The Stamp Man 2nd Annual Award Event

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This may be a re-visit of a project for many

of you.  It was a design team contribution at

The Play Date Cafe back in July.

The reason I am sharing it with you once again

is because one of my favorite UK blogs is hosting

their Second Annual Blog Hop & Awards Event.

It such a fantastic idea!

My friend Jill Tuck has a terrific a store over there

appropriately named 'The Stamp Man' and she is

offering this award to any who participate.

My bestie Sarah is on the DT their and has

featured one of her projects here.

(how she chose a favorite is beyond me!)

All of the details are over at The Stamp Man blog,

but the idea is to choose your favorite project from

the past year and share it on their challenge blog.

When you do so, you can grab the awards badge

and it gives others a chance to see your work.

So here is the rest of mine....

For the details on what I used for this card,

please visit my post here.

If you'd like to see what my favorite(s)

project was for 2009 when Jill first started

this idea, just click here!

I cheated just a bit and shared my favorite post

rather than a project, but you'll get to know me 

a little more, too!

It's a great way to end 2010....

to share with you something meaningful...

Happy New Year to all of you!

2011 is looking creatively wonderful for me.

I would love for you to share what your creative

goals are as you head in to the new year, so please

leave a comment below...I'd love to hear from you!

10 Things that Make me Happy

This is just a quick note to thank one of my newest

friends and design team colleague, 

Savannah from Savannahland 2

for this sweet award.

She sent this to me last week when I was under the

weather and I have been looking forward to sharing the list of

'10 Things That Make me Happy'...so here goes:

1.  Jesus, who makes the rest of this list possible

2.  My dear husband, Paul

3.  My children, Mallory & Alex

4.  My grandsons, CJ, Caleb & Alex, jr

5.  The thought of our next visit to see Paul's mum in England

6.  Knowing that I am in a time of my life where 'the sky's the limit'

7.  The thought of seeing my bestie Sarah when we visit Paul's mum

8.  The sunshine

9.  The colors lime green & turquoise blue...together

10.  My friends here who continue to visit The Open Window

Now.....to pass this award on to 5 others

who bring a 'bright side to life'...

Tink of RockChickTink

(the youngest 'pal' I have)

Sharli of Sharli's Place

(always an encouragement to me)

Paul of The Artsiders

(the only guy who plays in The Cafe)

Jill Tuck of The Stamp Man

(one store owner to another)

Julie Campbell of A Vintage Chic

(because I really miss her)

It's always tough to stay at 5, but you know how that

goes!  I hope you will pop by the blogs of these friends

of The Open Window and say hello.

I am VERY EXCITED to be back in my studio

and creating again after 8 days of getting back on

my feet.  I have a few new things that I look forward

to sharing with you tomorrow....YAY!

An Award for us All!

My friend Jill, owner of The Stamp Man in The UK is hosting a fabulous blog hop this week.  She is giving away a wonderful array of goodies throughout the hop.  I spent a little time yesterday making my way around and enjoyed every minute of it.  I hope you will take a few minutes and hop along too.  I have always enjoyed playing with stamp images from Great Britain and I know you will too!  So make sure you check it out!

As for the award above...I love this idea.  Jill has encouraged each one of us to choose our favorite crafting project from this past year.  Once we do, we get to share this award.  I thought for mine, I would 'cheat' just a bit and share my favorite 'post' which happens to feature many of my favorite projects
that I have created in 2009.  
I happily share much of my crafting background as well.

Here's a sneak peek...

I hope you will enjoy the post and the projects.  Each of them have been featured on my blog in various posts.  You can read about them, and the inspiration behind many of them, by checking out the archives from September and October.

JUST CLICK HERE TO SEE MY FAVORITES OF 2009

The Play Date Cafe Challenge #2

What a great week it was to see the very first Play Date Cafe Challenge come and go!  I hope that you will play along with the design team for this week's challenge, which is being  
hosted by Sarah over on the PDCC blog.

This is my offering for challenge #2.

I used a fabulous set of stamps from The Tracey Coates Collection of 'Aspects of Design' for The Stamp Man. 
My friend Jill Tuck owns this wonderfully popular store in North Yorkshire, which is in one of the most lovely areas of the UK.

I used chalks to color in the image and added touches of sparkle with silver Stickles and pewter rhinestones.

Of course, I had to add a touch of vintage lace along with the Brocade EF from Cuttlebug for texture.

The patterned paper is from My Mind's Eye 
'SpidersWeb' Collection.

I hope you will stop over at The Play Date Cafe and play along.
We are having a whole lotta fun and
we would love to have you!

What A Stash & Julie Ranae's Thursday Night Favs!...scroll down for AI Blog Hop

What an absolutely busy week this has been here at The Open Window. I don't know if you could 'sense' the activity, but I am here to tell you that between my new design team features, the AI blog hop and even MORE news that will be coming in the next day or so,
it's been crazy busy.
But I wouldn't have it any other way!

So what are these photos about? A couple of days ago I received the other half of my birthday gift from dear Sarah in the UK and each of these photos show those lovely surprises. Above is a stash of wonderful bits and embellishments. Those long 'wooden-looking' strips you to see at the right are 'Cracker Snaps' that I asked Sarah to look for. I want to make and teach how to make authentic-style British 'Christmas Crackers' this season. Although we have a fair amount of Peel-Offs to choose from here in the US, it does not compare to the UK and Sarah knows I love them!

This lovely stamp set above came as a surprise gift from Jill Tuck at The Stampman in Yorkshire. When I had my store, I was the only US distributor of 'Aspects of Design' when Jill first released her line. Aren't they stunning?!
Can't wait to use them.

Now...this was just the best surprise of all! When I unwrapped this little package, I did a happy dance. This Pandora-style bracelet came from one of my favorite department stores in England, John Lewis'. Look at that clasp...seriously! The theme is handbags, which couldn't be more appropriate! I think on my last trip to see Paul's mum, I brought home 3 new purses and a fab coin purse,
so this bracelet is just the perfect fit!

Thank you for indulging me as I share those wonderful gifts. I know as creative people, it's fun to see the 'stamp stash' of others. As Sarah and I trade stashes all the time, you will undoubtedly see more. Get to know Sarah even more in the next post down. She was today's feature designer for The Play Date Cafe Challenge!

On to my newest favorites....I have two for you tonight that I have been dying to share, but the past couple of weeks have just not allowed me to get the proper time to do so. So let's go!

Have you been to A Vintage Chic? Go....now...just go,
but make sure you come back.
Julie is your host of this lovely, lovely blog. The projects that are featured here are photographed so well and the snapshots of the California landscape where she resides is absolutely stunning.
When you do stop by, make sure you tell her hello from me.

My next new favorite...I am not even sure how to describe it other than to use the word 'darling'. Do people still use that to describe the sweet things of life. Alice's Little Wonderland is a precious blog that makes you just take a breath and relax. Her designs are sweet and her dialogue is descriptive. This is one of those blogs that just makes me smile, and I think you will smile, too.

I hope you have a chance to visit these special places.
Stop by tomorrow because we are finishing our design team feature as I share a little more about myself,
as the final designer.
I promise I will share things that you
still don't know about me.

Getting To Know You...Part 3....Artful INKables Blog Hop Next Post Down

Again, I can't say enough about the response I have had to the upcoming Play Date Cafe Challenges that will be starting ONE WEEK FROM TODAY! The response has been wonderful. The first challenge colors have been distributed to the designers and 'word on the street is...' they are excited as all get out to share the first color combo with YOU!
Speaking of which, it is time to introduce our next designer.

For those of you who are regular readers of my blog, Sarah may not be a stranger to you. She lives in the North of England and the way we met was quite extraordinary...to us, anyway. If you are interested, you can read that story dated June 21, 2009 (for some odd reason, I can't link to it). Sarah has been published in a number of UK crafting magazines including a cover article of which I am the proud owner of an autographed copy.
I will let her fill you in on the rest.

Sarah writes: I grew up in a very creative household with a Mum who was always making things. We were popular at parties as we always took a homemade soft toy as a gift (LOL) and some of those friends still have them as treasured possessions to this day! I am very proud to have my Mum as one of my number one fans now. I studied art at secondary school and for a year at college (I had to choose between Maths and Art and chose Maths as you can always pick up Art in adult life!)

But...I then discovered rubber stamping on a trip to the states at age fifteen. I was fascinated, but it took a number of years for it to come over to the UK so it could become a favourite hobby. I describe myself as a frustrated machine embroiderist as I'd love to do textiles at college, but in actual fact, I enjoy the speed in which you can achieve texture in your work
with paper, paint and a bit of heat.

I met my handsome husband on the way to school at age sixteen and we are very happily married with three children aged 12, 13 and 14. By day I'm a teacher in a special school, a job I adore as it's so rewarding, and I'm challenged to teach creatively every day.

When my own children were younger and I taught part-time and was able to write for Crafts Beautiful magazine, one of Britain's leading magazines. I've had work published in Somerset Studio as well as Stampers Sampler. I've taught workshops at the Stampman in Yorkshire, and continue to teach workshops and demonstrate at HSNW for Paddy's Stamping Place.

Well...THAT's my Sarah!
Hope you feel like you know her just a little bit better.
Tomorrow...I will finish off the designer series
with a little of yours truly,
as I am designer #4.

BLOG CANDY GIVEAWAY...Just a reminder! If you haven't grabbed your Play Date Cafe button yet, there is still plenty of time. You will find it to your right, the one that says 'I Play at the Play Date Cafe'. Copy and paste it to your sidebar, leave me a comment and let me know...that's it. The 'candy' is a surprise, but I promise, YOU WILL LOVE IT! Even more importantly, we hope you are planning to play along when the challenges start and PLEASE...share the news with your friends. Deadline for the blog candy is Wednesday, October 21st.

Back later with Julie Ranae's Thursday Night Favs! FINALLY!

Julie Ranae's Wednesday Night Favs!

Here we are...another Wednesday night and I have a few new blog favorites that I am excited to share with you. We're going Shabby Chic tonight, one of my favorite styles, so let's get right to it!

How fun is this blog to read...LilyBean Paperie! I do love shabby chic and so does Melissa Phillips, the owner of this lovely blog. I am not only captivated by her projects but also her writing. Run, don't walk to this link. You'll be glad you did!

I don't even know where to start on this next fav....Shabby Miss Jen Designs. First just let me tell you that the direct link is for the home page. There were so many links to offer to you, but I will let you decide where you want to go when you arrive there. Digital designs are very popular right now and the offerings by Jenna Beam are never ending. Make sure you do not miss clicking on the old-fashioned typewriter key at the top which says SMJ Blog. That is Jenna's personal blog, which is being updated, but it's so STILL worth the click!

Cupcakes & Sunshine...need I say more? I know my friend Mona at Cupcake's Creations would certainly agree with the subtitle of this pretty blog 'The World Needs a Little More...'. I love the colorful, dimensional creations shared by blog owner Lea and she clearly knows what we women want. The projects that have been pulled from her blog for publication have been replaced by BEAUTIFUL photos of....Orlando Bloom! Seriously....go see!

Over in the UK, there is a blog that I have come to love by an acquaintance of mine that I met through my friend Sarah. The Stamp Man, the store and the blog, are owned by Jill Tuck. She has been in business for a number of years, even before rubber stamping and paper crafting became popular over there. Her blog features some very unique designs by a very talented design team. I especially love the techniques using the Starburst Stains. So I hope you will check out Jill's blog. When you do, please tell her I said hello!

Well....I need to catch my breath after that trip in blogland. I hope you enjoy it as well and I will see you tomorrow with something completely different.