Sneak Peeks Day Two: Beautiful Butterflies

Happy Monday, everyone! This week my kids are on spring break. Megan went to Florida with a friend, but the rest of us are here at home! No school, no practices, no extracurriculars to drive to and from, so I hope that means more stamping time for me! ;)


This week is Birthday Week at All That Scraps. C.C. Designs is celebrating its First Anniversary with five new sets and a background! Here's a peek at the C.C. Designs set Beautiful Butterflies. This set has two butterfly images and three sentiment stamps. When I saw it I immediately thought of elegance, so that's what I tried to achieve with this card. The white panel is C.C. Designs new White Cardstock. Its 140 lb. weight makes it more sturdy than Whisper White, so it can be used for a card base. I chose to layer it on Basic Gray for this card, so it would be able to handle all the embellishments! To create the bottom border I first used my Scor-Pal to score two lines, then I embossed below the lines with my Cuttlebug and D'vine Swirls embossing folder. I stamped the butterfly image in Versamark and heat embossed it with Black Embossing Powder. I used the Pretties Kit to make the pin.

Be sure to stop by the All That Scraps Blog this week for more samples and some fun giveaways! All new sets will be released this Friday, April 4, at 12:01 AM. I'll have more sneak peeks of the other sets right here -- I hope you'll come back to check them out! Have a great day -- thanks for visiting! :)

ETA: I just made another card with this set, and it has an entirely different look to it. It's in the All That Scraps Gallery -- click HERE to see it! :)

Stamps: Beautiful Butterflies (C.C. Designs) Ink: Versamark, Basic Black (SU!) Cardstock: C.C. Designs White Cardstock, Basic Gray (SU!) Other: Black EP, Heat Tool, Pretties Kit, silver brads, Tag Corner Punch (SU!), black dotted organdy ribbon (May Arts), Cuttlebug & D'Vine Swirls embossing folder (Provo Craft) , Scor-Pal

C.C. Designs Sneak Peeks Day One: Hey Chicky

Hello everyone! Did you know that C.C. Designs is celebrating its First Anniversary with FIVE new stamp sets and a new background?!? I opened my Design Team package yesterday and couldn't wait to get started! Christine and the Design Team will be unveiling a new set each day until the release on Friday, April 4 at 12:01 AM. You can check out the All That Scraps Blog this week for more samples and some giveaways!

Today I have two cards I made using Hey Chicky. This is SUCH a cute set -- four different chicks and a sentiment. I had a lot of fun making these samples! On the first card, I stamped the Polka Dots Big Ol' Background in White Craft Ink and embossed with White EP. The Chicky is colored with Copic markers, and I paper pieced the umbrella and boots. I picked up the Splat Rain Drops when I was on vacation last year -- this was the perfect card for them! I colored them just a bit with a Copic marker (BG10 Cool Shadow) before applying them to the image panel. I sponged around the edge of the panel with Soft Sky ink.

On the second card, I used my Cuttlebug and Stylized Flowers embossing folder to make the background. I colored the Chicky with Copics and added a brad to the flower center. The sentiment is from Little Penguins, also by C.C. Designs. I sponged around the image panel and small oval with So Saffron ink.

I hope you like these sneak peeks as much as I liked making them! I hope you'll stop back during the week to see more! Thanks so much for visiting -- have a fantastic day! :)

Recipes:

Rain Chicky Card

Stamps: Hey Chicky (C.C. Designs) Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko); Basic Black, Soft Sky, White Craft (SU!) Cardstock: yellow textured (Bazzill); Regal Rose, Certainly Celery, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: For Peeps Sake (Imaginisce) Other: Copic Markers, White embossing powder (SU!), Splat Rain Dots (Fiskars Cloud 9 Design), 3/16" corner rounder (SU!), pink Two-tone Ribbon (May Arts), sponge, dimensionals

Flower Chicky Card

Stamps: Hey Chicky, Little Penguins (C.C. Designs) Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko); Basic Black, So Saffron (SU!) Cardstock: yellow textured (Bazzill); Certainly Celery, Regal Rose, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: For Peeps Sake (Imaginisce) Other: Cuttlebug & Stylized Flowers embossing folder (Provo Craft), light blue & pink dotted organdy ribbon (May Arts), Soft Subtles brad (SU!), 3/16" corner rounder, lg. & sm. oval punches (SU!), sponge, dimensionals

Just Basketball!

Hello! Happy Friday! Has March Madness invaded your home? It has definitely invaded mine! I'm a sports fan, but normally I'm not really a fanatic about any particular sporting event. NFL games (particularly Cincinnati Bengals games) and NCAA basketball games are normally "guy time" for Chris and Kyle, and I will sometimes join them if there's a team I want to watch. HOWEVER, I'm a graduate of Xavier University, and my Musketeers are now in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament!!! I almost had a heart attack watching the game last night -- they beat West Virginia in overtime! Kyle just kept saying, "Calm down, Mom ..." :)

Anyway, since I have basketball on the brain, I thought it would be a good time to share this card I made for my nephew's birthday. I had ordered this set a while ago, because I have very few "boy" sets, and my son and nephews are all basketball players. For some reason, though, I just couldn't figure out how to use it. I think I finally succeeded with this card. I stamped "Swish" directly onto the Stella Ruby paper. I used the Cheesecloth Backgrounder from Cornish Heritage Farms as the background for the focal image, stamped in River Rock ink. The focal image is stamped in Chocolate Chip. I stamped just the basketball one more time, cut it out, and mounted it on Dimensionals over the first image. I sponged Chocolate Chip ink around the image panel and the patterned paper. I also pierced around the image panel. The photo didn't pick it up, but I drew around the basketball rim with my Stardust Jelly Roll pen. It looks pretty cool IRL! The twill (from my stash -- manufacturer unknown), was stamped with the whistle image.

I hope this works for a 12-year-old boy! What do you think?

I hope you have a fantastic weekend -- thanks for visiting today! Next week will be full of sneak peeks of the new C.C. Designs stamps! Christine is celebrating the First Anniversary with FIVE new sets -- you're gonna love 'em! I hope you'll stop back to check them out! Have a great day! :)

Stamps: Just Basketball (SU!), Cheesecloth Backgrounder (CHF) Ink: Chocolate Chip, River Rock (SU!) Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, River Rock, Very Vanilla (SU!) Paper: Stella Ruby (BasicGrey) Other: twill, Chocolate Chip grosgrain, paper piercer & mat pack, sponge, dimensionals, Stardust Gelly Roll pen (Sakura)

A Sprayed Flower

It's rainy outside today, so the Ways to Use It Challenge -- Just Spray It! -- seemed perfect! I combined it with yesterday's Sketch Challenge. I inked up this Penny Black stamp then spritzed it with water before stamping. Then I used Itty Bitty Backgrounds to make it look like I "sprayed" the ink over the image. The sentiment in the top corner is from Country Blessings (retired). I added some distressing and faux stitching for added interest and texture.

Stamps:
Blush (Penny Black)
Itty Bitty Backgrounds (SU!)
Country Blessings (SU!)

Ink:
Close to Cocoa (SU!)
Groovy Guava (SU!)
Wild Wasabi (SU!)

Cardstock:
Close to Cocoa (SU!)
Whisper White (SU!)

Paper:
Afternoon Tea (SU!)

Tools and Embellishments:
Cutter Kit (SU!)
Hodgepodge Hardware (SU!)
Paper piercing tool and mat pack (SU!)
Close to Cocoa marker (SU!)
Dotted organdy ribbon (May Arts)

Thanks for visiting! I hope to have another card to share with you tomorrow! Take care until then! :)

Cherries, Anyone?

Hi there! Happy Wednesday! It's a beautiful spring day here -- sunny, blue skies, and temps near 60 degrees F. It's the perfect day to share this fun summery card with you! The layout is Jen del Muro's Sketch for You to Try. As soon as I saw her sketch, I knew I wanted to use this paper and stamp set. Just about everything on this card is Stampin' Up!, with a couple exceptions. I added a little texture to the background paper with my Cuttlebug and Spots & Dots embossing folder. The Ruby Slipper Glitter Dots were purchased at All That Scraps.

Actually, the best part about this card is the way it smells. Yep, the way it smells. All That Scraps carries the coolest product for your cards -- Card Scents by Simply Sistas. They come in lots of yummy flavors, and you just brush a little around your image panel to make it smell terrific! I used cherry on this one, and I'm telling you it smells sooooo good! It's so much fun!

Oh, I wanted to share some fun news with you -- yesterday Queen Kat's Bloggers Club featured my blog! If you check out the post you just may find out a little-known fact about me! ;)

That's it for today! I'll be back with another card tomorrow -- I hope you'll stop back! Thanks so much for visiting today -- have a fantastic day! :)

Stamps: Tart & Tangy, Hugs & Wishes Ink: Real Red, Old Olive, Bashful Blue, Basic Black Cardstock: Real Red, Whisper White Paper: Summer Picnic Other: Real Red Striped Grosgrain, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, Scalloped Circle Punch, glue dots, dimensionals, white gel pen, sponge, Cuttlebug and Spots & Dots embossing folder (Provo Craft), Ruby Slipper Glitter Dots (Jesse James), Cherry Card Scents (Simply Sistas)

Color Challenge Card: A Soft Gray Whisper

Today's Color Challenge at Splitcoaststampers is to use Soft Sky, Basic Gray, and Whisper White. I love the soft elegance that these colors create together, so I decided to do something simple with this card. I pulled out one of my most favorite SU! sets ever, The Art of Life. It's been retired for a few years now, but I don't think I can ever part with it. I stamped the flower image directly on the Afternoon Tea paper in Basic Gray ink, stamping off a few times. I sponged around the edges of the white cardstock with Soft Sky ink. This card also fits Sharon Johnson's Stamp Simply challenge to use rounded corners. If you visit my blog regularly, you know that I often round just one set of opposing corners on my cards. Dunno why -- I just love the look. Sharon's challenge gave me just the reason to do it again! :)

There's not much more to explain here -- I hope you like it! Thank you so much for visiting -- have a wonderful spring day!

All products Stampin' Up! Unless otherwise noted.

Stamps: The Art of Life Ink: Basic Gray, Soft Sky Cardstock: Basic Gray, Crafters Select White (Papertrey Ink) Paper: Afternoon Tea Other: 3/16" corner rounder, Basic Gray taffeta ribbon, Vintage Brads, Stampin' Dimensionals, Stamping Sponge

Pretty Birds

Hello, everyone! I hope you had a wonderful weekend and a Happy Easter! We had a busy but fun weekend. Saturday night Chris and I saw Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band -- SO awesome!! By the time we got home and got the Easter baskets together, it was reeeeeally late! I'm still not caught up on my sleep! I'm getting old -- didn't I used to run on empty during my college days...? Speaking of college, my Xavier Musketeers are in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament!! Go Muskies! :)

Okay, enough rambling -- on to my card! This one kinda reminds me of those spring robins I see everywhere outside now. I used Pretty Birds from The Kim Hughes Collection by Cornish Heritage Farms. The background is Pretty Petals stamped in River Rock ink on River Rock cardstock. The paper is from K&Co. I stamped the birds, cut them out, and adhered them to the top panel. I added distressing and machine stitching to both patterned paper panels. I embellished with a Jumbo Blossom, a button from my stash, and dotted organdy ribbon. Pretty simple, but I'm happy with it! :)


Thanks so much for visiting today -- I hope you'll stop back! I'll have more to share with you then! Have a great night!


Stamps: Pretty Birds (CHF), Pretty Petals (SU!) Ink: River Rock, Chocolate Chip (SU!) Cardstock: River Rock (SU!) Paper: Classic K McKenna (K&Co.) Other: Cutter Kit (SU!), Jumbo Blossom (Making Memories), dotted organdy ribbon (May Arts), button, glue dots, sewing machine & brown thread

Spring Flowers

Happy Spring!

Yesterday was officially the first day of spring, so I thought I'd celebrate with some spring flowers. I made this card with Carolyn King's latest stamp set by Gina K. Designs, Framed Flowers. All ink is from Stampin' Up!. The cardstock is Crafters Select White by Papertrey Ink. It's the perfect weight for white card bases. The paper is, of course, For Peeps Sake by Imaginisce (are you tired of seeing it yet?). I used some of Gina K. Designs new Bling & Dazzle -- Pastel Button Babies and Plastic Tag Assortment. These plastic tags are so much fun to work with -- you can stamp directly on them, color on them with Copics, or cover them with paper like I did on this card. I applied the paper to the tag then sanded the edges. I inked just a portion of the sentiment stamp with a Close to Cocoa marker, then I stamped on the paper covering the tag.

For the main image, I inked the flowers using Soft Sky ink, then drew around the edges with a Bashful Blue marker. The leaves were inked with Gable Green and Green Galore markers. I added a little sparkle and dimension to the flowers with some Baby Blue Stickles. The frame was stamped in Close to Cocoa ink. I added some SU! Itty Bitty Backgrounds around the image and sponged the edges. The grass was inked with Gable Green, Rock-n-rolled in Green Galore, stamped, and cut out. It is mounted on dimensionals. I added the Button Babies to the corner -- aren't they so cute? The ribbon is light blue dotted organdy from May Arts, and the copper cord is from SU! (retired).

I love how soft and springy this card looks. It would be great for a birthday, thank you, or just because card. It's good to have a few of those cards in my stash! I hope you're inspired to make something "springy" -- thanks so much for stopping by today! :)

Easter Pails

Hello! I hope your day is a good one so far! The sun is shining here -- yay! We've had several inches of rain over the last couple days, and last night we had snow showers, so the blue sky and sunshine look great to me! :) Here are the pails I made for Caroline's preschool teachers for Easter. Her teachers are so wonderful and so sweet (Anna had them for preschool also), so I really do like to give them something special whenever I can! I covered these tin pails with For Peep's Sake paper (I told you you'd be seeing it again!), and I used more images from Eggstra Special Easter by My Favorite Things. I colored the images with Copic Markers. The front image panels are matted on two Giga Scalloped Squares that are overlapped slightly. The images on top are on SU! Scalloped Circles. I sponged around the image panels and the tags on the sides. Speaking of tags -- I found out after I'd finished these pails that today's Ways to Use It Challenge is to use tags on your project, so I guess this works! I know that's kinda cheating, so I'll try to do a project especially for the challenge. ;)

Here are the rest of the materials used:

Cardstock: Certainly Celery, Regal Rose, Whisper White (SU!)

Ribbon: SU! grosgrain and silver cord, May Arts two-tone yellow ribbon

Other: dimensionals, 1/8" handheld punch, Tag Corner punch, Fiskars Circle Cutter (for top paper circle)

Edited to Add: I purchased the tin pails at All That Scraps.

I hope to have more to share tomorrow -- thanks for visiting today! Have a great day! :)

I'm Baaaaaaack!

Hello!!

I'm back in business! My husband got us connected to the Internet last night -- yay! I've been wanting to share this card since Monday! I used Jen del Muro's Sketch for You to Try, which was a perfect sketch for this little chick from Eggstra Special Easter by My Favorite Things. The paper is For Peep's Sake by Imaginisce. You'll be seeing a lot more of it in the next couple days, because I *love* it! :) Everything on this card is pretty self-explanatory, so I'll list the supplies for you. I will tell you that I machine stitched the paper to the Certainly Celery cardstock, and the flowers and scalloped circle are mounted on dimensionals. That's about it!

I'm off to finish Caroline's treats for tomorrow -- it's her last day of school before Easter. My other three kids are finished today! Thanks for checking in with me -- I'm so glad you stopped by! :)

Stamps: Eggstra Special Easter (MFT) Ink: Basic Black & Regal Rose (SU!), Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko) Cardstock: So Saffron, Certainly Celery, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Hot Chicks from For Peep's Sake (Imaginisce) Other: Copic markers, Got Flowers (Prima Marketing), Scalloped Circle Punch & 1 3/8" Circle Punch (SU!), Soft Subtles brads (SU!), Stamping Sponge & Stampin' Dimensionals (SU!), white gel pen (Marvy), sewing machine & pink thread

No Internet!!!

Hi, everyone!

I'm sorry I've been MIA -- I have no internet access at home since yesterday. I'm posting this from the center where I tutor twice a week, and there's no way to upload my photos from here! I had some cute Easter projects to share, so I hope we can get things fixed SOON! I haven't even been able to check out all my favorite blogs -- it's amazing how clean my house is and how much laundry I've been able to do! ;)

I hope to be back in action sometime this week! Take care 'til then! :)

Abby's Gift Set

Here's the completed gift set for my niece for her first birthday. The card is the Limited Supplies card from yesterday's post. I made a coordinating frame and bag topper for the hair bows. My friend Traci has her own hairbow business -- these little hairbows are just the cutest! All supplies (except the frame and ribbon) are from Stampin' Up!.

To make the frame, I covered the front and the chipboard "1" in Spring Fling Paper (*love* it!). I left the back natural. I sanded all the edges. I stamped the flourish from Priceless twice in White Craft ink and heat embossed with white embossing powder. I added a flower from the Pretties Kit and a Soft Subtles brad to the chipboard and adhered it to the corner with dimensionals. I tied ribbon between the two patterns of paper, making a bow on one side.

Here's a helpful hint: when tying ribbon around frames of this kind, be sure to tuck ribbon into the grooves so the photo will lie correctly in the frame. I used glue dots to hold the ribbon in place in the grooves.

To make the bag topper, I folded a piece of the paper in half, then cut around the front circles to make the scallops. I used staples to hold it together on the bag, then I applied a strip of the dotted paper across the front to cover the staples. I used markers to ink up the stamp from So Many Scallops (Sale-A-Bration), and I punched it out with a Scalloped Circle Punch. I attached it to the center of the dotted strip, and that was it!

Well, I'm off to a volleyball tournament with Megan -- it's a two-day tournament, so it's looking like there won't be much time for stamping this weekend! I hope it's a great one for you -- thanks so much for visiting! :)

Limited Supplies: No Tools!

Happy Friday, everyone! Ihave a card to share for today's Limited Supplies Challenge. The challenge is no tools -- that means no punches, no piercing tool, no Cuttlebug, no Crop-a-dile, no sewing machine -- you get the point. Any embellishments are those can be applied without the use of a tool. This was a good challenge for me -- I didn't realize how dependent I had become on my tools. So here's my "back to basics" card. This card is for my niece who will be one year old tomorrow -- happy birthday, Abby! :) I'm actually making her a birthday set to go with the card -- I'll share the rest with you later! The stamps are from Birthday Whimsy (Sale-A-Bration) and the paper is Spring Fling. I inked the cake stamp with markers, then I added a little sparkle with some Dazzling Diamonds glitter. I sponged around the panel with So Saffron ink. For my embellishments, I tied some ribbon through a Two Scoops button, then I stacked the button and Prima flowers. They are attached to each other and to the card with glue dots. I added some faux stitches in the corner with a white gel pen, and I created the "holes" with a Sage Shadow marker.

The photo doesn't do this card justice -- it is definitely prettier and sweeter in real life! I am having a hard time with my photos lately -- UGH!! Oh well...

I hope you're having a great day so far. Thanks for making me a part of it -- I really appreciate you stopping by! :)

All supplies Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted.

Stamps: Birthday Whimsy Ink: So Saffron, Sage Shadow Markers: Sage Shadow, Pretty in Pink, So Saffron Cardstock: Sage Shadow, So Saffron, Whisper White Paper: Spring Fling DSP Other: DD glitter, glue dots, dimensionals, sponge, flowers (Prima Marketing), button (BasicGrey), ribbon May Arts)

Inspirational

I woke this morning to find out that my Hanging Treat Box is featured on the blog Inspirational. There are some amazing projects there -- you have to check it out! I was nominated by Jo -- thank you so much, Jo! :) She made her own fantastic box, and you can see it on her blog HERE.

I really am very humbled by nominations such as this. I feel so fortunate that I get to do this everyday, and I appreciate all the comments and encouragement that keep me going! The papercrafting community is the kindest and most generous group around -- I'm honored to be a part of it! I am amazed at all the talent out there, in galleries and on blogs, and I try to learn something new each day. You all are Inspirational to me -- thank you!! :)

Have a fantastic day!

A Sketch Challenge, New Stuff, and a Lot of Flowers!

Hi! I'm finally getting a chance to post my Sketch Challenge card -- actually, I just had the chance to make it about an hour ago! I think I was in the car all day today -- Kindergarten carpool, Anna's check-up, Taking Megan to volleyball practice, and taking Kyle to a friend's house. I was able to squeeze this card in before I started dinner. It was actually pretty quick and easy -- there is no stamping at all!! I found my SU! order on my porch this afternoon, so I got busy playing with new papers and embellishments. I *love* this Summer Picnic paper (from the Occasions Mini Collection), and I *love* the striped grosgrain. How can you not make a fun project with them? I added a little texture by running the background paper through my Cuttlebug in the Bloom Dots folder. The sentiment on the corner is a rub-on from the Sale-a-Bration rub-ons, Love & Happiness. The flower and red center are from the die cut Blooms, also available in the SU! Occasions Mini. The white circle and red scalloped circle were made with Marvy punches. I added some faux stitching with a Bashful Blue marker and some dots with a white gel pen. The two panels and the scalloped circle are mounted on dimensionals.

Well, I'm off to finish dinner. We're eating late -- Megan just got home from practice! Thanks so much for visiting -- have a great night!

ETA: new photo -- the other one was blinding me! I couldn't get the lighting right!

Color Challenge: Basic Pomegranate

Today's Color Challenge at Splitcoaststampers is Basic Black, Basic Gray, and Purely Pomegranate. Since those colors are so deep and strong, I wanted to keep the background simple and white. Actually, this card is VERY simple -- just a little bit of stamping and a ribbon embellishment, plus a little sponging and distressing thrown in! All images are from Cornish Heritage Farms. I partially stamped the Cheesecloth Backgrounder in Basic Gray ink. Then I took one of the images from Silhouette Blooms I, inked it in Purely Pomegranate, then rock-n-rolled it in Basic Gray. I stamped three times without reinking, then repeated the process. It gave me little "bundle" of blooms to tie the ribbon around. I distressed the edges with my SU! Cutter Kit, and I sponged with Purely Pomegranate. The sentiment is stamped in Basic Black ink. I tied May Arts dotted ribbon and SU! Basic Gray taffeta ribbon around the bottom.

Unfortunately, I've needed way too many sympathy cards lately, and this is the first of a few I need to make this week. I can easily change the colors and sentiment for any occasion, though, so I think I'll be using this layout again! I'm glad you stopped by today -- I hope you have a great day! :)

Until tomorrow,

A Touch of Spring

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you had a great weekend! Around here the snow starting to melt, the temperatures are climbing, and there is a promise of spring in the air. With that in mind, I made this card for Jen del Muro's Sketch for You to Try. I don't make long cards very often, so this sketch was fun for me. The finished card size is 8 1/2" x 4", and it will fit in a business size envelope. You can click on the photo to see it better -- those long cards are hard to photograph! :) I used the retired SU! set Blooming With Happiness. On the Barely Banana cardstock I stamped Pretty Petals in Barely Banana ink. The flowers were made with the Boho Blossoms Punch, and the centers are Sugarcoated Brads by Doodlebug Design (available at All That Scraps). I have been using these little brads a lot lately! They come in several yummy colors and give just the perfect amount of sparkle to your project! The heads are a little larger than those on SU! brads, so they work better if you need a center for a larger flower (like a Prima).

I colored the image with SU! markers. I sponged around the white oval with Certainly Celery ink, and I sponged around the scalloped oval and the three flowers with White Craft ink. I couldn't help adding some dots with my Marvy white gel pen. I scalloped the bottom edge of the paper with a 3/16" corner rounder (paper guide removed), and I added some dotted ribbon to the image panel. The Banana panel and the scalloped oval are mounted on dimensionals.

That's about it! I hope this card gets you thinking about spring! Thanks for stopping by today -- I appreciate it so much! Have a great day! :)

Stamps: Blooming With Happiness, Pretty Petals background (SU!) Ink: Basic Black, Barely Banana, Certainly Celery, White Craft (SU!) Cardstock: Barely Banana, Orchid Opulence, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Pocket Full of Posies glitter stack (DCWV) Other: Mega Oval Punch & Giga Scalloped Oval Punch (Marvy Uchida), Stampin' Write Markers - Certainly Celery, Barely Banana, Orchid Opulence (SU!), Boho Blossoms punch (SU!), 3/16" Corner Rounder (SU!), orchid dotted organdy ribbon (May Arts), Sugarcoated Brads (Doodlebug Design), White Gel Excel pen (Marvy), Stamping Sponge & Stampin' Dimensionals (SU!)

A Box and a Blizzard

Hi there! I hope your weekend is off to a great start! We're snowed in -- I seriously think I might just stay in my pajamas all day! We got hit with the second part of the "blizzard" that came through the Ohio Valley last night -- photos are below! But first I want to share this Birthday File Box I made last night (nowhere to go, lots of time for papercrafting!). I saw this post on the blog of Sharon Johnson (aka notimetostamp) a few weeks ago. If you haven't been to Sharon's blog, you MUST go! She is so incredibly talented, and she's the queen of 3-D projects! When I saw her index card box, I knew I wanted to make one to keep track of birthdays. I figured I could just keep it on my table so those birthday cards can get made and addressed right away! The box was very easy to make, and my new Scor-Pal made it a breeze! :)

I have tabs for every month, punched from Regal Rose cardstock with a Round Tab Punch. I used Straight Up Alphabet (retired) and a Stamp-a-ma-jig to label the tabs. I stamped the letters in Chocolate Chip ink, and I also applied the ink Direct to Paper (DTP) on the tabs and Cosmo Cricket Hey Sugar paper. I added an extra tab for the addresses of RAK's I've received or sent, in case I want to re-RAK someone! :)

For each month, I have 4x6" index cards. Each card has the date in the corner and the address of the birthday person. There's also plenty of room below the address to note sizes, favorite stores or restaurants, or any other important information. I'm really hoping this makes my card-sending much easier -- the older I get, the harder it is to remember everything! :)

Okay, now for the "blizzard" photos... this is what it looked like this morning when I woke up. The first photo is the view from my front porch.

These next two photos are of my backyard deck. Look how high the snow is! This is pretty unusual for my home in northern Kentucky. We always get snow in winter, but it's rare that we get a foot or more in one snowfall. I know many of you get this kind of snow all the time, so you're probably laughing at me!! I guess it wouldn't be such a big deal if it wasn't MARCH!!! Last week it was near 70 degrees, and my tulips and daffodils were emerging!

That's all for now! My husband is planning to make a big pot of soup and get a fire going in our fireplace -- it's going to be a good day for stamping! :) Thanks for visiting today -- have a great day and a fantastic weekend! :)

Another Post on a Snowy Day

THIS is what it looks like in my backyard right now. The snow is still falling -- 8-10 inches (possibly 12) by tomorrow. The kids are all home, Anna's doctor's appointment was cancelled, and Megan's volleyball tournament tomorrow has also been cancelled (whew!). I usually don't get a chance to post twice in one day, but hey -- there's not much else to do!! Since today's Limited Supplies Challenge is quick mini cards, it didn't take long for me to put this one together. I combined it with the Color Challenge that Cammie posted on the Gina K Designs forum at SCS. This card is 4" square. All images on this card are from Gina K Designs. The focal image and sentiment are from Baskets of Happiness, and they are stamped in Brilliance Graphite Black ink on SU! Shimmery White cardstock. I used Scalloped Frames & Doodles on the scalloped circle. The image is colored with Copics, and I sponged around the circle with Certainly Celery ink. I need to get a little spring wherever I can right now, so this card will have to do! :) I think that's all for me today -- if the snow keeps falling, I just might have several projects to share tomorrow!!

Stamps: Baskets of Happiness, Scalloped Frames & Doodles (Gina K Designs) Ink: Certainly Celery, White Craft (SU!), Brilliance Graphite Black Cardstock: Certainly Celery, Lovely Lilac, Shimmery White (SU!) Paper: Prints Sampler (SU!) Other: Copic markers, Giga Scalloped Circle Punch & Mega Circle Punch (Marvy Uchida), dotted ribbon (May Arts), 1/8" handheld punch, Stamping Sponge, Stampin' Dimensionals (SU!)

It's Tubby Time!

Happy Friday! As I look out my window, it's SNOWING... again. We're expected to get several inches over the next 24 hours. The kids are being released from school 2 hours early, and my afternoon Kindergartener doesn't have school today. Did anyone inform the Powers That Be that it's MARCH?!? Anyway, here's my card for this week's Amy's Friday Sketch. In keeping with my theme this week, I used a neglected stamp on this one. Tubby Time is one of the first C.C. Designs stamps I received, and it's so darn cute. I don't use it nearly enough. The background is the Polka Dots Big Ol' Background stamp. I paper pieced the tub and added Liquid Applique to the suds. Before the Liquid Applique was dry, I sprinkled some Dazzling Diamonds Glitter onto it to make the suds sparkle. Then I heat set it to puff it up. I added some sponging and faux stitching to the image panel, and I mounted it on dimensionals. The sentiment is from a Studio G clear stamp set I purchased from the Michaels $1 bin. I added some dots to the scallop and also mounted it on dimensionals.

That's about it! We're going to have a busy weekend, provided the snow isn't too bad. I will be in Louisville with Megan tomorrow for a volleyball tournament, and we are going to a St. Pat's party tomorrow night. I hope your weekend is a great one -- thanks so much for visiting today! :)

Stamps: Bitzy Bugz Tubby Time, Polka Dots Big Ol' Background (C.C. Designs), sentiment from Studio G Ink: Basic Black, So Saffron (SU!) Cardstock: Pretty in Pink, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Petals and Paisley (SU!) Other: Got Flowers (Prima Marketing); Soft Subtles brads, paper piercer and mat pack, scalloped circle punch, 1 3/8" circle punch, 1 1/4" circle punch, Stampin' Dimensionals, stamping sponge, Pretty in Pink marker, Certainly Celery marker, DD glitter (SU!); black gel pen, white gel pen (Marvy); Liquid Applique

Still Dusting Off My Supplies...

Hello there! I'm back with another installment in my "Neglected Items" series! :) This time, I dusted off my SU! Spiral Punch. It's not that I don't love it, because it's actually one of my favorite punches, but I just forget to use it! I only think to get it out if I'm doing an "office themed" project, but it is a great way to add interest to anything. You can create faux filmstrips or just add a fun border, like I did on this card. I created this card for the Guest Designer Challenge on the My Favorite Things Forum at SCS. I stopped by the forum last night for the MFT Release Party -- it was crazy as usual! During the party the GD Challenge was posted -- the challenge is to make a project with a monochromatic color scheme. The set I used is Serenity Now, from last month's MFT release. It hadn't seen ink before today -- that counts as neglected, doesn't it? ;) The background paper is BasicGrey Perhaps, and the girls are paper pieced with SU! Bali Breeze. The rest of the images are colored with Copics. I curved the sentiment on the acrylic block before stamping -- one of the benefits of those clear stamps! I added some distressing and machine stitching, and the panels are mounted on dimensionals. This was a fun card to make, and I'm glad I used my forgotten punch!

Tomorrow is another Amy's Sketch Challenge at All That Scraps -- you can be sure my card will include some more neglected supplies! Thanks so much for visiting today -- have a wonderful day!

Stamps: Serenity Now (MFT) Ink: Basic Black, Brilliance Graphite Black Cardstock: Pretty in Pink, Purely Pomegranate, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Perhaps (BasicGrey), Bali Breeze (SU!) Other: Copic Markers; Spiral Punch, Pretty in Pink brads, Cutter Kit, Stampin' Dimensionals (SU!); flower (Prima Marketing), ribbon (May Arts), sewing machine & pink thread

Neglected Stamps, Part II

Hi, everyone! Yesterday I pulled out an under-used stamp set, Simply Said, for my Color Challenge card. That got me to thinking: I have so many sets, papers and tools that I don't use -- they get pushed to the side when the latest and greatest set, paper or tool comes along. So, I've decided to make this week a Neglected Items Week! When I saw today's Sketch Challenge, this set was the first to come to mind. Heartfelt Thanks was THE set to have a year or so ago, and there were samples all over the place... now I hardly ever see it. It is truly one of my favorite sets, and it deserves a little more love than I've been giving it! Here it is, combined with Le Jardin paper (another neglected item) -- I was pleased to see that it coordinates very well with the Pretty Petals background stamp!

On the center panel, I stamped the flower image twice in Versamark, then I did Poppin' Pastels over it. I used my finger to apply Stampin' Pastels directly to the Versamark. I then added the sentiment and sponged around the edge. For the flower in the circle, I stamped the image in Always Artichoke then watercolored with an Aquapainter and inks (So Saffron and Bashful Blue). I added some Dazzling Diamonds glitter to the center. I pierced down the side of the vertical panel, then I added ribbon and brads. The center panel and circle are mounted on Dimensionals.

Here's my challenge to you -- dust off those unused supplies and get stamping! You just might fall in love all over again! :) Thanks for visiting -- have a great day!

All supplies Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Heartfelt Thanks, Pretty Petals Ink: Always Artichoke, So Saffron, Bashful Blue, Versamark Cardstock: Bashful Blue, Always Artichoke, Very Vanilla Paper: Le Jardin dsp Other: Stampin' Pastels, Aquapainter, DD glitter, Very Vanilla taffeta ribbon, paper piercer and mat pack, Soft Subtles brads, 1 1/4" & 1 3/8" circle punches, Stampin' Dimensionals

Wild Pomegranate Flowers

Good morning! It's a rainy, cool day here -- good for staying inside and stamping! :) Actually, I was up and out early this morning -- I had to take my two oldest kids to an orthodontist appointment before school. I was able to check out today's Color Challenge when I got home. My youngest did not go to school today, since she has a nasty cough and cold, so I was able to get a card made while she napped.

The colors today are Wild Wasabi, Purely Pomegranate, and So Saffron. This card came together pretty easily with the help of my Cutie Pie paper! Just yesterday I had decided to use some of my neglected stamp sets, and Simply Said was perfect for this design. I added some Flower Fusion flowers and some brads to the stamped image, and I embellished with stitched grosgrain. For the sentiment, I took the stamp and inked up just the the word "friend" with a Basic Black marker.

That's it -- a simple and fun design! Sometimes that designer paper does a lot of the work for me! :) I hope you're having a good day -- thanks so much for stopping by!

All products Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Simply Said Ink:Basic Black, Wild Wasabi, So Saffron Cardstock: So Saffron, Wild Wasabi, Whisper White Paper: Cutie Pie Other: Flower Fusion, Lg & Sm Oval Punches, 3/16" Corner Rounder, Wild Wasabi & Purely Pomegranate stitched grosgrain, Blender Pen, Soft Subtles brads, Stamping Sponge, Stampin' Dimensionals

Debossed Blossoms

Hello! I hope you had a great weekend! It's Monday, and that means a new Technique Challenge at SCS. Today the technique is Debossing Vellum. I had never done this technique before, so I was glad to try something new. My fellow ATS Design Team member Linda Black is today's guest host. Her technique tutorial can be found HERE or on the SCS challenge thread.

I really like how my card turned out, but the process was not easy. I am a sloooooooow card maker when I'm designing my own projects. I agonize over layouts and details -- I try something, look at it a while, try something different, and eventually decide I'm happy with it. That's what happened with this card. Deciding on the image to deboss was no problem, and I chose my paper and colors just fine, but then I spent waaaaay too much time getting all the details just right when it was time to put it all together!

Most of it is self-explanatory, but I will tell you that I colored behind the debossed vellum with markers, then I applied the vellum oval to the Pumpkin Pie scalloped oval. I used my Quickie Glue Pen (*love* that thing) to draw a thin line of glue around the edge of the vellum. It's difficult to adhere vellum without the adhesive showing, but the Quickie glue is not too noticable. I added dots to the scallops with a white gel pen, and I mounted the scalloped oval on dimensionals.

That's all for today -- thanks so much for visiting! I always am so thankful to all of you for your kindness and encouragement! Have a great day! :)

All products Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted.

Stamps: Embrace Life Ink: Stazon Jet Black, Basic Black, Old Olive Cardstock: Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie Paper: vellum, Bali Breeze DSP Other: stylus, markers - Tempting Turquoise, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, Old Olive brads, Old Olive 5/8" grosgrain ribbon, 3/16" corner rounder, Stampin' Dimensionals, white gel pen (Marvy), Mega Oval Punch & Giga Scalloped Oval Punch (Marvy Uchida), Quickie Glue Pen