FMS #37 - Rita's Baby Blog Hop

Hello there! Happy Wednesday to you! I'm so excited to share this post with you today. You may have hopped on over here from the Freshly Made Sketches challenge blog. This week, I am happy to be a part of a very special blog hop for a very special friend, Rita Wright! 

Welcome to the first stop on Rita's Baby Blog Hop! 

Rita is getting ready to welcome her little bundle into the world in just a couple of short weeks. We all wanted to do something special to celebrate her sketch challenge over at FMS this week, which is her last before she takes "maternity leave". Congratulations to you Rita...and SURPRISE! ;)

This was a fun card to put together! First of all, I just love Rita's great sketch. I wanted to use one of her favorite stamp sets for this card, Fox and Friends. I was really stumped with how to pair it with the sketch until I came upon another stamp set that I know Rita loves, Send Me Soaring. I mean you really can NOT get much more fun then a monkey flying a kite, can you? 

My color combo was inspired by the cutest pair of shoes that Rita recently picked up for her little lady. Seriously, can I get these in my size?

As this card is coming from me, I'm pretty sure Rita would expect it to be pink, so I couldn't disappoint her. I used a new In Color, Primrose Petals along with Chocolate Chip, Lucky Limeade and Pretty in Pink. The monkey's face and belly were colored with ink and a Blender Pen, as were the clouds. Then I added some Crystal Effects to snazz them up a bit. Because every little lady needs some sparkle, I added some Silver Glimmer Paper to the punched border and to the little kite. All of the supplies used are listed at the end of this post.

Here is the inside of the card, with one more cheeky monkey, just for fun. 

Hey Rita, now you know why I haven't sent that package off to you yet. Hee Hee! 

I hope you enjoyed your card, Rita! You will see it "in-person" very soon! Now who is ready to continue the baby hop? Next up, please stop and visit the lovely and talented Ann Schach to see what she has made for our momma-to-be. Also be sure to pop in and share some bloggy love with the ladies of the day, Rita and baby Laila! 

Here is the official order of our Blog Hop: 

Anne Marie Hile (you are here)

Ann Schach (next stop)

Cindy Hall

Erna Logtenberg

Jen Mitchell

Jennifer Timko

Kathy Tanner

LeAnne Pugliese

Lesley Croghan

Linda Callahan

Nance Leedy

Tui Nathan

Tara Murphy Bourgoin

Thanks for stopping by! 
Have a HAPPY day! :) 



Stampin' Up! Supply List: 
Stamps: Fox and Friends (retiring 5/31), Send Me Soaring (ret.), Up, Up, and Away (clouds), Petite Pairs, Occasional Quotes (inside sentiment) and Baby Bundle (inside gift box stamp)
Paper: Subtles DSP paper pad, Silver Glimmer Paper, Pretty in Pink, Primrose Petals (New!), Lucky Limeade, Chocolate Chip and Whisper White card stock
Ink: Primrose Petals, Lucky Limeade, Pretty in Pink and Pool Party Classic ink
Punches: Pinking Heart Border punch, Triple Heart punch, 1" Circle punch and 1- 1/4" Circle punch
Accessories: Early Espresso Baker's Twine, Square Lattice Embossing folder, Blender Pens, Crystal Effects, Stampin Dimensionals and Basic Rhinestones
Non-SU! Accessories: circle and scallop circle die

Chock-Full of Holiday Cheer for Paper Players #97

Hey, hey..it's Sunday!! That means it's time for another fab challenge over at the Paper Players! This week, LeAnne is our hostess and she has created an awesome sketch to play along with.  

Since it is the end of May and over 90 degrees here in South Texas...I went with a Christmas card for this challenge. Seems perfectly logical, right? Haha! Actually, I just REALLY wanted to use some of my new stampin' goodies that arrived at my doorstep not too long ago. The Chock Full of Cheer stamp set featured here, is a "sneak peek from the upcoming SU! catty"...which makes it's debut June 1st!!

I punched the ornament from the 1- 3-4" Circle punch and then accented the middle of the ornament by adding the complimentary color with the 3/4" circle punch. I cut out the heat-embossed "ornament hanger" for a little added detail. The color combo is Chery Cobbler, Very Vanilla and the brand-new, Gumball Green! I am SO loving this new color! 

Here is the inside of the card, with a sentiment from the Occasional Quotes set (ret.) Never too early to get started on those holiday cards, I say:  

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I sure hope you will play along with this fun sketch challenge over at the Paper Players. The rest of the Design Team have created some wonderful projects. Please stop by and say hello to them. The challenge is open until 12:00 Noon (PST) on Friday, June 1st. 

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile (you are here)

Jaydee

LeAnne Pugliese

Lesley Croghan

Nance Leedy
Jenn Picard 
Heidi Boos 

Our Guest Designer for May: 

Narelle Farrugia (GD)

Have a very HAPPY day today, 

Stampin' Up! Supply List: 
Stamps: Chock-Full of Cheer, Teeny Tiny Wishes and Occasional Quotes (inside, ret.)
Paper: Be of Good Cheer DSP, Cherry Cobbler, Gumball Green and Very Vanilla card stock
Ink: VersaMark, Gumball Green and Cherry Cobbler Classic ink
Punches: 1- 3/8" Circle punch, 3/4" Circle punch, Scallop Trim Border punch, Modern Label punch and Word Window punch
Accessories: Gold Embossing Powder, Gumball Green 3/8" Stitched Satin Ribbon. Snowburst Embossing Folder, Basic Pearls and Stampin Dimensonals
Non SU!: scallop circle die

Shabby Chic for Our Creative Corner

Looking for my Dynamic Duos post? It's right after this post. :)

Hello again! This week at Our Creative Corner, the lovely and talented Sue Butler is our hostess and she is challenging us to create a "Shabby-Chic" project. Here are the details in Sue's own words: 

"The theme this week is unequivocally 'Shabby Chic'. This means the shabby part of Vintage! The challenge requires you to pull elements together, the more old/worn and distressed the elements/images the better; think of muted colours, layers, roses, burlap and pearls. You do not have to use all of these elements. The effect you are aiming for is a soft warm palette." 

Ok, do you want to know a secret? I am NOT a shabby-chic gal. (not shocking, right?) I absolutely love this style, but it is a style that doesn't really come easily for me. After being a part of the Our Creative Corner Design Team (and having a friend like Ann Schach), who are masters of the "shabby chic-ness", I was hoping that I learned a thing or two from viewing their fantastic projects. In searching around "blogland" before I got started on my card, I was also inspired by the Crafty Creations Challenge featuring Pastels, Pearls and Lace.

When I thought "shabby-chic", the stamp set that came to mind was Artistic Etchings. I was going to try to make it work with the pink/yellow/ivory/kraft color combo I had decided on. There are a lot of details on this card. I sponged ink on all of the edges, used the Color Spritzer Tool for some soft accents, glittered up the edges of the scalloped frame, dyed the seam binding, distressed all of the edges, busted out some acrylic paint to color the corner accent, heat embossed the stamped images...it was a lot but I totally had fun with the process of creating the card. I left the inside of the card dressed-up yet blank. I figure I can add a sentiment when the occasion suits. (anniversary, engagement, wedding)

I dyed some Very Vanilla seam binding to match Blushing Bride. It's really easy, just fill a small bowl with water and a couple drops of re-inker. Add your seam binding, swirl it around, (don't splash it on your white shirt like I did) let it dry and BAM...custom-colored seam binding! All of the supplies used are listed at the end of this post. 

I hope you will join us and play along this week over at Our Creative Corner! Please stop by and see what the rest of the gals on the Design Team have created for inspiration this week, as well: 

Linda Coughlin- The Funkie Junkie

Vicki Burdick- It's a Stamp Thing

Sue Butler- Scrumplescrunch
Anita Houston- The Artful Maven Haven

Anne Marie Hile- Stampin' Anne

Wendy Janson-  It's All About Stamping
Marcy Kaminski - En Papillote Arts
Holly Kean- Kean On Paper 
Irena Kowalczyk (aka Rudlis) - Love, Life and Crafts
Meihsia Liu- Simply Paper Crafts
Tui Nathan- Stampin Time
Lori Rider- The Diva Stamper
Kristin Tierney- Lilly Beth Boutique
Sharon Wheet- Designs by Sharon

Have a SUPER day!! 



Stampin' Up! Supply list: 
Stamps: Artistic Etchings
Paper: Subtles Patterns DSP, Blushing Bride, So Saffron, Crumb Cake and Very Vanilla card stock
Punches: Small Oval (ret.) and Scalloped Oval punch
Accessories: Very Vanilla seam binding (dyed with Blushing Bride re-inker), Color Spritzer Tool, Crumb Cake Stampin' Write Marker, Cutter Kit (for distressing), Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder,  Stamping Sponges, Basic Pearls, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter and Stampin' Dimensionals
Non-SU! Accessories: lace trim and flower sent from a friend in Denmark, metal corner accent and metal accent behind sentiment from Linda Coughlin at Our Creative Corner and acrylic paint (for metallic corner accent)

Dynamic Duos #4 - Monochromatic, Baby!

Hello there! It's Saturday and time for the 4th challenge over at Dynamic Duos! This week we are featuring a monochromatic color combo to play along with. Do you have the "blues"? We sure do at Dynamic Duos! But not the "sad and mopey blues", our combo features Bashful Blue and Marina Mist. So pretty!  I've dubbed my card "Monochromatic, baby!" (*said in the Austin Powers voice*...Yeah!)

As soon as I saw this week's sketch over at Mojo Monday, I knew I wanted to use it for a baby boy card with these colors. Love this sketch! I added black and white as my neutrals and used the Subtles DSP paper pad for the patterned paper. 

I colored the baby carriage with Bashful Blue and Marina Mist markers and added some Dazzling Details glitter glue to jazz up the image. That sweet baby face stamp is so cute, I always add that tiny face to the carriage image when I use it. He kind of looks like a sweet version of Stewie Griffin from Family Guy, without the booglie-eyes.  

Here is a shot of the inside of the card, using a quote from the Occasional Quotes stamp set (ret.). That set has seen a lot of ink, for sure. I added some bitty booties to the corner because they were just too adorable NOT to.

Thanks for stopping by today! I sure hope you will join us and play along over at Dynamic Duos this week. Check out the site for the challenge rules and also be sure to pop by and visit the rest of the gals on the Design Team to see what they have whipped up with these colors:  

The Dynamic Duos Design Team:

Allisa Chilton

Anne Marie Hile

Anika Lerche

Bronwyn Eastley

Kim Singdahlsen

Lesley Croghan

Lisa Elton

Melissa Chipperfield

Paige Grabau

Sue Joyce

Have a very HAPPY day, 

Stampin' Up! Supply List: 
Stamps: Baby Bundle and Occasional Quotes (inside, ret.)
Paper : Subtles DSP Paper Pad, Marina Mist, Basic Black and Whisper White card stock
Ink: Basic Black Classic ink
Punches: Scallop Trim Border punch
Accessories: Bashful Blue, Marina Mist and Black Stampin' Write Markers, Marina Mist 1/8" Taffeta ribbon, Subtles Designer Buttons, White Baker's Twine, Square Lattice Embossing Folder, bitty Banners Framelits (new), Dazzling Details, Basic Pearls and Stampin' Dimensionals

Photo Inspiration and Furry Pearls for Our Creative Corner

Hello there! I wanted to share this week's challenge over at Our Creative Corner. I am a day late with my card, because I had a crazy couple days leading up to the weekend. More on that, coming soon. But, I finally got my card finished and am so excited to share the current challenge with you. The fabulously talented Miehsia Liu is our hostess this week and she has a great photo and color inspiration challenge for us. Here are the challenge details in her own words: 

"We would love to see a color combination of orange and blue with tones from white, cream to a bit of brown." 

I based my card design on the wonderful sketch over at Stamping 411. I know I say it a lot, but I REALLY love their sketches and the fun inspiration on their site. Check it out, if you have never visited them before.Thanks, ladies! 

Here is a close up of this really thick, layered flower. I'm pretty sure this one will be hand-delivered to the recipient because it is absolutely not fitting in a standard envelope to mail. Oops! I sponged all of the edges with some Soft Suede ink to add some extra interest. It seemed like it needed a little distressing. As an added bonus, there is a random "fur-deposit" from one of my four-legged buddies stuck under one of the pearls. I am not going to tell you which pearl...I would hate to ruin the surprise. I attempted to edit most of it out of the close up photo below. Ugh...sorry about that. :/ 

Thanks for stopping by to visit. If you have a chance this week, I hope you can play along with us over at Our Creative Corner. Be sure to visit the rest of the gals on the Design Team to see their beautiful creations, too. 

Linda Coughlin- The Funkie Junkie

Vicki Burdick- It's a Stamp Thing

Sue Butler- Scrumplescrunch
Anita Houston- The Artful Maven Haven

Anne Marie Hile- Stampin' Anne

Wendy Janson-  It's All About Stamping
Marcy Kaminski - En Papillote Arts
Holly Kean- Kean On Paper 
Irena Kowalczyk (aka Rudlis) - Love, Life and Crafts
Meihsia Liu- Simply Paper Crafts
Tui Nathan- Stampin Time
Lori Rider- The Diva Stamper
Kristin Tierney- Lilly Beth Boutique
Sharon Wheet- Designs by Sharon

Our Guest Designer this week: 

Lin Brandyberry- Sending Hugs 

Have a HAPPY day today, 

Stampin' Up! Supply List: 
Stamps: Perfect Punches
Paper: Everyday Enchantment DSP (ret. SAB), Peach Parfait, Pool Party and Very Vanilla card stock
Ink: Peach Parfait and Soft Suede (for sponging) Classic ink
Punches: XL Oval punch, Boho Blossoms punch
Accessories: Designer Neutrals Buttons (new), Apothecary Accents Dies (new), Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Basic Pearls and Stampin' Dimensionals

Paper Players #96 - CAS with Polka Dots

Hello there! It's Sunday and that means it is time for another fun challenge over at the Paper Players! This week, I am the hostess and I selected a CAS (Clean and Simple) Challenge featuring Polka Dots. Polka dots are so fresh and fun! Lesley created a super-cute inspiration photo for the challenge, too. You can use the photo for some creative mojo, or not...but we really hope that you will play along with us this week. 

In the effort of keeping things CAS, I decided on the Up, Up & Away stamp set simply because of the polka-dotted balloon. I dressed it up with the Cheerful Treat DSP (Hostess reward). Figured I should probably bust into this paper before it retires at the end of the month. I stamped, heat embossed and cut-out the balloon with Iridescet Ice embossing powder to give it some sparkle.All of the supplies used are listed at the end of the post. 

My inspiration for this challenge was actually my Kate Spade iPhone case. It is pink, polka-dotted and super-cute. Pretty close to the design on the balloon, right?  :)  

Here is a quick shot of the inside of the card, simply continuing the message from the front: 

Please stop by and visit the rest of the gals on the Paper Players Design Team to see what they have whipped up this week. We sure hope you will join us and play along. The challenge closes on Friday, May 25th at 12:00 pm (PST).

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile (you are here)

Jaydee

LeAnne Pugliese

Lesley Croghan

Nance Leedy
Jenn Picard 
Heidi Boos 

Our Guest Designer for May: 

Narelle Farrugia (GD)

Thanks for stopping by! 
Have a HAPPY day, 


Stampin' Up! Supply List: 
Stamps: Up, Up & Away
Paper: Cheerful Treat DSP (Hostess), Lucky Limeade, Melon Mambo, Pink Pirouette and Whisper White card stock
Ink: VersaMark, Melon Mambo, Lucky Limeade and Basic Black Cassic ink 
Punches: Scallop Border punch, 1" Circle punch, 1- 1/4" Circle punch
Accessories: Lucky Limeade Baker's Twine, Perfect Polka Dots Embossng Folder, Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder,  Basic Rhinestones and Stampin' Dimensionals

Black Tie Color Combo for Dynamic Duos #3

Hello and welcome to week #3 over at the Dynamic Duos challenge blog! This week is our "Black TIe Color Challenge"! That means we will be featuring one color, dressed-up and mixed with Basic Black. Everything is better with dessert, right? So, this week we have a special dessert option to add to the colors combo, if you choose: Dry Embossing.

For my "Black Tie" color combo, I decided to focus on a houndstooth-theme. I used the Posy Punch (hostess) stamp set and complimented the houndstooth pattern in the flower with the Houndstooth Embossing Folder. The flower, flower center and sentiment (from the Curly Cute set) are heat embossed for some added shine. I go inspiration for my card after seeing the fun sketch over at the Clean and Simple Stamping blog.

Here is a shot of the flower detail. I punched the embossed flower from the coordinating Fancy Flower punch, the flower center from a 3/4" punch, matted with a 1" Circle punch from black card stock. I dressed up the flower center with a piece of yellow bling from my stampin' stash. 

I sure hope you will join us over at Dynamic Duos this week for our Black Tie Color Challenge. You can link up until Thursday, May 24th at 12:00 noon (PST). Please stop by and see what the rest of the lovely ladies on the Design Team have whipped up for this week's challenge: 

The Dynamic Duos Design Team:

Allisa Chilton

Anne Marie Hile

Anika Lerche

Bronwyn Eastley

Kim Singdahlsen

Lesley Croghan

Lisa Elton

Melissa Chipperfield

Paige Grabau

Sue Joyce

Thanks for visiting! :)
Enjoy your day, 



Stampin' Up! Supply List: 
Stamps: Posy Punch (hostess) and Curly Cute
Paper: Night and Day DSP (ret.), Daffodil Delight, Basic Black and Whisper White card stock
Ink: VersaMark ink and Basic Black Classic ink
Punches: Fancy Flower punch, 3/4" Circle punch, 1" Circle punch, Scallop Border punch, 1- 3/8" Square punch (to create banner sentiment)
Accessories: Houndstooth Embossing Folder, Clear Embossing powder, Stampin' Dimensionals
non-SU! accessories: yellow bling and black shiny accents