Weekly Blog Challenge - Leap Day

Hi and Happy Friday!

Sorry to post this week's challenge a little late, but it's been crazy around here lately. For the challenge this week, let's celebrate Leap Day. Create something that leaps, hops, jumps, skips, etc. For example, it could be a card or an altered art piece that has frogs or kangaroos or the words leap or hop. Get creative and have fun!

I'll post again later with my idea. I plan to stamp while the kids are napping. Hope your all having a great Friday! Happy stamping! :)

Edited at 6pm:
This card is my take on leaping! I just love these frogs from Stampin' Up!'s set, Unfroggetable. I was in a bold and bright color mood today. Probably because we are getting more snow and I just want Spring! This is also the layout for the new weekend sketch challenge on Beate's blog. Hope you all had a great Leap Day! Have a super weekend. :)

Oh, and if you're looking for another fun challenge, check out Erin's blog. This week, her challenge is anything baby!

Spring Bling Swap

I recently took part in a Spring Bling swap hosted by Erin, my friend and upline. The swap was on Splitcoast. These are the cards I got back. They are some of the best swap cards I've ever received, so I wanted to share them with you.

All of these card were made by Stampin' Up! demos using Stampin' Up! supplies. Each card uses some sort of glitter or rhinestones as the focus for the "bling." These ladies are super talented and put a whole lot of work into these cards. This picture doesn't do them justice!

Thanks for an awesome swap girls! Check out this thread on Splitcoast where you will find the names of these artists and be able to click through to their galleries. Hope you all have a fantastic weekend. Happy stamping! :)

I've Been Tagged...

I was tagged by my friend Jo, so here goes...

What were you doing ten years ago?
Ten years ago I was in my junior year in college. Wow, that seems like forever ago! I was taking classes for my BA in English. I was living with my now husband in Dover, NH. I worked part time for the University of NH housing department. Completely different life from what I have now. And that English degree, well it isn't exactly working for me at the moment!

What were you doing one year ago?
One year ago I was doing pretty much what I do now, staying home with my kids and being a mom. My son was 3 and my daughter had just turned one. So I was chasing after them most days. I had just started out as a demo with Stampin' Up! a month earlier. So I'm sure that I was stamping too!

Name your five favorite snacks...
Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, oh yeah and did I say chocolate!

Name five things you would do if you were a millionaire...
Well, definitely buy a new house. Although I really love the one we live in, I'd like for it to be somewhere with a little more land and closer to family and craft room would be sweet! I'd go on a major shopping spree, not that I want much, but one can never have too many stamps, right ladies! I'd give some to family and friends and then some to charity. And I'd travel the world, I'd love to go to Greece and Italy someday.

Name five things you like doing...
Spending time as a family, stamping/crafting, sleeping, watching movies, blogging/chatting with friends.

Name five things you would never wear again...
Mini skirts, a bikini, hair in a big poofy thing at the front, you know that 80's hair style we all had, belly shirts, and Halloween costumes.

Name your five favorite toys...
Well of course all my Stampin' Up! supplies, I couldn't create with them. The computer, which is my life line to the outside world. The DVR for our TV, we couldn't live without it. With two young children we have to record everything. The Nintendo Wii, when I get to use it. I can't think of anything else.

Now, it's my turn to tag five more people. I tag... Erin, Elisa, Denise, Lynn, and Annie. These are some of my blogging sisters and new friends. Hope you girls get a chance to tell us a little more about you. You just need to answer these few questions and then tag 5 more bloggers. Have fun! :)

Save the Date

Good Morning,

I wanted to make a quick post to share a project that I just finished. This is the Save the Date card for my brother's wedding later this year. It's very simple, with just a few little details, but I love the way the turned out. I worked on them this week with my soon to be sister in law. We made 100 cards! It was fun having someone else stamping and assembling with me. The project went a lot quicker.

The color combination we chose is based on the colors for the wedding, black and white with touches of lavender. I love the way the lavender "pops" with the black and white. Now that these are finished, it's time to get to work on the invites!

Hope to post more later. Happy stamping! :)

Recipe: Stamps: To Have & To Hold Cardstock: Basic Black, Whisper White, Lavender Lace Ink: Lavender Lace (written words were printed from a computer) Accessories: Versamarker, iridescent ice EP, grosgrain and organdy ribbon, dew drops, ticket corner punch.

Something New

So, here I was stamping along this morning, trying to decide which stamp sets to use. When I remembered, I have a bunch of Magnolia images that I haven't yet had the opportunity to play around with.

I received these super cute images from my friend Jo in the UK. They were in the beautiful book she sent me last week, posted below. Jo has beautiful cards and projects on her blog and many of them use Magnolia stamps. I always comment on how much I like them, so she was kind enough to stamp me out a bunch and mail them over here!

I choose this Tilda because it's snowing here AGAIN today and she looks ready for some winter fun! The colors and papers are Stampin' Up! along with the felt flowers, ribbon, and brad. The "for you" image is also Stampin' Up!. I try hard to stay true to my Stampin' Up! stash, but it's always fun to use something new. Hope you like it. Happy stamping!


Recipe: Stamps: Magnolia, Stampin' Up! All Holidays set Cardstock: Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Rose Red, Whisper White Ink: Old Olive, Rose Red, Pumpkin Pie, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, More Mustard Accessories: Ribbon, Felt Flowers, Brad

Weekend Sketch Challenge

Good Morning,

I finally have some time for stamping today, so I've decided to start out with the weekend sketch challenge on Beate's blog, Fresh and Fun.

Here's the card I made. The sketch was pretty simple, so I added a few more layers to my finished card. The stamp set is from the new Occasions Mini catalog, available March 1st. It's called For Father. I love this little puppy. He's just adorable with those sad little eyes! The designer paper is Afternoon Tea, also from the new mini.

Thanks for looking. Happy Stamping! :)

Stamping on Walls

Happy Monday,

I wanted to share a project I did a short time ago. It's an easy way to add a decorative touch to any room.

We recently re-painted our daughter's bedroom, it's a sage green color. Although from this picture, that's hard to see. Once the room was finished though, it still needed something. I decided to use some stamps to add focal points around the room.

To complete the look I wanted, I used the Two Step Stampin' set Bold Butterfly from Stampin' Up!. (Note that this stamp set is now retired)

To stamp on walls you will need clean rubber stamps, acrylic paint, a paper plate, and a sponge applicator brush. Also keep a wet cloth near by for cleaning the stamps and for touch ups if you make a mistake.

First, put a few different paint colors on your paper plate. You won't need much of each color, plus you can always add more. I used pink, yellow, and white for my images.

Then, using your sponge brush, lightly sponge paint on the solid image stamp. Be sure not to over load the stamp with paint as it will squish and make a mess.

Once your stamp is ready, stamp the image on wall. Be sure to stamp straight and pull off straight, don't wiggle the stamp.

Reapply the paint for each new image and stamp the wall. Allow the paint to dry completely before adding the line image detailing.

Once the solid images are dry. Add paint to your line image stamp and add this detail to the solid images.

This photo is part of the finished wall. A few scattered butterflies to add a touch of whimsy to a little girls bedroom. Give this technique a try! It's easy and fun. This would be a great project to do with a child too. Happy Stamping! :)

Random Act of Kindness!!

This is a RAK I received from my friend Jo. It arrived yesterday from the UK. I recently met Jo through this fun world of blogging. Her blog is great! Jo is super talented and makes beautiful and creative projects! She has fantastic scrap pages, they are some of my favorites!

I was amazed at all the awesome goodies sent to me! I wanted to share with everyone because besides the cute little card, Jo made this wonderful book and it was filled with Magnolia images. It's the cutest darn thing! She also stamped so many images that they didn't all fit in the book! I just love them all, Jo! Thank you sooooo much!

I really want to try making one of these books myself. The book Jo has made for me has 6 pages. One side is blank where you could mount a photo and on the adjacent page is a pocket where you could put a keepsake. Jo told me she found the info for making the book on Claudia's blog. I'm off to check out the details now. Hope you all have a wonderful Thursday! Thanks for stopping by! :)

Whimsical Wednesday Challenge - Inspiration!

Happy Wednesday Stampers!

I've been doing a lot of blog surfing lately. There are tons and tons of super fabulous blogs out there. It's amazing really! While surfing, I've found lots of fantastic and inspiring works of art. So, I thought for this week's challenge we should go out in search of inspiration! Check blogs you frequent or find new blogs. When you see something that makes you want to get out the supplies and get to work, then do it! Maybe try to find something that you've never made yourself before. Please be sure to give credit to the original artist and provide a link with your creation in the comments on this post. Have fun!

This is the project that inspired me; it's a paper bag purse. I saw this idea on Beate's blog. She's always got something amazing to share!

When I saw this idea I thought it would be perfect for my 3D stamp club project. It's also something I've never made before. These bags are really very simple to create and quick to put together. Plus, they were a hit at my club last night, which is always nice.

To create mine, I used a simple brown paper lunch bag, cut it into a 5 inch square and then embellished. I did cut the first cardstock layer a tad bigger than the 5 inches so that it hides the bag. The back side only has two layers of cardstock, no flowers or extra details. I used 5/8" grosgrain ribbon for the handles.

These bags would be great as party favor baggies! Much better than the typical plastic ones.

Thanks for looking, hope you get a chance to take the challenge! Happy Stamping! :)

Pass It Forward

This is a RAK I received from my SBS3 sister, Annie on Ink'n'Rubba. It's a beautiful card that's filled with stamped images and embellishments. I received this RAK as part of her "Pass It Forward" blog candy. Thanks so much Annie! I'm going to have fun working with these Magnolia images and embellishments. :)

The purpose of "Pass It Forward" is to do something kind for someone else and to keep the kindness going. I will send a little something to the first three people to post a comment here as my way to keep the kindness "passing forward." Have fun!

Criss Cross Card Tutorial

I recently posted a criss cross card and then was asked if I had a tutorial. I actually followed Beate's tutorial on SCS, but here is my quick version!

You will need...
2 pieces of cardstock 4 1/4" x 11" for the criss cross base
1 piece of designer printed paper 4" x 5" for the front of the criss cross
1 piece of cardstock 3 3/4" x 5 1/4" for the insert
1 piece of neutral cardstock 3 1/2" x 4 3/4" for the insert
1 strip of cardstock or paper 1 1/2" x 12" for the band around the card

1. Score both pieces of 4 1/4" x 11" cardstock at 5 1/2". Then cut one piece, from the score line out, on a diagonal to the left and cut the other piece on a diagonal to the right. You will be left with a 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" surface next to each diagonal section.

2. Adhere the two 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" sections together so that you have one piece with a left flap and a right flap.

3. Cut the designer printed paper in half on the diagonal and adhere to each flap. Be sure to adhere to the front of each flap. **Also note, that depending on the way you cut, you may need to use one of each side of your printed paper. The triangle sections don't always go in the direction for each flap. At least that's what happens to me every time! If this happens you may need to use two pieces of 4" X 5" printed paper, saving the other cuts for next time.

4. Adhere the flaps closed. Leave enough room for the criss cross to still open at the top. Be sure that you don't glue the flaps down enough that the insert will no longer fit inside.

5. Decorate your neutral cardstock and then adhere to the 3 3/4" X 5 1/4". You may add embellishments such as a tab or ribbon. Fit inside the finished criss cross base.

6. Lastly, wrap the band around the completed card and adhere. Embellish it if you choose.

For a more detailed tutorial with photos, check out this link. Have fun trying this neat card fold! Happy Stamping! :)

Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge - 35

This card is for Beate's weekend sketch challenge. I'm a little late posting, but better late than never, right! Check out Beate's blog for more challenge fun! Thanks for looking, happy stamping! :)


Recipe: Stamps: Bloomin' Beautiful Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Soft Sky, White, and Afternoon Tea DSP Ink: Wild Wasabi, Soft Sky, Marigold Morning Accessories: aqua painter, corner rounder punch, brads, 1/4" cirlce punch, cropadile, paper piercer.

Big Thanks!

Hi all,

Hope everyone had an enjoyable weekend. I just wanted to take a moment to thank ALL of you who come by and visit my blog each day. I love reading all the wonderful and supportive comments so many of you leave each time you visit. You all inspire me!

My blog counter rolled over 5000 hits this weekend and I owe that to all of you. So thank you! Knowing that I have readers out there truly makes my day. :)

I've been having loads of fun with this world of blogging! I've met wonderful people, made new friends, and found oodles and oodles of great inspiration. So many, many talented people out there! Thanks for sharing your creativity with me!

Here's to all of YOU! Thanks! Happy Stamping! :)

Rub Ons

These are a couple projects I made using my new Stampin' Up! rub ons. These are from the Sale-a-Bration mini catalog. I haven't quite mastered the art of using these fun embellishments though. I think it will take a little more practice. If you look closely, you can see there are a couple small "oops-ies" where the rub on didn't exactly rub on all the way! I'm going to play a bit more to see if I can master the art. Rub ons are definitely fun to work with and make for super quick accents!

The picture on the left is of my marker jars. I thought they would be perfect for trying the rub ons out on glass. Plus, everyone needs jazzed up containers! The picture on the right is a criss cross card that I embellished with rub ons to try them out on paper. I think they worked a little better on the paper, maybe because the glass was so smooth and rounded. Anyway, had fun trying them out!

Over on Erin's blog, she has a challenge posted for Finally Friday and it's to use bling. So I added a clear rhinestone to my flower as a way to incorporate her challenge into my projects for today. Hope you get a chance to try her challenge. Have a great weekend. Happy Stamping! :)

More Fun with New Stamps

Hi,

I just wanted to share a couple cards that I've been working on. These are ones which I've made using my new stamps from the Occasions Mini.

The first one is a 4 1/4" X 4 1/4" sized card that I made for the sketch challenge on SCS. I used the new Bloomin' Beautiful set and the Afternoon Tea DSP. These colors are so pretty together. I also added a piece of the new silver hodgepodge to finish off this card. Love that shiny silver!

This next card is an idea I've been playing around with for a swap I'm doing. I used the Cuttlebug on the Banana piece, but for the swap I won't do that as the swap is all Stampin' Up!. The stamp set is the new By Ones & Twos. It's really cute!

I was inspired to use this layout by a card I received from my SBS3 sister Cassie. I never think to tear edges and I liked the way her card came out, so I went with it. These colors are perfect for a baby boy. I love them together. The banana colored star has crystal effects on it to give it a little shine and I used the word window punch to add detail to the senitment.

Thanks for looking. Have a great Thursday and Happy Valentine's Day! :)

Design It! - Whimsical Wednesday Challenge

Happy Wednesday Stampers!

Now that my new stamp supplies have arrived, I need to start working on some swap cards. I'm hoping to be able to include some of the new Designer Series Prints papers on my swaps as well. These new papers are quite pretty.

While I was working on the swaps I thought, using DSP would make for a great challenge for this week. Adding printed paper can really jazz up an otherwise plain card.

So, challenge yourself to make a card or some other project using some of your favorite Designer Prints papers. Then post a link so that we may all see what you've come up with! Thanks for looking. Happy Stamping! :)


Recipe: Stamps: Bloomin Beautiful, Short & Sweet, Canvas BG Cardstock: Kraft, Soft Sky, White, Afternoon Tea DSP Ink: Sky, Close to Cocoa, Wasabi Accessories: Paper piercer, hemp twine, pretties kit, spiral punch

New Stampin' Up! Goodies....

Here's a sneak peek at some of the new Occasions Mini products that I just received today! The Stampin' Up! Occasions Mini Collection becomes available on March 1st. It's filled with lots of great new stamp sets, all die cut by the way, and new rub-ons, Designer Series Papers, and this great new silver Hodgepodge Hardware!

If you would like a copy of this mini catalog, please contact me and I'll get one out to you as soon as I receive them. If you would like to host a workshop and earn some new FREE Stampin' Up! products, contact me to book a date! All hostesses in March will receive 20% off one Occasions Mini stamp set of their choice.

Happy Stamping! Hope to post some new creations soon! :)

E is for Excellent!

I was just given this award by Britta, check out her blog. She's got awesome projects posted and she's all Stampin' Up! Very talented stamper!

I'm very surprise and truly honored! I love blogging! It's fun to check out other blogs, meet new people, and gain lots of knowledge and motivation! So, thanks for this Britta!

Now it's my turn to nominate some of my favorite bloggers for their EXCELLENT blogs! Check them out, you won't be disappointed! :)

My SBS3 sisters... Erin, Maren, and Vicki (sorry but Vicki's link is not currently working) and my friend Jo. All these ladies have fabulous ideas and great projects posted. Truly inspirational and talented women!

RAK

This is a RAK I received from my SBS3 sister Cassie. I love the color combo and that stamp image. Too cute! The details on this card are great. The black CS is textured and the white has a torn edge. Love that effect, I need to use it more myself. The ribbon is a perfect shade of red with little white flowers.

Cassie, you do amazing work! The coloring on the image is beautiful. Thanks again for another great card! :)

Contained!

Yeah, It's Finally Friday!!

Today on Erin's blog, the Finally Friday Challenge is to create a container of some sort. I had my stamp club last night, which turned out to be just two friends chatting while stamping and loads of fun too and we made a couple sour cream containers as possible wedding favors. My friend is getting married in June and has totally planned everything on her own in record time on top off making the invitations and favors herself!

So today, when I saw Erin's blog challenge, I just had to make another sour cream container! These are super easy and they look great! Plus, you can fill them with whatever you want. Totally customized gifts for very little cost!

This particular container uses Whisper White cardstock that has been embossed with the Cuttlebug. Totally love that Cuttlebug! My friend was kind enough to leave it with me for the weekend to play around. I think I need to get my own! After putting together the container, I used Bashful Blue Taffeta ribbon and a scalloped circle punch to embellish.

Thanks for looking, hope you get a chance to take this "contained" challenge! Have a great weekend! Happy Stamping! :)

Blog Candy Entry - Baby Card

I found a great blog today while visiting my new friend Jo's blog. This new blog belongs to Tara and she has a blog candy challenge posted. The challenge is to make a baby card and post a comment on her blog for a chance to win the blog candy. It looks like great candy too, go take a look! :)

This is the card that I made, I was inspired by the colors and papers from the card (posted below) that my daughter received from my friend Erin.

The card that I made is actually going to be my thank you cards for the gifts my daughter received for her 2nd birthday. But, I think it would also be cute for a new baby girl. Making baby cards has always been one of my favorite types to create, so this was a fun. There are also lots and lots of cute baby stamps out there which makes this challenge neat! So, I'm off to see what everyone else has done! :)

Recipe: Stamps: Priceless, Bundled in Love Cardstock: Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery, White, Celery DSP Ink: Close to Cocoa, Pink, Celery Accessories: aquapainter, crystal effects, glitter, photo corners punch, ticket corner punch, brads.

Wednesday Sketch Challenge on SCS

This is the card I made for this week's sketch challenge on SCS. I love this Berry Bliss paper and after using it to make the sour cream containers, I decided to use it to make a matching card.

I'm not super excited about the stamped images, but they'll do. There's glitter on the flowers throughout the background paper and on the main image flowers, not sure you can see that detail.



Recipe: Stamps: Priceless Cardstock: Close to Cocoa, Purely Pomegranate, Pretty in Pink, White, and Berry Bliss DSP Ink: Pomegranate, Pink, and Chocolate Chip Accessories: horizontal slit punch, choc. chip ribbon, ticket corner punch, crystal effects, glitter.

Whimsical Wednesday Challenge - Anything But a Card

Good Morning,

I've decided for this week's challenge to make it an "anything but a card" challenge. I have my monthly stamp club tomorrow night and we'll be make some non-card projects. One of the ones we are going to try is a sour cream container, made from a single sheet of paper. This is a quick and inexpensive way to make a little candy treat for any occasion! Visit this link for an easy tutorial on SCS.

I'll be back later this afternoon to post my creation. Hope you'll join this challenge! Have fun! :)

editted: Wednesday at 3:53pm to add photo

Here's my "anything but a card" challenge. I made a couple sour cream containers using the new Berry Bliss DSP from Stampin' Up!'s Spring/Summer Collection. This paper is very pretty and perfect for Valentine's Day. Making these containers is super easy and only takes about 5 minutes!

To make the sour cream containers you'll need a piece of light weight paper, such as Stampin' Up! designer series papers, cut to 4 1/4" X 5 1/2". You'll also need sticky strip or very sticky double sided tape. To seal the ends, a crimper works best, but I didn't have one, so I just pressed really hard and folded the ends up a little. For the complete instructions, visit the link posted above. Beate's tutorial on SCS is very simple to follow and she has great pictures posted for each step as well. You can fill your container with any small candy, such as m&ms or Hershey Kisses.

Some Card Sharing...

Happy Wednesday,

I wanted to share some new cards I've recently received. The first one is from my SBS3 sister Cassie. Check out her blog, she's got super neat ideas! I love this card, it's so girly and fun. Cassie used textured cardstock and embossing on the shoe. The embossing really adds to the card. Thanks Cassie!

These next two cards are actually ones my daughter received for her 2nd birthday. I thought they were both super cute, so I had to share them.

The card on the right is from my closest friend and my daughter's auntie, Janna. She makes really wonderful cards that always have great details. I just love this card! The pocket is actually sticking out, giving it a 3-d effect with the bear tucked inside. Very clever!

The one on the left is from my friend Erin. She's also one of my blogging buddies, you can check out her blog here. This card is a perfect girly birthday card with all that bling! Great colors and layout, plus that stamp is too cute. Love it!

Thanks for looking...be back soon with this week's Wednesday Challenge. Happy Stamping! :)

Some Superbowl Stampin'

Happy Superbowl Sunday!

I'll first start out by saying, GO PATS!

Ok, this is a card I made for the weekend sketch challenge on Beate's blog. I've been wanting to make something new and fresh, so this challenge was the perfect inspiration. I love that the sketch used a longer card rather than the typical size. It's a fun layout too!

I used some Bali Breeze DSP as my main color focus. These colors are bright and bold, a perfect pairing with the stamp set Zoofari. I love this set, but never think to use it. It's really super cute. I like the black accent, really gives the colors a little more punch. I think if I had it to do over again, I would add the black behind the green and turquoise papers too. For final touches I added some paper piercing and the silver brads. The animals are colored using watercolor pencils and an aquapainter. I love these pencils!

Hope you get the chance to give this challenge a try and thanks to Beate for posting another super sketch! Happy Stamping!:)

Recipe: Stamps: Zoofari, Celebrate You Cardstock: Black, White, Bali Breeze DSP Ink: Black, watercolor pencils Accessories: 1/2" circle punch, 1/4" circle punch, oval punch, ribbon, silver brads, paper piercer, aquapainter.

Sharing some RAKs

This is a RAK I received from Robin, a SCS member. I recently mailed her some cardfronts. This is the thank you card she sent me with some cute stamps inside. What a treat. Thanks so much Robin! These are my first clear stamps and I can't wait to use them! :) Great card too, very cute!

This RAK is from Amie, the winner of my blog candy. Thanks so much for sending a thank you! You are most welcome and thanks for visiting my blog. Enjoy the "candy." Love that DSP and the ribbon. Great card! :)