random.on purpose.

RandomBliss Digital Update

I've added these images to my Etsy:

Li'l Saint Nick  - I used it last year to make this card (the bunny is one of my digital stamps, too):

A Joyful Noise - I haven't made a sample with this one yet.

Little Lambsie Divey - I used it to make this card:

I've also added a page to my blog, if you'd rather shop directly from here.  The link is in my sidebar under the "More about this blog" header - it's the "Random Bliss Digital Stamps" link.

Off to finish the chili and cornbread for dinner - ta!

Smiles for Today

I doodled another Halloween image today for my tiny-but-growing Etsy collection, and then made a sample card using the colors from today's color challenge on Splitcoast - Crushed Concord/Peach Parfait/Pear Pizzaz:

Stamps: RandomBliss digital Happy Jacks, Inkadinkado sentiment; Ink: Stampin'Up! Crushed Concord; Paper: SU! Crushed Concord, DCWV green gingham; Accessories/tools: Creative Memories circle cutting sysem, chipboard tag, braiding cord, eyelets, Crop-a-dile, confetti spirals, Bic and Prismacolor markers, white gel pen

When she posts the color challenges, Betty (the hostess) also includes a "dessert option".  Today it was to use string in some way.  I "stitched" my corners and added a confetti/sequin spiral to them and did some simple macrame to attach the sentiment tag with another color of the same cord.

I have a few more cards in the works, and none of them are using my digital stamps.  One thing that makes me not-so-happy is when one of my favorite bloggers gets chosen for a design team or starts their own line of stamps and that's all you ever see from them ever again.  While I understand it - to a point - it still makes me kind of sad, and I've even un-subscribed from a few because of it.

Having said that, I will now say this:  I promise my most excellent promise that I will continue to use a variety of items from a variety of companies and hopefully branch out even more, rather than narrow down my projects to ones that use only my designs!  I'll post my new designs as I finish them, though, just 'cause...

Remember this card?

I've been  hoarding it for some time, waiting for the right occasion to send it out into the world, and decided TODAY is the day!  The occasion?  Greg's parents are celebrating their 70th anniversary!!!  We're not going to live long enough for Greg and I to hit that amazing milestone (I'd have to be 107 years old, and he'd be 110!)  It'll be an accomplishment for us to hit our 50th, I'm thinkin'!  Anyway - I figured that 70 years is as close to "Happily Ever After" as I've ever heard of, so off to the in-laws it goes...

Greg just reminded me that Labor Day weekend is when we moved in to our house - we've been here ONE WHOLE YEAR!!!  Amazing...  This little house has come a long way in a year, too.  I'm going to call the realtor tomorrow to get the MLS pics and then I'll post some before and after shots or something.  Meanwhile, I'm going to go veg for a bit - I'm tired, tired, tired!  Thanks for stopping by, and have a great night!

Etsy Shop Now Open For Business!

I'm still tweaking images and uploading things as I finish them, but I have a few digital stamps ready to go!  You can click any of the pics in the sidebar or the name of the shop below them, and it'll take you to my Etsy Shop - RandomBliss!  You didn't really think I'd have a storefront - virtual or otherwise - without "random" somewhere in the name, did you?  (If you click on the "Etsy" it'll just take you to Etsy - you have to click on the "RandomBliss")

I figured that would be a good name for my shop because of my wide-ranging interests and the likelihood that the things I'll sell there will be a pretty eclectic mix.  I'm starting with the digital stamps because they're already done and don't require any further attention from me...

I have some "real" work to finish up today, so I'd better get going on that, but wanted to give you a heads-up that - a year+ later - I'm up and running (or at least babystepping) - WOO HOO!  Have a great day!

Be Witched

I'm scheduling this post for Wednesday, 'cuz I already did a Tuesday post, and it looks like tomorrow (which will be today for this post) is gonna be a tad on the crazy side...

I followed through on making a sample using my Be Witched digital stamp, but opted to make a tag instead of a card:

Stamp: RandomBliss  Be Witched digital stamp, Studio G sentiment; Ink: Close to My Heart Pansy Purple and Citrus Leaf; Paper: DCWV dp, CTMH Pansy Purple; Accessories/tools: Martha Stewart web border punch, Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher, Recollections pom pom trim, Stampin' Up! word window punch, unknown ribbon, sewing machine, Bic and Prismacolor markers

Not overly involved or fancy - just kind of fun!  I stitched the green paper to the purple paper with upholstery thread so it would really show up.  The staples (adorable tiny things!) and the stitching on the ribbon were colored with a Bic marker, which is also what I used to color my witch.

Not much more to tell!  Tomorrow afternoon I have an IME appointment so Worker's Comp can decide if they'll let me have the procedure my orthopedic dr. wants me to have for my shoulder.  I have no attachment to any outcome - it is what it is, and it'll go how it goes...  Further bulletins as events warrant...!

I hope your week is going well (Hump Day - hooray!), and thanks for stopping by!

Not So Grim, After All...

I decided that it would be a good idea to show the digital stamps on a card or something when I post them on Etsy, in addition to just a pic of the stamp itself, so I set about playing with a couple of them today.  Here's the first one:

Stamp: RandomBliss digital Not-So-Grim Reaper; Paper: Core'ordinations Black Magic, DCWV green and black textured cardstock; Accessories/tools: DIY texture plate, Martha Stewart graveyard border punch, Recollections ribbon, colored pencils, Gamsol

I used the Gamsol Magic technique to color my reaper.  It just seemed like he should have an acid green aura, so I went with it...  Curious about the embossed/sanded bats in the background?  Read on:

Remember this post, where I shared how I made my own texture plate?  Yeah, I forgot about it, too, until I read a thread about making them on Splitcoast a couple of weeks ago...  I decided that I needed to make one with bats for Halloween (after all, I have new digi stamps that need company), so I got a Ritz cracker box and my Martha Stewart bat punch and made this:

Here's a closeup of the texture:

After I ran the cardstock through the Cuttlebug with my new texture plate, I sanded the surface to expose the color core (in real life it's yellow, not white).  I got to use some fun Halloween ribbon I bought on clearance last year, and an as-yet-unused Martha Stewart border punch, too!  I didn't really think the card needed much else, so I left it alone.

And that's that!  I have a witch all colored and ready to go, too, but I'm not sure when I'll actually get the card made.  I didn't want to hold up this post waiting on that card ('cuz I'm just so excited to share what fun I'm having, don'tcha know?), so...

I should have at least a few things up on Etsy by tomorrow night, so I'll post the link in my sidebar once I'm up and runnin'!  Thanks for stopping by, and please post a link if you decide to make your own texture plate - I'd LOVE to see what you come up with!  G'night!

Things Are Looking Pretty Grim...

As in "The Grim Reaper"!  Completely taken with Lauren's adorable amigurumi  reaper, and Gina's hand-carved stamp of the same, I played with some sketches and ended up with three reapers I'm going to put in my Etsy shop as digital stamps (yes, for reals this time!) in the next day or two, along with a couple of others:

The Not-So-Grim Reaper

Sketchy Reaper

Pumpkinhead Reaper

Remember the "ghostie" blitz three years ago (that post and the two following)?  Yeah, I altered the ghostie a bit and created a stamp:

Ghostie

And, I ask you, what is Halloween without a witch?  I can pretty much only draw "cute", so that's what I did for her:

Be Witched

And that's what I have so far!  I haven't made any cards with any of them yet, but I plan to in the next few days so I'll probably post something here in the near future.  Meanwhile, any feedback you'd care to give me on these efforts would be much appreciated!  Thanks for stopping by, and I'll see you again soon!

The New Deal

Okay - after hours and hours of frustration, no contact information for the host to go ask questions, etc., etc., I decided that this storefront was a good idea in theory, but totally not worth the aggravation.  I have an Etsy shop partway established, but haven't had time to jump through the hoops there yet, either, so "meanwhile, back at the ranch..." I'm just gonna leave the link to the digital stamp page in my sidebar (Random Bliss Digital Stamps), and if any of y'all are interested in purchasing any of the images, just shoot me an email, and I'll send them along...  If you want to see a few samples of cards made with them, here are the ones I've managed in the past year (yes, you've seen them already if you've followed my blog before now...):

This one uses "Little Lambsie Divey"

This one uses "Little Saint Nick" and "Little Rabbit"

This one uses "Sharing a Treat"

This one uses "Stargazing Snowman" and "Stargazing Santa"

 
  And this one uses "Stargazing Snowman" again...

I have a plan in my head for the "Somebunnies", and for "Love Ewe", but Greg's dad is in the hospital again (his knee), so my time has been spent "mom-sitting" again...  I plan to add a couple of "freebies" to the digis for you to test-drive, too, so look for those in a day or two!  We'll see what I can manage when!  Gotta go find some nutrition now - gotta keep my strength up, don'tcha know?  Later, all!