...so...what's up?

Well, round about now we'd usually be in the thick of samples and a new release, but of course my vacation threw things out a little! lol, and so September release is gonna be a little late, BUT that's not such a bad thing...we gotta lotta stamps in September...wanna peeky?

LOL, this piece of stamp has been hugely enlarged to sort of disguise what it is, to me it's as plain as the nose on your face...what do you think?

We've scheduled the September release for around the 12th, and hopefully by October we'll be back close to the beginning of the month, lol, but we have a load of things to get ready for you so you might be seeing a few more holiday snaps before we get started for real! lol,

In the meantime, get yourself uploaded to Our Gallery, there will be a HUGE prize towards the end of September for one lucky person who has uploaded their WMS creations to our gallery! SIX stamp sets will go to one lucky album owner!!!

...holiday snaps...

So, I promised a few piccies and didn't deliver!!! Gosh ladies if you only KNEW what was going on behind the scenes at WMS...LOL, still that's for another day, I know I'm a shameless tease!! But, there you go.

Ooohh and Lisa will be announcing the winners on the sketch Challenge blog very soon!!! Thank you to all who took part, I finally got time to visit all the entries this week, there were stunners aplenty!!

Anyhow here's a few pics, hope you like em, I know some of you are headed this way soon, I hope you get the weather we got!!!

We're looking at Westport House in this post, super place to go with the family, there's the house and grounds to see as well as the fun park, you really can spend the whole day here! loved it!

What you don't get to see: Jelly legged female being carried off the "Pirate Queen Boat ride" accompanied by giggling children...

Leaving you all with a pic of the Sunset over Clew Bay, surely this is where God, in his infinite wisdom, spends his Sunday afternoons. There is no better place.

...just cos i feel like it

I happen to have a couple of spare sets from the upcoming September release, just lyin' around...lonely...LOL

And since I wasn't here for the kick off of our new Challenge team I think what I'll do is invite you ladies to take a gander at our challenge blog HERE.

There's still two days left to enter this weeks challenge.

Guess what? lol, one lucky random participant will win TWO new sets due for release in September!! woohoo, (you'll have them well before the release as Septembers release has been put back a bit due to my vacation!!)

So, mosey on over and make yourself a card!

AND there will be another prize, randomly picked from anyone who leaves a comment on one of the blogs belonging to our new Challenge Team.

You must leave your comment on the post pertaining to this weeks challenge to be in with a chance!! the Randomly selected commenter will also win TWO new September release sets!!

so - go on over, leave my new ladies some love!

Remember the random comment will be drawn from the blog of a New Challenge Team Member only, and not our design Team. - You'll have to visit the challenge blog here to see our new team!!

Have fun!

...just FYI

Just wanted to let folks know that all orders have shipped, I'm still trailing on paperwork but hope to be caught up by the end of tomorrow!!! Many folks will get their shipping notices after their stamps! sorry bout that! LOL!

August Friends of Waltzingmouse Stamps Blog Waltz Winners!

Our August Friends of Waltzingmouse Stamps Blog Waltz was fabulous, thanks to all of you who joined us! I know that many of you thought vintage/shabby chic was a stretch, but I think everyone aced it! There were such lovely cards and projects to behold, that's for sure. I promise to go a little easier on you next month, though. I'm thinking since September is the beginning of autumn, we'll play off that theme somehow, maybe with a color challenge. Be sure to mark your calendars for September 17th for our next Friends of WMS Blog Waltz and stay tuned for details!

Now, for the news you've all been waiting for...

The winner of a stamp set of choice randomly drawn from all of those who participated in the blog waltz is Lee aka lerwee!!!

The winner of a stamp set of choice from all those who correctly guessed that the theme of one of the September stamp sets is TREES is Janet aka gladiola64!!!

Congratulations ladies! Please email Claire with your choice of stamp set and your address and she'll mail your prize right out to you!

We'll be back soon with more Waltzingmouse fun!

...I'm back!!

LOL! ok, so I've been back a few days but I've been knee deep in shipping orders that came in while I was away!!! Just finished packing the last few late last night and I am delighted to report that we are now all up to date!!! PHEW! Our little store was super busy while I was away!! Thank you all for your patience, hopefully all those little parcels of stampy fun will be landing very soon and I look forward to seeing what folks do with them!!

If you haven't already, join our gallery and upload your creations!!! There will be a monster prize randomly awarded to one lucky album owner in our Gallery at the end of September, that'll give you guys a chance to get making and uploaded!

Right, today's order of business for me is getting through the rest of the email enquiries I got while away, some of them I have already answered but there's still a stack to read through so my apologies if you are waiting for an answer, I had to get the orders out first, I know you'll understand!!

Then later today I'm hoping to Waltz!!! It was our monthly blog waltz yesterday!!! it's my favourite thing and I'm so sad I couldn't play! but I am looking forward to seeing all the fabby creations that you folks made!

Ohh and I believe I have a couple of prizes to ship!! Lisa and the gals were having a little fun while I was away and those template creations are begging for some of my time too! Sooo much eye candy!!!!

And now that the work is done you are all at my mercy for at least a week of holiday pictures and accompanying babble! LOL! Here's a start to it!

Waffle
I'm not much given to 'dressing up'. It just hasn't been practical with 3 wee folk in the house, and frankly I aim for comfort rather than finesse, but recently I had occasion to don the glad rags at a rather upmarket venue. Silently congratulating myself for 'scrubbing-up' relatively well, I was smugly buttering the soup roll when I dropped the knife. Every affectation of good manners and grace deserted me as, elbows sky high, I clamped my knees together in an effort to catch the dissapearing article, not speedy enough, the ankles made a last attempt to contain the buttered knife before it landed resonantly on the hollow wooden floor...

The bright yellowness of the top quality, pure, unsalted creamery butter showed up beautifully on the jet black trouser suit as a frantic, red faced, wildly gesticulating figure with buttered legs was seen rushing to the restroom with a packet of wipes... I shouldn't be let out.

Winner of the Freebie Template Competition

Thanks to all who played in our impromptu freebie template competition! I enjoyed seeing your wonderful projects (I still have a few to look at, but I'll be around soon!). Now that everyone knows about the freebies, hopefully we'll see more folks enjoying them! And, of course, we do offer some additional templates for a small fee, including SVG formats for those who like to use their Cricuts and the like.

And now for the news you've all been waiting for... the winner of a stamp set of choice is:

Sheila M Jones!!!

Congratulations Sheila!!! Please email Claire with your stamp set choice and address and she'll send your prize to you as quickly as possible. If you'd like to wait until the September release, you may certainly do so! 

We hope to see you all on the Waltz tomorrow!

Friends of Waltzingmouse Stamps August Blog Waltz

Just popping in to say that the thread is now open in the Waltzingmouse House Forum Playroom to link your blog if you are participating in the Waltz! See you soon!!!

Happy Weekend!

Lisa the Mousekeeper stepping in again this morning (well, it's still morning in California!) to wish everyone a happy weekend and to remind you that there's still time to enter our free template competition for a chance to win a stamp set of choice!

Our Claire will be back with us soon, refreshed and renewed and no doubt full of stories to tell and pictures to show. We can't wait!!! Shipping will resume on Monday. And then we'll start gearing up for the September release!

In the meantime, please join us for the monthly Friends of Waltzingmouse Stamps Blog Waltz on Tuesday. We can't wait to see your vintage/shabby chic cards and projects.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Popping In To Say Hello - and a Competition!

No, it's not Claire, it's just me, Lisa the Mousekeeper! It's rather dull without Claire around, isn't it? But we know she's enjoying a much-needed vacation with her family. No doubt she will have lots of photos and stories to share when she gets back. I can't wait! I love her flair for stories and the pictures she shares of her native country. I guess it's the Irish in her! {ha ha}

Anyway, you know the old saying, "When the cat's away, the mice will play!" Well, I think we should do a bit of playing ourselves! So here's the thing. Raise your hand if you know that Claire offers lots of FREE templates for you to play with. Of course you know that! And you can find them all in the Waltzingmouse Stamps store!

So here's the deal... pick one of the free Waltzingmouse Stamps templates and use it to make a project of your very own (preferably with Waltzingmouse Stamps, but we won't hold you to that), and link it up below by 11:59 PM Eastern on Sunday, August 15th (that gives you five full days, including the weekend). One lucky participant will be randomly selected to win a free stamp set of choice!!! And, if you want to, you can wait and choose one of the NEW stamp sets debuting on September 1st!!!

Shhhh, though... don't tell Claire. hee hee

Enjoy! With love from your little Mousekeeper, Lisa.

...at the edge of the world

Hello from the edge of the world!

I raised a few laughs in Westport yesterday when I walked into a mobile phone store and asked for a dongle. I’m reliably informed that a dongle would enable me to surf the internet from the comfort of my armchair overlooking Clew Bay. I thought it was a reasonable enough request, it was greeted with undisguised mirth, I was only slightly embarrassed....lol.

Of course, internet is available here in hotels etc, but I baulk at the thought of stealth surfing undercover of darkness in the street otside the hotel and my wee folk will not tolerate me ‘computing’ while we dine and indeed a few spousal eyebrows have been raised at my even bringing the laptop with me so I’m afraid it must remain languishing in the corner while I lavish undiluted attention upon my wee clan! In fairness I am enjoying the family time...could do without the sandridden wetsuits tho’...

Anyhow, here’s a couple of pics we snapped last night, the first is a pretty sunset seen at Lecanvey, the second is the national famine monument at Murrisk, f you’re squeamish you won’t want to study this pic too closely...it’s a ship fairly rigged with skeletal shapes. The first time we saw it we approached it eagerly and then hurried the wee folk away when we actually realised what it was.

It’s a terrific piece of art but takes some explaining to a 6 year old.

Right, must be off, fish to be caught! Chat soon!

Follow Me to Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge...

... we have a BIG announcement today on the Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge blog, so you might want to nip over there and take a look for yourself!

August Friends of Waltzingmouse Stamps Blog Waltz

I hope you've all marked your calendars for August 17th... our next Friends of Waltzingmouse Stamps Blog Waltz! The theme this month is VINTAGE/SHABBY CHIC. There are many ways to interpret this theme...we can't wait to see YOURS!

Edited to add: There have been some questions about what is meant by "vintage/shabby chic." They are actually two different styles... or perhaps I should say that shabby chic is more a subset of vintage. Vintage is more of an "old" antique look, usually accomplished by distressing. Shabby chic is also vintage in the sense of distressing, but with a softer look, more pastel type colors. You can go either way! There is no right or wrong with this one!

Since we had a positive response to the way we organized the waltz last month, we're going to stick to that plan again this month.

The threads in the Playroom:Blog Waltzes of the Waltzingmouse forum will open on Monday, August 16th at midnight Eastern, 5:00 am GMT, 2:00 pm AEST. You'll have all day/evening/night on Monday to link your blogs for the waltz.

Then, everyone will schedule their blog waltz posts to go live on Tuesday, August 17th at midnight Pacific, 1:00 am Mountain, 2:00 am Central, 3:00 am Eastern, 8:00 am GMT, 5:00 pm AEST. Participants and waltzers alike can waltz at their leisure whenever convenient that day... and on through Thursday for a chance to win a prize.

Note: this means that you will be linking your general blog address on Monday, not a link to your actual post since it won't be live until the above time. So, for waltzers to easily locate your Friends of Waltzingmouse Stamps blog post, please place the Blog Waltz graphic (above) at the top of your post.

Of course there will be prizes!!! One of the Blog Waltz participants will be randomly selected to win a stamp set of choice. We'll also have a bit of a game going on in the August Blog Waltz Chat thread... a bit different this month...and one of the waltzers who plays will be randomly selected to win a stamp set of choice!

If you have any questions, please pop a comment below. Also, if you don't mind, we'd love it if you'd post our Blog Waltz graphic with a link back to this post on the sidebar of your blog!

See you on the 17th!!!

P.S. Some of you may recognize this month's blog graphic. It's one we used previously, but I changed the date and dulled the colors a bit to try to match the theme. I didn't have a chance to get a new graphic from Claire before she left, so this will have to do. (*grin*)

MOUSE TRACKS Wins!!!

The poll has closed and the clear winner by a hefty margin is Mouse Tracks!

The person who suggested that name wins a stamp set of choice... and that is:

Charmaine Stack who said...

A Better Mousetrap
Mouse Tracks
WMS Ballroom Beauties
Release Recital Revue

Mmmm... I think I have low blood sugar....

8 July 2010 01:51
 

Congratulations Charmaine! Please email Claire (claire.brennan1@ntlworld.com) with your address and choice of stamp set and she'll mail it out to you after she returns from hols on or about August 16th.

From now on, our monthly new release "round-ups" shall be known as Mouse Tracks!

Thanks so much to all of you who took the time to vote!