OSA Crane Swap – 2014

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As I said in one of my recent posts, I'm making an effort to create more cards through the OSA weekly layout challenge. (Click here to read that post.) Each week a winner is randomly chosen from the participants in that week's challenge to win a small prize. My card at right featuring the Asian fans was chosen as a winner and my prize was a set of acrylic stamps from Mark's Finest Papers and Stamps (Birds of the Orient 2014) that featured cranes and Asian kanji symbols. Inasmuch as I only had one crane stamp that had already gotten quite a bit of use, I was thrilled to receive some more cranes. In order to put some mileage on my new stamps, I was invited to join OSA's Crane Swap 2014 by its hostess, Margo Seegrist.  Below is the card I created for this swap. This card also gave me the opportunity to work with a wonderful new cutting die I recently purchased. The details on all the materials used in this card are below. 

Please feel free to comment below if you have any questions on how either of these cards was created. I love getting feedback. 

OSA Crane Swap – 2014

Stamps:

  Crane, kanji: Birds of the Orient 2014, Mark’s Finest Papers & Stamps

  Bamboo:  Asian Influences, Inkadinkado #97616

Ink:

  Versafine Onyx Black

  Whispers Apple Green

  Versamark Dazzle Champagne

Flourish die cut: Viney Swirl, Hot Off The Press #5319

Polka Dot Background: Michael Miller Memories Fabric Paper (discontinued)

Base Card: Die Cuts With A View Street Lace Box of Cards

Self Adhesive rhinestones in various sizes

Ballo ergo sum

- Gitana, the Creative Diva

An Incredible Mail Day

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In March, I wrote about several art competitions that I was entering and how busy I was preparing for them (click here to read that post). What I didn't tell you was what eventually happened. My submission didn't make it in the FEGS art competition so that was one out of three contests out of the way. The entries I submitted to the contest sponsored by the rubber stamp company (Blockhead Stamps) were a hit and I won a prize. That's two out of three contests out of the way. The competition sponsored by my husband's local union...to tell the truth, after the exhibit was over and I picked up my entries, I put the whole thing out of my mind. I never heard from anyone regarding the winners of the contest so I assumed I didn't win and promptly forgot about it. Three out of three contests out of the way. Well...not quite.

I received a large envelope from the division of the union that runs the art show a few days ago. My husband assumed it was a certificate of appreciation for participating in the show so that is what I had in mind when I opened it. Was I ever surprised to find a letter congratulating me for winning first prize in the digital art category! A certificate and a blue ribbon accompanied the letter. As if that wasn't good enough, there was another letter congratulating me on winning a prize. And another letter. And yet another letter. That's right. Out of six entries that I submitted to the art show, four of them won prizes: two first prizes and two second prizes. In fact, I took both first AND second prize in the digital art category. I was so flabbergasted I started shaking.

Such a bonanza was totally unthinkable. No, the prizes weren't the bonanza. (I never entered the contest for the prizes which were miniscule at best.) The bonanza was that this particular art show is big, with well over two hundred entries in a few dozen categories. My first time entering the contest I win four times!! How amazing is that? Here you can see all my winning entries from the past couple of months. The Inspire Daisy is the winner for the Blockhead Stamps contest and the other four are the winning entries for the Local 3 contest.

Unfortunately I have no time to rest on my laurels. I'm under a deadline crunch. I have yet to complete the paper flower arrangements for my daughter's high school graduation ceremony at the end of this month. I'll post more information and pictures about that project soon. Busy, busy.

Ballo ergo sum
- Gitana, the Creative Diva

First Prize winner!!

As you may already know I am a member of Oriental Stamp Art (OSA), a Yahoo stamping group that regularly holds card swaps. Some of the swaps are voted on by group members and prizes awarded to the winners. In a recent "Holiday Card" swap, my card was voted as the first prize winner. It's always a thrill to win a prize but even moreso when the recognition comes from your peers. Unfortunately I can't show you the winning entry at this time because it is being submitted to a magazine for possible publication. Until the decision to publish or not has been made, I can't show the card on this blog because that would constitute "publishing" on the web. Magazines won't use previously published works so until I have heard otherwise I can not show the card. At some point in the future I will make the card public, hopefully with the news that it is being published in print. Stay tuned for further developments. For right now, I'm just going to hold my breath, cross my fingers and wait for my OSA prize to arrive in the mail. Wheeee!

Ballo ergo sum
- Gitana, the Creative Diva