CAS-ual Fridays Challenge #50–April Showers Bring May Flowers!

Happy Friday, sweet friends!!

 

It’s time, once again, for another CAS-ual Fridays Challenge!!  Can you believe that we’re on our 50th Challenge?!!  Fifty, people!!  Isn’t that just crazy?!!  I’m having such a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that we’ve already done 50 challenges, and I can honestly say without hesitation that I’ve loved each and every challenge so far!!  No joke!!  Can you imagine the fun we’re going to have for the next 50 challenges?  Oh my goodness!!

 

Sadly, this also means that a few of the original Girl Fridays will be saying goodbye to us.  Today will be Karen Baker’s, Jaclyn Miller’s, and Laura Davis’s final project and I’m beside myself with sadness about that.  I will miss you girls, and your beautiful creations each week.  Each and every one of you has inspired me over and over again . . . but know that I’ll still be stalking your blogs and drooling all over the place every chance I get.  LOL  Don’t be strangers, y’all!!

Okay, so let’s get to the challenge, shall we?  This week, we’re celebrating the fruits of going from winter to spring.  Spring is my favorite time of the year.  Since this week’s challenge starts on Arbor Day (today) and ends just before May Day, your challenge is to create a project that features flowers or trees.  Easy peasy, right?

SRM Stickers is sponsoring the challenge again this week, and we are thrilled to little bits!  Of course, they so very generously shared some of their fabulous product with the Girl Fridays (like seriously, a BOATLOAD of product!!) to work with, so creating was a breeze!!  The kind peeps at SRM have also provided a terrific prize for this week’s TGIF winner, but you’ll have to click on over to the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge Blog to find out what it is.  Okay?  Thank you, SRM Stickers!!

Okay, I’m sure you’ve endured enough blah, blah, blah from me.  Let’s get to my sample, shall we?  I was inspired by an amazing card that I saw many moons ago, and because I made it a couple of months ago, I can’t remember who it was that inspired me.  If you know who this might be, will you please remind me so that I can give credit where credit is due?  I’m old, okay?!  LOL  I’ll list the products that I used below, if you’re interested.  Otherwise, I’ll suggest that you head on over to the CAS-ual Fridays blog to check out the terrific samples that the other Girl Fridays created for you.

STAMPS:  Through the Trees (PTI)
INK:  Provincial Gray (Fresh Ink), Cherry (A Muse Studio)
PAPER:  White CS (Neenah), Red Hot CS (French Poptone)
ACCESSORIES:  Thinking of You Stickers #55008 (SRM Stickers), Black Ribbon (from my stash)

 

Thanks so much for stopping by today – you all and your kind comments are what keep me going every single day.  Have a great weekend!!

Have A Fantastic Day . . . and a fond farewell!

 

Hi Peeps!

I’m back today to share my last project as the i {heart} papers April Guest Designer.  I want to thank Kate Baldwin (the owner of i  {heart} papers) and her amazingly talented design team for allowing me this fabulous opportunity to work with them this month.  I’ve so enjoyed my time with you all!!  You’ve been so kind with your sweet comments on my projects.  And the products that I had the pleasure of working with – Kate carries only the best!  So, I feel so blessed and honored to be your very first Guest Designer.  Thank you, from the bottom of my heart!

 

I used the Puffy Cloud dies from Memory Box to create the negative die cuts.  I adhered some of the patterned papers from the Teresa Collins’s 6 x 6 Every Day Moments paper pad.  The sentiment is from the Hero Arts Good Friends set – a clear stamp set with a fabulous selection of perfect sentiments.  No stamp collection should be without this set, I tell ya!

i {heart} papers PRODUCTS USED:

STAMPS:  Good Friends (Hero Arts)
PAPER:  Every Day Moments (Teresa Collins)
INK:  Paris Dusk (Memento)
ACCESSORIES:  Puffy Cloud dies (Memory Box)

 

Well, that’s it for me today, peeps.  I’ll be back tomorrow with the latest CAS-ual Fridays challenge – it’s another goody!!  Thanks so much for stopping by today – you all make my day!!

You Turn Me On!

 

Hello Stampin’ Buddies!

Poppin’ in today to share another project that I made for my i {heart} papers guest design gig!!  How fun is this?!  First, I stamped the chevrons from Geo-Graphic (it makes me absolutely GIDDY to see stores carrying the stamps that I designed – like my heart just skips a beat!!) in two different colors of ink.  Then I used some frame dies to cut a window and a coordinating frame for the window.  I stamped the uber cute television from Stay Tuned in VersaMark and heat embossed it with black embossing powder.  I then stamped the heart from Smoocheroos in the center of the TV screen.  I adhered it to the outside of the frame with a glue pen.  The sentiment is from Boob Tubes – isn’t it perfect?!

i {heart} papers PRODUCTS USED:

STAMPS:  Geo-Graphic (Paper Smooches), Stay Tuned (Lawn Fawn), Smoocheroos (Paper Smooches), and Boob Tubes (Paper Smooches)
INK:  Tuxedo Black (Memento)

While I’m thinking about it, I think I’ll add this to the class gallery for the online die cutting class that I’m taking – this would be for Day 2: Window Cards – yep, I’m a little behind in my homework!  Surprise, surprise!  LOL  I’m headed to hang out with my sister at the pool today.  It’s supposed to be another hot one, so I’m excited to get a little bit of a tan!  I hope you have a great day – thanks so much for stopping by!

Happy Birthday, Michele!

Happy Monday, kids!

I’m popping in today to share in the celebration of the birth of the fabulous Ms. Michele Gross, my sweet friend, owner/coordinator extraordinaire of the Girl Fridays on the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge Blog, and one of the most talented and kind ladies I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting.

The Girl Fridays wanted Michele to know how much we love her, admire her, and hope that all of her dreams and wishes come true, today on her birthday and always!!  We so appreciate all that she does to keep us Girl Fridays in order (because many of us are somewhat deviant – imagine that!  hehehehe).  She tirelessly procures our sponsors, creates our challenges, coordinates the shipping of sponsor product, and she keeps us motivated and excited about what we do for the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge each and every week.  She is a true inspiration to me, personally, and I am honored and thrilled to little bits to call her my friend.

If you want to see how the other Girl Fridays (past, present and future) have chosen to honor Michele on her special day, be sure and click on each of the links listed below.  No doubt you’ll see some incredible inspiration!!

Karen

Dana
Stephanie
Angie
Debby
Lorena
Suzanne
Kimberly
Jenny
Virginia
Julie Ranae
Christina
Laurie

Lisa
Deb

Gayatri

So here’s to wishing you an over the moon amazing birthday, Michele!  Eat a piece of cake for me, sistah!!  XO  I’m sure Michele would love it if you would stop by and leave her some birthday love, too.  Oh, and check out her amazing blog while you’re at it . . . be prepared to be blown away!!

Thanks for stopping by today, friends!  I’ll be back tomorrow with a little goodie I made for my i {heart} papers Guest Designer gig!  Have a great day!

P.S.  I was inspired by THIS card that I saw a while ago.

CAS-ual Fridays Challenge #49–It’s A Sketch!

 

Hola Peeps!!

 

Phew!  What a week this has been at my house!!  Lots of cropping, shopping and general chaos going on around here.  But it’s Friday, so I’m looking for a bit of a slower pace now that it’s the weekend.  Oh, and it’s gonna be HOT, HOT, HOT!!  It’s supposed to break 100 every day this weekend.  Woohoo!  I’ll be floatin’ on my floatie at the pool, if you need me! 

Okay, so we have a brand spankin’ new CAS-ual Fridays challenge for your crafting pleasure.  It’s a sketch this time . . . I love sketches, don’t you?!  And it’s a really good one, leaving lots of room for interpretation!!  Oh . . . and if you look really closely at the above graphic, you’ll get a little “sneak peek” of a fun new “look” being debuted today on the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge Blog.  So, you should totally pop on over to see the whole look after you’re done here.  It’s amazing!!  (The new design was created by Karen Baker, the brilliant mind behind MY blog design – she’s a genius, I tell ya!)

 

This week’s sponsor is Theresa Momber, an amazing illustrator and designer for Gina K. Designs.  Theresa has supplied a wonderful prize for this week’s TGIF Winner, but you’ll have to click on over to the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge Blog to see what it is.  Oh, and while you’re there, be sure and check out the yummies that the other Girl Fridays have created for your inspiration.  Thank you, Theresa Momber!

 

I love looking at a sketch and thinking about it in unique ways – I flip it, I turn it, I think of other shapes – anything to make it “unexpected”.  KWIM?  So, of course, I had to flip the sketch.  Then I had to remind myself that I didn’t have to use two squares for the elements.  They could be anything!!  Right?!  So, I cut a window and frame with my Vintage Labels 2 dies, and stamped the sentiment on the inside of the card.  I’ve listed the other products that I used below, if you’re interested.

PRODUCTS USED:

STAMPS:  Friends (Hero Arts), Pretty Peonies (PTI)
INK:  Grapefruit and Burano (A Muse Studio), Onyx Black VersaFine (Tsukineko)
PAPER:  Lily White and Sour Apply CS (Bazzill Basics Paper), Solar White CS (Neenah Classic Crest)
ACCESSORIES:  Vintage Labels 2 Dies (A Muse Studio)

 

That’s all I have for you today, kids.  I hope you have a wonderful weekend!  Thanks so much for stopping by today.  You all rock!!

Let’s Chat–A Cut Above Assignment!

Hello, Stampy Friends!!

I spent this afternoon crafting with a friend, and boy did I have fun!  I was also pretty productive, so that always makes me happy.  I have a card to share that I created as my assignment for the die cutting online class that I’m participating in.  Today's assignment was to create a project with a window using die cuts.  Coincidentally, this week’s A Blog Named Hero Challenge is the same thing – BONUS!!

PRODUCTS USED:
STAMPS:  Just Saying Hi (Hero Arts), Say What (My Favorite Things)
INK:  VersaMark and Onyx Black VersaFine Dye Ink (Tsukineko)
PAPER:  Lily White CS (Bazzill Basics Paper), Dots & Stripes Homefront Collection (Echo Park), Summer Sunrise CS (PTI)
ACCESSORIES:  Speech Bubbles Die (X Cut), Black Embossing Powder (Zing/American Crafts)

Here are the graphics and links to both challenges:

A Cut Above Online Card Class – Day 2: Window Cards

A Blog Named Hero – A Card With A View Challenge #2

That’s it for me today, kids!  I hope to be back with my die cut card assignment tomorrow.  In the meantime, have a great night!  XO

Especially For You–i {heart} papers Design Team Challenge!

Happy Tax Day, Friends!!

Today, I get the pleasure of participating in the i {heart} papers Design Team Challenge because I’m guest designing for Kate this month.  And let me tell you, I’m so excited to get to play along!!

This month’s challenge is to use felt in your project – doesn’t have to be a card, it can be anything at all.  I actually created a “hybrid” project in that it’s a card, with an embellishment that can also be used as a pin.  When Kate invited me to be a guest designer for her, I had just placed an order for some of the THE most yummolicious 100% wool felt that I have ever laid eyes on.  No, seriously, this stuff is AH-MAZING!!  It comes in a ga-jillion different colors, and it cuts on my Cuttlebug like BUTTAH!!  Have you ever tried to use the cheap felt that you get at the craft stores?  That stuff SUCKS!  Many of the fibers don’t cut all the way through, and you end up distorting the shape of whatever you’re cutting.  Kate’s felt is uber high quality, and cuts like a dream in a die cut machine.

So back to my card/project.  Since Mother’s Day is coming up, I decided to create a little gift for my mom.  I used the smallest of the Nested Flowers to cut out five blooms from the Lemon Felt.  I also die cut a circle for the base of the flower.  I folded each of the flowers in half and then in half again, then trimmed the point off with my scissors.  I applied a bit of hot glue, and adhered each bloom to the circle, filling in the blooms until the circle was full.  I then die cut two leaves from the Slate Felt, and applied them to the back of the flower with hot glue.  I happened to have some extra pin backs (that also have an alligator clip on them, too) from some felt flower pins that I made for the girls in the Paper Smooches CHA booth (I think they’re made by Imaginisce, but I can’t swear to that).  I adhered the completed flower to the center of the pin back with more hot glue, and voila – you’ve got yourself a pretty little pin for Mom!!

The card was created using some gorgeous designer paper from Teresa Collins called Everyday Moments (the yellow quatrefoil paper).   The gray polka dot designer paper is from one of the super versatile Echo Park paper pads called Dots & Stripes Soda Fountain Collection.  The sentiment is from the Yummers stamp set by Paper Smooches, and is stamped in Paris Dusk ink from Memento.

i {heart} papers PRODUCTS USED:

STAMPS:  Yummers (Paper Smooches)
INK:  Paris Dusk (Memento)
PAPER:  Everyday Moments (Teresa Collins), Dots & Stripes Soda Fountain Collection (Echo Park)
ACCESSORIES:  Lemon and Slate 100% Wool Felt, Nested Flowers (Spellbinders)

Be sure and visit the blogs of the other i {heart} papers design team members (links listed below), and let their creativity inspire you to create a project utilizing that yummy 100% wool felt.  Here are the links to the other DT blogs:

• Deb
• Carolyn
• Gretchen
• Loretta
• Lori
• Lynn
• Tracy
• Kate

That’s it for me today, kids!  I’ll be cropping all day today to try and get caught up on some DT stuff.  I hope that you have some amazing crafty plans for the day.  Thanks so much for stopping by today – I love it when you do!

P.S.  I’ll also be using this as my first project for the Online Die Cutting Class that I’m taking.  I think there’s still time to sign up if you’re interested – it’s supposed to be jam packed with information on how to use your die cutting machines and dies (including the Silhouette machines!).  I’m so excited!!

Happy Anniversary!

 

Hola Stampy Friends!

 

How was your weekend?  I had an absolutely BLAST!!  My sister and BIL were here for the weekend, and we had a fun-filled time with them.  Lots of pool time, BINGO, gambling, eating out, and looking at model homes (we’re trying to talk them into buying a house down here).  I think a good time was had by all!

I’m popping in really quick today to share a card that I made for my sweet friend and her husband in celebration of their first anniversary.  I SUCK at gift buying, especially when a bride and groom don’t register.  Needless to say, I never got my friends a wedding gift.  Thankfully, Emily Post says that I have a year to get them something . . . yeah, I’m STILL late – Emily is probably rolling over in her grave!!  LOL  But I finally got my act together and made a card to go along with their gift.  Hopefully they like both the card and the gift.

 

I used the new Tessatina Border Die from Memory Box that I featured on this card the other day.  I was inspired by THIS card created by Julie Ebersol.  I really liked how she used the die as a negative and left the open space for the sentiment.  The sentiment is from the Paper Smooches stamp set called Good Gab.  I stamped it in white pigment ink, and then heat embossed it with white embossing powder.  Oh, and notice that the sentiment is stacked – I cut the clear acrylic and stamped it like that.  That’s one thing that I LOVE about clear stamps!!

i {heart} PAPERS PRODUCTS USED:

STAMPS:  Good Gab(Paper Smooches)
ACCESSORIES:  Tessatina Border Die (Memory Box)

OTHER PRODUCTS USED:  Sno Cone and Lemon Drop CS (French Poptone), White CS (Neenah), Fresh Snow Ink (PTI), Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers), Linen Impression Plate (PTI), White Embossing Powder (Zing/American Crafts)

 

That’s it for me today, friends!  I’ll be celebrating my friend’s birthday today – lunch at a yummy restaurant and a shopping spree at the Container Store – HEAVEN ON EARTH, I tell ya!!  Hope you’re having a great day!!  I’ll be back tomorrow with a project for the i {heart} Papers Design Team Challenge – hope to see you then!

CAS-ual Fridays Challenge #48–Opposites Attract!

 

Okay, WOW!!  Did you all see the news?  We have some AH-MAZING new designers joining the Girl Fridays team in May, and we are THRILLED beyond belief to have them join our fun little family!  You so need to click over to the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge Blog to CHECK IT OUT!!  And then come right back for this week’s new challenge.  Go ahead, I’ll wait . . . .

Okay, now let’s get down to business!!  This week’s challenge is a good one – it will truly stretch your creative abilities.  At least it did for me.  But we’ll get to that in a minute.  Your challenge is to create a CLEAN & SIMPLE project (and just in case you’re wondering, it doesn’t have to be a card – it could be anything with a clean and simple design) and use the color wheel graphic above to choose colors that are opposite of each other.

The Craft’s Meow has once again very generously sponsored this week’s challenge, and they’ve provided a fabulous prize for this week’s TGIF Winner.  But, of course, you’ll have to pop on over to the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge Blog to see what it is.  While you’re there, be sure and check out the deliciousness that the other Girl Fridays have created for your inspiration.  Thank you, The Craft’s Meow for being our sponsor extraordinaire this week!!

 

 

I got to work with a gorgeous stamp set called Fly Free – the images in this set are stunning!!  I chose the colors of navy blue and orange.  But I flat STRUGGLED with it!!  Once again, my camera is not representing the true colors of my project, but I PROMISE that’s a very deep Navy Blue.  I stamped all of the images using VersaMark and heat embossed them with Denim (bird cage) and Apricot (sentiment and butterflies) embossing powders.

PRODUCTS USED:

STAMPS:  Fly Free (The Craft’s Meow)
INK:  VersaMark (Tsukineko)
PAPER:  Summer Sunrise (PTI)
ACCESSORIES:  Denim and Apricot Embossing Powder (Zing/American Crafts), Pumpkin Pie Satin Ribbon (Stampin’ Up!), Stampin’ Dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!), Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers)

 

That’s it for me today, kids!  I so hope you’ll play along with us this week!  We’d love it if you would!!  My sister and her husband are here visiting, and we’re having a great time.  We’re hoping that the weather holds out (rain and wind are forecasted – yikes!!), but even if it doesn’t, we’re having a great time so far!  Thanks so much for stopping by today.  I so appreciate it when you do.  Have a great weekend!

Have A Super Fun Birthday!

 

Happy Monday, Peeps!!

I’m back today to share a project that I made for i {heart} papers.  I’ve got several birthdays coming up, so I thought I’d actually get one made BEFORE the actual date rather than after, like I usually do.  Imagine that!  LOL  Kate just listed one of the coolest border dies from Memory Box called Tessatina Border – isn’t that quatrefoil pattern awesome?!!  I cut it out twice and adhered them to the card base with my Quickie Glue Pen.  The sentiment is from a new Hero Arts sentiment set called Good Friends – it has some really great all occasion sentiments in a fabulous font!!

i {heart} papers Products Used:

STAMPS:  Good Friends (Hero Arts)
INK:  London Fog (Memento)
ACCESSORIES:  Tessatina Border Die (Memory Box)

 

That’s it for me today, kids!!  I’ll be spending the day in my craft room making Christmas projects for an upcoming publication call.  It’s so hard to think about creating holiday stuff when it’s 90 degrees outside.  Guess I’ll have to hook up my iPod and play some holiday music to get into the spirit!  LOL

 

Thanks so much for stopping by today – I so appreciate it!  Have a great day!

Tuesday Trigger–Another Entry!

 

Popping in really quick before I head off to bed.  I just couldn’t help myself.  Had to make another entry for last week’s Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger.  I so love the inspiration photo.  I won’t bore you with the details, especially since I need my beauty sleep.  I did want to point out this amazing embossing folder that I recently acquired (I think I got it on eBay).  Check out those delicious embossed butterflies!!  Isn’t it dreamy?  If you want more info regarding the products that I used, please don’t hesitate to email me.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy For You–Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger!

 

Hello Stamping Friends!!

 

Happy Easter!!  I hope that your day has been enjoyable so far and that you’ve had some lovely family time.  We went to church and out to breakfast with my mother-in-law, and I’ve been in my stamp cave ever since.  That’s my answer to a perfect day!  How about you?

I’m popping in really quick today to share a card that I created for a couple of reasons.  First, it’s for this week’s Moxie Fab Tuesday Trigger, a weekly inspiration challenge sponsored by Paper Crafts Magazine’s Trend Editor, Cath Edvalson.  She always finds the most amazing photographs to inspire us, and this week’s trigger is no exception.  I was inspired, of course by that amazing gingham bow, but decided against using gingham ribbon.  I also took inspiration from the delicious embossed texture of the white box – it reminded me of doilies or Battenburg lace.  So I still have the “white space” with the clean and simple design, but I’ve included the inspirational elements in a different configuration.

 

I also created this for a sweet young lady that I’ve recently become acquainted with.  She and I have discovered that we have several things in common, despite our age difference (age is only a number, right?!).  On Friday, she was announced as one of Paper Crafts Magazine’s 2012 Stamping Royalty and I am so incredibly thrilled for her – almost as thrilled as I was the day I got the same email a year ago.  She oozes with amazing talent and creativity.  So, I thought I’d drop this in the mail to her to let her know how over-the-moon happy I am for her.  If you want to drop by and share some love with her, you can find her blog here:  Parker & Molly.  Prepare to be blown away!!  Congratulations, Heather!

 

That’s it for today, peeps.  I’ll be back tomorrow with a goodie that I threw together for i {heart} papers.  See you then!!

CAS-ual Fridays Challenge #47– Let the Hunt Begin!

 

Hola Peeps!!

 

Can you believe that Easter is THIS Sunday?!!  Oh my gosh – how time flies!!  We plan to spend the day with my mother-in-law, going to church and then out to breakfast.  We don’t have any other plans, so it should be a pretty low key day.  How about you?

So, let me just say that the projects we saw for last week’s CAS-ual Fridays Challenge (Name That Tune) were so amazing and had me singing in my head all week long!  LOL  You all did such a great job, that I just KNOW that you’re going to rock this week’s challenge!  Your challenge:  Create a CLEAN & SIMPLE project using anything that you’d find in an Easter basket.  Fun right?!!

This week is also the week where you get a chance to be a Guest Designer with the Girl Fridays if you’re the TGIF Club Winner.  Not only that, but you will win a fabulous prize from our sponsor extraordinaire – Simon Says Stamps (one of the most wonderful online retailers of just about any stamping and scrapbooking product known to man – seriously, they have amazing stuff!).  But you’ll have to click over to the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge Blog to see what that prize is.  Thank you Simon Says Stamps!!

So, of course, my first thought when I think of the contents of an Easter basket is chocolate.  Lots and lots of chocolate!!  And in spite of the picture above, my first thought was of those delicious chocolate Easter bunnies.  I always ate the ears off first.  You?!  LOL  I don’t know what happened when I edited my photo, but the bunnies in my project are brown – and so is the sentiment.  They just look like DARK CHOCOLATE.  Ugh!  I cut them out using my amazing Silhouette.  Cute, right?!

PRODUCTS USED:

STAMPS:  Say It With Style (A Muse Studio)
INK:  VersaMark (Tsukineko)
PAPER:  Mud Pie and Snow CS (Bazzill Basics Paper), Polka Dots (Memory Box)
ACCESSORIES:  Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers), Stampin’ Dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!), Honeydew Baker’s Twine (The Twinery), Chestnut Embossing Powder (Zing/American Crafts), Silhouette Electronic Die Cutting Machine (Silhouette America)

 

Okay, that’s it for me today, kids!  I so hope you’ll play along with us this week!  Also, I believe that Michele has an update on the Design Team Call for CAS-ual Fridays, so you’re going to want to hop on over to find out what that is, as well as see the other Easter deliciousness that the other Girl Fridays have in store for you.  Thanks so much for dropping by today . . . wishing you and yours a very blessed Easter.

Welcome!

 

Happy Wednesday, Peeps!

I’m popping in today to share another fun project for i {heart} papers!  Today’s project features some uber fun Memory Box dies, a brand spankin’ new Hero Arts/Studio Calico background, and another new amazing sentiment set from Paper Smooches!!

 

I stamped the Lattice Background in VersaMark, and heat embossed it with white embossing powder for some fun texture.  I die cut the Grand Flower Box and the Wildflowers Patch dies (I cut them out three times – green, light pink and fuchsia, and then assembled the flowers), and adhered the flowers to the back of the flower box with i {stick} papers Redline Tape.  I cut the window with another die and assembled the window and flower box on the card base with dimensional squares.  The sentiment is from a brand new (released April 1 – a “little birdie” told me that Kate has them on order and they should arrive any day now!) sentiment set from Paper Smooches called Simply Said.

PRODUCTS USED:

STAMPS:  Lattice Background (Hero Arts/Studio Calico), Simply Said (Paper Smooches)
INK:  Tuxedo Black (Memento)
ACCESSORIES:  Grand Flower Box and Wildflowers Patch dies (Memory Box), i {stick} papers Redline Tape

 

I’m off to have lunch with one of my BFF’s and do a little shopping.  Hope you have a great day, too!  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Wish You Were Here . . . and an Announcement!

Hello my sweet blog friends!

 

How was your weekend?  We had some gorgeous weather here in AZ, and I got to spend quite a bit of time this weekend enjoying it.  Sunshine just makes me happy.  You?

I also got to spend some time in my craft room this weekend, which ALSO makes me very happy!!  But before I get to the card, I have some amazing news!  Kate Baldwin, the ADORABLE owner of i{heart} papers, has invited me to be her guest designer for the month of April – how nice is that?!!  I met Kate (and several of her amazing design team members) when she visited us at the Paper Smooches booth at CHA.  I really enjoyed chatting with her about all things stampy – that girl has her finger on the pulse of this industry, I tell ya!  So, I’ll be sharing some projects with you all throughout the month, focusing on many of the fun products that Kate carries in the i {heart} papers store!!  Thank you so much, Kate, for this wonderful opportunity!

 

My first project features an image that nearly took my breath away when I first saw it.  The Houndstooth Chair image from Gourmet Rubber Stamps is so amazing and on trend right now.  Nearly anything with a houndstooth pattern is hot, hot hot!  But this chair image especially has the total swoon factor, don’t you think?  And it stamped like a dream – very deeply etched and precise.  I’ll be using this baby on  regular basis – I can totally see it stamped in red for the holidays, can’t you?!  *sigh*

PRODUCTS USED:

STAMPS:  Houndstooth Chair (Gourmet Rubber Stamps), Houndstooth Background (Paper Smooches), Wish You Were Here (Hero Arts)
INK:  VersaMark (Tsukineko), Tuxedo Black (Memento)
PAPER:  Peacock and Snow CS (Bazzill Basics Paper), White CS (Neenah), Summer Sunrise (PTI)
ACCESSORIES:  Apricot Embossing Powder (Zing/American Crafts), Stampin’ Dimensionals (Stampin’ Up!)

 

Let me just say about i {heart} papers that Kate has some of the best customer service in the business.  I can tell you that when I place orders with her, I’ve gotten a shipping notice within MINUTES of placing my order – NO JOKE!!  Now THAT’S customer service, people!!

 

That’s it for me today, friends!  We have some college friends coming over for dinner tonight and I’m really looking forward to catching up with them.

Moxie Fab World Challenge: Fascination With Feathers!

Hello Stampy Friends!

I’m back again today to share a project that I created for one of the current Moxie Fab challenges going on right now.  The Fascination With Feathers challenge has been haunting me ever since Cath announced it.  Let me just say that I am NOT a fan of feathers . . . another one of those trends that just does not float my boat.  KWIM?  But I believe that those are EXACTLY the kind of challenges that I need to tackle – to get outside of my proverbial “box”.  So, attack it, I did.

I love clean and graphic, and I was truly inspired by the Etsy picture (above).  So, I got out my handy dandy Silhouette, and nearly fell off my chair when I came across the feather pen and ink well image . . . perfect, right?!  I thought that the “old world” feel of this sentiment kind of went along with the old fashioned inkwell.  I was also thinking it’d be fun to use a sentiment in Shakespeare-speak – something like “Fare Thee Well.”  Couldn’t really picture that as a sentiment for a card, so I decided to use the Just a Note sentiment, instead.  I like it.

 

That’s it for me today, kids!  We’re off to church, breakfast and then our last Chicago White Sox spring training game in the sunshine – oh how I’ll miss those fun games!!  There’s nothing like baseball in the sunshine, I tell ya!  Hope you’ve had a wonderful weekend.  I’ll be back tomorrow with a project and a fun announcement!  Thanks for stopping by!