Baby Boom!

Happy Friday, everyone! Today's card is one of several baby cards I needed to make. It seems that everyone around me is having babies: two neighbors, three moms of Caroline's classmates, and my sister-in law -- I'm not drinking the water, that's for sure! ;)

Anyway, here's a baby girl card for my neighbor. I used Verve's Practically Perfect -- it's one of my all-time favorite baby sets! The paper is SU! Razzleberry Lemonade. I paper pieced the bunny's belly, feet and bow, and I colored the rest with Copics. I did some machine stitching around the border, and I applied pearl stickers to the necklace. The eyelet border punch and Prima Caboodles add some more frilly, feminine touches to this girly card! :)

I have some baby boy cards to make, too -- so I'll be showing those to you soon! I think I'll get busy on them after Caroline goes to school. Thank you so much for stopping by today -- I always appreciate it!

Have a fantastic Friday! :)
Christina

MFT November Hop!

ETA: Guess What?? I'm the Blog Candy giver this month! Our winner is:

bluepoohbear75 said...
Great card. I love all the colors and the paper.

Congrats! Please email me your address, and I'll forward it to Kim! :)


Hi there! Welcome to my stop on the My Favorite Things November Blog Hop! This release is full of fabulous sets -- I just can't choose a favorite! If you haven't seen all the goodness so far, head back to Kim's Blog and start from there! Go ahead -- I'll wait! ;)

My project features the set Wrapped in Love, which is this month's Who's That Girl? set. I had some fun with it, and I created a tall card (8.5" x 3.5") to hold all of the gifts! She's obviously been a good girl this year! ;) The main image in the set is WTG holding just the bottom box, and the other packages are additional images. I did a LOT of paper piecing with my BasicGrey Wassail paper!

Here's a closeup so you can see some of the details better (those tall cards are difficult to photograph!). I machine stitched around the paper panels, and I applied some Icicle Stickles to the bow on top. The top two packages are popped up on dimensionals.

There are sentiments in the set that are perfect for birthdays, too -- so you have a lot of possibilites! SO fun! :)

That's all for my stop! Next you'll be visiting my very sweet and mega-talented friend Joanne Basile -- get ready to feast your eyes on something fabulous! Also, don't forget to leave a comment at each stop along the way -- one of us has some blog candy to give away!

I hope you enjoyed your time here -- thanks so much for hopping by!

Christina

Freezin' Season

This is my favorite time of year to be a paper crafter. I {heart} snowy images, texture and lots of layers. I think the texture and layers are my way of making the snowy images more warm and cozy! ;) It's no surprise, then, that I {heart} Cool Yule, another new set from My Favorite Things!

I had a lot of fun with this card! I used my Cuttlebug snowflakes folder, some Imaginisce snowflakes paper, and a snowflakes border punch. They're just perfect with these adorable snowy friends, don't you think? I stamped the bird so it's standing on the polar bear's head, and I colored both with Copics. I paper pieced the scarf and applied Stickles to the hat. The machine stitching and stitched ribbon give it some warmth. I just love the way it turned out! :)

You can find more Teasers with this adorable set if you visit these members of the MFT Design Team (if they aren't posted yet, check back -- you don't want to miss the eye candy!):
Kim
Kirsten
Joanne
Jessie
Natalie
Michele
Cindy
Jody
Amy
Barbara

Don't forget -- Release Day is tomorrow! The Release Party will be from 8-10 pm right HERE on the MFT Member Company Forum at SCS. Then, at 10:00 pm, we'll have our Release Blog Hop as the sets go live! :)

That's all the stampy goodness I have for now, but I promise more fun tomorrow! Thanks so much for the visit today!

Have a great day!
Christina

Introducing Pure Innocence!

Happy Monday, everyone! Today's MFTeasers are of images from a totally adorable NEW line! It's called Pure Innocence, and there are five images being released this month! I have two of them to show you here! On the first, I used some October Afternoon paper for the background, and I punched the bottom. I paper pieced her dress with some Cosmo Cricket Girl Friday paper.

On my second sample I paired the image with BasicGrey Eskimo Kisses paper. I paper pieced her clothes and machine stitched around one of the panels. I applied Icicle Stickles to the snowballs and to the punched snowflakes.

You can find more samples of these darling girls if you visit some of my MFT sisters:

Amy, Melody, Cindy, Frances, Susan, Kirsten, Natalie, Kathy, Jessie, Jody, Barbara, Michele and Joanne.

Remember, all of the new MFT stamps will be released this Wednesday, November 4, at 10:00 pm Eastern!

That's all for today -- I'll have another teaser for you tomorrow! :)

Have a great day!

Christina

Gifty Girl Goes Christmas Shopping!

Happy Sunday! I hope your Halloween was full of lots of treats and no tricks! Today it's time to begin the MFTeasers for the My Favorite Things November release! This is Gifty Girl -- she was previously in a MFT Kit, but now she's being released all by herself! :)

I used her to make this shopping notebook. Hopefully it will help me keep my Christmas shopping more organized! I started with a mini composition book, and I covered it with BasicGrey Eskimo Kisses 6x6 paper (I love the colors in this collection!). I paper pieced the image and embellished with a scalloped border, ribbon, and brads. I punched tabs from the paper and attached them to sheets inside the notebook.

Be sure to check out what the rest of the Design Team has created! You can find teasers from: Kim
Frances
Joanne
Jessie
Cindy
and our Guest Designer- Melody Rupple

I'll have another Teaser for you tomorrow, so I hope you'll stop back! Thank you so much for the visit today!

Have a great day!

Christina

Country Tag

Happy Friday, everyone! Today's All That Scraps Preview is of the new set by Cookie Crumbs Stamps called Country Shelf. The darling homespun items are designed to go on and around the shelf image, but I thought they'd also be perfect on gift tags! I made this one with the stocking image, and I paired it with BasicGrey Figgy paper and some wide striped ribbon.

Stop by the ATS Blog to see some adorable samples with more of the images from this set! All of the ATS releases will be available Monday, November 2 at 10:00 pm! :)

Well, the weekend is here! It will be a fun one, for sure! I hope it's off to a great start for you! Thanks so much for visiting today! :)

Have a fantastic Friday!
Christina

So You Think You Can Stamp!

Happy Thursday! I'm interrupting the previews to share this fun project with you! You probably know by now that My Favorite Things is having a "So You Think You Can Stamp" contest. The grand prize winner will receive all the new MFT releases from December, 2009 through May, 2010!! Each week there is a different "dance" theme, and the winner moves on as a finalist. This week's (Week 4) theme is "Hip Hop -- so bold it POPS!". You can read all the details HERE on the MFT Member Company Forum at SCS.

I just had to play along and make a sample for this week! I used a Perfect Packaging jar to make these Hip Hop Treats. I used Flopsey Chocolate Bunny for the "hip hop" *giggle*, BasicGrey Lime Rickey paper for the "bold", and I used dimensional pieces to "pop" up the arm and footrest on the chair.

I spelled out "yum" on the lid with Bling 'Bet, and I applied Adornments crystals to the letters. The jar is filled with -- what else? -- Kisses and Hugs. :)

It was fun to make this bright, bold treat jar. I know it will brighten someone's spirits! I hope you'll play along in the SYTYCS contest -- you have until Monday, October 2 to enter this week's challenge!

I'll be back with another preview tomorrow -- thanks so much for stopping by today!

Have a great day!
Christina

New Swiss Pixies!

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I'm excited about today's ATS preview, because Christine's new Swiss Pixies are some of the cutest yet! :) This is Nora -- isn't she adorable? I paired her with a sentiment from another new set, AmyR's Christmas Words. The paper is BasicGrey Figgy. I paper pieced her outfit, and I punched the snowflakes from the paper as well. I applied rhinestone stickers to the snowflake centers, and I also embellished with some Stickles and machine stitching.

You can see more previews of the new sets on the ATS Blog. All the new releases will be available Monday, November 2 at 10:00 pm Eastern!

That's all until tomorrow -- I hope you'll stop back to see more! Thanks so much for visiting today!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Christina

Fall Fairy

Happy Tuesday! As promised, I have an All That Scraps Preview for you! This is Fidget Goblinspider, part of the Sweet November Stamps: Fairy Sweet line from new illustrator Amy Young. Isn't she cute? I used BasicGrey Indian Summer paper and turned her into a fall fairy! I colored with Copics and applied Stickles to her wings. The sentiment is from Thank You Sentiments by AmyR Stamps.

All of the new ATS releases will be available Monday, November 2 at 10:00 pm Eastern. Until then, stop by the ATS Blog for more previews -- and find out how to win a set of your own!

I'll have another ATS preview for you tomorrow, so I hope you'll be back! Thank you so much for visiting today! :)

Have a great day!
Christina

Back to Some Stamping!

Hello, friends! Happy Monday to you! I realize that my posts have been a bit sporadic lately -- life has forced my stamping and blogging to take a back seat (I hate when that happens!)! Subbing for most of the last two weeks caused other things to slip, and I spent much of the weekend catching up on laundry, housecleaning, errands, and bills. Plus, both Kyle and Megan are winding down their seasons in soccer and cross country. Kyle's soccer team is in the post-season tournament, and they play their next match tonight -- then again later in the week when they win. Megan did very well in her cross country meet Saturday in Louisville and earned a spot in her team's JV regional meet tomorrow. There has been a need for more "Mom" time than "Designer" time lately, but I wouldn't have it any other way! :)

I hope you'll be glad to know that I will have plenty of stampy fun for you in the next week -- it's New Release time! I'll have some ATS previews for you starting tomorrow, then the MFTeasers will follow! YAY! Today, though, I have a card to share featuring one of the new images from Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps. I fell in love with these funky and sassy Moonlight Whispers images, especially Francesca! Just look at that stack of cupcakes! :)

I used BasicGrey Urban Prairie paper, and I colored with Copics. I grabbed some embroidery floss and added stitching to a SU! felt flower, and I also machine stitched around the background paper.

This card is already in the mail to my sweet friend Joanne -- Happy Birthday, girlie! Stop by her blog and give her a little birthday love! :)

I'll have my first All That Scraps preview for you tomorrow -- I hope you'll stop back! Thank you so much for visiting today!

Have a wonderful day!
Christina

Keepin' It Simple, Vol. 2

Happy Friday, everyone! Today I have another Keepin' It Simple installment for you. I used the Papertrey Ink sets Rustic Branches and First Fruits to stamp this clean and simple card. I stamped the wreath three times, in SU! More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie, and Really Rust. I stamped the sentiment from First Fruits across the center of the wreath in Chocolate Chip ink, then I added some Stickles to the berries.

The only other elements are scoring, a scalloped edge, and this gorgeous suede ribbon from My Favorite Things. I stamped a matching envelope, and ta da -- a quick and easy Thanksgiving card! I could easily change this up with different colors, sentiment, or ribbon -- lots of possibilities from one simple card!

As always, thanks so much for stopping by today! I do appreciate it SO much!

Have a fantastic Friday! :)

Christina

ATS Challenge: Tall Card

Hi there! Happy Wednesday to you! I'm STILL subbing, and I'm still trying to get a grip on my schedule! LOL! I did sneak in some stamping time last night, because I wanted to make a card for this week's ATS Challenge. The challenge is to make a tall card. This one is 6.5" tall and 3.5" wide.

I used this adorable Witch Emma, and the paper is BasicGrey Eerie. I colored the image with Copics, then I cut it out and popped it up on dimensionals. I embellished with ribbon, button, twine, brads, and Drippy Goo punch.

Guess what? The ATS challenges have a new home! You can find them on the new ATS Challenge Blog. Each Wednesday a new challenge will be posted, and you can link your own cards to the challenge posts! I hope you all will check out the samples and play along with us!

That's all for today! I'm off to begin another day with second graders -- I'm really going to miss them when their teacher returns! She's been really ill, so say a little prayer for her!

Thank you so much for visiting today! I'm always glad when you stop by!

Have a wonderful Wednesday! :)

Christina

Take Time

Hello, friends! Happy Monday to you! I'm trying to get myself back into some kind of a routine after subbing last week. Actually, as you read this I'm subbing again for the 2nd grade! It's been fun, but it's been a little difficult juggling everything! Our weekend was a busy one, but I did get a little bit of time to stamp last night -- yay!

This card was made with Take Time to Savor, part of the Zenspirations line from American Art Stamp (which is on sale 30% off right now, along with all the other AAS images!). I tried to channel the spirit of my friend and AAS design teammate Amy, who always does such great things with rounded corners and the Top Note die. :)

The paper is from the Earth Love Mini Deck by Cosmo Cricket. I colored with Copics, sponged the edges of the image panel, and added some Stickles to the cattails.

That's it for today! I hope your week is off to a great start -- thank you for stopping by to visit!

Have a great day!

Christina

Out of This World!

Happy Friday, everyone! It's been a busy week of substitute teaching -- three days in the 7th grade, and today I'll be in the 2nd grade! I've really enjoyed it, and it reminds me how much I love and miss teaching. The only problem is that it has really put a dent in my stamping time! Luckily, I found this card I hadn't yet shared with you. I had made it earlier this month for the My Favorite Challenge to "get digital." I used the digi papers (and this adorable Love Machine image) from the Mr. Roboto MFT September Kit.

I gave some color to the image with Copics and a Stardust pen, and I added some brads from the kit to his body. See the little gear in the corner? I used my circle punches to make it. I'm working on a tutorial -- I hope to have it soon! :)

Well, I'm off to spend the day with second graders -- wish me luck! I'm itching to get some stamping done, so hopefully this weekend I'll get busy!

Thank you so much for visiting -- have a fantastic Friday!

Christina

Keepin' It Simple

Happy Wednesday, everyone! This week, I began doing some substitute teaching at my girls' school. I'm also in the process of making card sets to sell at my friend's store. On top of that, I'm trying to juggle my family's ever-crazy schedule and my stamping commitments. SOOOO, my focus has been on Keepin' It Simple. The sets of cards I'm selling are all clean and simple designs that will hopefully appeal to everyone. Here's a sample!

I used the Papertrey Ink sets Believe and Snowflake Serenade, and I stamped the images on shimmery white cardstock. Rhinestone stickers, white organza ribbon, and a snowflake punch are the only embellishments on this simple white card. I stamped coordinating envelopes and packaged them in a set of four.

I'll have more Keepin' It Simple installments for you in the upcoming weeks -- with the holidays right around the corner, I need to simplify all I can! :)

I hope you are having a good week so far -- I'm so glad you stopped by today!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Christina

Monday Morning Stretch

Happy Monday, everyone! Today's card features Side Angle Pose from American Art Stamp. Oh, how I wish I could start my Monday morning like that! Instead, I'm sucking down coffee as fast as I can so I can just wake up! ;)

I colored the image with Copics and sponged the edges with SU! Soft Sky ink. The paper is from October Afternoon. The sentiment is from Inspirational Words, also from American Art Stamp.

It's a cool autumn morning here in Northern Kentucky -- we're starting in the 40's and working up to the 60's. I truly do love this time of year! Well, I'm off to get some laundry done and get the house back together after the weekend! I hope your day is off to a good start -- thanks so much for stopping by!

Have a great day!

Christina

ATS Friday Review: Pond Life

Happy Friday, everyone! I can't believe another week has come and gone! Today I have a review of the newly-released set called Pond Life. It's from a new illustrator, Heather Rolin. I just love her style -- the images are adorable!

It's a pretty clean and simple design. The paper is from my new Cosmo Cricket Earth Love Mini Deck. *squeal* I love it! I colored the images with Copics. I cut out and popped up the dragonfly, and I applied Stickles to the wings. I decided to place the sentiment inside the card -- it says, "A true friend is you friend."

Stop by the ATS Blog later on today to see what the other girls have done with this set!

It's another busy day at the Fischer house -- the kids are off school, Kyle has a soccer match this evening, and my high school reunion is tonight! EEEEK! I hope your day is a great one -- thanks so much for stopping by!

Have a fantastic Friday!
Christina

Meet Me Under the Mistletoe

Happy Thursday, everyone! We had a lot of fun at the My Favorite Things Release Party last night! There were lots of prizes given away, and Kim announced the new contest, So You Think You Can Stamp!

Here's a card I shared last night. The image is from the new MFT set Santa Baby. I colored with Copics and added some Stickles. Before I adhered the ribbon, I gathered it at the top by pulling on the stitching from the end . I sponged everything (including the ribbon!) to give it a more antiqued, vintage look. The paper is the new Eskimo Kisses by BasicGrey.

I have two kids off school today for fall break -- all four of them will be off tomorrow! It looks like our weekend has already begun! :) I hope you're having a good day -- thanks so much for stopping by!

Christina

MFT October Blog Hop!

Hi there! You've made it to my stop on the MFT Blog Hop! If you didn't start at Kim's Blog, be sure to go back and start from there -- you don't want to miss any of the details of this month's release! It's a Brand Spankin' New MFT starting tomorrow, October 7! This release is a big one, with SO many great sets! Tonight I'm happy to be showing you Sweetie Pie Flopsey. It's no secret that I {heart} this little bunny! :)

I paired Flopsey with this October Afternoon paper to create a card that's as sweet as cherry pie! The image is colored with Copics, and I cut out and popped up the chef's hat. Some machine stitching and a lace edge punch give it a vintage kitchen look, don't you think? The other sentiments in the set are great for giving homemade baked goodies or sharing a recipe -- perfect with the holidays just around the corner!

Don't forget to join us for the Release Party tomorrow night from 8-10 pm Eastern on the MFT Member Company Forum at SCS. There will be more teasers, lots of chatter, and plenty of prizes up for grabs! Believe me, you want to be there! :)

That's all for my stop -- now make your way over to see what Frances has planned for you! It's sure to be something wonderful! I'm headed over to check it out myself! Thanks so much for hopping by!

Christina

A Balanced Holiday

Hi there! Happy Tuesday! Today's MFTeaser is of the set A Balanced Holiday. When I saw this set I immediately thought of this project -- a Countdown to Christmas Frame! It will definitely help me keep things balanced this Christmas season! :)

I purchased the frame at Michaels. I just love that the opening is at an angle -- perfect for the theme! I covered the frame with paper, then I sanded and inked the edges. I screwed two cup hooks into the frame. They were red, but I colored over them with a Copic marker to make them brown. I printed out the numbers and "Days 'til Christmas" on the computer. I punched out the numbers and matted each on a scalloped circle, then I inserted eyelets into each number so it could hang from a hook. Finally, I stamped, colored and paper pieced the image to place inside the opening. I added some MFT Adornments crystals to the tree.

Here's a closeup of the image. So cute and fun! :)

Tonight at 10:00 pm Eastern is the MFT Release Blog Hop! There are SO many great sets in this release -- you won't want to miss all the eye candy! Then be sure to stop by the Release Cocktail Party Wednesday from 8-10 pm Eastern. There will be more teasers, lots of chatting, and prizes, too! You can get the scoop HERE on the MFT Member Company Forum.

I'll be back tonight for the Blog Hop -- I hope you will, too! Thanks so much for visiting today!

Have a great day!

Christina

MFTeaser!

Happy Monday, everyone! Today I have my first MFTeaser of the new October sets! Every one of them is just SO cute! Today's peek is of the set In the Background.

See the panel with the lines on it? That's a background stamp! I stamped the image in Riding Hood Red ink on vanilla cardstock, then I trimmed it to the panel size I needed. The tea kettle is paper pieced. You know how much I love this Cosmo Cricket Early Bird paper -- it's just perfect with this set! :) I distressed all the edges and embellished with ribbon, button and twine.

You can get the scoop on all the new releases HERE on the MFT Member Company Forum at Splitcoaststampers. They'll be available Wednesday, October 7 at 10:00 pm Eastern. Join us for the Blog Hop tomorrow night at 10:00 pm and the Release Party Wednesday from 8-10 pm!

Well, I'm off to the pumpkin patch with Caroline's kindergarten class! It's going to be a beautiful fall day here -- I can't wait! Thanks so much for visiting today!

Have a great day!

Christina

Sunday Supper: Cauliflower-Cheddar Soup

Happy Sunday, everyone! I have a quick post with today's Sunday Supper recipe. I'm headed back to the soccer field this morning -- Kyle's team won all three games yesterday, so the tournament continues!

It was cold at the field last night, and it's cold this morning, so I'm thinking that this soup might be the perfect thing to warm us up later!

Cauliflower-Cheddar Soup (from Gooseberry Patch Christmas Kitchen)

2 T. butter
1/2 onion, chopped
3 c. cauliflower, coarsely chopped
10-1/2 oz. can chicken broth
2-1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1-1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat; saute onion until tender. Stir in cauliflower and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, or until cauliflower is tender. Combine milk and flour until smooth; add to saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until boiling and thickened. Remove from heat; add cheese and stir until melted. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4.

Don't forget to check out all the All That Scraps previews on the ATS Blog. They're all being released tomorrow (Monday) night at 10:00 pm Eastern!

I'll be back tomorrow with my first MFTeaser of the October releases! I hope you'll stop back! Have a great day -- don't forget to spend some time around the supper table!

Christina

Birthday Wishes

Happy Saturday! Did you know that it's World Card Making Day? There's a huge celebration over at Splitcoaststampers -- you can check out all the fun HERE! Unfortunately, I don't know that I'll get much of a chance to participate -- our day is already filled! Megan has a cross country meet at 10:00, and Kyle has his first game of the Regional Soccer Tournament at 12:30. With any luck, he'll keep winning -- that means two more games today!

Anyway, on to my card! It's another All That Scraps preview -- the set is Swiss Pixie Birthday Bash by C.C. Designs. The paper is from the BasicGrey June Bug paper pad. I colored with Copics and sponged the edges of the image and sentiment with SU! Certainly Celery ink.

Don't forget to stop by the ATS Blog to see more previews and to find out how you could win a set of your own! All the new sets will be released Monday, October 5 at 10:00 pm Eastern.

Well, I'm off to begin this busy day! I hope your weekend is off to a great start! Thanks so much for visiting!

Have a wonderful day!
Christina

Meet Birgitta

Hello, everyone! TGIF!! Meet Birgitta, the newest of the Swiss Pixies by C.C. Designs. I colored her with Copics, then I doodled some white dots here and there to mimic the dots on this gorgeous BasicGrey Indian Summer paper. I also sponged around the image panel. I embellished with felt flowers, Sunflower Dew Drops, Fleur de Lis punch, and machine stitching.

Would you like to win Birgitta -- or any of the other new All That Scraps stamps? Then stop by the ATS Blog to comment on the Preview Posts! All the new releases will be available Monday, October 5 at 10:00 Eastern.

That's all for today! I'll have more stampy stuff to share tomorrow -- I hope to see you then! :)

Have a fantastic Friday!
Christina

Blessed Christmas

Happy Thursday, everyone! Today I have another All That Scraps Preview to share with you! The image and sentiment on this card are from the set Reason for the Season by Cookie Crumbs Stamps. I just love the sweet, homespun images in Diane's sets! :)

I kept it simple -- just the image panel, sentiment, some BasicGrey Wassail paper and a big bow! I colored with Copics and sponged around the image and sentiment.

All of the new ATS releases will be available Monday, October 5 at 10:00 pm Eastern. You can stop by the ATS Blog to see more previews!

Thank you so much for visiting today! I'll have another preview for you tomorrow, so I hope you'll stop back! :)

Have a wonderful day!
Christina

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