Oh, Hello Monday!

I was so excited to see a sketch new challenge over at Chic Challenges!  This is the very first sketch and I love it!  Be sure to check back every two weeks for a new sketch and play along with everyone else.

I had some fun with the colors I chose for this sketch.  I don't usually tend to use so much color when it comes to my card stock selection, but I pushed myself a bit and was happy with how this turned out.

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Crumb Cake, Tea for Two DSP, 2011-2013 In-Color DSP (Calypso Coral), Midnight Muse, Summer Starfruit, Very Vanilla

Ink ~ Summer Starfruit, Midnight Muse, Calypso Coral

Stamp Set ~ Oh, Hello

Other Supplies ~ Oval Collection Framelits, Flower Trim, Lucky Limeade Ruffled Ribbon

I am really hoping this flower trim carries over to the new catalog! I LOVE it and have been using it so much!  I am sad that Lucky Limeade didn't make the cut and will soon be gone :(  But, some of my favorites are sticking around and even a few old faves are making a comeback too...WOOHOO!!! 

Thanks for stopping by today!

Happy Stamping!

BIG, FREE, Colorful, News!!!

Happy, happy, happy dance!!!  Two BIG announcements in the world of Stampin' Up! this morning has me doing a little dance around my crafting room!

First, there will be FREE shipping on ALL orders (excluding expedited) beginning on Saturday, April 6th and ending on Monday, April 8th.  No minimums and no limits!!!  Now is your chance to stock up all those items on your wish list.  And it's a really good time to grab some of think colors that will soon be retiring.

WHAT?!?!?  Retiring colors?  Yep, you heard me right!  Stampin' Up! is doing a little color refresh this year.  Some colors will stay (hooray for Pool Party and Calypso Coral), some will go (sad to see Baja Breeze go), some will come back (Pear Pizazz...yay!!!) and there will even be one new color.  Check out the list below for all of the color changes:

Ok, what are you waiting for?  Get busy on creating your order and get it all ready to submit this weekend.  Check back tomorrow for a Hostess Code and a special offer from me if you place an order with me between April 6-8!!!

Happy Stamping!

Stylin' Stampin' Squad Blog Hop ~ Weddings and Anniversary



Hello and welcome to April's Stylin' Stampin' Squad Blog Hop! It's spring and we all know what that means...wedding bells will soon be ringing and anniversaries will be celebrated.  If you just came from Jennifer's blog, don't you just love her project this month?!?!

My brother-in-law recently became engaged and will be getting married next summer.  He and his bride-to-be kindly asked me to make their wedding invitations and I am thrilled to take on this task!  Right now I am just playing around with some different designs for them and thought I would share one with you since it fits right in with this month's theme.  

This first project is a pocket style invitation.  The invite slides right into the little pocket and will be perfect for mailing.  I used MDS for the wording on the invitation, but the rest is hand stamped. 

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Basic Black, Pool Party, Brushed Silver, Whisper White

Ink ~ JetBlack StazOn, Pool Party

Stamp Sets ~ Lovely Letters Alphabet, Everything Eleanor, Artistic Etchings

Other Supplies ~ Big Shot, Labels Collection Framelits, Extra Large Oval Punch, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, Lacy Brocade Embossing Folder, Basic Black Taffeta Ribbon, MDS

 My next creation is a fun wedding favor box I made using the Petal Cone Bigz Die.  It's a simple little box, but if I'm going to be making 200+ of these, I want to keep it simple ;)

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Pool Party, Brushed Silver, Whisper White, Basic Black

Ink ~ JetBlack StazOn, VersaMark

Stamp Sets ~ Lovely Letters Alphabet, Tiny Tags

Other Supplies ~ Cone Petal Bigz Die, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, 1 3/4' Scallop Circle Punch, Jewelry Tag Punch, Pool Party Embossing Powder, Pool Party Bakers Twine, Basic Black Taffeta Ribbon

And my last project is a thank you note card...a wedding must, right?!?! I used the Pool Party Embossing Powder on the Brushed Silver Paper.  I wasn't sure how it would turn out, but I was happy with the end result.  There is just the right amount of shimmer in the silver paper...so pretty!

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Note Cards & Envelopes, Pool Party, Brushed Silver

Ink ~ JetBlack StazOn, VersaMark

Stamp Set ~ Everything Eleanor, Mr & Mrs, Curly Cute

Other Supplies ~ Pool Party Embossing Powder, Basic Black Taffeta Ribbon

Thanks for visiting today!  Stay tuned to my blog for more wedding invitation "try outs".  Until then, hop on over to Diana's blog and see her beautiful project this month. 



1. Shellie G. of Craft Smashup
2. Pam S. of Stampin' in the Sun!
3. Nancy B. of Lady Stamps-A-Lot
4. Tonya B. of Stampin' with Tonya
5. Dawn S. of Dawn's Creative Chalet
6. Darcy J. of DJ's Stampin' Place
7. Pamela W. of Stinky Tofu
8. Kim R. of Stamping with Kim
9. Justin K. of JK Cards
10. Jennifer B. of NW Stamper
11. Bree R. of Craft-somnia
12. Diana E. of Stampin' Fun with Diana

Up, Up & Away Birthday

My boys and I were talking this morning about our annual Balloon Stampede coming up next month.  We have an annual tradition of going to one of the local schools on the Friday morning of the Stampede to watch them take off.  And on Saturday mornings we get up early to go chase the Balloons...so much fun and such a beautiful sight!  Our little conversation inspired me to pull out the fun balloon stamp from the You're Amazing set.  With some help from this weeks sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches I came up with this simple, yet bright and cheerful card:

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Crumb Cake, Whisper White, First Edition Specialty DSP
Ink ~ Calypso Coral, Daffodil Delight, Island Indigo

Stamp Set ~ You're Amazing

Other Supplies ~ 2011-2013 In-Color Brads, Calypso Coral Bakers Twine, Vintage Faceted Buttons, Ticket Duo Builder, Apothecary Accents Framelits

I love stamping on the First Edition DSP...bright, bold colors on news print is just FUN! 

Hope you are all having a great week!

Happy Stamping!

Retro Hexagons

I said it in my last post and I'll say it again...I LOVE the new This and That Epic Day DSP!!!!  I have had the pack of paper out since I got it and have used it in almost every single project.  My apologies in advance for the possibility of numerous posts with this paper :)

I had some fun with the latest challenge over at Retro Sketches.   Here's a look at the sketch:

And my take on the sketch, which is full of hexagons :) I ran the Pool Party Core'dinations card stock through my big shot with the Honeycomb Embossing Folder then roughed it up a bit with my Stampin' Distress Tool and Sanding Block. The smaller hexagons come from a piece of DSP that I also ran through the Big Shot with the Honeycomb Embossing Folder then tore out.  The roughed up edges are perfect with the distressed look of this DSP.  I embossed the "Hey there Friend" stamp in Pool Party, which is a little hard to see in the picture, but looks awesome in person.

Supplies Used:

Paper ~ Naturals White, Pool Party Core'dinations, This and That Epic Day DSP

Ink ~ Gumball Green, VersaMark

Stamp Set ~ Paper Pumpkin (March Kit)

Other Supplies ~ Honeycomb Embossing Folder, Pool Party Embossing Powder, Pool Party Bakers Twine, Stampin' Distress Tool, Sanding Block

I am so, so, so happy that Pool Party and Calypso Coral are going to be sticking around.  I can't wait to find out what other colors make the cut in the new catalog...just a few more weeks and we'll find out!

Happy Stamping!