I'm just interrupting our Christmas Competition for a moment as I wanted to share with you some ideas using our our Calendar Stamp set!  2009 is just around the corner and there's lots of ways you can use these stamps to help document your year.

The layout below shows how the stamp set looks on a 12x12 layout. There is space to write what happened for each day, and the photographs are a mixture of the events from that month. This idea could also be used for a pregnancy album, baby's first year album, school achievements during the year, travel diary, or many many other themes!

You could also create this wonderful birthday book for an off the page project. Our Guest Artist Godelieve created this for us, full details can be found here.

I hope that gives you some ideas on how to use the Calendar Stamp set along with some ideas on how you can record your life and activities for the year!

Sharing another project with you that I've created with the Christmas Reindeer stamp set...

I made a bunch of these cards last week to send out to our retail stockists for Christmas. Here are the instructions:

• Ink up the word script stamp with Crimson ink. Stamp it once onto a scrap piece of paper, then stamp again without re-inking onto the green background cardstock. Repeat three times to cover the entire green cardstock. (By stamping the stamp off once onto scrap paper, it gives a lighter impression when you stamp on the green cardstock, therefore it creates only a hint of pattern and allows us to use other stamps over the top)
• Stamp the reindeer in Olive ink.
• Stamp the 25 Dec in the top left corner, and the Carte Postale in the bottom right corner with Crimson ink.
• Randomly stamp the stars in various spots on the background.
• Attach rhinestones or glitter to the tips of the reindeer antlers. In this card I have used Kaiser Rhinestones. I've also created cards with Ranger Stickles and allowed them to dry. Both look great!
• Before adhering the panel onto the white card, stamp the postage cancellation in the top right corner as shown. Attach the stamped reindeer panel to the card. (I also did cards where the cancellation was stamped over the reindeer background. Both methods work well)
• Stamp the round postage mark onto green cardstock with Crimson ink. Punch out with a 1" circle punch. Attach to a red 1 1/4" circle. Adhere to the card with foam adhesive.

Here's a close up of the rhinestones: (click on image for larger view)

We have received more entries for our Christmas Competition too - so we will share those with you soon!! For those who still wish to enter - you have 5 days to get your entries in :) Woo hoo! Not long now until Christmas!!!! Who's ready?!

Thank you for all of your comments yesterday about your favourite thing about Christmas! A winner has been picked out from Santa's Hat and has been announced in that post here!

So... back onto more Christmas Reindeer stamp projects...

Here's another card from the article in For Keeps Creative Paperissue #72. The background colours were created with Distress Inks. The green background was stamped with the little words stamp fromthe Christmas Reindeerset. This is another stamp that can be used over and over to create onewhole background! The antlers from the reindeer were stamped around the red tag to create the look of holly branches. Smaller words were then stamped and attached with foam adhesive.

 Check out the magazine for full detailed instructions!

I thought I'd share with you another one of my cards using the Christmas Reindeer set. This isn't a traditional Christmas card. It also uses the Melody stamp set. Full instructions are below the card:

Instructions:

• Stamp the music score from the Melody stamp set onto Fawn cardstock with Sepia ink.
• Stamp the ornate corner stamp from the Melody stamp set in the four corners with Black ink.
• Mount onto Cajun cardstock, and again onto Pinecone cardstock.
• Attach vintage lace to the left side with antique brads. Attach entire panel to the front of a folded Walnut card.
• Stamp Reindeer onto Cajun cardstock with sepia ink. Trim and attach to card with foam adhesive.
• Cut 'dance' from the Music Wordstrip. Mount onto Walnut then Pinecone cardstock. Attach to the card with foam adhesive to finish.

Hope you like it!! Just shows how you can mix up the stamp sets for a whole new look :)

Giveaway - Giveaway - Giveaway...
How about a spot prize? Leave a comment here telling us your favourite thing about Christmas! Whether it's the food, gifts, family... whatever. Let us know what makes this season special to you!
We'll draw a winner to win a stamp set of their choice! Hurry - comments must be in by 7am Sunday 14th Dec AEDST. ***giveaway has now closed***

Winner:
Myfavourite thing about Christmas is spending lots of time with familyand eating until we don't fit into our pants anymore! Hope yours is agood one!Posted by:Teresa |December 13, 2008 at 05:27 PM

Thanks for posting Teresa! I'll contact you to organise your prize!!

Thanks also to everyone else for sharing your favourite things about Christmas! I hope you enjoy all those things and more...

There's still time to enter our Christmas Competition. Full details can be found here.

Here's another great card from Krissy Christie! I love how the reindeers are overlapped on this one! Enjoy...

Materials:

Darkroom Door Christmas Reindeer stamp set
cream card
white card (for stamping onto)
4 different patterned papers

Instructions:

fold your cream card in half and ink the edges in charcoal ink.

Cut a piece from patterned paper 4.5 x 3 inches,ink edges and attach to your card.

Cut another piece from plain red pp 3 x 3 inches and stamp the christmas words all over it to create patterned paper.Ink the edges in charcoal and attach to your card.

Cut a 1.5 inch strip of striped patterned paper and stamp all over it using the post mark stamps. Scallop one edge and ink all edges. Attach this piece to the right hand side of your card.

Stamp both reindeer stamps onto white card (I have stamped one in charcoal and the other in chocolate ink) cut them out and 3D them using foam tape so that they appear to be next to each other.

Your card is done!

______________________________

Thanks Krissy!

If you too would like to be in the draw to win a Darkroom Door stamp set of your choice, email us your creations using the Darkroom Door Christmas Reindeer stamp set! Your name is entered into Santa's Hat for every creation featured on the blog. So the more you create, the more chances you have! Full details can be found here.

Here's another entry into our Christmas Reindeer competition! Krissy Christie has sent us a great card that she made using the Christmas Reindeer stamp set. I love how she has used the different little stamps to create this card!! Great work Krissy! (and I love the photography of this card too!)

materials:

Darkroom Door Christmas Reindeer stamp set
red card
various patterned papers
cream cardstock

Instructions:

Fold your red card in half and draw a free hand border using a black pen.Stamp the star stamps randomly all over the top half of the card.

On your cream cardstock stamp the post mark stamp along it to create a pattern cut out a 1inch strip from this. Stamp 25 Dec on a scrap piece of cream card and ink the edges.
Attach this piece at an angle on the bottom of your landscape card.

Stamp both of the circle christmas stamps onto red pp using black ink-cut them out to 3d them :)

Layer these on the left hand side of your card along with your mounted 25 Dec piece.

Stamp over a piece of green patterned paper with the christmas words stamp to create a pattern. From this piece cut out a triangle 2 x 3.5 inches and ink edges in black.

Cut two smaller triangles from patterned paper and layer with the big tree.

Your card is done!

Here's our first entry into our Christmas competition! This is a gift card holder created by Sarah Schwerin.... enjoy!

Sarah has even supplied detailed instructions on how to create it:

GIFT CARD HOLDER!

Materials:

* White Bazzill cardstock
* Plain white cardstock (un-textured)
* Red Stazon Ink
* Christmas Reindeer stamps from Darkroom Door
* Kaisercraft rhinestone
* Thin silver ribbon
* Adhesive

Instructions:

* Cut white bazzill cardstock to 3" x 9.5".

* On the smooth side, score a line at 4" and 8", and fold using photo as a guide.

* Adhere the small flap at the bottom to the inside of the card using only a strip of double sided tape down the left and right hand edges, creating a pocket. Set aside.

* Cut plain cardstock to 2.75" x 3.75" and ink around the edges with red ink using a sponge dauber. Stamp Christmas text on the bottom 3rd of the cardstock using red ink. Using the same ink, stamp flying reindeer in the middle making sure that all the text is below his legs. Stamp single christmas star in top left hand corner, and adhere a kaisercraft rhinestone to the centre. Affix finished piece to the front of your card holder, leaving a thin border on all 4 sides.

*  2.75" x 1.25" and ink around the edges with red ink using a sponge dauber. Stamp "Merry Christmas" in red ink and when dry, affix to the front of the inside pocket leaving a thin border on all 4 sides.

* Insert gift voucher inside the pocket.

* Tie a thin piece of silver ribbon around the bottom of the entire card holder to hold closed.

Thanks Sarah!!! I need to give some gift cards over Christmas, so I'm pretty sure I'll be creating a few of these :):)

Remember, if you'd like to share your Christmas Reindeer creations and be in the draw to win some free stamps, we'd love to hear from you! Click here for full details.

Here's another card from the article in For Keeps Creative Paper issue #72. The background colours were created with Distress Inks. The red background was then stamped with the two little star stamps from the Christmas Reindeer set. I love little stamps that can be used over and over to create one whole pattern! Value for money - that's what I call it :)

 Check out the magazine for full instructions!

To kick off the Christmas Reindeer ideas (and competition)... here is a card I have created using Fired Brick and Peeled Paint Distress Inks, Manilla tags, ribbon and an assortment of the stamps from the Christmas Reindeer set. Full instructions for this card can be found in the current issue of For Keeps Creative Paper Issue #72.

If you'd like to take part in our Christmas Reindeer competition, full details can be found here!

So who's enjoying Sephi's projects? I'm just LOVING them!! We have two more projects to share here today...

Music Is:

Materials

•    Photochips: Darkroom Door #DDPC003 Music
•    Wordstrips: Darkroom Door #DDWS003 Music
•    Paper: Darkroom Door #DDPP009 Legato
•    Card: Bazzill Vineyard, Stonehenge
•    Copper polka dot ribbon
•    Copper brads
•    Double-sided tape
•    Double-sided mounting foam

Method

1.    Tear a square slightly smaller than the dimensions of the photochip in the centre of Allegro paper. Distress the edges of the paper with sandpaper.
2.    Adhere the photochip to the centre of Vineyard card and position the Allegro paper over the top so that the photochip shows through the torn window.
3.    Tie copper ribbon around the bottom of the card and affix three copper brads to the photochip. Cut and adhere the sentiment “Music is an Outburst of the Soul” from the Music Wordstrip.
4.    Layer on folded Stonehenge card.

Peer Gynt Suite ATC

Materials

•    Stamps: Darkroom Door #DDRS012 Chorus
•    Paper: Darkroom Door #DDPP010 Allegro
•    Ink: StazOn Jet Black
•    Card: cream, dark blue
•    Glitter glue
•    Coloured pencils
•    Sandpaper
•    Double-sided tape

Method

1.    Lightly distress the edges of Allegro paper with sandpaper and adhere to dark blue card.
2.    Stamp Peer Gynt-Suite from the Chorus set on cream card using Jet Black ink.
3.    Colour the image with coloured pencils and add highlights with glitter glu. Adhere to the ATC base using double-sided tape.

So that is the final project from Sephi this time... I'm sad it's over to quickly!! We have enjoyed having her as a Guest Artist SO much!!! Please check out her blog for more incredible inspiration. Sephi is also on the Design Team for The Stamping Queen, so please check out the gallery over there too! The Stamping Queen stock a lot of Darkroom Door product, so please support them if you're keen for a bit of shopping!! :)

Thanks Sephi for sharing your fabulous work with us this week. I have admired your work for such a long time, so it has been wonderful to see how you have used DD product. Three days of different collections and different styles... you certainly are a master with rubber stamps! We thank you!

Unlock the artist within!