Circle Journal - welcome page

Hi!

I have joined a talented group of ladies in doing a circle journal.. my first!  We were to choose a number, then a topic that incorporates that number.  For example, my topic is "5 things I cannot live without".  The pages are all 8" x 8".  Here is my welcome page...

I know, I'm using those butterflies a lot!  They are so pretty though, definitely the best Embosslit that Stampin' Up! has designed (in my opinion).  And I think they just look so beautiful with the Vintage Vogue set.  I have always loved butterflies, so this die is perfect for me.  (This also explains why I have so many stamp sets with butterflies..)

Here's a close up (click to see it even larger):

And yes, I have to say that the Scallop Trim Border punch is one of my favorites too, and I can't stop using it!  :)

Circle Journal Welcome Page:  Vintage Vogue stamp set; Old Olive, Soft Suede, Rich Razzleberry, and Melon Mambo Classic Stampin' Pads; Old Olive, Very Vanilla, Soft Suede, Rich Razzleberry, and Kraft cardstock; Welcome Neighbor Designer Series Paper pad; Scallop Trim Border and Corner punches; Beautiful Wings Embosslits die; Linen Thread, Clear Rhinestone Brads

Vintage Congratulations

Hello!

I've been enjoying this beautiful snowfall we're having over here, from my stamping space.  I just love watching the snow swirling about in the wind, gently scattering about.

Well, you came here to see a card, right?  :)  I do have one to show, created using Stamping 411's Saturday Sketch Challenge #136.  I don't know what it is, but I just love Rich Razzleberry and Old Olive together.  Add some Soft Suede, and you have a gorgeous combo.

Thankfully, I had just enough Old Olive ribbon to exactly cover the Very Vanilla piece.  But now I'm out of Old Olive ribbon.. guess I have to buy more!  :)  The borders were inked up with the markers, and create such a beautiful vintage image.

Ok, I need to get working on my pages for my circle journal.  Stay safe and warm!

Vintage Congrats card:  Vintage Vogue and Well Scripted stamp sets; Soft Suede, Rich Razzleberry and Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pads; Very Vanilla, Old Olive, Soft Suede, and Rich Razzleberry cardstock; Rich Razzleberry, Soft Suede and Old Olive Stampin' Write markers; Old Olive 1/4" grosgrain ribbon; Old Olive brads; Scallop Trim Border punch

"Owl"-ways Love You Much!

Good Saturday morning!

Stampin' Up! created a site for demonstrators to connect and share with each other, and fellow demos on there have started challenges.  One of the challenges is a "featured stamper" challenge, and this week's featured stamper is the talented Wendy Weixler.  The challenge has you CASE (Copy And Share Everything) a card from their gallery, changing at least two things on your card.  Here's Wendy's original..

And here's my version!

I had a lot of fun making this card!  I love to put different elements together.  I especially love to put together different stamp sets and make them work with each other!  You can see I changed a lot from Wendy's card, but still kept a lot of the elements, like a dry-embossed card front, the sentiment tag, the layout, and a punched border.  The tag is cut from the Matchbox Bigz XL die (there are three tags on there in addition to the matchbox pieces themselves).

I stamped the tree stump from the Love Bandit set on Creamy Caramel in Chocolate Chip ink, then cut it out.  The little owl is from the same set, stamped and cut out as well.  The heart is from the I {Heart} Hearts set, cut and adhered over the heart cut-out already on the stump.  I'm not sure if you can tell, but I created the grass much the same way I did in my other Love Bandit card.

Thank you Wendy for the inspiration!

(Don't tell Seth.. this will be either our anniversary or Valentine's Day card to him.. :)  Shh!)

Have a great day!

"Owl"-ways Love You Much card:  Love Bandit, Well Scripted, I {Heart} Hearts, Great Friend, and Good Neighbors stamp sets; Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Rose Red, and Bashful Blue Classic Stampin' Pads; Creamy Caramel, Whisper White, Old Olive, Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip, and Kraft cardstock; Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper; Whisper White taffeta ribbon, Matchbox Bigz XL die, Scallop Trim Border punch, Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions folder

Doing the Valentine Mambo.. :)

Hello again!

I have another project to show!  This one is a card.  I used this week's Stampin' Addicts sketch challenge...

The colors just POP on this card!  I love using bright colors with black and white, and I don't really do it often enough.  I also felt like I wasn't giving my new Pinking Hearts punch much love since getting it, so I broke that out as well.  I adore all of these new punches!

It shouldn't come as a surprise to you that I used this stamp set.  :)  I first swiped across the Basic Black cardstock with the Embossing Buddy, then stamped the dotted outline heart with VersaMark, embossing with white powder.  Then I just adhered the second heart (stamped in Melon Mambo) inside the outline.  Too cute!

Happy Friday!  It's snowing steadily here, and is not supposed to let up until tomorrow.  Hope you are staying safe in this weather, wherever you may be!

Valentine Mambo card:  I {Heart} Hearts and Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp sets; Melon Mambo Classic Stampin' Pad; VersaMark ink; Basic Black, Whisper White and Melon Mambo cardstock; Welcome Neighbor Designer Series Paper pad; Pinking Hearts Border punch; Modern Label punch; Word Window punch; Whisper White satin ribbon; White Embossing Powder; Half-back Pearls from the Pretties Kit; Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions folder

Introducing the Mini Milk Carton!

Good morning!

Stampin' Up! has a new Bigz die, actually what they call a "Bigz L".. the Mini Milk Carton.  The Bigz L dies are a little longer than the Bigz dies, so you can get a little bigger die-cut, yet still use the standard cutting pads.  As with all dies with score lines though, I'd recommend using a standard crease pad instead of the top cutting pad.  It helps you create nice, defined score lines!

Here's one I made last night, just a simple yet pretty milk carton!

There are butterflies all around the milk carton.  Such a beautiful touch, yet so simple to make!  Putting together the milk carton itself was a breeze.  You can keep it closed at the top while making the goodies inside easily accessible by using a Mini Library Clip.  The finished milk carton is approximately 3-1/8" tall, and 1-5/8" across one side.  From the base to the top of the side area (not including the part that opens.. up to the "spout"), it is 2" tall.  It's just darling for a cute little box.  And since it's so mini, just think.. you don't have to put much in there to fill it up, eh?  Filling treat boxes can be costly!

That beautiful Designer Series Paper you see is from the Sending Love Specialty pack.  The flowers are so gorgeously glittery!

Hope you like the box!  I am so torn now, because I can't decide which box to use for my wedding favors!  It's a toss up between the Fancy Favor box and this Mini Milk Carton.  I'm leaning a lot towards the Mini Milk Carton, but what do you all think?

Butterfly Mini Milk Carton:  Chocolate Chip, Kraft, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White, and Bashful Blue cardstock; Sending Love Specialty Designer Series Paper; Welcome Neighbor Designer Series Paper pad (for some of the butterflies); Whisper White organza ribbon; Linen Thread; Pewter clip from the Mini Library Clips pack; Beautiful Wings Embosslits die; Mini Milk Carton Bigz L die

Happiness Always

Hi!

Today's card uses a color combo I wouldn't normally have picked myself, but I think it looks fabulous!  Arielle's colourQ challenge this week uses the colors Real Red, Bashful Blue, Taken with Teal, Basic Black, and Whisper White.  Quite a striking combo!  I needed a little help with the layout today, so I used this week's sketch challenge at SCS.

Here's my card...

I just love that cute little whale!  I used my Taken with Teal, Bashful Blue and Real Red markers to make him multi-colored.  I free-hand cut the waves out of Bashful Blue cardstock.  The sentiment stamp was also colored with markers - Taken with Teal and Basic Black.

Catch you later!  :)

Happiness Always Whale card:  Fox & Friends and Whimsical Words stamp sets; Taken with Teal, Real Red, Basic Black, Bashful Blue, and Whisper White cardstock; Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper pad; Taken with Teal, Real Red, Bashful Blue, and Basic Black Stampin' Write markers; Bashful Blue button from the Sherbet Designer Buttons; Linen Thread; Real Red polka-dot grosgrain ribbon

Honest Scrap Award, scrapped

Hi there!

Those of you who know me, know that I don't actually scrapbook much.  I originally started out by scrapbooking, and I intend to do a lot more scrapping in the future.  When I was first brainstorming for the Honest Scrap Award that Lora had given me the other day, I wanted to make a page about these little truths.  I thought it'd make a great page, and I normally have trouble scrapping myself!  I didn't have a chance to make a page at the time though, so I had gone ahead and posted just the list.

Anyway, I used this week's sketch challenge over at the Memory Makers Magazine forum.  The sketch is originally one of Becky Fleck's PageMaps.  Here's my layout..

I flipped the sketch sideways to accommodate my picture.  I didn't actually do any stamping on this, I'm just realizing.  It is, as always though, all SU! stuff!  I love how my journaling "page" turned out.. can you guess that I made that?  Yes, I took a piece of Whisper White cardstock, drew horizontal lines with my Old Olive marker, then drew vertical lines with my Rose Red marker.  Perfect coordination!  I used the Spiral punch to finish off the edges, and curled up the ends a little with the bone folder.  The cute little Old Olive clip just adds so much more to it as well.

Here's a close-up of the journaling (keep in mind I don't normally reveal these things about me!):

These are the same things I listed in my Honest Scrap Award post.  Next, I have a view of the right side, to show you the dimension:

I just love that butterfly die!  You can give it a really great finished look by tying some Linen Thread around to create a body.  The letters were created using the Simple Letters Bigz dies, cut with both Chocolate Chip cardstock and our chipboard.

Have a great night!  I'm off to bed!

Scrapbook page supplies:  Basic Black, Chocolate Chip, Pretty in Pink, and Whisper White cardstock; Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper pad; Basic Black Stampin' Write Journaler; Rose Red and Old Olive Stampin' Write markers; Rose Red 1" double-stitched grosgrain ribbon; Whisper White organza ribbon; Linen Thread; Old Olive 1/2" Library Clip; Sweet Pea Stitched Felt; Scallop Trim Corner and Border punches; Spiral punch; Beautiful Wings Embosslits die; Little Leaves Sizzlits die; Simple Letters Bigz dies

Mojo and Inspiration - Owl Birthday

Happy Monday!

Can you believe January's almost over?  Time just seems to slip away, much too quickly.  I have a card to show you!  My friend Marie started an inspiration challenge over at her blog, From Boots to Stamps.  Here is her source of inspiration, from the Behr paint website:

I am a huge earthy colors girl.  I want this room!  Even though it uses such a bold color (which looks to me like Dusty Durango, by the way), it seems like the perfect place to relax.  I just love all of the patterns here!  I also used this week's Mojo Monday sketch for my card.

You can see that I pulled inspiration from the colors in the picture, and I am so in love with those pillows!  I used a stamp from the Circle Circus stamp set and heat-embossed it with White Embossing Powder to re-create the pattern.  I also heat-embossed the Chocolate Chip panel with the Sweet Swirls wheel.  The finished card measures 5-1/4" square, a perfect fit for our Medium Square Envelopes.

I invite you to play along!  Please visit Marie's blog and check out the other creations on Stampin' Addicts as well!

Owl Birthday card:  Fox & Friends, Whimsical Words (SAB freebie) and Circle Circus stamp sets; Dusty Durango and Chocolate Chip Classic Stampin' Pads; VersaMark ink; Kraft, Dusty Durango, Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Crushed Curry, and Old Olive cardstock; Vellum cardstock; Playground Designer Buttons; Button Latte; Vintage Brads; Old Olive 1/4" grosgrain ribbon; Little Leaves Sizzlits die; Sweet Swirls wheel; White embossing powder

So I have been given an award...

...the Honest Scrap Award, that is!

My friend Lora over at The Squirrel Hole has kindly bestowed this upon me, so I have to come up with a list of 10 honest tidbits about myself.  :)

So here we go!

1. I strongly dislike talking on cell phones, preferring email and texting (although I'll do it!).
2. I like my coffee and tea strong, without any sweeteners.
3. I want nothing more right now than to start a family.
4. I'm not happy with my smile.
5. I always immediately notice misspellings or typographical errors when simply reading.
6. I'm a perfectionist.
7. I'm very indecisive.
8. I'm a bit of a homebody.
9. I love to cook and bake, and consider myself pretty good at both.
10. One of the hardest things I have ever done was move 7 hours away from my hometown.

Now, I get to pass the torch on to three other people who inspire me.. so I'm calling out Lisa, Elaine, and Jenn!  :)

Follow your heart...

Hi!  I hope you are having a great weekend!

For this card, I was inspired by my friend Sharon's color challenge this week at Stampin' Addicts, as well as this week's Saturday Sketch Challenge at Stamping 411...

The I {Heart} Hearts stamp set is wonderful for more than just Valentine's Day, and more than just for saying "I love you".  Plus, when you purchase this set from your demonstrator through February 28, 2010, Stampin' Up! will donate $2 to the American Red Cross' Haiti Relief and Development Fund.  It's one of my favorite sets, so if you don't have it.. what are you waiting for??  :)

I love using all of these hearts in the set together.. it creates such a whimsical yet connected look.  The Kraft heart was simply punched out using the Full Heart punch, then stamped with VersaMark using the flower vine from the Vintage Vogue set.  I created the panel on the left by punching the Scallop Trim border, then scoring the edge and folding it over, tucking the Designer Series Paper inside.  This has to be my new favorite border punch!

Follow Your Heart card:  I {Heart} Hearts, Vintage Vogue and Whimsical Words (SAB freebie) stamp sets; Melon Mambo, Old Olive and Crushed Curry Classic Stampin' Pads; VersaMark ink; Kraft, Melon Mambo, Whisper White, and Crushed Curry cardstock; Welcome Neighbor Designer Series Paper pad (SAB freebie); Whisper White taffeta ribbon; Full Heart punch; Scallop Trim Border punch (SAB freebie); Filigree Designer Brads

Stamping411 Color Inspiration 107 - Butterfly Congrats

Good morning!

Today's card was created with inspiration from this week's color combo at Stamping 411.  Here are the colors:

I kept playing around with my design for a while, and eventually ended up with a fairly clean and simple layout.  Sometimes those are the best!

I love the new Beautiful Wings Embosslits die.  The die cuts and embosses 5 gorgeous butterflies with one pass through the Big Shot, so it was fabulously easy to cut a bunch in different colors!

Butterfly Congrats card:  Well Scripted stamp set; Close to Cocoa Classic Stampin' Pad; Apricot Appeal, Close to Cocoa, Bermuda Bay, and Whisper White cardstock; Welcome Neighbor Designer Series Paper (SAB freebie); Pumpkin Pie corduroy button; Linen Thread, Whisper White organza ribbon; Scallop Trim Border punch (SAB freebie); Beautiful Wings Embosslits die

Disaster Relief in Haiti

On January 12, 2010, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti, leaving in its wake devastation so overwhelming that the Haitian people and their leaders can only look for help from the outside to cope. You can help make a difference in the lives of those who continue to suffer from the effects of this earthquake by purchasing the I {Heart} Hearts stamp set.

From now until February 28, 2010, $2 from every  I {Heart} Hearts stamp set sold will be donated to the American Red Cross’ Haiti Relief and Development Fund. The Red Cross is already well-established in Haiti, and this money will be used to provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical assistance and other support to help those in need.

Product Name	Item #	Price
I {Heart} Hearts – clear-mount  (block D recommended)	118571	$18.95
I {Heart} Hearts – wood-mount	117010	$26.95

In the past, when terrorists attacked the Twin Towers, when a tsunami struck Indonesia, when a hurricane destroyed New Orleans, and when wildfires ravaged Australia, Stampin′ Up! demonstrators have stepped forward and showed their commitment to making a difference in the lives of others. This time is no different.

Download the flyer here.

Stamping 411 challenge - Vintage Birthday

Hi!  I discovered a new papercraft challenge website, Stamping 411.  This week's challenge is sketch challenge #134.. I love it!

I wanted to try out a vintage look for my card, and what better stamp set to use than the new Vintage Vogue.  The Well Scripted stamp set works wonderfully with this look as well!  Here's my card:

To create my vintage look, I started out Very Vanilla cardstock, stamping the images in Chocolate Chip, Bravo Burgundy, and Old Olive.  I first sponged around, starting off the paper and going around with Creamy Caramel, then Soft Suede.  I just kept sponging until I was satisfied with it!  :)  The embossed piece was also "distressed".  I love how different the cardstock looks.. doesn't really look like Very Vanilla anymore, does it?

Check out Stamping 411 and play along!  There are some fabulous creations there to see as well.

Vintage Birthday card:  Vintage Vogue and Well Scripted stamp sets; Chocolate Chip, Bravo Burgundy, Old Olive, Creamy Caramel, Pale Plum, and Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pads; Kraft, Very Vanilla, Soft Suede, Chocolate Chip, and Old Olive cardstock; Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions folder; Bravo Burgundy 5/8" grosgrain ribbon; Scallop Trim Corner and Border punches; Playground Designer Buttons; Linen Thread; Stampin' Sponges

Love You Much!

Hi!

Today's card was inspired by this week's challenges from Pals Paper Arts and Mojo Monday...

I tell you, I just love the new sentiment stamp set, Well Scripted, from the Occasions Mini.  The font is just gorgeous!  And aren't the little critters from the Love Bandit set just so darn cute?  I colored them in by using the Classic ink pads and a Blender Pen.  They were also masked when stamping the darker cloud, so that it appears that the cloud is behind them.  So cute!

Placement with the cling-mounted stamps as a breeze, although I will admit that I used the Stamp-a-ma-jig for the sentiment... just to be sure!  I created the side piece using a stamp from the Vintage Vogue set, making it look like a piece of patterned paper.  The beautiful pink DSP in the background is from the Sending Love Specialty paper pack.  The papers in this pack are fabulous - one side has a glittery design.  I used the non-glittery side here.

The grass was fun to create!  After cutting the shapes I wanted to make the "hills", I simply used my craft knife to cut little slits and ruffled up the "grass" a little.

Have a great day!  We're going to test-drive some cars.  Hopefully we'll find a good one!

Love You Much Critter card:  Love Bandit, Vintage Vogue, Good Neighbors, and Well Scripted stamp sets; Chocolate Chip, Basic Gray, Going Gray, Creamy Caramel, Pretty in Pink, Not Quite Navy, and Tempting Turquoise Classic Stampin' Pads; Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Kraft, and Whisper White cardstock; Sending Love Specialty Designer Series Paper; Scallop Trim Corner and Border punches; Pretty in Pink taffeta ribbon; Pewter Jumbo Eyelets; Crop-a-dile; craft knife; Blender Pen; Ovals Originals die

Fox & Friends Small Wonder card

Hi again!

At one of my favorite hangouts, the Memory Makers magazine forum, we've started a weekly sketch challenge.  The first one was actually last week, but I didn't get a chance to create a layout or card with that sketch.  I love the sketch this week.. it's so versatile and I can see many different ways of using it.  I don't have any pictures printed out though that I wanted to use, so I challenged myself to create a card using the sketch.

Here's the sketch.. it's from Pencil Lines.  I discovered that it's sketch #166 (might I say that they do have some fantastic sketches there!  I've never been there before).

And here's my card!

The stamp set is soo cute!  It's the new Fox & Friends set from the Occasions Mini.  The set contains 4 other cuties - a lion, a turtle, an owl, and a whale.  As soon as I saw the set in the catalog, I knew I had to have it!  :)

I created the circle in the top right corner by first punching a 1-3/8" circle out of Old Olive cardstock, then lining up the 1-3/4" Circle punch up to create an outline.  The Slit punch made a perfect opening for the Whisper White satin ribbon to slip through.  And that Designer Series Paper in the back?  It's from the gorgeous new Sweet Pea 12x12" Designer Series Paper pad.  There are fabulous papers in this pack for both masculine and feminine projects!

Small Wonder card:  Fox & Friends and Whimsical Words (SAB freebie) stamp sets; Dusty Durango, Chocolate Chip and So Saffron Classic Stampin' Pads; Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Sahara Sand, Old Olive, and Taken with Teal cardstock; Sweet Pea 12x12" Designer Series Paper pad; Whisper White Jumbo Grommet (Designer Hardware); Whisper White satin ribbon; Star Designer Brads; 1-3/8" Circle punch; 1-3/4" Circle punch, Slit punch

New blog header and background!

Hello!  How do you like my new blog header and background?  I love being able to change them on a whim, and it's so easy to do with My Digital Studio.  I felt the need for some spring-y colors, so there you go!

I'll be back later with a project.  Have a great Sunday!

You're never more than a thought away...

Good morning!

I just love the new sentiment set in the Sale-a-bration catalog, Whimsical Words.  It's so versatile, and I love the mix of fonts.  So I just had to make a card with that, and another cute little set, Good Neighbors (which you can also earn free as part of Sale-a-bration):

And I'm loving this color combo!  It's so bright and cheery, and a little unexpected (at least for me).  It was pretty easy to line up the cling-mounted stamps with the help of the optional labels provided.  I even surprised myself by being able to stamp the sentiment straight on the rectangle I'd cut out!  :)  I tore a scratch piece of paper to use as a mask for my "grass", sponging some Old Olive ink underneath so that the house and trees weren't floating!

Have a happy Saturday!  If you get a chance, there is another Stampin' Addicts blog hop going on this weekend!  I'm not participating this time, but I encourage you to check out these talented ladies' projects here.  It begins at noon EST, so please be patient if their links aren't up yet before then!

A Thought Away card:  Good Neighbors and Whimsical Words stamp sets (both SAB freebies); Old Olive, Melon Mambo, Bermuda Bay, and Pumpkin Pie Classic Stampin' Pad; Bermuda Bay, Chocolate Chip, Melon Mambo, Pumpkin Pie, and Whisper White cardstock; Welcome Neighbor Designer Series Paper pad; Scallop Trim Border punch (SAB freebie); Chocolate Chip 5/8" grosgrain ribbon

Vintage Retro Friends card

Hello!  I took some time to make a quick card today, using a this week's sketch challenge over at Stampin' Addicts.  I used a new stamp set from the Occasions Mini catalog, Vintage Vogue..

I LOVE it!!  And check out that border around the stamped image.. beautiful, no?  That's made using the new Scallop Trim Corner and Border punches!  The "retro-y" colors of the whole card just make me happy.  All of that paper is part of the Welcome Neighbor Designer Series Paper Pad, which you can earn free as part of Sale-a-bration (along with that gorgeous border punch).  I'm such a paper addict, and while I usually just hoard it all.. I'm making myself use it.  Makes the projects prettier, and plus, then I'll need to buy more!  :)

Remember, if you are in need of an Occasions Mini catalog or Sale-a-bration brochure, please let me know and I'll get one out to you.

Have a great night!

Vintage Retro Friends:  Vintage Vogue stamp set; Bermuda Bay Classic Stampin' Pad; Kraft, Melon Mambo, Pumpkin Pie, Bermuda Bay, Pretty in Pink, and Whisper White cardstock; Welcome Neighbor Designer Series Paper Pad; Sweet Pea Stitched Felt, Scallop Trim Corner and Border punches, Whisper White organza ribbon

Scrapbook layout swap pages!

Hi!

I recently participated in a 6" x 6" scrapbook page swap featuring some products in the new Occasions Mini 2010 catalog.  I just got the pages back yesterday, and would like to share them with you.  They are so beautiful and really give me some great ideas... I love them all!

This first layout was created by Cheryl:

I love her use of the new Sweet Pea Designer Series Paper pad, and all of her accents are just fabulous.  And  did you notice that scalloped piece behind the wide oval punch-out?  Nope, not a new punch, although doesn't it look like it?  Two scallop circles!

This next page is by Cathy Bartlett:

I love the color scheme, just beautiful for a "cherish" layout.

Next is a layout created by Kris Kilkenny:

How cute!  I love the new set "Tote-ally Tess" with all of her cute little accessories.  You could easily adapt it to fit more than what you immediately see - for example, ink up just the bag outline to stamp a cute shopping bag, or draw weaving on it to create a basket.  The top note on the left side pulls out for journaling.

Here's the one I created:

It's been a while since I've done a scrapbook page swap, and my first time doing it for demos to show to their customers.. so I wasn't exactly sure how to go about it!  I wanted to make it very customizable.. you can add journaling below the Crushed Curry DSP piece, or directly on it.  A focal photo would work wonderfully in the photo mat provided, with additional photos on the right page along the DSP strip.

Have a great day!  It's a nice sunny one so far, and so I'm trying to stay positive!  Hopefully I'll get to play with my new stuff that arrived on Wednesday!

My page supplies:  I {Heart} Hearts stamp set; Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, and Crushed Curry Classic Stampin' Pads; Sahara Sand, Chocolate Chip and Rich Razzleberry cardstock; The Write Stuff Specialty DSP and Lovely Flowers DSP (Level 3 hostess bundle); Chocolate Chip corduroy button; Linen Thread; Sweet Pea Stitched Felt; Whisper White satin ribbon; Corner Rounder punch; Scallop Edge punch

colourQ Challenge #15

Hello!

Just a quick post today.  Arielle has another colourQ challenge up, and I thought I'd play along.  Here are her color selections:

And here's my card!

"Just a little thanks" silhouette card:  Matchbox Messages and Pocket Silhouettes stamp sets; Basic Gray Classic Stampin' Pad; Barely Banana, Whisper White, Basic Gray, and Certainly Celery cardstock; Sweet Swirls wheel; Certainly Celery 5/8" grosgrain ribbon; Pumpkin Pie Stampin' Write marker; Blender Pen; Signo White Gel Pen; Pumpkin Pie corduroy brads; Scallop Edge punch; Scallop Circle punch; 1-1/4" Circle punch; 1-3/8" Circle punch, Corner Rounder punch

Color Inspiration #57 - Hearts Abound card

Good morning!

So one of my favorite blogs to visit is Kristina Werner's, and I've been doing so ever since stumbling upon her blog a couple of years ago.  She used to do regular color challenges, but as we all know, life can get in the way. Anyway, I was happy to see that she posted one last week.. I love color challenges!  Here you can see her color choices:

Such pretty fabric!  Here's my take on the challenge:

I just can't get enough of this polka-dotted heart, really the whole stamp set!  I paired it with a sentiment from the set A Happy Heart, piercing a line of holes beneath that.

Hearts Abound card:  I {Heart} Hearts and A Happy Heart stamp sets; Ruby Red, Baja Breeze (retired), So Saffron, and Cameo Coral Classic Stampin' Pads; More Mustard, Kraft and Whisper White cardstock; Pink Flamingo Designer Series Paper; More Mustard 1/4" grosgrain ribbon; Scallop Edge punch; Paper Piercing Tool; Mat Pack; Signo White Gel Pen

Loving Hearts card

Hi!  I hope you've been enjoying your weekend.  It has been cloudy and snowy here for the past few days.  I love snow, but it's nice to have a little break with some bright sunshine today.

So I wasn't kidding when I said you'd be seeing more projects with the I {Heart} Hearts stamp set!  Hehe!  Here's another card:

I love all of the different styles and patterned hearts in this stamp set!  The set I bought is cling-mounted, so you can see that it stamps just like wood-mounted stamps due to SU!'s high-quality rubber.  I don't plan on switching completely to cling-mounted, although they are nice.  I'm still a die-hard wood-mounted fan :)

"Pleating" your ribbon gives such a nice, different look.  Here I used Very Vanilla 3/8" taffeta ribbon.  I almost dug out my sewing machine to sew across, which would look even cuter!

By the way, if you don't have a Stampin' Up! demonstrator and are interested in an affordable way to build up on your collection, contact me for more information about my hostess club!  I'm starting a new round this month that will last through June 2010.

Happy stamping!

Loving Hearts card:  I {Heart} Hearts and Short & Sweet stamp sets; Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo, Bermuda Bay, Old Olive, and Crushed Curry Classic Stampin' Pads; Very Vanilla and Melon Mambo cardstock; Soft Suede textured cardstock; The Write Stuff Specialty Designer Series Paper; Very Vanilla 3/8" taffeta ribbon; Old Olive button from Playground Designer Buttons pack; Scallop Edge punch; Heart to Heart punch; Word Window punch; Modern Label punch

Blog candy winner!

Good evening!

Thank you to everyone who visited and commented!  I used Random.org to pick a random comment...

Comment #1 was:

Lisa said...
Are you serious?? Pick one item as my favorite... puuulease Melissa!

I think it's probably going to be the
I {heart} Hearts!
Love the card....going to have to get that Bigz die I think.

Congratulations Lisa!  I'll be in contact with you about your prize!  :)

SASC36 - Great Friend Hearts card

Happy Saturday!!  Today I have a card to share that uses this week's sketch challenge over at Stampin' Addicts..

Great Friend Hearts card:  I {Heart} Hearts and Great Friend stamp sets; Bermuda Bay, Elegant Eggplant and Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pads; Melon Mambo, Very Vanilla, Old Olive, and Kraft cardstock; Elegant Eggplant 1/4" grosgrain ribbon; Linen Thread; Paper Piercing Tool; Mat Pack

I'm awaiting the arrival of new goodies, so you've been seeing a lot of things made with the I {Heart} Hearts stamp set from me!  It's also one of my favorite new stamp sets!  I wasn't sure how this color combo would turn out, but I LOVE the end result.

Come on and play along with us over at Stampin' Addicts!  I'd love to see what you do with the sketch challenge, or just catch you there!

Check back later for the winner of my blog candy.  Have a great day!

Don't forget about the blog candy!

Sorry for the late reminder, but tonight is the last chance to win the fabulous new Sweet Pea Stitched Felt pack! All you have to do is comment on this post, telling me what your favorite new SU! product is.  Check back tomorrow to see if you won!

PPA24 - Fresh Cuts card

Hello!  Hope you have been enjoying your week!

Today's card uses the Pals Paper Arts Challenge #24, a simple sketch challenge.  I pulled out one of my favorite stamp sets, Fresh Cuts, and combined it with one of my favorite Designer Series Paper packs, Pink Flamingo:

After stamping the main image, I went back and colored in the flowers, leaves and flourish with Stampin' Write markers.  Coloring them really makes the images pop!  And I just love how well the Word Window and Modern Label punches work together, helping the sentiment stand out.  One of the things I absolutely love the most about Stampin' Up! is the wonderful color coordination with all of the cardstock, inks, and gorgeous accessories.  You can use their products without having to worry about if your brads will match your paper, etc.!

By the way, don't forget about my blog candy!  Click to this post to read all about it!  Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have a wonderful rest of the day.

Fresh cuts card:  Fresh Cuts stamp set; Chocolate Chip and Tempting Turquoise Classic Stampin' Pads; Tempting Turquoise, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, and Kraft cardstock; Pink Flamingo Designer Series Paper; Old Olive, Real Red and Tempting Turquoise Stampin' Write markers; Chocolate Chip 1" double-stitched grosgrain ribbon; Chocolate Chip corduroy brads; Vintage brads; Eyelet Border punch; Word Window punch; Modern Label punch

A Closer Look - Sweet Pea card and blog candy!

Good morning!  Let's take a closer look at my second project from the Stampin' Addicts Occasions Mini blog hop.  Here's the card:

First, I folded a piece of Kraft cardstock as if I were making a regular 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" card base.  The cut-out from the Scallop Square Clear Bigz die measures 4-3/8" square around the outer scalloped edge, so you will need at least a 4-1/4" x 4-1/2" card base (after folding in half) to make a nice sized scallop card.  The fold was positioned just inside one of the scalloped edges, so when you cut it out, it keeps the fold as you can see above.

After creating my background from cardstock and patterned paper from The Write Stuff Specialty Designer Series Paper pack (has to be one of my all-time favorites!), I stamped the sentiment from the new Little Angel stamp set from the Occasions Mini Catalog in Melon Mambo.  I then punched out some hearts in Bermuda Bay and Melon Mambo with the Heart to Heart punch, and finished off the corner with a piece of looped Old Olive 5/8" grosgrain ribbon.  The ribbon was held into submission with Mini Glue Dots, and a Kraft Corduroy Button goes perfectly on top.

Sweet Pea Scalloped card supplies: Little Angel stamp set; Melon Mambo Classic Stampin' Pad; Kraft, Crushed Curry, Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo, and Very Vanilla cardstock; The Write Stuff Specialty Designer Series Paper; Old Olive 5/8" grosgrain ribbon; Kraft corduroy button; Linen Thread; Heart to Heart punch; Scallop Square Clear Bigz die


By the way, the Occasions Mini Catalog went live today!  If you would like a FREE paper copy of this and/or the Definitely Decorative brochure with the new product insert, contact me and I will get them out to you.  You can also view them to the right!


Sale-a-bration also starts today!!  Here are the details:

• Spend:  For every $50 you spend on any products, get a FREE item from the Sale-a-bration brochure!  This year, items include stamp sets (wood-mounted or cling-mounted!), a 6 x 6" paper pad, a punch (how wonderful is that!!), and even some items from the 2009-2010 Idea Book & Catalog!  See the Sale-a-bration brochure here, or contact me for a free paper copy!
• Host:  Host a $300 workshop and earn a free Sale-a-bration item!  This is in addition to the fabulous hostess goodies you already get!
• Join:  Join my downline today, and receive a FREE stamp set from the Idea Book & Catalog, up to $47.95 - wow!  The Starter Kit, which is already a fantastic deal, is also 15% off!  Contact me to start sharing what you love today!

Now.. about that blog candy!  Leave a comment below telling me what your favorite new SU product is by Friday, Jan. 8th, 11:50PM EST, and I'll use a randomizer to draw a winner.  The winner will receive a package of the new Sweet Pea Stitched Felt!

Images copyright Stampin' Up!

Closer look: Little Angel Journal

Hello!  Sorry this is so late in the day, I've been keeping busy for most of the evening finishing up a swap!

Here is a more detailed look at my first project from the Stampin' Addicts Occasions Mini blog hop.  First, the picture you have already seen, showing the journal and the accompanying card:

The 3 x 3" card would be great for a little note to the recipient, perfectly sized for such a use.  Using the same colors and a stamp from the same stamp set ensures excellent coordination.

Here's a closer look at the journal:

This journal would be perfect as a gift for new parents - what a wonderful way for them to write their thoughts inside and capture those memories that may be soon forgotten.  It could really be used for anything, even as a mini scrapbook for your furbaby. 

The frame in the center was made with the Scallop Edge punch.  You can find great detailed instructions on the Splitcoaststampers website here.  There is enough space for a wallet size photo of the new bundle of joy.  The heart off to the left was daubed with Whisper White Craft ink, and a Pretty in Pink button finishes off the corner.  Faux stitching was added with a Soft Suede Stampin' Write marker along the So Saffron panel.  The rest is pretty self explanatory, but if you have questions, feel free to ask!

The supply list again:

Little Angel Journal and 3 x 3" card supplies: Little Angel stamp set; Soft Suede and Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pads; So Saffron, Pretty in Pink and Soft Suede textured cardstock; Whisper White cardstock; The Write Stuff Specialty Designer Series Paper; On Board Loads of Letters chipboard (heart); Pretty in Pink button from Sherbet Designer Button pack; Sweet Pea Stitched Felt (available Jan. 5th); Old Olive 1/4" grosgrain ribbon; Soft Suede and So Saffron Stampin' Write markers; Scallop Oval punch; Large Oval punch; Scallop Edge punch; Photo Corners punch; Spiral punch; Scallop Circle punch; 1-1/4" Circle punch; 1-3/8" Circle punch; On Board 5 x 5" Art Journal; sponge dauber

Last day to order from the Holiday Mini!

Good morning!  Hope you enjoyed the blog hop over the weekend.  Don't forget that today is the last day to order from the Holiday Mini 2009.  If there was anything you wanted from it but did not purchase yet, today's your last chance!

Click here to see the Holiday Mini catalog.

Please note that the Shimmer Paints and the Build-a-Bear items will continue past the Holiday Mini.  Everything else is an unknown!  You can contact me via email or order directly from my website.

I'll be back later with some more details about my blog hop projects!

SA Occasions Mini 2010 Blog Hop!

Hello!  Happy New Year and welcome to the Stampin' Addicts Occasions Mini 2010 blog hop!  The hop will run from noon today, January 1st, through January 3rd.  The products featured in the hop will be available for purchase from your demonstrator beginning January 5th!

If you have been hopping along in order, you've just arrived from Heather's blog.  How adorable are those new chipboard books?  And such an awesome deal too!  If this is your first stop, don't worry!  You can continue on from here and find your way around.

I am showcasing the new stamp set "Little Angel", which includes four stamps.  Here is my first project:

The little journal is SU!'s 5 x 5" Art Journal.  Wouldn't this be a fabulous gift for new parents?  There is a space to insert a picture on the front (fits a wallet sized photo), and it's a great way to keep track of all those little memories you don't want to forget!  I also made a little 3 x 3" card to go along with it.

Little Angel Journal and 3 x 3" card supplies:  Little Angel stamp set; Soft Suede and Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pads; So Saffron, Pretty in Pink and Soft Suede textured cardstock; Whisper White cardstock; The Write Stuff Specialty Designer Series Paper; On Board Loads of Letters chipboard (heart); Pretty in Pink button from Sherbet Designer Button pack; Sweet Pea Stitched Felt (available Jan. 5th); Old Olive 1/4" grosgrain ribbon; Soft Suede and So Saffron Stampin' Write markers; Scallop Oval punch; Large Oval punch; Scallop Edge punch; Photo Corners punch; Spiral punch; Scallop Circle punch; 1-1/4" Circle punch; 1-3/8" Circle punch; On Board 5 x 5" Art Journal; sponge dauber


So at first glance, you may think this stamp set is only for baby projects... not so!  Here is a card that is perfect for saying "I love you":

Sweet Pea Scalloped card supplies:  Little Angel stamp set; Melon Mambo Classic Stampin' Pad; Kraft, Crushed Curry, Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo, and Very Vanilla cardstock; The Write Stuff Specialty Designer Series Paper; Old Olive 5/8" grosgrain ribbon; Kraft corduroy button; Linen Thread; Heart to Heart punch; Scallop Square Clear Bigz die


Last but not least, I have a 6 x 6" scrapbook page featuring my favorite subject.. my furbaby. :)

Sweet 6 x 6" scrapbook page supplies:  Little Angel stamp set; Old Olive Classic Stampin' Pad; Whisper White and Old Olive Craft Stampin' Pads; Regal Rose and Pretty in Pink textured cardstock; Whisper White cardstock; The Write Stuff Specialty Designer Series Paper; Lovely Flowers Designer Series Paper from the Lovely Lines Level 3 Hostess Bundle; On Board Loads of Letters chipboard; Pretty in Pink 3/8" taffeta ribbon; Regal Rose, Old Olive and Crushed Curry Stampin' Write markers; Clear embossing powder; Scallop Edge punch; Corner Rounder punch; sponge daubers


Here's a quick look at the stamp set, available both in wood-mount (117684) and clear-mount (118574):

(images copyright Stampin' Up!)

If you'd like more information about these projects, I will be posting more details on Monday.  Please also feel free to leave a comment with your question, and I'll be sure to answer!

I hope you enjoyed my projects!  Your next stop is Yapha's blog - she is featuring the set "My Matryoshka".  I just love Yapha's clean yet beautiful style.  If you get a chance, also check out Stampin' Addicts, a positive place to be!  Thanks for visiting, and enjoy the hop!!