Finding Retired Rubber Stamps

It's a sad fact of life in the stamping world that stamp companies will discontinue certain stamps or even entire stamp lines. Maybe sales weren't what they expected, or maybe they need more room in their catalogs for their new lines.

Whatever the reason, the stamp you were eyeing, or maybe the stamp you saw in a friend's collection, may not be available any more from the stamp company. What do you do then?

Fortunately, you do have a chance at getting that must have stamp. eBay has a great new and used rubber stamp market, and many retired stamps will show up there in either new or used condition. I carry a wide variety of new and used stamps in my store: Cynderelli's Books and Crafts, Etc.. You can also find stamps from companies that are no longer in business, like PSX (Personal Stamp Exchange).

Another resource for those discontinued stamps or stamps from companies no longer in existence is individual web stores. I have been adding a large number of stamps from the late Stampa Barbara to my web store: Cynderelli Rubber Stamps and Crafts. I also have some recently discontinued stamps from Uptown Design and Stampers Anonymous.

So don't despair if that stamp you are craving is out of production. Check around, and you may find it yet!

Nice read! Pollock, American Abstract Expressionist painter

I found this article on Pollock, American Expressionist painter ( the drip and splash painter). It is a nice read.

AMERICAN ABSTRACT
Real Jackson Pollock.
by PETER SCHJELDAHL
Issue of 2006-07-31
Posted 2006-07-24

If you are a fan and can go:

“No Limits, Just Edges: Jackson Pollock Paintings on Paper,”
at the Guggenheim, New York.
From May 26 - Sept 29

While there you might want to check out "Kandinsky: Thirty Years of Landscape" ongoing show. You can order tickets online.

You don't need tickets to see my artwork listed on eBay. Just follow the link.





ebay gallery

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Thanks for visiting. Please come back.

Getting People to Read Your Blog !

When we first started this blog the task that seemed most difficult was trying to get the word out. People just didn't know we existed and we had virtually no readers. That is, until we hooked-up with some great Traffic producing web sites.

If you have a few minutes, and would like to have a lot more people reading your blog or website, you might want to check-out these great traffic producing websites:


http://www.BlogExplosion.com



http://www.BlogAdvance.com



http://www.BlogClicker.com



http://www.BlogMad.com



http://www.TrafficSwarm.com



http://www.WolfSurfer.com


All of the above services have helped us greatly ! We highly suggest that you check them out.

"Art collectors find eBay to decorate on a budget " news article

Interesting article on The Seattles Times about shopping and collecting fine art on eBay with tips for decorating on a budget and safe shopping.
Read it here.
"eBay is a clearinghouse for people trying to buy and sell new and used items. TheWeb site does not censor items listed unless they fall under prohibited categories listed on the Web site. For more information, see ebay.com."
Article By Nicole Tsong,
Seattle Times staff reporter
Thank you.


Visit my ebay gallery

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Borges Art listed on eBay



Limited Edition museum quality Giclée from original oil painting.

Medium: Prints - Giclée on Waterproof canvas. 100% acid free
Image Size:16" X 14" inches on gallery wrapped canvas ready to hang.
Print comes unstretched and unframed.
If you desire, please purchase stretching services at my store for your print and recieve the print ready to hang.
Style: Modern Contemporary Expressionism
Open Edition : all prints are produced to order and sold by the artist.
Origin: Borges art studio.
Availability: Giclees require drying time. Usually ship in 5-9 days.

Check this floral giclee here

Thanks for visiting. Please come back.

Rain Barrels - Not Old-Fashioned

A rainbarrel could save 55,000 gallons of water per year.

Rainwater collection has long been used in dry states and places where people are urged to conserve water. With water bills rising, however, more people are turning to conserving rainwater to use on their gardens, to freshen sidewalks, and to wash their cars. A rainbarrel could save 55,000 gallons of water a year. An inch of rain on a 1,000-square-foot roof can produce 632 gallons. What's more, rainwater contains no chemicals like chlorine and fluoride, which are hard on plants. Collection also helps reduce storm runoff, a growing problem caused by acres of concrete in the neighborhood.

Lack of rainfall in many places and the high price of water elsewhere is making people think twice before turning on the hose. Additionally, the editors of This Old House say that, in the wake of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, some people are looking for an alternative source of water in case they are faced with another catastrophe. A rainbarrel has a spigot near the bottom where you attach a hose, a "mosquito donut" floating on the surface, an overflow valve near the top, and a childproof screen on top of the barrel. A wooden barrel can be adapted for the purpose. To get the most from your barrel, consider adding an overflow tank to your system. It's a second or third barrel connected to the first or second one with a hose.

For all of your garden needs visit my eBay store:

http://stores.ebay.com/Abbeys-Carolinas-This-N-That_Gardening_
W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQfsubZ20QQftidZ2QQtZkm

Abbey

I've Been Busy

Yes. I’ve been very busy working in my yard.

Check out my favorite coleus here


Trying to get control of the carp in my house and trying to keep cool in the 100 degree Texas weather. I'd better sell something on eBay Lorna’s Re-Use It Decor , or else I won't be able to pay my electric bill.

I've also been trying my hand at making crafts. Now here’s the two plates that I’ve been working on




And the pair of jeans that I “altered.” Well actually, its still a work in progress. By the way did you know that they made invisible thread? Me either. I found a spool in a box I got from my local auction.



And last but certainly NOT least, I've been managing my eBay store. As a matter of fact in the spirit of the fees hike that eBay announced this week I even got on the bandwagon and poked my own fun at the establishment. Check it out here.Update: Auction was removed, but here's a new link.Protest Against eBay Stores Fee Hike

Until next time.

Lorna/
Lorna’s Re-Use It Decor

Help Peyton ! Charity Auctions and Donations Needed

I received an email today from a member of Blog Explosion about a family that needs some help. The following is from the "For Peyton" web site:

Natasha Novoa was a 29 year old single mother of a beautiful 2 ½ year old girl named Peyton. The family lived in Richmond Hill, a suburb just north of Toronto, Canada. Natasha has a younger brother and sister, Jesse and Noelle, and her parents are Jose and Laura.

In December of 2005, Natasha was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of Small Cell Ovarian Cancer. Early hopes were that this disease could be controlled with Radiation and Chemotherapy treatments. The cancer was an evasive and aggressive enemy and efforts to control it were not successful.

From the start Natasha displayed incredible courage and determination to win her battle with Cancer despite repeated setbacks. Her fight continued until late March 2006, when unfortunately the cancer proved too difficult to bear. Natasha passed away peacefully in her sleep with her parents at her side. The unwavering strength that Natasha displayed throughout her battle with this cruel disease was beyond remarkable. Those who witnessed it have been touched in a very special way.

Natasha’s battle placed an enormous amount of strain on her family. Many sacrifices were necessary so that Natasha could be surrounded by her family throughout the ordeal. Be it time away from the workplace or day to day hospital parking fees, money should be the last thing a family needs to worry about while engaged in such a life threatening fight. With this in mind, a bank account has been set up in Natasha’s mother’s name in support of her, her family and her daughter.

With your help, we can ease the burden this tragedy has placed on the Novoa family. All funds collected will be directly donated to the family via this account and any help you can afford to give will be appreciated and never forgotten.


They are currently running charity auctions through eBay at this URL:
http://www.forpeyton.com/auction.html

You can also donate products and/or money at this URL:
http://www.forpeyton.com/donations.html

Learn more about Peyton and her family at this URL:
http://www.forpeyton.com


Together we can help make a difference !

A Purse Like No Other- Recycled Jeans Art Purse

I have for some time now been making purses from old blue jeans, but now I have added a twist: One of a kind Designs by Jaime. Jaime is an up and coming young artist, and she has worked wonders on some jeans I sent her- the colors she uses and the shading she achieves are beautiful. I wish my photography could do them justice.





These are some pictures of the first purse in the series, currently for auction in my Ebay store. No two designs are the same, check back for future designs in the series.

The Benefits of Unmounted Rubber Stamps

You've seen the massive aisle of rubber stamps for sale at your local crafts store. You have probably purchased half of them. But those rubber stamps mounted on wood blocks may be greatly hampering your creative ability.

You may find that purchasing and using unmounted rubber stamps can make you a little happier and allow you to own many more stamps ! Here are just some of the benefits of using unmounted Rubber Stamps:

1. Unmounted rubber stamps can cost 50% to 75% less then stamps mounted on wood blocks. can you imagine being able to double or triple your rubber stamp collection for the same amount of money ?

2. You can fit about 4 unmounted rubber stamps into the same space as 1 wood mounted rubber stamp. Imagine doing away with all of the clutter in your craft area !

3. If you purchase your rubber stamps over the Internet or from a catalogue, shipping on unmounted rubber stamps will usually be a lot less then wood mounted stamps. Then weight of the wood blocks can double or triple your shipping costs.

4. If you use EZ Mount Static Cling Foam your unmounteds can be used on acrylic blocks rather then wood blocks. This means that you only need 1 set of blocks for your entire stamp collection.

5. If you use EZ Mount Static Cling Foam you can easily store your rubber stamps in binders and CD Jewel cases which can help you even more in cleaning your craft area.

6. clear acrylic blocks allow you to align your rubber stamp images much better then wood blocks since they are see-through.


We think that once you start using unmounted rubber stamps you will find them to be much more enjoyable then wood mounted stamps ... and you will save a lot of money !

Give it a try you may never go back to wood mounted stamps !

As always, the latest and greatest unmounted rubber stamps can be found in our Simple Treasures Collage store at this URL:
http://stores.ebay.com/SimpleTreasuresCollage

Blog Of The Week: Winsome Gunning Art Walk

Please help us in welcoming our newest Blog Of The Week ... Winsome Gunning Art Walk.

This blog features some awesome and powerful paintings that the artist has created. You NEED to swing by this blog and checkout this fantastic artwork ! That's all I'm saying ... can't give too much away ya know. ;-)

Make darn sure to check out this blog !


We had 4 other requests for renting this week. A big thank you to everyone for showing interest ... to be fair we took the first blog that applied. If you are still interested in renting, please consider applying next week. Here are the other fantastic blogs that applied !

Full Metal Photographer
Top Drawer Designs
Blog4Bloggers
The Life And Times of Dawn

Skip The Mall Clearance - Shop eBay Stores At Home!!

It's that time of year when the shopping malls have their Summer Sidewalk Sales with supposed savings of up to 75%. If you are like me, you are often disappointed when you drive all the way there, hunt down a parking space and fight the crowds to find...well, not much.

So why not save on gas and shop for REAL deals from the comfort of your home on eBay?! Many sellers, such as us, are having Summer Clearance Sales! At Annabella's Gift Shop, we have dozens of brand-name collectibles, gifts, books, home decor, and so much more, marked down between 50-75% off. Thousands of other sellers are doing the same; it's like having every item imaginable right at your fingertips...all on sale!

However, just like the malls, our sales will come to an end. Annabella's Gift Shop's Clearance is going on now through July 26, so shop early for the best selection. Plus, if you email us telling us you read about our sale here on "Deals On eBay", we'll give you a 50% discount on shipping!!

Treasure hunt Winners

Treasure Hunt
For July 11th - July 16th

Congrats to the winners ... Marti and bozette ! For a list of all answers please click
HERE

Next Treasure hunt to start July 19th or 20th. Receive an email notification of the new contest by subscribing to our email updates.

So...What Are You Reading These Days?

So many books, so little time. More to the point - so many different genres available today for us to pursue. If you are like most of us, your choice in reading materials varies from week to week - or sometimes day to day. Depending on mood, on the stress of your day or situation, or the amount of time you have to devote to reading - these are things that will determine your particular choice in reading materials. The truly wonderful aspect of this is that we have a wealth of choices -- and no reason to confine ourselves to only one.

My particular interest is in fiction (no surprise there!) and I enjoy everything from westerns, science fiction, mysteries of all kinds, action thrillers to contemporary or historical romances, paranormal romances that can be very erotic. I love a good story -- if its told well.

At KC's Kozy Korner we offer a variety of fiction - here's a sampling of some of the paranormal and/or erotica:


Laurell K. Hamilton- The Lunatic Cafe: Vampire hunter Anita Baker is called on by a pack of werewolves to help them find their missing leader, the very person who she has been dating of late.




Heather Graham - Ghost Walk: A tour guide and an FBI agent seek help from beyond the grave in this work of paranormal romantic suspense. Nikki DuMonde knows plenty about the ghosts of New Orleans--she makes a living telling stories about them as part of the profitable Myths and Legends tour--but she certainly doesn't believe in them. That is, not until she encounters two of them. Troubled psychic investigator Brent Blackhawk helps Nikki find what ties the two restless spirits together.



Lora Leigh - Elizabeth's Wolf: Dash thought himself alone, a soldier, a fighting machine and no more. Elizabeth made him realize he was a man. ( A part of Ms. Leigh's "Breed" series - Dash is a wolf-breed - a genetically altered human).



Shiloh Walker - Hunting The Hunter: Kendall is accustomed to vampire games. After all, she is one herself - part of an elite group of warriors who keep the other vamps in line by destroying the ones who prey on the weak and innocent. But now she's the one being stalked.

This is a very small sampling - come in and see these and so many other books that may interest you.

Special Interest Books - A Specialized Reference

Sometimes a book catches my interest and I just look for an excuse to purchase it. My family has ceased to raise those eyebrows - snicker - or provide comments that for the most part may be unprintable! My husband took one look at this one and -- if he had hair left on the top of his head, his darn eyebrows would have disappeared, they went so high. Can't help it -- I found this one at a book show and kept going back to it. So now I have it in our bookstore - I found it interesting..

OK, I have never owned a gun in my life - don't like to handle them, don't want one in my house. I can still remember vividly the two black eyes I received from recoil when a friend tried to teach me how to shoot a .44 Magnum revolver (Smith & Wesson). Yep -- no one told me to straighten my elbows before pulling the trigger. And I had to get my new driver's license picture the next day -- so for three years my driver's license had a picture of me with two black eyes. Sheesh....

As I told Joe -- doesn't mean I can't appreciate the information and the sheer artistry of the workmanship and technology that goes into making them.. So the book that I am showcasing this time for KC's Kozy Korner is:

The Encyclopedia of Handheld Weapons

Edited by James Marchington

It is a comprehensive international guide that provides an illustrated source of information. Theres over 350 entries with full details on the background, operation and performance and specifications of the weapons concerned.

Scrapbook Speak!

Scrapbooking Glossary

Like any other hobby, scrapbooking has developed its own jargon. If you're new to scrapbooking, or even if you've been doing it for awhile, you've probably come across a few terms you're not familar with. Here's a list of definitions/explanations from Scrapbook Life Tips that can help make it all clear!

• SCRAPBOOKING - The tradition of taking photos, and memorabilia, and placing them in family keepsake albums along with relevant journalling.
• MEMORY OR KEEPSAKE ALBUM - Another term for scrapbook.
• JOURNALING - Journaling is writing down the who, what, where, when and why that goes with your photos. An important part of scrapbooking that is often never done for fear of ruinning a page with bad handwriting or a mistake or putting it off for later which never comes. Journaling in your scrapbook should always be done using permanent, fade and water proof writing tools. Using the computer to journal makes it easier for some to keep up with this important task.
• CROPPING - Cropping is the trimming of a photo to remove unnecessary sections. Cropping should be done to improve a photo not just to make a pretty shape. Cropping also allows for more photos to be added to a page. When cropping some attention should be paid to maintaining the historical integrity of a picture. Never crop out anything that identifies the time period in which the photo was taken.
• CROP - A crop is an event where scrapbookers meet to work on their scrapbooks, share tools and techniques.
• MOUNT - The placing of a photo or memorabilia onto a scrapbook page using adhesive.
• ADHESIVES - Product used to attach photographs and other components onto a scrapbook page. Adhesive types include photo corners (clear plastic stick on style or paper "lick and stick" style) which are considered to be non permanent, photo tape, photo tabs, tape runner (all forms of double sided tape) which are considered permanent but in actuality articles can be removed with slight damage to the album page, and glue which can be considered permanent and not recommended for adhering photographs.
• HERITAGE PHOTO - A photograph that is of special significance due to its age, rarity or/and historical importance.
• POLAROID OR INSTANT PHOTOS - A photo that develops before your eyes. Until recently these were the least stable of photo types. They have improved but are still very prone to fading in light. Due to the nature of most of the prints they should not be cropped. Cropping may result in chemical seepage which will damage the print and may be harmful to skin and eyes.
• BORDER - The margins of a scrapbook page. Usually spoken of in terms of decoration.
• MAT - The placing of a photo for decorative effect onto cardstock cut slightly larger and then placed onto a scrapbook page.
• TEMPLATE - Plastic or card sheet with punched out shapes that can be used to crop photos and photo mounting paper into shapes. Some templates are suitable for drawing outlines or journalling lines.
• PHOTO CORNERS - A non permanent method of adhering photos to a page. Small triangles of plastic or card stock one for each corner are adhered to the page and the corners of the photo slotted in. The photo is held in place but may be easily removed for copying, etc.
• CIRCLE CUTTER - Scrapbook tool used to create circles from photos and mounting paper. Circle cutters vary in type from tower to template style, fixed blade to separate knife systems. Different circle cutters suit different people so it is best to try a few before you commit to one.
• TRIMMER - Tool used for straight cropping of photos and cardstock. Can come in guillotine, rotary or blade style
• ACID - Acid is a substance found in paper that causes it to weaken and crumble. Skin and saliva are also acidic.
• ACID FREE SCALE - The Acid Scale goes from 0-14. 0 is very acidic while 14 is very alkaline. 7 is considered acid free but a pH value of 8 is preferable for use scrapbooks.
• ACID FREE - Many papers can be considered acid free immediately after manufacture however unless they have been buffered, i.e. treated with a neutralising agent, chemical reactions with substances such as sizing or bleaching will cause the paper to become acidic over time. All plastic by it´s nature is acid free however some plastic is unsafe for use in photo albums.
• ACID MIGRATION - Acid migration occurs when something with acid is placed against an article that is acid free. Photographs mounted on acidic paper will weaken and crumble. Acidic memorabilia can be added to photo albums if encapsulated in polypropylene sleeves or placed on buffered card on a page underneath a protective sleeve.
• BUFFERED - Something that has been subjected to the addition of alkaline substances such as magnesium carbonate or calcium carbonate to prevent acids forming in the future due to chemical reactions.
• PVC (POLYVINYL CHLORIDE) - PVC is a common plastic which because it is chemically unstable releases a chlorine gas. When this gas settles onto a surface it turns into hydrochloric acid. This acid will cause photographs to fade and discolour.
• LIGNIN-FREE - A product that contains no lignin. Lignin is either removed during processing to make paper safe or the paper is manufactured from a base material that is already lignin free such as cotton.
• LAMINATION - The coating of paper with a thin, translucent plastic. Lamination is considered unacceptable as a conservation methods due to the high heat and pressure used during application and its irreversibility.
• STICKERS - Stickers are one of the most basic scrapbooking supplies. Scrapbooking stickers should be acid free, and lignin free (or photo safe such as Stickopotamus™). Traditionally scrapbooking stickers are made out of printed paper, adhere to your page with a sticky back and are very quick, and easy to use. More recently scrapbooking stickers have become more embellished - some sporting fiber, beads, wire, ribbon and other such products that give your scrapbook pages depth and texture. Stickers are a must for every scrapbooker and come in almost any imaginable theme.
• PUNCH ART - A decoration made up from punchies. The components may or may not have anything to do with the final art. For example, a flower may be made from overlapping heart shaped punchies in a circle with a small circle punchie in the centre. Freehand cut a stalk and place leaf punchies along it. Punch art can be simple to quite elaborate.
• DIE-CUT - A shape or letter cut from paper by machine using a die pattern.
• EYELET - Eyelets are small metal circles through which the laces are threaded on a pair of shoes. They are used in a scrapbook context as decoration and as a means to "rivet" components onto a page--mainly card stock.
• RAG BOARD/RAG PAPER - Board or paper made from material other than wood, such as cotton, which is naturally lignin free, stable and durable.
• VELLUM - Once made from animal gut, vellum is now manufactured from wood fibre which is, to put simply, beaten until clear, or plastic. It has a wonderful translucent quality and is slow to absorb ink. Vellum is available in both acidic and non acidic forms.
• MULBERRY - Mulberry Paper is a fibrous paper which adds a lovely soft touch to a mounted photo, journaling or title. There are several scrapbook techniques to keep in mind when working with this paper. Take care to use only paper which is acid free and lignin free. For best effect Mulberry Paper should be torn. The trick to tearing Mulberry Paper to the desired shape is to moisten it using a paintbrush dipped in water before gently easing apart the fibers. The wider the area moistened, the more ragged the edge. Make sure the paper is dry before mounting.
• PAPER PIECING - The use of cut out shapes to produce a picture. Similar to applique, pieced paper pictures can range from very simple to complex, and can be a page decoration or constitute an entire layout

Four NEW Rubber Stamping Sets from POSH !

I'm telling you, Posh Impressions rubber stamps and Dee Gruenig are just burning hot right now ! The just released 4 new rubber stamp sets and there are 3 more on the way next week ! Below you will find 4 new sets that are available right now in the Simple Treasures store.

The Halloween Vertical Set contains 18 rubber stamps from POSH. All of these stamps are the classic red rubber variety and have been cut out and mounted on EZ Mount foam for use on Acrylic blocks. These stamps range up to 5" in size ! That black cat is awesome and check-out the great night scene background stamp !


The Hawaiian Vertical Set also contains 18 rubber stamps from POSH. All of these stamps are the classic red rubber variety and have been cut out and mounted on EZ Mount foam for use on Acrylic blocks. These stamps also range up to 5" in size ! Watch me fall in love with the pineapple stamps !


The Birthday Vertical Set contains 12 rubber stamps from POSH. All of these stamps are the classic red rubber variety and have been cut out and mounted on EZ Mount foam for use on Acrylic blocks. Almost all of these stamps range up to 5" in size ... they are large ! Gotta love that cake stamp and the fireworks stamp !


The Santa Vertical Set contains 16 rubber stamps from POSH. All of these stamps are the classic red rubber variety and have been cut out and mounted on EZ Mount foam for use on Acrylic blocks. These stamps range up to 5" in size ... they are large ! You can't tell me that the Santa stamp and those retro 60's style Christmas Trees don't rock !


There are 3 more new sets coming late next week ... the Chinese set, the Kitchen set, and the Jungle set ... but don't wait to buy the above sets. New POSH sets sell very fast !

Details
* Designer: Posh Impressions
* Material: Red Rubber
* Stamps are mounted on EZ Mount Static Cling Foam
* Blocks / Handles: Use with clear acrylic blocks
* Can be used in the Stamp-N-Stor storage system

As always, the latest and greatest unmounted rubber stamps can be found in our Simple Treasures Collage store at this URL:
http://stores.ebay.com/SimpleTreasuresCollage

Something Fun & New with Seashells!

I've been fiddling around this week, trying to come up with some new things to offer my customers on my Penny Auctions (which run on Sunday, Tuesday and Friday evenings by the way)when I decided that some jewelry making was in order. I've been making jewelry for around 3 years now and have worked with all sorts of mediums including semi precious stones, clay, metals, wire, leather and lampwork glass and sea glass, so I figured "Why not seashells?". And why not? They're beautiful, lightweight and perfect as focal pieces.

Looking for something summery and flirty? How about these?











Want something a little more earthy?







Do you have any ideas for a piece that you'd like to see me make out of shells? Leave a comment and I'll see what I can create!

Treasure Hunt For July 11th ... Win 75 Credits !

Treasure Hunt
For July 11th - July 16th



THIS CONTEST IS OVER ...
Winners Posted HERE

Next Treasure hunt to start July 19th or 20th. Receive email notification of new contest by subscribing to our email updates.




Here's the deal. Find the answer(s) we are looking for and you can win credits on Blog Explosion.

Winners will be awarded BlogExplosion credits so you must have a user account on Blog Explosion so that we can send you your credits. If you do not have one already, you will need to sign-up for an account unless you would just like to play for fun.

When you find the answer to the question you must post your answer by leaving a comment to this post. Include your answer and make sure to tell us your Blog Explosion Username. This is the same one that you log-in with and that displays on your BE Profile. DO NOT post any of your personal information or your password ! All posts will be hidden until the final day. At that time the comments will be revealed and the winners announced.


THERE ARE 2 QUESTIONS

You only have to answer ONE of them correctly, but you can win bonus credits for answering both questions correctly.

The first person with at least 1 correct answer will win 50 BE Credits. If they answered BOTH questions correctly, they will receive a bonus of 25 credits for a total of 75 BE Credits.

We will then draw a name at random of all the other people that answered at least 1 of the questions correctly and award that lucky person with 25 BE Credits. If that person answered BOTH questions correctly they receive a bonus of 15 credits for a total of 40 BE credits.

So everyone that answers correctly has a chance to win !

RULES:
Our "Blog Of The Week" renter cannot play their question, but they can play the question about our blog.

The DOE Team Bloggers may not answer the question about our blog, but they may answer the question about our "Blog Of The Week". Team bloggers, you also MUST log-out of blogger and post your answer as "Anonymous" due to the moderation.


Question #1 for This Week:
On The Grocery list From Hell ... When it comes to Fiction Books what 3 authors are the bloggers favorites ?

Where is the Answer ?
The answer is on our Blog Of The Week Pick.

Give me a Hint ?
OK ... The post contains shelves. :-)


Question #2 for This Week:
What is the blogger's name who posted a 3 part series on Conch Shells ?

Where is the Answer ?
The answer is on our blog.

Give me a Hint ?
You can find the autors name directly under the title of the post.

Have Fun !

Christmas in July and All Year Round!

I have long been a true fanatic about Christmas. We have so many ornaments on our tree, we had to get a rotating Christmas tree stand so we could decorate the "back" of the tree, too! I get so excited to decorate the house, and so depressed when it is time to take it down (and on one or two occasions, this has been in February!)
Here is a picture of our tree:




So having my Ebay store, Maggie's Handcraft Studio, is a wonderful opportunity to be able to enjoy Christmas decorating ideas all year round. This month I have been working on making some Christmas items for my store. Here are a few examples:

Christmas Ornament Hooks

Christmas Ornaments

Christmas Earrings

These are just a few examples! Check out my Christmas category, as I will be added new stuff to it as much as I can. This week I hope to add more hooks and ornaments, as well as some handcrafted Christmas stockings and bracelets with glass beads that look like candy!

Oh, and don't miss my Christmas in July offer...a free pair of ornament hooks with any purchase of an item priced $5 or over.

Best wishes to you for a joyful life all year long!

Blog Of The Week: Grocery List From Hell !

Please help us in welcoming our newest Blog Of The Week ... The Grocery List From Hell.

Straight from the Grocery List ...

I like to rant about politics, religion, current events in the news, and my life. Most posts contain info about a related eBay auction. Some posts will be about a weird thing I found on eBay or unusual eBay listing strategies. Also, I am tracking the StolenSidekick story and keeping my eye on this.

Make darn sure to check out this blog !


We had 6 other requests for renting this week. A big thank you to everyone for showing interest ... to be fair we took the first blog that applied. If you are still interested in renting, please consider applying next week. Here are the other fantastic blogs that applied !

Tiny Voices In My Head
CoolAdzine for Marketers
RECOMMENDED
Double Decker Bus Dream
The Lost Girls
100% Free Samples and Products

Treasure Hunt Winners !

Treasure Hunt
For July 4th - July 10th

Congrats to the winners ... Sue and Jen ! For a list of all answers please click
HERE

Next Treasure hunt to start July 12th or 13th. Receive an email notification of the new contest by subscribing to our email updates.

Last Day For The Treasure Hunt & Beautiful Dance

It's the last day for Long, Slow, Beautiful Dance here on Deals On eBay ... make darn sure you give her a visit ! Click Here To Go To Her Blog.

Also this is the last day for our Treasure Hunt ! This is a an easy way to win 75 Blog Explosion Credits ! Click Here To Visit The Treasure Hunt Page.

Hope everyone had a FANTASTIC weekend !

Chris

=

Sooshiscorner Christmas

July 8. 2006

Sooshiscorner is now in full swing with her new Christmas Products. I just got an absolutely adorable add on to Mr Christmas World's Fair Gold Label Ride. It's called The Parachut Jump. This is an incredible piece, as the parachutes go up and down the tower the lights go on and the music plays. There are 30 different musical themes. 15 are everyday music, and 15 are holiday music. Very Cool. I will be adding new "stuff" Everyday!!!
Sooshiscorner at Ebay

Clear Impressions Rubber Stamping Sets !

Hey everyone we would love to introduce you to a brand new rubber stamping line that Simple Treasures Collage started carrying a few weeks ago. The new Clear Impressions rubber stamps are fantastic !

All of the Clear Impressions rubber stamps are the clear polymer style that allow you to achieve perfect image alignment when you are stamping. The images, designs, and alphabets available in this stamp line are the perfect size for scrapbooking and greeting card making !

From the creator:
Like many of you, I have a passion for celebrating life through scrapbooking and papercrafting. There is great joy that comes from creating, sharing and remembering together. I can't get enough of it. It is soul-satisfying. It is my goal to help you create projects that speak from your heart, enable your personal expression and ignite your imagination.

I am excited to offer these clear stamps with my vision and hope you will enjoy using them as much as I have enjoyed creating them.

~LaRayne Miller
Artist and Founder of Impressions, LLC

In our web store you will be able to find funky designs, alphabets, images, bears, flowers, butterflies, backgrounds, and many other rubber stamp sets in the Clear Impressions line. Some of the more popular sets in this line are the seasonal word and phrase stamps. I think you will find the word stamps are a perfect size for many different craft projects !

We truly hope that you enjoy this new stamp line !

As always, the latest and greatest unmounted rubber stamps can be found in our Simple Treasures Collage store at this URL:
http://stores.ebay.com/SimpleTreasuresCollage

Freaky Friday Videos: The eBay Commercial

This could be the next Watergate ! Did someone break into eBay HQ and steal this eBay commercial footage ???? It never made it to air ... maybe you can see why.



Enjoy ... :-)

Greeting Card Example: What Time Is It ?

Here's a nice greeting card that Kimmi stamped close to 3 years ago now ...

It seems that most rubber stamps and crafts made from them are somewhat feminine oriented, so I thought this would be a great time to post a masculine greeting card made with rubber stamps. I believe Kimmi gave this to her father for either his birthday or Father's Day.

What Time Is It ?

This is a nice greeting card that doesn't take too much time to make.

One of the very best clock and watch parts stamp sets to use for this type of card is the 17 stamp "It's About Time" Rubber Stamp Set.

Kimmi started with a flat white card-stock greeting card. From there she added the tan card-stock to the front and then the Victorian green and deep red card-stock squares to the top of the tan card stock. She then stamped the words directly to the tan card-stock using an alphabet rubber stamp set. The watches and clocks were stamped on to white card-stock, cut out, and attached to the greeting card.

Next time you have a little spare time, why not stamp some greeting cards !


As always, the latest and greatest unmounted rubber stamps can be found in our Simple Treasures Collage store at this URL:
http://stores.ebay.com/SimpleTreasuresCollage

What is Sea Glass?

Sea (or Beach) Glass is formed when bits of broken glass are rounded and smoothed by the tumbling action of the waves and sand. The longer the glass lies in the ocean's depths, the smoother and more desirable it becomes. Over the past 30 years or so, sea glass has started to become more and more difficult to find as the transition to plastics became more prevalent in our culture. When I was a small child it was a whole lot easier to find a stunning piece of cobalt blue or even a vibrant red. Today, much of the sea glass that is found comes from beer bottles tossed into the water by vacationing beach goers and college students/young adults. For that reason, the most common colors that can be found today are those in the green, white and brown shades.



Sea Glass is now a prized treasure, highly sought after and considered by many as beautiful as a flawless diamond. Perhaps this is where Sea Glass Jewelry comes into play. Many artists have taken to using Sea Glass as unique "gems" in their jewelry creations. The prices for these spectacular pieces can skyrocket into the hundreds of dollars depending on the rarity of the glass used. The Sea Glass jewelry created in our studios started out with two small pieces of green glass collected locally off of Scarborough Beach, here in Narragansett, RI. Simply put, they looked like the perfect size for earrings and so they became. From there, a small business was born, as was a desire to keep these beautiful pieces affordable and eye pleasing to potential customers. With those goals in mind, we turned to tumbled glass as an affordable alternative to supplement our designs.

Now what is tumbled glass? It is simply broken pieces of glass that are tumbled in a machine to recreate the effect of sand, sea and time in about 1-2 weeks as opposed to years. Tumbling in a machine allows for many beautiful colors -now extremely difficult to find naturally- to be turned into fabulous one of a kind pieces that we can offer to you at reasonable prices. Many of our pieces still include glass collected locally off the beaches and we will be happy to answer any questions you have as to the origin of the glass used in a particular piece.



In celebration of summer we are now offering FREE SHIPPING on all of our Narragansett Sea Glass Jewelry pieces, so stop on by and check out what we have in stock! Oh and keep in mind that we also create custom pieces to match just about any color scheme you could imagine!

Decorating with Dinnerware

Have you ever thought of decorating with that beautiful China dinnerware that never comes out of the cupboard except on special occasions? Or what about that single plate with that cute design that you picked up at a garage sale or at your favorite thrift? I’ve been decorating with plates for years.

These 2 are in my dining room. But you can do more than just hang them on the wall. You can display them on hanging metal plate racks. You can hang them singularly like me or you can purchase a plate hanger that attaches to the back of the plate at a hardware store. You can display them in that antique China display cabinet they you inherited from your grandmother. You can even use them your plants as a drip tray. Or you can always cut them up to be used in your next mosaic craft project. I’ve got some really nice plates listed for sale right now. Click on the link to visit my eBay store. Lorna’s Re-Use It Decor Until next time.... Lorna’s Re-Use It Decor

Treasure Hunt For July 4th ... Win 75 Credits !

Treasure Hunt
For July 4th - July 10th


THIS CONTEST IS OVER ...
Winners Posted HERE

Next Treasure hunt to start July 12th or 13th. Receive email notification of new contest by subscribing to our email updates.



Here's the deal. Find the answer(s) we are looking for and you can win credits on Blog Explosion.

Winners will be awarded BlogExplosion credits so you must have a user account on Blog Explosion so that we can send you your credits. If you do not have one already, you will need to sign-up for an account unless you would just like to play for fun.

When you find the answer to the question you must post your answer by leaving a comment to this post. Include your answer and make sure to tell us your Blog Explosion Username. This is the same one that you log-in with and that displays on your BE Profile. DO NOT post any of your personal information or your password ! All posts will be hidden until the final day. At that time the comments will be revealed and the winners announced.


THERE ARE 2 QUESTIONS

You only have to answer ONE of them correctly, but you can win bonus credits for answering both questions correctly.

The first person with at least 1 correct answer will win 50 BE Credits. If they answered BOTH questions correctly, they will receive a bonus of 25 credits for a total of 75 BE Credits.

We will then draw a name at random of all the other people that answered at least 1 of the questions correctly and award that lucky person with 25 BE Credits. If that person answered BOTH questions correctly they receive a bonus of 15 credits for a total of 40 BE credits.

So everyone that answers correctly has a chance to win !

RULES:
Our "Blog Of The Week" renter cannot play their question, but they can play the question about our blog.

The DOE Team Bloggers may not answer the question about our blog, but they may answer the question about our "Blog Of The Week". Team bloggers, you also MUST log-out of blogger and post your answer as "Anonymous" due to the moderation.




Question #1 for This Week:
On Long, Slow Beautiful Dance ... What is the name of the charity Laci will be raising money for by taking part in a blogathon ?

Where is the Answer ?
The answer is on our Blog Of The Week Pick.

Give me a Hint ?
This is an easy question, but ... OK ... it was posted in July.


Question #2 for This Week:
In the first weekend update post we had some links to other blogs. How many blog links did we link to in that post ? (do not include the DOE blog in your count)

Where is the Answer ?
The answer is on our blog.

Give me a Hint ?
PFT .. I think the above gives it all away !

Have Fun !

Blog Of The Week ... Beautiful Dance

This week's Blog Of The Week is Long, Slow, Beautiful Dance. Give Laci a warm welcome ! This is definately a "must visit" and one of the most popular blogs on Blog Explosion.

Once you start reading Laci's posts, you'll want to add Long, Slow, Beautiful Dance to your daily reading list ! That's all I'm saying ... can't give all of it away ya know.

Don't forget ... we'll be having a Treasure Hunt starting Tonight or Tuesday with a Beautiful Dance question. So take a look around over there and get ready to win some Blog Explosion credits !

I'm Hand Sewing a Quilt

Are you one of those people who need to read the instructions on everything? Picture me raising my hand in agreement. I wasn’t always like that. For example, when I was a teenager back in my native Jamaica, I decided that I wanted to make a patchwork quilt. I got some scraps from my aunt who was a dressmaker, got a needle, some thread and I just got to work. It never occurred to me that I’d need a pattern. Duh? Anyway I used the cloth scraps in any shape they were cut in. And in any size they were cut in. And I also didn’t just use cotton fabric. Basically I just grabbed a piece of fabric, looked to see where it would best fit and sewed it in place.

Another thing that didn’t occur to me then was that I had to sew a backing on the quilt. Not only that, it also had to have filling. What did I know? I was a teenager and I was bored and I saw that my aunt really enjoyed sewing so, I got to sewing. So here I am many years later, no, I’m not going to tell you how many, I have this unfinished quilt. I have to tell you too that, well my design was off so I had to cut it get it to look like, well a quilt. This is truly a patchwork quilt.

I did make it by hand. And I looked at my handiwork and if I do say so myself I did a pretty good job for not knowing what I was doing. Picture me patting myself on my back, well shoulder.

So now I’m making my “first” quilt top. This time before I started I actually went to the library and picked out several books on quilting. As I tend to feel easily overwhelmed I searched for a pattern that was easy even for me. I came across a quilt pattern called Rail Fence. According to my reading this is a great quilt for beginners. Sounds easy enough. So off to the fabric store I went. Just my luck they were having a sale! I spent quite a while choosing the fabric colors. In the end I picked 6 colors that I think would go well together plus one each for the trim and the background.

Back home I got out the cutting instructions. Who knew that there was a special way to cut fabric? Anyway, I must’ve read it a hundred times before I figured out what they were talking about. Can you believe that they had different instructions depending on whether your fabric was 45” wide or 58” – 60” wide? And they mentioned terms like salvage edge.

No, I haven’t finished the quilt top yet, but I do have fabrics listed for sale in my eBay store. So please click on the link to visit my store at: Lorna’s Re-Use It Decor

Introducing.....

ME! tinam of 0tinam0 Scrapbooks Galore.

I live in beautiful British Columbia (that's in Canada, you know...:) and I've been scrappin' for a few years now. I started out being a strict Creative Memories girl, and while I still think their products are the best, I've learned that there are a lot of other companies out there making excellent products as well. The supplies I sell on ebay are generally from my personal collection, although sometimes I come across a great deal or two and make sure I nab enough to share with you.

I tend to be a fairly minimalist scrapbooker. That's not to say that I don't love and admire the amount of work that goes into some really ornate pages, but, for me, the most beautiful thing on the page should be the pictures of the people in my life! That's probably why I still stick with Creative Memories after all these years. Plus, if I spent any more time on a page, I'd never get any done - you could say I'm a little slow :)

Some of my favourite Creative Memories goodies are their Thanks to You page kit gifts that consultants hand out as incentives to their customers. The page kits are great little packs of stickers or die cuts or mounting paper that you can use to spice up a page quickly. You can't buy these directly from Creative Memories, but you can get them from my eBay store!

Here are a few samples:

















There are dozens of different kits, with dozens of different designs to give you hundreds of wonderful layouts. Don't go to a Crop Night without them!

Some New Crafting Ideas for July from Scarborough Seashells

These easy crafts were suggested by our neighbor, Judy (who says she is not artsy, but we beg to differ.)

She likes to get that beachy feel in her vacation cottage and she pulls it off seamlessly. Even though she lives right up the street, we did not meet until she found us -while searching for some shells and glass for decorating- on eBay! You can find anything on eBay, including a new friend!

Here are her easy craft projects!

(Click on any thumbnail image to enlarge.)

Project 1:

An antique white ironstone chamber pot was found on eBay (of course!) She purchased two dozen of pencil starfish from our store... one set in white and one set in blue. Mix them up and place in the pot. A wonderfully easy way to bring the beach to any room of your home!

Project 2:

Using a paper lamp shade she already had, a little jute roping was glued to the top and bottom of the shade with a hot glue gun. She then randomly covered the entire shade with tiny starfish in an attractive pattern (also with hot glue).

Project 3:

She purchased two glass hurricane candle holders- okay, this time she went to an actual Brick & Mortar store, but she bets you could find them on eBay, lol! Place your candle in first and then surround about an inch high with one or two shades of sea glass. She used teal and cobalt blue.

And there you have it; three fresh, nautical looks for your beach cottage in minutes!

Thanks again for your inspiration, Judy!

To check out Judy's FABULOUS beach cottage, Click Here!

Treasure Hunt #1 Winners Announced ...

We have announced the winners of the first DOE Treasure Hunt Contest. Please see the Winners List for full details. The winner will be receiving 75 Blog Explosion Credits ! Get ready for the next Treasure Hunt !

Knitting - Making Something Beautiful

The art and craft of hand knitting has been practiced for thousands of years. While no one is certain of the time or country of origin, hand knit socks, found in Egyptian tombs, have been dated to 3rd and 6th centuries AD. We do know that it had become an advanced craft in Europe during the 16th century. Traditionally the venue of women, the first knitting machine was invented in 1589. With the advent of the knitting machine, knitting became a cottage industry. Initially knitting was confined to footwear for men and women, and with advances in methods and innovative techniques - we can find truly wonderful hand knit clothing of all types.

Today, hand knitting is still a valued craft - one that provides hours of enjoyment and a sense of accomplishment. The sheer beauty of the yarns now available to the knitter can take your breath away. The book "Knitting Year-Round" provides patterns for 75 projects - with triple checked instructions that guarantee your knitting success. These projects include easy, intermediate, and advanced patterns, as well as helpful diagrams and stitching charts.

If you area novice knitter, it contains loads of bassic information to help you get started. Projects include bright cardigans, hats and mittens, vests and sweaters, trendy Ts, and pretty knitted jackets. There's something for each season of the year for you to knit.

Come in and see this book and others that may tweak your interest. KC's Kozy Korner