You’ll go CRAZY for Cat Lady Kaylee!

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Happy Monday, Oddies! It’s time for another clear stamp release at Some Odd Girl Stamps, and if you’re a cat lover, you’ll go CRAZY for today’s new stamp set! I’m not a cat person, but I loved coloring these kitties!
Isn’t “Cat Lady Kaylee” meow-velous? (You can find the sequins and twine in the Odds & Ends section of the Some Odd Girl Stamps Store!)
Have you sent in your entry (or entries)  for the “Digi Me” contest? 

The contest kicked off on September 29 and runs through October 23. You can enter three times on each platform, including the Some Odd Girl blog, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. All entries must be publicly visible or they won’t qualify for the contest. You can find the full details at the Some Odd Girl blog, including which hashtags to use when submitting your entry.
I’ll be back tomorrow with a project featuring the second new clear stamp set in Some Odd Girl Stamps’ October release, and it’s dog-gone cute! Make sure to stop by the Some Odd Girl blog for more inspiration with Cat Lady Kaylee! Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Hugs,

New Digi Tuesday at Some Odd Girl Stamps!

Hi, everybody! Hope your week is off to a great start! Since it’s Tuesday, that means I have a project to share with you featuring a brand-new digi at Some Odd Girl Stamps!  
The fairy digis and clear stamp sets are super popular, since we see so many fabby creations with them in our Facebook community, our monthly Linky Party on the blog and on our Oddies Project Board on Pinterest! I know this one will be super popular, too! Meet “Petal Fairy“:
Isn’t she gorgeous? I colored her to match some retired papers from my stash, and heat-embossed a sentiment from the “Make A Statement” clear set to match the frame on the card front.
And since we’re on the subject of new digis, did you see the new contest that kicked off yesterday at Some Odd Girl Stamps?
I’m sure you have a wish list of digis that you’d love to see in the Some Odd Girl Stamps lineup (I know I do). With the “Digi Me” contest, your idea might come to life as a new digital stamp for Some Odd Girl!
You can find all of the details on the contest at the Some Odd Girl blog, including some OUT OF THIS WORLD examples from the super-creative Odd Girls!
Thanks so much for stopping by today! 
Hugs,

Join in the Coffee Lovers’ Bloghop!

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It’s National Coffee Day here in the USA, and I’m happy to celebrate it with a bunch of super-talented caffeinated crafters by participating in the Coffee Lovers Blog Hop!
You can find all of the details and the full list of blogs in today’s hop at Chaitali’s blog, Cuts Crops Creativity, including the prize list from all of the generous companies donating prizes for the hop:
Much like it’s hard to decide what to order at my favorite coffee shop, I couldn’t decide on just one project to share with you today, so I made a card and a tag!
First up is my tag! I combined Some Odd Girl Stamps‘ “Mr. Octopus” with the “Hipster Pets” coffee cup stamp, and a sentiment from the “Breakfast Friends” set with some papers from my stash. 
I thought it would be fun for Mr. Octopus to use all of those arms of his to hold not just one or two, but THREE cups of coffee! After coloring the image and fussy-cutting it, I cut along the lines on his arms and adhered the cups in place.
Next up is my card, which features Reverse Confetti‘s “Be A Barista” stamp set. I had fun figuring out what fancy latte design I’d use, and decided on the one with the hearts since it’s a sweet thank you card. 
I had several different shades of brown ink, but none of them looked quite right, so I inked the stamp with Memento Toffee Crunch, then with Memento Desert Sand. The blend of the two inks worked perfectly! I love the color!
I chose the current Deconstructed Sketch (#170) for my card layout and altered a few of Some Odd Girl Stamps‘ wood veneer hexie dots in place of the flowers on the sketch:
Hope you’ve enjoyed today’s projects! Grab a refill of coffee (or tea) and head over to Chaitali’s blog, Cuts Crops Creativity for the full hop list! Thanks for stopping by today!
Hugs,

Some Odd Girl Stamps "Digi Me" Contest!

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Hi, everybody! Did you see the AWESOME new “Digi Me” contest kicking off today at Some Odd Girl Stamps? You’re going to LOVE this one!
Some Odd Girl Stamps is looking for YOUR ideas for new digis! If you’re part of the Some Odd Girl Facebook community, you’ve probably seen a list with different digi ideas, and some of them have been made into some FABULOUS digis! This contest kicks things up a notch…I’ll show you what I mean!
The only required info: character, pose, and outfit. If you want to add more to it, go for it! We want to see creativity in your entries…you can make a photo collage like I did, have a link or picture list or if you can’t find the pose and outfit you’re looking for online, take a picture of yourself and write up the rest!
For example, my idea is “Detective Kody”, so I put together this photo collage. The character is inspired by Benedict Cumberbatch’s portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in the BBC TV series “Sherlock,” so I used photos of the character that I found online to help illustrate my idea.
The contest kicks off today, September 29 and runs through October 23. You can enter three times on each platform, including the Some Odd Girl blog, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. All entries must be publicly visible or they won’t qualify for the contest. You can find the full details at the Some Odd Girl blog, including which hashtags to use on your entry.
We’ll be picking one winner per platform. Each winner will be a guest on the day their digi is released (with the digi in advance to make something for the blog post), and will receive a $20 gift certificate to the Some Odd Girl Shop!
Thanks so much for stopping by today! Grab your thinking cap, and get cracking on your entry! We can’t wait to see your entries!
Hugs,

Some TWEET new digis have flown in to the Some Odd Girl Stamps store!

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Happy Tuesday, everybody! It’s time for some new digis at Some Odd Girl Stamps, and I’m sure you’ll agree, they’re pretty “tweet”!

My card for today features “Birdy” times two, and some speech bubble sentiments from the “Flirty Mae” and “Hey Mae” clear stamp sets:


Before I printed out the digis, I copied and pasted another “Birdy“digi, then flipped the copy to create a scene of two birds chatting with each other, and then colored both birds. I stamped the sentiments and trimmed the panel and added it to the front of the card.

Hope your week is off to a great start! Make sure to stop by the Some Odd Girl blog to see what the other Odd Girls made with “Birdy” and the other new digis, “Cockatoo” and “Birds of Love“! Thank you so much for stopping by today!

There are lots of fun things going on in the Some Odd Girl community on Facebook, including a “Back-to-School” themed contest, inspiring creations from your fellow Oddies, and lots of fun topics for discussion! Hope to see you there!

Hugs,

Lawnscaping Challenge: Critters Galore!

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Hi, everybody! Just popping in tonight to share my card for the current Lawnscaping challenge, which is themed “Critters Galore”! 
My take on this challenge was to mirror-stamp the new “Winter Penguin” and create a skating scene for him and a penguin pal!

The papers are from Lawn Fawn’s “Snow Day” and “Peace Joy Love” petite paper packs:
For all of the details on this challenge, and to link up your entry before the Wednesday, September 24 deadline, visit the Lawnscaping challenge blog!
Thanks so much for stopping by today! Hope you’re having a wonderful week so far!
Hugs,

New Digi Tuesday at Some Odd Girl: Two totally paw-some digis!

Happy Tuesday, everybody! So what do you think of the new clear stamps, paper and embellishments at Some Odd Girl Stamps? If you missed out on any of the excitement, check out my post with pictures of all of the goodies or pop by the Some Odd Girl blog for more gorgeous inspiration!

Because I love the new “Sunshine Sorbet” papers so much, I’m using them again today for the new digis! Seriously, you’ll love them, too! They are thicker than other 6″ x 6″ paper pads, and have vibrant colors that are perfect for tons of paper crafting projects! The back of each piece is solid white, and is of card stock thickness, so you can definitely save your scraps or stamp on the back!

Today’s first card features the new “Tia and Puppy” digi with a sentiment from the “Puppy Love Mae” clear set, and of course, “Sunshine Sorbet” paper and the matching sequins.


My second card features “Puppy Love“, the second adorable digi being released today at Some Odd Girl Stamps! I kept my design super simple so I could focus on the digi. The speech bubble is from the “I Do” clear set. 

To keep the look subtle, I stamped it on a scrap of white card stock, then stamped again on my card front without re-inking. To make the heart accent, I used the first stamped image as a template to fill in the heart with some glitter glue and gloss medium. When it was dry, I trimmed the heart and adhered it in its spot on the card front. The sentiment can be found in the “Flirty Mae” clear stamp set.


Now that we’re halfway through September, there’s still time to link up your latest creations with Some Odd Girl Stamps at the Some Odd Girl blog! Each month kicks off a new Linky Party, and there’s never a theme; we just want to see what you’ve made with Some Odd Girl Stamps! You’ll find the link tool on the right-hand side of the blog…and you never know…your creation might be featured in one of our weekly spotlights!

If you loved everything in the September release and gotta have it all, you can save with this special bundle, available in the Some Odd Girl Store for a limited time!


You’ll save more than $5.00 with this special limited-time offer, which includes the 6×6 Sunshine Sorbet pad, Hexie Dot wood veneer, Sorbet Sequins, Sweater Kaylee & Yeti 4×3 Clear Stamp sets all in one bundle.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Hope your week is off to a great start!

Hugs,

My turn for the Creative Blog Hop!

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Hi! I have been asked by the sweet and super-talented Evelin T(of Evelin T Designs) to participate in the Creative Blog Hop in her post here. I’m honored to be one of the three crafters that Evelin chose to participate in this hop!

I met Evelin during my recent Design Team term with Sweet Stamp Shop, which ended last month. Evelin designs stamp sets for Sweet Stamp Shop, and illustrates and creates gorgeous watercolor prints and hand-lettered calligraphy! You can find many examples of her work at her web site!

As I understand, the idea behind the Creative Blog Hop is to learn a bit more about other bloggers by answering four questions, so let’s get started!

What am I working on now?

I’m working ahead by coloring images for my Some Odd Girl Stamps design team assignments in October, but I also try to participate in a few weekly or bi-weekly card challenges to get new ideas and inspiration! I can’t show you much of what I’ve been coloring, but here’s a peek at “Cheers Kaylee“, a Some Odd Girl Stamps image I colored for a birthday card:



How does my work differ from others in my genre?


It’s important to me to get as much as I can out of my stamp sets. One thing that I do differently is combine stamp sets in ways that many crafters wouldn’t might not think about when putting a card together. If I don’t have a particular image that I’m looking for in a set, I’ll look through my other sets to see if there’s a stamp I can use.

This card that I made for Sweet Stamp Shop is a perfect example. I wanted a treasure chest stamp for my design, but none of the sets releasing that month had that image. To create my own, I used a plant pot stamp from an older set to make one. I stamped the image twice, trimmed part of one, and flipped the other one over to make the lid of the chest.

(More card details can be found at the original post.)

I also like to come up with new ways to use my craft supplies, like using electronic cut files to make reusable stencils. This card is one of my favorites, and it was created for a Moxie Fab World triangle challenge:

(More card details can be found at the original post.)

Here’s another of my favorites! I stamped on two colors of felt and assembled them to create a fuzzy yeti for a texture challenge at the Lawnscaping challenge blog:

(More card details can be found at the original post.)

Why do I create what I do?

Many crafters say that they’ve always loved to create, and that’s certainly true for me. But, you’re wondering why I make cards instead of altered canvases or art journal pages or scrapbook layouts, or something else, right? 

No part of crafting is more relaxing for me than when I’m coloring images. Taking that artwork and choosing the colors to bring it to life is part of the fun! Even when I was young, I created dimension on my coloring book pages by coloring harder in some parts of the images. It’s so much easier to do that now with alcohol-based markers!

And as crazy as it may seem, I love to fussy cut. I don’t make a lot of duplicate cards except at Christmas time, so taking the time to give each card personal touch means a lot to me!

How does my creative process work?

When I make a card for a design team assignment, I choose the paper I’m using before coloring the image. Then, I color the image to match the paper. Some people color first and match later, but I find I get stumped more often when it’s time to make the card if I work that way. If I’m coloring for fun, the images don’t often make it to a project or card; they’re just for practice.

I also visit sketch challenge blogs for layout ideas. If I use the sketch from the blog, I’ll link it up for the challenge. If I can’t find a sketch that will work for the image I’ve colored, I’ll pull elements from a sketch (or a few), but change the layout or orientation so that it works for me. Because design team deadlines are often a week before the blog post goes live, it’s hard to combine sketch challenges with many of my design team assignments, but I try to do that whenever I can.

I also try to add embellishments in a thoughtful manner. I’m not comfortable adding lots of flowers, ribbons or accents, so my designs lean toward the clean and simple style. It’s more important to me that the images and papers are what you notice on my cards, rather than the embellishments. I often add twine, brads or sequins to a card to balance the layout or to help bring focus to a part of the card. 


The last part of this blog hop is to tag three more people who inspire me with their crafts. They will be posting next Monday, September 22nd, so make sure you stop by their blogs to say hello and find out more about them!

First up is Lesley Croghan. I’m blown away by her creativity in creating some of my favorite challenge blogs and having the time to manage them! I’ve been on several design teams with Lesley, and have been wowed over and over with her style and designs! Some of her challenge blogs that you may recognize are: Freshly Made Sketches, Merry Monday Christmas Challenge, The Card Concept, Seize the Birthday, and Seize the Sketch!

Hi there! My name is Lesley Croghan. I am a primary school teacher and I am from Canada. I am happily married to my hubby, Corey and we have two fur babies, Rolley the Rocket dog and Penney the Princess puddy! I started making cards in 2007 and then began blogging my cards in 2009. 

My passion for card making and card making challenges inspired me to create my own card challenges online. I design for SugarPea Designs, Purple Onion Designs and CAS(E) this Sketch. I am also passionate about the performing arts and spent many years singing professionally. I am absolutely delighted and honoured that Suzanne has thought of me! Thank you, Suzanne.



Next up is Kristy Dahlman, the creative genius behind Some Odd Girl Stamps! I first noticed Kristy’s digis at Some Odd Girl when she was just getting started, and I’m so in love with her drawing and coloring talents! I’m honored to be part of her design team, and had the pleasure of meeting her in person at CHA 2014 (and working with her in the Some Odd Girl booth)!



I’m Kristy, the Owner/Artist of Some Odd Girl stamps & design. I’m a mom of 2 with a very understanding hubs of 11 years. We live in a tiny town near the Lake Michigan shore with our 2 cats.

I’ve been a crafty, artsy girl since forever and finding a career in a creative field has always been my number one dream. I love to draw, craft, design and try my hand at lots of things. I opened the virtual doors of Some Odd Girl in Jan 2010 and recently released my first paper line, Sunshine Sorbet.

You can check out my personal blog at The Odd Girl where I share my own work and behind the scenes goodies. I’m pretty in love with Instagram as well.


And the third person I’ve tagged is Joni Wilson, who first inspired me with her no-line coloring technique when we were both on The Greeting Farm‘s Showcase Team in 2013! She is a wonderful friend and crafter, and I’m so glad I got to meet her in person while she and her family lived near me!
In addition to being on the design teams for the Deconstructed Sketch and The Pink Elephant Challenge blog, Joni is back with The Greeting Farm as the coordinator for Guest DT members and Special Projects! You can see Joni’s work  at her blog!


Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you’ve enjoyed this peek into my projects and my creative process! Be sure to visit the three ladies I tagged in today’s post next Monday, September 22, when they share their own crafty secrets! 

Hugs,

Are you YETI to PARRRRRRRTAY?

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Hi, everybody! Today, we’re wrapping up release week at Some Odd Girl Stamps with “Yeti”, the second new clear stamp set in the Some Odd Girl Stamps store! Are you YETI to PARTY?
And, I just HAD to use some of the delicious new “Sunshine Sorbet” paper and sequins! I cut along the side of the diamond-patterned paper to create a custom border and had the yeti throwing up some confetti/sequins to get the party started!
The sequins and designer paper are brand new Odds & Ends that were released Monday in the Some Odd Girl Stamps Store! 
Thanks so much for stopping by today! Hope you enjoyed all of the fun things we’ve shared during Release Week!  Make sure to stop by the Some Odd Girl blog for more inspiration with Yeti!
Hugs,

Get Warm and Cozy with Sweater Kaylee!

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Hi, everybody! Today I’m sharing a card with “Sweater Kaylee,” the first of two new clear stamp sets releasing this week at Some Odd Girl Stamps. 
I turned one of the woodgrain-patterned sheets from Some Odd Girl Stamps’ AWESOME new “Sunshine Sorbet” paper pad on its side to make this fun shaker card:
The sequins and wood veneer hexagons are brand new Odds & Ends that were released yesterday in the Some Odd Girl Stamps Store! To make the snowflake accent, I flipped one of the wood veneers over and stamped a snowflake on the smooth side. (By the way, the solid blue bamboo twine is also in the Odds & Ends section of the SOG Store! There are four solid colors and five twist colors of twine to choose from.)
Thanks so much for stopping by today! I’ll be back tomorrow with a project featuring the second new clear stamp set in Some Odd Girl Stamps’ September release, and I hope you’re YETI to party! Make sure to stop by the Some Odd Girl blog for more inspiration with Sweater Kaylee!
Hugs,