The Boo Crew!

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Have you heard the news? Today My Favorite Things has released a line of Digital Stamps! Many of your favorite MFT images are now available as digi images -- and there's a brand spankin' new Halloween image by Stephanie Fizer! It's available individually or as part of the Boo Crew Digi Kit! The kit includes the image, sentiment sheet, tag sheet, poem, instructions, and project idea sheet -- all for $5.95! It's perfect for "BOOing" your neighbors and friends! I used the kit to make this "Boo Bucket" and card.

I used the tree from Too Cute to Spook and added some googly eyes to mimic this fun Bo Bunny Boo Crew paper. I stamped the spider border from Ghoulish Label Set around the sentiment before cutting it out. The ribbons are from the Halloween Collection Ribbon Nest.

How cute is this Boo Crew image?!? I colored with Prismacolor Pencils blended with Turpenoid.

The inside of the card has the poem which is included in the kit. It prints out 4 poems per sheet. I stamped the spider from Ghoulish Label Set and machine stitched a web.

Can you tell I had a blast making this project? I can't wait to surprise our neighbors! :)

You have to check out this kit and all the new digi stamps HERE!! So fun!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I appreciate it so much!

Have a great day! :)

Christina

ATS Preview!

Hi there! Happy Tuesday! Buckle up, everyone -- it's going to be a week of new stamps! Today I have a preview of a new set by AmyR Stamps. It's called Congrats Sentiments. I paired it with this C.C. Designs Coffee Kiki image. I had a little fun with it, and I "aged" her hair just a bit! After all, she IS retiring! ;)
I colored with Copics, and I gave her slippers some fuzziness with Fun Flock. The paper is Junebug by BasicGrey. I added some machine stitching to the sides of the plaid panel, and I rounded the corners at the bottom of the card.

Tomorrow the New Stamps Week continues with a special release from My Favorite Things, and then it's on to more ATS previews! I hope you'll stop back to check 'em out! Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Have a great day!
Christina

Catching Up

Hi, friends! Happy Monday! I'm sorry about not posting at all over the weekend -- we had a very busy few days and not much down time! Today I'll be working on some samples for upcoming releases, and I'm planning some "fun stamping", too -- so I'll be sure to have something to share tomorrow!

Thanks, as always, for stopping by!

Have a great day! :)
Christina

ATS Friday Review: Autumn Sugarplums

Hello there! TGIF!! Today's ATS Friday Review is of the newly-released Autumn Sugarplums stamps. This is Mummy Trevor -- isn't he just SO cute? I had fun using my new BasicGrey Eerie paper (best Halloween paper EVER!) and Martha Stewart Drippy Goo punch.

I fussed and fussed over where to place a sentiment, so I finally just gave up. I finished the inside of the card, so I can stamp a sentiment there when I send it!

Stop by the ATS Blog later on today to see what the other girls have created with these adorable Sugarplums images! :)

The weekend is finally here -- I hope you have plans to enjoy it! it's been raining like crazy for a few days now, and we're in for a couple more days of it, so it might be a cozy weekend of stamping for me! :)

Thanks for stopping by today -- have a fantastic Friday!
Christina

Buttoned Up!

Happy Thursday, everyone! Today's My Favorite Challenge is to use buttons on your project! For Joanne and me, that's never a problem! ;) I used the set Grow Love Plant a Tree, and the paper is Lemonade by BasicGrey. I stamped the tree on three different patterns of paper, then I cut out the parts and paper pieced them.

Other products used: Oval Nestabilities, corner rounder, buttons, twine, ribbon, dimensionals, sewing machine.

I inked up only part of the sentiment, placing the words horizontally instead of vertically. That's one of the things I love about clear stamps -- you can adjust your sentiment to suit your layout!

Well, that's it for now! I'll have more stampy fun for you tomorrow, so I hope you'll stop back! :)

Thanks so much for taking the time to visit today! Have a great day!

Christina

Happy Birthday, Kyle!

Yesterday was my son Kyle's 17th birthday. I'm not sure how that happened -- I'm NOT that old! ;) We celebrated with a family dinner at a favorite local restaurant. Here's the card I made for him. He has always loved penguins, so this image was the perfect choice! The stamps are from the set You Say It's Your Birthday from The Cat's Pajamas.

I used BasicGrey Boxer paper, and I colored with Copics. The buttons and twine are from Papertrey Ink. I paper pieced the balloon, pierced around the image panel, and sponged around the circle. I really like the way it turned out, and I think Kyle liked it, too! :)

Tomorrow I'll have the My Favorite Challenge for you, so I hope you'll stop back! Thanks so much for the visit today!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Christina

Clean and Simple Note Card

Hi there! Happy Tuesday! I went Clean and Simple (CAS) with today's card. I know you know by now how much I love my buttons, bows, paper piecing, and stitches, especially when playing with my My Favorite Things stamps. This card shows how easy it is to use those MFT images for CAS cards, too!

I am putting together a wine themed basket for a silent auction, and I wanted to include some notecards/invitations. I wanted to keep it simple, because the winner of the basket might not like all that "stuff" on their cards, ya know? The cocktail napkins that I purchased for the basket have a trio of wine glasses on a white background, so I recreated it on the cards.

The wine glass image is from Girls Night Out, and the sentiment is from Meet Me at the Cafe. First, I stamped the center glass on the cardstock. I masked it using an Eclipse Masking Panel, then I stamped the other two glasses. I colored with Prismacolor Pencils blended with turpenoid. The only embellishments are two scored lines at the bottom and some sheer burgundy ribbon. I also stamped a matching Kraft envelope.

That's it -- easy peasy! It's a simple, personalized addition to the basket. And, it took me no time at all to make a set of eight cards. I think I'll look for some more ways to use my images for CAS cards -- I'll let you know what I come up with! :)

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Have a great day!
Christina

Celebrating MFT... a Day Late!

Happy Monday, everyone! Yesterday was the 20th of the month, and that means it was Celebrate MFT Day! It's a day to get out those MFT stamps and show them some love! I had the best of intentions to get this card posted yesterday, but the day got away from me! So, here it is, better late than never!

I'm also celebrating the beginning of autumn with this card! I used my new BasicGrey Indian Summer paper (love it!). Flopsey is drinking a warm mug of coffee on a cool autumn day! I colored with Copics, and I used Prima leaves and Sunflower Dew Drops as embellishments. The ribbon is part of the MFT Chocolate Kiss Collection. The sketch is MFTSC99.

Joanne has invited five talented ladies to participate in the September Celebrate MFT Customer Blog Hop -- start at Joanne's Blog to see what they've created! Then be sure to check out the Celebrate MFT Gallery!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! :)

Have a great day!
Christina

Sunday Supper: Smashed Potato Soup

Hello, there! Happy Sunday to you! I didn't get a chance to post anything this weekend -- it's been a busy one, to say the least! We've had a family party, soccer game, cross country meet, anniversary party, and a fundraiser to attend! It makes me tired just typing it! ;)

We had some beautiful weather here last week, but it looks like rain and cooler temps are coming for an extended visit. And, we officially welcome autumn this week, too! Here's a warm and satisfying slow-cooker recipe that is perfect for the cool days ahead!

Smashed Potato Soup

3 1/2 lbs potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped yellow and/or red sweet pepper
1 1/2 tsp bottled minced roasted garlic
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 of an 8-oz package (1 cup) shredded cheddar cheese
4 medium green onions, thinly sliced (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup whipping cream, half-and-half, or light cream
Additional sliced green onions for garnish (optional)

In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine potatoes, sweet pepper, garlic and black pepper. Pour broth over mixture in cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours. Use a potato masher to mash potatoes slightly. Stir in cheese, green onions, and cream. Garnish with additional green onions if desired.

Note: I sometimes like to add bacon bits to my potato soup -- yummy!

Thank you all so much for the visit! Have a wonderful Sunday, and don't forget to spend some time around the supper table!

Christina

Thanks a Latte!

Happy Thursday! Today's My Favorite Challenge is an MFT Rewind! We want you to use one of your first MFT purchases! My first MFT set was Hot Stuff, and I used it to make this thank you card.

It's pretty simple -- some Copic coloring, paper piecing, and a punched border. I wanted to let this gorgeous 29th Street Market paper (My Mind's Eye) speak for itself! The button and ribbon are from My Favorite Things.

That's it for today! I'm going to try to get some laundry done and clean up my kitchen before the kids get home from school! Thanks so much for visiting today!

Have a great day!
Christina

Coffee? Tea?

Happy Wednesday! Today's project is one I created for the September MFT Release, but I forgot to blog it here before now! I used the Who's That Girl set called Coffee? Tea?. I'm a coffee lover, and I have many friends who are coffee lovers. I also have a lot of tea-lovin' friends! This set is just SO perfect for cards and gifts for all those special people!

I had picked up the coffee candle at Hobby Lobby, and I gave it a decorative band and a tag. The pocket card holds a Starbucks gift card. I love the gorgeous, autumn colors in this Botanicabella paper by Graphic 45 -- perfect with my coffee theme! :)

Here's the inside of the card...

And here's a closeup of the candle tag. I heat embossed the mug image and cut it out. All coloring was done with Copics.

Have you seen Mr. Roboto, the September MFT Kit? It's so cute and SO much fun! I posted this month's MFT Kit Challenge over at Splitcoaststampers -- you can find it HERE. I'll have my kit samples to share with you later on this week! :)

Well, I'm off to begin a busy day! Our afternoon and evening will be filled with practices, a Brownie meeting, and parent mini night at Megan's high school! I need to get a few things done before then!

Thanks so much for stopping by today -- I appreciate it SO much!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Christina

Button Birthday

Happy Tuesday! I had some time this past weekend to play with some sets which hadn't yet seen ink. If you remember, several friends and I spent quite a bit of time and money at the Papertrey Ink booth during the CHA Supershow. I still hadn't given my new sets the attention they deserve, so I got to work. I used Everyday Button Bits to make this birthday card. It's going to a friend whose birthday is this week -- and she happens to be the one who spent the most time at the PTI booth! ;)

You probably know by now that I *love* this October Afternoon Cherry Hill paper. I saw these two patterns lying together on my stamping counter, so I put them together on this card. Actually, after I was finished, I decided this combination would be perfect for a Christmas card!

I embellished with more PTI products: the ribbon, buttons, twine, and Vintage Touch tea dye ink (around the image panel). I also machine stitched around the paper panels.

Tomorrow I'll have some MFT fun to share with you, so I hope you'll stop back! Thank you so much for taking the time to visit today!

Have a great day!
Christina

Funky Holiday Card

Happy Monday, everyone! Today's card is a little more clean and simple than I usually make. Although I love all the layers and texture in my cards, sometimes I need to change things up a little bit to keep things interesting! I hope you like it! :)

This is definitely a funky Christmas card, but I love how it turned out! The image is Bird on a Tree by Robin Pickens, and the sentiment is from the Fall cling mounted set. Both are from American Art Stamp. I DO love this Cosmo Cricket Early Bird paper, and I thought the colors would work for a holiday card! I colored, of course, with Copics.

That's all for now! Thank you so much for visiting today!

Have a great day! :)
Christina

Sunday Supper: Chicken-Potato Casserole

Happy Sunday, everyone! The temperatures are getting cooler here, and thoughts of autumn are on my mind now. Today's recipe is perfect for the change of season -- it's a hot and satisfying casserole. My kids are big fans of au gratin potatoes, so when I came across this recipe I knew I wanted to try it! It's certainly not a low-fat recipe, but sometimes you just have to go with something tasty! :)

Chicken-Potato Casserole (from cooks.com)
1 pkg. Betty Crocker Au Gratin potatoes
2 1/2 c. boiling water
2 tbsp. butter
1 c. (5 oz.) evaporated milk
1 c. (10 3/4 oz.) cream of mushroom soup
2 c. cut up cooked chicken
1 can (4 oz.) sliced mushrooms, drained
2 tbsp. chopped onion
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c. crunched cornflakes

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix all ingredients except cheese and cornflakes in ungreased 2 quart casserole. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 35 minutes. Sprinkle with cornflakes. Bake 5 minutes longer.

Enjoy! :)

Thanks for stopping by today! Have a wonderful Sunday, and don't forget to spend some time around the supper table!

Christina

Anniversary Monogram

TGIF!! I'm ready for the weekend -- how about you? It's going to be a quiet one for me. Megan left yesterday to go to St. Louis with her Cross Country team, Kyle left today for Ashland, Kentucky with his Soccer team, and Chris is gone this weekend on retreat. It's just Anna and Caroline at home with me this weekend! I'll probably take them to a movie sometime tomorrow, but while they're playing with friends I'll be stamping! :)

I thought I'd share the card I made for my in-laws' 50th wedding anniversary last weekend. I wanted to do something simple and elegant, and I think I accomplished it! I used the JustRite Special Occasions Monogram Kit, and I stamped the image in SU! Basic Gray ink. I sponged some SU! Going Gray ink around the circle to add a little depth.


Here are the other products I used:

Paper: Ambrosia 6x6 pad (BasicGrey)
Accessories: Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug, Textile Texture embossing folder (Provo Craft), Lace Edge punch (Martha Stewart), white organza ribbon (SU!), adhesive rhinestones (Michaels)

Before I go today, I just wanted to leave a reminder for all of us to never forget...

Thanks so much for stopping by today -- have a fantastic Friday!

Christina

Heavy Metal!

Happy Thursday, everyone! Joanne is this week's My Favorite Challenge hostess, and the challenge is to use metal -- embossing powders, embellishments, containers, whatever! I created this tin full of chocolates for my sample.

I filled the Rectangular Window Tin with Hershey Nuggets (wrapped in silver -- more metal!). The images on the label are from the Ghoulish Label set. I cut out the tombstones, gave them some color with Copics, and popped them up on dimensionals. I distressed the edges of the cardstock layers. The ribbon is from the Halloween Ribbon Nest, and the metal brads are from the just-released September Kit. The paper is Boo Crew by Bo Bunny, and the colored cardstock is from SU!.

I'm happy to have a head-start on my Halloween treats! I think I'll make some more of these for the girls' teachers! :)

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Have a great day!

Christina

We're experiencing some technical difficulties...

Happy Wednesday! I had planned to share my ATS Challenge card and some photos of the new MFT Kit today, but Blogger won't let me upload any photos. UGH!!! I've tried from my laptop and my home computer, and no luck!! I'll try to edit them in later, but here are the deets for both...

ATS Challenge #62
This week's ATS Challenge is watercoloring. It was a good one for me, because I tend to rely too much on my Copics lately! ;) All of the ATS Wednesday Challenges can be found HERE on the ATS Forum. Lesa should have the new challenge posted soon, and you'll be able to see the DT projects later today on the ATS Blog.

ETA: I finally got it to upload! Here is my card for today's Watercolor Challenge. The paper is from Provo Craft, and the Moon and Stars punch is from EK Success. I watercolored with an Aquapainter and SU! inks. I colored the adhesive star rhinestones with a Copic marker.




MFT September Kit
It's available TODAY! Oh my goodness -- this one is SO cute! Meet Mr. Roboto! The image and the digi papers are just adorable -- I can't wait to play with them! I'll have this month's MFT Kit Challenge for you next Wednesday, so order your kit and play along! :)

Okay, that's all for now! Tomorrow I'll have this week's My Favorite Challenge for you! Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Have a great day!
Christina

Autumn Greetings

Happy Tuesday, everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the long weekend! Ours was busy, but fun! Yesterday we stayed at home and caught up on some things around the house. I did some work in the garden, finished a few loads of laundry, and got some stamping done, too!

This card features the Fall cling mounted stamp set from American Art Stamp. I colored the image with Copics. I used some Autumn Flower Soft along the ground line, and I sponged around the image and sentiment with SU! More Mustard ink. The satin ribbon and crystals are from My Favorite Things. The paper is retired SU! Autumn Vine.

Autumn is definitely around the corner -- I can feel it! I'm really looking forward to sweater weather and falling leaves! :)

Thanks for taking the time to visit today -- I really do appreciate it!

Have a great day!
Christina

CC Designs Autumn Sugarplums Blog Hop!

Welcome to the CC Designs Autumn Sugarplums Blog Hop! The Autumn Sugarplums release is so huge that the whole team wanted to participate with a Blog Hop! Hopefully you've seen all the fantastic projects so far, but if you haven't, go to the ATS Blog HERE to start at the beginning!

Autumn... cool days, school, sweatshirts, pumpkins, colorful leaves, apple cider... it's my favorite season. All of the images in the Autumn Sugarplums collection reflect everything I love about this time of year. This little Sugarplum and her basket of apples just screams Autumn to me, so I chose it for my Blog Hop project. The base is Kraft cardstock, and the paper is from the Cherry Hill collection by October Afternoon. I colored with Copics.

Please don't forget to leave a comment here! One comment will be randomly chosen from all of the Blog Hop posts -- and the winner will receive the entire Autumn Sugarplums stamp collection! :)

I'm the last stop on the Hop! Thanks so much for hopping along with us! Don't forget -- all of the new ATS sets will be released tomorrow (Monday) at 10 pm Eastern.

ETA: The winner of the Blog Hop Giveaway has been announced -- see THIS post on the ATS Blog to find out who it is! :)

Thanks for visiting -- have a great day! :)

Christina

Halloween Candy

Happy Saturday! I have another All That Scraps preview for you today -- this time it's the new C.C. Designs set called Halloween Candy. I'm not a fan of scary Halloween images, and that's why I love the stamps in this set. This little treak-or-treater is so cute and so happy! :)

I colored with Copics (no surprise there, huh?). I just love this Bo Bunny Boo Crew paper -- the colors are so much fun! I did some machine stitching around the paper panels, and I sponged around the image and sentiment with SU! Only Orange ink.

Be sure to stop by the ATS Blog to see more samples of the new sets. They will be released Monday, September 7, at 10 pm. Tomorrow all of us on the ATS Design Team will have a Blog Hop to show you all the adorable Autumn Sugarplums images being released! I hope you'll check it out!

Today is a big day -- it's my in-laws' 50th wedding anniversary, and there's a party tonight! Their seven children and spouses, 18 grandchildren, and lots of family and friends will be there to celebrate with them! I can't wait! :)

Thanks for visiting today -- I appreciate it so much!

Have a wonderful day!
Christina

It's All about the Shoes

Happy Friday, everyone! Today I have the first of several All That Scraps previews to share with you! It's a HUGE release -- and I think you're going to love the sets! They're going to be released Monday, September 7 at 10:00 pm Eastern. We'll also be having a Blog Hop on Sunday to feature all the new autumn Sugarplums stamps! :)

I made this card with Ollie and Griselda, the new set from Cookie Crumbs Stamps. There are witch and owl images, plus several cute sentiments. I just love this image of the witch shoes -- I paper pieced them and colored with Copics.

The ATS Blog has samples of this set and the other new sets, too -- be sure to stop by and check them out! You can find out how to win a set of your own, too! :)

I'll have more ATS previews for you tomorrow! Thanks so much for stopping by today! :)

Have a fantastic Friday!
Christina

Stamps: Ollie and Griselda (Cookie Crumbs Stamps) Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko), Pumpkin Pie (SU!) Cardstock: Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black (SU!), C.C. Designs white cardstock Paper: Haunted (Cosmo Cricket) Other: Copics, 7/8" black grosgrain ribbon, black button (PTI), twine, black brads, sponge, dimensionals, sewing machine

My Favorite Challenge: MFT Colors

Happy Thursday, everyone! This week's My Favorite Challenge is to use the MFT Colors -- Pink, Black and White -- on your project. For my sample I used the just-released MFT set Too Cute to Spook, illustrated by Stephanie Fizer.

I embossed the background paper with the D'vine Swirls folder to mimic the curls in the tree branches. I paper pieced the little witch's dress. The image is cut out and popped up on dimensionals.

I have some All That Scraps samples to show you this weekend -- the release is Monday, September 7. I know it will be a busy few days, since it's the holiday weekend here in the US, but I hope you'll stop by! Thanks for taking the time to visit today! :)

Have a great day!
Christina

Stamps: Too Cute to Spook (MFT Presents) Ink: Basic Black, Memento Tuxedo Black Cardstock: C.C. Designs white cardstock, MFT Perfect Paper Panels, Basic Black Paper: Porcelain Dot (Bo Bunny) Other: Cuttlebug, D'vine Swirls embossing folder (Provo Craft), black ribbon (PTI), black brads, sewing machine

Hey, Party Girls... You're Invited!

Hi there! You've come to my stop on the MFT Spooktacular September Blog Hop! If you didn't start at Kim's Blog, go back -- I'll wait! ;)

As Kim mentioned, one of us has some BLOG CANDY to give away... but that someone is a secret! She won't even reveal her identity during the Blog Hop, so you'll have to leave a comment at EACH post along the way if you want to win! The Blog Candy winner (and the secret Blog Candy giver) will be revealed during the Release Party tomorrow (Wednesday) night at the MFT Member Company Forum.

Okay, now for my project! You're invited to devilishly good evening... and your invitation is in the mail! :) I used the set Party Girl (illustrated by Amanda Baird) to alter this tin mailbox. I colored with Copics and cut out the images. I printed out the invitation, then I stamped the sentiment on the top. I thought it would be a fun way to invite friends to a Halloween get-together!

You're finished at my stop -- now check out what devilish fun Kathy Daume' has cooked up for you! I'm sure it's fabulous! :)

Thanks for hopping by!

Christina