Limited Supplies: Mini Focal Point

I didn't think I'd have a chance to post again today, but my little girls went to a neighbor's house to play, so I had some bonus stamping time! I checked out today's Limited Supplies Challenge -- using mini stamps as the focal point. The focal image had to be a stamp no bigger than 1.5 x 1.5". We had to limit the embellishments to one and tools to only two, plus limit the card layers. For my focal image, I used this little wreath from BasicGrey's Winterland set. I just got this set from Jacksonbelle Embellishments, and I *love* it! The images are beautiful -- you'll be seeing more of it in the very near future, I'm sure! The background is SU! En Francais. The cardstock is SU! Cranberry Crisp, Chocolate Chip, and Very Vanilla. The paper is Wonderland by Cosmo Cricket. I obviously love this combination, because it's almost identical to my Sketch Challenge card a few posts ago! Ink pads I used were Chocolate Chip, Cranberry Crisp, and Certainly Celery (to sponge around the image panel). I also used markers (Cranberry Crisp and Chocolate Chip) for the bird and faux stitching. My two specialty tools are a paper piercer and stamping sponge. My one embellishment is the 5/8" Chocolate Chip grosgrain. I sooooooo badly wanted to add Cinnamon Stickles to the wreath, but that would be another embellishment!!

I have a confession to make. The ribbon was originally placed higher on the card, but I totally screwed up when I stamped the sentiment, so the ribbon went to the bottom to cover it! I think I actually like it better down there! No sentiment anymore, but that's okay.

That's it for today -- please stop back tomorrow for my exciting announcement! Also, don't forget -- All That Scraps is releasing the new C.C. Designs stamps TONIGHT at midnight!!!

I think I might go downstairs and get the Cinnamon Stickles now... ;)

A-Sledding We Will Go!

ETA: I just got an email from Christine at C.C. Designs -- there's been such a buzz about the new sets that she's releasing them TONIGHT at midnight!!!!! WooHoo!!!!! :)

Here's another C.C. Designs sneak peek for you! Lucky's having lots of fun on his sled, don't you think? Lucky and the snowflakes are from the Little Bit Kit Winter Playtime, and the sentiment is a Little Single Bit called Winter Time Hi!. Both will be released at All That Scraps on December 7. I stamped Lucky and the sentiment on SU! Shimmery White cardstock -- I wish the photo showed how shimmery this card is IRL! I watercolored Lucky with my Aquapainter and inks. FYI -- this cardstock accepts watercoloring beautifully (even better than Whisper White)!! I didn't think it would, but I was pleasantly surprised! I drew in the snow line and accented the snow with Stardust Stickles. I added a little shimmer to his scarf fringe with a Sakura Stardust Pen. I sponged the sky with -- what else -- Soft Sky ink. The fun striped paper is from Piggy Tales Ba Ba Black Sheep Collection. The red satin ribbon is from May Arts, and the brads are Sugar Coated Brads from Doodlebug (one of my new favorite embellishments!). They come in so many colors and are a great sparkly accent!

I hope you liked this little sneak peek! Remember that All That Scraps is having a Design Team Call -- applications are due December 2! I'll be back with another card (and an exciting announcement) tomorrow! Thanks for visiting -- have a great Friday! :)

Stamps: Winter Playtime, Winter Time Hi! (C.C. Designs) Cardstock: Sahara Sand, Green Galore, Shimmery White (SU!) Paper: Ba Ba Black Sheep (Piggy Tales) Ink: Basic Black, Sahara Sand, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Real Red, Soft Sky Other: Giga Scalloped Circle Punch & Mega Circle Punch (Marvy Uchida), Sugar Coated Brads (Doodlebug), Stardust Gelly Roll Pen (Sakura), Stardust Stickles (Ranger), paper piercing tool & Basic Black marker (SU!)

Lots of Happy Mail!

I have been meaning to show you this, but I keep forgetting! This is the prize I received from Jacksonbelle for being a runner-up in her Inkadinkado Contest. Isn't this awesome?!?! I couldn't believe it when I opened the package -- a pack of 6x6 Figgy paper, Prima ribbon, Prima flowers and leaves, a photo holder, and lots of fun embellies!!! I'm gonna have so much fun with all this great stuff -- isn't she a sweetheart? Thanks so much, Lindsey!! :)

Also, I received even more happy mail today -- the second of the C.C. Designs new Little Bit Kits came!! It's a set of PENGUINS, and it's way too cute!! I'll be inking it up as soon as possible, so I can show you some more sneak peeks! The new releases will be available at All That Scraps on December 7.

One more thing: All That Scraps is looking for six new Design Team members! Could one of them be you?!? See HERE for all the details. The deadline for applications is December 2. I'd love for you to join me!!!! :)

That's all I have for now -- I'll be back tomorrow with a C.C. Designs sneak peek! Thanks for stopping by! :)

A Sketch Challenge -- Papertrey Style

Here's my card for today's Sketch Challenge at SCS. I was able to squeeze it in after the kids got home from school and before Kyle's basketball game! All the images are from Papertrey Ink's Believe set. The paper is Wonderland by Cosmo Cricket. Cardstock is SU! Chocolate Chip and Watercolor Paper. I stamped the image in Basic Brown ink, then watercolored with an Aquapainter and inks. I used Cranberry Crisp on his suit, then gave it a light wash with Close to Cocoa to age it a bit. I used Blush Blossom on his face. The shadow was done with a Creamy Caramel marker, then blended with a blender pen. I used the same marker to outline Santa, then I used Creamy Caramel ink to sponge around the edges of the panel. The faux stitching was done with a Chocolate Chip marker. The sentiment and stars were stamped in Chocolate Chip ink. I stamped a fourth star, cut it out, and covered it with Cinnamon Stickles. Then I mounted it between Santa's hands with half of a Stampin' Dimensional. I also used the Cinnamon Stickles on the three star centers and on the "i" in Believe. I used Frosted Lace Stickles on Santa's beard and suit trim. Finally, I added SU! Jumbo Eyelets and Chocolate Chip Taffeta ribbon.

I'm really pleased with how this card turned out! I think I'm definitely in the Christmas spirit now! Thanks so much for stopping by -- have a great night! :)

Easy Dinner Recipe

Hi, everyone!

If your family is anything like mine, your afternoons and evenings are often filled with practices, games, homework, or meetings. As much as I'd love to be putting big dinners on the table every night to feed my family (and thereby adding something to my "mother of the year" resume), I've resigned myself to the fact that it just isn't realistic at this point in our lives. When we actually have a night when we're all at home for a couple hours, I've come to rely on a few of my kids' favorite meals. I wanted to share this one with you -- it's quick to prepare and has very few ingredients, plus it's easy enough for my teenagers to make in a pinch (and you can always substitute some of that leftover holiday turkey)!!


Easy Chicken Pot Pie
pkg. of 2 refrigerated, ready-to-bake pie crusts
1 10 oz. can chicken breast
1 can cream of chicken soup
16 oz. mixed vegetables (canned or frozen)
splash of milk
dash of pepper
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Unroll pie crusts (leave out at room temperature for about 15 minutes first to make handling easier). Place one crust at the bottom of a deep-dish pie pan. Mix remaining ingredients together and pour into pie crust. Cover with second pie crust, and pinch sides closed. With a knife, make several vents on the top. Bake for 40 minutes. Let stand 10-15 minutes before serving. Serve with salad and bread and enjoy! :)

I'll be back later with a sketch challenge card to share -- see you then!

Tic Tac Toe, Anyone?

Hi!

I'm so excited about this project! I've been wanting to make one of these tic tac toe boards for a while, and the new images from C.C. Designs are just the perfect size! The adorable penguin is from the new Little Bit Kit Winter Playtime, and the darling Snowman is a Little Single Bit called Little Snowman. Both will be available December 7 at All That Scraps. This game really came together pretty easily. The images were stamped with SU! Basic Black ink and colored with Prismacolor Pencils & Turpenoid. I used SU! punches (1 3/8" circle punch and scalloped circle punch) to make the game pieces. The game board base is a 9 1/2 x 8" piece of Bazzill Nightmist Canvas cardstock. The playing board is a piece of BasicGrey Figgy 6x6 paper. I simply measured 2" squares and drew the lines with a Sharpie marker. It is matted on a 6 1/4" square piece of white cardstock. The header is a 8 1/2 x 1 1/2" piece of white cardstock. The letters were die cut with my Cuttlebug and Olivia Alphabet, and I used a Quickie Glue Pen to adhere them to the cardstock. Since the board will be handled quite a bit, I didn't want to embellish with anything that would pull loose or be in the way. I decided on a row of snowflake eyelets I found in my stash. The whole thing stores easily in a gallon-size food storage bag.

I thought this would be a great game to have on a snow day, when friends are over, or during holiday travel time! It would make a cute gift, too! My kids have already been playing with this one! Try making a tic tac toe game for your family or for a gift -- if you do, I'd love for you to leave a link here so I can see it!

Thanks for visiting -- I really do appreciate it so much, and I love hearing from you! Have a great day! :)

Winter Fun with Lulu!

Good morning! I hope your weekend was great! We had a good one here -- we got most of our indoor Christmas decorations up, and Chris got the lights up outside! All the kids were home most of the time, and it was so much fun to watch them decorate the tree together. We went through a lot of hot chocolate! It's rare that we have a weekend with NOTHING on the calendar, but this was one of them. I guess it was the calm before the storm, since there are 29 days 'til Christmas!!

I have a card I'm dying to share with you. The images are from the newest set from C.C. Designs, Winter Playtime. It will be released December 7 at All That Scraps. If you fell in love with Lucky and Lulu like I did, you will want this set! The images are absolutely adorable! I'll have more to share in the next few days!

The layout for this card is from Jen del Muro's Sketch for You to Try. The card base is Bazzill Apple Green Washboard. The other cardstock is SU! Regal Rose, Basic Black, and Whisper White. The patterned paper is from Piggy Tales Ba Ba Black Sheep Collection. The snowflakes were stamped in SU! White Craft ink, and the rest was stamped in Basic Black. I colored the main image with Prismacolor Pencils then blended them with Turpenoid and blending stumps. I sponged around the edge of the panel with SU! Regal Rose ink. I added Stardust Stickles to the snow and Lulu's coat. I used a Sakura clear glaze pen on the eyes, nose, mouths, and snowman buttons & arms. I *love* the clear glaze pen -- it gives shine and dimension just where you want it. I tied some yummy May Arts Two Tone Ribbon around the bottom of the image panel. It is sheer and shimmery and seemed perfect for this wintery card!

I have to talk a minute about the Glitter Dots I used next to the image panel. What a fun embellishment! They come in so many colors, and they can easily be applied with glue dots. They can be used just like brads, but you don't have to pierce holes in your card base! I love that -- no prongs showing on the inside! Plus, the glitter is perfect for a card like this one!

I think that's it for now -- I hope this card puts you in a wintery mood! Thanks for stopping by -- have a great day! :)

All That Scraps Design Team Call!

Hey, everyone! I wanted to let you know that All That Scraps is having a Design Team Call! They're adding 6 more members to the Design Team. See Amy's post HERE to find out all the deets! I'd LOVE to have you on the team with me!! Deadline for applications is December 2 -- what are you waiting for? :)

Sensational Snowflakes

Two posts in one day! Everyone in my family has been home today, so we just spent the day watching Christmas movies and playing games. I had lots of time to play with new stamps! I just received Snowflake Serenade from Papertrey Ink, and it was great that I could use it for today's Limited Supplies Challenge -- Sensational Snowflakes. I did the first card in browns, to follow the challenge guidelines, then I made another in greens. Let me tell you, I'm lovin' this set! The images are so elegant, and I can imagine so many color combinations on cards and gifts!

Chris and I are headed out to find a tree and decorations for his office -- I hope the crowds aren't too bad! I plan to get started on my decorations at home this weekend, but I'm sure I'll squeeze in a little stamping, too! ;) Have a great night!

Card 1

Stamps: Snowflake Serenade (PTI) Ink: Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, Cranberry Crisp (SU!) Cardstock: Kraft, Cranberry Crisp, Whisper White (SU!) Other: cranberry stitched grosgrain, corner rounder, rhinestone, sponge, dimensionals

Card 2

Stamps: Snowflake Serenade (PTI) Ink: Sahara Sand, Mellow Moss, Cranberry Crisp (SU!) Cardstock: Mellow Moss, Cranberry Crisp, Whisper White (SU!) Other: cranberry stitched grosgrain, corner rounder, rhinestone, sponge, dimensionals

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

Happy Friday, everyone! I hope my American friends had a blessed Thanksgiving! I guess today officially marks the beginning of the Christmas season -- at least around my house! I traditionally start playing Christmas music and decorating for Christmas now, and the weather here has finally cooperated so I can get in the mood! Those 70 degree temperatures are a thing of the past -- we woke this morning to 30 degrees and snow showers! I'm not a big fan of the cold, but really -- it was time!!! Here's a card to help put you in the mood, too! I had a chance to check out Julia's Ways to Use It challenge she posted yesterday. The challenge is to use stitching on your project -- machine, faux, rub-ons, whatever! I combined the challenge with some great images from Gina K. Designs and my BasicGrey Figgy paper, and I love how it turned out! This tree always reminds me of the Charlie Brown tree -- it's sweet and simple but full of Christmas spirit! I inked the tree and sentiment with SU! markers, then I colored in the pot and shadow with Prismacolor Pencils. I lightly sponged Soft Sky around the tree panel, and I machine stitched around the Figgy paper.

This is truly my favorite time of year -- the sights, sounds, and smells of the holidays just make me happy! I hope to share some fun ideas with you over the next few weeks! Thanks so much for visiting today -- have a great day!! :)

Stamps: Punchy Words, Spirit of Christmas (Gina K. Designs), En Francais (Stampin' Up!) Ink: Old Olive, Soft Sky, Markers -- Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, More Mustard Cardstock: Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Whisper White Paper: Figgy 6x6 paper pack (BasicGrey) Other: Scalloped Circle Punch, 1 3/8 Circle Punch, Corner Rounder, Vintage Brads, stamping sponge, stampin' dimensionals (SU); ribbon (May Arts); white gel pen (Marvy), sewing machine & brown thread

Monogrammed Napkins

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!!

I realize I should be doing something else this morning (my family will be here in just a few hours), but I wanted to interrupt my Thanksgiving preparations to bring you this very easy project! I was so excited when I received my order from Papertrey Ink a couple days ago, and I knew what I was going to do with it right away! I used Borders and Corners - Monogram Edition and Trajan Monogram Edition. I stamped the images in Really Rust and Chocolate Chip on these fancy linen-like paper napkins. Quick and easy, but it's such a nice personal touch for your holiday table!

I have BIG plans for these sets -- gifts and personalized items for Christmas -- so you'll be seeing more of them! Okay, back to my regularly scheduled preparations...

Take some time to be truly thankful today. I'm so very thankful for my health, my family, my unbelievably supportive husband, and for all of you!!! This blogging adventure is such a joy for me, and it's because of your kind words and your encouragement! Thank you! I know my Canadian friends have already had their Thanksgiving, but there's always room for more gratitude, right? :) Have a great day!

Color Challenge: Pretty Wasabi

Emily scored big with this week's Color Challenge at SCS!! She chose Pretty in Pink, Wild Wasabi, and Shimmery White. It just so happens that those are some of the colors in my favorite SU! Simply Scrappin' Kit, Winter Bright. The fun, wintery colors were also perfect for my new set from Gina K. Designs, Got Snow?. I *love* Gina's new sets! Go over and check them out at her web site HERE. I watercolored the image with an aquapainter and inks, and I added Stardust Stickles to the snow. You can't tell from the photo, but the shimmery white cardstock and the Stickles really sparkle IRL! I lightly sponged around the panels with Soft Sky ink. To embellish, I did faux stitching on the green snowflake panel and added pink eyelets and ribbon.

I'm hoping this card puts me in a Christmas-y mood! The temperatures are still near 70 degrees here! I know the cold weather is coming tomorrow -- THEN I'll be ready for the holidays... maybe! Have a great day and a wonderful Thanksgiving! :)

Stamps: Got Snow? (Gina K. Designs) Cardstock: Pretty in Pink, Wild Wasabi, Shimmery White (SU!) Paper: Winter Bright SS Kit (SU!) Ink: Basic Black, Pretty in Pink, Wild Wasabi, Soft Sky, Real Red, Purely Pomegranate, Brocade Blue Other: ribbon, Soft Subtles brads (SU!), Stardust Stickles (Ranger), Crafters Tool Kit (SU!), white gel pen (Marvy), sponge, dimensionals

Lucky's Tea Bag Holder

Yesterday's SCS Technique Challenge was to make Tea Bag Holders. The template for this quick and easy project can be found on the challenge thread. Since I put mint tea in the pocket, I figured I would have Lucky holding some peppermint on the front of the card! All images are from C.C. Designs. I used Lucky's Christmas Wish (Lucky), Lulu's Sweet Delights (sentiment & candy cane), and Reindeer Games (snowflakes). Lucky and the candy cane were colored with Prismacolor Pencils and blended with Turpenoid. I cut out out the candy cane and attached it with rolled up glue dots. I added some Frosted Lace Stickles to his hat and Sakura clear glaze pen to his nose, eyes, and mouth. On the inside, I used a SU! corner rounder (paper guide removed) to make the scallops on the pocket.

I think this little tea holder would be cute with a holiday mug as a gift for a teacher, bus driver, mail carrier, or other special person. Or, you could change it to hold a candy treat instead! Try one -- they're easy and fun! :)

Stamps: Lucky's Christmas Wish, Lulu's Sweet Delights, Reindeer Games (C.C. Designs) Ink: Basic Black, White Craft (SU!) Cardstock: Glorious Green, Real Red, Whisper White (SU!) Other: Giga Scalloped Circle Punch & Mega Circle Punch (Marvy Uchida), Prismacolor Pencils, Turpenoid & blending stumps, Corner Rounder (SU!), Hodgepodge Hardware (SU!), red 5/8" grosgrain (SU!), Frosted Lace Stickles (Ranger), white gel pen (Marvy), dimensionals, glue dots

Friendship Set

Happy Sunday! I hope your weekend has been a good one. I survived Anna's birthday party -- it was a lot of fun, and all the girls were so cute and well-behaved! I was glad I had Megan and her friend Katie here to help, 'cause there was a lot going on! They made foam doorhangers and crowns, ate pizza, and decorated their own cupcakes. I think Anna had a great time!

I haven't had much time for "fun stamping" this weekend, due to the party and some other things I can't tell you about yet (shhhhhhh). I do have something to show you, though. I had submitted this set for publication a couple months ago. It wasn't picked up, so I wanted to share it with you now! I purchased the unfinished frame at Michaels (about $2), and covered it with some gorgeous K&Co. paper. I sanded the edges and distressed them with Ranger Walnut Ink. "Friendship" is a rub-on I found in my stash. The card also has K&Co. paper. The stamp I used for both is my beloved image from Garden Silhouettes (I told you it was my favorite), stamped in Old Olive and River Rock. I also used it to do the tone-on-tone background on the card. The sentiment on the card is from Blossoms Abound.

Since the set wasn't picked up for publication, I can use it as a gift this Christmas! There's the silver lining... :) Thanks for stopping by!!

Stamps: Garden Silhouettes, Blossoms Abound (SU!) Ink: Old Olive, River Rock, Basic Black (SU!); Walnut Distress Ink (Ranger) Cardstock: River Rock, Very Vanilla (SU!) Paper: K&Co. Other: Antique Copper Brads & Jumbo Blossoms (Making Memories); sage organdy ribbon; copper cord (SU!), rub-on

Happy Birthday, Anna!

Today is Anna's 6th birthday! Here's the card I made for her. It was just a bonus that I could do the Ways to Use It challenge -- using unique brads. I used one of my Karen Foster Big Time Brads inserted through a Dark Blue Sprite from Prima. The image is Daphne from C.C. Designs, available at All That Scraps. I paper pieced her pants and colored the rest of her with Prismacolor Pencils. I stamped the "6" from Letterpress Numbers, cut it out, and used rolled up glue dots to give it a little dimension. The background was created with a sentiment from It's Your Birthday, stamped in White Craft Ink.

Anna will love this card. This image kind of reminds me of her -- sweet and always smiling. She's definitely a girl after my own heart, because she loooooves to make cards and do anything crafty! As a matter of fact, we're having 10 little girls over tonight for pizza and crafts to celebrate her birthday! Wish me luck!! :) Thanks for visiting -- have a great day!!!

Supplies (all SU! unless otherwise noted):

Stamps: Daphne (C.C. Designs), It's Your Birthday, Letterpress Numbers Cardstock: Old Olive, Bashful Blue, Whisper White Paper: Cutie Pie Ink: Basic Black, White Craft Other: Big Time Brad (Karen Foster), Sprite (Prima), Prismacolor Pencils, Turpenoid

In a Thankful Mood

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, so that was the inspiration for today's card. The layout is from today's Sketch Challenge. The images are from Fall Silhouettes, part of the Kim Hughes Collection at Cornish Heritage Farms. The paper is from SU!'s Fall Flowers and also from the Home Again Simply Scrappin' Kit. There's not much to explain here, so I'll just list the supplies for you.

It is so hard to believe that Thanksgiving is 8 days away, and then we'll be preparing for Christmas! I feel like I'm in some sort of time warp or something, because our fall was really delayed this year after our unbearably hot summer. We finally got much needed rain and milder temperatures over the last few weeks. The colors on the trees are so gorgeous right now, which is about a month behind what they usually are, and temperatures this week have been in the upper 60's! I have my window open as I type this, and the air feels and smells wonderful. I went outside earlier and snapped a few photos of the foliage on my street. It seems that my neighbors have all the good colors, though -- our big pear tree has barely begun to change!

I hope you are finding some lingering beauty in this fall season. Have a great day -- the weekend's on its way! :)

Card supplies (Stampin' Up! unless otherwise noted):

Stamps: Fall Silhouettes (CHF) Ink: Chocolate Chip, River Rock Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, River Rock textured, Whisper White Paper: Fall Flowers, Home Again SS Kit Other: flower (Prima), Word Window Punch, Chocolate Chip marker, Crafter's Tool Kit, Hodge Podge Hardware, Natural Hemp Twine, Stampin' Dimensionals

Color Challenge: Krafty Pomegranate

Can I tell you how much I *love* today's Color Challenge at SCS??? I just recently started using Kraft cardstock in my designs -- I honestly don't know what I was waiting for!! When I saw that today's challenge was to use Kraft, Purely Pomegranate, and Whisper White, I had to play! I also have to tell you that I think this is my favorite SU! stamp EVER. I think I've used it more than any single stamp from the new catalog. Anyway, enough of my gushing -- on to the card!

I stamped the image twice in white craft ink on the Kraft card base, then heat embossed with white detail EP. I used the same image on the panel, generation stamped in Purely Pomegranate. By "generation stamped", I mean that I stamped it once in the center, then stamped twice more without reinking. The sentiment was stamped in Purely Pomegranate and punched with the Round Tab Punch. I added hardware, pomegranate stitched grosgrain, and natural hemp twine, and the image panel was mounted on dimensionals. It's a fairly simple design, but I think it turned out well!!

It just hit me today that Thanksgiving is just a little more than a week away -- I think I'll be back tomorrow with a card to get you in the mood for turkey!! :) Have a great day!

All supplies Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Garden Silhouettes, Everyday Flexible Phrases Cardstock: Kraft, Purely Pomegranate, Whisper White Ink: Purely Pomegranate, White Craft Other: Hodgepodge Hardware, Cutter Kit, White Detail EP, heat tool, Purely Pomegranate stitched grosgrain, natural hemp twine, Round Tab Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

Figgy Fun!

Hi, everyone!

I had a great weekend, and I hope you did too! I have some happy news -- I was one of the runners-up in Jacksonbelle's Inkadinkado contest!! I'm so excited! Click HERE to see the winner, the runners-up, and all the fabulous entries! :)



I returned home yesterday to find out that my order from Jacksonbelle Embellishments had arrived over the weekend, so I wanted to play with my new goodies today! On this card I used BasicGrey Figgy 6x6 paper pad, BasicGrey Figgy Holiday Stickers, and BasicGrey undressed holiday chipboard. They all coordinate, making papercrafting a breeze! The stickers are a perfect match for the chipboard shapes, so all you have to do is peel off the sticker and apply it to the chipboard. Plus, the chipboard has an adhesive back, so you just have to peel and stick that, too!! This card has a simple design. The cardstock is SU! Sahara Sand and Cool Caribbean. Ink is Sahara Sand and Chocolate Chip. The swirl stamp is from Reindeer Games by C.C. Designs, and the sentiment is from SU!'s Sincere Salutations.I used two patterns from the Figgy pack, a chipboard snowflake and snowflake sticker. After applying the sticker to the chipboard, I covered it with Versamark and heat embossed with Iridescent Ice embossing powder. I added some distressing, a couple rhinestones, and some faux stitching with a Close to Cocoa marker, and I was finished! One more Christmas card completed!!

Thanks for visiting today -- I appreciate it SO much! I hope to see you tomorrow! :)

Gone for the Weekend!

Happy Friday, everyone!

I just wanted to let you know that things will be quiet here for a couple days. This weekend I'll be on a team giving a retreat to some local high school seniors. Although it's usually an awesome weekend for those seniors, it's also a chance for me to take a breather and remember the important stuff. I hope you find some time this weekend for yourself, too -- we all need that once in a while!
I'll be leaving shortly, but I hope to have some things to share on Monday, if I'm not too tired! Take a look at my Blogroll, and do some blog hopping while I'm gone! There's so much papercrafting talent out there -- sometimes it just blows my mind!! Have a great weekend! :)

Chipboard Gift Tags

I used the images from my Little Bit Kits to make some cute holiday gift tags. Most of the other materials came from SU!'s On Board Accents and Winter Bright Simply Scrappin' Kit. I *love* the Winter Bright SS Kit -- the colors and patterns are so fun and festive! I've hardly used the kit for scrapbooking, but I have found lots of other ways to use it! To make the tags, I covered the chipboard in paper (a glue stick works like a charm), then I sanded all the edges. I used several punches for the layers. The tree image was stamped on paper and cut out. I lightly stamped the snowflake from Reindeer Games on the oval behind the tree. Lulu and the gifts were stamped, colored, and cut out. All were mounted on Stampin' Dimensionals. I embellished with Stardust Stickles, eyelets, and misc. ribbon & fibers. I made an extra sentiment tag for the star by inking up only the "merry" part of "merry Christmas" then rounding the corners of the cardstock.

I think these would be so much fun on a gift, tied to a bottle of wine, or attached to a bag of Christmas goodies! Or, they could be part of a gift set for a teacher or Secret Santa. Lots of possibilities! :)

Stamps: Lulu's Sweet Delights, Lucky's Christmas Wish, Reindeer Games (C.C. Designs) Ink: Real Red, Bashful Blue (SU!); Brilliance Graphite Black Cardstock: Whisper White, Wild Wasabi (SU!) Paper: Winter Bright SS Kit (SU!) Other: On Board Accents (SU!) Prismacolor Pencils, Turpenoid, blending stumps, Giga Scalloped Oval punch & Mega oval punch (Marvy Uchida), Corner Rounder, Scalloped Circle Punch & 1 3/8" circle punch (SU!), Marvy white gel pen, Stardust stickles, sponge, dimensionals, misc. ribbons & fibers, silver cord, Jumbo eyelets, Crop-a-dile

Sketch and (almost) Color Challenge

Hello, everyone!

Today I decided to tackle both the Sketch Challenge and Color Challenge in one card. It wasn't until I finished the card that I realized I used Really Rust instead of Ruby Red!! Oh well, I like it anyway! :) I used How Sweet It Is from My Favorite Things. When you're in love with chocolate like I am, this is a must-have set! *lol* I used my favorite Fall Flowers paper again --I hope you're not tired of seeing it yet! I paper pieced her dress, but everything else is stamped in Stazon Timber Brown and colored with an aquapainter and inks. I doodled some frames around the images and did some freehand machine stitching around the card front. A clip and ribbon complete the card.

Don't forget to head over to All That Scraps -- The Little Bit Kits were released today!! I'll have more Lucky and Lulu projects to share with you in the next few days. Check out the other Design Team members' blogs and galleries to see what they've done -- you won't be disappointed! :)

Stamps: How Sweet It Is (MFT) Cardstock: Wild Wasabi, watercolor paper (SU!) Paper: Fall Flowers (SU!) Ink: Stazon Timber Brown; Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Wild Wasabi, Soft Sky, Really Rust, Blush Blossom, Barely Banana (SU!) Other: Aquapainter, Hodgepodge Hardware, Soft Sky & Wild Wasabi stitched grosgrain, Chocolate Chip marker, Word Window Punch, 1 3/8" & 1 1/4" Square Punches, Stampin' Dimensionals, sewing machine & white thread

Lucky's Pocket Card

It's November 6th -- that means one more day until C.C. Designs' Little Bit Kits are released! Click HERE to see the post on Christine's blog about them -- the packaging is great, and they come already assembled for you!!! You can choose wood mounted or EZ-mount. She plans to release one of these mini sets on the 7th of each month -- the next one will have even more winter fun! :)

For this sneak peek, I used Lucky's Christmas Wish, and I did this week's Technique Challenge over at SCS -- horizontal pocket cards. I decided that Lucky should get a jump start on his Christmas list, so he's writing his letter to Santa already! I stamped Lucky with Brilliance Graphite Black ink on Bazzill Coconut Smoothies cardstock, masked his hand, then stamped the pencil from Donald/Daphne Goes to School. He's colored with Prismacolors and blended with Turpenoid. I used Frosted Lace Stickles on his hat. The sentiment on the front is handwritten. The patterned paper is Holiday Words from Flair Design, and the colored cardstock is SU! Glorious Green and Real Red. To embellish, I added some faux stitching, Bazzill white brads, May Arts red satin ribbon, and SU! white grosgrain.

Don't forget to go to All That Scraps tomorrow for the release of Lulu's Sweet Delights and Lucky's Christmas Wish. Thanks for stopping by -- have a great day! :)

Weekend Blog Challenges

Happy Monday! I hope you had a great weekend! Mine was pretty uneventful, but Chris went to the Sammy Hagar concert Saturday night with some friends. He tried to party like a rock star, but I don't know how well he succeeded! *lol* I passed on the ticket -- staying home with the kids and catching up on things sounded better to me. Am I getting old or what?? :)

Anyway, I was able to do a couple blog challenges this weekend. It's been a while since I've done that -- there are so many great sketches and other challenges posted by fellow bloggers, and doing them really helps me stretch my creativity!

I did this first card for Jen del Muro's Sketch for You to Try. She always has such great sketches! I used my Fall Flowers paper -- can I tell you how much I *love* it?!? The image was inked with ink pads and colored with a blender pen and inks. I highlighted around the flowers, drew in a shadow, and sponged around the panel with Soft Sky ink. The sentiment is from So Many Sayings (see my previous post for a way to mount the individual sayings in the set).

The second card is for Jen70's challenge to use shades of brown and pink. All the images are from Pretty Birds. It is part of the Kim Hughes Collection from Cornish Heritage Farms. I purchased this set with the gift certificate I won in the CPS Contest! I made my own "patterned paper" by stamping the paisleys onto BasicGrey Infuse paper. The rest is pretty straightforward.

I'll be back tomorrow with another sneak peek at the new Little Bit Kits from C.C. Designs! I hope you have a great day -- thanks for stopping by! :)

Be Happy Card (all products Stampin' Up!)

Stamps: Year After Year, So Many Sayings Cardstock: Really Rust, Old Olive textured, Whisper White Paper: Fall Flowers Ink: Really Rust, Old Olive, Soft Sky Other: blender pen, jumbo eyelet, 5/8" Old Olive grosgrain, natural hemp twine, lg & sm oval punches, Crafter's Tool Kit, stamping sponge, dimensionals

Hey Tweetie Card

Stamps: Pretty Flowers by Kim Hughes (CHF) Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Infuse (BasicGrey) Ink: Chocolate Chip, Regal Rose (SU!); Stazon Timber Brown Other (all SU!): Hodgepodge Hardware, 5/8" Chocolate Chip grosgrain, scalloped circle punch, 1 3/8" circle punch, paper piercing tool, stamping sponge, dimensionals

A Birthday Card (and a Great Idea)!

Hi, everyone!

I wanted to share this birthday card I made for my Grandma. She will be 85 on November 15, but she is one of the "youngest" 85-year-olds I know! She volunteers several days a week, works in her yard like crazy during the summer, and is one of the best shoppers anywhere! Seriously, she has more shoes and fun clothes than I do! :) Anyway, this week's Limited Supplies Challenge inspired me to make a simpler, flatter card without a lot of bulky embellishments. Although I couldn't really count this as a LSC card (the challenge was to make a flat holiday card), I did use the challenge as a springboard for this birthday card. I just got this Fall Flowers paper in my SU! order, and I was dying to use it! :) The flower stamp is from True Friend, and the sentiment is from the hostess set So Many Sayings (shhhhhh - I "overspent" so I qualified for a hostess set) *lol*.

Okay -- here's the great idea I mentioned in my title. I have been avoiding So Many Sayings because, honestly, I didn't like that there were so many sayings on one block (I know that's the name of the set, but it frustrated me just the same). I knew I wouldn't use it that way, because it would mean using markers to ink up only part of the rubber to get the sentiment I wanted.


The only way I'd use the set would be if the sayings were cut apart. Solution: EZ Mount! EZ Mount is foam mount with a cling surface, perfect for using with acrylic blocks. I had gotten some from All That Scraps and had enough left over after mounting my C.C. Designs stamps.

I gently peeled the rubber from the foam backing, then applied it to the sticky side of the EZ Mount. Then I cut the sayings apart.

I used the same case to store the stamps, but I just applied them to the inside bottom. They stay in place until I'm ready to use them! I applied the index stickers to the inside of the lid so that when open, I can see what order the sayings are in. NOW I will use them!!!!! Most are perfect to use with the SU! Word Window Punch, as I did with "celebrate life" on this card.

I hope you like the card and the idea, and I hope it inspires you to think about your cards and your stamps a little differently! Who says we always have to do things the same ol' way? :) Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and thanks for visiting!!

All supplies Stampin' Up!

Stamps: True Friend, So Many Sayings Cardstock: Sahara Sand, Whisper White, Old Olive textured cs Paper: Fall Flowers dsp Ink: Soft Sky, Old Olive Other: paper piercing tool, Old Olive marker, Soft Sky stitched grosgrain, corner rounder, Word Window Punch, Earth Elements brad, stamping sponge, 1/8" handheld punch

Introducing Lulu and Lucky!

Meet Lulu. She has visions of sugarplums dancing in her head! These stamps are part of Lulu's Sweet Delights, a new set from C.C. Designs. Lulu and the sweets were colored with Prismacolor pencils. The sweets were heat embossed with Iridescent Ice embossing powder, cut out, and attached with rolled up glue dots. I used a Sakura Clear Glaze pen on her eyes, nose, mouth, and whiskers.

This is Lucky. He's bringing gifts and wishes for a Merry Christmas! Lucky's Christmas Wish is another new set from C.C. Designs. He was watercolored with an Aquapainter and inks. There is Liquid Applique on the brim and pom pom of his hat. He also has Clear Glaze pen on his eyes, nose, and mouth. The gifts are highlighted with a Stardust Gelly Roll pen.

Both of these sets will be available November 7 at All That Scraps. As you can probably tell, I'm having lots of fun with them so far! I still have more samples to show you this week, so I hope you'll come back! Thanks so much for visiting -- have a great Friday! :)

Lulu's Card

Stamps: Lulu's Sweet Delights Cardstock: Old Olive textured, Bashful Blue (SU!); Coconut Smoothies (Bazzill) Paper: SU! Simply Scrappin' Kit Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black, Bashful Blue (SU!) Other: Prismacolor Pencils, Turpenoid, blending stumps, ribbon (May Arts); Versamark, Iridescent Ice EP, heat tool, Scalloped Circle Punch, 1/4" circle punch (SU!); white gel pen (Marvy), Clear Glaze pen (Sakura), sponge, glue dots, dimensionals

Lucky's Card

Stamps: Sanded (SU!), Lucky's Christmas Wishes Cardstock: Garden Green, Real Red (SU!); Coconut Smoothies (Bazzill) Paper: Flair Designs Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black; Real Red, Garden Green, Close to Cocoa, Creamy Caramel (SU!) Other: Aquapainter, Liquid Applique, heat tool, Clear Glaze pen & Stardust Gelly Roll pen (Sakura), Photo Corners Punch & lg Tag Punch (SU!), red satin ribbon (May Arts), red star eyelets, sewing machine & white thread, sponge, dimensionals

C.C. Designs Sneak Peek!

It's November 1st -- can you believe it? This will be a month full of exciting things! One of those exciting things is the release of two new Christmas sets from C.C. Designs: Lulu's Sweet Delights and Lucky's Christmas Wish. They will be available November 7 at All That Scraps.

Here's a card I made using the tree image from Lucky's Christmas Wish. The holly and sentiment are from Lulu's Sweet Delights. Let me tell you, Lucky and Lulu are too cute, but for some reason the first image I wanted to work with was this tree! :) I could see this card in my mind right away! This paper I found in my stash (manufacturer unknown) was the springboard for my color palette. The cardbase is Wild Wasabi cardstock, and the red matting is Bazzill Canvas cardstock. The background snowflake is from Reindeer Games, and I stamped it in White Craft ink. I stamped the trees and the sentiment in Brilliance Graphite Ink on Coconut Smoothies cardstock, then I watercolored the trees using an aquapainter and Wild Wasabi & Creamy Caramel inks. I sponged and highlighted around the trees with Soft Sky ink, then I sponged the panel edges with Wild Wasabi. I used Liquid Applique and a heat tool to create the snow. The holly was stamped in Wild Wasabi and Real Red ink, then I watercolored & sponged with Wild Wasabi. Some red glitter glue, piercing, doodling and faux stitching finish the card.

I can't wait to show you the rest of these sets -- come back tomorrow so you can meet Lucky and Lulu! Have a great day! :)

Stamps: Lucky's Christmas Wishes, Lulu's Sweet Delights, Reindeer Games (C.C. Designs) Cardstock: Wild Wasabi (SU!), Smoothies and Canvas Texture (Bazzill) Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black; White Craft, Wild Wasabi, Creamy Caramel, Soft Sky, Real Red (SU!) Other: Scalloped Circle Punch & 1 3/8" Circle Punch, paper piercing tool, Stamping Sponges, Stampin' Dimensionals (SU!); Liquid Applique, heat tool, red glitter glue, Marvy black gel pen