The ornament below is by Yvonne Hagane, using Christmas Chapel.

The ornament below is by Maria Levine using Snow Pets.

The ornament below is by Kathie Bailey, using Snowflake Flourish Large.

The ornament below is from Jennifer Woodward using the Earth Ornament.

The ornament below is from Yvonne Hagane using the Snowflake Flourish Large.

See our Serendipity Stamps Facebook Page for more ornaments and post your own Serendipity Stamps ornaments there!  Be sure to “Like” our page while your there so you don’t miss our upcoming Thanksgiving Coupon!

I didn’t get Kathie Bailey’s shaped card into yesterday’s post until it went out to the subscribers so I posting it again so no one misses it!   What a clever card!   Kathie used several Serendipity Stamps images to create piles of gifts around the base of her Christmas Tree!  Here are some of the ones she used:  Merry Christmas, Train Engine Small, Baseball Glove and Bat, Bicycle,  and the Present Border.

Super Simple Christmas Card is our current Customer Challenge.   Send us a jpg of your card (the main image on the card must be from Serendipity Stamps) by Nov. 18th and you will be entered in our random drawing for a $25 gift certificate to Serendipity Stamps!

The card above is an entry from Karen McAlpine.   She used our Poinsettia image.    Click the images below for other ideas.

Be sure to subscribe to our blog and/or “Like” Serendipity Stamps facebook page!   Later this week we’ll be announcing a 12-Hour Free Shipping Special and you don’t want to miss it!

We have all of our clear envelopes on sale for 50% off!   Sorry – I STILL don’t have pictures up, but hey – one clear envelope pretty much looks like the next one right?  

Those pencils?   Just enter our current customer challenge and you could win our random drawing for a brand new set of 45 Bruynzel Aquarel (Watercolor) Pencils.   Here’s the info.  Scroll down for some inspiration.

Due – July 16th, 2011
Requirements – Send a Christmas card (or other project), made using stamps that are NOT traditionally Christmas or winter stamps. That means no snowmen, no Baby Jesus, no Christmas trees etc.   But it has to be obvious that it’s a Christmas or “Winter Holiday” card – don’t be sending me any red and green birthday cards…The primary stamp used on the project must be a Serendipity Stamps image.
Prize – A brand new set of 45 Bruynzeel Aquarelle Pencils (watercolor pencils) – a value of $50!

Check out the card below which was  submitted by Karen McAlpine.   She used Strawberry Hearts, 1083D to create her card.  Check out Karen’s blog for details and lots of other create ideas!  And congrats to Karen for the upcoming publication of her card (made with a Serendipity Stamp) in the Sept. 2011 issue of Scrap and Stamp Arts! 

To see other examples of Christmas Cards made using stamps NOT traditionally used for Christmas, just visit the SS Current Customer Challenge page.

Non-Traditional Christmas Card Challenge - Karen McAlpine

Meanwhile….many of you have already asked about the next challenge so I’ll go ahead and give a head’s up now.   July will be here before you know it and while I don’t want to rush Christmas, many of my customers begin planning their Christmas cards now!   (Not me – I wait until Thanksgiving and then don’t usually mail my cards until Dec 26th!   Remember – Christmas lasts for 12 days!).   Anyway….below is the info for our next challenge.

Customer Challenge – A Non-Traditional Christmas
Due – July 16th, 2011
Requirements – Send a Christmas card (or other project), made using stamps that are NOT traditionally Christmas or winter stamps.   That means no snowmen, no Baby Jesus, no Christmas trees etc.   The primary stamp used on the project must be a Serendipity Stamps image.  
Prize – A brand new set of 45 Bruynzeel Aquarelle Pencils (watercolor pencils) – a value of $50!  

The Serendipity Stamps Design Team did this challenge a while back and they created some wonderful cards using stamps that are not in our Christmas/Winter category.   Take a look and be inspired!

The card below was made by Jenny Gropp using 233E Candy Jar and 668C Merry Christmas.

The card below was made by Amy Cokley using 1201G Chipmunk and 668C Merry Christmas.

The card below was made by Anya Schrier using 282K Cheryl’s Postcards and 1140E Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

The card below was made by Lynda Benden using 992G Mare and Foal, 1194H Winter Fenceline, and 668C Merry Christmas.

And last but not least, the card below was made by Kathie Bailey using 213H Typewriter.

FYI – I just added a wonderful little Christmas Grab Bag to the Serendipity Stamps website.  Ten little stamps, all perfect for SIMPLE CHRISTMAS CARDS!  Or for gift tags etc.   That’s 10 UM stamps for just $1.00.   Go to www.serendipitystamps.com to order.

This first card from Amy Cokley is my perfect fast card.   So classic, colorful and simple!   She used 1234G Tree Flourish Large and 1035D Merry Christmas Simple Large. 

The next card is from Kathie Bailey.   She used 117L Cardinal and 1035D Merry Christmas Simple Large.  When you have a large, beautiful image like this – just a little colored pencil is all it takes for a fast AND gorgeous card.

The card below is from Anya Schrier.   She spent a little more time coloring and glittering, but the effect is so beautiful she didn’t need to spend any time adding layers or embellishments.   Anya used 1132QCL Cozy Village Cling Set. 

Here’s another beautiful card from Anya – just stamp and color and add a little string!  These Birch Candles 818J have been one of our most popular images this fall. 

Now I think Lynda Benden has a great idea for her card.   Simply use a die cut and Christmas Themed paper.  Jazz it up a bit and add 1035D Merry Christmas Simple Large and you’ve got a card!

Now, some of you may look at the card below and say “That’s not simple!”   But if you’re familiar with Jenny Gropp’s work you’ll realize that for Jenny….this is simple.   She used  673K Poinsettia Large and 1136D Season’s Greetings.  Once again, take a gorgeous stamp, add a little colored pencil and blend and you have a quick, beautiful card.

Here’s a beautiful card that Kathie Bailey, of the SS Design Team, sent to me.  She made the card using our new Candlestick image – 1237E.

FYI – Serendipity Stamps is closed for summer break from July 29th – August 8th.   Go ahead and place your orders online or leave messages on the phone.   We’ll get caught up as soon as we can when we re-open.

I haven’t been very good about announcing our Design Team’s Challenges or organizing Customer Challenges and I so apologize for that.   This week’s challenge has been one of my favorites so I wanted to make a point of encouraging everyone to take a look!   They were asked to make a Christmas Card featuring a stamp that is not a typical Christmas stamp.   Boy did they get the creative juices flowing!  I promise - before long I’ll announce a similar challenge for our customers – so start planning!

And I want to take this opportunity to introduce Serendipity’s Guest Designer!   Jenny Gropp will be working with our design team for the rest of the year.   I’d been noticing the beautiful cards that Jenny has created using Serendipity Stamps and asked if she’d be interested in being our GT and she said YES!

This first card was made by Jenny Gropp using 233E Candy Jar and668C Merry Christmas Small.

Next we have Amy Cokley’s card made with 1201G Chipmunk and 668C Merry Christmas Small.

Next is Kathie Bailey’s card made using 213H Typewriter.

Below is Anya Schrier’s card made using 282K Cheryl’s Postcards and just the top part of 1140E Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

And last but not least is Lynda Benden’s card, made using 992G Mare and Foal , 1194H Winter Fenceline and 668C Merry Christmas Small.