BASIC PIROUETTES + BEATE'S SKETCH

This card is sooo not my best work but thought I would share anyway. It just didn't turn out on paper like it appeared in my head. I used Beate's wonderful Weekend Sketch Challenge #62 and SCS Color Challenge #188 of Pink Pirouette, Basic Black, and Whisper White. The polka dot designer paper is from Sweet Always, and the stamp set is Enjoy Every Moment. It's difficult to see in the photo, but there are paper pierced holes in each scallop of the borders.
RECIPE
Stamps: Enjoy Every Moment
Paper: Sweet Always DP, Pink Pirouette, Basic Black, and Whisper White CS
Ink: Basic Black
Embellishments: Black Brad, Black Gingham Ribbon, Flower Fusion Too
Tools: Scallop Circle Punch, Paper Piercing Tool, 1 3/4" Circle Punch

SFYTT SNOW SWIRLED with I WISH SSK

Jen's offering another wonderful sketch for her weekly Sketch For You To Try challenge! Boy, do I ever like this sketch! ... so much so that I've created three cards for it! This first one uses the stamp set, Snow Swirled, combined with the I Wish Simply Scrappin' Kit. You can see the card I created as Jen's October Guest Designer HERE, and be sure visit my blog again over the weekend for my third card!

Visit Jen's blog to see Jen's rockin' sample and for details to play along ... i{heart}2stamp. See more samples from a few of Jen's stampin' friends ... Amy R., Amy S., Carole, Shannan and Susan!
RECIPE
Stamps: Snow Swirled
Paper: DP, Real Red, and Chocolate Chip Textured CS from I Wish Simply Scrappin' Kit, Whisper White CS
Ink: Old Olive
Embellishments: Red Circle Fire Rhinestone Brad, non-SU self-adhesive red rhinestone (round & star)
Tools: 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" Circle Punches
Supplies: Stampin' Dimensionals
Note: Sentiment "JOY BECAUSE I LOVE YOU!" is a self-adhesive die cut from the I Wish Simply Scrappin' Kit.

CHRISTMAS MOJO

If I don't get to bed soon, I'm going to regret it all day at work tomorrow. I just couldn't go to bed without sharing this card first, so I'm going to make this post real quick.

This card uses Julee Tilman's Mojo Madness #56 Sketch, along with the stamp set, Merry & Bright (a personal favorite!), Holiday Treasures Designer Paper, and Little Felt Flurries from the Holiday Mini Catalog. The tree image is stamped in Chocolate Chip onto Holiday Treasures DP, then paper pieced. The snowflakes are randomly stamped in Baja Breeze by stamping off first.
RECIPE
Stamps: Merry & Bright, All Holidays
Paper: Holiday Treasures DP, Baja Breeze, Old Olive, Ruby Red, and Very Vanilla CS
Ink: Chocolate Chip and Baja Breeze
Embellishments: Little Felt Flurries, Ruby Red Brad
Tools: Circle Cutter (I used my CM CCS)
Supplies: Stampin' Dimensionals, Pop-Up Glue Dot

RAK from DAWN EASTON

My good friend, Dawn Easton ... Treasure Oiler Designz ... mailed this beautiful card to me! Dawn's card uses the stamp set, Upsy Daisy with Sweet Always Designer Paper. I loved this card so much, I CASED it a couple of weeks ago ... here's mine.

FAMILY STUFF - NOT STAMPING RELATED

Today is my son Drew's 14th birthday! We celebrated by taking him and three of his friends out for lunch. They then saw a movie without John, Allie and me, and one friend is spending most of the weekend with us. I love the young man Drew is becoming ... he's got a wonderful sense of humor, and he's lovable, caring, and respectful. And even though he won't keep his hair as short as I'd like him to (LOL!), I love him and am very proud! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DREW !!!!

Allie is in the midst of her senior marching band season, and is at a band competition tonight. Last weekend, they received a rating of Excellent, and were awarded all their captions but one. Their show is really coming along! I just LOVE watching those kids perform!

You may remember me mentioning my foot problems that started the first part of August ... OR, if you're a local friend, you've watched me hobble, gimp, or walk with my left foot in tip toe position for two months! Thinking I could baby my foot myself and live with what I thought was plantar faciitis, I put off seeing a doctor for it until Thursday! (I know, I know ... ridiculous! ... I'm kind of stubborn that way!) The pain has become unbearable, and I know I'm screwing up other parts of my body by walking funny for so long. Come to find out, I have a heel spur and am starting physical therapy on Tuesday. If by three sessions, there's no improvement we'll be considering a cortisone shot or surgery. I understand that the cortizone shot in the heel is pure torture, and surgery is no piece of cake either (4-6 weeks on crutches). UGHHH!

SNOW SWIRLED SFYTT

This is my second week as October Guest Designer for Jen del Muro's Sketch For You To Try. Again, Jen delivers another fantastic sketch to work with, and her sample is awesome! This is one of the cards I created for the challenge, and you'll have to CLICK HERE to see my other design.

This card uses the stamp set, Snow Swirled, and uses the bleaching technique demonstrated by my friend and downline Leah Sinatra at our weSTAMP demonstrator meeting last week. The three Snow Swirled circle medallions are embossed with Black Embossing Powder, then "colored" with bleach. Leah demonstrated this technique using a paint brush, and I even tried filling my Aquapainter with bleach ... worked like a charm! I decided I liked this technique so much that I designated a separate Aquapainter just for bleach, boldly labeled of course!

The sentiment is stamped in Versamark and embossed with Gold Embossing Powder. The small medallion is stamped in Versamark on the the Old Olive background piece, then the Ticket Corner Punch was used and Gold Brads added.

RECIPE
Stamps: Snow Swirled
Paper: Basic Black, Old Olive, and Riding Hood Red CS
Ink: Versamark, Basic Black Craft Ink Pad
Embellishments: Gold Eyelets, Gold Cord
Tools: 1 1/4", 1 3/8", and 1 3/4" Circle Punches, Circle Cutter for 2" Circle, Ticket Corner Punch, Aquapainter
Supplies: Black and Gold Embossing Powders, Stampin' Dimensionals, Bleach

I hope you'll play along with the Sketch For You To Try Challenge, and be sure to check out more samples by Amy R., Amy S., Carole, Shannan and Susan!

RAK from MARIA GILBERTSON

This beautiful Upsy Daisy card was sent to me by Maria Gilbertson, Up North With Magoo.

I'M JEN'S SFYTT OCTOBER GUEST DESIGNER !!!

I've been bursting at the seams with this exciting news for quite some time! TODAY is the day that I can finally share this news ... I am Jen del Muro's Sketch For You To Try October Guest Designer! Oh yeah! Jen's sketches have always been one of my favorite regular challenges, and to be asked to be a Guest Designer is an incredible honor!!!!

Here is one card I've done using today's Sketch For You To Try. Go to Jen's blog, i{heart}2stamp to see the other sketch sample I've created, Jen's sample card, and for all the information you need to play along!

I was completely inspired by Wendy Bond's adorable card HERE. Frankenstein has GOT to be my all-time favorite Halloween "characters"! This Frank image is from the retired stamp set, Booglie Eyes. I purchased the Smarty Pants stamp set just for this sentiment! The designer paper is from Ghostly Greetings, and the striped Perfect Plum panel is from Perfect Plum Patterns.RECIPE
Stamps: Booglie Eyes (retired), Smarty Pants
Paper: Ghostly Greetings DP, Perfect Plum Patterns DP, Basic Black and Whisper White CS (Perfect Plum, Pumpkin Pie, and Kiwi Kiss CS for the small 1/4" circles behind the brads)
Ink: Basic Black, Perfect Plum, Kiwi Kiss, Pumpkin Pie, and Going Gray
Embellishments: Basic Black Brads, Kiwi Kiss 5/8" Striped Grosgrain Ribbon
Tools: 1/4" Circle Punch, Blender Pen
Supplies: Stampin' Dimensionals, Googlie Eyes (non-SU)

HALLOWEEN - weSTAMP STYLE!

Last Tuesday night was our weSTAMP Stampin' Up! Demonstrator meeting and swap at Lorri Heiling's home.

This month's swap theme was HALLOWEEN/AUTUMN, ANYTHING BUT A CARD. Here are the swap projects ...

Ginny Schembri provided this Make 'n Take project, along with a wonderful demonstration of the new Stampin' Up! Sissix Big Shot. We made these small folders that help show what the Big Shot can do. Inside the folder pockets are examples of many of the Big Shot dies, along with various materials including designer paper, cardstock, cork, felt, vinyl, soda cans, and various fabrics.Lorri had these charming Halloween treat purses for each weSTAMP participant.This next photo of the weSTAMP girls being SILLY. We're all wearing the plastic dracula teeth which were part of Tara's swap. Front row: Terri Guyman, Tara Hilde, Rachele Sanclemente, Nancy Riley. Back row: Ginny Schembri, Adrianna Gray, Jessica Blair, Pam Wood, Lorri Heiling, Leah Sinatra, Jennie Portonova, Toni Santanello

PROUD MAMA

It's been a busy week with no stamping time (so far!) ... just had to check in - no better way to say "I'm still here!" than to brag about my kiddo, right?! This morning my daughter Allie was awarded Student of the Month for Outstanding Performance in Visual & Performing Arts for the second year in a row + Rotary Student of the Month at her high school! Allie is having a great senior year and it's going WAY too fast!

It's been a crazy busy week! I'll have more to post Friday night and throughout the weekend!

Off to bed ... I attended the first grade field trip today ... VERY HOT & EXHAUSTING!