Caught a Bug?

Happy Sunday! Today I have a preview of the new set by Cookie Crumbs Stamps, called Get Well Critters. The images and sentiments are funny and so cute! This is definitely my favorite critter -- don't you just love those eyes? ;)

The jar and bug were stamped, colored and cut out separately and mounted on dimensionals. I did the same thing with another set of eyes, and I popped them up to add one more layer. Those eyes just make me giggle! I added some Stickles to the wings for a little sparkle, and I machine stitched around the dp. I sponged just the very edge of the embossed oval so it would pop against the dotted paper.

Here's a closeup...

There are more samples of this set on the ATS Blog, so be sure to check 'em out! All of the new sets will be released tomorrow, Monday, June 1 at 10:00 pm Eastern. We'll be chatting on the ATS Forum before the release -- we'd love for you to be there! :)

That's all for today! Tomorrow I'll have my first MFTeaser for you -- I hope you'll stop back! Thanks so much for visiting!

Have a wonderful day! :)

Christina

Stamps: Get Well Critters (Cookie Crumbs Stamps) Ink: Momento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko), Rose Red (SU!) Cardstock: Soft Sky, Old Olive (SU!), Perfect Paper Panels (MFT) Paper: Daisy Bucket Other: Copics, Oval Nestabilities, Cuttlebug, Swiss Dots embossing folder, Old Olive grosgrain ribbon, Rose Red brads, Icicle Stickles, sponge, dimensionals, sewing machine

Fun News to Share!

Hi there! Happy Saturday to you!

First of all, Kyle passed his driving test yesterday! Thanks for crossing your fingers for him! Now the fun really begins, I know! ;)

Did any of you stop by the Verve Stamps Blog yesterday? Did you see?? I'm a Guest Diva for June! I was SO thrilled to be asked by Julee Tilman to work with her amazing Verve Divas for the June release! I've long been a fan of Julee and her stamps -- her elegant designs and fonts are just so beautiful! The release isn't until June 26, so you'll have to wait a while to see the previews! :)

Also, I'm headed to Smithville, Ohio today with my friend Ann -- we're attending the Copic Certification class tomorrow! I'm so excited! What makes it even more fun is that the class is being held at Toyrifix, which is where you can find Tammy Hershberger most of the time! I'm SO looking forward to finally meeting her in person!

I'll have one more All That Scraps preview for you tomorrow -- but feel free to stop by the ATS Blog or the ATS Design Team blogs to see what they've created! Thanks for visiting today!

Have a great day!
Christina

Gratitude

Hello! TGIF! Today's preview is of Thank You Sentiments, a new set by AmyR Stamps. Amy has created some fantastic sentiment sets, and this one is one of my favorites! There are SO many sentiments for all your thank-you needs -- they can be used alone or with other images. Here I decided to show how well they can be used as the focal point of your card!

I scored a border at the bottom of the card, then I repeated the stamping under the score line. The flowers were cut from the dp using Cuttlebug flower dies -- it's a great way to make flowers which match your project perfectly!

Stop by the ATS Blog to see more samples! This set and all the new sets will be released Monday, June 1 at 10:00 PM Eastern at All That Scraps!

One thing before I go -- my oldest, Kyle, is taking his driving test today -- cross your fingers for him, would you?? :)

Thanks for the visit today!

Have a fantastic Friday!
Christina

Stamps: Thank You Sentiments (AmyR Stamps) Ink: Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze (SU!) Cardstock: Georgia Pacific white Paper: Parisian Breeze Specialty dsp (SU!) Other: Cuttlebug, flower die (Provo Craft), Labels One Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Branch punch (Martha Stewart), buttons, sponge

Oh Baby!

Happy Thursday! The All That Scraps previews continue today with a new Gingersnaps set, called Oh Baby!. It's probably no secret that I *love* these Gingersnaps images. I mean really, how cute is this?!?

This card is 4.25" square. It's a pretty simple design -- I let the paper and image do all the work! I inked up only the word "baby" from one of the sentiments in the set, because it was just the size I needed.

Quick Tip: Use only part of a sentiment if it suits your design better -- it's a great way to get more versatility from your sets!

Don't forget to stop by the ATS Blog to see more previews and to find out how you can win the set. Also, be sure to check out the blogs of my ATS teammates (on my sidebar) -- they're sure to have some eye candy for you! :)

I'll be back with more tomorrow -- thanks for stopping by today! :)

Have a wonderful day!
Christina

Stamps: Gingersnaps Oh Baby! (C.C. Designs) Ink: Momento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko), Pretty in Pink (SU!) Cardstock: Soft Sky, Kiwi Kiss, Very Vanilla (SU!) Paper: Girl Friday (Cosmo Cricket) Other: Copics, Caboodles flower (Prima), Dotted Wave punch (EK Success), Round Tab punch (SU!), button, ribbon, sponge, dimensionals

Let the Previews Begin!

Hello! Happy Wednesday to you! Today begins a WEEK of previews and releases -- first from All That Scraps, then from My Favorite Things!

All That Scraps is releasing five new sets on Monday, June 1. You know, every month I'm convinced that Christine has created the cutest images ever, then the next month she does it again! Look at this sweet little C.C. Designs Fairy Junebug! She's one of two in the set -- the other one doesn't have wings. I colored the image with Copics and sponged around the edges of the image panel. I'm quite sure that fairies don't have orange wings, but I pulled my colors from the paper! ;)

Be sure to stop by the ATS Blog today and every day during the previews -- you can see more samples with the new sets, and you can find out how you could win a set of your own!

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

Have a great day!
Christina

Stamps: Fairy Junebugs (C.C. Designs) Ink: Momento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko), Certainly Celery (SU!) Cardstock: Certainly Celery, Tangerine Tango, Whisper White (SU!) Paper: Bloom and Grow (My Mind's Eye) Other: Copics, Rectangle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Caboodles flower (Prima), Icicle Stickles (Ranger), white gel pen (Inkssentials), 1 3/8" circle punch, scallop circle punch, paper piercer, stamping sponge, dimensionals (SU!)

WTG: Mix It Up!

Good Monday Morning! Happy Memorial Day to my friends in the US! Joanne is the hostess for this week's Who's That Girl Challenge. It's a fun one -- we want you to mix it up! Use an image from one Who's That Girl set and a sentiment from another. I had some fun with this one, and I created something for "the day after" a girls night out! ;)

The images are from Girls Night Out, and the sentiment is from Rain or Shine. I colored with Copics, then I added some glitter to the margarita rim and some bling fruit to the appletini! I also did some machine stitching around the dp.

We don't have any big plans for the holiday today, just hanging around the house. Hopefully I'll get my last plantings finished outside, then the rest of my free time will be for stamping!! :)

Thanks so much for visiting today!

Have a wonderful day!
Christina

Stamps: Girls Night Out, Rain or Shine (MFT) Ink: Momento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko) Cardstock: Pixie Pink, Whisper White (SU!), Perfect Paper Panels (MFT) Paper: Hit the Beach A Lotta Colada (Flair Design) Other: Copics, Rectangle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Obsessions flower (Prima), Cup o' Buttons Spring Collection (MFT), dotted organdy ribbon (May Arts), Dazzling Diamonds glitter, corner rounder (SU!), adhesive rhinestone (Hero Arts). sewing machine, dimensionals

Late Spring in the Garden

Good morning! Happy Saturday to you! We've had a busy couple of days around here -- just the usual craziness with four kids and end-of-school activities! It seems that I've been in the car more than I've been at home, so my stamping time has suffered! ;)

We have had some beautiful late spring weather here this week -- sunny and temps in the 80s -- so I spent some time gardening yesterday. My blog is called Flowers and Ink, because those are the things which make me really happy creatively. So, today I'm giving you a break from the ink so I can show you the flowers! Enjoy! :)

I'll be spending this weekend working on upcoming releases, but I'll be sure to make some things I can share with you right away, too! Thanks so much for taking time out of your day to visit here -- I appreciate it SO much! :)

Have a wonderful day!

Christina

TCP Challenge

Hey there! Happy Thursday to you! Today's card was made with stamps by The Cat's Pajamas, which, sadly, were heretofore uninked. I've been a big fan of TCP stamps for quite a while and recently hopped off the fence to purchase a few sets. I was so glad I finally had a chance to play with them! Carole is the hostess of this week's TCP Challenge, which is a sketch challenge. Here's my take on it!

I colored with Copics and added some Stickles to the star and party hats. I'm seriously addicted to button and ribbon treatments lately -- I used another one here. Susan has a great tutorial for using buttons HERE at SCS -- check it out when you get the chance!

That's all for today! I need to go and finish up some teacher gifts for Caroline's teachers -- tomorrow is her last day of preschool! I can't believe my baby will be in Kindergarten next year! *sniff* Thanks so much for stopping by today! :)

Have a fantastic day!
Christina

Stamps: Smells Like Cake (TCP) Ink: Momento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko) Cardstock: Soft Sky, Old Olive (SU!), Perfect Paper Panels (MFT) Paper: Sweet Celebration Make a Wish (Bella Blvd) Other: Copics, Icicle Stickles, Circle Nestabilities, ribbon and button (MFT), linen thread, white gel pen, dimensionals

What's in My Jar?

Hi there! You've come to my stop on the MFT Hop Around the Block! If you've come from Carole's Blog, welcome! If you haven't seen all the projects so far, head back to Kim's Blog and hop along from there! Go ahead... I'll be here when you get back! ;)

I am so excited about this mid-month release, because we'll change the way you gift! We're all looking for cost-effective gift ideas, and MFT has found PERFECT PACKAGING!

Sets being released: Time for the Bubbly Label, Teacher Label (mini sets that retail for $9 each)
Other products being released on May 20th (midnight):
*Stephanie Fizer Papers - School Collection digi paper pack ($2.95)
*Jars sized to fit label stamp sets (sold in packs of 4/$12)
*Eclipse Masking Sheet packs ($3.95)
*Adornments Shimmer brads (8-10 each pink, 8-10 cream, and 16-20 white)

What's in my jar? I created a teacher thank-you gift -- a jar of inspirational teacher quotes. I am a teacher by profession, so I am fond of all things teacher-related. I just flipped when I saw the Teacher Label set and Stephanie's school papers, and I couldn't wait to use them together!

I went online and found some great teacher quotes (click HERE and HERE). I pasted them into a Word document, printed it, and sliced it up! Then I filled the jar! On the label, the sentiment was stamped in white craft ink onto BasicGrey dp and heat embossed with white detail EP. The books and ruler were colored with Copics, cut out, and popped up on dimensionals.

As a last-minute idea, I made a coordinating jumbo clothespin memo clip. See the striped paper in the clip? It's another of Stephanie's patterns! :) Both buttons are from the Cup o' Buttons Spring Collection.

Okay, you've seen what's in my jar, and now you get to see what's in Amy's! I'm sure it will be something fabulous! :) Thanks so much for hopping by!

Christina

MFT Blog Hop Tonight!

Hello! Happy Tuesday! My post for today will come later on tonight -- 10:00 pm Eastern, to be exact! My Favorite Things is having a mid-month Hop Around the Block to kick off the release of some great new stamps and products! They will change the way you gift!

See you back here tonight! Have a wonderful day! :)

Christina

Ice Cream and Eyelets!

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you had a great weekend! I am playing catch-up today after being gone. It was great to see my brother and his family -- especially my new niece! I had a wonderful weekend, but I'm happy to be home! Here's my card for today's MFT Who's That Girl Challenge. The featured set this week is Here's the Scoop, and the challenge is to use eyelets.

I colored with Prismacolor Pencils and OMS, and I paper pieced her PJs. The flower centers on the chair were the perfect places to use my eyelets! :)

Play along with us -- use keyword MFTWTG35 when uploading to the SCS gallery.

That's it for today -- I need to get Caroline off to school. It's her last week of preschool! Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Have a great day!
Christina

Stamps: Here's the Scoop (MFT) Ink: Momento Rich Cocoa (Tsukineko) Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White (SU!), Perfect Paper Panels (MFT) Paper: Sweet Always dsp (SU!) Other: Prismacolor Pencils, OMS, blending stumps, eyelets, Pumpkin Pie striped grosgrain, lace edge punch (Martha Stewart), dimensionals

Buckets of Love!

Happy Sunday! Tomorrow Christine is releasing three new C.C. Designs digi images. Everyone was having so much fun with her new Sugarplums Beachies, so she drew three more! If enough people like them, she'll have them in rubber, too! :)

I just love this image of Trevor in the bucket, and it is so perfect with this sentiment from Beach Sentiments by AmyR Stamps. The panel behind Trevor is from On the Boardwalk dp by Flair Designs. I found a sheet in my stash and had to use it! I colored with Copics, then I "dirtied" everything up a little bit with Tim Holtz Walnut Stain Distress Ink, and I added a little starfish from my set of Beach Charms.

Stop by the ATS Blog later today to see more samples of these adorable images! I can't wait to play with them some more! :)

Thanks so much for the visit -- have a fantastic day! :)

Christina

A Few Days Off!

Hi, everyone! Happy Thursday to you! I'll be taking a few days off from stamping and blogging -- I'm headed to Charlotte, NC for my niece's baptism. I'll be back Sunday with a post featuring new C.C. Designs digi images!

Thanks for stopping by today! Have a great weekend! :)

Christina

ATS Challenge: Stickles

Happy Wednesday! Today's ATS Challenge is to use Stickles. I pulled out one of my favorite C.C. Designs images (from the set Summertime Fun) and some bright papers to make this summery card! And, of course, I used buttons again -- I can't seem to put them down! :) The layout is Jen del Muro's Sketch for You to Try.

Check out all the ATS Challenges HERE -- play along with any challenge at any time! Use keyword ATSDTC48 when uploading. We'd love to see what you create! :)

Also, be sure to stop by HERE and vote in the MFT Idol contest! We're down to the Final Four!

Thank you so much for stopping by today -- have a fantastic day!

Christina

Stamps: Summertime Fun (C.C. Designs) Ink: Momento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko), Summer Sun (SU!) Cardstock: Taken with Teal, Soft Sky, Whisper White (SU!), MFT Perfect Paper Panels Paper: Bella Blvd, American Crafts Other: Copics, Cotton Candy Stickles, Icicle Stickles, ribbon, 1 3/8" circle punch, scallop circle punch, buttons, linen thread, white gel pen, sponge, dimensionals

Getting There

Happy Tuesday! Here's a card featuring Getting There, one of the fun images by Emerson Quillin available at American Art Stamp.

I colored with Copics and sponged around the image panel. I applied Moonlight Smooch to the chipboard flourish, and it really gave it a mother-of-pearl appearance. I added some adhesive pearls and SU! ribbon to finish the card. I did some machine stitching on the vertical paper panel, but most of it was covered up by the design!

That's it for today! Thank you so much for visiting here -- I am always SO grateful to my readers! :)

Have a fantastic day!
Christina

Stamp: Getting There (American Art Stamp) Ink: Momento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko), River Rock (SU!) Cardstock: Pacific Point, Whisper White (SU!), Perfect Paper Panel (MFT) Paper: Marrakech 6x6 pad (BasicGrey) Other: Copics, chipboard flourish (Making Memories), adhesive pearls (Michaels), organza ribbon (SU!), sewing machine

Girl Talk Tole!

Happy Monday, everyone! This is a quick post -- I'm going to the Aquarium with Anna's class this morning! Jessie is this week's guest hostess for the MFT Who's That Girl Challenge. The featured set is Call Me, and the challenge is to use Paper Tole. Here's my card, made with BasicGrey Lime Rickey Paper (*love* it!).


Here's a closeup of all the layers. There are four total: the image on cardstock, the chair and girl, the chair arms and telephone, and the telephone by itself. Since I paper pieced her outfit, I guess I have four and a half layers! ;)


Don't forget to check out the MFT BUBBLE BIN this week -- it's full of retiring sets! Get 'em while you can -- when they're gone, they're GONE! :)

Thanks for visiting today! Have a fantastic day!

Christina

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Sunday, everyone! And to all of you mothers out there, Happy Mother's Day!

I am feeling VERY blessed today. Being a mother is the best job I've ever had. Look at the people I get to work with every day:

It doesn't get any better than that. :)

One Card Two Ways!

Hello, everyone! TGIF!! Yesterday's Ways to Use It Challenge was to use Kraft cardstock. I am Kraft-challenged. I love the way it looks in a design, but I don't use it as often as I should! My friend had asked me to make some First Communion cards for her, and I used Kraft as the base and matting for both the boy and girl versions! :)

Since I was mass-producing (6 cards total), I kept the layout the same for all cards. I just love this little lamb from Gingersnaps Spring Things by C.C. Designs -- it's just so sweet! I colored with Copics, and I used some white flock on the wool. For the boy card, I used SU! Parisian Breeze Specialty dsp.

I gave the girl version some feminine touches with rounded corners and ribbon instead of brads. The verse is the Philippians 4:4 Plain Jane by Verve Stamps. On the girl card I used SU! Delicate Dots dsp.

I don't mass produce very often, but I'm happy with how they turned out! Keeping the layout simple really helps! :)

That's all for today! Tomorrow I'll be MIA -- I'm organizing a crafters garage sale at our church, with the proceeds benefiting our parish summer mission. The sale is tomorrow, and you should see my house right now! I'm up to my eyeballs in stamps, ribbon, scrapbooking supplies, and all kinds of other craft goodies! I'll be spending the today sorting and pricing -- EEK! Wish me luck!

Thanks for the visit today -- I'm so glad you stopped by! Have a great day and a wonderful weekend! :)

Christina

It's a Girls Day In!

Hi there! You've come to my stop on the MFT May Blog Hop! If you haven't seen all the fabulous projects so far, go back to Kim's Blog and make your way along from there! Be sure to follow the trail all the way to the end -- there just might be a little treat waiting there! ;)

For my sample, I created a gatefold card with the set Girls Day In. I also used some of the other goodies being released this month: Chocolate Kiss Printed Paper Pack, Chocolate Kiss Ribbon Bundle, and Cup o' Buttons Pack. I paper pieced and colored with Copics.

The card opens up to reveal a place to adhere a gift card or just write a personal message! I stamped the tag image onto the printed paper, cut it out and adhered it to the cardstock.

That's all from me! Now head over to see what the amazingly talented Cammie has to show you! Thanks so much for hopping by! :)

Christina

Another MFTeaser!

Happy Tuesday! I have another MFTeaser for you! Flopsey's back in the set Birthday Flopsey, and it is SO cute! You probably already know that I *love* this bunny, so I'm having a lot of fun with this set! This is the card I created for my "Cutting out of the Box" How'd They Do That? tutorial last week. You can find it HERE on the MFT Member Company Forum.

I colored with Copics, and I used my new Lime Rickey paper by BasicGrey. So much fun! I embellished with Prima flowers, Lime Rickey buttons, ribbon, and machine stitching. I also added some Stickles to the cake.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, May 6, My Favorite Things is releasing four new sets, plus some yummy papers and embellishments! It all begins with a Blog Hop tonight at 10:00 pm Eastern, so I hope you'll come back to hop along with us! Then tomorrow night, join us for the Release Cocktail Party on the MFT Forum from 8-10 pm Eastern before the sets go live at 10:00!

That's all for now, but I'll be back later tonight! I hope to see you then! Thanks for visiting!

Have a great day! :)
Christina

WTG: an MFTeaser!

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you had a great weekend! Today's Who's That Girl Challenge is a WILDCARD -- you choose and use YOUR favorite Who's That Girl set! The challenge part is to use the MFT colors black, pink, and white.

My sample is also an MFTeaser! I used the new set Girls' Day In, which is being released this Wednesday, May 6! This is one of two WTG images in the set! Wouldn't this be great for Mom, a sister, or a girlfriend? :)


I paper pieced her robe and colored the rest with Copics. I did some machine stitching around the pink paper.

My Favorite Things is having a release cocktail party Wednesday, May 6 from 8-10 pm Eastern. The celebration will start with a Blog Hop tomorrow night at 10 pm, followed by fun and chatting in the MFT Forum Wednesday night before the release! There are four new sets being released, so you won't want to miss a thing! :)

I'll have more MFTeasers for you tomorrow, so I hope you'll stop back! Thanks so much for visiting today!

Have a great day! :)
Christina

Stamps: Girls Day In (MFT) Ink: Momento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko) Cardstock: Basic Black, Whisper White, MFT Perfect Paper Panels Paper: Spring Fling dsp, Rockabilly dsp (SU!) Other: Copics, circle punches, eyelet border punch (SU!), MFT ribbon, Lily White Blossoms Braddies (Doodlebug), sewing machine, dimensionals

Two More!

Hi there! I have two more previews of the new releases from All That Scraps! The first uses another image from Sugarplums Beach Scene by C.C. Designs. The sentiment is from Beach Sentiments by AmyR Stamps. Amy's sentiments are SO perfect for any beach-y project, and I just love the font she used! This card has a pretty simple design. I used SU! cardstock and American Crafts dp. I colored the flip flops with Copics, cut them out, and popped them up on dimensionals. I colored the rhinestones with an orange Copic marker before adhering them -- I love that I can do that! :)

My second card has an image from Gingersnaps Bugg-A-Boos by C.C. Designs. There are three images in the set: a butterfly, a ladybug, and this adorable bee! The sentiment is from the C.C. Designs set Bear Hugs. Another simple design, but fun nonetheless! The yellow paper is American Crafts, and the black is from Rockabilly by SU!. I colored with Copics and sponged around the image.

Stop by the ATS Blog or the blogs of the ATS Design team for more samples of all the new sets! They will be released tomorrow (Monday) at 10 pm!

That's all for now! Thanks so much for the visit!

Have a wonderful day! :)

Chrsitina

Ocean in a Jar

Happy Friday, everyone! I don't know about you, but it's been a busy week so far! Fun, but busy! :) I am really excited about my project today. I used the new sets Sugarplums Beach Scene by C.C. Designs and Beach Sentiments by AmyR Stamps. The images in Beach Scene are perfect for scrapbook pages or for creating a scene for the Beachies (see yesterday's post). I did something different and made a shell jar! We've had these shells in a basket since collecting them on vacation many years ago, and they deserved a new home! :)


I totally channeled the spirit of my friend Lesa on this project -- her creations always have such a gorgeous vintage look with lots of dimension and texture. I used several Spellbinders Nestabilities, and I sponged all the edges with Tim Holtz Walnut Stain distress ink. The shells on the tag were watercolored and sponged, then I cut them out and popped them up on dimensionals.

Here's a closeup of the lid. Isn't this sentiment just perfect?

You can see more samples of this set on the ATS Blog. I can't wait to see what the other girls came up with! If you stop by, you'll find out how you can win a set for yourself! All of the new sets will be released Monday, May 4 at 10 pm!

I hope you are liking the previews so far -- I still have more to show you! Thanks so much for visiting today -- I really do appreciate it!

Have a fantastic Friday! :)

Christina

Stamps: Sugarplums Beach Scene (C.C. Designs), Beach Sentiments (AmyR Stamps) Ink: Basic Black, Baja Breeze, Sahara Sand (SU!), Tim Holtz Walnut Distress Ink (Ranger) Cardstock: Kraft, Baja Breeze, Whisper White (SU!), Perfect Paper Panels (MFT) Paper: Parisian Breeze Specialty dsp (SU!) Other: Circle Nestabilites, Curved Rectangle Nestabilities, Long Rectangle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug, Swiss Dots embossing folder (Provo Craft), Aquapainter, white organza ribbon, Kraft taffeta ribbon, Button Bouquet, linen thread, stamping sponges, dimensionals (SU!)