Closed-Just Because Giveaway-Closed

This giveaway is now ended!  An email has been sent to the Cindy and she has responded.  I want to thank everyone who entered!

I'm having a giveaway.  I tried to think of reasons for having one.  I passed 800,000 hits on this blog.  I'm close to 600 followers.  But, in the end, it all boils down to the fact that I WANT to have a giveaway.  Just because.

THE RULES: Leave a comment with contact info.  That can be

an email address, (ex. emailaddy [at] gmail [dot] com

OR

a Facebook name ( only if we are friends.  I'm Sandra Strait on Facebook)

OR 

a Twitter name (only if we follow each other.  I'm molossus1 on Twitter.)

One entry per person.  Friending or following isn't a requirement unless you want to be contacted via Facebook or Twitter.  It is NOT a requirement to enter the giveaway.

Everyone is welcome, including international entrants and past winners of my giveaways.

The giveaway starts 1/20/13 and ends midnight 1/24/13-ended(me hoping I'll be able to mail the prize before postage rates go up!). I'll email the winner and announce the name once he/she contacts me.

THE PRIZE PACKAGE (one winner):

Rubber stamp plate: Stackable Ornamentals 2       Donated by Blockheads Paper Arts                

6x8 in (15.2x20.3 cm) Stillman & Birns Alpha Series sketchbook.

 6-pen set of Micron pens.
1 inkpad StazOn - jet black
3 Distress inkpads-Wild Honey, Tea Dye, Walnut Stain (Tea Dye not shown because I can't find where I put it, lol)
4 Distress Markers-Aged Mahogany, Spiced Marmalade, Walnut Stain, Weathered Wood
(The above are all donated by ME!)

I chose the Stillman & Birn Alpha series because its multi-media paper is suitable for almost anything.  You can find more information about their fine books at http://www.stillmanandbirn.com.

StazOn ink may bleed through the page if the stamp is heavily inked, but it also stamps onto ceramic, wood, glass, fabric...almost anything, so I thought it should be a part of everyone's art and crafting goods.

The Tim Holtz Distress inkpads have such a lovely color range that I've been using them for backgrounds as well as stamping pads (see my examples below).  They stamp clear images, are easy to clean up, and the colors I chose are wonderful for achieving a 'distressed' look.

The markers I chose are also from the Tim Holtz Distress range in colors I think will work well with the stamp pad colors I chose.

Some of you may have seen the recent works I've done using Distress inkpads and markers but I decided you need an example here. I drew this in my own copy of the Alpha Series from Stillman and Birn just to give you an idea of what you can do!

I inked up a foam pad with Wild Honey and rubbed the color toward the center of the page to create the moon's shape.  I blended the Tea Dye around the outside edge of the Wild Honey, and then used Walnut stain around the edges of the page.  I added more Wild Honey for the ground and colored the stripes with the Spiced Marmalade marker.

The Microns were used for all the line work, and for the last step I used the walnut stain marker to shadow add color to the leafy plant, around the right side of the moon and the striped tubes.

If  you would like to see more of the fine stamps and crafting goods available from Blockheads Paper Art, their brick'n'mortar store is located in the Portland, Oregon metro area: 

7201 NE Glisan Street Suite C

Portland OR 97213-6369 

Or you can find their entire range of products and crafting goods online at Blockheads Paper Arts.

You can find out more about the entire range of Stillman & Birn sketchbooks at their online site, as well as a list of stores that carry their products.

Good luck everyone!