Summer Inspiration Giveaway Winners and Stamp Carving

  Happy Monday! Hope everyone had a good weekend. We had a nasty storm come thru Saturday for a few hours and it took out our power (yet again!) but thankfully only for an hour this time, and fortunately we didn't get the hail predicted.

  Here are the winners of my giveaway:

The necklace goes to: Joanna!

"Hello Linda, I came here for a look at your hand carved stamps :) I'm now your newest follower.
Both the necklace and the flag are BEAUTIFUL - but I've got to choose one so please put my name in the hat for the necklace, THANK YOU!"

 

And the prayer flag goes to: Jenny!

 

"It is a difficult decision! The necklace is beautiful, but I think I will throw my hat into the ring for the prayer flag. I know someone who needs it!"

 

  Congratulations ladies! Please email me your mailing addresses.

 

  I couldn't let it at this and although I couldn't make something for everyone who left a comment I did make an extra prayer flag and an extra necklace yesterday which I'm going to send out to two other commenters as RAKS whom I won't reveal because it's to be a surprise! 

 

  Thank you all so much for your kind words and for playing along!

 

  I just finished Lesson 8( which is titled "One Little Word") of Julie Balzer's online Stamp Carving 101 class. I carved out three words (yes, it was a challenge for sure!) and a ribbon scrap inspiration had me carve another extra stamp. I need ALOT more practice with the curves of the scripted letters but they turned out OK and as Julie says "practice,practice,practice". One piece of advice I'd add is to start with a much larger image than those I carved-it would be SO much easier to start with :)

 

 

 

 

  And here is the ribbon inspiration that inspired me to carve this stamp:

 

 



  See that tool on the left? I used it to make the holes in the rubber! It's one piece of a two piece eyelet setter set.

 

  

 This is a close up. It's used like an awl to punch a hole for placement of an eyelet. Makes perfect circles in the rubber!

 

  And these are the tags I made for myself and Lenna Andrews, who's playing along with me:

 

 

  I simply stamped the torn ribbon image (kinda looks like a bandaid too doesn't it?) with light inks and then the words over top. Kept the background undone to showcase the stamps. One more lesson to go before class is over. I'm gonna miss it.

 

 Now that September is upon us and Autumn is approaching along with Halloween and Thanksgiving I guess I'll have to shift into gear and start creating for the season-how about you?

 

         "Find the gift behind the challenge and it will become your friend." Alan Cohen