travel CardWe were most impressed by Monika’s great use of embossing, sponging, and texture.
Congratulations, Monika! Please grab your winner badge below to display on your blog!

Nonni’s Kiitos (Thank You) CardDH and I were also impressed by Nonni’s card — we loved the color combo and
the coloring she did on the stamped image is super!
Congratulations, Nonni! Please grab your top pick badge below to display on your blog!

Thank you again to everyone who participated in our bi-weekly challenge. We hope you’ll drop by again on November 1 for our monthly challenge. We are releasing new stamps in November and some of these new stamps will be prizes. Happy crafting!

~Shery

Bi-Weekly Challenge #2 Sketch

Welcome to our second bi-weekly challenge! This challenge is open until November 6.

Note: The winner in our bi-weekly challenge gets a winner badge. However, if there are at least 20 entries by the closing date, the winner also receives a prize: his/her choice of holiday stamp set (there are 7 stamp sets to choose from).

Here’s the sketch for this challenge. It’s open to interpretation. Feel free to change the orientation of the sketch (you can do landscape), use different shapes (you don’t have to use flowers in your submission), add other elements to suit the type of papercraft you’re making, and so on — just make sure the sketch is recognizable in your submission(s).

Here are cards based on this sketch. Click on the photos to see the cards in their full size.

      

Ready to play? Here are the details:

• Create a card, tag, mini album/scrapbook cover, or home decor item with ANY THEME using the sketch as your guide and post it on your blog by 11:55 p.m. PST on Wednesday, November 6. (Don’t have a blog? You can post a photo of your project on your Pinterest page, Flickr, or any public online gallery. You can also upload it to our Facebook page here and I’ll add your entry manually to the link collection within 24 hours — but use this only as a LAST resort, please.)

• You must use stamps (rubber, cling, clear, digi — from any company) in your creation(s).

• Go with your preferred style, whether it’s CAS, shabby chic, vintage, grunge, and so on.

• Copy the link of your blog entry where you have your project posted and enter to the linky at the very end of this post. Remember to link directly to your blog post, not just your blog URL. (This will make it easy for me to find your submission and leave a comment.)

• Include a text link back to this challenge in your blog post to encourage other paper crafters to participate. Remember, there’s a prize for the winner if we have at least 20 entries by the closing date. It would be great if you can include the sketch in your post as well. The text link is required if you have a blog; displaying the sketch on your blog post is optional.

• You can submit up to 3 entries for this challenge.

• You can submit your creation(s) to other challenges…except for sketch challenges!

• Feel free to grab our badge and display it on your blog.

• And lastly, have a great time creating your project! 

The winner and top picks will be announced on Friday, November 8, here on the STAMPlorations™ blog and on the All About Scrapping page on Facebook.  Follow the blog or like us on Facebook — it isn’t a requirement for this challenge…do either one (or both) only if you’d like to be notified and be updated as soon as a winner is announced. Thanks in advance!

~ Shery

Bi-Weekly Challenge Reminder Post and Other News

Hi, everyone! Our first bi-weekly challenge is still underway. There’s plenty of time left to create and submit your paper craft project(s). One thing I didn’t mention in the original post is that if there are at least 20 entries by the closing date (October 23), there will be a prize — 1 stamp set from STAMPlorations™ holiday stamp sets – winner gets to pick 

Anyway, below is another card I made based on the sketch for your inspiration. So how about it? Try creating a card or two for Christmas (or any occasion for that matter) and enter it to our challenge. Link to the challenge is here.

The supplies I used for the card are here.

Also, the  STAMPlorations™ shop is now live! We offer flat rate shipping: $2.50 to US addresses, $5.50 to Canadian addresses, and $8.00 to all other countries. And just for our challenge blog readers, purchase any of our stamps and we’ll include a pack of 12 kraft tags in your order. Make sure to write “free tags” in the COMMENT field during checkout.