Gettin' By

A very special Saturday Giveaway!

Since we're kicking off the first official weekend of summer, I though it would be appropriate to do a fabulous giveaway to celebrate warmer weather, cooler drinks, and of course, all things crafty. Creative Memories recently released a brand new Stamper System with interchangeable acrylic stamps and ink pads (You can check out a quick video demo here.)

This is such a nifty, innovative tool and I had a ball creating some projects with it!

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On this page, I used the For Him and Be Young stamp sets with the Aqua & Cactus ink cartridge. It was a quick and easy way to make cute embellishment circles for my page.

I also made a set of tags (the Creative Memories Tag Maker is one of my very favorite punches!) using the Birthday Wishes and For Her stamp sets with the Honey & Berry ink cartridge. These would be perfect for gift tags or a simple card embellishment.

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So now the good part! I'm giving away a complete Creative Memories Stamper System, which includes the base system, all four stamp sets I've used in my projects here and four ink cartridges (Black, Brown, Aqua & Cactus, Honey & Berry). 

If you'd like to be entered to win, just leave me a comment below. ** Comments will stay open until Wednesday, May 30 when I'll randomly draw a winner. And I apologize to my international readers, but this giveaway is open only to US residents.

Enjoy your long weekend, my friends!

**Please be sure to leave a contact email in your comment if you are not signed in to Typepad.  Comments will remain open until the morning of May 30 (whenever I've consumed enough caffeine to function) and the winner will be randomly drawn from the comments, announced at the bottom of this post, and contacted via email (if possible). Winners must be US residents and provide a shipping address for the prize within the United States.  And that concludes the fine print. Yahoo!

UPDATED WITH WINNER: Congrats to Linda, who wins the complete Creative Memories Stamper System!

Give-It-Away Thursday.

It's amazing how quickly supplies amass in my little office. One day, it will appear neat and clean and the next, it's a regular scene from Hoarders. Lately it's been looking more like the latter and despite my ignore-it-and-it-will-go-away strategy, things continue to pile up. And when I found all these brand-new mini albums stashed in a box, I knew I needed to find them a new home. As much I love them, I'm so behind on Project Life that I can't see myself starting a new mini anytime soon.

There's Maya Road mini albums in acrylic, canvas, and chipboard, along with an Amy Tangerine Daybook and an SEI portfolio.  I've thrown in some other random pieces for good measure too - trims, chipboard, stickers, inks, flowers and a retro Heidi Swapp date stamp that only got used once or twice.

 

 

If you'd be willing to give these goodies a good home, just leave me a comment below.  I'll randomly draw a winner on Monday to receive the whole lot!**

And with that, I'm off to perfect my ignoring strategies on the overflowing laundry bins and insanely filthy car interior. Because one of these days, it's totally going to work.

**Please be sure to leave a contact email in your comment if you are not signed in to Typepad.  Comments will remain open until the morning of May 21 (whenever I've consumed enough caffeine to function) and the winner will be randomly drawn from the comments, announced at the bottom of this post, and contacted via email (if possible). Internationals are welcome to enter, but you'll have to pay postage on the shipment. And that concludes the fine print. Yahoo!

UPDATED WITH WINNER: Congrats to Marianne B, who will be receiving some happy mail! YAY Marianne!

Give-It-Away Thursday: JBS Mercantile!

Well hello Thursday! Looks like a perfect day to share some Jenni Bowlin kit goodness with y'all...and if you stick around, there's a giveaway, too!

Here's three of my pages from the May Mercantile kits, which contain all the bright colors and vibrant hues of spring. You can see the entire team's gallery right here, complete with detail shots and commentary.

My first page was created from just the Papercrafting Kit, and I had a hard time deciding which of the gorgeous papers to use. So I used them all, in the form of punched tags:

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Next I put my Silhouette to work cutting a grid of circles and then backed some of them with papers and embellies from the Papercrafting & Artisan Kits:

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And lastly I've got a page about my girly. Lately her favorite phrase is "Do you know how much I  love you?" so I wanted to do a page about just how much I love her!  The journaling is hidden on the back of the tag, which was cut from a vintage registration card in the Papercrafting Kit.

S U P P L I E S :

Did you know that JBS Mercantile is now offering a mini-album kit each month? Each kit is designed by a member of the design team, and this month's offering was compiled by the fabulous Shimelle! If you're a mini-lover, be sure and check it out. Quantities are limited and they will go fast!

{Mini-Album Kit for May JBS Mercantile by Shimelle Laine }

And speaking of mini-album kits, I've got one to give away.  It's the travel-themed kit I designed for JBS in April, and it's one of only two still available. Packed with lots of new Studio Calico, Jillibean Soup, and Jenni Bowlin, you can use it create a mini like this one:

If you'd like to be entered to win, just leave me a comment below.** Comments will stay open until Monday morning when I'll randomly draw a winner. Drawing is opening to everyone - internationals included!

Happy Thursday!

**Please be sure to leave a contact email in your comment if you are not signed in to Typepad.  Comments will remain open until the morning of  May 7 (whenever I drag my butt out of bed, make coffee, and log on to Typepad) and the winner will be randomly drawn from the comments and posted here. And that should keep the lawyers happy. Now go enter to win! And stop reading this drivel!

UPDATED WITH WINNER:  Congrats to Denise C, who's lucky #55 and the random winner of the mini kit! Denise, shoot me an email and I'll get your kit out to you! 

Give-It-Away Thursday: Scrapbooks, Etc.

My week has been filled with lots of things: doctor's appointments, overseeing various school projects, lots of homework (for the kids), laundry, volleyball, a tuxedo rental (for Mike), trips to the tailor, and a random grocery run when I discovered that dry cat food and tomato soup do not a suitable family meal make. None of which left me much time to draft any witty blog posts. And even if I'd had the time, it's doubtful there would have been anything worth reading being typed over here.  Apparently the part of my brain that used to be capable of stringing together a semi-entertaining tale has high-tailed it out of town with an open-ended airline ticket to Vegas, where's it gambling away my retirement fund and taking in a show or two. (At least that's what I like to imagine has happened. Because just saying I have writer's block is so, you know, mundane.)  

Luckily, not all my creative mojo has gone AWOL. I am currently in the midst of a scrapping fury with the May JBS Mercantile kit, which is an absolutely perfect combination of colors, textures, and brand-spankin' new products that I've been dying to get my hot little hands on. Of course, being that my writing skills are so hampered of late, I don't really have any clever commentary to add to these sneak photos. So will you settle for "Lookie here!  Pretty scrap stuff!" ?!?

At any rate, believe me when I say this kit is GOOD. Even if I did have the mental capacity to string together an effective description, words simply couldn't do it justice. Suffice it to say I'd be marking my calendar for the May 1st sale if I were you. (Don't say I never gave you any good advice!)

And finally, in an effort to make up for my missing writing mojo, I thought I better offer up a little giveaway to those of you still reading. I've got two new issues of Scrapbooks, Etc. (April 2012 and Febrary 2012) to send out to someone.  I promise the contents will be more inspiring than this blog of late. If you'd be interested in them, just leave me a comment below!** I'll draw a name on Monday and send the winner a little happy mail.

And if you happen to see that missing part of my brain at the roulette tables, tell it get home soon (for all our sakes'!)

**Please be sure to leave a contact email in your comment if you are not signed in to Typepad.  Comments will remain open until the morning of April 27 (whenever I drag my butt out of bed, make coffee, and log on to Typepad) and the winner will be randomly drawn from the comments, announced at the bottom of this post, and contacted via email (if possible). Internationals are welcome to enter, but you'll have to pay postage on the shipment. And that concludes the fine print. Yahoo!

UPDATED WITH WINNER:  Congrats to Lori, who was the randomly selected winner of the magazines. Shoot me an email Lori, and I'll mail them out to you asap! :)

Give-It-Away Thursday: Online Card Classes

CLASS DETAILS:  Are you a die cutting expert or do you consider yourself a novice? Do you prefer a traditional die cutting machine or would you rather use your computer to design what you’ll be cutting? Or maybe you’re just not sure! Never fear, we’re here to help! Join Kristina Werner, Jennifer McGuire, guest instructor Nichol Magouirk and many great guests (including me!) for A Cut Above, as they show you the ins and outs and everything you need to know about the various die cutting systems.

You’ll leave class with the knowledge of numerous tips and creative techniques for using the Big Shot, Vagabond, Cuttlebug and Grand Calibur with various types of dies and embossing folders, as well as the Silhouette Cameo. The first half of class will be devoted to traditional die cutting methods and the second half will be focused on the increasingly popular Silhouette (Cameo, SD, and original Silhouette). Simple to complex, beginning to advanced – we’ll cover it all!

This three-week interactive class includes free downloads (including some from guest artist Ali Edwards), BIG prizes, galleries, a Q&A forum and lifetime access! Class runs April 16 to May 7, but content will be available for a lifetime.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS: I'm giving away spots in the A Cut Above online class to three lucky blog readers.  If you'd like to be entered to win , just leave me a comment below, and be sure you are signed in to Typepad or leave me an email where you can be reached. Comments will stay open until Sunday morning, April 15, when I've had enough coffee to wake up, at which point I'll post the lucky winners here.  Giveaway is open to everyone - internationals included!

UPDATED WITH WINNERS:  Congrats to the three winners! I've emailed you :)

Give-It-Away Thursday: Ella Spring Training!

Well hello, neglected little blog. This week post-vacation hasn't allowed much time for blogging. Rather, I've spent the majority of my waking hours working my tail off to catch up. All while alternately having meltdowns about never being able to catch up and whining about having to work my tail off to catch up.

Now you're probably thinking "Oh boo hoo, Lisa. You just spent a week in the Bahamas and you're whining about being behind now? Aren't you a little self-indulgent whiner?!"  And you would be right. In fact, I kind of want to punch myself in the face right now. Then again, this blog was pretty much built on self-indulgent whining. With a little real wine thrown in for good measure.

So let's stop the whining and move on to something more fun, shall we? Like a giveaway! Today I'm offering up a spot in Ella Publishing's Spring Training, which runs April 23 through May 4, and will help whip you into shape for National Scrapbooking Day. It includes 18 inspiring videos from four coaches (Erin Cobb, Wendy Smedley, Nichol Magouirk and myself) and 12 hands-on training drills, plus six bonus inspirational videos from scrapbooking fitness guru, Tami Morrison.There will also be daily challenges, downloads, sponsor prizes, and more!

I'll be stretching your creative muscles with design topics that include using patterned paper, effective embellishing, and easy card creations! And I promise there will be no whining.

Here's a little sneak video to get you pumped up for training:

 

GIVEAWAY DETAILS: If you'd like to be entered to win a spot in Spring Training, just leave me a comment below. Comments will stay open until Monday morning, April 9, when I've had enough coffee to wake up, at which point I'll post the lucky winner here.  Giveaway is open to everyone - internationals included!

UPDATED WITH WINNER:  Congrats to Cathy L., who will be donning her favorite pink spandex leotard and joining me for Spring Training! YAY!

Blog Hop: Art of Layers!

Welcome to the blog hop for Art of Layers! My very talented friend, Ronda Palazzari has recently authored this fabulous new book that features her amazing creations with paint, ink, fabric, and scrapbook supplies. I know firsthand the love and passion that she poured into this book, and the resulting projects are a definite reflection of that. It's a must-have resource for every scrapbooker's library!

ABOUT THE BOOK: “Basic scrapbooking has you place photos and embellishments on cardstock or patterned paper - easy and...well, basic. The next step for most scrapbookers is layering. But trying to get that rich, interesting layered look can be very intimidating. Where do you even start? "Art of Layers" teaches scrapbookers and beginning mixed media artists just how easy it is to get to that layered look in any papercrafting project. Author Ronda Palazzari teaches readers 50+ techniques that will serve as tools to pull out whenever a layered look is desired. The chapters allow the reader to build their skills, from paper techniques they won't be afraid to try adding fabric, embellishments, and stamping to finally giving spray inks, paints and gesso a try.”

You all know what a fan I am of grids in design, so this piece from Ronda's chapter on Fibers makes my heart go pitter-patter!

THE GIVEAWAY:Here's your chance to win your very own autographed copy of this book! Just leave me a comment below. Comments will stay open until Sunday, March 25 at 8pm EST and the winner will be posted here.  Internationals are welcome to enter!

And if you'd like more chances to win, be sure and post on all the blogs participating in today's hop. The next stop is Birgit Koopsen's blog, so head on over!

Happy Thursday!

UPDATED WITH WINNER: Congrats to Helena Vripi, winner of Ronda's book! Helena, shoot me an email and I'll get your info to Ronda! Yay!

Giveaway: Kelly Purkey's Sketchbook 4!

I was thrilled when Kelly asked me to contribute to her new class, Sketchbook 4, and am just as thrilled to give away one spot in that class to a random blog reader today!

ABOUT THE CLASS:  Join Kelly Purkey in another installment of her popular Sketchbook class! Sketchbook 4 is a four week class filled with fresh sketches, easy instructions, beautiful examples, and lots of fun. This class is designed to be used at any time and over + over again when you need inspiration.

Sketchbook is different from any other sketch class out there because Kelly and the contributors offer design tips and detailed explanation of what makes a page work. It's more than sketches - they’ll deliver valuable pointers for creating great layouts.

By the end of the class, you'll have a complete sketchbook of 12 original sketches, 38 layouts, and an ADDITIONAL 38 sketches based on those creative pages. All the examples are brand new layouts, exclusive to this class... you won't see them anywhere else! You will be receiving an example layout from Kelly for each of the sketches, along with two example layouts from a Studio Calico Design Team member and some of your favorite SC Guest Designers.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS: If you'd like to be entered to win a spot in this class, just leave me a comment below. Comments will stay open until Thursday morning, March 22, when I've had enough coffee to wake up, at which point I'll post the lucky winner here (approximately 6 am MST).  Giveaway is open to everyone - internationals included!

And happy Hump Day!

UPDATED WITH WINNER: Congrats to Karen Haworth, who wins the spot in Sketchbook 4! Karen, please shoot me an email!

Give-It-Away Thursday: Freckled Fawn

I recently discovered the delightful little online shop Freckled Fawn and their lovely collection of ribbons, lace, doilies, and assorted trimmings. And if you're a fan of washi tape, you need to check out their unique designs...from chevrons to polka dots, florals to stripes, they offer whimsical and colorful tapes you won't find anywhere else.  I used their Chevron Washi Tape in my latest Project Life Spread:

S U P P L I E S : The washi tape was a perfect way to adorn my layout with simple, graphic flair. I added in a few pops of green and orange to complement my photos and went all retro with vellum journaling blocks.

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So how would you like to win a little shopping spree at Freckled Fawn for yourself? They are generously offering a $10 gift certificate to one of my readers.  If you'd like to be entered to win it, just leave me a comment below telling me your favorite Freckled Fawn product and how you'd use it. **

Comments will stay open until Monday morning, March 19, when I'll post the lucky winner below. Enjoy your Thursday, my dearies!

 

**Please be sure to leave a contact email in your comment if you are not signed in to Typepad.  Comments will remain open until the morning of March 19 (whenever I drag my butt out of bed, make coffee, and log on to Typepad) and the winner will be randomly drawn from the comments, announced at the bottom of this post, and contacted via email (if possible). Giveaway is open to everyone - internationals included! And that concludes the fine print. Yahoo!

UPDATED WITH WINNER:  Congrats to Erin T who is the winner of the $10 gift certificate! Be sure and stop by this Thursday for another great giveaway!

Give-It-Away Thursday: Mini - Kit!

Before we get to the oh-so-exciting giveaway, let me slip in another page that I completed with my February JBS kit.  I used the new dictionary stamp (which should be arriving in stores soon!) to create a repeating pattern, filling in the center area with little bits of patterned paper:

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Yesterday proved to be a good mail day when both a new Boden catalog and my March Jenni Bowlin kit arrived. Both are filled with reminders that spring is just around the corner - fresh, colorful patterns and palettes abound!  The March JBS Mercantile kit is filled with Jenni's new line, Magpie, and it's nothing short of perfection.

So today I need to clear off my desk and make room for new creating adventures, which means I've got a collection of pieces from my February kits that need a new home:

There are several 6x6 papers from October Afternoon, Studio Calico, and Cosmo Cricket, along with a nice assortment of new & vintage embellishments and goodies. If you'd like to give this assortment a loving home, just leave me a comment below.**  Comments will stay open until Monday morning, February 27, when I'll post the winner below.

Now go enjoy your Thursday, ya hear?!

**Please be sure to leave a contact email in your comment if you are not signed in to Typepad.  Comments will remain open until the morning of February 27 (whenever I drag my butt out of bed, make coffee, and log on to Typepad) and the winner will be randomly drawn from the comments, announced at the bottom of this post, and contacted via email (if possible). Internationals are welcome to enter, but you'll have to pay postage on the shipment. And that concludes the fine print. Yahoo!

UPDATED WITH WINNER: Congrats to Busygirl, winner of the mini-kit! And thanks to everyone who stopped by!