What’s Cookin’?!

Hey Gal Pals!!

Hope your Tuesday is going great!!  Just popping in today to share my ABC Toys & Crafts card.  This week the DT is featuring Crafty Secrets stamp sets, and Julie (the owner of ABC Toys & Crafts) has marked all Crafty Secrets stamps down 15%.  Bonus!!

Today’s card features Kitchen Basics by Crafty Secrets.  This set includes some super cute images, and I love the vintage feel that they all have.  So vintage, in fact, that they don’t even need to be colored.  I used some Nook & Pantry DP (Basic Grey) because I thought the vintage look coincided with the vintage look of the focal images.  I stamped the fork, knife and spoon images using two different Memento pads – I placed all three images on my clear block, and inked them up with a combination of Pear Tart and Dandelion.  This created the perfect color of green to match the background DP perfectly!!  I love it when that happens.  If it didn’t match, I would’ve had to double up on my meds!  LOL  Once I stamped the utensils on the main image panel, I then stamped the sentiment (from the What’s Cooking? clear stamp set by Hero Arts) on top of that using Rich Cocoa ink.  I added some stitching with my Janome Sew Mini, and wrapped the main image panel with Rustic Button Twine.

I really love this stamp set – I can see it making some beautiful dinner party invitations, maybe embossing on a darker cardstock in silver or gold.  Ohhhhh . . . I feel like that would be so pretty, don’t you?!!

Julie is not only offering a 15% discount on all Crafty Secrets products through May 22nd (use Discount Code CS1622), she’s also giving away some Martha Stewart punches on the store blog.  Check out all the details of that giveaway HERE.  I also noticed that some of the new Tim Holtz/Sizzix dies have arrived in the store – very cool stuff!!

That’s it for me today.  I hope to be back later on this week with more crafty shares.  Thanks so much for stopping by today!

STAMPS:  Kitchen Basics (Crafty Secrets), What’s Cooking? (Hero Arts)
INK:  Pear Tart, Dandelion, and Rich Cocoa (Memento)
PAPER:  Nook & Pantry DP (Basic Grey), Kraft, Dark Chocolate and Vintage Cream CS (PTI)
ACCESSORIES:  Rustic Button Twine (PTI), 3D Dots (EK Success), Janome Sew Mini, Zig Zag and Donut Hole Border Punches (EK Success)

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New Boy In Town!!

Hi Peeps!

So what do you think of my new blog banner?  It's a new kit done by Zoe Pearn and I got it at Sweet Shoppe Designs.  Amazing digital kits, and really cute blog wear, for sure!!  I like to change things up every now and then, so this popped up at the perfect time!

On to much cuter things than blog banners.  Every other month, I get a box full of amazing goodies from Julie Foote, the owner of ABC Toys & Crafts.  Let me tell  you that the boxes I've received over the past few months have been unbelievably full to the brim with some of the cutest and most fun products I've ever worked with.  If you're familiar with my blog, you know I struggle with the "vintage" or "shabby chic" look.  I love looking at it, drooling over it, admiring it - but simply cannot get comfortable with recreating that look for myself.  It mostly has to do with the smudgy edges of things, the distressing, and the non-linear shape of things.  Just can't do it and be happy with the end result.  So this month's box had a Crafty Secrets set inside called "Baby Boy."  Even though I struggle with most things vintage, I decided that I didn't necessarily have to create a vintage card with a vintage image.  Do I?!!  Nope, I don't!  So here's what I did.

First, of all there are so many cute images in this clear set.  My mind was swimming with ideas, but I ultimately decided to use the little paper boy baby as my main image.  I stamped him on white cardstock with Tuxedo Black Memento ink.  I colored him with my Copics - just wanted his cute little pink body to be a subtle pop, so I used the lightest red - R0000.  I outlined him in the lightest blue (B0000) and gave his little feet a shadow using my Lyra colored pencils and Gamsol.  Easy peasy!

I stamped the little wood pull toy image on the ric rac strip (created using my EK Success Zig Zag border punch).  To create the little ric rac circle frame around the main image, I used my Scalloped Circle Nestabilities and Inverted Scalloped Circle Nestabilities, layering one inside the other, and running it through my Cuttlebug all at once (I usually use a bit of repositionable tape to keep them in place), and that look of ric rac is what resulted.  Isn't it too fun?!!  A little bit of ribbon, a cute little button, and some last minute stitching on my Janome Sew Mini, and I have myself a darling little baby boy card that I think any new mom would be thrilled to pieces with.  Might just have to hang on to this one for my new grandbaby in May!  Hehehe

CARD PRESCRIPTION:

STAMPS:  Baby Boy (Crafty Secrets)
INK:  Tuxedo Black (Memento)
PAPER:  Baby Boy DP (Paper Studio/Hobby Lobby), Bashful Blue CS (SU), White CS (Neenah)
ACCESSORIES:  Bashful Blue Ribbon (SU), Bashful Blue Button (SU), Zig Zag Border Punch (EK Success), Glue Dots, 3-D Dimensional Squares (EK Success), Janome Sew Mini, Scalloped Circle Nestabilities, Inverted Scallop Circle Nestabilities, Scrapper's Floss (Karen Foster), Copics, Lyra Colored Pencils, Gamsol

That's it for me today!  Thanks so much for stopping by - it means so much to me that you do.

Vintage Birthday Wishes and a Friendly Competition

Hello!

I have been sooo busy the past couple of weeks, that I really haven't had any crafty time available. Until today, that is . . . I finally got to get some of the many new tamp sets that have been piling up in my craft room really inky, and boy did it feel good.

Today's card features a clear stamp set by Crafty Secrets called Garden Girls. Now vintage is not a style that I've done alot of, but I love other people's work (Melissa Phillips - Lilybean's Paperie - is probably my all time fave vintage crafter) so decided to give it a go. What I love about these Crafty Secrets images is that they are so detailed and intricate that you can stamp them and leave them on their own - no need, necessarily, for coloring. Of course, you can color them if you want to, but I felt like there was so much going on around this gorgeous tree, that it didn't need any more color added to it. Don't you agree? Now if you know me, you know that I struggle with the whole distress ink thing. But, again, I knew it was a technique that I wanted to conquer . . . and I think I did pretty good this time. I'll definitely continue to practice though.






STAMPS: Garden Girls (Crafty Secrets), Vintage Text (Cornish Heritage Farms)
INK: Tuxedo Black (Memento), Potter's Clay (Memento), Thatched Straw (Versamagic Chalk Ink)
PAPER: True Black CS, Renaissance DP (Graphic 45), Vintage Cream CS
ACCESSORIES: Buttons, Gingham Ribbon, Scrapper's Floss, Glue Dots, 3-D Dimensional Squares (EK Success), Labels Four Nestabilities (Spellbinders)

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IMPORTANT NEWS!!

So nearly all of the products that I used on my card today I purchased from ABC Toys & Crafts. Julie carries such a huge variety of crafting and art products that it's as close to a one-stop shop that you're ever going to find. She has some of the brand spankin' new Nestabilities now in stock (the rest are on their way), Copic Markers, and some absolutely amazing stamps - including Hero Arts, My Cute Stamps, Crafty Secrets, Inkadinkadoo, and Shirley's 2 Girls, just to name a few. Are you still looking for some of the new Martha Stewart border and corner holiday punches? Well, Julie has quite a few of them in stock, and expects a restock of products any day now. The difference between ABC Toys & Crafts, when it comes to the "limited time only" products - such as Martha Stewart - is that Julie can get restock of product until the manufacturer's stock is depleted. The big box stores, like Michael's and JoAnn's, get what they get, and that's it. Plus, Julie doesn't mark up those hard-to-find punches the way all of those nasty eBayers do.

Julie has posed a little competition to her design team. She's issued each of us a special "discount code" for our readers to use. When you purchase products from ABC Toys & Crafts and you use MY SPECIAL DISCOUNT CODE: ABC15K - you'll receive 15% off your total purchase. The designer who has the most sales between now and 10/10 will win a shopping spree. Now, I know you all love me (almost as much as I love you, of course! LOL), but this is a way PROVE it!! LOL I want to win that shopping spree - BAD!! So, be a peach and head your fanny on over to ABC Toys & Crafts and buy some of those products that are calling your name. I thank you in advance for helping me win that shopping spree!

You can use this code as many times as you'd like between now and October 10th. If you spend $70 or more, you get FREE SHIPPING!! Any orders below $70 are $6.95, flat rate shipping. Now, if those aren't some pretty generous offers, then I don't know what is!!

That's it for me today. I hope you enjoyed my little adventure into vintage stamping and crafting. I'll be back soon with some more crafty goodness.

Support the Girls Crafty Secrets Style!!

Happy Tuesday!!

Today is my first official day as a Design Team member for ABC Toys & Crafts. I feel so blessed and honored to be part of Julie's team, and am thrilled for the opportunity to hang with the other girls on the team. So, every Tuesday I'll be showing you a project I've made using some of the amazing and fabulous products that ABC Toys & Crafts carries - and let me tell you, you'll be amazed at all the incredible goodies she carries. Not to mention her unparalleled customer service - no other online company compares!! So, let's get down to business.

Today's card was made using a Crafty Secrets clear set called Support the Girls. Did you all know that for every Support the Girls set that's sold, $1 is donated to breast cancer research? Isn't that amazing?!! One of my really good girl friends from high school is a Five Year Survivor of breast cancer, so this card will be going to her. Patty is one of the bravest women I know, and I just want her to know how much I adore her and am there for her throughout this journey. I hope she likes it. There are so many great stamps and sentiments included in this set - I can see myself using this set again and again for cards for my "girls."

If you have "girls" that you'd like to honor, this set, as well as EVERYTHING ELSE at ABC Toys & Crafts is 15% off!! That's right - from now until July 18th, the entire store is 15% OFF!! So, as this set is in stock right now, at 15% off, my guess is that it will be flying off the shelves. Not only that, but Priority shipping is only $6.95 for orders under $70, and FREE for orders over $70. Sheesh!! You can't beat that, right? Good stuff, I tell ya!

I hope to have more crafty goodness for you tomorrow, especially since the weather around here has taken a turn for the worse. It went from the high 80's to the low 60's overnight!! Yikes!! So, that's perfect crafting weather for me. Crafting in my jammies - heaven on earth!! LOL









STAMPS: Support the Girls (Crafty Secrets)
INK: Tuxedo Black (Memento)
PAPER: True Black CS (PTI), White CS (Neenah), Alissa DP (Bo Bunny)
ACCESSORIES: Stampin Dimensionals, Aqua Mist Buttons (PTI), White Taffeta Ribbon (SU), Pink Lace (Doodlebug), Glue Dots, Scrapper's Floss (Karen Foster), Mat Pack and Piercing Tool, Rectangle Classic and Scalloped Nestabilities, Cuttlebug

Thanks for stopping by!