Curt's Best Shots Slideshow

Saturday, April 4, 2009

LOTS TO SHARE!

Hey All! Happy Saturday! I hope all is well in your world. I have lots to share with you today so I'll get right to it! I have 3 cards to share with you, a recommendation of an online store, some amazing RAKs I received, and an announcement. So if you don't read anything else, be sure you read the last few paragraphs! LOL

My cards today are Easter themed for obvious reasons. I also have one card that for the first time I cased from SCS. So on to my the first card:




As most of you know, I'm a big fan of House Mouse stamps by Stampabilities. When I saw this one, I knew it would make a great Easter card. This one is called "Will Knit for Friends". I colored the image with colored pencils and OMS. The paper is from Paper Studio and the card stock is Bazzill. I used white photo corners and colored them to accent the card.


The next is another Easter card made with a HM stamp. This one is called "Eggcellent". These are bunnies from their Happy Hopper line.



Again, colored with colored pencils and OMS. The paper too is again from The Paper Studio and card stock is Bazzill. Each layer on this card is mounted with 3-d foam squares, so this has some hight to it. I then added the coordinating brads to finish it off.

My next card is the one I cased. As I understand it, when you case a card you have to change 3 things about the card. I don't know if that is a rule or just the rules for a challenge on SCS. Regardless, I would never try to duplicate any one's work. It's kind of like American Idol for me. You take a card idea and "make it your own". LOL You can all be the judges on this one and see if you would vote me through to the next round. Here is the card I "cased":



I have tried so hard to find the artist who did this card on SCS, but after searching over 30 pages of cards and using keywords to search, I still can not find who did this gorgeous card. EDITED TO ADD: Two people found her for me! You guys are so awesome! Here is the link to the SCS post: HERE And you can see her actual blog HERE. Jean aka CraftJean on SCS found the link to the SCS gallery, and the other was found by my blogging buddy Julia. Thanks again you two!


Here is my version:



I do love how this one turned out. I love the effect of looking up at the dragonfly flying by. As you can see, I changed many things to make it my own. I left the circle in tact, used a dragonfly instead of a butterfly, used different foliage, added brackets instead of ribbon, different colors, etc. This person's card was really an inspiration for me. I just wish I knew who it was. This has taught me to be more cognisant when making notes.

Now, on to the RAKs I mentioned at the beginning of the post. The first is from a very new blogging friend who lives in Canada. Her name is Bonnie, and she is a groomer and also has a Miniature Schnauzer. She is a huge dog lover like I am. Unfortunately, she doesn't have a blog that I can share with you, but based on the card she sent me with my gifts, she is so talented! Here is what I received from her:



Is this awesome or what??? A gift for me and gifts for my boys! I was amazed at her generosity. The bookmark is brass and has this wonderful saying: "A dog is the only thing that loves you more than he loves himself. ~ Josh Billings" I just can't thank you enough, Bonnie. I will cherish these always!

Another wonderful RAK arrived the same day! It is from my wonderful blogging buddy Jodi at Inked Inspirations. Here is what she sent me:



Are those puppy faces cute or what? She had gotten this for me awhile back, but had misplaced it, and then recently found it again and sent it to me. I lOVE it so much, Jodi! Thank you for your thoughtfulness knowing how much I love Schnauzers and thinking of me. You are very sweet!

OK, now for a BIG recommendation for an online store that I am very impressed with. The store is Creativeplaystamps.com. The owner is Laura Hampton and is located in Illinois. WHAT AMAZING SERVICE! I had been jacked around by another online store (which I won't mention) and gave up on an order that I had been waiting for for 9 weeks! I cancelled that order and went to Creative Play Stamps to order my Nestabilities. Not only were they on sale, but she also carried House Mouse stamps (and a ton of other stuff). So, I ordered a few other things and got my priority shipping free. I placed my order on a Wednesday night, and had it in hand on Saturday morning! I was having trouble (due to my stupid computer) placing an order on her site. I sent her an email and she responded literally in minutes to help. Once I placed my order, she sent an email (again in minutes) telling me that she had pulled my items and they were ready to go out. I then received an email from the USPS that it had been shipped with a tracking number. When the package arrived, she had also included a free gift (small ink pad) with my order. I couldn't be more impressed, and I plan to order from her again in the near future. Go check her online store out. Huge selection, and AMAZING service! Thanks again Laura! You have a very happy customer here!

Finally, my Blogaversary is coming up in 10 days. I also noticed this morning that I have gone over the 20,000 hit count. So I'm going to be celebrating! Stay tuned for my Blogaversary Celebration. More details to come in my next post in a few days, so stay tuned.

That's it for now! Again, thanks so much for your incredible comments and support. You are all the reason why I do this, and I wouldn't be doing this without you! I hope you all have a FABULOUS Easter! Don't forget the pic of the week below! I'll see you on your blogs this week!

Best,

Curt

"God help me be the person my dogs think I am."

41 comments:

Rita said...

I luv your new blog design Curt!

Your House Mouse cards are so adorable...I luv them!

Luv your version of the cased card, I luv the corner brackets & the fact that you put your main image in the center, nice colors too! Great job!

Wonderful RAK's Curt!

Thanks for sharing your experience with this online company, I will check it out after I finish with this comment! Your the best! Have a great weekend! Hugs to you my friend!

Sue said...

Hi Curt
as always your cards are gorgeous, i just luv the HM ones so cute, brill colouring, your flutterby one is beautiful.

aww what lovely RAKs you had, lucky you, lovely surprise for you.
Its lovely when you get such good service, sounds a great shop. Have good weekend, sue.x

Anonymous said...

Hey Curt, I've missed you! Your cards are great, love those little house mice! Thanks for the online info, you are such an enabler, hehehehe. Awesome RAK's
have a great weekend!

Danielle said...

Gorgeous cards Curt! You really know how to work those HM stamps so well! You've had lots of exciting mail - and congrats on your hits! Fantastic! Have a very Happy Easter and enjoy your weekend!
Hugs, Danielle

sandyh50 said...

Wonderful House Mouse cards!

Mada said...

Love your dragonfly card. I am a purple lover so I also love the photo - awesome!
I like how you did the wings on the dragonfly, they look so real.

I can see that you're a 'house mouse' master - wonderful cards and colouring. Your cards always look so lively and happy it's a joy to watch them.

The RAKs you've received are just great and I'm sure your boys are enjoying their gifts. :)

I have a dream - to case your "Trellis Flowers" card. Someday I will...

Hugs,
Mada

Jackie said...

I love the new blog design and your cards are, as usual, just fabulous! Thanks for the online shopping tip, too. It's always good to hear from others who have had good experiences.

DeeDee said...

LOVE your cards! The HM line is so adorable! Thanks for the link to the store...I'm off to check it out now! HUGS!

Julie said...

Love your cards and your giants! Do you have a giant schnauzer stamp?? Would love to find one of those.

Ila said...

Your cards HM cards are Super Cute and Fabulous!! the butterfly and dragonfly ones are Beautiful!!...Fabulous goodies too...I'll have to check out that store!!..Happy Easter!!...Blessings!..Ila

Diane said...

Well Curt, you wowed me again!!! Love all of your cards, the Will Knit For Friends one is so cute with those little "peeps", its one I "must get"!! I just bought 3 new House Mouse stamps myself! Thanks for the tip on the "stamp store" will check it out. I just discovered one I love a month ago, its called Unity Stamp Company....they have fun stamps, too! Thanks for sharing...and the cased card you did is awesome!!

Elaine M said...

Uuuuu I bet I know the on-line store you had problems with cause I've been waiting for 12 weeks and have been told twice that my order would be ready to go out just any day. Thank so much for recommending the new store - I like their prices and will give them an order soon.

By the way, would sure love to send ya something - mind sharing your address?

Thanks for all the wonderful cards and pics - I LOVE visiting your blog
Elaine - mtn.moven.faith@comcast.net

Caroline said...

Stunning cards Curt, I really enjoyed viewing your blog, your colouring is superb.
Caroline xx

Janine said...

Great cards Curt!! I love reading your updates!! Fabulous... Will have to check out the online store.
Have a great day!!!

Anonymous said...

Curt ~
Love your cards! Love your blog! Here is the link to mystery cased card by mom2ejj
http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/1270842?cat=16127

It is a beauty and so is yours.
TFS, Jean ~ aka CraftJean on SCS

Little C's Creations said...

Beautiful Adorable creations, Curt. You are always so awesome in creating your projects. Awesome gifts received from Jodi - she's a sweetie. ;0> and looks like Laura got her a **great** customer!!! =0)~

Aloha,
Jen

Lauri said...

Your cards are so cute! Love love love the bunnies!!!! I always love your posts because they are so full of great cards! You did a wonderful job casing the dragonfly card; I love your take on the card!

Shirley said...

What a great post! I love your rabbit with the knitting and the chicks! Beautiful DP too! How very adorable the one with egg outfits is. Those bunnies are just too cute for words and that DP is gorgeous too! The Dragonfly is just such a lovely vintage creation. The corners are wonderful too! It's always terrific eye candy time at your blog!

Denise said...

Love all your amazing cards Curt. Thanks for sharing these beautiful creations with us all. Love your RAK, great items, you deserve them!!

Bumbles and Fairy-Tales said...

I love reading your posts Curt! I'm always looking forward to seeing what you have been up to :)
Adorable HM cards - you have the best eye for coloring! I just acquired my 2nd HM stamp yesterday - it's very large, I could just imagine what you would do with it ;)
I adore your Dragonfly card! I love the point of view of it! So unique! Beautiful!
TFS!!! xoxo, margie

lisa808 said...

Welcome back! Your cards are great. I especially like the knitting one--totally cute. And, the boys look adorable in their Easter bonnets.

Deb Neerman said...

Well, first off, I must tell you how much I LOVE that pix of the boys in their flower hats!! They are some very patient buddies, huh?!?

Your cards are, as usual, fantastico!!! And I love your coloring too ... it shows that you don't need to spend hundreds of dollars on markers when you can color like THIS with pencils and OMS! Gosh, you're REALLY good at coloring, Curt! You musta got an "A" in art, huh?!?

Thanks for the recommendation on the stamp store .. I'll definitely check it out. Nothing better than finding a seller who respects and appreciates her buyers! I'm already likin' her!!

GREAT cards ... great stories ... great photos ... great tips. Who needs any other blog to visit?!?

TFS and thanks for all the "extras!" You rock, Curt!!!

6 wacky women said...

Fabulous cards, Curt.
Your house mouse cards are so adorable and your coloring of them is wonderful!! Love your cased card too! The dragonfly and foliage are beautiful.

Take care,
Karen x

Angie said...

Hi Curt! Great cards today! I love that one you made from the SCS card. Congrats on your RAKS, Blogaversary coming up, and 20,000 hits! Wow!

dpkennedy said...

First off, your cards are gorgeous! Your coloring is just amazing and I love your designs...especially the card you cased! Great raks you've received too...you deserve it for sure! And last, I gave a shout out myself to Laura at Creative Playstamps...her and her hubs are wonderful to do business with! Thanks for sharing! Have a happy Easter!!

Becky said...

These cards are gorgeous Kurt, love house mouse myself, and this one is adorable, with the dp. loved how you layered it. Your circle card is beautiful, love the dragonfly. Aren't you lucky to get such wonderful gifts :). Thanks for the heads up on a good shopping spot, I guess some business do not get it, you may not mention the company but believe me Splitcoast gals do, and it helps to stay away from certain places and move on to the better ones, as you have supplied :). Gina K has that type of service too, I was shocked when she called me because of an error, can you imagine :). Thank you so much for coming by and leaving such an uplifting comment, you are always such a blessing to hear from. You and your baby's have a great day.

Lorraine said...

Thank you for your kind words (re sore foot) I will just have to do more crafting but sat down this time. I adore your blog you talented person you. On a sad note I lost my little schanuzer Daisy she was a good age at 15 and had a wonderful life. How I love to see photos of yours.
Hugs and a Happy Easter to you and yours. Lorraine xx

Heather said...

Oh Curt - I'm in awe. Your mousie cards are fabulous. I just love the image on the first one (another must have) so beautifully coloured. I also love those darling Hoppies in their egg outfits and what amazing papers.
The blue butterfly is so elegant and the other so pretty.
Now for 'Snoopy' - he's my hero. Gorgeous doggy presents and I've got that marvellous sentiment somewhere to use with my images that a friend sent me. It's brilliant and so true.
hugs Heather xx
Sorry I've written a book - almost!!

America said...

Omygoodness Curt!! I feel like Ive been away for way too long... soo much happening to ya! First, a huge HUG and a BIG CONGRATS on your HITS, your Blog-Aversary, and your sweet RAK mail. Second, and most importantly, your cards are just fantastic and colored so beautifully {as usual}. I LOVE THEM!!! Ya know you are an inspiration to me my talented friend. All the best to you, yours and your Puppers, America

Mandi said...

FABBY cards as always Curt

Congrats on the RAKs..sure they are well deserved

Have a good week

xx

Carole Beath said...

Hi Curt, and thanks for stopping by my blog to say hi. I love your cards, and I too am drawn to the HM knitting card since I am an avid knitter. Great stuff, Curt.

Michelle Alejandro said...

Curt you are definitely the king of the House of Mouse stamps! Everytime you make one of those cards they come out absolutely awesome! Such a cute card. TFS!

Hugs,
Michelle

Jodi said...

These are such awesome cards!! Great job with the coloring of your house mouse cards, these stamps have so much coloring involved but you really have the skill and the patience for it!! =)
I love your take on the card that you CASED too, it's so perfect for Spring!! I'm sooo glad that you like the calendar I meant for you to have before the New Year, LOL!! They are super cute puppies!! I couldn't resist it!!
I hope you are doing well! We all seem to be so busy these days that we need to remember to catch up with each other too! =)
You are so sweet and very creative!!!
I look forward to all of your beautiful creations. =)
Big Hugs,
Jodi =)

Susan (rainy) said...

You are officially on to the next round! Great CASE, Curt, and what wonderful RAKs. As for the HM cards, they are just so sweet and cute and beautifully and perfectly colored. That second one made me giggle! lol

Maria said...

Hey Curt! Wow, you've been busy! I love HM images too. . any card made with them always turn out beautiful. Yours turned out beautiful. Awesome job with your coloring!!

Wow, such lovely RAKs from your friends. . how sweet of them to send you such beautiful cards!

Happy upcoming Blogaversary and 20K hits!! Whoohoo!! How awesome!!

maria

Percy said...

Curt,

I love those HM cards, you are a real artist! The coloring is beautiful!!!

The one you cased I love it too, I like the simple look of it, the colors are beautiful again!!!

I bet getting all these treats for the boys was very cool...Your boys are soooo cute too...It was very sweet from your friend to send you those RAK's.

Keep up the beautiful stamping, and inspiring all of us out here on blogland!

Anonymous said...

I LOVE,LOVE, THOSE CUTE LITTLE BUNNIES....I DIDN'T KNOW BUNNIES COULD KNIT. THE "PIC OF THE WEEK" TOOK MY BREATH AWAY. EXCELLENT EASTER CARDS..LOVE YA, MOM

Tonniece said...

Hey Curt

I always look forward to seeing your HM cards, they are so much fun and you color them beautifully.
That being said, your second one cracked me up.... Too cute, and you csaed card is stunning.

Lucky you to receive such awesome RAK's.

OKAY...............it's that I need another store to spend money at but you have piqued my interest sooooooooooo I guess I'll take a peek. Thanks for the heads up.

Have a great week

Gina Wrona said...

Awesome as usual! Love it all, and pictures are soon to be coming, very soon my friend.
lol

Macpurp said...

oh i love your new blog layout!
and what beautiful cards! I love your take on the card you found.
lovely gifts too.

Your boys look so cute in their spring headbands!
love tina xx

Nina said...

Curt.... your easter cards are too cute! I love the ones witht he chickies!! makes me smile that image! That butterfly card is beautifully colored and very unique! and what a wonderful gifts for you and your boys!! lucky you, isn't it lovely to received surprises!! lucky you!! and what a nightmare about that store!! yikes! I would have canceled too after 9 weeks!! and will go check out that store... love to window shop!! and ohhh I sooo want some more nestabilites....LOL.. ok.. am I blah blah blah blahing???