Distinctive Touches

Treat Yourself Blog Hop - CardSwaps

Welcome to the CardSwaps "Treat Yourself" blog hop! 

There is a fun crop going on over at CardSwaps this week. Challenges and games will be posted August 8-11, 2012 and you have until 11:59PM EST August 14, 2012 to get your projects posted to the appropriate thread.

At the end of today's hop, you will be taken to the crop and I do hope you join in.

Each member of the hop today will have a "secret letter" hidden somewhere in their post.  Collect the letters along the way and unscramble them to entered into the drawing for a prize for one lucky hopper! (Check out the forums for details and requirements.)

You should have arrived here from Jeanette's blog. If not, go back and check out her blog and collect your letter. Then collect my letter and hop on over to Laura's blog to continue collecting letters and being inspired.

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The theme of this hop is Treat Yourself. While there are many ways that I actually treat myself (Diet Pepsi, string cheese, painting my toenails, watching the hummingbirds), I find that I get the most pleasure out of treating others.  I don't do it often, but sending out a special card for no reason, sharing an unexpected gift, or giving a thoughtful trinket is actually something that I like to do for ME as well as for the receiver.  It's a way that I can "pass it on" and it makes me feel good.  And THAT is the best treat ever!

I want to share a card that I made for a very special friend.  I was lucky enough to do some traveling with her this past week (a special treat for me) and I wanted to send her a card thanking her for being such a wonderful person. 

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Supplies Used
Cardstock:            Blush Red Dark (Bazzill Basics)
                            X-Press It Blending Card (Imagination International Inc)
Pattern Paper:      Summer Fresh (Simply Stories)
                            Minuet (Memory Box)
Stamps:                Seeds of Summer and With Sympathy (JustRite)
Inks:                    London Fog and Rhubarb Stalk (Tsukineko)
Dies:                   Nested Oval Medallion Label (JustRite/Spellbinder Custom Die)
                          Romantic Rectangles and Classic Oval (Spellbinders)
Other:                Wide white ribbon, paper snips, foam tape

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My Secret Hop Letter is:   I (sounds like eye)

In case you get lost, here is a full list of all of today's hostesses.  Stop by each blog to collect your letter and leave some love!

Brooke Smith -CardMaker blog
Jane
Susan
Margaret
Trudy
Golda
Meredith
Jeanette
Colleen (you are here)
Laura
Ivanka
Marlene
Anya
Angelina
Ana
Ashley
Lora

Thanks for stopping by today... remember to take some time this week and TREAT YOURSELF!

JustRite 12 Weeks of Christmas Blog Hop #6

Welcome to JustRite Stampers’ newest Wednesday feature, 12 Weeks of Christmas Blog Hops #6!   Every Wednesday up until Thanksgiving some of your favorite designers will be joining some of the JustRite design team for a series of Christmas blog hops, showcasing JustRite’s entire Christmas Collection of stamps!  This week, it’s most of the Copic design team and Certification instructors!  So mark your calendars for Wednesdays at 9am Central for great Christmas gift, card & project ideas, starting at the JustRite Inspiration blog!

I have three cards to share today... two featuring COLORING... (since this week is Copic Week after all) and one featuring a way to custom color your bling. 

The first card uses a sentiment from the new Christmas Nested Sentiments and Verses set.  I cut the sentiment layer out using a Nestabilities frame die and doodled a quick border around it.  I layered it onto some Vintage Christmas paper from Graphic 45 and some Happy Trails paper from Cosmo Cricket.  The "bling" was clear... but I created a stark flourish by running my Copic 100 marker over it before attaching it to the card.  Easy Peasy!!!

The second card uses the nutcracker image from the new Vintage Christmas set and another beautiful sentiment from the Nested Sentiments and Verses.  I used Copics to color in the nutcracker (marker colors in photo below) and then I added just a touch of shimmer to the gold trimmings with my lemon Spica Glitter Pen. 

This last card is my favorite.  I used one of the older holiday sets called Christmas Treasures.  I absolutely love the bright Cardinal sitting on the birdhouse.  I colored the image using my Copics (again, the marker colors are shown in the photo below), and I popped up the center part of the image.  I love the simplicity of this card...  as I love to have the focal point be the colored image.  This is a card that is quick and easy and would be a GREAT holiday card for family and friends. 

I hope you have enjoyed my samples... there are LOTS more great designs left to see...

Please visit these designers’ blogs to see what fabulous Christmas projects they have for you on the hop today!

JustRite Inspiration Blog
Sharon Harnist
Debbie Olson
Kellie Fortin
Becca Feeken
Marianne Walker
Kathy Jones
Barb Schram
Lori Craig
Stephanie Kraft
Jenn Balcer
Angela Barkhouse
Sherrie Siemens
Sankari Wegman
Colleen Schaan
Regina Mangum
Jennie Black
Kazan Clark
Sally Lynn MacDonald
Michele Kovack

Stained Glass

I want to thank each and every one of you for visiting my blog during our Three Day Mega Hop for JustRite Stamps!  WOW... I was blown away by the sweet and kind comments...  I even had a few people say my designs reminded them of Mary Engelbreit!  WOW... now THAT'S a compliment!  Make sure to check out the JustRite Inspirational Blog starting later today for a list of blogs that will be picking the winners!

I have just a quick post today as I'm getting packed and ready to head to the airport!  I'm off to Framingham, MA for the weekend to teach two HUGE, sold-out Copic classes and to mix and mingle at the Collins Group Trade Show.  It's sort of like a little, mini-CHA with lots of great manufacturers showcasing their products and three days of classes and learning and fun!  I'm SO looking forward to it!

One of the classes I'm teaching is a basics Getting Crafty With Copics and I will be speeding through the coloring/numbering system and teaching the basic blending techniques.  Here is the card that the participants will be creating...  the image is called Stained Glass Magnolias and it is from Magenta.  It's a pretty simple card, but I really want them to focus on the techniques and not the design. 

I'll TRY to remember to take pics and I'll share more about the weekend when I get back.

Wish me luck... and if you are attending... make sure to stop in and say hi!

Have a wonderful weekend!

colleen

It's Big... It's Huge... It's MEGA!!! (Blog Hop w/CANDY!)

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I'm joining over 80 other designers who are all celebrating the Mega March Blog Hop with JustRite Stamps! (Don't worry... we've split up the hop into three days so as not to overwhelm you with inspiration!)  LOL

Even though I don't really sew, the Stitched with Love set is one of my favorites!  I just adore this little heart-pin cushion image...so I stamped it (with a swirly boarder) twice.  I colored both images and then I cut one of them out as a smaller circle and popped it up inside the other one.  This gives it a bit of dimension and I was able to pierce the image with a real stick pin!  LOL  The sentiment from the Loving Thoughts set is the perfect compliment to the heart image.  

I wanted to do something classic and simple... yet bight and fun... so I refrained from embellishments on this one (with the exception of some faux stitching... it IS after all a sewing image! LOL)  I also decorated the inside with a third colored image. 

I went for broke with my next card!  I wanted something fun and frilly and sweet!  I stamped the gorgeous flower image from the Beautiful Spring set and colored it with my Copics.  (YG01/YG03/YG07/Y32/Y38/YR68/BG0000) I even stamped the image a second time and cut out a few extra flowers to glue onto the colored image.  It's like a bouquet of fresh spring air!  I used a sentiment from the Joyful Hearts set and finished it off with an organdy bow and some pretty pearls.

And of course... we can't celebrate without prizes!!!  So read on for more details!

27 designers, FIVE shopping sprees each day.  No one knows where the prizes will be!  Each day of the hop JustRite will have five Mystery Blog Candy Prizes hidden along the hop with a total retail value of  $600.  JustRite will randomly select five mystery blogs each day of the hop and randomly allocate each of the shopping sprees.  For your chance to win, simply leave a little love (a comment) on each designer’s blog including the JustRite blog.  The more designers you leave comments with, the better your chances of winning.  Each day’s comments will remain open for three days.  A winner from each of the mystery blogs’ comments will be randomly chosen using Random.org.  Consult the listing of designers at the JustRite blog each day (each day’s designers will be different) and start out on your way!  Beginning Friday, March 26, summaries of all the winners will be posted on the JustRite blog.  Good luck to everyone and enjoy all the JustRite eye candy along the hop! 

Today during the JustRite Mega March Blog Hop (Day One) JustRite and its sponsors will be giving away the following five prizes:

· $200 JustRite Shopping Spree

· $100 Spellbinders Shopping Spree

· $100 Stampers Dream Shopping Spree, and

· Two additional $100 JustRite Shopping Sprees! 

Blog comments for Day One will be open until Thursday at 6pm EST.  On Friday, JustRite will announce on their blog which five blogs have the mystery candy for Day One.  You will need to go to the JustRite blog to determine where you need to go to find out if you are one of the five lucky winners.

Visit the following blogs for inspiration that is JustRite...

JustRite Inspiration Blog
Becca Feeken
Tosha Leyendekker
Kazan Clark
Laurie Schmidlin
Kellie Fortin
Amy Sheffer
Jerri Jimenez
Denise Marzec
Michelle Rodgers
Stephanie Kraft
Sally Lynn MacDonald
Cindy Lawrence
Jenyfur Pohl
Silke Ledlow
Carolyn King
Dawn Easton
Holly Simoni
Julie Overby
Karen Maldonado
Colleen Schaan
Kimberly Crawford
Karen Taylor
Maren Benedict
Eli Harlan
Linda Beeson

Good luck to all and Happy Hopping!

Colleen