New labels, papers, and a birthday GIVEAWAY!

This contest is closed. The winner is announced on THIS POST. Thank you all for your birthday wishes for my daughter.

Last night was Gina K Design's release party with all the new goodies. But before I share about my new stamps, I just want to greet my first baby a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I typed this post last night, exactly 11 years since I felt labor pains for the first time ever...and they weren't as bad as I had expected :-). 5 hours later, I finally held God's little blessing in my arms. And if I may say so, she was the prettiest half-Asian baby ever born in that Croatian hospital :-).

Here she was at 2 weeks old:
And here is a more recent photo taken this summer.
I made her this card:
Using my latest Lovely Labels 2 and Fanciful Tags sets.
The tag on my card was made from a printed digital paper from Vintage Basics.
In honor of my girl's special day, I'm giving away a sampler pack of yummy seam bindings (like the one I used on my card above) that my girls and I hand-dyed, some fine European lace AND a copy of Vintage Basics digital paper pack.

Just leave me a comment below and I will announce the winner on Thursday. By the way, these ribbons coordinate with GinaK's Turquoise Sea, Ivory, Innocent Pink, Rocket Red/Red Hot, Cranberry Tart and Kraft cardstocks.

Winter Wings GKD Previews

Today's cards feature Asela's newest set, Winter Wings. I've always loved realistic bird images. The bird and sentiment are from Winter Wings. I used GKD Red Hot as card base. The ledger paper is part of the Vintage Basics digital paper pack. I distressed the edges and stitched them. The frame is from my Lovely Labels 2 set.

Here is another set with Winter Wings and Lovely Labels 2. The birds were colored with Copics to look like they're water colored.
For more samples with tonight's new stamp sets, please visit these participating designer's blog links:

• GinaK *Illustrator of Labeled with Love*
• Asela *Illustrator of Winter Wings*
• Jessica
• Theresa
  
• Tami
  
• Melanie
  
• Nina <<--you are here!
• Cathy
• Lee
• Lynn
• Tera *our CenterStage Spotlight Designer*

The entire team would like to cordially invite each of you to our release party tomorrow night (Thursday September 30.) We'll have contest questions, challenges, chatter, and lots of samples with the new stamp sets to share during the party. Please make plans to join us from 7-10 central on StampTV!

Tea Time and Funny Farm GKD Previews

Today, the Gina K Designs' crew is featuring Rupa's Tea Time and the new Card Kit, Funny Farm. On my first card, I used one of the Vintage Basics digital paper (also available for purchase on Thursday night) and Lovely Labels 2 to highlight the tea pot from Tea Time. The flower is by Prima, which is a perfect match to GKD Turquoise Sea.

Here's a close up. Click on the photos to see a larger view.

Here's another Tea Time card using Oct Afternoon Thrift Shop papers. The sentiment is from Rupa's older set, 100% Sweet. The circle and lace circle are by Spellbinders. The border punch is by Fiskars.

Finally, I had fun paper piecing the animals on this card using Funny Farm.
For more samples with tonight's new stamp sets, please visit these participating designers' blog links:

• GinaK
• Jessica
• Theresa
  
• Tami
  
• Melanie
  
• Nina <<-- you are here!
• Cathy
• Lee
• Lynn
• Asela
• Bev
• Colleen
• Sankari
• Suzanne
• Valerie
• Tera *our CenterStage Spotlight Designer*

The entire team would like to cordially invite each of you to our release party this Thursday night, September 30. We'll have contest questions, challenges, chatter, and lots of samples with the new stamp sets to share during the party. Please make plans to join us from 7-10 central on StampTV!

Lovely Labels 2 and Buds & Vases GKD Previews

Welcome to the GinaK Designs' previews of the stamps that will be available for purchase on Thursday night (Sep 30). There are lots of new things going on and we can't wait to share them all with you. Today, we're featuring my latest, Lovely Labels 2, and Melanie's Buds and Vases set.

Lovely Labels 2 coordinates with 3 of the new Spellbinder dies (Labels 14, 15 and 16). This set comes with 7 labels, 6 sentiments and 2 elements. My first card uses one with the music background, which was stamped with Memento Sprout. The little piece of vintage ad paper is from my latest digital paper pack, Vintage Basics. You will see more of this paper pack in the next few days.

The plaid and flower papers are by October Afternoon, card base is Creme de Menthe cardstock. The flourish and sentiment are also from Lovely Labels 2. The ribbon is seam binding that I heated for a few seconds with a heat gun and made into a double bow.

Here's a close up. You can click on any of the photos to see a larger view.
You can see the Vintage Basic paper better here, distressed and stitched. The card base is GKD Kraft. The flower is Prima.
And close up:
Not only are they great for cards, but for gift tags as you can see from Latisha's project HERE.

My final card today uses Buds and Vases set by Melanie. This set coordinates with the other beautiful flower stamp sets she's illustrated. Here I colored the images with Copics, but made them look like they were watercolored. I forgot how much I liked that look. Again, the papers are Kraft and October Afternoon.

And the close up:
Finally, check out this gorgeous pile of perfectly pre-cut rubber stamps. GinaK Designs will now release the new sets precut! Isn't that fantastic? Check out Gina's blog for all the details about this exciting new machine and what it will mean for you!

For more samples with tonight's new stamp sets, please visit these participating designers' blog links:

• GinaK
• Nina *Illustrator of Lovely Labels 2* <<-- you are here!
• Melanie *Illustrator of Buds and Vases*
  
• Jessica
• Theresa
• Tami
• Cathy
• Lee
• Lynn
• Kurtis

Card Patterns # 83 and Pixie Petals Winner

It's wet and gloomy here today and we're praying that the temporary solution (that my resourceful husband put together) to our leaky house will hold out for another week. We can't get work done until Thursday.

My card today is for this week's Card Patterns sketch:

And here's my card using images from DRS Designs, our generous sponsor this week:

And the winner of the $10 Gift Voucher from Pixie Petals is....#14 Rachel Hope. Please email me (Contact tab above) and I'll forward your info. Thank you all for entering and to Pixie Petals for sponsoring the giveaway.

Tomorrow night, the Gina K Designs September Previews begin. See you then!

Country Thanks

Thank you all for your kind comments from Tuesday's post and on the Paper Craft's Connection blog. Today's Paper Crafts' blog article features my lovely friend, Carolyn King. Head on over to the PC blog to see what she's doing to honor her Grandmother. And visit Carolyn's blog on Sept 26 for her HUGE giveaway!

Today's card is one of my favorites using Layers of Colors stamps. That chicken decor is colored with Copics and comes from the Rise and Shine set. And it's on sale right now! The white sentiment is SRM Stickers We've Got Your Stickers. The papers are Webster's Pages. The cardstocks, ribbon and button are all by GinaK Designs.

Also, my Pixie Petals giveaway is still going on. So, make sure you enter your name to the drawing.

A Very Special Post

Have you seen the Paper Crafts Connection Blog today? I am so delighted and thankful to the kind PC Editors for the opportunity to share with their readers the amazing things God has blessed me with through this papercrafting hobby that we all love. I hope that it's evident from that post my love for, first and foremost, Christ who is the giver of all good things (James 1:17); and for papercrafting that has been an instrument God has used to show His goodness to me.

And if I may, I would like to dedicate the PC Connections article and this post to my wonderful Mom, whose love, encouragement and generosity have fueled my love for both Christ and papercrafting. I love you, Mom, and everything that I am and have accomplished today is because of you. Yours and Dad's sacrifices will not go unnoticed by our Lord and I am thankful that you seek His glory in all things. I miss you both so much.

The card above uses my Lovely Shelf set. The cardstocks are GinaK Green Apple and Innocent Pink. It's a variation of a card I have published in the Paper Crafts Card Styles magazine under the Elegant category.

The PC blog is also offering a BIG giveaway from companies whose products I used in the card below. GinaK Designs (the cardstocks and button), Layers of Color (the sponged stencil background), Spellbinders (the scallop circle die to make the flower), SRM Stickers (sentiment) are all offering a generous giveaway on the Paper Crafts Connection blog today, so make sure you stop by there and enter.
The background was achieved by embossing (using a Cuttlebug) and sponging Layers of Color's Medallion stencil (it's on sale right now!). The flowers were punched sheets of an old hymnal. The cardstocks are GinaK Innocent Pink and Ivory. The leaves are by Prima. The lace is local (but Wright's makes something almost identical) and the ribbon is by American Crafts.

Finally, if you are curious to know more about the Christ I mentioned above, please email me. You can read more about Him --->> HERE. Or you can click on the tab above, "Who Do You Think Jesus Is." He is the Ruler of my life, the source of all joy and hope that make my life as blessed as it is. To Him be the glory alone!

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
~Jude 1:24-25~

A Snippet and a Pixiepetal Giveaway

Before I share the giveaway, Gina K has started the snippets. Here's my upcoming stamp set that coordinates with the Spellbinder die I designed. This is going to be a fun release!

My card today uses my latest Grand Damask and Inside and Out. And did you notice that gorgeous flower embellishment? That beauty was sent to me by Pixie Petals, an etsy store that sells gorgeous handmade embellishments that are perfect for your crafts.

Pixie Petals is offering a generous discount for you, my wonderful readers:

AND, leave me a comment below and I will draw a winner of a $10 gift certificate to Pixie Petals. I will pick the winner on Saturday.
Supplies (All products are from GinaK Designs, unless noted otherwise):

Stamps: Vintage Backgrounds, Grand Damask, Inside and Out
Ink: Vivd Aqua, Memento Black
Cardstock: Turquoise Sea, Ivory
Patterned Paper: Thrift Shop by Oct Aft
Accents: button and flower from Pixie Petals

Happy cards

It's been very cold and wet lately here. On top of that, we've been having some problems with leaks. We spent almost all night cleaning up the water, vacuuming, making sure we don't get flooded inside the house. It's been a bit frustrating and I really needed to make some happy cards. ;-)

These were featured in the SRM Blog using We've Got Your Sticker sets. Make sure you visit there for a chance to win some yummy stickers! You have until the end of the weekend to enter. The winner will be announced on Tuesday.

I used Cosmo Cricket's Delovely Papers and GinaK cardstocks on all the cards. Don't you just love the white sentiments?

Favorite Fall Memory

Welcome to Gina K Designs' Sr. DT Hop. Our task is to create something based on a favorite fall memory. I'm showcasing my latest sets, Grand Damask and Fanciful Tags.

Without a doubt, my favorite in the last 38 autumns God has blessed me to have is the birth of each of my children! We didn't plan it this way, but all three of my girls were born in the fall. Here is my greatest earthly treasure, my family.
And my second favorite next to the blessing of having the girls in the fall is... Kris and I went to a college football game for our very FIRST date 16 years ago! And what is fall without football, right? I combined both fall memories to create the following cards.

First is a birthday (for the birth of my girls) card with University of Georgia Bulldogs (my hubby's favorite team) colors, red and black. The card base is GinaK Lipstick Red, the patterned papers are Thrift Shop by Oct Afternoon. The large circle and fancy tag is cut with Spellbinder dies.

This simple get well card uses colors of my Alma Mater, UCLA. I have a lot of fun football memories there for sure. The card base is GinaK Wild Dandelion. The patterned paper is from my Bright Botanicals Digital paper pack. The button and ribbon are also from Gina K.
For all the information about how to enter your card into this month's challenge, please visit GinaK's blog, then check out these participating designer's blogs for more inspiration using the newly released stamp sets available through GinaK Designs:

• Jessica Fick
• Theresa Momber
• Nina Brackett -- you are here!
  
• Melanie Muenchinger
• Tami Mayberry
• Carolyn King
• Cathy Tidwell
• Lee Murphy
• Kurtis Amundson
• Miesje Flach - our CenterStage Spotlight designer!