FS95: FlowerGal36

This week's FS is Dawn, AKA Flowergal36. I loved her card: WT194 Thankful Sympathy.

I changed the colors/ patterned paper and stamp set. I used celery for the base, then used some retired SU! designer paper. The stamp set I used is Everyday Blessings from Papertrey Ink. I love this set....especially the sentiments. This one "Nothing is worth more than this day." is just beautiful.

I stamped the cross in celery, the sentiment in cocoa. I stamped on the designer paper with chocolate chip ink, using the small image from the stamp set. I used my two way glue pen and some fine glitter on the cross. I used celery ribbon and a celery button on the top.

The main image is on dimensionals. Simple card....beautiful. I guess this qualifies for WT194 too!




stamps: Everyday Blessings {Papertrey Ink}
ink: cocoa, celery, chocolate
paper: celery, chocolate, shimmery white, SU! designer paper
misc: glitter, celery organza ribbon, button, dimensionals

HSC45: Gift Card Holder

HSC45 is a challenge on the Splitcoast website. It is a challenge to use your Hanna/Riley/Sophie G. stamps to create a gift card/money holder. I found this cute gift card tins in the check out aisle at my local home improvement store. It was Uggggg-ly! What could make it Purdy? Hanna of course. I covered the front with Stampin' Up! © designer paper (rounded the corners). I stamped Hanna {Tis the season} on white cardstock with black soot ink and colored in with copic markers. I stamped Hanna a second time on the same designer paper to make her a cute skirt. I trimmed it out and carefully added it to the main image with adhesive. I used some 2 way glue and glitter to bling-i-fy the project. The ribbon is wrapped around the tin and the tag is attached with gold cord. Sentiment from Hanna {Just what I wanted to say}.






Inside of the tin holds the gift card!


Stamps: Hanna {Tis the Season, Just what I wanted to Say}
Ink: Black Soot, Copics
paper: White, SU! Designer paper
misc: organza ribbon, gold cord, punches (circle, scalloped circle/SU), glitter/two way glue pen

Hanna Sympathy Card

I made this card for someone who recently lost her father. It is clean and simple. I used the designer label SU! punch for the main image. The image is from For The Soul. I stamped in chocolate chip ink on white cardstock, then punched the image out. The sentiment is from Everyday sentiments.

I used Kraft for the base, some SU! designer paper and a piece of MayArts Ribbon (Starlitstudio).

The main image is on dimensionals. There is also sakura stardust outlining the cross in the center and the flourishes on the outside. (it's hard to see in the photo)


stamps: Hanna {Everyday sentiments, For the Soul}
paper: Kraft, white, designer paper (SU!)
ink: chocolate chip
misc: ribbon (mayarts), dimensionals, SU! designer label punch, sakura stardust

Little Red Heads Across America

Here is some exciting news! My two red heads (Isabella and Xavier) are featured in this new book:
Little Red Heads Across America

They are on the New York State Page. To purchase your copy of the book, click on the
Little Red Heads Across America link on my sidebar.

Holiday Extravaganza Bundles!

20-50% off Stampin' UP bundles of goodies! For a limited time, you can purchase any of the Holiday Extravaganza bundles at a special promotional price from 20-50% off. To see the fabulous bundles... just click HERE to view them online or click HERE for a easy to see .pdf flyer.

The sale only lasts till Monday December 1 and quantities are limited, so please place your order early to avoid disappointment.


All in the Family Bundle (item 116217) - 50% Off
The Manly Man's Bundle (item 116224) - 50% Off
Seasonal Stamper's Bundle (item 116221) - 40% Off
Alpha-Betcha Need This Bundle (item 116226) - 40% Off
I'm On Board Bundle (item 116218) - 30% Off
Bags & Tags Bundle (item 116216) - 30% Off
Curly Label Punch Bundle (item 112966) - 30% Off
Star Stuck Bundle (item 116220) - 30% Off
Sticky Situation Bundle (item 116222) - 30% Off
Mission Embossable Bundle (item 116223) - 30% Off
Scrapbooker's Dream Bundle (item 116227) - 25% Off
Ribbon Storage Bundle (item 116228) - 20% Off
Wild Thing, I Think I Love You Bundle (item 116225) - 20% Off
Don't forget that the RUB-ONS are still on sale... please click HERE for more information!

Remember, all orders over $150 also include exclusive free hostess stamp sets & bonus merchandise -- so why not take advantage of this great deal and stock up?!

If you would like to place an order, please email me at freckledandfun@gmail.com

Don't wait too long....supplies are limited!

Leavin' On a Jet Plane

Here is my beautiful eleven year old, Karen, with Todd. They left at 5 am for China. They are flying into Beijing and then heading down to Tianjin for the trip of a lifetime. Karen was invited by a family friend to visit this past summer. Todd's good friend, John, married Yuan a few years ago. One of the things that Yuan wanted to do was share her culture with Karen and bring her home to China. This has been in the works for a few years now, and she was supposed to go a few months ago. She was unable to go over the summer because of the Olympics. We decided as a family that we would feel more comfortable if she went with Todd, so the two of them are going for 9 days starting TODAY! They are scheduled to visit the Great Wall, attend Yuan's parents anniversary party and see all kinds of wonderful Chinese landmarks. I want pictures of the Birds Nest (Olympic Stadium) and just about everything else! :)

You can imagine that preparation for the holiday and preparation for this trip has been on my mind for the past few weeks, so if you are waiting for design work, please send me an email and we can get it completed this week!

Hope everyone has a wonderful long weekend!

Blog Bling: FanGirl

Twilight fans - this is for you.....

Are you a FanGirl? Please feel free to right click, save it to your computer...(mac users ctrl+click)....

Anyone else a fan of Twilight?

Ustamp Blog Candy Winner!

My son wanted me to pick the number 12 for my blog candy - and the winner is....

Number 12: Jenn

Please email me at freckledandfun@gmail.com and I will put you in touch with Dawn & Heather at Ustamp!

Congrats! Thank you to all who entered!

40 Things to be Thankful for....

I did some reflecting on the things I am so thankful for! The top 8 are in order....then it is a mish-mash of thoughts....

1. My faith
2.My husband
3. My six wonderful healthy children (should that be six separate reasons?)
4. My parents, who set such a great example for me with their marriage, their values, their faith and their love...
5. My two amazing brothers, my two beautiful sisters, their spouses.
6. My two neices and my nephew.
7. My best friend Debbie, her husband (Todd's best friend) and their daughters. All of our friends actually....friends that accept us for being the crazy family of 8.......Tasia and Kate, who help me out on a regular basis!
8. My house which shelters me and comforts me year round. Our backyard....open space, a swingset, a beautiful patio and plenty of room to run.....
9. My children's school. Sometimes I cry when I think of the wonderful things that they are learing in school. They have amazing teachers and wonderful friends.
10. Our community - safe, convenient and a superb place to raise children.
11. Chocolate - I love chocolate!!!!
12. My electric percolator and coffee - every day I start the day with a cup of steaming hot java! Yum! Oh, and french vanilla creamer....double yum!
13. The ocean...I may not get there enough, but I sure do love everything about the beach.
14. The Adirondack Mountains.....there is not a place on earth more beautiful than Upstate NY in Fall (and Summer, and Winter)...spring is kind of yucky and drab....but 3 out of 4 ain't bad!
15. My feather pillow...it helps me snuggle up tight and sleep well.
16. Ice water. That is my drink of choice lately and I love to crunch ice while watching my evening TV programs.
17. Lounge wear....I love to hang out in not so tight clothes in the evening...
18. Uggs - I have the boots for outside, slippers for inside!
19. High-speed internet - I am *so* impatient that I {heart} my wireless router and my high speed internet - beep beep!
20. A hot shower and indoor plumbing....the thought of going outside to an outhouse in the middle of winter sends a shiver down my spine...CAN YOU IMAGINE?
21. Ice cream....pretty much any flavor will do - my all time favorite - chocolate peanut butter cup!
22. Knowing that my oldest daughter met all four grandparents and three of her great-grandparents.
23. Having a wonderful relationship with my in-laws while they were alive. Knowing that they are looking down on me and my family with a smile!
24. Living in the USA! Knowing that I am safe and that this is the most wonderful country to raise my family. GOD BLESS THE USA!
25. My education...it made me think out of the box and learn life lessons...having the opportunity to go to college.....get my degrees....
26. The smell of a real wood burning fire, either at camp, or in our fire pit in the backyard....
27. The way my kids get so excited to eat popcorn while watching a movie.
28. The innocence of my children....
29. Fall leaves that turn the most stunning shades of reds, golds and browns
30. Blue Hydrangea in the summer, mums in the winter...roses anytime!
31. My vans - the Honda for everyday driving and Greased Lightnin' for hauling EVERYONE around!
32. My stamp room - a place where I can shut the door and get in a zone! It's a space just for me! In my crazy, busy world, I need a retreat where I can just go and create!
33. The computer - which allows me to do SO MUCH! I {heart} my mac! I love my adobe photoshop CS3 too! Google is such an invaluable resource for me - I am on Google several times a day.
34. My canon rebel! It has captured so many memories for me!
35. Stampin' Up!, Hanna Stamps!, Kitchen Sink Stamps, Our Craft Lounge,and PaperTrey Ink Stamp companies for making the most amazing products. They have made me more creative than I could ever imagine. I love that each company offers me a little something different.
36. Splitcoast Stampers - and my weekly challenge - I love making people stamp out of their comfort zone - and I love SCS as a resource for my stamping! Finding so many of my online friends there!!!!
37. Todd's work and his clients - who trust that my amazing husband will take care of them
38. The NY Giants, NY Yankees and NY Rangers. They make my heart skip a beat, they make me proud to be a NY'er and I love when they win! It hurts when they lose, but they make me stand up, cheer and shout more times that I could have ever imagined!
39. DVR - which is just the BEST invention EVAH (except for the coffee pot and computer) - I love watching My Giants on DVR! And all my shows! I love the DVR!
40. Music and listening to my children sing.

Gosh, I could go on and on...but since I am 40...I think a top 40 list is a great start....

What are you most thankful for???

It's beginning to look a LOT like Christmas....

Here are some of the holiday photos which I took tonight (well, Tas took a few too).

This one is of Tas and the kids. She is like a big sister to them.

I cannot tell you how much the kids love her. That unconditional love that kids have.....and then some.



I asked the kids to get their pictures taken, The were in front of the fireplace and Karen was reading to them. I grabbed this shot. Here it is in black and white....











Here is the color version.....














Here is the photo of our family - It will be our holiday card to Todd's clients, our family and friends. Came out well! I only had to touch up a few things.

(want to know what???)




Adobe Photoshop CS3

FS94: Sounds like Pig Latin

Ebethneu! No, that is not Pig Latin for my name! It is this amazing stamper called Elizabeth! Check out her {gallery}. I found {This awesome card} in her gallery. WOWZA! I took the card and changed things around a bit!

I was drawn to some scraps sitting on my desk. I loved the celery and eggplant scraps, so I grabbed those, but felt that I needed a third color. I went to the SUPAH helpful Color Combo site. I put in eggplant and celery and SHAZAM! There was my third color choices! I selected cocoa.

I also decided to change the stamp set to Butterfly Wishes {papertrey ink}. When in doubt, turn to your BFF! (Did I mention that Nichole and I are as thick as thieves?) I was really drawn to the distressed edges of Elizabeth's design. I started with a celery base. I took a cocoa layer and then an eggplant layer and distressed the Shish-kabobs out of them with my bone folder. I sewed the two layers (eggplant and cocoa) with a zig zag stitch. I stamped some random images from the Butterfly Wishes set on the eggplant layer with eggplant ink. I also used my dauber with the eggplant ink to tone down the white stitch. Then I stamped the butterfly in celery ink on celery cardstock. I trimmed it out and distressed the edges and sponged it with celery ink and a dauber. I used some scraps to make an antenna. I stamped the sentiment with the eggplant on celery, then used the SU!© designer label punch to punch it out. I used the flower punch from SU! ©with some scraps of cocoa, eggplant and celery. I used stickled on the butterfly and eggplant colored baubles on the center of the flowers & body of the butterfly. Phew! What do you think of my color selection?





Stamps: Butterfly Wishes {PaperTrey Ink}
Paper: celery, eggplant, cocoa {Stampin' Up! ©}
Ink: Celery, eggplant
Misc: designer label & Spring Flower punch {Stampin' Up!©}, baubles, stickles, sewing

Design: Christina's Creations

This was a design which Christina's and I worked on together! She started with one idea, then when she saw the colors in the new Stampin' Up!® papers, she decided to do a 180* and have me create a design inspired by those papers. We coordinated her signature and her watermark too!

Stop by and take a peek at her blog! Tell her I sent ya!

FS93: I'm Krazy For Kendra

This week's featured stamper is my good friend Kendra. She is AMAZING! She designs for Lizzie Anne, Hanna Stamps!, Inchie Arts AND I heart papers. In her spare time, she is an amazing mom, wonderful friend and just all around BIG TIME TROUBLE MAKER!

I still snicker at her antics on our stampin' retreat (moving the TP rolls from "waterfall" to "un-waterfall")....Oh the humanity!!!!

I digress.....take a peek at Kendra's gallery and you will see why she is so wonderful in my eyes!

I took this card: {Oh Happy Day} and changed a few items. I used the new Anna Mae set from Our Craft Lounge. I changed the colors and the stamp set....

I loved how Kendra had the main image with the button and ribbon on the top left side. I loved the three buttons on the bottom. Kendra's buttons were NEKID! I dressed them up with ribbon. I changed the patterned paper to dry pressure embossed paper.

I started the card with an only orange base, then used some real red paper, embossed with the heart cuttlebug folder. I used a strip of only orange with the swirl cuttlebug folder atop the red layer. Then the main image is on basic black and pixie pink. I used copics on the main image! I love this image.

Play along by clicking on the link on my left sidebar under my picture.....




stamps: Anna Mae {Our Craft Lounge}
paper: real red, only orange, pixie pink, basic black, white
ink: black, copics
misc: cuttlebug (swirls, hearts), ribbon, buttons, dimensionals

STAMPIN' UP! RETIRED SETS FOR SALE:

Garden Blocks ©2003 - set of 8 ($10)
Oh, My Word ©2005 - set of 6 ($10)
Notable Notes ©1999 - set of 4 plus bonus ($6)
Long Stemmed ©2000 - set of 4 ($10)
Small Talk © 2000 - set of 14 ($10)
Love Without End ©2003 - set of 9 ($10)
Simply The Best © 2006 set of 10 ($15)
Mini Messages © 2004 set of 8 ($8)
Quick and Cute © 2002 set of 8 ($8)
Peace and Comfort © 1998 set of 4 ($8)
Wee Wishes © 2001 set of 4 ($5)
Something to Celebrate © 2004 ($10)

All stamps are clean, in plastic casing, used but well taken care of.

Please email me at freckledandfun@gmail.com if you are interested in purchasing any of these items. I will ship them priority mail and combine shipping if you purchase more than one set.

Simple Birthday Invite

This simple invite is something that we mass produced in Victoria's brownie troop meeting for Birthday bags. Each bag got invitations (made by the brownies), a cake mix, frosting, plates and other party supplies. The bags are for our local food pantry. We hope to brighten the lives of people who cannot afford to buy invitations and cakes for their child's birthday party. They can grab a bag and have an instant party. Cute and simple!

stamps: sock monkey, hugs & wishes
paper: white, real red, su dp
ink: black
misc: colored pencils, scalloped circle punch, circle punch

Sophie G. Iron

Here is a simple, yet fun way to say "I'm Sorry".

Hope you like it!


stamps: Sophie G. iron
paper: white, ballet blue, SU! dp
ink: black
misc: cuttlebug (houndstooth), ribbon, baubles, scalloped and circle punches, dimensionals

WT192: New Home

Every once in a while, Todd asks me to make a card. When he does, I can justify my habit! {grin}

I made this card for a client of his who just bought a new house. I used watercolor paper for the Ways To Use it challenge on SCS.

I think I prefer using white cardstock and copics. I did the challenge and used watercolor crayons and my aquapainter. I stamped the image with archival black (ranger). The tree is stamped on watercolor paper and trimmed out, then applied with dimensionals to the card.

I used chocolate chip ink for the sentiment.

Some fun blue ribbon tied in a simple knot on the edge of
the sentiment....

I hope Todd's client likes it!

stamps: boards & beams {papertrey ink}
ink: black, chocolate chip
paper: watercolor, MME dp, chocolate dcwv textured, brocade
misc: punches (su scalloped edge), dimensionals, watercolor crayons, aquapainter, ribbon

Our Craft Lounge!

Oh My Gosh - you are going to {LOVE} the new stamp sets coming out of the Lounge. What lounge? THE LOUNGE! Our Craft Lounge!

Here is the one of those FUN new sets. Meet Lola, LolaLove.

Our Craft Lounge is going LIVE - TOMORROW! You won't want to miss it! Check in tomorrow morning for a link - and you can get these FUN-TASTIC stamps for yourself. :)

BUT WAIT - THERE'S MORE!! Don't miss out on the Grand Opening Prize Drawings!! If you make a purchase the grand opening weekend of Our Craft Lounge (Friday, Saturday and Sunday ~ November 14, 15 & 16th), you will get one pink ticket included in your order for each stamp set you purchase! Hold on to these tickets because OCL will start choosing winners the following weekend (November 21st to 23rd), and every weekend until December 1st. You never know when a new ticket number winner will show up on the front page of our site so check in to see what the prizes are, but trust me, you won't be disappointed!

Check out the other samples HERE:

Cambria Turnbow at http://www.cambriaturnbow.blogspot.com/
Kisa Peters at http://www.kisaspapercuts.blogspot.com/
Kendra Wietstock at http://kendrawietstock.blogspot.com/
Pam Hooten at http://www.pamhooten.blogspot.com/
Carol Halvorson at http://www.happinessblooms.blogspot.com/
Bev Barton at http://bevbarton.blogspot.com/
Lila Holgate at http://lilascreativecorner.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/
Lisa Zappa at http://shabbychickjunk.blogspot.com/
Heather McNally at http://heathermcnally.blogspot.com




stamps: lolalove {our craft lounge}
paper: perfect plum, pale plum, mellow moss, whisper white, su dp
ink: black, copics
misc: ribbon, rick rack, dimensionals, baubles, cuttlebug (paisley), punches (scalloped square)

Na Na Na Nah BATMAN!!!

I made these cards for Xavier's friends (irish twins). They are both really into batman. The cards coordinated with their gift (batman bathrobes). I used the bat from spooky sweets (papertrey ink) and stamped it with black soot ink on summer sun. I used the SU! large oval punch. Then I used the nestablities punches on the black cardstock and the grey cardstock. I ran the black strip through the mesh cuttlebug folder and placed it on the ballet blue 3x3 card. I placed the main image on dimensionals. The sentiment is from Papertrey ink (birthday basics). I love how these came out. Since the bat was a little small in the center, I took a marker and made him a little bigger. Fun stuff!


stamps: spooky sweets, birthday basics {papertrey ink}
paper: ballet blue, summer sun, going grey, basic black
misc: cuttlebug mesh, nestabilities, oval punch, dimensionals
ink: black soot, black marker