Girl Friday Journaling Prompt: Love the Everyday

Another year ends and a new one begins. Truth be told, I actually take out a calculator when I'm asked my age to make sure I got the number right. (Yes, blame it on early senility.) My point? Age is just a number and the years that pass by are also just years adding up, coming and going.

But that's also why age-old wisdom goes, "Time is gold." It is important for us to capture the everyday, what gets you excited to start a new day, a new year.

Today, my wish for all of you is that you start 2011 loving every single day.

For me, these two are my reason for waking up excited to face a new day.


This is my husband AR and my son Matt six years ago. Yep, I've scrapped these photos before. (Thank goodness I used copies and not the original photos. Maybe next year I'll be brave enough to show you my first scrapbook. =p)

AR was swinging Matt to and fro and pretending Matt was an airplane. =p

Tip: If you're stumped on how to scrap a photo, take the theme (i.e. this layout was all about "airplanes") of the layout and grab your supplies together.

To break the monotony of airplane papers and buttons, I added a man sticker and postage stamps from Queen Kat Designs' Going Postal Stamp Set.


What makes you look forward to a New Year? Think about it, scrap it, write about it. Love the everyday!

*hugs*,
Nina

Thursday Focus 12/30

Mmmm, ask anyone what my favorite thing is and almost everyone will say without hesitation -- coffee. In fact, one day, I asked my kids "Do you know how much I love you?"

Their answer -- "No, how much do you love us?"

"More than coffee" was my response, a response that caused them both to stop and look at me, wide-eyed and said "That a lot."

So, as I am sitting here, just a little cold and waiting on my coffee to brew, it hit me that Vicki has a fabulous collection of coffee stamps (well, I also have the same collection, but I am not giving up mine; you will have to order your own!)

There is the Coffee Background Stamp -- filled with all of those wonderful coffee words



The Give Me Coffee Stamp Set -- great expressions to show your "obsession" with coffee



The Coffee Stain stain stamp -- you know that tell-tale ring that your coffee cup leaves



and The Coffee Beans Stamp Set -- yum, whole beans -- good coffee!!



Aren't these all fabulous!!! Can't you smell the coffee from there!

Check out these projects using the stamps:

December 28 Blog Hop: Free For All

Three days until 2010 becomes a New Year! We hope your holidays are still at full-throttle and that you're having a blast.

For the last official Royal Kat Tuesday EVER... (Okay, for 2010 anyway. *wink* Watch out for what we have in store in the New Year!) The Royal Court would like to wish you all a glorious and bright 2011! To celebrate, we'd like to show you some fun stuff we made for the last blog hop. The theme: It's a free for all and anything goes!

For a last-minute holiday gift idea, I'd like to share something I made:

This is an old K&Co chipboard container I've had forever. And I figured it was high time it was given new life and a new person that can show it some love.

I filled it with some stash to give a scrapbooking friend I know and love some happiness this season.

Stamps: Walk Down the Memory Lane Stamp Set, Candy Cane Greetings Stamp Set

Some close-ups:






Happy holidays, be safe, have fun, and enjoy the magic of the season. =)

Now off you go to the lovely Lara's Blog HERE. Happy hopping!

*hugs*
Nina

P.S. We will be starting a fun new Triple Tiara Tuesday in January. Everyone is invited! So make sure you come see us next Tuesday!

And here's the Blog Hop order in case you get lost along the way:
QKD Blog --- You are here. =)
Lara's blog
Shannon's blog
Dark Ink Sorority Blog
Chris' blog
Jan's Blog
Whimsical Ink Sorority
Penny's Blog
Queen Kat Designs Store

Fancy Tail and Squid

I hope you all have been enjoying your Holiday Season. I know we have in our house. And of course now the kids have nowhere they have to be and lots of new stuff to keep them occupied (so happy my daughter likes crafting supplies). And hubby is off work and that means he will do the dishes and I can paint more. It is a blessed season around here. This is the time for making stuff just for the pleasure of making it. No rush to get done in time.
I love this little mercat. All that fun detail in the tail was so very much fun to design and paint. I am so looking forward to using this stamp, cause I will get to color it all over again. I would love to see how you all color this one too.

Merry Christmas

Whether you are having Christmas on the beach



or are headed to Oz for Christmas


We hope you are surrounded by family and friends this holiday season



Merry Christmas from everyone here at Queen Kat Designs.

Enjoy Free Shipping on Us!

Happy Holidays from the Royal Court!

Our gift to you this year is free shipping on all USA orders!

Use coupon code: merryship1 at checkout and get your whole order shipped free!

Ends 12/25/10

Christmas Dragon

I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season. This is my favorite holiday stamp. Is that wrong for me to admit that, when it is my own design. I made so very many gift tags last year, and I am making more this year. I have colored it so many times as tags, that I just haven't gotten around to making a painting from it. So I am sharing one of my tags instead with you all.
I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday and some joyful crafting. I need to get back to some tag making and gift wrapping myself.

Quicky..

Hello QKD fans.
I want to wish you all a very Happy Holiday season. I'm here to remind you that we are still looking for some awesome design team (Royal Court) members. We have a few spots to fill and would love to see your work! Please come try out. It's a quick call as we need help ASAP.

Click here for the details.

Have a safe and warm weekend.
Vicki

Girl Friday Journaling Prompt: What is special about you?

Nina here inviting you to get your journaling stamps out and make a scrapbook page, an art journal page, or even just fill out a page in your journal.

I'm also on the DT of a scrapbooking challenge blog called Punky Scraps. For this week's prompt, we were asked to think about what makes us so special.

And here's what I came up with:


It's never easy to think about what makes us special unless you have a healthy dose of self-esteem. But for the rest of us, especially moms who are scrapbookers, we usually end up talking about what makes our kids, our husbands, our pets special and rarely talk about ourselves.

It may sound like a cop-out but once I'd listed my different roles in life (mother, wife, friend, sister, granddaughter, etc.), at the end of the day, it's the fact that I AM LOVED that makes me special.

This holiday season, while buying gifts and remembering how special our loved ones are, take some time out to remember what makes YOU so special and write about it.

I used an old Queen Kat Designs Rolodex Stamp as my journaling lines on this page. If you want to check out the other scrapbooking/journaling stamps QKD has, check out this page HERE.

You can join in on the challenge too here. We'd love to have you. =)

P.S. My 6-year-old son Matthew has been really, really sick for the past two weeks. Would really appreciate it if you could keep him in your thoughts and prayers. Thanks so much.

*hugs*
Nina

Thursday Focus

The focus today is on one of the newer designers here at Queen Kat Designs - Amy Brown

Amy's images are incredible!! There is really nothing else to say! I love her designs.

Check out these stamps; click on them images to see them in the store:





Now, what about these cards from the gallery!

This card is by Jan.



Here's a closeup of a card by Wynneth.

December 14 Blog Hop: Color Challenge

For this week's Royal Kat Tuesday, we invite you to check out the Royal Court's creations on the color theme: Green, Black and White.

And here's the Blog Hop order in case you get lost along the way:

QKD Blog --- You are here. =)
Lara's blog
Shannon's blog
Dark Ink Sorority Blog
Chris' blog
Jan's Blog
Whimsical Ink Sorority
Linda's Blog
Penny's Blog
Roni's blog
Queen Kat Designs Store

And here's my take on it:

These were a ton of fun to make. It felt like I was eight again and playing dress-up.

Some close-ups:




Stamps: Walk Down the Memory Lane Stamp Set, Asian Postage Stamp Set, Going Postal Stamp Set

Template found here.

Now off you go to the lovely Lara's Blog HERE. Till next time!

*hugs*
Nina

Royal Court Call

Queen Kat Designs (http://www.katstamps.com/) announces its latest search for loyal, dedicated and excited Royal Court members! You must be a STAMPER and card maker to apply. We are a stamp manufacturer that makes laser etched rubber stamps. We are looking for people who LOVE to stamp and can do so on a deadline with a smile!

Work Description:
*5-6 Hand stamped cards a month (photographs only, you keep your cards)
*1 Blog post a week on your personal blog (using 1 of the cards you made for your monthly quota)
*1 Blog post on one of the 3 Queen Kat Designs Blogs (Whimsical Ink Sorority, Dark Ink Sorority or the QKD Company blog, you will be assigned to 1 of the blogs upon hire)
*Participation on the QKD Facebook Fan page at least once a week
*Check in on the Court’s private message board at least 3 times a week to make sure you’re up to date
*1 of your cards made for your quota will be for the Royal Inklings Magazine so you will need to provide a write up on how to make the card with a supply list.
*Once or twice a month you will participate in Triple Tiara Tuesday. (T3) T3 is a new weekly mini blog hop/challenge that we are starting in January. This takes the place of our weekly blog hops.

(Terms are 6 months in length and we reserve the right to terminate your term at any time due to breach of contract)

Perks of the team:
+Worldwide exposure to your work through our blogs and online idea gallery
+Free rubber stamps each month of your term
+30% off any rubber stamps in our online store for your term
+40% off any rubber stamps in our online store on the 15th of each month for your term
+You will be published each month in our online magazine
+And more…

Please see info below and take your time to prepare a well thought out application.

a. Make 3 cards showcasing your best work and blog about them on your blog with a link to the Queen Kat Designs Royal Court Call. (Cards must be new for this call and can use any stamps and products you want. Of course we are partial to QKD stamps but welcome submissions with any stamps.)

b. Email us the link to your blog post to: royalcall@katstamps.com with the following (all in 1 email please!)

c. Choose 1 of the cards you made for the call and write up a “how to” sheet on it. (Simple instructions and a supply list) To get an idea of what we are looking for, take a look at the latest issue of the Royal Inklings Magazine here: http://www.4shared.com/document/-LMRXnbw/RI_Nov10QKDpdf.html

d. Include the following information in the body of your email: Your full name, mailing address, phone number, blog or website address, email address. Current bloggers only! This call is open to anyone in the world.

e. Provide one paragraph about yourself telling us about you and make sure your personality shines through.

General Questions…

1. Would you say you are primarily a stamper or a scrap booker?

2. How long have you been stamping/ scrapbooking?

3. Have you participated in any other design teams? If so, please explain (guest designer, regular designer, for store, for manufacturer, for kit company), and if currently on other teams, please list those teams and your commitment. Please list the work load and the length of your commitments as well as names of companies.

4. What is your motivation for participating in our design team?

5. Do you currently own any Queen Kat Designs stamps? If not, why not? (Please be candid)

6. Are you able/ willing to make at least one post per week to promote our products? (At least one of these posts will be on a Tuesday per month; the one that is a Tuesday will be your day to host a challenge on your blog)

7. Are you able/ willing to commit to a 6 month term with QKD at this time? Do you have at least 3-4 hours a week to devote to the team?

8. Are you willing / able to help with extra samples each month? We are signing a lot of new stamp artists in 2011 and we will need lots of extra help on samples. Are you willing to help?

Applications are due by January 9th 2011 at 10am MST!
New Royal Court members will be by January 10th 2011 via email.
Send everything in 1 email to: royalcall@katstamps.com

MerCat's Bath

Mercat's Bath is one of my Art Nouveau inspired works. This one probably has the most back story to it.
My grandmother made porcelain dolls. One day I was going through her doll books and found these tiny little fairy dolls that nestled into these tiny vintage tea cups. I even knew what tea cup I wanted it in. One of these china sandwich plate and tea sets that she had gotten at a gas station back in the 50's. She only got 7 before they discontinued them, so I tried to convince her that using one for a doll for me would even out her set. She told me I was crazy and that she would never make a doll so very tiny. for Christmas I got a fairy doll that was more the size of a standard doll.
When she passed away I found the heads and legs and arms for a pair of tiny fairy dolls that she never finished. And ever since I have been obsessed with the idea of little things in tea cups. You can find tea cups featuring in several of my works. Fairy Cats checking out a cup, or a kitty crawling into one, or even just a tiny cup resting next to a sleeping fairy cat.
Be sure to check out the shop and see if you can find some more of those little tea cups.

Sales anyone?

Well, here it is Saturday again! And no Thursday focus to be found! Yes, that's right. I have been so out of it this week; haven't been near a computer except at work, so here we go again.

But, did you know that right now, you, yes you, could save some money and get yourself a nice Christmas present or stocking stuffer! Head off to the store and see what is on sale --

Pre Christmas Sale

45% off Rubber Stamps through 12/15/10
70% off Remaining QKD Acrylic Stamps

Here's one that I definitely want in my stocking!



How cute is that!!! It's called Spit out Santa!

Girl Friday Tutorial: Altered slide mounts

Here's an easy-peasy (as my 6-year-old son would put it) tag idea.

Materials:
slide mount (although this is totally optional), okay, slide mount template (handmade); patterned paper; cardstock; embellishments; stamp ink; Queen Kat Designs Stamps - I used Candy Cane Greetings Stamp Set and Rolodex Stamp (not available).

Step 1


I got a paper-wrapped slide mount from a craft store and carefully separated the parts to use as my template. However, this step is entirely optional. If you don't have a decorated slide mount on hand, proceed to step 2.

Step 2


I traced the backing and the actual slide mount on white cardstock. But if you don't have a slide mount, simply measure a 2" x 2" square and round the corners.
For the piece with the whole in the center, measure and cut a .75" x 1.25" rectangle in another 2" x 2" square with rounded corners.
I also traced the original paper wrapping of the slide mount on patterned paper (photo not shown).
If you don't have a template, use the 2" x 2" square with a hole as a template. Cut enough patterned paper to "giftwrap" your square.

Step 3


Decorate as desired. Before I attached the front part of my slide mount, I stamped the lines (Rolodex Stamp) and To/From (Candy Cane Greetings Stamp Set) images on the back square.

Tip: The fun part of this is that you can create as many as you want with such an easy template. Plus, it's a breeze to simply punch a hole for your string if you prefer to hang it on a gift. Fun!

*hugs*
Nina

December 7 Blog Hop: Sketch

I don't know what it's like in your part of the world. But as soon as we hit the "ber" months (i.e. September) in the Philippines, you start hearing Christmas carols in the malls and people start putting up their Christmas decor!

Can you believe it's December already? It does feel that as soon as October rolls in, time just snowballs into the holidays.

This week, we have another fab sketch to share with you and we hope that you'll come along to enjoy the lovely goodies that the Royal Court have come in. This week's sketch challenge:



And here's the Blog Hop order in case you get lost along the way:

QKD Blog --- You are here. =)
Lara's blog
Shannon's blog
Dark Ink Sorority Blog
Chris' blog
Jan's Blog
Whimsical Ink Sorority
Linda's Blog
Penny's Blog
Jules' Blog
Roni's blog
Queen Kat Designs Store

And here's my take on it:


The Walk Down Memory Lane Stamp Set features this sweet stamp of a little boy and a little girl. So I wanted my card to reflect both feminine and masculine elements, hence the doily and purple, and the metallic acrylic background and washers.

Now off you go to the lovely Lara's Blog to see her fab creation HERE.

Till next time and hope you're all having fun gearing up for the holidays!

*hugs*
Nina

Anticipation. Really, what can I say about this little fellow. Everyone needs a cupcake. This was done with my little girl in mind. All pink and frothy and sweet. It makes me think of little girls' summer tea party a la Fancy Nancy.
This is actually part of a set with a spare strawberry and the words "Happy Birthday" and "Special Day".

Thursday Focus (on Saturday?)

Okay, my mind must have been mush this week!!! I had this post all planned out and just kept reminding myself to sit down and post and low and behold (don't you just love that phrase) I kept forgetting!!!

So, instead of my original plans, I have decided to go with something a little different. Yesterday, I spent six hours shopping with my kids, trying to find them clothes -- they have grown so much. We were successful so I thought about focusing this on clothing, so off I go to the store to see what I could find, when I found the coolest stamps!!! They are new releases; they are Christmas; BUT they are not like anything else!!! They are super cool; no ordinary Christmas for me -- these are Steampunk and a little twisted! Almost make my Grinch-like attitude smile!!

Check them out in the store.







Of course, for those who are more traditional, Queen Kat Designs has stamps for you as well. When click on the Check them out link above, it will take to see all of the wonderful Holiday stamps available!

Girl Friday Tutorial: Altered CD Christmas wall hanging

Hi! Nina here starting my Girl Friday Tutorials. We hope that these project ideas inspire you to make something lovely and give you ideas on working with Queen Kat Designs Stamps!

Project: Christmas Wall Hanging

Supplies:
3 never-to-be-watched-again old VCDs; Christmas patterned paper; gel medium; Christmas-themed embellishments; ribbons/trim; cheesecloth; glue gun; Ranger Inkssentials Glossy Accents; double-sided tape; foam tape; white acrylic paint; stamp ink; Queen Kat Designs Stamps (Asian Postage Stamp Set, Going Postal Stamp Set, Aged Text Background Stamp)


CD 1
1. Get 3 never-to-be-used again CDs. Trace and cut patterned paper to size. Use gel medium to adhere.
2. Gather your Christmas embellishments. I got my vintage images from an advertising brochure. Some of the trim, the leaf, and cherries I got from the notions section of the department store. I got some of my trim from a dressmaking shop.
3. Stamp on the tag. Ink and distress edges. Position and adhere elements using double-sided tape. Use foam tape to adhere vintage image. Use Ranger Inkssentials Glossy Accents to adhere hard-to-stick items like the plastic star.
4. Swipe white acrylic paint all around the edge.

CD 2
1. Stamp postage stamp images using Versafine brown and black ink and Memento brown ink.
2. Adhere vintage Santa image on white cardstock, then use double-sided tape to attach it on top of the cheesecloth. Then attach the cheesecloth on the patterned paper with double-sided tape.
3. Use Ranger Inkssentials Glossy Accents to attach the leaf trim and cherries embellishment.
4. Swipe white acrylic paint along the edge.


CD3
1. Adhere ribbon with double-sided tape.
2. Tie twine and metal charm to small tag, then stamp and adhere with double-sided tape at an angle.
3. Use foam tape to adhere vintage image.
4. Adhere Maya Road felt bird and bingo chip with double-sided tape.
5. Swipe white acrylic paint on edge.


To adhere CDs to "hanging" ribbon
1. Position the 3 CDs front to back on a table in a vertical row. Position the red "hanging" ribbon on top of them. Simply fold red ribbon in half so that two lines of ribbon would support each CD.
2. Use glue gun to tack one CD at a time to the red ribbon. (You're supposed to have two ribbon parts on each CD.
3. For added endurance, use double-sided tape to adhere black cardstock on top of the ribbons at the back of the CDs.

Hope you enjoyed my Girl Friday Tutorial today!

Do subscribe to the QKD Blog, the Whimsical Ink Sorority Blog, and the Dark Ink Sorority Blog so that you don't miss out on the fab inspiration from the Royal Court!

Till next time!

Girl Friday,
Nina