Black Friday!

Ms. November, Mary H., Bombshell Stamps' guest designer of the month, challenged us to create a "Black Friday" project. This could be interpreted in several different ways- shopping, the color black, a really bad day in the stock market or some other creative way...

My original idea was to make a receipts holder to use when shopping on Black Friday. As hard as I tried, I couldn't get it to come out like I had planned in my head, so, instead, I made a black card- well, black with shades of gray. Here's what I came up with...

I used the "Bucking Bronco" stamp set that Bombshell Stamps just recently released. I'm having SO much fun with these new images!!! There are SIX brand new western images now available! The image is colored using Copic Markers- black, warm gray 1, warm gray 2, and warm gray 3. I "shadowed" around the image using warm gray 3, then trimmed it out. The card stock is Stampin' Up's Basic Black, Crumb Cake, Whisper White, and an old Halloween DSP pack. The black dotted ribbon and the white satin ribbon are both from Offray. The image is popped up using dimensionals.

Head on over to the Bombshell Stamps blog to see what the rest of the design team has come up with for this Black Friday challenge! And while you're there, make sure to enter the "Follow this Blog" contest to win a fabulous prize!!

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope to see you again real soon!

WANTED!

This pretty little lady is WANTED...for being GORGEOUS!!

I do love this image from Bombshell Stamp's brand new western stamp set called Western Gal, available in both rubber and digital. The WANTED poster is also available for purchase as a digi image BUT...you can get it for free if you're a subscriber to Bombshell's newsletter!

Cardstock used is Stampin' Up's new Crumb Cake (quickly becoming one of my favorites!), Buckaroo Blue, and an unknown DSP. I used a strip of cream-colored ribbon that I recycled from a gift set and natural-colored hemp around the middle of the card. The WANTED poster is printed onto GP110 white cardstock, cut out, distressed around the edges and sponged with Stampin' Up's Creamy Caramel to help age it. Antiqued brads were inserted in the corners as "nails" to hold up the poster. The poster was popped up on dimensionals. The western gal was printed onto GP110 white cardstock, colored with Copics and shadowed using Warm Gray 2. I cut her out and also popped her up on dimensionals.

Check out all SIX of the new western sets over at the Bombshell website. If you shop this weekend, you can save 25% off of your order of $25 or more during their Black Friday sale, but hurry!! To get your discount, use coupon code "BLACKFRI".

Happy Thanksgiving!

I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Bombshell's "Follow This Blog" Contest!

To kick it off and celebrate Bombshell Stamps' brand new blog, we're having a "Follow This Blog" Contest! It's super easy to enter, and the winner will have their choice of 2 stamp sets (1 rubber + 1 digital)!!!

The contest rules are as follows:

1. Sign up to follow the blog by December 20th, 2010.
2. Provide a post on their personal blog promoting the contest.

If you are already a follower of Bombshell's blog, you'll just need to add a post to your blog to be entered!

How easy is that??? What a simple way to earn some FABULOUS stamps and images (including the brand new western sets!!)!!! Here's a sample of what you could win...

The above picture shows one of the new western digi-sets and the Retro Cowgirl rubber stamp set- just 2 of the MANY sets you could choose from if you win!

Also, Bombshell is having a BLACK FRIDAY SALE!!! Get 25% OFF your order of $25 or more!
Start saving right now thru Sunday! There are lots of wonderful sets to choose from- including the SIX brand new western stamp sets!!! Use Coupon Code “BLACKFRI” to get your 25% off, but hurry, this coupon expires 11/28/10.

Having a "Ball"!

The Meade Girls had a "ball" yesterday at Amanda's! She had us over for an ornament-making day and boy, did we all have a great time!! Look at this adorable ornament that Amanda designed for us to make:

She got the little tins from Ollie's- 30 in a box for only $3.99. What a great deal!!! (I really MUST go there more often!) The penguin image is from Just Rite Stamps and fits perfectly inside this little tin! I colored the adorable image using Copics. The circle image is glued into the tin using mono and some irridescent "snow" was added. A cute little felt snowflake was added to the front with a silver brad, a strip of coordinating DSP was glued to the outside edge of the tin (also helping to keep the lid on!) and some pretty deep red satin ribbon (from Amanda's never-ending ribbon supply!) and double bow to hang it on the tree with.

We also made some fabulously glitzy ornaments using the clear glass balls which I got from Hobby Lobby on my maiden trip there...some of the ornaments were clear, some were irridescent. Take a look at these!!

The first couple of ornaments were made using either Stampin' Up's re-inkers or alcohol inks and glitter. Just put about 30 drops of re-inker (less of the alcohol inks) into the ornament, gently (and carefully!) roll the ornament around until the entire inside is coated. Drain off any excess ink. Using a funnel, pour glitter into the ornament and shake, shake, shake! Dump out the excess glitter and you're done!

This one is made using Tempting Turquoiuse re-inker and silver glitter. A silver snowman sticker was added to the front (this was an irridescent ornament- you can see the rainbow effect it gives).

This next one was made using Adirondack alcohol ink in a Hunter Green color and a very light green glitter. Silver snowflake stickers were added to the front. This was also an irridescent ornament.

I love the color of this one!! Believe it or not, it was made using Adirondack Cranberry alcohol ink and a bronzy-color glitter. Isn't it pretty?

Being a big Ravens fan (and with purple being my favorite color!) this ornament is my favorite!!

I used SU's Eggplant Envy re-inker and purple glitter. This is one of the small glass ornaments. The picture does not do the sparkle justice!

Miss Jane brought a "kit" that she had purchased at Queen's Ink in Savage Mill. The kit included a bottle of liquid (sort of like thin glue) that you pour into the ornament. You then gently roll the ornament around, making sure to coat the entire inside. After pouring out any excess, you sprinkle beautifully colored powders (think PearlEx!) inside, adding whatever colors that you'd like. Next you add a "medium" (which is a lighter color powder- yellow, silver, white, etc.) and then you shake...and shake...and shake...until you get the look that you like....and boy, are they beautiful!!!

This pink one I added some silver glitter.

I love the way this one turned out with the gold glitter .

Gorgeous color combination on this one! You can see the glimmer...

This is one of the small glass ornaments. I'm VERY pleased with how this one turned out!

We all had such a fun time making these ornaments and I'm looking forward to making some more!! I still need to add some pretty ribbons and bows for hangers. They'll make nice little gifts or gift tie-ons...IF I can bear to give them away!! :)

Soon to be RELEASED!!!

Yee Haw!!! Check out Bombshell Stamps' soon-to-be-released digi-images!! THREE fabulous western-themed sets! Here are two cards that I made using a couple of these wonderful images. I do believe that this pretty lady might be my new favorite!

The image is colored with Copics and is cut out and popped up with dimensionals. I tried to use Creamy Caramel to age the image but she just ended up with freckles! :) Well, cowgirls DO spend a lot of time in the sun!! All papers are from Stampin' Up (Early Espresso, Cranberry Crisp, Crumb Cake, Whisper White and an old western-themed DSP). The stars (which kinda got out of hand!) were punched using SU's small star punch. The "cowgirl" sentiment is something I found online.

This next image just gives me the giggles. What fun it must be to ride a pig! I think this card would be cute for a little girl...a cowgirl in training.

Again, all papers are SU (Cranberry Crisp, Basic Black, Whisper White and that same western-themed DSP pack). The DSP was embossed using my Cuttlebug and the Paisley embossing folder. The "Ride 'em, cowgirl" was computer generated.

Mosey on over to the brand-spanking new Bombshell Stamps Blog and check out what the other design team members have created using these fun images! Keep an eye out for the big release this weekend!!

We Need Your Vote!!

Back in December 2009, the select chorus from the school I work at, The Jaguar Singers, performed on one of our local Baltimore channel's morning show. On Monday mornings, they always have a group perform the Bangle's song "Manic Monday". Well, the news crew picked our chorus as being one of the 5 best performances of the year, so, they opened up voting to pick THE best performance...we need your vote(s)! Please go to http://www.wjz.com and to the right of the home page you'll see 5 groups to chose from. Please vote for Jacobsville Elementary School! Right now, we're in 2nd place, but we'd love to see our kids win!!! You can only vote once per day from each computer. Please ask your friends and family to vote for us, too! I know the kids would REALLY appreciate it!!! The winner will be announced on the channel 13 morning show at the "Mammoth Manic Monday Meltdown" on Monday, November 22nd, so please vote and vote daily until Monday!

What's to Come...

Well, I FINALLY made it to the brand new Hobby Lobby that has opened in our area! Actually there are TWO that opened nearby!! I got some great deals! Everything I bought was 40%-70% off and the one item that wasn't on sale I used my 40% coupon! I got out of the store with one big bag and it was less than $25.00!

On Saturday a group of us are getting together at Amanda's for an ornament making day. I picked up some of the glass ornaments from Hobby Lobby on sale- I got a dozen clear and a dozen irredescent (spelling?), so check back on Saturday to see what we've created.

Also, Bombshell Stamps will be releasing some brand new western images! These new images coordinate with the Retro Cowgirls set or they're fabulous on their own!!! The Design Team is busy creating some sneak peeks for you. These images are fabulous!! I think you're going to LOVE them!