TGI{F}F!

Thank Goodness It's {Fab} Friday!  Mindy Backes (Bada-Bing Paper Crafting) kicked up her new Fab Friday Challenge Blog today with a fun sketch.  If you haven't check out Mindy's blog or the new challenge blog, you mus...She had great stamping style!  The design team over at Fab Friday is awesome too!

Here's the fun sketch for the very first challenge:

And here's my taken on the sketch:

I finally got to play with the new Snow Flurry Bigz Die and I l-o-v-e it!  I see myself using this a lot for the holiday season!  It's hard to tell in the picture, but I embossed the snow flakes using the dazzling diamond technique (check out Splitcoaststampers for a tutorial). 

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Very Vanilla, Baja Breeze, Floral District DSP

Ink ~ Baja Breeze

Stamp Set ~ Greetings of the Season

Other Supplies ~ Snow Flurry Bigz Die, Vintage Faceted Designer Buttons, Pearl Basic Jewels, Large Pearl Basic Jewels, Finishing Touches Framelits

Whew, made it through the month and I think I completed my own personal challenge of creating a card every day this month using something from the Holiday Catalog!

And with the end of the month brings the end of summer break...hip, hip, hooray!  Don't get my wrong, I love my kids, but sometimes the summers can be long and we are all ready for the break that the school day gives us. 

Wishing you all a great Labor Day weekend!

Happy Stamping!

Sharing in your sorrow

Sympathy cards are always at the bottom of my crafting to-do list, but they are something that, sadly, we all need to have on hand from time to time.  Thoughts & Prayers always seems to be my go-to stamp set when the need for a sympathy card arises...so simple yet very beautiful.

I love all of the different DSP patterns in the Festival of Prints!  The pretty print I used in this card gave it just the right amount of color.

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Soft Suede, Lucky Limeade, Very Vanilla, Festival of Prints DSP

Ink ~ Soft Suede, Lucky Limeade

Stamp Set ~ Thoughts and Prayers

Other Supplies ~ Labels Collection Framelits, 3/8" Soft Suede Taffeta Ribbon

Sad to say that this will be sent off to someone who recently lost their mother.  I hope this will bring a bit of comfort and healing to her heart.

Happy Stamping!

Fall is in the air

The days are shorter and cooler, the acorns are falling, school is days away, pumpkin spice lattes are calling my name...fall is in the air!  While I love the long, dog days of summer, I always look forward to fall and all of the beautiful colors it brings.

I finally broke out my Wonderfall stamp set and Autumn Accents Bigz Die this morning and put it to work in the Freshly Made Sketches Challenge.  I gave the Pom Pom Challenge over at Hand Stamped Sentiments too.  Not going to lie...this pom pom challenge was not an easy one for me.  Give me some ink and paper and I'm good to go, but give me fabric and ask me to make something with it and I freak out!  But, then I remembered I had pinned a cute wreath on Pinterest a few weeks ago that had a tutorial for a felt flower, so I looked up my pin, substitute the cute Orchard Harvest fabric for the felt and made my flower, which is kind of pom pom-ish :)



FMS50/HSSIC133



Don't you just love the Orchard Harvest DSP and fabric?  So many great fall colors and so many different projects to use them with!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Early Espresso, Very Vanilla, More Mustard, Cajun Craze, Early Espresso Core'dinations

Ink ~ More Mustard, Cajun Craze, Early Espresso

Stamps ~ Wonderfall, Seasonal Sayings

Other Supplies ~ Orchard Harvest Fabric, Woodgrain Embossing Folder, Naturals Designer Buttons, Linen Thread, Autumn Accents Bigz Die

Getting ready to wrap up my work day and head on over to the boys' school for a back to school watermelon feed and meet their teachers.  They have a fun little back to school gift for their teachers...I'll post pics soon :)

Happy Stamping!

Bootiful take two

I had so much fun with my card yesterday and just had to make another one using the fun cowboy boot from the Bootiful Occasions set.  May just have to use this one for my September club...It would make a great "guy card" :)

Pretty close to the same layout as yesterdays, just flipped to the landscape side.  And not quite as many embellishments...a little more clean and simple.

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Very Vanilla, Early Espresso Core-dinations, Soft Suede, Night of Navy, Festival of Prints DSP

Ink ~ Early Espresso, Night of Navy, Soft Suede

Stamp Sets ~ Bootiful Occasions, Merry Minis

Other Supplies Used ~ Woodgrain Embossing folder, Merry Minis punch, Curly Label punch, Naturals Designer buttons, Linen Thread

I had planned on working on my Regional swap cards tonight, but all 3 of my boys decided to gang up on me and give me a run for my money this afternoon.  (Always seems to work that way when my hubby gets called away to do a patient transfer to Seattle.)  I'm spent!  This momma is going to call it a day and hit the hay :)

Happy Stamping!

Kick off to Fair Week

It's the last week of summer break AND it's Fair Week!!!  My boys are so excited to go to the rodeo and wear their new cowboy boots...they are counting the days!  I woke up at dark o'clock this morning, but forced myself to stay in bed a little while longer.  Of course I couldn't sleep because my mind was brewing up images for a fun fair themed card.  I knew I wanted to use the super cute cowboy boot from the Bootiful Occasions set.  Just wasn't sure about a layout.  Until...I saw a sketch at The Paper Players!  This is the first time I've checked out their site and I am soooo happy I did!  The sketch was perfect for this card!



PP110

Love, love, love the look of the new Core'dinations Card Stock and the Woodgrain Embossing folder together.  Makes me think of the bleacher seats at the rodeo.  Add in a few Antique Brass Brads and some linen thread you've got the look of a saddle and rope! 

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Very Vanilla, Cherry Cobbler, Soft Suede, Early Espresso Core'dinations Card Stock, Festival of Prints DSP

Ink ~ Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso

Stamp Sets ~ Bootiful Occasions, Merry Minis

Other Supplies ~ Woodgrain Embossing Folder, Antique Brass Brads, Naturals Designer Buttons, Linen Thread, Merry Minis Punch Pack, Curly Label Punch

Ready to enjoy the last week of summer and have a ton of fun at the fair!

Happy Stamping!

Stamping for a Cause

With September marking the 10 year anniversary of Stampin' Up! partnering with Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), I decided I wanted to put together a Stamp for a Cause class.  Class attendees will be making four cards using the Moving Forward Stamp set, which is this years RMHC set in the Annual Catalog.  With each purchase of the Moving Forward set, Stampin Up! donates $3 from that sale to RMHC.  Each attendee may chose to donate one of their cards to RMHC, which I will bring with me to the Tacoma Regional at the end of September :)  Half of the class fee will also be donated to RMHC!

I had most of my card sketches, color combos, etc planned out, but I needed one more.  Thanks to the sketch challenge at Freshly Made Sketches, I was able to come up with my last card for the class.  This is a very clean and simple card, which is just what I needed.  All of my regular stamp club friends will be attending, but I am also hoping to draw in a few new people too!

Here is this weeks sketch:

And here is my take on it...I love this little frog!



FMS49


Supplies Used:
Paper ~ Whisper White, Midnight Muse, Gumball Green, Polka Dot Parade DSP
Ink ~ Gumball Green
Stamp Sets ~ Moving Forward, Sweet Essentials
Other Supplies ~ 1 1/4" Scallop Circle Punch, 1" Circle Punch, Subtles Collection Designer Series Buttons, Whisper White Bakers Twine

Be sure to watch for more fun creations from the Moving Forward Set as I prepare for my Stamp for a Cause class.  The class will be held on Saturday, September 22nd from 10:00-1:00 at the DOT Maintenance building.  Come join me and a great group of stamping friends and help raise money for an awesome cause!

Happy Stamping!



Joyful, Magical, Christmas

Someone brought it to my attention that Christmas is 4 months from today.  Where has the summer gone???  With just one week left of summer break for my boys, I realize just how fast time has gone by.  It seems like they were just getting out for summer break...heck, it seems like they were just getting ready to start kindergarten.  And now they will be big first graders...crazy!

With Christmas in mind and being back home in my crafting room, I cruised around a few of my favorite challenge sites and combined two challenges into one card.  The sketch challenge came from Create with Connie and Mary (I can't wait for the Holiday Edition of Create with Connie and Mary!) and the technique challenge came from Hand Stamped Sentiments.  I had played around with the herringbone technique while I was on vacation, but only used it on part of the card.  For this card, I created the background of the card using a herringbone pattern.  The new Festival of Prints DSP Stack has some great patterns in it and I love how it this card turned out! 

CCMC215 & HSSTC132

It's a little bit busy, but I love the cheerful Christmas colors!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Very Vanilla, Lucky Limeade, Festival of Prints DSP Stack

Ink ~ Cherry Cobbler, Lucky Limeade

Stamp Sets ~ Season Sayings, Scentsational Season

Other Supplies ~ Holiday Collection Framelits, Chevron Embossing Folder, Regals Collections Designer Buttons, Vintage Faceted Designer Buttons, Cherry Cobbler Bakers Twine

Still lots of catching up to do after being gone for a week!  We all miss being at the beach, but I will say it was nice to come home and have full use of all of my stamping supplies...lol!

Until tomorrow...Happy Stamping!

Thankful

I am thankful for this past week with my family...thankful. Thankful for the break from reality, thankful for good weather, thankful for the extra hands (my parents) and thankful for the time to just play!  We are all sad to leave, but it will be nice to be home again too!

Here's a quick and easy card I put together using a few more scraps...

Supplies used:

Paper - island indigo, very vanilla, orchard harvest dsp

Ink - island indigo, early espresso, raspberry ripple

Stamp sets - seasonal sayings, border banter

Other supplies - square punch, ribbon slide, island indigo 3/8" ruffled ribbon

Sadly, I must go pack up :(  We have a long car ride home and lots to do when we get there.  At least I'll have all of my stamping supplies available to me and I can get back to work on some of my projects :)

Happy stamping!

Getting scrappy

If you are anything like me, you can't stand to throw away any little scrap of paper.  My scrap pile is getting out of control, so I dug through all of it and made a few cards. You saw a similar one a few days ago :)

I love this stamp from the Seasonal Sayings set! It's so much fun to ink it up in different colors with the Stampin' Write markers. 

Supplies Used:

Paper - whisper white, patio party dsp

Ink -midnight muse, primrose petals, pool party, summer starfruit, raspberry ripple

Stamp set - seasonal sayings 

Other supplies - midnight muse 3/8" stitched satin ribbon, apothecary accents framelits 

It's our last day at the beach :( Just sent the big boys off on one last crabbing trip. I think my momma and I will spend the day at the beach with O.

Happy Stamping!

I want to make that!

 I'm sure every demo heard it as soon as all of their great customers saw the holiday catalog...I want to make that ornament! I know all of mine have :)  My momma and one of her co-workers asked if they could host a workshop and make the ornaments...of course I said yes! How fun! So, while on vacation this week, my mom and I have been stamping and cutting the images out to help prepare for the workshop. Watch for your invite soon!  In the meantime, here's a look:

Supplies used:

Paper - very vanilla, be of good cheer dsp

Ink - cherry cobbler, gumball green

Stamp set - ornament keepsakes

Other supplies - big shot, holiday ornaments framelits, simply scored, linen thread, vintage faceted designer buttons, large basic pearls, glue gun

Isn't it pretty? Other than being a little time consuming, it is very easy to put together! I hope you can join me when I have the class!

Happy stamping!

Lazy morning

Yep, a lazy morning it is. After my son woke me up at 3:00 and 4:15, I decided to skip my run and have a lazy day. I even managed to stay in bed until 6:00...for those of you who know me well, that almost never happens!

This week has been a birthday celebration week and I seem to be on the celebrating mood with my card creations as well!

I've been trying to be better about using my scraps, so I pulled out some of my summer smootches scraps and had some fun. I love all of the bright colors in this dsp!

Supplies used:

Paper - whisper white, summer smootches dsp

Ink - stamping' write markers island indigo, real red, rich razzleberry, daffodil delight, lucky limeade 

Stamp set - seasonal sayings

Other supplies - 1/4" real red stitched grosgrain ribbon, apothecary accents framelits

Fun and quick card and a good way to use your scraps...you might see another one similar to this one :)

Well, some of the house is waking up...no more lazy time for me!

Happy stamping!

Happy birthday to the Worlds Greatest...

...hubby! Today is my husbands birthday and it looks like we are all going to be blessed with a beautiful day at the beach. Blue skies and sunshine...yay!

 I had some fun with the World's Greatest stamp when I made this card for my hubby.

I just realized that I didn't use anything from the holiday catalog on this card...oops!
Supplies used:
Paper - early espresso, very vanilla, world spectacular dsp
Ink - early espresso, island indigo, cherry cobbler
Stamp sets - World's greatest, family reunion
Other supplies - color spritzer tool

Off to enjoy a beautiful day on the beach and celebrate my hubby's day. 
Happy stamping!

Christmas on my mind

Call me crazy, but I'm already starting to think about my Christmas shopping!  It's never too early, right?  With Christmas on my mind I CASE'd this card from the Stamping' Success magazine, but added a little of my own flair.

Supplies used:

Paper - whisper white

Ink - lucky limeade, primrose petals, pool party

Stamp sets - ornament keepsakes, seasonal sayings

Other supplies - whisper while bakers twine, holiday ornaments framelits, essentials paper-piercing pack

Well, all of this Christmas talk has got me in the mood for some Christmas shopping! Sending the boys off for a day of crabbing while me and my momma head out for some shopping. 

Happy Stamping!

Witches and Goblins and Spooks...

Oh my!

Quick post this morning...I only have a little service from my phone here. I'll admit, it's kind of nice to be off the grid!

Here's a fun Halloween card for you this morning.
Supplies used:
Paper - very vanilla, basic gray, howls tooth & scaringbone dsp
Ink - basic black
Stamp set - toxic treats
Other supplies - 2 1/2" circle punch, spider web embossing folder, color spritzer tool

Ok, I have two boys bouncing off the walls, begging to go to the beach!

Happy stamping!

Just can't wait...

...to have my toes in the sand!

A few hours from now, that will be a reality!  We are beach bound today and oh-so-excited!  My family is long over due for a vacation :) I've had the surf and sand on my mind all week, which inspired me to make this card for my mom to give to my hubby for his birthday.

I gave my shot at the Triple Time Stamping technique...super easy and the end result is so much fun!  Its a little hard to see in the picture, but I stamped the shells in crumb cake and then sponged over them with crumb cake as well to give it a soft sand look.  And of course I had to add the bright red crab...my hubby has had nothing but crabbing on his mind for the last few weeks!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Crumb Cake, Whisper White

Ink ~ Crumb Cake, Real Red, Bashful Blue

Stamp Sets ~ By the Seashore, Family Reunion

Other Supplies ~ Cherry Cobble Bakers Twin, Brushed Bronze Designer Buttons

Ok, better get back to making lunches and packing up so we can hit the road!  I'm really hoping I can pick up some wi-fi access from our beach house, but that may not happen.  If that's the case, I'll catch back up with everyone when we get home!  I'll just have a ton of projects to share with you...I'm bound and determined to make it through the end of the month with my personal challenge!

Happy Stamping!!!



Time to set sail

Just one more sleep and we'll be on our way to the Oregon Coast!  The entire family is more than ready for this and we can't wait for a week of nothing but fun and relaxation!

Over our trip, we will celebrate my hubby's birthday.  I've made him a card from me, but I still needed one to give to him from the kiddos.  I asked my twin boys what they wanted on his card and they both said "the ship one!".  They thought he would like this since he will be going crabbing while we are on our trip.  Our boat is a far cry from this ship, but I loved their idea :)

I went in search of a sketch idea and came across a fun one at Pals Paper Arts this morning.  Take a look at the sketch challenge along with all of the great creations by the PPA Design Team:

http://www.palspaperarts.com/

PPA141

Supplies Used:
Paper ~ Night of Navy, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, Nautical Expedition DSP (retired)
Ink ~ Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso, Night of Navy
Stamp Set ~ The Open Sea
Other Supplies ~ Linen Thread, Brushed Bronze Designer Buttons

I tore and sponged the edges of the paper the images are stamped on to give it the look of an old weathered map.  My boys sure were excited by the final outcome...hope my hubby is too!  Stay tuned for a few more birthday cards!

Happy Stamping!

Spooky little kitty

Well, not really...this little guy really is pretty cute!

I wasn't too sure about this little kitty at first, but he's grown on me. 
The fun sketch idea came from the great design team over at Freshly Made Sketches.  I love their clean and simple sketches!

Supplies Used:
Paper ~ Basic Gray, Tangerine Tango, Basic Black, Very Vanilla Howlstooth & Scraingbone DSP
Ink ~ StazOn Jet Black, Tangerine Tango (sponged around the edges)
Stamp Set ~ Frightening Feline
Other Supplies ~ Spider Web Embossing Folder, Window Frame Framelits

Short and sweet post today!  Lot to do at work and even more to do to get ready for our trip!

Happy Stamping!

The Secret of Life...

...is Enjoying the Passing of Time.

Growing up, my parents always had music playing and James Taylor was, and still is, one of my very favorite artists.  In fact, the very first concert I went to was James Taylor!  When I saw the From My Heart set in when the new catalog came out, it was added to my MUST have list!  I got it a couple months ago, but have yet to ink it up...until today! 

This weeks theme challenge over at Hand Stamped Sentiments is Vintage.

 

The stamp I used from this set popped into my head so I got to work! I knew I wanted some texture from an embossing folder, but none of the ones I had fit the vintage theme, BUT...I knew I had the new Texture Impressions embossing folder coming in my order that was due to be delivered today.  So I patiently waited all day for Mr. UPS to come knocking at my door.  He finally arrived, I tore open the box, pulled out the embossing folder and finished my card!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Very Vanilla, Midnight Muse, Summer Starfruit, Soft Suede

Ink ~ Midnight Muse, Summer Starfruit, Soft Suede (pads and markers)

Stamp Sets ~ From My Heart, Postage Due

Other Supplies ~ Texture Impressions Embossing Folder, Apothecary Accents Framelits, Labels Collections Framelits, Postage Stamp Punch, Color Spritzer Tool

My countdown to vacation is on.  Two more days of work and then we're off to the Oregon coast...can't wait!  Off to bed I go...another early morning run is in store for me!

Happy Stamping!

Merry Mojo

Here we are...Monday again! Some days the only thing that gets me through is taking some time to play along at Mojo Monday.  Stamping keeps me sane and as my bff Erica told me...we need a sane Bree.  Yes, yes we do :)  Especially this week...CRAZY!

Here's the fun sketch Mojo Monday had for all of us:

And here is my take on it:

I'm thinking ahead of card ideas for my November & December classes, so I pulled out the cute little Santa hat from Embellished Events and went to work.  I added the mini silver brad to the hat with the song jingle bells in my head ;)  And to give the card a little extra touch, I added a few more of those tiny little brads to the 3 dots to the left, which were made using the fun Border Banter stamp set.  You can find this set, and so much more, in the Holiday Catalog. 

And check out the inside of my card...

Boarder Banter gives the inside of the card just the right pop of color!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Real Red, Whisper White, Old Olive, Polka Dot Parade DSP

Stamp Sets ~ Embellished Events, Border Banter

Ink ~ Real Red, Old Olive

Other Supplies ~ Real Red 1/4" Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon1/8" Mini Silver Brads

Happy Stamping!

Lazy Sunday

Everyone needs a lazy day every once in a while, right?  I've decided to have one today and it's been nice!  Nothing planned, just hanging out with the family doing nothing...well, except a little stamping maybe :)

I love this stamp set!  I gets my mind wandering and dreaming of a European vacation...someday!  I've been kind of stuck on some of the new In-Colors lately and they work so well with this stamp.  Again, I didn't have a DSP with Primrose Petals in it that worked with the rest of this card, so I made some myself using the Bella Boutique Stampin' Around.

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Summer Starfruit, Midnight Muse, Very Vanilla, Primrose Petals, Comfort Cafe DSP

Ink ~ Stampin' Write Markers: Midnight Muse, Summer Starfruit, Primrose Petals, Soft Suede

Stamp Set ~ Postage Due, Bella Boutique Stampin' Around

Other Supplies ~ Linen Thread, Postage Stamp Punch, Brushed Bronze Designer Buttons

I hope you are getting to enjoy a lazy Sunday as well!  Off to do a whole lot more of nothing before the busy week starts!

Happy Stamping!

Hello, baby

I couldn't resist making another card with this cute little owl...I just love him!  I went to Dynamic Duos for some color inspiration and the Saturday Sketch Challenge at  Stamping 411 for a sketch idea.







SSC268

I don't use much from the Subtles Collection...I'm more of a brights girl!  But when I saw the colors in the Dynamic Duo challenge, I thought they would make for a cute baby card.  So, Owl Occasions came back out and I got to work.  I couldn't quite follow the rules over at DD (to only use a neutral color along with the Dynamic Duo), so this little guy won't be submitted today :(  But that's ok...I needed one more color to make this card work ;)

I didn't have any coordinating ribbon or DSP so I made my own using the Fancy Fan Embossing Folder. I inked it the folder up with Pretty in Pink and sandwiched my paper inside to create the pretty stamped image seen on the "ribbon" between the two framelits...super easy and fun way to create your own DPS or ribbon! My one year old son got a hold of a sheet of my Soft Suede paper yesterday and had fun mashing it all up.  Rather than throw it away, I crumpled it up a bit more and used it for a little added texture in this card...thanks Owen!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Certainly Celery, Soft Suede, Whisper White

Ink ~ Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip, Soft Suede, Pumpkin Pie

Stamp Sets ~ Owl Occasions, Sweet Essentials

Other Supplies ~ Window Frames Framelits, Festive Paper-Piercing Pack, Fancy Fan Embossing Folder, Bitty Banners Framelits

Happy Stamping!

All the stockings were hung..

...by the owl with care!

Isn't this little guy super cute?!?!?  I love his big, bright looking eyes :)  I took a break today from the fun challenge sites I visit and just did my own thing.  Nothing fancy with this card, but I will say I was happy to have my Stamp-a-ma-jig to help me get the owl and stockings just right!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Crumb Cake
Ink ~ Chocolate Chip, Soft Suede, Baja Breeze, Primrose Petals, Gumball Green
Stamp Set ~ Owl Occasions
Other Supplies ~ Stamp-a-ma-gig

Short post today...it's been a long week and I'm so ready for the weekend!  
Happy Stamping Friends!

Where has the summer gone?

It's hard to believe my boys only have 3 weeks of their summer break left!  There has been lots of talk about back to school stuff in our house...school supplies, back packs, new clothes and everything in between!  At least they still get excited about going back to school...I'm sure that won't last for long! 

In the spirit of back to school time, I've been working on a couple cards and projects for the boys' teachers this year.  Gotta start the year off with a fun teacher card and gift, right? 

With some layout inspiration from Create with Connie and Mary I had some fun this morning creating a bright and cheerful card.  Sorry if you are tired of seeing the Perfectly Preserved set, but there are just so many fun things you can create with it!  If you haven't got your bundled set yet, check out my On-line Store today! 



CCMC213

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Midnight Muse, Whisper White, Polka Dot Parade DSP

Ink ~ Midnight Muse, Real Red, Gumball Green, Daffodil Delight, Primrose Petals, Early Espresso

Stamp sets ~ Perfectly Preserved, Memorable Moments, Morning Post Alphabet

Other Supplies ~ Canery Set Framelits, Finishing Touches Edgelits, 1/4" Daffodil Delight Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon

Don't forget...when you join my team during the month of August you get this fun free Halloween Kit!  You get up to $125 worth of product that YOU choose when you purchase your Starter Kit for just $99!  Add this FREE Halloween kit ($60 value) and you've got yourself an awesome deal!  Don't wait, check out the Join the Fun tab at my On-Line Store today!

Happy Stamping!

Hello

Some days my creativity just isn't where I would like it to be.  I'm not totally happy with the way this card turned out, but sometimes that's just the way it goes!  I played along at Freshly Made Sketches and came up with this:

FMS47

I had fun layering the different framelits, but just wasn't thrilled with the end result.  Couldn't quite decide what else it needed...maybe it will come to me tonight and I'll add to it in the morning ;)

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Early Espresso, Island Indigo, Very Vanilla, Orchard Harvest DSP

Ink ~ Early Espresso, Raspberry Ripple

Stamp Set ~ Friendship Preserves

Other Supplies ~ Window Frames Framelits, Apothecary Accents Framelits, Brushed Bronze Designer Buttons, Linen Thread

Short post today...lots more to do before I call it a day!

Happy Stamping

Not just for Christmas

I don't know about you, but I love to find other uses for just about anything!  All you have to do is use your imagination and creativity.  That's what I did when I got the Ornament Keepsakes Bundle.  I knew I could make some super cute ornaments or ornament cards, but what else could I make?!?!  After a little thought and playing around with the different stamps and coordinating dies, I came up with a fun flower to use on top of a gift box I had been working on.   I thought I took a picture of it, but after looking through my files, it doesn't look like I did...OOPS!  Lucky for you, I used the flower idea for the HandStamped Sentiments Color Challenge this week!

(If you haven't guessed, this is one of my favorite challenge sites!)

This weeks challenge is to create something using all of the colors from the 2012-2014 In Color Collections.  If I had to pick a favorite from these colors, I'm not sure that I could... I LOVE all of them!  I kept this card pretty simple, but the colors really help brighten it up.  I created a little frame around the card using the Simply Scored...super easy!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Raspberry Ripple, Whisper White

Ink ~ Raspberry Ripple, Summer Starfruit

Stamp Sets ~ Ornament Keepsakes, My Friend

Other Supplies ~ Holiday Ornaments Framelits, 1" Circle Punch, In Color Dahlias, Simply Scored

See what you can do when you use your imagination and a little creativity? 

You can get your Ornament Keepsake Bundle today by visiting my  Online Store!  And don't forget to check out the great MDS Items that are 31% off this month!

Happy Stamping!

Just another Mojo Monday

I don't know about you, but my weekend went by way too fast!  Thankfully we had an awesome family fun day on Saturday...long overdue with our busy schedules!  And I spent a better part of yesterday working on some custom wedding thank you cards for my brother and sister-in-law.  I am super happy that they chose a simple design...150 of these will {hopefully} be mailed out to them a week from today!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Whisper White, Basic Black

Ink ~ Daffodil Delight, StazOn Jet Black

Stamp Sets ~ Mr. & Mrs., Everything Eleanor

Other Supplies ~Daffodil Delight Seam Binding Ribbon (to bundle them together)

Now, on to Mojo Monday!  It's been awhile since I've participated in one of their sketch challenges, but I sure am happy I did today.  It gave me a chance to break out my Quint-Essential Flower and have some fun!  I pulled out my trusty Color Coach for some color inspiration and got to work.

MOJO 253 Sketch Challenge



MOJO253



 I love all of the fun layers you can punch out with this stamp...endless possibilities!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Whisper White, Basic Gray, Melon Mambo, Old Olive

Ink ~ Basic Gray, Melon Mambo, Old Olive

Stamp Sets ~ Quint-Essential Flower, Papillon Potpourri, Sweet Essentials

Other Supplies ~ Essentials Paper-Piercing Pack, 2 3/8" Scallop Circle, 1 3/4" Scallop Circle, 1" Circle, 3/4" Circle, Itty Bitty Shapes Circle (I don't have the 1/2" Circle but this worked just fine!), Elegant Butterfly Punch, 1 3/8" Square punch (to create the banner), Basic Rhinestone Jewels, Fancy Fan Folder, 1/2" Striped Satin Ribbon (Holiday Catalog)

Another busy week ahead!  I am soooo looking forward to our upcoming vacation...7 days of nothing but relaxing on the Pacific Coast beaches :)

Happy Stamping Friends!

A little getaway...

That's what this card makes me think of...a little getaway and sending out a post card to a loved one :)  I've been eyeing the Postage Due set for a while now and finally got it in my last order.  Hooray! 

I found a new challenge site last night (thank you Pinterest) and thought this sketch was super cute! 

Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge has some great sketch challenges, which are so helpful to me. I always have a hard time with the layout of my cards, so I always love a good sketch to help me along :) 

And so far so good on my own personal challenge...to create something each day for the month of August using something new from the Holiday Catalog.  Can you spot the new Holiday Catalog items in this card?



SSSC165

 Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Soft Suede, Primrose Petals, Very Vanilla, Comfort Cafe DSP

Ink ~ Summer Starfruit, Primrose Petals, Midnight Muse, Soft Suede (all Stampin' Write Markers)

Stamp Sets ~ Postage Due, Everything Eleanor

Other Supplies ~ 3/8" Midnight Muse Stitched Satin Ribbon, 7/8" Cotton Ribbon, Ribbon Slides

So happy I finally got this set...love it!  Need one for yourself?  Check out my Online Store today!!!

Ok, break time is over!   Back to working on my thank you notes...I will run out of paper before I get all 150 done, but I will have a good start on them :)

Happy Stamping!

Coffee is my motivation!

Some mornings I just don't want to drag myself out of bed to go for a run, but knowing that I'll have a hot cup of coffee waiting for me when I get home is all the motivation I need to get myself out the door :) 

The fun little mug in the Scentsational Season set sure is cute, as are all the other images that come with it!  I see a lot of fun cards and Christmas scrapbook pages being created with this set.  And the coordinating dies that you can bundle together for a great deal make them even better! 

With some help with a sketch idea over at Stamping 411 I put this little guy together (after my run and a cup of coffee!):

I chose to go with a 4 x 4 square with this card since the image is a little bit smaller. It was looking a little flat, so I added the Northern Flurry Embossing folder, which looks great with the snowflake on the cup!  This has me dreaming of cold winter days, curling up with a good book and sipping on a cup of coffee! 

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Island Indigo, Whisper White, Early Espresso, Festive of Prints DSP Stack

Ink ~ Island Indigo, Early Espresso

Stamp Sets ~ Scentsational Season, A Word for You

Other Supplies ~ Window Frames Framelits, Festive Paper-Piercing Pack, Northern Flurry Embossing Folder

Time to wake the rest of the house up and get down to Farmer's Market and Peach Basket Classic (3 on 3 basketball tournament) before it gets too hot! 

Happy Stamping!

A jar full of happienss

I told you I loved the new Perfectly Preserved bundle...I just can't stay away from it!   When I came upon the Pals Paper Arts Color Challenge this week, the cute little flower in this set called out to me.  The idea for the layout is cased from Pinterest...another one of my addictions!  Here is the color combo...

...and this is how I put them to work...

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Very simple card, but the bright colors are so much fun!  I sponged a little Marina Mist around the edges for a subtle touch of extra color.

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Whisper White

Ink ~ Summer Starfruit, Marina Mist, Real Red

Stamp Sets ~ Perfectly Preserved, A Word for You

Other Supplies ~ Cannery Set Framelits, 1/4" Real Red Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon

Class tonight!!!  Still have a bit left to do to get ready, so I better get a move on.  Wishing you all a fantastic weekend and, as always, Happy Stamping!