A Couple of Real Winners...Really!

It has been great fun hearing from all of my

followers and new friends over the past few

weeks as I celebrated the first anniversary of

Julie's Open Window.

I promised one lucky person the fabulous

prize package above and using Random.org

the lucky winner is:

Lorie a.k.a.The Peddler said... 

Hi Julie:  Of course I would love an opportunity to at a chance to win this blog candy. 

But first I must say "Congratulations" on the anniversary of your blog. 

I began The Peddler's Galley blog in February of this year and each day 

has been a welcoming learning experience and that includes 

losing precious information too.

There is a lot of information and inspiration to 

draw from. I wish you much success in year #2. 

 

 

 I also participated in the the fabulous

event 'Where Bloggers Create II' and 

offered a few goodies out of my own

creative stash to share with one guest

who left a comment on my blog during the party.

 Again, using Random.org, that lucky guest is:

 

Kirsty Vittetoe said... 

I need to show this to my husband, so he'd know I still have 

a long way to go on building up those MS punches! 

Thanks for opening up your door for us to peek into your crafting space!

So....I need for Lorie & Kirsty to email me at

julieranae@hotmail.com

with your mailing address.

Thank you to all who visit 

Julie's Open Window.

I've said it before and I am sure I will repeat it again...

followers and comments are the lifeblood of a blog...

 It is YOU who inspire

me to continue to create and share...

 

Where Bloggers Create II...Welcome!

Welcome to 

The Party of the Year!

'Where Bloggers Create II' was started by
Karen Valentine over at My Desert Cottage
and this year, we have over 450 guests
participating, so I am just ONE on
the guest list...make sure you stop by
her blog, check out the guest list
and start your visits!

 While most other bloggers may share 

their entire studios with you,

I will be sharing the favorite parts

of my creative space with you.

If you make it through this post all the way

to the end, I will invite you to participate in

my PARTY GIVEAWAY!

So here we go.....

All in all, this is why it's difficult to have a good run at

any one project!  This is Lucy, my 16 year old

sweetheart who keeps me company quite often : )

Much of my inspiration comes from paper crafting

magazines.  This is just a 'smidge' of a sampling

of my British magazines.  Those who follow my blog

know that I am a magazine fanatic!

So believe me when I tell you that this doesn't begin to

cover the amount of 'inspiration' I can find on a 

regular basis.

There are two things in my little creative space that I can

never have too much of

Glitter...

...and ribbon.

I am creating quite a little collection of these as well!

I can't fit them all on one shelf at the moment,

but I think you get the idea  : )

Love my Martha Stewart punches from EK Success.

One of my favorite shelves is the top one with a

variety of cards, gifts and autographs from some

pretty 'famous' papercrafters and artists.

This shelf and the inspiration board house a few more

handcrafted cards from my friends as well as baskets

of things I 'just can't live without'.

Within easy are the tools that I use on an everyday basis.

And here is my new favorite tool...

My new paper distressor.  No more using my

little hand tools which eventually get dull.  You can

run a whole batch of cardstock, chipboard and more

through this baby and in one fell swoop...

Well, you get the picture  : )

One other small collection I have are these fabby

chunky books.  I use them for altered items and for

wonderful retro images on my cards.  I always manage

to find them in the bargain book section of my

favorite store...say it with me...

Barnes & Noble.

 

 
I decided to leave you with a few of my favorite things.

Now you may be asking yourself...

Isn't she a stamper?

Where are all her stamps?

Well..if you look hard in a few of the photos, you will

see them all lined up in a few baskets, but those are just

my clear or unmounted sets.  I have a boatload of 

old-school wood mounted stamps 

that I will never part with, but to be honest, I just did not

have the time or fortitude to organize them in a

presentable way for you   : )

So maybe next time, huh?!

So you made it to the end!

Now for the fabby giveaway...

Please leave a comment and

let me know which of the items

 in my creative space would

most likely be found in yours...

I will gladly part with a few things from my 

creative stash

and send it to the winner.

The deadline for leaving a comment on

THIS POST 

is Midnight EST, Saturday, June 26th

I will draw using Random.org

on Sunday,  June 27th.

Make sure you check back to see

if you are the winner!

While you're here, I hope you will become

a follower and help me celebrate my

ONE YEAR BLOGAVERSARY!

Click here for another

Fabby Giveaway!

Home Grown Love - 2S4Y

FOR MY BLOG CANDY GIVEAWAY

CLICK HERE!

This is just a quickie post for today.

I wanted to get this little creation linked

over at 2 Sketches for You.

This is my first time playing  : )

I love this 'Garden Variety' collection from

Cosmo Cricket and I thought it went so well

with the theme of my card, which quite frankly

all started with this darling new

Martha Stewart Farm Animal punch.

That punch is so dang adorable, I can't stand it!

Hope you enjoy!

It's a Beautiful Day! It's a Giveaway!

Click HERE for the Monday H{ippity} Hop

I am so happy to share with you that today is
indeed the anniversary of my very first post
here at Julie's Open Window.

As I created this card, I began to think of all the

'sweet' things that have happened over the past year.
If you go back to my very first post, I think you will see
that things have definitely 'changed' over the
course of the past 12 months.

I have come to make so many friends here...
learned so many techniques...
and most of all, been inspired by you.

I do want to mention just a few people/things that
have made this such a fabulous journey for me.

 Sarah Anderson...
my best friend in the world
and the ultimate encourager who made sure
I knew I could start a blog!

'Google Blogger for Dummies'

for obvious reasons

Paulette aka 'Beedeebabee'
who became one of my dearest friends all because
when we lost our followers list for the first time,
WE PANICKED
(and I KNOW you know what I'm talking about)
went to the help forum, met there, shared our woes,
and the rest is history

 Mona Pendleton...
One of the most creative & innovative paper crafters I have met here.
We've shared many hours on the phone together and
my life is richer for knowing her.

The Play Date Cafe
Design Team and Players
All of you make Thursdays one of the best days of the week!

So now it's time to CELEBRATE!

How would you like to win
this fabulous prize package?

Here's how to do it.....

Leave me a comment and tell me...

What inspires you here at
The Open Window?

 Place my blogaversary badge on your sidebar

(you'll find it on my sidebar) and link it back here

and you will have an additional chance to win.  
Just let me know that you have done so
when you leave your comment.

You have until Friday, July 2nd to enter.
I will announce the winner on Monday, July 5th.

 ...and of course, 
I welcome new followers!
So please feel free to follow along.
I will pop by to see you and thank you
for your support of  
Julie's Open Window!

Begging for Spring!

As I made a visit to my friend Julie Campbell's blog

I found one of the seven deadly sins setting in.

You guessed it...

ENVY!

 

I had already started working on this card last

night, but after seeing the lovely photos of

an early spring in California, I decided to get this

finished so I could get a decent photo

because the sunshine just isn't cooperating right now.

This is from the new 'Songbird' Collection from DCWV.

I did a little sewing and added buttons and

Diamond Stickles and the verse is a rub-on

(which is my BOO for the day...

I've had those FoReVeR!)

My favorite embellishment though, is the ribbon

detail that I tried my hand at thanks to the 

tutorial over at the Gingersnaps Creations blog.

Erika shows step-by-step this ultra-easy way to

make the gathered trim WITHOUT sewing.

I used fabulous textured satin ribbon from

Martha Stewart.

 

So did you visit yesterday?

I had a great time putting together the

'Autograph Sessions' interview with 

Diana Trout, author of 'Journal Spilling'.

If you missed it, just click here.

I also want to congratulate Jennie and Hels

over at The Artistic Stamper on their 400th follower.

Jennie is giving away another batch of blog candy 

to celebrate, so I hope you will stop by & say hello!

That's it for today....but before I go,

here is what I want to know.....

What technique or product for paper crafting

have you NOT tried yet, but really want to?

I've been thinking about some tutorials for you

and would love to know what trips YOUR trigger!

Leave a comment and let's see what we come up with!

Etsy Sale...BIG SAVINGS!

Hey everyone....I am ready to add a new selection of cards to my Etsy shop, but I need to clear out some of the cards that were placed in the past few months. So to you, my dear followers, I am offering 30% off all of the remaining items in my Etsy shop.
You can take advantage of this great sale
through Friday, Oct. 23rd!

All you have to do is head on over, see which of my one-of-a-kind creations you would like, then make the purchase. Once I have received notification that you have made your purchase, I will calculate your discount and send you an adjusted invoice. That's all there is to it!

I have a number of cards that have been entered in challenges and have been features on my blog. They are one-of-a-kind, so head on over and take a look.

I will see you tomorrow with a great new project and the first 'hint' of the blog candy up for grabs. For those details, just click here. Until then............

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!

Getting To Know You...Part 2

It has been so absolutely wonderful hearing from all of you regarding the new design team.
Most of us met as strangers and have become quick friends as we go through this new journey together. Now it's time to share with you a little about Sandi.

I met Sandi as an early follower of my blog. You might know her as Celticwoman. She has been a constant supporter here at The Open Window. I was so happy to find out one day that I had become the winner of some blog candy she was giving away! What I loved even more is that it was a handcrafted journal that is even more beautiful than the photo, which you can see here. If you love color...if you love TO color, then you will love following Sandi and being inspired by her...let's hear from her:

Sandi writes: Hello, welcome, I am so excited to be here to help kick off a great weekly challenge. My name is Sandi Kelly, I live outside of Sacramento but must be part Irish Gypsy because I have lived on every coast line of these great United States, although
I was born just north of Chicago.
I am married to my high school sweetheart and together we are care givers to 3 knawrly cats. They will come and get you when they want to be let outside, if you do not respond within 5mins. they will begin a destructive attack to get your attention.

Color and paper have been passions of mine
for as long as I can remember.
I was an exhibiting watercolor artist for many years in Laguna Beach and Fair Oaks, CA but gave it up for a little slower pace of creativity.
There is barely a day that
I do not spend in my studio, rising at 3AM,
I normally create
until about 1:30 or 2PM.
My object of passion at this time are my
Copic Markers and Airbrush System,
oh my goodness the color!

So...that's Sandi...hope that gives you a glimpse into what you can expect from
her fabulous challenges.
Tomorrow, you will meet our
UK/European designer, Sarah!

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.

I will be back a bit later with a new post and a new project from Arful INKables as well as

information on the AI blog hop,

which begins at midnight! See ya then!

Getting To Know You...Part 1

Thank you to all who have expressed interest in the new Play Date Cafe Challenges. I can tell you that the new design team are busy planning and playing to bring you some fabulous and unique challenges. So again, make sure you mark your calendar for Thursday, October 22nd as the first challenge is issued.

For the rest of this week, I will be introducing you to each designer, one by one, so that you will really get to know them....and today, we start with Alison. The projects that you see in this post are just a taste of what you can expect from this talented lady. The card above has been a favorite of mine ever since it won for another color challenge. Unique, isn't it?!

Alison brings quite a creative resume to
The Play Date Cafe and I am excited to share it.

Alison writes: Wow! Where to begin?

I live in Utah with my wonderful husband, and two beautiful children. Stretch who is 9 years old and Bubbles who is 14 months old… that’s where I got my blog name. Stretch N’ Bubbles. The names came from my dad.. Poppie who gives each of the grandchildren “magic names” after they are born. so those are their magic names.

I have been crafting all my life. Ever since I can remember I have made/created things.


I really started “Scrapbooking/Card making” in 1996 when my dear friend Lisa Bearnson introduced to her new magazine Creating Keepsakes.. after that I was HOOKED!.. I do both scrapbooking and card making.. I enjoy each for different but similar reasons. I love to create, design, and do anything with my hands.

I have been published in many magazines, worked for Creating Keepsakes as a designer for products sold on QVC, and won many contests. I am truly excited to be starting this new adventure with 'The Play Date Cafe'.

I hope to inspire you and maybe even stretch the use of some of the items you have just lying around your house. I can’t wait to play, and also, I can’t wait to meet and be inspired by each and every one of you.

So...that's a little bit about Alison. I know that you will come to know her and the other designers even more as the challenges begin. Tomorrow, you will meet Sandra!

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.

A 'Treat' from A Nostalgic Halloween

One of my very favorite blogs is A Nostalgic Halloween. I received an email from Kris who hosts this fabulous site. She said that my name had been chosen as a blog candy runner up and that I would be receiving a little gift in the mail. What a LOVELY surprise!

I decided to feature Kris' creative handiwork first because, well quite frankly, I thinks it terrific!
This imaginative card was in the prize package.

Look at all the dimension! What I love about Kris' blog is that it isn't just about Halloween...it's not about the usual black, orange, lime green and purple, although you will find those colors from time to time. It's how she 'features' it...the nostalgia-style of it
that I love.

Here is the complete prize package that I received. Wow! Patterned papers, clip art, stamps and embellishments...now I can create my own 'nostalgic halloween' thanks to Kris.
If you haven't visited her blog yet, make sure that you do.
I call it 'Halloween for Big People'!
Now...I am off to add Kris' creation to my Artist's Showcase...it's a 'shrine', if you will, to the artwork that I receive from all of you.

FINALLY! The Blog Candy WINNER!

I have to admit...I never imagined that I would have as many entries for the blog candy giveaway celebrating my 100th follower...but there were 248 of you! Thank you ever so much for joining in the celebration. I will do my best to make it fun around here so that you will continue to follow and play along!

Onto the drumroll........Congratulations go to .....
Jeannie Kupsch from Jeannie's Happy World!
Jeannie...please email me at paul.julie1102@sbcglobal.net with your mailing address and the candy will be on it's way!  You have until October 16th, 2009 to respond.

Thank You For Your Patience...

Thank you for all your kind comments over the past 24 hours. So-called 'technical difficulties' are not my favorite things to deal with, but sometimes it's a matter of just giving in.

So let's get right to it...there's a lot of stuff to cover tonight...I know I usually tell you on Wednesday nights to come with a cup of 'something', so hope you have something to sustain you.

Starting right off with the sweet Friends award at the top...that's from Beedeebabee...a/k/a dear Paulette. I have spoken of Paulette on a number of occasions, most often surrounding how we met. She and I were fairly new to blogging and one day, we both noticed that when we logged on to our blogs, our followers' list was missing. Now for me, that consisted of about 5 people, but they were VIP's...and they still are, by the way. Paulette and I found ourselves in the Help Forum trying to get answers (which eventually consisted of it 'happens every now and then...and it's true, only now we don't panic!) and we have been each other followers and now, friends ever since. So this award has an extra special place for us because we have become wonderful, emailing 5 or 6 times a day, friends! Thank you, Paulette...YOU are my most favorite and only one I know... BEEDEEBABEE!

So here is the finished product of the sneak peak from last night's feeble attempt at a post.
I have said it sooooo many times lately, but I am really into Halloween cards this year and this one is a bit different. I used the new Chandelier & Halloween stamp sets from Inkadinkado as well as the newest 12x12 papers from Martha Stewart's Halloween collections. They are double-sided, so I just used reverse layers and of course, it's not complete without using Martha's spider web corner punch. So hope it was worth the wait for the details.

OH! I am so excited! I won my first ever Blog Candy! Yes indeedio!
My friend Sandi a/k/a Celticwoman offered one of her altered composition books in celebration of meeting a variety of milestones including 10,000 posts and 15,000 hits and I was the very lucky winner. Sandi has a lovely blog and is quite the artist, so I hope you will make a trip over to her blog and say hello.

So here is my smile of the day...I had some babysitting time with Alex, Jr. He is 15 months old, the youngest of my 3 grandchildren. The way I see it, none of my grandsons are ever going to see the inside of a craft store unless 'Mema' takes them, so Alex, Jr and I spent some quality bonding time at Hobby Lobby this morning. As I was checking out, the lady next in line must have overheard me referring to myself as 'grandma'. As Alex and I were laughing our way to the car, she came from behind and said, "you don't look old enough to have a grandchild, I though he was yours!" I responded by saying that I actually have 3 altogether to which, with amazement (that's my interpretation) she replied, "there is just no way...you look so young!" I told her that she had no idea how much that made my day...and I was wearing my glasses at the time! So I figure, if I get to the eye doc, for my long, overdue appointment and get a new set of contacts, I should be able to shave another 4 or 5 years off my look...and with birthday #49 only 3 weeks away, I'd better hurry! Have a great night....it's Friday tomorrow!