Stamp Simply #93 and Awesome News!

Sharon Johnson has a fun Stamp Simply challenge planned for you today! It was sure one that I enjoyed doing, and I know you'll have fun, too! One of Sharon's favorite color combinations is blue and green.... specifically a grassy green, and sky blue. And one of her most favorite techniques is to add piercing to your creation! So today's challenge is two-fold.... create something using shades of blue and green (you can add other colors too, but the primary focus should be these two colors), and incorporate some piercing into your design! But most of all, just HAVE FUN!

Now one of the reasons why this was so much fun for me was because I got to use my new Whipper Snapper stamps that just arrived at the store today! I knew that Otto the Owl would fit in perfectly with these colors! As you can see, I've added some piercing around my oval, and in all four corners of my card front. A little May Arts ribbon (which kinda' makes me think of an owls eyes!) and my card was finished! I hope you all like it!

Stop by Sharon's blog for all the details, and her amazing sample for inspiration! And speaking of inspiration, we have two new members of the Stamp Simply team! We are welcoming past guest designers Jenny Gropp and Barbara Anders to the team on a permanent basis, and I'm so happy to have them both joining us! I know you'll be inspired by their awesome creations! This is also our last week with guest designer Sabrina Jackson, who has also been a great inspiration this month! Stop by all the girls' blogs for all the blue/green combos!

Julie Koerber
Janine Orchard
Jennifer Buck

AJ Otto
Deb Saaranen

Barbara Anders

Jenny Gropp

Sabrina Jackson, June Guest Designer

And now for the awesome news! On Thursday I was asked to join the team of amazing designers at Hope Stamps Eternal! I am so flippin' excited for this opportunity! Look above... do you see Cloud 9? Do you see me floating on it??? Wave hello! I'll be up there for awhile! ;) Be sure to check out the blog links in my sidebar to see the amazing work of everyone on the team, and be sure to stop by the HSE store for all your stamping needs! Rachel has all your favorite Basic Grey papers, stamps from The Greeting Farm and Inkadinkado, Martha Stewart products, and more!

Happy, happy Friday everyone! Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Otto the Owl (Whipper Snapper Designs), sentiment (Cornish Heritage Farms)

Cardstock: Parakeet, Tropical Breeze (Bazzill), Chocolate Chip (Stampin' Up!), white (Neenah), designer paper (Bo Bunny)

Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black (Tsukineko), markers (Copic)Accessories: ribbon (May Arts), Nestabilities (Spellbinders).

Have a Beach'n Birthday

Here's another card that customers made on Tuesday evening at my "Hit the Beach" card class at the store. For this one, I used Jen's Sketch for You to Try from this past Saturday for the layout. I also resisted to urge to add some ribbon to this card! I think I go overboard with it sometimes in my classes, so I left it off this time, thinking that these colors (without a ribbon) would make it suitable for a girl or a boy.
I made a last-minute decision to add some Glossy Accents to Changito's inner tube for some extra detail on this card. I told my customers they could add it to their cards too, if they felt they could carry their cards home safely and not have it get ruined, so a few people took the chance and added it on their cards. I hope they all got home safe! It was either that or I told them to just buy a bottle to do it at home! LOL I also used my orange Spica glitter pen to give a little sparkle to the circles on the inner tube.

Hope you had a great Wednesday, and have a wonderful Thursday! I'm about to burst at the seams with excitement today, as my first shipment of Whipper Snapper stamps will be arriving at the store sometime today! (Hurry up, Smitty! That's my UPS guy!) I already know which stamp I'm going to use for Sharon's Stamp Simply challenge tomorrow, so be sure to stop by again! And thanks for visiting me today! I SO loved the slew of comments on the Color Throwdown cards yesterday! Y'all just make me smile! Thanks!

Happy stamping!

Stamps: Changito, sentiment (Stampendous)

Cardstock: Cantaloupe, Red Hot (Bazzill), white (Neenah), designer paper (Paper Salon)
Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black (Tsukineko), markers (Copic)

Accessories: Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug embossing folder (ProvoCraft), Glossy Accents (Ranger).

Color Throwdown #48 and Cowgirl Ava

Welcome to another Color Throwdown! LeAnne is our hostess this week, and she chose her colors in honor of the retiring Stampin' Up! In Colors! This is such a nice soft color combination, so I can't wait to see what you create with it! I've created two cards for this weeks challenge...
My first card is in honor of the life of Ethan Weiman. You can purchase the digital images of Cowboy Ethan, and his sidekick sister, Cowgirl Ava at the Pink Cat Studio website (and read Ethan's story) and help raise funds for the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Illinois!
For my second card, I used some of my digital stamps from Digital Stamp Oasis! Susie Squirrel is trying to stay dry here, but she's a little under the weather! My sentiment on this card is also digital as it was a free download from Becky Higgins. I've seen Michelle Wooderson use this font on her recipe cards, and just love it!

We hope you'll take time to play along this week! Remember, we choose one entry each week as the Featured Stamper, and then we'll choose one person from all the Featured Stampers in June to be our Guest Designer for August! I hope it'll be YOU! Check out designs from the other Throwdown girls for inspiration, and remember to link your creation with Mr. Linky back on the Throwdown blog!

LeAnne Pugliese

Broni Holcombe
Cathy Indelicato

Barbara Anders
Danielle Kennedy

Thanks for stopping by today! I appreciate all your visits and comments so much!

Cowgirl Ava

Stamps: digital images (Pink Cat Studio)Cardstock: Pink Pirouette, Kraft (Stampin' Up!), white (Neenah)Inks: markers (Copic)Accessories: faux suede ribbon (May Arts), Cuttlebug tag die (ProvoCraft), brads (Making Memories), concave corner punch (EK Success), Nestabilities (Spellbinders).

Susie Squirrel

Stamps: squirrel (Digital Stamp Oasis), sentiment (Becky Higgins)Cardstock: Pink Pirouette, Baja Breeze, Kraft (Stampin' Up!), white (Neenah)

Inks: markers (Copic)Accessories: Swiss Dots Cuttlebug embossing folder (ProvoCraft), Nestabilities (Spellbinders), brads (Making Memories), faux suede ribbon (May Arts).

Flossie Hits the Beach

I have a "Hit the Beach" stamp class at the store this evening, and have four beach-themed cards for my customers to make including this one of Flossie catching up on the latest gossip! This card design is what's known as a Tent Topper, and is fun to make. The card base is simply a 4 1/4" square, then you can add any shape and size to the top to make the total length measure 5 1/2", just like a regular A2 card!

Inside the card, I stamped this Flamingo background from DRS Designs!
I've been a lazy blogger lately, but I hope you're still with me! Stay tuned for some more of my Hit the Beach class cards, as well as the Color Throwdown tomorrow!

Stamps: Flossie, sentiment (Custer's Last Stamp), flamingo background P742 (DRS Designs)

Cardstock: Double-Mates orange and pink (WorldWin), white (Neenah), designer paper (My Mind's Eye)Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black (Tsukineko), markers (Copic)Accessories: flower (Hero Arts), gemstone (KaiserCraft), Nestabilities (Spellbinders).

Etsy

Just a note to let you know that I've done some MAJOR updating in my Etsy shop! Stop by if you're interested in purchasing any of my recent cards!

Etsy

Stamp Simply #92 - Just Rite Recipes

Today's Stamp Simply challenge from Sharon Johnson is Summer Recipes! We ALL love getting new recipes to try out, right? So today's challenge is to create a card, recipe card, or anything at all that you can write a recipe on! And for a fun part, if you have a great summer recipe you'd like to share, please share it in your post! That way we can all gather some great new recipes to try out!

Sadly today, we are bidding farewell to one our Stamp Simply girls! Becky Oehlers has been a great addition to the gang but she's got a busy life and has decided to step down from the team! We'll miss seeing her fun and unique creations!

Be sure to stop by Sharon's blog... she's got the most unique recipe design, and I wish I'd have thought of it! You're gonna' love it! And see further inspiration from the rest of the Stamp Simply girls...

Julie Koerber
Janine Orchard
Jennifer Buck

Becky Oehlers
AJ Otto

Deb Saaranen

Sabrina Jackson, June Guest Designer

I have quite a few of the new Just Rite products at the store, so I decided to treat myself and bought the Recipe Borders & Centers set to use for today's challenge. One thing I have always loved doing is collecting recipes. I have a huge box full, as well as tons of cookbooks but they're sorta' like stamps... I like to collect them, but don't necessarily use them all! LOL I used to spend hours looking through my Aunt Thead's extensive recipe collection and copying some for myself. My Mom didn't have quite so many recipes, but I have a lot from her, too. It got me to thinking about when my own daughters will leave the nest (which I know will come a lot sooner than I think!) so beginning with today's challenge, I decided I would start making them their own collection of our family favorites. If I keep these recipe cards fairly simple (but still uniquely made by Mom!) they'll be easy for me to keep up with. So today I picked three of our family favorites and made a recipe card for each of my girls! I debated typing the ingredients and instructions out on the computer, but decided to make them in my own handwriting. I hope someday that'll make them even more special to my girls. I know my Mom dearly cherishes anything she has in my Grandma's handwriting, which was so pretty! So here are my recipe cards with our favorite recipes for meat loaf, cheesy potatoes, and peanut butter oatmeal cookies!

This cheesy potato recipe is so simple, and delicious! I like to whip up a batch of it, throw it in the oven and forget about it while my husband stands outside in the summer heat, with BBQ chicken on the grill! Yes, you'll have to heat up the oven to make these, but you'll love 'em so much you won't mind. The recipe actually comes from my good friend (and Kelsey's Godmother) Tammie Clark.

Gram's Potatoes (my estimate is 8-10 servings... the original recipe does not state)
1 - 2 lb. bag hash brown potatoes (the square-cut kind)
8 oz. sour cream

1 can cream of chicken soup (I've substituted cream of mushroom or celery in a pinch!)

1/2 c. chopped onion

1/2 c. melted butter

2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

Mix all ingredients well and pour into a 9 x 13" pan. Top with buttered bread crumbs, if desired. (We actually like them topped with buttered corn flake crumbs!) Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until bubbly.

So head on over to Sharon's blog for the complete challenge details, and share your recipe cards!

Happy Friday!

Stamps: Recipe Borders & Centers (Just Rite Stampers)Cardstock: Sage Shadow, Riding Hood Red (Stampin' Up!), white (Gary Burlin), designer paper (Cosmo Cricket)Inks: Versamagic Red Magic, Oasis Green (Tsukineko)

Accessories: punches (Stampin' Up!), scalloped edge scissors (Fiskars)

Recipe card template printed from Free Printable Recipe Cards

Color Throwdown #47 and Mojo Monday Sketch

Time for another Color Throwdown, and this time Danielle is our hostess and she tried to kill me with these colors! Seriously, I was ready to throw in the towel but I came up with something that I now love, and I KNOW you can, too! Give it a try!

For my card, I decided to use this oldie-but-goodie stamp that a former co-worker bought for me years ago. She found it in a dollar store, and thought it was so cute, and she knew I was a stamper so she bought it for me! The stamp is from Image Tree, and I have to agree... this little stack of farm animals is the cutest! I hope you like it, too! My layout isn't quite the same, but was inspired by this week's Mojo Monday sketch, also!

Check out these creations from the rest of the Throwdown team...

Danielle Kennedy
LeAnne Pugliese
Broni Holcombe

Cathy Indelicato

Barbara Anders

So, please join us today or later this week for the Color Throwdown! Leave a direct link to your creation on the Throwdown blog so we can see your work, and if you upload to an online gallery remember to use CTD47 for your tag! Remember, YOU could be chosen as Featured Stamper and then be in the running to be our Guest Designer for August!

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: animals (Image Tree), sentiment (Hero Arts)Cardstock: Cameo Coral, Tempting Turquoise (Stampin' Up!), Green Tea (Bazzill), white (Neenah), designer paper (Bo Bunny)Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black (Tsukineko), markers (Copic)Accessories: Nestabilities (Spellbinders), punches (Stampin' Up! and Marvy), ribbon (Stampin' Up!), Swiss Dots Cuttlebug embossing folder (ProvoCraft), gemstone (Hero Arts).

Blog Candy Winner, and Combined Challenge Card

Happy Tuesday everyone! I'm sure you're all anxious so I'll get right to the winner of the Blog Candy! It's not very often that this happens... in fact, on a lot of blog candy postings that I see there are people that hate being one of the first to post because it seems random numbers are never small numbers. But today, someone got lucky because here's the random number...

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

3 

Timestamp: 2009-06-16 02:03:09 UTC

and the winner is Jane Wetzel! Woo hoo! Congrats, Jane! A $15 gift certificate at Joan's Garden will be waiting for you to use!

I had the day off work on Monday and did some blog surfing in the morning, and discovered a couple of challenges that are new to me, so this card combines two of those challenges. Mary Jo Price-Williams has a sketch challenge every Monday, and since I love round cards I decided to give it a try. And Rachel Hope from Hope Stamps Eternal has a Cupcake Inspiration challenge that looked interesting, so I used the cupcake as inspiration for this card. Check out the cupcake on her blog... it looks absolutely yumma-licious, but too pretty to eat!

And yesterday was the 15th so that means another Copic Creations challenge! This time around the challenge is coloring wood, so this new stamp I got recently from DRS Designs fit the bill perfectly! I colored my wooden bucket with the W1, W3, W5, and W7 Copic markers. This card also fits the Our Creative Corner challenge this week to use your border punches!

Check out all the details for the Copic Creations challenge by visiting our blog. If you participate, you are entered for the chance to win a fabulous stamp set from Unity Stamps. Angela has generously donated 4 stamp sets, so there will be 4 lucky winners! You'll find further inspiration from the other Copic Creations team members at the blog, too!

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope your week is off to a great start!

Round Card

Stamps: cake (Paper Salon)

Cardstock: red shimmer, black (The Paper Temptress), white (Neenah)Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko)Accessories: Divine Swirls Cuttlebug embossing folder (ProvoCraft), Nestabilities (Spellbinders), brads (Making Memories), ribbon, glitter (craft supply), Angel Wings Shimmerz.

Copic Creations card

Stamps: sunflower bucket (L400), sentiment (B244) (DRS Designs)Cardstock: Riding Hood Red (Stampin' Up!), Leapfrog (Bazzill), white (Neenah), designer paper (Bo Bunny)Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko), markers (Copic)

Accessories: Threading Water border punch (Fiskars), Nestabilities (Spellbinders), twill ribbon (Creative Impressions).

Kitchen Sink Monday - A Thankful Farewell

I begin this post today with some sadness as I announce that this is my last Kitchen Sink Monday post. I've been privileged to be a charter member of the Kitchen Sink Design Team and have been proudly working with Maria and the other Crew Members for over 18 months. But lately, I've been feeling like it's time for a change, and so with great regret I made the difficult decision to leave the Kitchen. I have dearly loved my time with the Crew and deeply appreciate how generous Maria is to her designers, but it's time to move on.

So today my last card for Kitchen Sink Monday spells it all out.... THANKFUL. I'm so thankful for the time I've had! (Makes me want to start singing that old Carol Burnett song.... "I'm so glad we had this time together.....") And I decided to use what has become my favorite of the Kitchen Sink Stamps, the 3-Step Butterfly for my card. (The Multi-Step Tulip Garden is a close second in my favorites, but the butterfly has been with me longer!) My card also uses the Sketch for You to Try from Jen del Muro.

Be sure to check out some fabulous designs from the other Crew members today! They're sure to keep you inspired with fabulous multi-step designs for many months and years to come!

Lori Tecler

Angela Knopf
Julie Masse

Dee Jackson

Lynn McAuley
Makiko Jones
Connie McCotter

Lisa Somerville
Maria Colosimo

THANK YOU Maria, for the AWESOME opportunity to be one of your first designers! And thank you to all the Kitchen Sink Crew members past and present for your shared love of stamping and papercrafting and for becoming wonderful friends! It's been a great ride!

Stamps: 3-Step Butterfly, Vintage Words (Kitchen Sink Stamps)

Cardstock: Mellow Moss, Bordering Blue, Elegant Eggplant (Stampin' Up!), designer paper (Basic Grey)

Inks: Bordering Blue (Stampin' Up!), Versamagic Eggplant (Tsukineko)Accessories: Nestabilities (Spellbinders), ribbon (Stampin' Up!), clear embossing powder (Ranger), pearls (craft supply).

Stamp Simply #91 - Half Circles

For today's Stamp Simply Challenge, Sharon is challenging you to create your own layout and just make sure that you incorporate a half circle in your design! Whether you use a punch, Nestabilities, circle cutter... whatever, just include a half circle in your design! (Sharon says her favorite method of doing a half circle is to invert her Corelle dessert bowl, trace it and cut it out!) Leave a comment on Sharon's blog with a link to your creation, and if you upload to an online gallery, be sure to use ssnotime91 as your tag! Stop by Sharon's blog for complete details, as well as her stunning sample!

You'll also find great inspirational samples from all the Stamp Simply team members linked below!

Julie Koerber

Janine Orchard

Jennifer Buck

Becky Oehlers

AJ Otto

Deb Saaranen

Sabrina Jackson, June Guest Designer

For my card, I pulled out one of my very neglected stamp sets from My Favorite Things and created this cute 4.25" beach-themed card for today's challenge! This card will also go in the Supernova gallery at Paper Craft Planet as our theme this month is "Life's a Beach!" If you're looking for some great summer/beach inspired creations, then be sure to check out the Design Team Gallery! And did you notice Who's That Girl? Even her towel has half circles! :)

Thanks again for stopping by, and know how much I appreciate all of you who have "found" me back over here on Blogger! I'm thinking some blog candy this weekend might be in order to celebrate my move, so stay tuned!

Happy Friday!

Stamps: Hit the Beach (My Favorite Things)

Cardstock: Navajo (Bazzill), Tangerine Tango (Stampin' Up!), white (Neenah Classic Crest Solar White), designer paper (My Mind's Eye)

Inks: Versafine Onyx Black, Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko), markers (Copic)Accessories: ribbon (Stampin' Up!), Nestabilities (Spellbinders).

Copic Creations Challenge #5

The Copic Creations challenge team had a new challenge issued last Monday, and with all the plates I've had juggling in the air lately, I just never got around to posting my sample card for the challenge. The challenge was to color something clear or transparent with your Copics. You can find all the details at the Copic Creations Challenge blog, along with an introduction of our two new team members, Rachel Jakes and Cheryl Rowley! They're both amazing designers, so be sure to check out their work along with the rest of the team members. I'll give you links to their blogs below.

That nice lady that owns Gina K Designs... what's her name? Oh yeah, Gina K! LOL She generously donated a stamp set and some of her fabulous Pure Luxury cardstock to the team members to use for this challenge, and so you'll see my card here using the Friendship Blooms stamp set. While I like how this card turned out, I'm not happy with my interpretation of the transparency of the glass pitcher. I finally figured out several days after I had this card done that I needed to add a muted green to the pitcher to give the illusion of the background color showing through the glass! DUH! Rather than risk ruining the card by trying to "fix" it though, please just use your imagination and pretend it's fabulous, OK?

We'd love it if you decide to give this challenge a try! Just pull out your Copics and find a stamp depicting something clear or transparent. Leave a direct link to your creation on the Mr. Linky at the Copic Creations blog so we can see your work, too!

Check out these designs from the other team members for inspiration!

Rachel Jakes
Cheryl Rowley

Suzanne Dean

Jane Wetzel

Jodi-Ann Lee

Claudia Rosa

Jami Bova

Karen Witter

Mary Giemza

Thanks for stopping by today! I appreciate seeing how many of you have renewed your subscription to follow me over here on Blogger! Stay tuned tomorrow for a new Stamp Simply challenge that you're going to love! Happy stamping, and have a great day!

And hey, if you're reading this in Google reader, be sure to click through to my blog and check out the awesome new design done by Hilary Craner at Simply Yours!

Stamps: Friendship Blooms (Gina K Designs)
Cardstock: So Saffron, Bordering Blue, Sage Shadow, Pretty in Pink (Stampin' Up!), white (Gina K Pure Luxury), designer paper (Daisy D's)
Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black (Tsukineko), markers (Copic)
Accessories: Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder (ProvoCraft), brads (Making Memories), ribbon (craft supply).

Color Throwdown #46

It's time for another Color Throwdown, and this week Barbara is our hostess with these pretty Spring colors! I had no trouble with this since I already have some SU! paper (given to me by my favorite demonstrator, Anita!) in these colors! I hope you'll make time to play along and show us your colors! Remember, if you don't have these exact SU! colors it's OK... just use whatever you have that's similar! Leave a direct link to your creation on the Throwdown blog, and if you upload to an online gallery be sure to use CTD46 as your tag!

I just LOVE these Magnolia images so much, so I decided to use Tilda and her puppy for my card today. I have GOT to see about getting these stamps at the store! See that sweet crocheted flower on my card? I am SO excited because I have these now in 8 different colors to sell at the store! I showed a picture of some other hand-made ones to my boss one day, she showed them to her Mom, and her Mom set to work making a bunch of them! So I'm super-excited to have these available for sale!

Be sure to check out these fabulous designs from the other Throwdown designers!

Barbara Anders

Danielle Kennedy
LeAnne Pugliese

Cathy Indelicato

Broni Holcombe (Broni's actually on vacation, but a visit to her blog is always worth your time!)

I hope everyone has followed me back to this old blog from Typepad! I would miss you if you weren't here with me! LOL Do me a favor? If you have my blog listed in your sidebar, be sure to change the address. And also, for Heaven's sake... if you have me listed in yours but I don't have you in mine, LET ME KNOW so I can remedy that!

Happy Wednesday!

Stamps: Tilda with Puppy (Magnolia), sentiment B244 (DRS Designs)

Cardstock: Brocade Blue, designer paper (Stampin' Up!), white (Neenah Classic Crest Solar White)Inks: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black (Tsukineko), markers (Copic)

Accessories: ribbon, button, linen thread (Stampin' Up!), Nestabilities (Spellbinders), crocheted flower (hand-made by Bonnie's Mom!)

I'm coming back....

... to this old blog, so stay tuned for the Color Throwdown post tomorrow!

Moved...

My blog has been moved to Typepad! Hope to see you there soon!

NEW BLOG!

Snowed In Sketch Challenge

Greeting from those of us buried again under the white stuff here in Northeast Ohio! I must say though, I can't complain about having a day with no where to go and nothing to do! EXCEPT that Mother Nature's notion of having another snow storm put a huge damper on the Northeast Ohio Shoebox Swap that was planned for today in Smithville! :( There were 15 of us gathering today to stamp and eat and talk and laugh! Mother Nature is definitely NOT a stamper! We'll have to reschedule it for another day, of course!

In the meantime, some of my best stamping friends came up with the idea of having our own Virtual Stamp Weekend within our thread on SCS. I decided to host a sketch challenge, and thought I'd share it here with you and if you want to participate also, please do! If you upload your card to SCS, please use the keywords BBSIVSWTammy (The letters stand for Buckeye Babes Snowed In Virtual Stamp Weekend!) And please post a link to your creation back here on this post, whether you post it on SCS or your blog. On Monday evening, March 10th I will draw one winner from everyone that participates to win a goodie bag of fun embellishments!

Here's the sketch (forgive my primitive drawing... I'm new to this!)

And it's based on this Gina K card I made the other day, but I'll do a new one for the weekend!

I hope you have time to partcipate! Have fun!

My Favorite Things - I'm a Wannabe!

Oh, I wannabe the Guest Designer so bad! So, I dragged my tired self home from work and worked on this card to enter the challenge again this month. This didn't turn out like the card in my head though!

It was fun to try a layout that's a little more outside the box for me. I read on the Craft Critique blog recently about a new book called The CardMakers Sketch Book. It looked fantastic, and so I found out who published it and ordered some copies for the store. They arrived today (along with the new releases from My Favorite Things... how lucky for me to play with for this challenge!) So I used a sketch from the book for my card, too! The challenge was to create a monochromatic card, and you could add neutrals of white, cream, brown or black. So this is my creation, and I hope it passes!

Here's a little close-up of the stamps I used and the Bo Bunny designer paper I picked out to match my shades of coral!

Quick tip: I didn't have any black brads that were large enough for the cream and red flowers. But I had some gold brads (you know... the kind they gave you to use for Sunday School crafts with great big wings on the back!?) I picked up the gold brad with my tweezers and pressed the brad into my Versamark ink pad. Then dipped it into black embossing powder, and heated until it was set. While the brad was still hot, I dipped it in the powder and heated once more for a good, solid finish. Easy-peasy! Now I need embossing powder in every color!

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Punch a Bunch (My Favorite Things); Cardstock: Flamingo, Watermelon, Black OP (Bazzill Basics), Confetti Cream (Stampin' Up), designer paper (Shabby Princess from Bo Bunny); Inks: Red Brick chalk (Tsukineko), Adirondack Pitch Black (Ranger), markers (Copic); Accessories: twill tape (Stampin' Up), concave corner punch (EK Success), scalloped oval punch (Marvy), cream and black flowers (Hero Arts), red flower (Prima Sprites), ribbon (May Arts), gold brads (unknown), black embossing powder (JoAnn fabrics), antique silver brads (unknown), black thread, sewing machine, sponge, dimensional adhesive.

New Stamps from Gina K Designs

I got new stamps at the store recently from Gina K Designs, and I just couldn't resist picking up a few for myself! I just love this basket set, and so that had to be the first thing I played with! I have a special aunt that has a birthday next week, so this will get sent to her! (Even though, now that I think of it, she forgot my birthday!) :) I don't know how well you can tell from the picture, but I distressed the edges of the white circle that the basket is stamped on and the edges of the blue cardstock that the flowered paper is matted on. My circle punch is being very difficult, so my cardstock ended up having very messy edges after I punch it out. So the compromise was to distress it!

Stamps: Baskets of Happiness, Punchy Words (Gina K Designs); Cardstock: Pear, Lighthouse (Bazzill Basics), Pumpkin Pie (Stampin' Up), white (Georgia Pacific), designer paper (Autumn Leaves); Inks: Adirondack Pitch Black (Ranger), Chocolate Chip (Stampin' Up), markers (Copic); Accessories: Brocade Blue brads (Stampin' Up), ribbon (May Arts), super jumbo circle punch, mega scalloped circle punch (Marvy), edge distressing tool (Ranger), dimensional adhesives.

Thanks for stopping by! Stamp Happy!

Rain, rain, go away!

It's official... Mother Nature hates us! Not only is it raining, but it's COLD and raining! Makes me wish for a fireplace here beside my desk! But then I'd just curl up and go to sleep! :)

I made this card today using the Color Challenge on SCS to use Stampin' Up colors Purely Pomegranate, Wild Wasabi, and So Saffron. Isn't it a pretty combination? Makes me think of a garden! I probably should have made a flowery card... maybe my mood about the weather would be lighter! I was really pleased to see how well this striped designer paper I had matched the Wild Wasabi cardstock, so I decided to use it to paper piece the raincoat!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Stamps: Rain or Shine (My Favorite Things); Cardstock: Purely Pomegranate, Wild Wasabi, So Saffron (Stampin' Up), white (Georgia Pacific), designer paper (Reminisce); Inks: Adirondack Pitch Black (Ranger), Wild Wasabi (Stampin' Up), markers (Copic); Accessories: Purely Pomegranate stitched grosgrain (Stampin' Up!), light green grosgrain (Offray), scalloped rectangle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), paper piercing tool (Darice), dimensional adhesives.

Hello Spring? What a cruel joke!

This bunny stamp set from Kitchen Sink Stamps is so much fun to play with, and that bunny is so darn cute, but he's in cahoots with Mother Nature I do believe and is playing tricks on us! Maybe he's the Trix Rabbit in disguise! We had a beautiful day here in Northeast Ohio... close to 70 degrees all day. And now, it's midnight and freezing rain is coming down! Excuse me while I wipe my tears... I cannot take one more day of winter!

Well, even though I think he's being a stinker, this Honey Bunny still helps me create totally awesome cards! I used Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge for my card layout. You have no idea the fun you're missing if you don't pick up this set for Easter cards! The nice thing about the set too, is that it's not just for Easter, if you'll remember the birthday card I posted the other day! The 3-Step Honey Bunny set, as well as 3 other sets are available today over at The Kitchen Sink! Stop by soon... I promise you won't have to wash the dishes!

Stamps: 3-Step Honey Bunny, tiny flowers from Playful Ovals (Kitchen Sink Stamps); Cardstock: Lavender Lace, Certainly Celery, Pink Passion, Whisper White (Stampin' Up), designer paper (Bright Wildflowers and Bright Confetti from Doodlebug Designs); Inks: Going Gray, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue (Stampin' Up), Charcoal Versacolor pigment (Tsukineko), Aloe Vera, Tea Leaves, Spanish Olive, Pretty Petunia Versamagic chalk (Tsukineko), Pearlescent Orchid Brilliance pigment (Tsukineko); Accessories: pastel jewels (Doodlebug Design), pink gingham (craft supply), dimensional adhesives, sponges.

Thank you!

Just a quick note of thanks to everyone for all the great birthday wishes, and for participating in my Birthday Blog Candy giveaway! I sure hope Rachel checks in here sometime soon to claim her prize!

I had a wonderful day, and the topper was my husband taking me out to dinner last night, and then coming home to a cake baked by my wonderful daughters. Then, because I'd had so much to eat, I ended up zonking out! Had to rush my daughter Kelsey to church this morning for the beginning of 1st Communion instruction (she'll take her 1st Communion on Palm Sunday!) and then rushed off to Kaylie's volleyball tournament! As of right now, I think I've been gone more than I've been home in the last 72 hours, and haven't done much stamping! Very, very sad! I promise I'll be back up and running with something to upload by tomorrow evening! Thanks for sticking with me!

My blog counter is climbing, and I just love it! Thinking maybe 20K posts calls for another blog candy giveaway??? I've got lots of great new stuff coming in soon at the store... Hero Arts, Inkadinkao, Bo Bunny paper.... stayed tuned!

P.S. And I have to tell you... the Birthday Blog Candy thing was a ton of fun, but it's so nice not to see that blasted "Over the Hill" balloon at the top of the page anymore! :)

Birthday RAK's

I also wanted to share with you today some more beautiful birthday cards I received in the mail!

This one is from my wonderful friend Patti, better know as MommaPatti to us Buckeye Babes! I just love this Boho-chic look here, and the colors are fabulous!

And this work of art comes from my super stamping friend Cindy, better known to all SCS'ers as Mothermark, the Master Storyteller! Isn't this card just beautiful? So much detail! I would never have the patience to do all that cutting out! I'm thinking I need to buy a frame for this one!Thanks Patti and Cindy for helping make my birthday extra special!

Hip Hop Hooray!

It's MY birthday! But you all should be more excited than me because someone is going to win all this loot today! And this card makes my final contribution to the blog candy basket... this one, plus 3 additional cards that I will make using this sweet new set from Kitchen Sink Stamps called 3-Step Honey Bunny! Is that not the cutest bunny you've seen in forever? He is created using a combination of 4 separate stamps, and it just amazes me how Maria designs these stamps, and the inked images coming out looking so awesome! You can get your own set of these stamps, plus some other great new additions for spring at the Kitchen Sink Stamps website beginning Monday, March 3rd!
Stamps: 3-Step Honey Bunny, flowers from Playful Ovals (Kitchen Sink Stamps); Cardstock: Pear, Whirlpool (Bazzill Basics), white (Hollo's), designer paper (Two Scoops by Basic Grey); Inks: Going Gray, Bashful Blue (Stampin' Up), Charcoal Versacolor (Tsukineko), Aloe Vera, Tea Leaves, Spanish Olive, Pink Petunia Versamagic chalk ink (Tsukineko); Accessories: scalloped rectangle (Spellbinders Nestabilities), white dotted organdy (May Arts), silver brads (craft supply), sponges, dimensional adhesives.

Sorrowful Rose

Good morning! We finally got a new computer last night, so I spent a good part of my evening setting it up, and then after I made my kids go to bed I got my turn to play and marvel at the speed and just general newness of it all! Our old computer was actually a hand-me-down from my Dad, and I haven't a clue how old it even is! So you can imagine what Heaven we're in now!

So needless to say I didn't get any stamping done, but I do have this card I made last weekend to upload today. It was for a friend who really needed it! I just love those rose stamps... so pretty and elegant, don't you think?

Stamps: Hearts & Roses, Never a Loss 4 Words (Kitchen Sink Stamps); Cardstock: white (Hollo's); Inks: Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, Rose Red, Certainly Celery, Old Olive (Stampin' Up), Onyx Black (Tsukineko Versafine); Accessories: pink satin-edge ribbon (Offray), glue dot (Stampin' Up).And here (yes, I'm a day late!) is yesterday's addition to the Birthday Blog Candy! One yard each of 9 colors of grid ribbon from Impression Obsession! I used some of it on this card with the Penny Black hedgehog, and it is so cool! You just trim the ends, and give it a twist and it just curls right up! You'll love it!

One more day! Have a wonderful Leap Day

Black River Elegance

The color challenge on SCS this past Tuesday (use Stampin' Up colors Basic Black, River Rock and white) has just not stopped calling out to me, so even though I'm 2 days late, I had to give it a try. And the sketch challenge from yesterday was a good one too, so I combined the two challenges for this card. I was a little unsure about creating black flowers, but I love how this whole thing turned out! I will definitely need to save this card for someone very special!

Stamps: Garden Silhouettes (Stampin' Up), special day (Hero Arts); Cardstock: River Rock Basic Black (Stampin' Up), white (Hollo's), designer paper (unknown); Inks: River Rock (Stampin' Up), markers #076, #N25 (Tombow); Accessories: scalloped circle punch, 1 3/8" circle punch, ticket corner punch (Stampin' Up), Textile embossing folder (Cuttlebug by ProvoCraft), paper flowers (Hero Arts), white ribbon, silver brads (craft supply), sponges, dimensional adhesives.


And check out this adorable birthday card I received yesterday from my BFF Cindy! Isn't that bear the cutest! And she didn't even give me one iota of grief over the fact that I've never sent her birthday card to her (even though her birthday is in October!) Now, THAT'S a good friend! Thanks, dude!
Have a great day everyone! Thanks for stopping by!

A Sweet Sketch!

I gotta' say this is one of the best sketch challenges I've done in a long time! I just love this sketch! And if I get around to more stamping this week, I may just use it again! Here is the challenge from Jen del Muro's blog. If you have time, give it a try!

Stamps: Garden Silhouettes, Riveting (Stampin' Up), background swirls (Art Impressions); Cardstock: Certainly Celery, Old Olive (Stampin' Up), white (Hollo's), designer paper (Paper Salon Sorbet Collection); Inks: Versamark (Tsukineko), Old Olive (Stampin' Up) markers (Tombow); Accessories: striped ribbon (May Arts), scalloped circle punch, 1 1/4" circle punch (Stampin' Up), orange felt flower (Creative Impressions), silver brad (unknown), sponges, dimensionals adhesives.