Hi everyone, it’s Nancy here, back to announce the winners of the Threes Please Challenge.  I asked someone very special to help me judge:  Jackie Leventhal, founder and Creative Director of Hero Arts!  Jackie is a true inspiration to all of us.  You can read more about her HERE.

Now for the winners…

…drumroll…

1st Place goes to kellsterstamps with this wonderfully creative camouflage owl card.  She created it for a friend’s daughter who just went off to boot camp.

Next we have rrlscrapgal (Andi) in 2nd Place.  She created this sweet little set of cards with limited supplies…simply beautiful!

Coming in 3rd Place is churchlady32003 with these gorgeous stamped organizers for her daughter’s room — WOW!

We also issued a bonus challenge for including photos on your creations. These winners will each receive two autographed copies of Jackie’s book, Inspiration In The Everyday, one to keep and one to give to a friend.  What great submissions we received!

First Place in the bonus challenge belongs to 1scrappycat with her elegant flower photo card:

And p.overgaard receives an Honorable Mention for the bonus photo challenge as well.  Just look at this adorable autumn photo card:

Winners, please email us at the address in the blog sidebar with “Threes Please Winner” and your place and we will get your prizes right out to you!

Jackie, thanks so much for helping me judge the contest — it was fun.  And thanks to everyone who entered the contest, such fabulous entries!  We had a very hard time choosing.  See them all HERE.

Be sure to visit the blog tomorrow — we have some special treats planned for Halloween!

Until next time,

Thanks for sharing your favorite things about autumn on Friday’s post.  I’m back to announce the three winners of the November Clear Design stamp set.  I had a bit of fun with the random number selections this time…here are your winners:

• #2 (because I have two grandchildren)…Candy on October 24th, 2008 at 7:31 am
• #11 (because it is my granddaughter’s soccer number)…Samantha on October 24th, 2008 at 7:56 am
• #46 (because it is my grandson’s hockey number)…Jenn B on October 24th, 2008 at 9:10 am

Congratulations winners! We will email you for your mailing addresses.

Enabler alert: The November Clear Design set is available in the Hero Arts Online Store HERE .

Until next time,

Thanks for joining me on the blog this week as I demonstrated how to get the most from a limited amount of supplies. Here’s a recap of the fall and Thanksgiving projects I shared this week.  (Click on each link for detailed supplies and instructions.)

I began on Monday with these two cards…

On Tuesday I showed how to use photographs to make unique greetings…

Then on Wednesday Jennifer shared two lovely cards as well as a video on gemstones…

And finally, Friday brought even more cards featuring the Happy Thanksgiving set, gemstones, and ribbon knots.

I see the the flickr pool is filling up with some great entries. Remember, you have until 11:59 pm PST on Sunday, October 26 to submit your creations.  Just use three colors of ink and three stamp sets as detailed HERE.  And don’t forget about the bonus challenge — use a photo on your creation for a chance at an extra special prize.

Also check out yesterday’s post for a fun giveaway.  I’ll be back here on Monday to announce the winners.

Until then,

Welcome back! Today I have two final projects to share with you.  Both feature gemstones, ribbon, and the same stamp set I’ve been using all week.

First, I made this “adult card” for a special friend of mine. She is a very classy lady and I wanted her to know I was sending her many blessings for this holiday that celebrates being grateful for all that we have received. The skeleton leaves were purchased at a craft store and are plentiful this time of year.

Now that Jennifer has showed you some tricks on mounting gemstones, this will be one of the easiest cards you make this Thanksgiving. Just ink, stamp, glue, and send.

Working on my “traditional New Years resolution” of using up some of my supplies, you will find small knots of ribbon on most of my cards for the rest of the year. Don’t think for one minute that I actually throw anything away though; I can’t bear to throw away those little bits of paper and ribbon that we all seem to accumulate.

Supplies:

• Clear Design Happy Thanksgiving
• Memories ArtPrint Brown Ink
• Memories Black Ink
• Neutral Mixed Notecards
• Kraft Notecards
• Olive Gemstones
• Orange Gemstones
• Other: skeleton leaves, a bit of ribbon, glue dots

Trim a piece of kraft paper to fit the front of a mocha card and stamp the leaf swirl in opposite corners in brown ink. Stamp your message in black ink. Adhere the leaves with glue dots and add a knot of decorative ribbon to hide the adhesive. Attach the decorated paper to the front of a notecard, add a few gemstones, and that’s it.

TIP: The leaves can overlap the message because you can see through them. You may want to use the same format for this card and vary the ink and gemstones to use up bits of ribbon you have saved.

This next monotone card is also a snap to make. I used two colors of ink and a single set (just like the card above.)

Supplies:

• Clear Design Happy Thanksgiving
• Memories Black Ink
• Olive Gemstones
• Lime Notecards
• Other: StazOn Olive Green ink pad, small piece of sheer ribbon

Stamp a border of leaves along the front of the notecard and add a grouping of leaves in each corner.  Use StazOn Olive Green Ink Pad for all leaves. Stamp a message in black ink on an okra notecard. Cut out a rectangle shape and tear the bottom edge.  (TIP:  I like to stamp everything first and trim later — if I don’t get it stamped straight I can straighten it out by trimming the paper.)  Cut away the border of paper along the leaves. Add the balance of the okra notecard inside the card.  When the card is folded the inside okra paper will show. Add individual gemstones among the leaves and a strip of gemstones in the message.

Now…let’s end our week with a giveaway!  I have three of the Clear Design November stamp sets to share with you…

To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment on this post and tell me your favorite thing about autumn.  You have until Sunday at 11:59pm PST to enter. [This contest is now closed -- the winners have been announced HERE.]  On Monday morning I will announce the three randomly selected winners. My favorite thing about autumn is that the beaches are so quiet, the water is crystal clear, and there is a bit of chill in the air.

Before I go, I do have one bit of “housekeeping” to mention today.  If you are selected as a winner for this week’s bonus challenge we will be asking you to submit a photo release for the people in the picture, so you might want to keep that in mind.  You can view the details of the bonus challenge towards the end of this post.

I hope you have enjoyed “stamping simple” this week. I imagine you all have less time than I do, but there is still time to send Thanksgiving wishes to friends and family.  Thanksgiving at our house is always a very special time with four generations still here to celebrate the day. My best wishes to all of you for a Happy Thanksgiving Day.

Thanks for stamping with me this week,

Hi, all!  It’s Jennifer here.  Nancy asked me to guest host for today and show you a video with tips and tricks for using Hero Arts gemstones and pearls.  They are favorites of mine, so I was happy to say yes.

Here it is…

Supplies:

• Clear Design Happy Thanksgiving
• ArtPrint Brown Memories Ink
• Hero Arts Gemstones
• Hero Arts Pearls
• Basic Grey patterned papers, vintage text paper, Ranger foam applicator (for slight distressing), Creative Impression silk ribbon, Bic permanent pen, Paper Shaper punches

And remember that you can enter this week’s challenge: use your favorite three sets of stamps and inks.  For more information, click HERE.  Don’t forget the optional bonus challenge: use a photo on your submission for a chance at an extra prize.

Tami and I will be back tomorrow to announce the winners of last week’s paper challenge, and Nancy will share some more fabulous cards on Friday!

Take care,

Sending Christmas photo cards is traditional — why not send Thanksgiving photo greetings? Children and pumpkins make everyone smile, and this easy to make card can be created by using this year’s pumpkin patch photo.

Supplies:

• Clear Design Happy Thanksgiving
• Sparkle Clear Happy Winter Occasions
• Black StazOn Ink
• Clear Stamp Cleaner
• Kraft Notecards and Envelopes
• Other: scalloped circle punch, colored pencils, paintbrush, water

After stamping the pumpkin with black StazOn ink on a kraft colored envelope, cut out, color and set aside. Punch a scalloped circle in a kraft notecard and add the photo. Mount on orange paper and add to the front of a Mocha Notecard. Add the pumpkin, burnishing the edges where you will be stamping. Stamp the message in black ink.

Tips:

• Did you notice in the photo above that the message was stamped over part of the pumpkin?  Stamp the pumpkin on a kraft colored envelope, color, cut out and attach to the card. Burnish the edges with a bone folder and then stamp over the layers. Because the envelope paper is thinner, stamping over the layers is much more successful. You can always add any detail that doesn’t  stamp with a very thin marker.
• When taking photos, take a few from further away to use in cardmaking, so you can see seasonal items with the child and allow for a punched frame.
• Stamp and color the envelope at the same time you stamp and color the card.

Holiday photo cards can be made with a photo of your favorite pet or scene from last summer’s vacation. Simple stamping and colors to match the photo make this card easy to make and the message can be changed for different recipients.

Supplies:

• Clear Design Happy Thanksgiving
• Clear Design Messages
• Black StazOn Ink
• Clear Stamp Cleaner
• Mixed Neutral Notecards
• Other: raffia, colored pencils

Stamp the pumpkin image on kraft paper using black StazOn ink, color and cut out.  Mount your photo on light orange cardstock and stamp a message beneath. Add the raffia and pumpkin and attach securely to the front of a mocha notecard. How simple is that?

Bonus Challenge: If you use a photo on your “three’s please” challenge card and it is chosen you will win two autographed copies of  Inspiration In The Everyday by Hero Arts founder Jackie Leventhal — one for you and one to give as a gift.  This beautiful book is a Hero Arts Collection of photographs and wisdom.

Tomorrow Jennifer will be showing you some tricks for mounting gemstones, because what is a holiday card without gemstones and accessories? Watch and have fun because on Friday we will be showing super simple fall cards with gemstones…and the same three stamp sets.

See you soon,

This week all of my samples will be made using only three stamp sets, three colors of ink and assorted papers and accessories. So there is no need to clean off your desk…you can still create these cards in that postage-sized “stamping area” we all have.  No matter how big your desk, we all end up with more supplies than space.

Thanksgiving is a time when we reflect on our blessings (even if we have had some hard times.)  Sending a card to someone who has stood by us lets them know how much we appreciate them, and reminds us how much their friendship means.

Supplies:

• Clear Design Messages
• Clear Design Happy Thanksgiving
• Memories ArtPrint Brown Ink
• Neutral Notecards and Envelopes
• Neutral Card Buttons
• Other: scalloped circle punches, embroidery floss

Trying to use up most of the paper in the Neutral notecard pack, I cut the flap from one of the mocha envelopes and attached it to the front of an okra notecard. Stamp a message along the bottom in brown ink. (Stamping the message now gives you the opportunity to make changes if you make a mistake.) Punch a large scalloped circle from the rest of the mocha envelope and a slightly smaller scalloped circle from an okra envelope. After punching a circle in white stamp a turkey in the center with brown ink. Layer the circles on the card, add the buttons with embroidery floss and your card only needs a special message from you inside.

Tips:

• Envelopes are made from a lighter weight paper so they are much easier to punch.
• The turkey is not colored, but colored pencils can be used to add color (if you have time.) Although for me, saving coloring projects to do while watching TV keeps me out of the refrigerator.

Using just a bit more time than the first card, this whimsical design uses most of the same supplies and is created in a limited palette of papers and ink.

Supplies:

• Clear Design Happy Thanksgiving
• Clear Design Messages
• Black StazOn Ink
• Cotton White StazOn Ink
• Memories ArtPrint Brown Ink
• Ultra Clean Clear Stamp Cleaner
• Summer & Neutral Card Buttons
• Little Turns & Brads
• Neutral Notecards and Envelopes
• Other:  scalloped circle punch, twine, VersaMark, colored pencils, scraps of paper

After punching a scalloped circle from kraft paper, add the pumpkin image. Since you will be using a bit of water to blend the colored pencils, I recommend using StazOn Black ink. Clean the stamp immediately with Ultra Clean clear stamp cleaner. Color the pumpkin as desired. On a piece of dark brown paper stamp a background of leaf images with StazOn Cotton white ink pad. Stamp a light brown piece of paper with the same leaf image using VersaMark ink. Stamp a message in brown ink on light brown paper and cut out. Add two orange brads to the trimmed message and assemble the card. Add the decorative buttons with twine to finish the card.

Tip: Are you wondering what you will do with all the leftover turns that come with the brads?…

Attach a small square of dark green paper  over the hole in a turn, add a swish of white with a paint pen (to simulate a reflection) and…you have adorable Christmas lights to add to stamped garlands of holiday greenery.

Now for the challenge…get out your favorite three sets of stamps and ink and start stamping!  Using at least one Hero Arts stamp set, create a project using only three stamp sets and three inks and tag it with the code word “threes”.  Post it to the Hero Arts Flickr group by 11:59pm PST on Sunday, October 26th.  Can’t wait to see what you come up with!  From the entries we will pick winners for these prizes:

• 1st place: $50 of new Hero Arts stamps + a 2008 catalog
• 2nd place: $25 of new Hero Arts stamps + a 2008 catalog
• 3rd place: $10 of new Hero Arts stamps + a 2008 catalog

Note:  I will be showing Thanksgiving and fall cards this week.  In some parts of world Thanksgiving celebrations are over,  so try using the same format, with three stamp sets and three inks that represent the current season in your country.

Visit the blog tomorrow for a bonus challenge using photographs and no more than three sets of Hero Arts images and three ink colors. Don’t forget, you can make an image lighter by stamping first on scratch paper and using the second stamping for your card.

Until tomorrow,