A Double Challenge and New MFT!

Hello! It's been a busy day! I spent most of it in my garden -- planting, weeding, and mulching. I finally sat down to make a card this afternoon, and I decided to play catch-up and combine this week's Color Challenge and Sketch Challenge at SCS. I didn't have to think too much about what image to use, since I got my order from My Favorite Things today! I really love the new My Favorite Things Presents! line. The florals are beautiful yet still have the whimsy that MFT is famous for.

To create the image panel, I stamped the image in Basic Black ink and watercolored with my Aquapainter and inks. I stamped Tres Chic on the cardbase in Regal Rose ink, stamping off once before stamping on the cardstock. For the other two layers I used different patterns of So Saffron Prints, from the 6x6 Prints Sampler. All the edges were sponged with Regal Rose ink. I added some brads and ribbon, and that's it!

Tomorrow is Friday already! I can't believe another week has flown by! I need to get my Father's Day projects finished (started, really), plus my anniversary is coming up Monday. Lots to do! I hope you'll stop back -- thanks so much for visiting today! :)

Stamps: Chamomile (MFT), Tres Chic (SU!) Ink: Basic Black, So Saffron, Regal Rose, Real Red, Old Olive (SU!) Cardstock: So Saffron, Regal Rose, Real Red, watercolor paper (SU!) Paper: 6x6 Prints Sampler Other: Aquapainter, Real Red brads, Regal Rose 5/8" grosgrain (SU!); Red dotted organdy (May Arts); sponge, dimensionals

ATS Wednesday Challenge

Happy Wednesday, everyone! It's time for another ATS Design Team Challenge. This week the challenge is to make a gatefold card. They're super easy -- check out the tutorial on SCS HERE. The paper I used is SU! Cutie Pie. I inked up Froggie & Friends again -- I just can't stop using this little turtle! I colored him with my SU! markers, and I sponged around the circles and the sentiment. The balloons were stamped on more Cutie Pie paper and cut out. I added some Stardust Stickles to them for a little sparkle. I mounted everything on dimensionals, and I added some Dew Drops and SU! striped grosgrain.

We'd love for you to play along with us! If you post your card at SCS or in the ATS Gallery, use keyword ATSDTC04. The Design Team samples will be posted on the ATS Blog later on, so feel free to link your card there, too!

I'm glad you stopped by today -- thanks so much for visiting! Have a great day! :)

Stamps: Froggie & Friends (C.C. Designs) Ink: Basic Black, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue (SU!) Cardstock: Certainly Celery, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Cutie Pie (SU!) Other: Scallop Circle Punch, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, Word Window Punch, Bashful Blue striped grosgrain (SU!); Peony Dew Drops (Robin's Nest); Stardust Stickles (Ranger), white Gel Exel pen (Marvy), sponge, dimensionals

Springtini, Anyone?

It's hot today. Really hot. In the 90's, for about the fourth day in a row. I know some of you have hotter weather than this, but this is usually what we get in July or August. Not early June. I'm not a big fan of heat, so a nice cool drink would sure hit the spot. That got me thinking that I haven't inked up this image from Stamping Bella since I got it about a month ago! Today was the day! I colored it with Copics and sponged around the edges. I couldn't help using this sentiment from The Cat's Pajamas -- it makes me smile every time! :) The background is from C.C. Designs. It's stamped in white craft ink and heat embossed with white EP. I Cuttlebugged the half circle with the Bloom Dots embossing folder. The layout is Jen del Muro's Sketch for You to Try -- it's a fun one!

The girls are running through the sprinkler, and I promised them some ice cream, so I'm off to see what they're up to. I hope you stay cool today -- thanks so much for stopping by! :)

Stamps: Springtini (Stamping Bella), sentiment (TCP), Polka Dots Big Ol' Background (C.C. Designs) Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko); White Craft, Regal Rose, Basic Black (SU!) Cardstock: Summer Sun, Regal Rose, Old Olive, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: "V" Monograms (American Crafts) Other: Copic Markers; Cuttlebug and Bloom Dots embossing folder (Provo Craft); Old Olive and Regal Rose 5/8" grosgrain ribbon (SU!); scallop circle punch and 1 3/8" circle punch (SU!); white Gel Exel pen (Marvy); scallop scissors (Fiskars); stamping sponge, dimensionals, heat tool

I'm a MFT Ambassador!

Hey, everyone! Just wanted to share some fun news! I was chosen to be a MFT Ambassador for July! Mothermark is the MFT Guest Designer, and Louisvillecards is the other Ambassador. Check out THIS post on the MFT Forum for more details.

As an ambassador I will receive the new mini set for July and a $10.00 off coupon redeemable for anything in the store. Plus I get to join in on the fun by hosting one of 2 Ambassador challenges posted during the release party in July! How cool is that?!?

Thanks for letting me share my news, and thanks so much for all your wonderful comments on my challenge entries! You don't know how much I appreciate it! Have a fantastic day!! :)

Let's Go Shopping!

Hello! Here's a little shopping tote I made as another entry in the MFT Guest Designer challenge. This idea just popped in my head yesterday afternoon, so I got busy right away (I have to do that or the ideas are gone -- must be an over-40 thing). Anyway, I think it turned out so cute! I got the template for this little tote from my SU! upline a couple years ago. It's 3 1/4 inches high, 3 inches wide, and 1 inch deep, and is made from an 8x6 piece of cardstock. I'll try to give you the template later on. I think it's really designed to be a mini note card holder, but I thought it would be cute filled with gift cards since it looks like a shopping bag! :)

The Regal Rose layer is Cuttlebugged with the Spots & Dots embossing folder. I colored the image with Copics. The tabs were made with a 3/4" circle punch. Of course I had to add a little bling to the bag! I crinkled and cut some more Regal Rose cardstock to be the filler.

Since this post has a shopping theme, I want to tell you about a sale Christine is having at All That Scraps. She needs to make room for new items, so some things have to go! Here are the deets from Christine:

We need to move out some of the slower moving items that are taking up space.

We are starting out at 25% on most items and will continue to discount them until they are gone. But once they are gone they are gone, they will not be restocked.

Some of the items are Cuttlekids, Disney Cuttlebug, Pattern Paper, Tins, Alterable Purses,

Cardstock (Bazzil and Prism), Big Shot.

Instead of having the items in the main category they have all been moved into the *Sale*Sale*Sale* category to make it easier to find the items that are on sale.

We will also have 4 or 5 -8 1/2" x 11" Paper Racks that we will be getting rid of. We will sell them for $45.00 plus you pay shipping. If you are interested please let me know.

Make sure to check back as we will be adding items.

New items in stock:

Hello Sunshine
Scor Pal

Coming Soon:

KI Memories Blooms
My Minds Eye Garden Party
K & Co Wild Saffron
Imaginesce's new collections
Adirondack Pigment Pads

Well, that's all for today! I hope you have something fun planned for your weekend! Chris and I are going to a wedding this afternoon, then tonight we're bowling with some friends from work. I haven't bowled in forever -- hopefully I don't hurt myself! ;) Have a great day -- thanks for the visit!

Stamps: Say Charge (MFT) Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko), Basic Black, Regal Rose (SU!) Cardstock: Basic Black, Regal Rose, Whisper White (SU!) Tools: oval punches, 3/4" circle punch, stamping sponge (SU!); Cuttlebug, Spots & Dots embossing folder (Provo Craft), paper crimper (Fiskars) Accessories: Ciao Markers (Copic); black brads, black grosgrain ribbon (SU!); black dotted organdy ribbon (May Arts); rhinestone, pop dots

A Garden Journal

Hello! Well, today was the last day of school for Anna. She's now officially a big First Grader! She was the last of my kids to finish. Each one finished on a different day -- two last week and two this week. Megan's 8th grade graduation was last night. I can't believe I'll have two in high school next year! Yikes! I guess we're in summer mode now -- no more waking up at 6:40 am! :)

Here's my project for the MFT Guest Designer Challenge. This month's challenge is to use black cardstock and a black embellishment on your project. In deciding what project to do, I spotted my SU! 5x5 chipboard journal in my stash of things to alter. I have been wanting to make myself a garden journal to keep track of new plants, vegetables that didn't do as well as I'd hoped, names of plants that have too many syllables for me to remember on my own, and other notes about my plantings. The logical choice for my stamp set was Can Ya Dig It?.

I had a lot of fun making this journal. I covered the front with Afternoon Tea paper. The images are colored with Copics. I paper pieced her gloves. To make it look like she is holding the flower, I cut the gloves apart, glued down her left glove, stamped the flower over it, then attached the right glove with a rolled up glue dot. I stamped "Love grows" on the Prima flower in black Stazon, then inserted a black brad through the middle. I made the scallops on the black cardstock with a 3/16" corner rounder (paper guide removed), and I punched 1/8" holes in each scallop. I stamped the sentiment in white craft ink and embossed it with white EP. Then I added ribbons and a tag -- I love how it turned out!

Cross your fingers for me -- I'd love to be the MFT Guest Designer!! Thanks for visiting today -- have a great day! The weekend is just around the corner! :)

Stamps: Can Ya Dig It? (MFT) Ink: Brilliance Graphite black (Tsukineko) White Craft (SU!) Cardstock: Basic Black, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Afternoon Tea (SU!) Tools: corner rounder, spiral punch, circle punches, heat tool (SU!) Accessories: Copic Markers; Soft Sky stitched grosgrain ribbon, black gingham ribbon, black grosgrain ribbon, silver cord, Stampin' Dimensionals, white embossing powder (SU!); black dotted organdy (May Arts); flower (Prima)

ATS Wednesday Challenge

Hi, everyone! Happy Wednesday! I want to say a big hello to my fellow DT members and to all the ladies who chatted with us at the C.C. Designs release party last night! It was fun!!

Today is ATS Challenge day, and this week it's a color challenge: Summer Sun, Wild Wasabi, and Chocolate Chip. I used Froggie and Friends for this 4.25" x 4.25" square card. It's a pretty simple design, but I think it turned out cute! The images in this set are adorable and lend themselves to so many possibilities! I colored the images with my Aquapainter and inks. I didn't have any brown brads, and I wanted some, so I colored the Vintage Brads with a brown Copic marker.

Stop by the All That Scraps Blog later today to see what the Design Team did with these colors! Play along with us and link to that post, or upload your project to SCS or the ATS Gallery. Use keyword ATSDTC03. We'd love to see what you create! Thank you for visiting today -- I'm always glad when you stop by! Have a great day! :)

Stamps: Froggie and Friends (C.C. Designs) Ink: Basic Brown, Summer Sun, Wild Wasabi, Chocolate Chip (SU!) Cardstock: Summer Sun, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Wild Wasabi Prints (SU!) Tools: Giga Scalloped Square Punch (Marvy Uchida), 3/16" corner rounder, Aquapainter (SU!) Accessories: Wild Wasabi stitched grosgrain, Vintage Brads, dimensionals, stamping sponge (SU!); flowers (Prima)

A Color Challenge Card

Hey there! Today I had a chance to play with the Color Challenge colors -- Real Red, Soft Sky, and Blue Bayou. I decided to do an all-SU! design, because I don't do that nearly enough anymore! All the images are from True Friend.

I inked the top of the flower with Soft Sky and thumped it with a Real Red marker. The bottom was inked with Blue Bayou. I added a Not Quite Navy brad to the flower center. For the sentiment, I used post-it notes to mask off the brackets before inking it with Blue Bayou. I knew I wanted to use a 1 3/8" circle punch, so I had to eliminate the brackets to make it fit. I added some dots to the scallops and faux stitching to the photo corner with a white gel pen.

I want to remind you to stop by the All That Scraps Message Board tonight at 10:30 ET for the C.C. Designs release party. The new stamps will be available at 12:01 AM at All That Scraps. I'll be back tomorrow with the ATS Wednesday Challenge. Thanks for visiting today -- I really appreciate it! :)

Stamps: True Friend Ink: Real Red, Soft Sky, Blue Bayou Cardstock: Soft Sky, Real Red, Blue Bayou, Whisper White Paper: Real Red Prints 6x6 Tools: 1 3/8" circle punch, scallop circle punch, photo corners punch, 3/16" corner rounder Accessories: brad, white gel pen, grosgrain, dimensionals, stamping sponge

Just Sittin' Around...

Hi there! Happy Monday! It is a gorgeous morning here -- sunny, clear blue sky -- and I'm sitting in my kitchen with the window open listening to my girls playing outside. My neighbor is mowing her lawn, and it smells so great. It doesn't get any better... :)

Oh, I guess I should get to the card, huh? This card was made with Froggie and Friends, one of the June C.C. Designs releases. I LOVE this set!!! There are 24 -- yes, 24 -- stamps in the set. I used six of them on this card: frog, lily pad, cattails, fly, hat, and sentiment. The others include a turtle, snail, hopping frog, dragonfly, and more sentiments and accessories. It's such a cute set with all the pond pals! The cardstock, paper, ribbon and brads are all part of the kit Christine put together to go with this set. It will be available with the new releases this Wednesday, June 4, at 12:01 AM.

I colored most of the images with Copics, but for the lily pad I used a combination of Copics and Prismacolor Pencils. I saw Julie Ebersole do it on THIS blog post, and it gives great depth and shading to your images. The Copic colorless blender blends the pencil color right into the Copic color -- it's so cool! I used Marvy punches for the circles, and I added dots to the scallops with a white gel pen. I drew in a water line and colored over Froggie's eyes with a black gel pen, and I sponged around the white circle with SU! Bashful Blue ink. The sentiment was punched out with a SU! Word Window punch and sponged with Bashful Blue ink. The hat was cut out and mounted on a rolled up glue dot.

Don't forget to visit the ATS Blog for Design Team samples and giveaways of the new sets! Also, please join us tomorrow night at 10:30 pm at the ATS Message Board -- we'll have a little party before the release at midnight! Thanks for visiting today -- have a fantastic day! :)

Ahoy There!

Hello! I hope you are having a great weekend! Just one thing before I talk about my card -- if you have a chance to see Jersey Boys, DO IT!!! It was fantastic!! :)

Now, here's Virginia. She is one of the June stamps by C.C. Designs, available June 4. I made this card with a kit I received from Christine at All That Scraps. Just like last month, she's offering supplies that coordinate with the sets, and they'll be featured with the new releases. All the cardstock, paper, and embellishments coordinate, so a lot of the thinking is done for you! ;) I colored Virginia with Copics and paper pieced her pants. I used a green marker to add some faux stitching around the sentiment. That's about it!

Be sure to stop by the ATS Blog for more samples and giveaways! Tomorrow I'll show you Froggie & Friends, so I hope you'll be back! I'm off to get my vegetable garden in order -- that means more homemade salsa this summer! Yum! Have a great day -- thanks so much for stopping by! :)

Meet Layla!

Happy Saturday, everyone! We have a busy day today. We have two graduation parties to attend, then Chris and I are going with my parents to see Jersey Boys tonight -- I can't wait!

Here's a preview of one of the June releases from C.C. Designs -- Layla. You'll meet her friend Virginia tomorrow. The new stamps will be available June 4 at All That Scraps. Layla and Virginia will be sold individually and as a set. The set contains four sentiments -- two for everyday cards, and two for more "American" cards. I wanted to use this fun paper from Sassafras Lass, so I went for a fireworks theme on this one! I colored Layla with Copics and drew in the fireworks with SU! markers. I added a little sparkle with a Stardust pen. I used my rectangle Nestabilities on the image panel and scalloped mat. I forgot I had these SU! rhinestone brads -- they were perfect for the flower centers.

I have one more thing I want to share with you. Yesterday I received this RAK from my friend and Design Teammate Dawn Easton (TreasureOiler) -- isn't it gorgeous? Thanks so much, Dawn -- you made my day! :)

Be sure to stop by the ATS Blog to see more Design Team samples and find out how you can win Layla! Thanks for visiting today -- have a fantastic day! :)

Stamps: Layla (C.C. Designs) Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko), Basic Black (SU!) Cardstock: Bashful Blue, Buckaroo Blue, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Extravagant (Sassafras Lass) Tools: Nestabilities (Spellbinders), scalloped circle punch, circle punches (SU!) Accessories: Copic markers, SU! markers, Stardust pen, rhinestone brads, Prima flowers, white gel pen, dimensionals

A Friday Sketch

Happy Friday!! Another weekend is on the way! Here's a card for AmyR's Friday Sketch. This one was fun -- this great cupcake paper from Junkitz was my inspiration! I just love this image of Lulu behind all the gifts. I stamped it in Brilliance Graphite Black ink and colored it with Copics. I added some Stardust Stickles to the cupcake icing. The ric rac is from the retired SU! Seaside ribbons, and the flowers are from Prima.

My previews of the June C.C. Designs stamps begin tomorrow -- you'll love these fun summery stamp sets! If you want a little teaser, stop by Jen Ofiana's blog -- she has an early peek at one of the sets! Thanks so much for visiting today -- have a great Friday!! :)

Stamps: It's My Birthday, Polka Dots Big Ol' Background (C.C. Designs) Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko), Basic Black, Cool Caribbean (SU!) Cardstock: Cool Caribbean, So Saffron, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Birthday Party (Junkitz) Tools: Giga Scalloped Oval Punch, Mega Oval Punch (Marvy Uchida); 1/8" handheld punch (SU!) Accessories: Copic Ciao markers; Got Flowers (Prima); Stardust Stickles (Ranger); white Gel Excel pen (Marvy); 3/16" corner rounder, ric rac, Real Red brads, stampin' dimensionals (SU!)

Luggage for the Trip

I've had this idea in my head for a couple weeks now, and today's Ways to Use It Challenge was just the reason to make it happen! I thought this lunch tin from All That Scraps would be perfect paired with Going Places by My Favorite Things. Since today's challenge was to "Get Packing," I created a little "luggage" for my two little girls. We are going on a Disney Cruise in a few weeks (yipee!!), so this will hold their crayons, papers and travel games while we drive to Florida.

I covered the lunch tin with paper from K&Company and some Chocolate Chip grosgrain. I sanded the edges of the paper and sponged them with Walnut Stain Distress Ink. I stamped the image, paper pieced her dress, and colored the rest with Copics. The luggage was stamped on more patterned paper and cut out. All the edges of the images and sentiment were sponged with the Distress Ink. The tag is one I've had in my stash for a while. I actually bought it already stained, but I added more Distress Ink to the edges and drew some faux stitching.

I had a lot of fun making this -- I hope the girls have fun using it! I'll be back tomorrow with AmyR's Friday Sketch, and Saturday I'll start the previews of the June C.C. Designs releases! Thanks so much for stopping by -- I really do appreciate it! :)

Stamps: Going Places (MFT) Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko), Tim Holtz Walnut Distress Ink (Ranger) Cardstock: Whisper White, Chocolate Chip (SU!) Paper: Classic K McKenna (K&Company) Other: Copic Ciao markers, Chocolate Chip grosgrain, 1" circle punch, 1 1/4" circle punch, Vintage Brads, Prima flower, button, black gel pen, natural hemp twine, sponge, dimensionals, pop dots

Bug Hugz

Good morning! Happy Wednesday! I have another ATS Challenge to share with you. Christine challenged us to use three different ribbons on our projects. Not a problem for me! ;) I've been combining ribbons a lot lately -- it's a simple way to add some punch to your projects. The Infuse paper dictated my ribbon choices -- my three favorite colors, too! I've been asked how I create the bows with different ribbons. I cut the strips of additional ribbon, then I slide them through the knot of the main ribbon just before I pull it tight. It takes some finger gymnastics sometimes, but these SU! grosgrains are easy to work with!

For the rest of the card, I stamped the Luv Bugz in Basic Brown and colored them with an Aquapainter and inks. I colored the girl bug's flower with a Regal Rose marker. I sponged the edges of the circles with Chocolate Chip and added dots to the scallops with an Old Olive marker. I created the bottom scallops with a corner rounder. I stamped the sentiment onto the patterned paper in Chocolate Chip ink and placed a Dew Drop on either side. The scalloped circle is mounted on Pop Dots.

We'd love for you to play along with the challenge! If you do, link back here or post it to the ATS Gallery. Christine will be posting the Design Team samples on the ATS Blog later on today, and you can link your creation there as well.

That's all for today! I appreciate you stopping by! Have a fantastic day today! :)

Stamps: Bitzy Bugz Luv Bugz, sentiment from Little Penguins (C.C. Designs) Ink: Basic Brown, Chocolate Chip, Regal Rose, Old Olive (SU!) Cardstock: Old Olive, Regal Rose, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Infuse 6x6 pad (BasicGrey) Other: Mega Circle Punch, Giga Scalloped Circle Punch (Marvy Uchida); Peony Dew Drops (Robin's Nest); Chocolate Chip 7/8" grosgrain, Old Olive 7/8" grosgrain, Regal Rose 7/8" grosgrain, Old Olive marker, Regal Rose marker, corner rounder, stamping sponge (SU!), Pop Dots

Verve Visual Color Challenge

Hello! I hope your weekend was a good one! After a busy few days, it's good to be back to my "normal" schedule! I had been wanting all weekend to do the color challenge for the Verve Visual May Project Parade. I actually went to bed thinking about this card! It's a simple, uncluttered design, and I really like the way it turned out. The celery panel is embossed with my Cuttlebug and Stylized Flowers embossing folder. Everything else is just simple stamping! I used SU! oval punches for the sentiment, and I added some black brads. The image panels and sentiment are mounted on dimensionals.

I'm glad you stopped by today -- thanks for the visit! Tomorrow I'll have a card for an All That Scraps DT Challenge. I hope you'll stop back! Have a great day! :)

Stamps: Serenity, Great Expectations (Verve Visual) Ink: Regal Rose, So Saffron, Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black (SU!) Cardstock: Soft Sky, Certainly Celery, Pumpkin Pie, Regal Rose, So Saffron, Whisper White (SU!) Tools: Cuttlebug & Stylized Flowers embossing folder (Provo Craft), Lg and Sm oval punches (SU!) Accessories: black brads, stampin' dimensionals (SU!)

Very Cherry Centerpieces

Hello! I'm leaving shortly for the bridal shower, but I wanted to show you the centerpieces I made. There's only a little bit of stamping here, but I thought they turned out so cute! You can click on the photo for a better view. Because of the cherry theme of the wedding, the colors are red, lime green, and pink. I purchased the terra cotta pots and painted them, then I added some ribbon and a cherry tag. I am definitely getting my mileage out of this cherry stamp from Tart and Tangy!

Do you see the darling pink flowers? I went out to my local garden store yesterday in search of some pink flowers to fill the pots. I came across these -- and they're called "Cherry Blossom"!! :)

That's it for now. After the shower I'm headed to Louisville for the last of Megan's volleyball tournaments -- yay! It's a three-day holiday tournament (doesn't anyone want to celebrate the holiday at HOME?!?) Chris has been there with her since yesterday, and I'll go relieve him after the shower is over. I will be very glad to see Tuesday, I'm telling ya!!

I hope your weekend is a great one so far! I'll be back in a couple days -- thanks for the visit! :)

ETA: I was asked what I used to paint the pots. I used Patio Paint by DecoArt, purchased at Michaels.

A Book for the Bride

Sunday I will be co-hosting a bridal shower for my best friend's daughter. Instead of shower games, I decided on a different way to have "audience participation." I created this "Advice and Best Wishes" book for her. She is getting married in July in Michigan during the Cherry Festival. The theme, of course, is cherries. Yay -- another reason to use my Summer Picnic paper! :) The cherry stamped image is from Tart and Tangy, but all other images are from Alli Miles' gorgeous set Wedding Day by Papertrey Ink.

Here's a closer look at the details. The oval frame was stamped in Old Olive ink and then cut out. I stamped a frame around the cherries with the leaf image. I mounted the oval on Real Red cardstock and trimmed it with decorative scissors. The sentiment was stamped onto the paper in Basic Black. The little charm says "love" and is tied on with silver cord. The dotted ribbon is from Michaels, and the olive ribbon is from SU!.

I created an assortment of cards on which the shower guests will write either words of advice or best wishes for the bride-to-be. The sentiments are also from Wedding Day -- the font is so beautiful! Click on the photo for a better look.

I'll place the completed cards in the book, one on each page. Hopefully she will have many wonderful words to guide her into her life as a wife!! :)

Tomorrow I'll show you the gift bags and centerpieces -- more cherries!! Thanks so much for the visit today -- have a fantastic day! :)

Has Anyone Seen the Remote?

Hello there! We're halfway through the week -- things are moving too fast! Have you ever seen "The Upside Down Show" on Noggin? If you have little ones, you probably know the show. Shane and David ask the kids who are watching to use their imaginary remote control to rewind, slow down, and play the events taking place. Right now I really wish I had a remote with a giant PAUSE button! I could freeze time until I catch up!!

Anyway, I made this card for a neighbor who just had surgery for prostate cancer. I'm sending over a gift certificate to a local restaurant (since I haven't had much time for cooking meals lately!) and some spiced vanilla bread (because there's always time for baking!). :) I combined this week's Color Challenge and Sketch challenge.

To create the background, I used my Scor-pal to make a grid pattern on the Soft Sky cardstock. I scored at 1/4" intervals. The image is stamped in Certainly Celery and Blue Bayou. I distressed the edges and sponged them with Soft Sky ink. I placed the sentiment in a window. First I punched out an opening from the Soft Sky background with my Word Window punch. Then I placed that layer over the Blue Bayou card base and traced the inside of the opening. I stamped the sentiment on Whisper White, punched it out with the Word Window Punch, and adhered it to the Blue Bayou card base over the traced window. I then raised the Soft Sky layer over the Blue Bayou layer with Pop Dots. I embellished with brads and ribbon, and I finished the inside of the card as well.

I'll be spending the next couple days working on projects for the bridal shower -- I hope you'll stop back to check on me!

And if anyone comes across that remote, send it my way, okay? ;)

All products Stampin' Up! (except Scor-pal)

Stamps: Lovely as a Tree, So Many Sayings, Sincere Salutations Ink: Blue Bayou, Certainly Celery, Soft Sky Cardstock: Blue Bayou, Soft Sky, Whisper White Paper: Certainly Celery Prints Tools: Scor-pal, Word Window Punch, Cutter Kit Accessories: Blue Bayou stitched grosgrain, Certainly Celery grosgrain, Soft Subtles Brads, Stampin' Dimensionals, Stamping Sponge

Teacher Gift Sets

Hello! I have Caroline's teacher gifts finished! I was up waaaay too late last night, but I just couldn't stop until they were completed!!

You may not know this about me, but I am a teacher by profession. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary and Special Education, and I have a Master's Degree in Elementary Education. I haven't had my own classroom in 16 years, and my profession is now SAHM, but I still love "teachery" things! That's why I have so much fun making gifts for my kids' teachers -- I know how hard they work, and I want them to know they're appreciated! When I saw Kim Hughes' set Making The Grade at Cornish Heritage Farms, I HAD to have it!! All the images used on these gift sets are from that stamp set. And, how perfect is this Summer Picnic paper?!?

The inspiration for the projects came from two places. For the note cards, I cased Valerie Stangle's (11Valerie11) set HERE. I just love her style -- so clean and fun -- and I fell in love with the set she made! I changed it up a little bit by using different images and papers -- but the layout is basically the same. I packaged the notes in a clear box from Papertrey Ink. I've seen the little clipboards around quite a bit, but most recently by Jen Javorsky. I added some little tags and a stamped apple. And yes, I did stamp each one of the sheets with that apple -- I'm insane.

There are so many fantastic teacher projects out there right now -- you don't have to look far for inspiration! I'm off to Caroline's end-of-year picnic this morning -- it's hard to believe her first year of preschool is over! Thanks so much for stopping by today -- have a great day! :)

Stamps: Making the Grade, Lined Paper Backgrounder (CHF) Ink: Basic Black, Bashful Blue, Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive Cardstock: Bashful blue, Basic Black, Old Olive, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Summer Picnic (SU!) Other: 4x4 inch chipboard coasters (purchased at All That Scraps), binder clips (Staples), clear box (Papertrey Ink), sticky notes, silver cord, gingham ribbon & striped grosgrain ribbon (SU!), black brads & Real Red brads (SU!), dimensionals

A Pink and Brown Challenge

Good morning! Another week has begun! This is going to be a busy one for me -- two of my kids are finished with school this week, and two are finished next week. I have lots of teacher gifts to get finished! Plus, I'm co-hosting a bridal shower on Sunday, and there are many things left on my to-do list! I'll have some cute shower projects to share with you later this week!

But first, I have this card to share today. Christine at All That Scraps challenged the Design Team to create a project using only pink, brown, and white. This is the card I made for the challenge. The image and sentiment are from C.C. Designs. The birds are from Love Ya Much, and the sentiment is from Little Penguins. I watercolored the image with an aquapainter and SU! inks. To give the image some dimension, I drew around it with a blender pen and Soft Sky ink. The image panel and mat were cut and embossed with my new Nestabilities (Happy Mother's Day to me!).

If you'd like to play along with our Pink and Brown Challenge, leave a link to your creation here or post it on your blog, your SCS gallery, or the ATS Gallery. Christine will be posting the DT projects on the ATS Blog later on today!

I hope you have a fantastic day today -- thanks for stopping by to visit! :)

Stamps: Love Ya Much, Little Penguins (C.C. Designs) Ink: Basic Brown, Close to Cocoa, Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip, Soft Sky (SU!) Cardstock: Close to Cocoa, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Berry Bliss (SU!) Other: rectangle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), flowers (Prima), Chick-A-Dee brads (SEI), aquapainter, pink grosgrain, sponge, dimensionals, glue dots

Alligator Birthday

Hi there! I hope your weekend is off to a great start! I have NOWHERE to go today -- that never happens anymore!! Three of our four children are at friends' houses, so Chris and I are just catching up with things around the house. And, of course, I'm sneaking in a little stamping and blogging! ;)

Here's a card I made for my friend's son's birthday. I was feeling a little mojo-less, and I needed to come up with something quick, so I went back to my old cards for inspiration. I liked this card I made so much that I just flipped the sketch and used a different stamp! I also used a different pattern from the same Summer Picnic paper -- this one has more "boy" colors in it!

There's not much to explain -- it's just a simple and fun birthday card! I hope you like it! If your mojo is on vacation, try taking a look at an old card and switching it up -- it may give you some inspiration! Thanks for stopping by -- have a great day! :)

Stamps: Wild About You, Hugs & Wishes Ink: Old Olive, Basic Black, Bashful Blue Cardstock: Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White Paper: Summer Picnic Other: Old Olive 7/8" grosgrain, Bashful blue striped grosgrain, Old Olive brads, sponge, dimensionals

Alphabet Sentiments

Happy Friday!!! Geez, where do the weeks go? Here's a card I made today -- it was supposed to be for the Limited Supplies Challenge, but I kinda strayed from the challenge. The challenge is to use alphabet stamps as a sentiment and as the focal image of the card. Well, I used alphabet stamps for my sentiment (Playful Caps from CTMH), but it's not exactly the focal image! I needed a graduation card for my neighbor, and I HAD to use Diplomabella, so I guess the sentiment and the Bella are sharing the stage on this one! The school colors are -- you guessed it -- blue and gold. The paper is SU! More Mustard Prints, and the cardstock is SU! Night of Navy and Whisper White. I colored with Copics, sponged the edges with More Mustard ink, and added Xmas Red Stickles to the roses. I pierced around the edge and embellished with SU! brads and May Arts satin ribbon.

While we're on the topic of alphabet stamps as the sentiment, I have something exciting to share with you!! This card is in the June/July 2008 issue of Paper Crafts Magazine!! It's my first Paper Crafts pub!! WOOHOO!!!

Thanks so much for the visit today -- I hope you have a great weekend!! :)

A Sketch Challenge and More Verve

Here's my card for today's Sketch Challenge at SCS. This was a fun one -- I don't think I have ever used a layout like this before. I used another set from Verve Visual -- Seeing Stars. The paper is from the Boxer 6x6 pad by BasicGrey. I stamped the large and medium stars onto the patterned paper, cut them out, and mounted them on dimensionals. The star eyelets are from Close to My Heart.

I have several graduation cards to make this year -- I think this will be one of them! Thanks for the visit today -- have a fantastic day! :)

Stamps: Seeing Stars (Verve Visual) Ink: Night of Navy, Old Olive (SU!) Cardstock: Night of Navy, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Boxer 6x6 pad (BasicGrey) Other: red satin ribbon (May Arts), star eyelets (CTMH), stampin' dimensionals, horizontal slot punch (SU!)

I Finally Got My Verve On!

Hello there! I hope you all had a great weekend, and I hope all of you mothers had a fantastic Mother's Day! It's been a few days since I posted -- our Internet has been on and off (actually, more off than on), and it was impossible to post anything yesterday! I'm not having much luck today, either -- hopefully everything will stay functional until this post is finished! I'll make it quick...

I have been a stalker of Julee Tilman's blog for a while, and I have had many Verve Visual sets on my wish list -- well, I finally took the plunge! I'm glad I did, too -- the stamp designs are beautiful, and they stamp so well!! Anyway, I received my first sets yesterday and went immediately to Julee's Mojo Monday Sketch for inspiration. I cut apart the sentiment to create the tabs called for in the sketch, and I sponged and stitched around the image panel. Other than that, it's pretty simple!

I have some other Verve sets waiting for some ink -- I'd better get busy! Thanks so much for stopping by -- have a great day!! :)

Stamp set by Verve Visual; all other products Stampin' Up!
Stamps: Serenity (Verve Visual) Ink: Soft Sky, Chocolate Chip Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Whisper White Paper: Afternoon Tea Other: Vintage Brads, Choc Chip 7/8" grosgrain, Soft Sky stitched grosgrain, sponge, dimensionals

I'm not the MFT June Guest Designer, but...

... I'm the First Runner-Up! I just got home from the volleyball tourney and checked out the MFT Forum -- and there was the happy news! I got to choose a free MFT stamp set -- how fun!

The winner is susiestampalot -- she made a hilarious Doggy Duty scooper and an adorable bunny apron card! markie's mom is the second runner-up -- her "It's a Jungle Out There" mirror project is fantastic! All the entries were so great -- I don't know how the judges did it!

I'm worn out from a long day, but I wanted to pop in and share my news! Thanks to all of you for your sweet comments on my entry! To all of you mothers out there, have a fantastic Mother's Day! I'll be hanging out with my family tomorrow, but I hope to get some stamping time, too!

A Peacock and a Card

Happy Friday! Another late post, another busy day! I went to the Cincinnati Zoo with Anna and her kindergarten class today. We packed a lot into a few hours! I think love was in the air among the animals today -- the male monkeys were putting on quite a show, and the peacocks were strutting their stuff! The peacocks and peahens roam freely around the zoo, and rarely have I seen so many males with their feathers extended. I snapped a photo of one of them -- isn't he beautiful?

Anyway, I have a Mother's Day card to share with you. The image and sentiment are by Gina K. Designs. The flower image is from the set Comfort and Peace, her "Free with Three" set this month. The sentiment is from Kindred Greetings for Her, part of her Kindred Spirits line of stamps. The background is the Scalloped Lace Backgrounder by Cornish Heritage Farms. I won the backgrounder during CHF's Backgrounder Blitz a couple weeks ago! Woohoo! :)

The card design is pretty simple. The backgrounder is stamped in White Craft ink. I inked the flower image with SU! markers, and the sentiment is stamped in Basic Gray. I embellished with some ribbon and Primas, and that's it!

I'm off to another volleyball tourney with Megan tomorrow -- it's gonna be another long day! I hope you have something fun planned for your weekend! Thanks for stopping by today -- I really appreciate your visits and comments so much! :)

Stamps: Comfort and Peace, Kindred Greetings for Her (Gina K. Designs), Scalloped Lace Backgrounder (Cornish Heritage Farms) Ink: White Craft, Basic Gray, Certainly Celery (SU!) Markers: Pretty in Pink, Pixie Pink, Certainly Celery, Green Galore (SU!) Cardstock: Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, Pink Passion, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Sultry 6x6 pad (BasicGrey) Other: flowers (Prima Marketing), silver brads (SU!), Mega Oval Punch & Giga Scalloped Oval Punch (Marvy Uchida), White gel exel pen (Marvy), dotted organdy ribbon (May Arts), sponge, dimensionals

Spring Tic Tac Toe

I wanted to show you my entry for the My Favorite Things Guest Designer Challenge -- to use animal stamps on your project. I love these challenges -- and I'd love to be the Guest Designer! Heck, I'd love to design anything for Kim and MFT -- I just love those stamps! :)

Remember the tic tac toe board I made for Christmas? I figured this challenge was a good reason to make a spring game! My little girls love to play tic tac toe, so now they have a couple boards to choose from! The altoid tin is from Gina K. Designs, and it will hold the game pieces when they're not in use.

This was fun to make -- not very complicated, just a lot of coloring! :) Thanks for visiting today -- I'll have a Mother's Day card to show you tomorrow! Have a great day!

Stamps: Eggstra Special Easter (MFT) Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko) Cardstock: pink textured (Bazzill), Regal Rose, Whisper White Paper: Two Scoops 6x6 pad (BasicGrey) Other: Altoid Tin (Gina K. Designs), Copic Markers, 1 3/8" circle punch, scallop circle punch, white gel pen, Chick-A-Dee buttons (SEI), soft subtles brads, dimensionals, glue dots

A Bird in the Hand...

Hi there! Well, it's another late post for me! My internet was out until about 9pm -- just in time to pop in at the MFT release party -- so I'm finally getting around to posting today's Sketch Challenge card! I used Can Ya Dig It? by My Favorite Things. I can't get enough of this Sultry 6x6 pad! I cut out a 3 1/2" circle with my Fiskars Circle Cutter, then I cut it in half.I paper pieced the dress and gloves and colored with Copics. I sponged around the image with Soft Sky and River Rock inks. The hat was cut out and mounted on dimensionals. Instead of having the girl gardening, I thought it would be cute to have her holding a little friend! :) The bird was stamped on the same paper as the background. I cut it out, sponged the bottom to give it some dimension, and mounted it on a rolled up glue dot.

I still have some Mothers Day projects to share with you over the next few days -- I hope you'll stop back! Thanks so much for visiting! :)

Stamps: Can Ya Dig It? (MFT) Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko), Basic Brown, Soft Sky, River Rock (SU!) Cardstock: Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Sultry 6x6 pad (BasicGrey) Other: Copic markers, flowers (Prima Marketing), Peony Dew Drops (Robins Nest), Fiskars Circle Cutter, Old Olive 7/8" grosgrain ribbon, dimensionals, glue dots, sponge, sewing machine & brown thread

Sweet and Simple Color Challenge Card

A quick post tonight -- it's been a busy day! Here's my card for today's Color Challenge -- Lovely Lilac, Pretty in Pink, and Certainly Celery. I thought this sentiment would be appropriate for Mother's Day -- what do you think? I added Stickles to the flower centers. The lilac scalloped layer is actually two Giga Scalloped Squares overlapped -- someday I'll have Nestabilities! :)

I'll list all the supplies -- if you have any questions, just ask! Thanks so much for the visit! :)

Stamps: Out on a Limb (Papertrey Ink) Ink: Lovely Lilac, Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery (SU!) Cardstock: Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery, Lovely Lilac, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Sultry (BasicGrey) Other: Peony Dew Drops (Robins Nest), pink dotted organdy ribbon (May Arts), Cotton Candy Stickles (Ranger), Giga Scalloped Square Punch (Marvy Uchida), 3/16" corner rounder (SU!)

Monday, Monday...

Hello! I am moving slooooooooooowly today! Chris and I went with our friends Traci and David to Columbus yesterday to see The Police in concert. The last time I saw them was during their Synchronicity tour when I was in college! OMG, they are as AMAZING as ever!! Sting does not age, I'm telling ya!

Anyway, we got home very late, and I am TIRED! I had to wake the kids at 6:40 for school, and I've been in slow motion since! I'm working on some Mother's Day projects, but nothing I can share yet. So, I thought I'd show you this magnet that Traci gave me. I hope it brings a smile to all my scrapbooking friends!

Have a great day!!! :)

Bananas for You!

Hi there! I hope your weekend has been a great one so far! I want to say a big hello to all my ATS design teammates and everyone else who joined us at the release party last night! I had a great time getting to know all of you better! :)

In honor of today's new C.C. Designs releases at All That Scraps, here's one more card with some new rubber! You probably recognize the monkey from Monkey Love, and the banana was an April release, but the sentiment is new today! I'm so glad Christine has created accessories and sentiments for the monkeys! :)

The card size is 4.25" square. I colored the monkey and banana with Copics. The banana was cut out and attached with rolled up glue dots. I sponged around the image panel with River Rock ink. I embellished with some machine stitching, Peony Dew Drops, and some taffeta ribbon. I wish you could SMELL this card! I used some Banana Card Scents on it, and it smells just like bananas!!!

Thanks to all of you for taking a look at the previews last week -- I hope you liked them! I'll be back to my regularly scheduled blogging tomorrow!! ;) Have a wonderful spring day -- thanks for the visit!

Stamps: Monkey Love, Chiquita Bananas, I'm Bananas (C.C. Designs) Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black (Tsukineko), Chocolate Chip, River Rock (SU!) Cardstock: River Rock, Chocolate Chip (SU!) Paper: Archaic (BasicGrey) Other: Copic Markers, Peony Dew Drops (Robins Nest), Banana Card Scents (Simply Sistas), Chocolate Chip taffeta ribbon (SU!), 1/8" circle punch, glue dots, sponge, Pop Dots, sewing machine & brown thread

Darling Frankie!

Happy Saturday! And, since I'm from Kentucky, Happy Derby Day! :)

I'd like you to meet Frankie. She's the third girl in the Glam Girlz set by C.C. Designs. She's definitely fun and funky, eh? I thought this SU! Summer Picnic paper would be perfect for her! I colored her with Copics, and I added Stardust Gelly Roll pen to the rims of her glasses and to the bangle bracelets. The red ribbon and blue dotted ribbon are from May Arts, and the flowers are from Prima. The red brad is from SU!. Cardstock and oval punches are also from SU!.

Here they are all together -- the Glam Girlz! Stop by the All That Scraps Blog for more samples and a giveaway! Then join us tonight on the All That Scraps Message Board at 11:00 PM est for fun and giveaways before the release at 12:01 AM est!!

Thanks for the visit -- I hope your day is a great one! :)

Glamorous Gwenny!

Meet Gwenny. She's very glamorous, isn't she?!? She has her cool shades and her patent leather handbag -- I think she's ready for some power shopping! Gwenny is another of the Glam Girlz by C.C. Designs. I have to tell you -- I *love* this set!!! So perfect for girlfriends, teenagers, girls night out -- so many possibilities! And, it's a great set for paper piecing -- I did it again on this card. I used Chick-A-Dee paper by SEI. I colored the rest of her with Copics.

I added Crystal Effects to her glasses and handbag, and of course there's a little bling, too! The other embellishments are May Arts two-toned ribbon, Prima flowers, and SEI Chick-A-Dee brads.

You'll meet the third girl in the set tomorrow, and on Sunday I'll have some new monkey sentiments to show you! Here are some things to note:

* Glam Girlz, A Hootin' Good Time, and the monkey sentiments will be available for purchase Sunday, May 4 at 12:01 AM est. Glam Girlz will be sold individually or as a set. If you buy the set, you'll receive a Stardust gelly roll pen free!

* Christine is having daily giveaways on the All That Scraps Blog -- you can see other Design Team samples there, too!

* We're meeting at the ATS Message Board Saturday night at 11:00 PM est for more fun and giveaways before the release! Come and join us! :)

I think that's all for today! I'm so glad you stopped by to visit! Have a glamorous Friday! :)

Fabulous Shari!

This is Shari. She's one of the new Glam Girlz by C.C. Designs. She has two friends -- you'll meet them later. They will be available individually or as a set. The girlz and the owls will be released at All That Scraps May 4 at 12:01 AM est.


I used another kit to put this card together. All the paper, cardstock, and embellishments were included. Christine will have the supplies available with the new stamps. I paper pieced her outfit with these fun Citrus Kick papers by SEI -- isn't she just groovy?!? I colored the rest of her with my SU! markers -- they just haven't had enough love lately! The really fun detail is the Stardust gelly roll pen on her glasses and ring! When you buy the set of girlz, the Stardust pen is free!


I can't wait for you to meet Shari's friends, Gwenny and Frankie! I hope you'll stop back to see them! Be sure to check out the ATS Blog each day for more Design Team samples and some giveaways! Also, I wanted to let you know that there will be a gathering on the All That Scraps Message Board Saturday night at 11:00 PM est. Christine will give away the stamps there, too!

I hope you have a fantastic day -- thank you so much for visiting me! :)