It's QKR Monday . . .

. . . and the kids are back in school, the temperatures are starting to cool down a bit, humidity seems to be less-- all signs of Fall! I love the warm days and cool evenings of Fall!! Today's card is Fall-themed . . . I used the Pumpkin Stack (#12910) stamp from QKR Stampede for this card.

Aren't these pumpkins adorable? The image reminds me of the song learned in elementary school about the "five little pumpkins sitting by the gate, the first one said . . ."  As is my usual practice, the image was stamped using Ancient Page Coal Black waterproof dye ink and colored with my Prismacolor watercolor pencils and blender pen. The pumpkin brads and decorative paper were found at my local craft store. DESIGN TEAM CALL REMINDER:  Tomorrow, August 31, is the last day to submit your application to be on the next QKR Stampede Design Team. For complete information and details, go HERE. As always, thank you for taking the time to stop by and visit today! Have a GREAT day!!

It's QKR Monday . . .

Hello QKR friends and fans! I hope you enjoyed the recent School Days blog hop and congratulations to MARIA MATTER who was the winner of the blog hop prize. School Days are just ahead for many, including the young men and women who are heading off for their first year of college. The return to school always signals to me the end of Summer and the beginning of Fall. So today, I am sharing the Scarecrow (#18801) image by QKR Stampede on a card. This little guy is darling and looks like he's having a blast playing in the Fall leaves!

Fall happens to be my favorite season--I love the cooler temperatures--warm days, cool nights, and all the sights sounds and smells of Fall--the colors of the changing leaves, the sound of leaves as you walk and they crunch under your shoes, the smell of the leaves, the smell of home fires burning to take the chill out of the air, apple picking, fresh pressed apple cider, baking apple pies, baking pumpkin pies or pumpkin muffins, hay rides, and hot chocolate (to name a few!). All my favorites of Fall! Thank you for stopping by today and visiting. I hope you have a WONDERFUL day today!! ---Carol

QKR Stampede Design Team Call

QKR Stampede is having a Design Team Call . . . the very first Design Team Members' six-month assignment is coming to a close in September, which means that a new crew must be selected. I have to say, I was honored and thrilled--beyond belief!!--to be selected as a member of the first QKR Stampede Design Team. When I got the email from Maribeth welcoming me to the team, I read and re-read it, just to make sure it was for real! I have truly enjoyed working with QKR Stampede stamps and the other members of the Design Team--it has been a terrific six months!! I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite projects that I made while on the Design Team (in no particular order).

In the Rain (#12502)

Large Ship (#21705)

Waving Flag (#16112)

Picnic (#14207)

Relaxing Gnome (#17908)

Birdhouse (#14514)

Girl Friends (#8808)

Special Delivery (#14010)

Apple (#15814)

Out At Sea (#8104)

So, how would YOU like to have an opportunity to share your creativity with the blogging world at large and get free stamps for your time and talent? Here are the details and what will be expected of you as a Design Team Member:

• A 6-month term (October through March) with an option to continue if agreeable to both the Design Team member and Maribeth;
• Your choice of 3 or 4 stamps to work with each month
• Maribeth may occasionally pick a set and offer it to anyone interested in exchange for stamps of their choice (with no samples required) after receiving scans/pics of finished projects;
• Four (4) projects per stamp set/per month (one per week) posted on your personal blog (if you miss a post for one reason or another, you are expected to let Maribeth and the Design Team Coordinator know, and you will be expected to make two (2) individual posts the following week);
• Two (2) projects per set of stamps/per month posted on the QKR Stampede blog;
• For trade shows -- free stamps for card fronts -- one free stamp for every two (2) card fronts mailed to Maribeth (no free stamps for scans or pics);
• You must be able to follow instructions on time and work well with others;
• Regularly visit the other Design Team Members' blogs and comment (please!);
• Post your work to other forums with which you are participating and comment as applicable in those forums (i.e., challenge blogs, Splitcoast Stampers, etc.);
• Post a permanent Design Team banner on your blog;
• You MUST have a blog and be posting regularly

Anyone interested in applying should send a submission email (be sure to put Design Team Call in the subject line) to Maribeth at maribeth@eurekastamps.com. Include pictures of three (3) or more items you have created in any medium as long as stamps were used somewhere (Note: You are not required to use QKR Stampede stamps for your Design Team Call submission). In your submission email, list any websites or blogs you may have, any publications you have been in, and any design teams you have been on (all of which are not necessary to be considered but will help QKR Stampede get to know you and your work better).

Submission deadline is August 31, 2010

And if that's not enough to pique your interest, look at all the free stamps I have received over the past six months . . . these were received for my monthly selections, as well as for card fronts that were submitted for trade shows for the company.

I did a quick count, and there are over 50 stamps and since I have submitted more card fronts for Maribeth's upcoming trade show, I have even more stamps coming to me!!! Thanks for joining me on my trip down memory lane. Leave a comment and let me know which one of the QKR Stampede projects I posted over the last six months was your favorite! And if you're so inclined, get stamping and apply to be part of the second QKR Stampede Design Team! Have a GREAT day!!!

School Days . . . Continued

QKR Stampede is having a School Days (back to school) Blog Hop and is offering a fabulous shopping spree prize to one lucky Hop participant. If you haven't visited the Hop, please go HERE to find out all the details  about the Hop and the prize. One important thing to keep in mind to be eligible is that you not only must visit the blogs of each Design Team Member, but you must also leave a comment so that we know you were here!

Today's project is something that could be a really neat teacher's gift. While I was coming up with ideas for my School Days Blog Hop projects, I came across this little leatherette Post-It holder at my local craft store for $1 (one of the bargain baskets!!).

I thought this would be a terrific altered gift idea. And what's great about it is that it is refillable/reusable, so there's really no waste! First, I cut and scored paper to cover the case, then I just started decorating and embellishing. The stamp that I used for this is the Mouse Teacher (#701) from QKR Stampede, which was colored using my Prismacolor watercolor pencils and a blender pen. I also added some buttons and strung some alphabet beads onto a thin gold wire.

This little item would be great not only as a teacher's gift, but could be adapted as a gift for anyone in an office -- secretaries, administrators, etc.,--anyone who uses Post-Its!! As always, thanks for stopping by, visiting, and commenting. Have a GREAT day!!

School Days . . .

Welcome to the QKR Stampede School Days Blog Hop! You should have arrived here from Jenn's blog. Wasn't her card terrific?! What a cute mouse image, and what wonderful alphabet ribbon!!! If you didn't get here from Jenn's blog, please go HERE and then come back to visit with me for a while. As with the other Blog Hops that have been sponsored by QKR Stampede, there will be a $25 shopping spree (with free shipping) awarded to one lucky blog hopper . . . all you have to do is visit and comment at each Design Team Member's blog and comment at the QKR Stampede Blog. Once you've done that, your name will be entered into a random drawing for the shopping spree prize. Want to better your chances to win? Do one or all of the following:  (1) become a follower of QKR Stampede at the QKR Stampede Blog; (2) become a fan of QKR Stampede on Facebook; and (3) spread the word about the QKR Stampede Blog Hop by posting about it on your own blog or website. You have until Midnight EST, August 19 to complete the Blog Hop and be eligible for the random prize drawing.

I have a couple fun projects for you; my first project is a card that I made and gave a sneak peek earlier.

This card uses the Apple (#15814) stamp from the QKR Stampede Store. I just loved this stamp--that little worm sold me on it!!--and thought it would be a cute stamp for a teacher to use when grading papers to give the students some encouragement! This would also make a fun set of note cards for any teacher friends you may know.

My next project is a corner bookmark. I have seen these on blogs and websites and always thought they were cute, but--until now--hadn't taken the time to make one. These little bookmarks come together so quickly and easily, they could easily be made by a teacher's aide or classroom assistant and distributed to the kids during their reading time; better yet, they could be a fun project to do with the kids as part of reading time!!!

I again used the Apple (#15814) stamp to create this bookmark.

And lastly, I remember when I was in elementary school (many, many, many years ago!), students could order paperback books through the Scholastic Book Club. Each month we would get a newspaper-style listing of books and an order form. I loved being able to buy books and there was so much excitement when the box of books that had been ordered arrived. My teachers always took some class time to go through the box and distribute the books to those who had ordered; there was always a sense of wonder and excitement. With that in mind, my final project is a set of bookplates. When I ordered the Book Bear (#701) stamp, I initially had different plans for it . . . which included cutting away "This Book Belongs To" (gasp!). Common sense, however, prevailed, the stamp has been left in its original form and look at the sweet set of bookplates that were created. As you will see, the image was stamped onto Avery Shipping Labels (6 to a page; however, because of lighting issues, I am showing 4 of the labels, but all 6 were stamped). What a fun and easy project. And what makes it even more fun is that you can just stamp the image and let the children color it in themselves--talk about personalization!!!

Your next stop on the School Days Blog Hop is at Jessica's Blog. Jessica always has some really cute projects and this one is no exception; you're in for a real treat!

JESSICA'S BLOG

Thanks for stopping by the QKR Stampede School Days Blog Hop. Don't forget, be sure to leave a comment here and at every other Design Team Member's Blog, then leave a comment at the QKR Stampede Blog giving feedback about the Hop and letting us know whether you've become a follower and/or a fan.  Good luck!!! Have a GREAT day!!

QKR Monday . . . Back To School Hop

I've been absent from blogging and the computer in general, but I'm back, and just in time for the QKR Stampede Back To School Blog Hop! Today I'm going to share just a sneak peek of a card that I created. I thought this stamp image was super cute, even though it seems more suited to a teacher using it on a child's paper!

This project uses the Apple (#15814) stamp from QKR Stampede--isn't that worm peeking out of the apple just the cutest??? The Blog Hop is this Friday, August 13, and as with the other Blog Hops that have featured QKR Stampede stamp images, you will be sure to find something that really sparks your creativity; I know when I go through the Hops I am delighted with the treasures I see and, quite frankly, get sensory overload--so many wonderful projects, ideas, colors, etc., etc., etc.

So, mark your calendars for the Hop this Friday, August 13, and prepare to sit back and enjoy all the terrific projects!!!