Pickled Paper Designs

TCP Tuesday #200 + Giveaways!

2012-03-09T08:59:00.001-05:00

This week, The Cat's Pajamas is hosting challenge #200!! And we're celebrating in true Cat's Pajamas fashion, with a FREE Giveaway.

Since our 200th TCP Challenge is a sketch challenge, we are giving away a fancy Cat's Pajamas Sketch Book featuring virtually every sketch challenge in TCP history! It's a great reference to get those creative juices flowing. Page after page of sketchy goodness!

Just go here and download your copy for FREE.

But that's not all!

Comment on any of The Cat Packers blog posts that feature our 200th TCP Tuesday Sketch Challenge by Tuesday, March 13 and you could WIN our complete NEW release. How's that?!!

The more times you comment, the better. Alma will announce the winner on her blog on Wednesday, March 14.

Here's Leigh's awesome sketch:

And here's what I came up with:

I used the adorable Go Bananas set and some papers from Echo Park's This & That Charming collection. I went with kind of a window look, with six squares cut out of the woodgrain panel. The plaid border at the bottom is die-cut with TCP's Big Scalllop border CutUps die.

Remember to comment on the CatPack's sketch posts for your chance to win the upcoming release in full -- stamps and dies!

Visit Alma for challenge more challenge info and to link up your challenge creation.

Have a super fabulous awesome day, friends!

Okay - DS42

2012-03-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

I just adore Verve's new Plain Jane, Be Okay, and have combined it here with some lovely Kaisercraft papers and Jen Shults's new Deconstructed Sketch.

Such a pretty sketch! I especially love the layering suggestion for the horizontal strip. Hope you'll join us this week (or whenever you have time -- there's no time limit to play with this week's sketch).

For more sketch interpretation, visit the Deconstructed Sketch girls:

Amber Hight

Amy Sheffer, Guest Designer (you're here)

Hope you're having a great week!

Stamps: Be Okay Plain Jane (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Kaisercraft These Days collection, Papetrey Vintage Cream, Rustic Ivory, and Kraft card stock
Ink: Ranger Antique Linen, Brushed Corduroy, and Walnut Stain Distress Inks
Accessories: Verve Loopy Blooms Die Set, MemrieMare seam binding, My Favorite Things doily and border dies, Maya Road white mini flowers, Papertrey button, foam adhesive, sewing machine, Pizzazz Aplenty pearl stick pins, distressing tool
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

March SFYTT - The Craft's Meow

2012-03-03T11:00:00.000-05:00

Are you ready for a new Sketch For You To Try? Here's the new sketch, sponsored by The Craft's Meow.

One of the recent releases by The Craft's Meow is the adorable Tweet of You, illustrated by Nina Brackett of Nina B Designs. I always love her stylish designs! Here's what I came up with:

For more sketch inspiration and more of The Craft's Meow, check out what the SFYTT Sisters have been up to:

Jen del Muro with guest designer Rosemary Dennis
Amber Hight

Becky Carafa

Carole Burrage

Iwona Palamountain

Jen Tapler

Jodi Collins

Kerry Johnson

Megan Lock

Susan Liles

(click to enlarge)

Thanks so much for stopping by! Enjoy your weekend!

Stamps: Tweet of You, (The Craft's Meow)
Paper: Crate Paper Random collection; Papertrey Rustic White card stock, Prism green card stock
Ink: Versamagic Aqua Splash, Versafine Onyx Black, Ranger Antique Linen and Vintage Photo card stock
Accessories: Spellbinders Labels Eighteen Nestabilities and Foliage Shapeabilities, My Favorite Things scallop border die, Kaisercraft black pearls, Pizzazz Aplenty Jade Ice pearls and 4mm clear rhinestones, distressing tool, sewing machine, sanding block, foam adhesive, Stampin' Up striped ribbon, Mary Arts crochet trim and burlap string, glittered flower (from stash -- Prima probably)
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

I Wheelie Love You

2012-03-02T08:08:00.001-05:00

If you're not already anticipating Spring, you will be after you see this week's TCP Tuesday challenge. Here it is, brought to you by the crazy talented Susan Liles:

This week at The Cat's Pajamas, we are celebrating the anticipation of spring, by hopefully by enjoying THE GREAT OUTDOORS!--Use any stamp(s) from The Cat's Pajamas that are "out getting a breath of fresh air" (aka, doing something outside) ALONG WITH your Cloud Border CutUps Die.

What to choose .... sitting in a field of pinwheels? Splashing in the spring rain? Flying a kite? Camping? Hunting easter eggs? The list goes on -- so many awesome outdoor images! In the end, it was Wheel Love that called my name. I just adore that sweet bicycle. I'm also harboring some serious love for the Clouds Border CutUps Die. If dies wore out with use, that one would be a prime candidate for me.

Several other CutUps dies got a workout today as well. What can I say ... I do love my dies! At the top, along with the Clouds border, I added some yellow gingham hearts die-cut with the Heart Trio. And then at the bottom, I've used the Big Scallop border, Flower Buttons, the Grass Border, and the oval from Circus Panels for the sentiment. Papers are from My Mind's Eye's Be Amazing and On the Bright Side - One collections.

Okay, ladies, here are the "rules" -- please play along!

1. Each Tuesday we will give you a challenge.
2. You will have until the end of the month to complete the challenge.
3. Add your entry to the guestbook on Alma's Blog and/or upload to the SCS Gallery, using the keywordTCPTUES199 for this week's challenge.
4. TCP stamps/dies are not required, but of course, highly encouraged. {Unless it is a challenge calling for a specific stamp/die, like this week)
5. There will be one randomly chosen weekly winner, announced on Tuesdays.
6. There will also be one winner, The Swanky Stamper, announced the 1st of each month. The Swanky Stamper will win several sets from an upcoming release and get to play along with us at our Pajama Party and Blog Hop.

Thanks so much for visiting!

Stamps: Wheel Love (The Cat's Pajamas)
Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar White, Papertrey Rustic White and Smokey Shadow card stock, My Mind's Eye Be Amazing and On the Bright Side - One
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black
Accessories: TCP Clouds, Heart Trio, Big Scallop, Flower Buttons, Grass, and Circus Panels CutUps Dies, sewing machine, distressing tool, Papertrey buttons, TCP ivory linen thread, Pizzazz Aplenty clear rhinestones, Copic markers

Deconstructed Sketch 41

2012-03-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

Thursday -- one of my new favorite days of the week! That's because it's Deconstructed Sketch day! This week's sketch is generously sponsored by Bugaboo Stamps. Oh my word, total cuteness! IThank you, Bugaboo Stamps! They are generously offering SEVEN digital images to the winner of this week's sketch challenge!

Everything That You Ever Wanted to Know
About Bugaboo Stamps: A Short Essay

As if raising five children in the frozen land of the North was not enough of a challenge, Jodie Mackrell decided to dip her cold little Canadian toes into the world of papercrafting by opening an online store full of her illustrations. That was two years ago. Today Bugaboo Stamps is one of the leading companies in digital images, and we’re still growing! From seriously snarky to sugary sweet to sublimely soulful all the way over to the other side of the super sexy spectrum, you’re bound to find all that you need and more to create your paper projects. Jodie works very hard to provide New Releases and Freebies every week! If your taste runs to rubber (and you know who you are), you can find Bugaboo Stamps at Totally Stampalicious.

Here's what we're playing with this week:

Great sketch, huh? And here's my non-square take on it, using the cute Kidz - Girl and Flowers:

I printed the image, colored with Copics (a little ink smudging around the eyes and one of the hair squiggles - sorry, must not have let the printer ink dry!), and trimmed her out. The papers are all from My Mind's Eye's Dolled Up collection. The sentiment is from Verve's Sunny Days set, the clouds are a Li'l Inker Designs die, the scallop border was done with a My Favorite Things die, and the crochet trim is by May Arts.

For more sketch inspiration, visit the talented Deconstructed Sketch girls:

Amber Hight

Amy Sheffer, Guest Designer

Lori Boyd (sitting out this week)

Pam Varnell

Sheri Gilson

And when you're ready to play, just link up your creation HERE. The deadline for the Bugaboo prize drawing is March 7, 2012 at 8 pm CST. There are no specific image requirements for The Deconstructed Sketch.

Have a fantastic day!

Kraftin Kimmie Stamps Challenge #117

2012-02-25T07:08:00.000-05:00

It's challenge day at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps, and this week it's an awesome sketch:

Visit the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps blog for links to all the designers who have samples to share, and to link up your creation when you're ready to play along!

For my card, I've used a GORGEOUS peacock image from the new Tweets & Twitters 2. I colored in a blue and green palette with Copic markers, then inked and distressed the edges. The sentiment is die-cut into a tab using one of The Cat's Pajamas Circus Label dies (trimmed down). I flipped and rotated the sketch to best work with my image.

I want to thank Kimmie and the whole Krafty Girls crew for the incredible opportunity to guest design with them this month. I've had an absolute blast! Thank you, KKS!

And thank you for visiting! Have a fantastic weekend. I'm headed out to an all-day crop and hope to make some substantial progress on my Project Life album. I'm not much of a "public" crafter, so when I filled out the registration form portion that asked who I wanted to sit with, I wanted to write an electrical outlet and leave it at that! LOL! It's not that I'm anti-social -- it's that I can't seem to mix social and productive! Wish me luck :)

Happy St. Patrick's Day - DS40

2012-02-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

It feels like I blinked and Valentine's Day had passed right on by! For that matter, all of January and the better part of February. Is it just me, or is the year flying by? I thought I'd whip up a little something for St. Patrick's Day before that, too, passes by. I've used Verve's new Lucky You stamp set and coordinating Shamrock Die Set. The papers are Echo Park A Walk in the Park, and the layout is the awesome Deconstructed Sketch #40. Love this sketch!

Check out all the fantastic samples from the Deconstructed Sketch Girls:

Amber Hight

Amy Sheffer, Guest Designer

And when you're ready to play, just link up your creation HERE.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

TCPTues198: Bestest Friend Ever

2012-02-22T09:05:00.000-05:00

Bring on the pastels and join The Cat's Pajamas for its weekly TCP Tuesday challenge! Here's the soft, sweet color challenge Lori has provided this week:

I pulled out the adorable Kick Some Grass set and some lovely My Mind's Eye Dolled Up papers. The bunny is nestled in some grass that I die-cut with TCP's Grass Border CutUps die. I added some teeny clear rhinestones to the flower centers for a bit of sparkle.

TCP Tuesday Challenge Details:

1. Each Tuesday we will give you a challenge.
2. You will have until the end of the month to complete the challenge.
3. Add your entry to the Inlinkz Gallery or upload to the SCS Gallery, using the keyword TCPTUES198 for this week's challenge.
4. TCP stamps are not required for this challenge, but highly recommended.
5. There will be one randomly chosen weekly winner, announced on Tuesdays who will win a Gift Voucher for use on The Cat's Pajamas website.
6. There will be one winner, The Swanky Stamper, announced the 1st of each month. They will win several sets from an upcoming release and get to play along with us at our Pajama Party and Blog Hop.
7. The winner has one week from the day the winner is posted to contact me for his/her voucher code.

Here's the February SFYTT:

The February SFYTT is sponsored by Your Next Stamp, which has generously provided a discount code for SFYTT participants. Enjoy!

Thanks for visiting!

Everything Is Going To Be Okay

2012-02-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

Surprise!! A group of us are hijacking this week's Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge in order to pull off a surprise blog hop for Julee! She and her husband Mark soon will be welcoming twin boys into their family, and we wanted to share our congratulations and best wishes with them!

Did you arrive here from Susan Liles's blog? If not, head over to Teresa Kline's blog, where the hop begins. (You'll also find the full hop order there, just in case there are any glitches along the way.) Be sure to visit our guest of honor, Julee, to share your love and well wishes!

As part of the hop, we thought we'd share some words of advice and/or wisdom for the parents-to-be. I think the most profound insight I ever had as a new parent was when I realized, and I mean really, truly realized, that just as God gave my child to me, God also gave me to my child. It was easy for me to see my baby as a gift from above, but much harder to think of myself as God's gift to my baby, especially since most of the time I felt like I didn't have the first clue about motherhood. Julee and Mark, may you find empowerment, encouragement, peace, and awe in the awareness that God Almighty Himself chose YOU to be the parents of these precious boys. He knows exactly what He's doing, so, indeed, everything is going to be okay!

The sentiment I've used is a brand-new Plain Jane, Be Okay, that Julee surprised us with last week. If you haven't seen the beautiful card Julee made with Be Okay, check it out HERE. What a great phrase to have in stamp form!

And here's today's Mojo Monday sketch #229: (I turned the sketch upside down and tilted the inner rectangle cluster.

To play along, link up your creation to the Mojo Monday blog.

To continue with the surprise blog hop for Julee and Mark, your next stop is Taylor Van Bruggen!

Thanks so much for visiting!

Kraftin' Kimmie Release Hop

2012-02-19T01:00:00.000-05:00

Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps' release day is here, and to celebrate, we're having a Release Hop! If you need to go back to the beginning and get caught up, then head over to the Kraftin' Kimmie Challenge Blog, where you'll also find the full hop list.

As you hop from blog to blog, be sure to leave a comment at each and every stop because some lucky stampers will win packages of these incredible stamps from the new release. And when you’re done hoppin’, visit the Kraftin’ Kimmie shop, because ALL the new images are NOW available! Gimme Kimmies kits, for those who "need it all," are also available at a discount, but for a limited time only.

There's so much to see along the hop today. The February release includes the adorable Cheryl Alger Lulu and Friends set, two different sets of fantastic feathered friends, Tweets and Twitters 1 and Tweets and Twitters 2, both illustrated by Emilie Goulet, the amazing new collection of six Annie Rodrigue Superheroes, and, finally, a perfect new set to work with all your stamps, In Stitches.

I chose to show off the adorable Rescue Ranger from the Superheroes collection. Gotta say, this is my kind of superhero! My personal secret weapon cure-all? A pint of Ben & Jerry's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch. Works every time! (Or maybe it just tastes so good you forget about the icky stuff!)

I colored the image with Copics and die-cut it with a Spellbinders Labels Eighteen die. The papers are from the My Mind's Eye Fiddlesticks 6x6 pad. I tell ya, I'm going to need an intervention with the woodgrain patterns and paper doilies if I don't soon stop! I embellished with buttons, satin ribbon, lace trim, burlap string, and an open scallop border die-cut.

The sentiment continues on the card inside, which is also decorated to coordinate with the card front.

Thanks so much for stopping by. To continue with the hop, you'll want to visit Peggy next. I'm sure she's got something gorgeous to inspire you -- she always does!

Enjoy the hop and have a wonderful Sunday!

Stamps: Rescue Ranger Superhero (Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps)
Paper: Copic X-Press It card stock, Papertrey Fine Linen card stock, My Mind's Eye Miss Caroline "Fiddlesticks" paper collection
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Tumbled Glass Distress
Accessories: Copic markers, Spellbinders Labels Eighteen and Labels Fourteen Nestabilities, sanding block, distressing tool, foam adhesive, Papertrey ribbon and button, May Arts burlap string, white lace trim from stash, My Favorite Things Open Scallop Border and Medium Scallop Border Dienamics, The Cat's Pajamas Circus Labels Cut-Ups, paper doily, sewing machine
Size: 5 1/2" square

Kraftin' Kimmie Peek: Superheroes

2012-02-18T07:00:00.000-05:00

Today's Kraftin' Kimmie peek is Marvelous Mom, one of the new Superheroes images by Annie Rodrigue. It's also challenge day, and this week, we have a sketch challenge.

Visit the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps blog for additional challenge details, more fabulous sketch inspiration, and looks at all the different Superheroes images -- CUTE! Hope you can play along!

Have a fantastic weekend!

Kraftin' Kimmie Peek: Tweets & Twitters

2012-02-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

Okay, SUPER fun image to share with you today from the upcoming Kraftin' Kimmie release (which is this coming Sunday, BTW). I'm no ornithologist, so I drew coloring inspiration from ... Rio!

Meet Blu ...

... here to wish you a Happy Bird-Day!

This crazy cute fella is from Tweets & Twitters. Check out all the KKS design team inspiration today! Links are on the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps blog.

Side note: I first imagined this image all colored up in a rainbow of bright, tropical colors; however, with one or two lonely exceptions, rainbows and I just don't play together nicely. I opted for an all-blue bird, thinking the final colored image would be easier to work with. Are you kidding? You could conduct a traffic stop with this shade of blue! And I can assure you not one of my three bazillion pieces of patterned paper has this particular blue in it! All of this to say ... I'm a little skeered posting this one!

Have a great day, and tune in tomorrow for more Krafty peeks!

Kraftin' Kimmie Peek: Lulu and Friends

2012-02-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

Today I'm joining the Krafty Girls of Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps for peeks of the upcoming release! This adorable image comes from the Lulu and Friends stamp set. Isn't she just precious?! Coloring is with Copics, papers are from the Dilly Dally 6x6 paper pad by My Mind's Eye, and the layout is this week's Deconstructed Sketch. Head over to the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps blog for all the release info and links to all the designers posting peeks today. Tune in again tomorrow and Saturday for additional peeks and on Sunday for a release hop. The new stamps will be available for purchase Sunday in the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps store.

And here's the new Deconstructed Sketch, #39:

Lots of sketch inspiration from the Deconstructed Sketch Girls, too:

To play along, just link up your creation HERE.

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Lulu and Friends (Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps, releasing Sunday, 2/19)
Paper: Copic X-Press It card stock, Papertrey Fine Linen card stock, My Mind's Eye Dilly Dally 6x6 pad
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Old Paper and Pumice Stone Distress Inks
Accessories: Copic markers, paper doily, sewing machine, foam adhesive, yellow trim (unknown), Papertrey ribbon and buttons, May Arts twine, Verve Wavy Hearts and Loopy Blooms dies, dew drops, My Favorite Things open scallop border die, distressing tool
Size: 5 1/2" square

TCP Tuesday: Get Well Cuppa

2012-02-15T11:29:00.000-05:00

This week's TCP challenge, hosted by Julie, is an ABC challenge -- Anything But Card. All the details, plus Julie's crazy adorable treat project, are posted in the TCP Forum on Splitcoast. Can't wait to see all the entries!

With a few different friends ill or just down in the dumps, I've been in a get well mindset. I found a yummy looking package of gourmet chicken noodle soup mix at the grocery store and decided to pretty it up a bit by first putting the ingredients into a glass cracker jar (from Target) and then decorating the jar. The front label is done with stamps from A Cuppa. I colored with Copics, paper pieced the apron with patterns from My Mind's Eye's new On the Bright Side Two 6x6 pad, then trimmed out everything and layered over a paper doily.

I embellished the jar top with layered circles and a rosette made with TCP's Easy Rosettes CutUps die. This sentiment is also from A Cuppa.

Last I tried some raffia around the jar lid and hung a shipping tag printed with the name of the soup on one side and cooking instructions on the other.

Thanks for stopping by!

Kraftin' Kimmie Pins & Pearls

2012-02-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

This week's Kraftin' Kimmie challenge, hosted by Sandie Dunn, is to use pins and pearls. I knew the lovely and elegant Elaine would be perfect, especially paired with the beautiful papers in the Howdy Doody paper pack by My Mind's Eye. I colored with Copics, then trimmed out Elaine to fit the layout, which is this month's Sketch For You To Try. The rolled flower at the top was done with a My Favorite Things die, and the others flowers are from my stash. The pink pearl stick pins and light green pearls are both from Pizzazz Aplenty.

Check out Kimmie's blog for LOADS of challenge inspiration. You will be amazed! That's where you'll link up to play along, too!

And here's the SFYTT that I used:

Those three little circles are proving tricky for me! This time, I went with a loose interpretation using scattered flowers and a button. Remember, the SFYTT Sisters are posting weekly sketch inspiration. Today (after 11 am), you can also see samples from Amber, Megan, Becky, and Iwona. When you're ready to play, link up your creation HERE. If you play along each month, you'll be eligible for a huge prize pack drawing at the end of the year.

See you again soon, and in the meantime, have a fab weekend!

Stamps: Elaine (Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps)
Paper: Papertrey Vintage Cream and Fine Linen card stock, My Mind's Eye Miss Caroline Howdy Doody 6x6 collection
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Old Paper, Tea Dye, and Walnut Stain Distress Ink
Accessories: Copic markers, Spellbinders Classic Circle Nestabilities, paper flowers from stash, May Arts ivory burlap string and crochet trim, My Favorite Things Rolled Flower and Medium Scallop Border Dienamics dies, Pizzazz Aplenty pink pearl stick pins and 4mm Jade Ice pearls, Papertrey button, paper flowers from stash, sewing machine, foam adhesive
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2

Deconstructed Sketch #38 - Thank U

2012-02-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Thursday! Happy Deconstructed Sketch day :)

Here's what we get to play with this week:

I had a blast making my challenge sample. The sketch is fabulous and so, so easy to work with, the Verve You and I stamp set and coordinating I Heart U Die Set are among my favorite Verve ever, and the papers (Howdy Doody from My Mind's Eye's Miss Caroline line) are just beyond gorgeous. Lots of distressing, stitching, sanding, flowers, twine, ribbon, trim -- all my favorite things!

Ready to play along? Go HERE to link up your creation. And be sure to hop around for lots of sketch inspiration:

Stamps: You and I (Verve Stamps)

Paper: Papertrey Kraft card stock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White card stock, My Mind's Eye Miss Caroline Howdy Doody 6x6 collection

Ink: Stampin' Up White craft ink, Ranger Frayed Burlap Distress Ink

Accessories: Verve I Heart U Die Set, Spellbinders Picot Circle Nestabilities, Papertrey button, May Arts twine, lace trim (from stash) Papertrey Berry Sorbet ribbon, Stampin' Up So Saffron ribbon, Recollections mini roses, distressing tool, foam adhesive, sewing machine

Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

Let's Take Off {TCP Tues}

2012-02-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

Part of my sweet new gig with The Cat's Pajamas will be playing along in the weekly TCP Tuesday challenges. Not necessarily on Tuesday, I should add (I do know today is Wednesday {grin}). The challenges run all week, and so The Cat Pack rolls out inspirational samples all week, too.

For this week's challenge, Jen gives us this inspiration collage:

How's that for FUN?!

I confess the only way I know how to handle a rainbow of color all at once is to go CAS (clean and simple). Love how the white space lets the colors pop without being too overwhelming. The image, from Up, Up & Away, is colored with Copics, the sentiment is from Away We Go, and the clouds are cut from the Clouds Border CutUps die.

Want to play along? Here are some details you will want to know {including how to become the next Swanky Stamper!}…

1. Each Tuesday we will give you a challenge.
2. You will have until the end of the month to complete the challenge.
3. Add your entry to the Inlinkz Gallery on Alma’s blog or upload to SCS using the keyword TCPTUES196 for this week’s challenge.

4. TCP stamps are not required for this challenge, but highly recommended.
5. There will be one randomly chosen weekly winner, announced on Tuesdays who will win a Gift Voucher for use on The Cat’s Pajamas website.

6. There will be one winner, The Swanky Stamper, announced the 1st of each month. That winner will win several sets from an upcoming release and get to play along with us at our Pajama Party and Blog Hop.

Good luck!

Meowy Good News!!

2012-02-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

I've just about been dying to share this happy news -- I'm joining Sprinkle and the gang as the newest member of the The Cat Pack, a.k.a. The Cat's Pajamas design team! Alma (TCP owner) has a little announcement over on her blog, too -- hope you'll check it out!

And since I couldn't let one more minute go by without trying on my swanky new watermark, I put together this last-minute number for the current TCP Tuesday challenge, hosted by Leigh O'Brien:

The image and sentiment are from Ewe Complete Me. I used one of the TCP CutUps dies, Circus Panels, for the base part of my banners. I just cut them in half, then stitched traditional triangular pennants on top.

I colored primarily with Copics, then added the grass with Prismacolor pencils. Here's a closer look:

I've always thought that the stippled-style shading looks really fun and decided to give it a go here. I have no idea if there's a "proper" technique, but little marker dots in a few different shades of light blue-greens, warm grays and even a light blue-violet seemed a good place to start..

Thanks for sharing my happy news! Meow ;)

Stamps: Ewe Complete Me (The Cat's Pajamas)
Paper: Papertrey Smokey Shadow card stock, Copic X-Press It Blending card stock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White card stock, My Mind's Eye Love Me 6x6 collection
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Memento Tuxedo Black, Stampin' Up Soft Sky, Tim Holtz Pumice Stone Distress Ink
Accessories: TCP Circus Panels CutUps, Spellbinders classic circle Nestabilities, Wilton doily, Pizzazz Aplenty 2mm clear rhinestones, paper piercer/needle/thread, sewing machine, foam adhesive, Copic markers, Prismacolor pencils, corner rounder, Papertrey buttons, Cotton Candy Divine Twine
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

February SFYTT: Your Next Stamp

2012-02-04T11:00:00.000-05:00

[***Second post today. Scroll down for my Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Challenge post***]

It's time to unveil the February Sketch For You To Try! How do you like monthly sketch/weekly inspiration format?

This month, we're sponsored by another super fun company, Your Next Stamp, home of some of the cutest images money can buy! Remember, if you complete all twelve sketches during the year, you'll be eligible for a super prize pack in December!

Take a good, hard look at the February sketch ...

... because it might be hard to spot in my, er, "creative" interpretation {grin}:

Between rotating the sketch 90 degrees, replacing the three small circles with clouds, and then using an image that substantially exceeds the focal panel, the sketch is, granted, a bit manipulated, but the nuts and bolt are all there. The adorable image is Up, Up & Away from the new Jenny Suchin Designs line at Your Next Stamp. I paper pieced the balloon and basket and colored the koala (also popped up on dimensionals) with Copic markers.

The fun papers are from another collection by UHK Gallery, a paper company in Poland that I posted about earlier this week. This collection is called Babie Lato - BOY. Love these colors!

For sketch inspiration, visit the SFYTT Sisters:

Jen del Muro with Designer of the Month Angela Thomas
Amber Hight

Becky Carafa

Carole Burrage

Iwona Palamountain

Jen Tapler

Jodi Collins

Kerry Johnson

Megan Lock

Susan Liles

and an extra dose of inspiration from YNS designers (links on Jen's blog)

Have a good weekend, friends!

Kraftin Kimmie Stamps Guest!

2012-02-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

I hinted on Thursday that there might be another secret or two around here, and today I'm so excited to share that I am the February Krafty Guest at Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps! I'll be joining the fantastic KKS designers for their Saturday challenges and for their February release coming up mid-month. Thanks for having me, Kimmie!

Kimmie herself is hosting today's challenge, and, being that her birthday was yesterday, her challenge theme for us is BIRTHDAY!

I kind of goofed and used a stamp (Francesca) that's no longer in the current inventory, but she was too perfect for the theme, so out she came! I colored with Copics and added some glitter around the candle flames. The papers and all the cute birthday accents (February calendar, "another year older" tab, "celebrate," and "bestdayever!") are from the Simple Stories Happy Day 6x6 pad.

Head over to the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps blog for inspiration from the Krafty Girls! And don't miss the birthday sale, this weekend only. More than 100 of Kimmie's favorite stamps are on sale .... either 41% off or $4.10! I wonder if you can guess which birthday she celebrated yesterday ;)

Stamps: Francesca (Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps [retired])
Paper: Papertrey Kraft and Dark Chocolate, Copic XPress-It blending card stock, Simple Stories Happy Day 6x6 collection
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Antique Linen, Frayed Burlap, Vintage Photo Distress Inks
Accessories: Copic markers, Sakura quickie glue pen, clear ultrafine glitter, sewing machine, distressing tool, paper piercer/needle/thread, My Favorite Things Scallop Border Die-namics, Papertrey buttons, ribbon, and twine, foam adhesive
Size: 5 1/2" square

Secrets

2012-02-02T07:00:00.000-05:00

Pick up your tin can telephone, because I have a secret to share! For the next three months, I have the pleasure of being a guest of Jen Shults and the rest of the talented girls at The Deconstructed Sketch. I am so excited! Jen's sketches are always amazing and if her team's samples don't inspire you to stamp, nothing will! Serious, serious coloring skills in that bunch. Hope some of that rubs off on me!

The Deconstructed Sketch is posted weekly on Thursdays at 6 am CST. The first sketch of the month is sponsored and therefore has a time limit, but the rest are open-ended, so for those, feel free to join in whenever you can. This first sketch of February is sponsored by Saturated Canary. I had not seen these images before being given the opportunity to choose an image for today. Of course, now I'm seeing them all over the place, and I can spot Krista's artistry a mile away. I would have happily chosen her whole catalog if I could have! Be sure to check out the Saturated Canary etsy shop, and if you're as smitten as I am, then play along for a chance to win two digis of your choice, courtesy of Saturated Canary. Jen has the link-up tool, along with the challenge deadline, here on her blog.

Sketch inspiration from the Deconstructed Sketch crew:

Amber Hight
Amy Sheffer, Guest Designer (me)
Arielle Gordon
Donna Wardle
Jen Shults
Jessica Diedrich (sitting out this week)
Kadie Ensley
Lori Boyd
Pam Varnell
Sheri Gilson

The image I used is Secrets, Ragamuffin Friends. I printed on Neenah Solar White card stock and colored with Copics. The papers are from Simple Stories' Happy Day 6x6 collection. The oval label die-cuts are from The Cat's Pajamas, and the letter stickers are by Jenni Bowlin. Scallop border die is by My Favorite Things, the brown pearls are Kaisercraft, and the flowers are a combination of Zva Creative and Recollections.

See you soon! And keep those tin cans handy. Just sayin' {wink}.

twitterpated.

2012-01-30T11:22:00.000-05:00

Recently, I had the pleasure of receiving a package of beautiful patterned paper collections from a company in Poland, UHK Gallery. If you're not familiar with this company, allow me to introduce you today to one of those paper lines -- Green Expectations. It was tough to choose which collection to play with first, as so many of them are filled with beautiful, romantic, elegant designs -- so right up my alley! I'm looking forward to posting some additional designs with other collections later in the week. For now, I hope you'll enjoy this peek at Green Expectations.

The layout is based on Chupa's Saturday Sketchbook Challenge #47:

Maybe it's just me, but this sketch reminds me of the bodice of some fancy Victorian-era dress, with that trio of center panels, the buttons, and the scallops and lace trim "waistband," which I can imagine tops off a long and flowing ruffled skirt. (Just me? {grin})

I covered the middle green center panel with some stretchy glittery mesh wire ribbon that I found at a nearby Offray ribbon outlet a while back. For the label, I started with Verve's Lovely Marquee die-cut, then layered on a Heart & Swirls Frame die-cut, and then topped the label pair with a glittered heart, a twitterpated sentiment flag (sentiment is from Verve's Twitterpated) and two teeny 2mm turquoise rhinestones from Pizzazz Aplenty.

It's hard to see in the picture, but I stamped the Hearts & Swirls Frame die cut with a coordinating hearts and swirls image from Twitterpated in a light blue ink. Here's a close-up:

Wishing you a fabulous week!

Love Ya

2012-01-27T10:50:00.000-05:00

Surprise! I'm back already and I'm back with a CAS card. Not my forte at all, but I do so love the look (from other designers!). So, I'm really excited about a new, CAS twist that the Verve girls are adding to the Viva La Verve sketch rotation this year. For all those kindred spirits who, like me, love to pile it on with layers and embellishments, don't worry, we're only doing this once a month -- the last sketch of the month. But, for those who have been asking (or silently wishing) for more CAS inspiration using Verve's awesome stamps, this new feature is for YOU!

Shannan is hosting this week's CAS sketch challenge:

The deadline for all four of this month's VLV sketches, including today's, is midnight CST, Thursday, February 2. One lucky sketch participant who completes all four sketches will win a $100 Verve gift certificate. Good luck!

For my card, I used a "love ya" sentiment and a heart trio image, both from Twitterpated, to create the horizontal sentiment strip. I embellished with a button and twine, stitching, and a scallop border, stuck it on a textured red card base and called it done. Hope you enjoy!

Don't miss out on Verve's current "Love is in the Air" Sale, going on now through February 4!

Stamps: Twitterpated (Verve Stamps)

Paper: textured red card stock (Bazzill?), Papertrey White and Aqua Mist card stock, Stampin' Up Certainly Celery

Ink: Ranger Tumbled Glass and Fired Brick Distress Inks

Accessories: Papertrey button, The Twinery twine, sewing machine, EK Success border punch, corner rounder

Hats Off To You - SFYTT

2012-01-26T11:38:00.000-05:00

We're nearing the end of January, which means it's time for the SFYTT sisters to have another go at this month's fabulous Sketch For You To Try. Have you played along yet?

Our sponsor this month is The Cat's Pajamas. Oh, how I love TCP images - the perfect blend of fun, whimsy, and cuteness. Today's sweet set is called Presto. I also used one of the TCP Cut-Ups (their line of cutting dies), Circus Border, up along the top. The papers are from my sadly under-used Blissful 6x6 pad from Authentique.

Here's a close-up, where you can see the glitter "sparks" I added around the wand:

Look for final January samples from the SFYTT Sisters throughout the week! And do play along if you haven't already. Remember, there will be a huge prize pack at the end of the year, but you're only eligible if you play along each month throughout the year.

On a more personal note ... since I've been so quiet on the blog lately, I wanted to assure you that everything is just fine. More than fine, in fact! Yes, I have slowed down a little bit with paper crafting lately (so hard for this all-or-nothing girl), but I'm still very much alive and kicking. And paper-crafting when I can! I have some fun things in the works that just aren't quite ready for prime-time yet. So, for real ... see you again soon!

Hugs and much love,

Stamps: Presto (The Cat's Pajamas)
Paper: Authentique Blissful 6x6, Papertrey Vintage Cream and Smoky Shadow
Ink: Versafine Onlyx Black, Ranger Pumice Stone Distress, Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: The Cats Pajamas Circus Border die, Copic markers, Sakura Quickie glue pen, clear ultra fine glitter, foam adhesive, Spellbinders classic circle Nestabilities, distressing tool, sewing machine, paper piercer/needle/thread, Maya Road crochet trim, 5/8" natural twill, Papertrey button
Size: 4 1/4 x 5 1/2

Verve After-Party Blog Hop

2012-01-14T09:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome to our January 2012 After Party Hop! Last night we released 3 new stamp sets, 4 plain janes and 4 dies! All of the new products we've been showcasing this week are available now in the Verve store! Be sure to leave a little comment love as you take a stroll through the Diva blogs. One lucky commenter from today's hop will win the ENTIRE Release! Check out theVerve Blog today for all the prize details and deadlines.

*January 14, 2012*

1. Amy	8. Tosha
2. Maureen	9. Laurie
3. Sankari	10. Julee
4. Andrea	11. Janelle
5. Teresa	12. Betty
6. Amber	13. Shannan
7. Charmaine	14. Jackie

Verve's Scripture Plain Janes are among my very favorites. My card today features one of the newest ones, Psalm 63:3-4. I especially love Julee's font treatment on this one. So gorgeous! The pretty background paper is from Basic Grey's Piccadilly collection.

The layout is this month's Sketch For You To Try. (I *may* have switched up the layering order on two of those panels. Again. *wink*) By the way, head HERE for more SFYTT sketch inspiration. We're posting sketch ideas weekly this year!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a super weekend!

Stamps: Psalm 63:3-4 Plain Jane, Curvy Cross Plain Jane
Paper: Papertrey White, Smoky Shadow and Spring Moss card stock, Basic Grey Piccadilly dp
Ink: Papertrey Smoky Shadow, Ranger Pumice Stone Distress Ink, Versamagic Key Lime
Accessories: Spellbinders Classic Circle and Lacey Circle Nestabilities, sewing machine, distressing tool, foam adhesive, Zva Creative flowers, Stampin' Up ribbon, Papertrey button and twine, Kaisercraft black adhesive pearls, lace trim
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

Verve January Spotlight: Day Three

2012-01-13T09:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Day Three of Verve's New Release Spotlights. Today, we're taking a look at one large set, one single-image Plain Jane, and two more dies. I've done a little mixing and matching on my card. The sentiment is from Twitterpated and the beautiful butterfly is the new Plain Jane, All Aflutter, which I've die-cut using the coordinating All Aflutter Die Set. (By the way, the die also fits the butterfly from the popular Blue Skies set, minus that butterfly's antennae.) As an added little detail, I stamped a row of hearts on that light blue vertical strip using a sweet heart trio image from Twitterpated, watermark ink and some clear embossing powder. Here's a closer look at that:

The layout is from the lovely Andrea's Viva La Verve sketch challenge. Catch all the details on that challenge HERE.

Hop around to all the Divas for loads of inspiration and leave comments for a chance to win today's featured sets and dies.

*January 13, 2012*

1. Amber	7. Amy
2. Teresa	8. Laurie
3. Charmaine	9. Maureen
4. Andrea	10. Julee
5. Tosha	11. Sankari
6. Janelle

Hope to see you TONIGHT in the Verve Forum for our Release Party, beginning at 9pm EST. We'll chat, see the new set reveals and all the Diva samples, give away some prizes, and count down to the official release at 11 pm EST.

Stamps: Twitterpated, All Aflutter Plain Jane (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Neenah Solar White card stock, Papertrey Spring Moss card stock, Stampin' Up Soft Sky card stock, Basic Grey Piccadilly 6x6 designer paper
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Stampin' Up Soft Sky, Ranger Antique Linen and Walnut Stain Distress Ink, VersaMark
Accessories: Verve All Aflutter Die Set, Martha Stewart paper doily, Spellbinders Labels Eighteen and Classic Circle Nestabilities, My Favorite Things Scallop Border die, May Arts crochet trim, Papertrey baker's twine, MemrieMare crinkled and dyed seam binding, Zva Creative flowers, paper piercer/needle/thread, foam adhesive, clear embossing powder
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

Verve January Spotlight: Day Two

2012-01-12T09:00:00.000-05:00

Woohooo ... here we go, with our second day of Verve peeks! Today we're featuring a large set, Wings of Love, good for Valentine's Day and soooooooo much more. (Would be great for art journaling, too, if you do any of that!) There's also a pair of heart dies that coordinate and even a Valentine sentiment PJ. Are you feelin' the love?

I chose to play with a pair of paper pieced hearts (stamped with Wings of Love) that I die-cut with the Wavy Hearts Die Set, some scrumptious My Mind's Eye papers, and this week's Mojo Monday Sketch #223. The sentiment flag is stamped with one of many sweet one-word sentiments in Wings of Love.

I can't wait for you to see this set in full! I'm the tail end of today's spotlight hop, so hopefully you've already feasted your eyes on today's peeks. However, if you've just happened to stop by, here's the full line-up for your viewing pleasure:

*January 12, 2012*

1. Janelle	7. Teresa
2. Julee	8. Andrea
3. Laurie	9. Sankari
4. Tosha	10. Maureen
5. Charmaine	11. Amy
6. Amber

Remember to leave comment love on all the blogs for your chance to win today's featured sets and dies!

Also, mark your calendars for tomorrow night. Verve's release party begins at 9pm EST right HERE.

Verve January Spotlight: Day One

2012-01-11T09:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to our January 2012 Spotlight Hops! Hop along with the Divas over the next few days as we share our first looks at a few of the new products releasing from Verve this Friday night! One lucky commenter from each day's hop will win the sets and dies featured that day, so be sure and leave a little love in the Divasphere this week! Check out the Verve Blog today for all the prize details and deadlines.

You'll see a new face in the Diva line-up today ... a huge welcome to our newest Diva, Janelle Stollfus!

*January 11, 2012*

1. Amy	7. Charmaine
2. Maureen	8. Tosha
3. Sankari	9. Laurie
4. Andrea	10. Julee
5. Teresa	11. Janelle
6. Amber

Nothing like some new Verve to kick off the new year in style! Today the Divas are showing peeks of a new St. Patrick's Day set called Lucky You, a coordinating Shamrock Die Set, and two new Scripture Plain Janes, Psalm 63:3-4 and Zephaniah 3:17. I couldn't wait to play around with this sweet "You're My Lucky Charm" sentiment in Lucky You. I stamped one of the shamrocks in light green first, then stamped the sentiment over it in black.

I cut apart a Rounded Scallop Frame die-cut to get the little mini scallop border pieces. The patterned papers and all from Echo Park's Times and Seasons. And the layout is from Amber's current Viva La Verve sketch challenge. You can find all the sketch challenge details HERE. We'd love for you to play along!!

I also stamped up a little something to decorate the inside of the card, too:

The shamrock is die-cut with the Shamrock Die Set and the sentiment, once again, is from Lucky You.

Thanks so much for visiting!

Stamps: Lucky You (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Echo Park Times & Seasons 6x6 pad, Papertrey Smoky Shadow, Fine Linen, Kraft and Vintage Cream card stock
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Versamagic light green ink, Ranger Old Paper and Brushed Corduroy ink
Accessories: Verve Shamrock Die Set and Rounded Scallop Frame die, Spellbinders classic circle Nestabilities, May Arts burlap string, Papertrey buttons, sanding block, corner rounder, distresing tool, foam adhesive, ivory acrylic paint
Size: 4 1/4 x 5 1/2

January SFYTT - Let's Take Off

2012-01-07T11:00:00.000-05:00

Hello, dear blog friends. It's awfully late to be sending out Happy New Year wishes, but I will anyway since I haven't blogged since last year.

Happy New Year!

As much as I've enjoyed a nice long blog break, I'm anxious to get back into a more regular stamping/papercrafting habit, and what better way than to kick off a brand-new year of Sketch For You To Try challenges!

In addition to the awesomeness we've all come to expect with Jen's sketches, Jen has also lined up some fabulous sponsors and giveaways for the upcoming year. Also, in response to player feedback, she has tweaked things as far as the whole weekly/monthly sketch format. It truly will be the best of both worlds. Visit with Jen at i{heart}2stamp for all the details. I personally am looking forward to another great year of SFYTT challenges, and I hope many of you are too!

We're starting off the new year in swanky style ... you guessed it, our sponsor is The Cat's Pajamas! I adore this company, their incredible designers, and the adorable, fresh, hip images. Just plain fun all the way around!

Ready for our sketch this month?

Update ... I forgot to link the SFYTT Sisters! Gasp!

Jen del Muro and Designer of the Month, Christyne Kane
Amber Hight
Becky Carafa
Carole Burrage
Iwona Palamountain
Jen Tapler
Jodi Collins
Kerry Johnson
Megan Lock
Susan Liles

... more SFYTT inspiration from some of the TCP Design Team:
Julie Masse
Lori Tecler
Amy Rohl {posting Sunday}

And here's my sample featuring TCP's Up, Up and Away, as well as their Cloud Border Cut-Ups die.

I hate to deviate from the sketch right out of the gate, but I did move forward that horizontal panel, so that my felt cloud border wouldn't be hidden by the circle. You'd have done it, too :) And you know what? It's okay. You can tweak, flip, rotate, or otherwise make the sketch your own, as long as we can still see the basic sketch. In fact, here are the "official" rules (click to enlarge, and see #2):

I'll be back with more during the upcoming week. Verve fans, mark your calendars. We're having a new release on Friday, January 13. Peeks begin on Wednesday, the 11th. Also, not sure when I'll actually have something to share because I'm waiting for some supplies to be re-stocked, but, I will be doing Project Life 2012! More on that system HERE. I can't tell you how excited I am about this project -- it's giving me just the creative spark I've been needing!

Love to all,

Stamps: Up, Up and Away (The Cat's Pajamas)
Paper: Echo Park Times & Seasons, Stampin' Up Whisper White, Natural White, and Night of Navy
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Ranger Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink
Accessories: My Favorite Things felt, The Cat's Pajamas Clouds Border Cut-Ups die, Spellbinders Lacey Circles Nestabilities, May Arts burlap string, Papertrey button, sewing machine, foam adhesive, distressing tool
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

CASE Study #71 - Thank U

2011-12-29T00:01:00.000-05:00

Belated Merry Christmas wishes! I think this has been the longest blog break I've taken in my 4+ years of blogging. Hoping you haven't all given up on me!

The last CASE Study challenge for December has been posted over on the CASE Study Challenge blog. Hope you'll check it out and play along. It's also my last week to be guest muse, an honor I've thoroughly enjoyed each Thursday this whole month. A big thanks to Chupa and her awesome team for having me join them!

Here's the card Chupa has chosen for this week's inspiration:

And here's my CASE:

Another pretty obvious CASE ... same color combo, same letter "u" die-cut, clean lines, similar elements and details. The stamps and the "u" die-cut are from Verve (You and I stamp set and the I Heart U die set). For added texture and interest, I die-cut the "u" out of red felt and dry embossed the brown background. The green die-cut is Stampin' Up's Top Note die and the white frame was done with Spellbinders Labels Eighteen and Classic Circle Nestabilities.

I can't wait to see what the amazing CASE Study design team has done! This is a seriously brilliant group of stampers:

Case Study Challenge Blog
Chupa
Amy Wanford
Andrea Ewen
Clare Buswell
Cristina Kowalczyk
Debby Hughes
Jean Martin
Julie Lacey
Maureen Plut
Teresa Kline
Teneale Williams

Cheers to all!

Stamps: You and I (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Papertrey Dark Chocolate, White, Aqua Mist and
Ink: Versamagic
Accessories: Verve I Heart U Die Set, Spellbinders Labels Eighteen and Classic Circle Nestabilities, Papertrey buttons and ribbon, May Arts twine, Stampin' Up Top Note die, Cuttlebug Seeing Spots embossing folder, red wool felt
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

CASE Study #70 - Let It Snow

2011-12-15T00:01:00.000-05:00

Ready for a new CASE Study challenge? Have a look at this week's inspiration piece:

And here's my CASE:

I stuck with the same color combo: light aqua, black, and ivory. I was also inspired by the lace background pattern of the original, specifically taking a smaller image and building it up into a larger pattern. For the new card, I took small and medium snowflake images from Verve's Glad Tidings, die-cut them with the corresponding Snowflake Tidings Die Set, and arranged them into a larger snowflake. Each individual snowflake is glittered and very lightly distressed with Antique Linen Distress Ink, then layered and popped up for dimension. The five points are cut with the smaller die in the Charming Banner Die Set, and the sentiment, from Holiday Phrases, is die-cut with one of the dies from the Charming Ovals Die Set.

Check out all the inspiring Design Team samples over on the CASE Study blog. That's where you'll link up your creation, too.

Case Study Challenge
Chupa
Amy Wanford
Andrea Ewen
Clare Buswell
Cristina Kowalczyk
Debby Hughes
Jean Martin
Julie Lacey
Maureen Plut
Teresa Kline
Teneale Williams

Hope you play along! Oh -- this challenge stays up for TWO weeks instead of one. We'll resume on December 29 :)

Cheers,

Case Study #69 - Jingle Bells

2011-12-08T00:01:00.000-05:00

Thank goodness for this sweet gig as guest muse for the Case Study weekly challenges, or I'm afraid I wouldn't be blogging at all this month! Love this season, but man, it is busy. I'm way further ahead with my Christmas preparations this year than I normally am, though, so that's a good thing. Except the tree, which is still making its way from the to-do list to the living room.

Here's the inspiration piece for this week's CASE Study Challenge #69:

And here's my case ...

... also known as "how to not do justice to the original." Win some, lose some!

I asked Chupa, Case study owner, if I would get kicked out for being too obvious with my case. She's graciously keeping me around the rest of the month ;)

The jingle bell image and sentiment are from Verve's new Bright Spirits set. I colored with Copics and added some glitter. The greenery is die-cut felt (die is from the Leafy Sprigs die set) stamped in Versamagic ink (coordinating stamp from Sunny Days).

Someone please tell me how I got the dry embossing to show up so well in the first photo? Just for fun, here's the new card in the old set-up:

You guys have a great week! I have lots of catching up to do from last week's challenge uploads, but I will be making my rounds. I don't want to miss a thing! Until then, thanks to all who played last week!

Please visit the Case Study Challenge blog for all the details on how to participate, plus gorgeous samples from the DT!

Case Study Challenge
Chupa
Amy Wanford
Andrea Ewen
Clare Buswell
Cristina Kowalczyk
Debby Hughes
Jean Martin
Julie Lacey
Maureen Plut
Teresa Kline
Teneale Williams

Stamps: Bright Spirits, Sunny Days (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Papertrey White
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black, Versamagic Spanish Olive
Accessories: Spellbinders Labels Eighteen Nestabilities and Ribbon Banners, Verve Embossed Oval and Leafy Sprigs die set, Stampin' Up ribbon, Papertrey button, May Arts burlap string, Kaisercraft black rhinestones, Cuttlebug Seeing Spots embossing folder, foam tape adhesive, MFT felt
Size: 5 1/2" x 4 1/4"

December SFYTT - Year-End Finale!

2011-12-03T08:13:00.001-05:00

I know it's horribly cliche, but it is, after all, the time of year for these words ...

Where has the time gone?!

I can remember kicking off the 2011 Sketch For You To Try challenges and here we are already wrapping up another year! That best part about that, other than a super cool new sketch, of course, is the super prize pack drawing for those who completed all twelve sketches (during the months they were posted). To see all details on how to enter, visit Jen at iheart2stamp.com.

Here's what we're playing with this month ...

And here's what I created, using stamps from our most recent sponsor, one very near and dear to my heart ... Verve Stamps.

Those cute butterflies are some of my all-time favorite Verve stamps, from the set Fluttering By, which is the December Stamp of the Month. Pick up this little gem of a set anytime in December for 40% off! At only $7.50 regularly, the December price is an amazing $4.50! How about that?!

For more sketch inspiration, visit the SFYTT Sisters:

Jen del Muro

Amber Hight (out of commission while her stamping supplies make their way across the ocean!)
Becky Carafa
Carole Burrage
Iwona Palamountain (Chupa)
Jen Tapler
Jodi Collins
Kerry Johnson
Megan Lock
Susan Liles
Terri Moore

I'm keeping this short today, since I'm running a wee bit late with my post. Have a great weekend! Hope you get your holiday to-dos done and have time left for stamping.

Cheers!

Dream Big + Fun Announcement!

2011-12-01T00:01:00.000-05:00

A little while back, I got the sweetest email from the uber-talented Chupa inviting me to be the guest muse this month over at the CASE Study challenge blog. I'm so honored! Each Thursday in December (except the 22nd), one of my cards will be featured on the CASE Study blog, along with challenge samples from the amazing CASE Study DT. You're invited to play along by uploading your own CASE of the featured card. Fun!

Here's the inspiration card for this week, a card I created in early 2010 for a fundraiser for the Haiti earthquake victims:

And here's my new take:

For my new card, I kept the basic color combo and the pair of butterflies. The original card was one of my favorites of 2010, and when I look back on it now, one thing that jumps out at me are the clean, crisp lines. These days, I tend to distress everything, so I also really wanted to CASE the clean lines of the original.

Head over to the CASE Study blog to see all the beautiful samples from the CASE Study DT! Or visit them at their personal blogs:

Chupa
Amy Wanford
Andrea Ewen
Clare Buswell
Cristina Kowalczyk
Debby Hughes
Jean Martin
Julie Lacey
Maureen Plut
Teneale Williams
Teresa Kline

And before I go, a huge thanks to Chupa for the honor of being guest muse. I can't wait to see all the creations!! You'll find all the details on how to participate and the linking tool HERE.

Have a great day!

Verve Holiday Diva Dare

2011-11-29T08:45:00.000-05:00

Hello, sweet blog friends! I hope my fellow Americans enjoyed a blessed Thanksgiving last week!

Have you been following Verve's current Holiday Diva Dare challenge? If not, hop on over to the Verve blog to catch up. We're on Day Six already and today happens to be my lucky day to share how I answered the dare!

Our theme this month is A Handmade Christmas. The theme is pretty broad and can be interpreted in so many different ways...from a lovingly made card, to heartfelt gifts and homemade decorations! With the Holidays right around the corner, this will be the perfect time to get a jump start on your card and gift making! So ... will you take the DARE? Visit the Verve blog for details on TWO ways you could win a fabby Verve prize.

After quite a bit of productive playtime in my studio, I decided to answer the dare with this rustic tree ornament created with the tree die in Verve's new Winter Fun Die set. It's a fairly quick project to create. I started with a decorative oval chipboard frame, then layered on a Classy Label diecut, then an accordian-fold paper rosette, and then a stacked felt tree with a sentiment flag tucked behind (the sentiment from Verve's Glad Tidings set). At the bottom is a rusty jingle bell, and at the top are some vintage ivory buttons. For the tree, I die-cut three felt trees, stacked them and then stitched vertically through the middle. You could press open the seams for more of a 3D effect, if desired.

I'm planning to incorporate these into my gift packaging this year. Kraft bags and wrapping paper will be the perfect backdrop for the rustic look and feel of these ornaments.

Have a happy day!

Black Friday with VERVE

2011-11-25T15:01:00.001-05:00

You'll find all the details about Verve's Black Friday Weekend Sale on the Verve blog and at the Verve Store.

I promise to be back soon with something crafty to share! Just enjoying a little blog break right now. Miss you guys!

Stamper's Dream Store Closing -- FINAL WEEK - 60% Off

2011-11-22T14:15:00.001-05:00

Well, this is it {sniff, sniff} ...

Take an additional 60% Off the lowest marked price on EVERYTHING in stock at Stamper's Dream! Final Week...everything must go! Use coupon code SDClosing60 on the checkout page to receive your discount.

Minimum purchase of $25 BEFORE the discount is required to activate the coupon. Please be aware that there may be a slight delay in shipping due to the volume.

Please note the 60% off code is not yet published on the Stamper's Dream store page, but it DOES work, so be sure to use it at checkout!!

I'll try to be back soon with something crafty to share!

In the meantime, some re-runs using stamps that are currently 60% off in the Stamper's Dream store (as of this post time).

Love Song by Penny Black
Originally posted HERE

Call Me by Webster's Pages/Unity
Originally posted HERE

Star Noel by Penny Black

Originally posted HERE

Star Noel by Penny Black

Originally posted HERE

Tree Limb by Stampendous

Originally posted HERE

Speckled Ornaments by Hero Arts

Originally posted HERE

Speckled Ornaments by Hero Arts

Originally posted HERE

Dare to Dream by JustRite Stamps

Originally posted HERE

Peaceful Wishes

2011-11-19T14:10:00.000-05:00

Have you played along in November's Sketch For You To Try challenge? Here's what we're playing with this month:

I'm in love with the wintry tree pattern that I used in the background (from Prima's North Country 6x6 pad, a gift from Michelle at Stamper's Dream) and was a little reluctant to cover up a single square inch of it. But layers triumphed, which wasn't too surprising given all the fabulous new Verve I've been playing with lately. The snowflakes, from last year's Glad Tidings set, are stamped, then die-cut with the new Snowflake Tidings Die Set. I topped them with gorgeous mother-of-pearl buttons (from Pizzazz Aplenty), then layered them over a Lovely Marquee diecut and a Rounded Scallop Frame die-cut. Distressing, satin ribbon, and crochet trim add a little oomph.

All Verve's newly released stamps and dies are available in the Verve Stamps store. Be sure to note the savings when you purchase the bundles! See all the new releases HERE!

Also ... don't miss the Holiday Sale! Save 20% on select holiday stamps and dies!

Football season finished last Saturday with a championship win for my son's team -- woohoo!! They finished the season with an impressive 12-0 record, including five shutouts. Even more impressive, they never even trailed during a game and allowed their opponents only 50 total points all season (compared to their 256)! Definitely a season to remember -- Go Mustangs! I have to confess, I'm a little lost without a football game to anchor our Saturday. A little Breaking Dawn should fill the gap nicely, don't you think? ;) Stamping, too!

Here's my champion with his proud mama:

Enjoy your weekend!

Stamps: Glad Tidings (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Papertrey Fine Linen, Dark Chocolate, Ocean Tides, and Vintage Cream card stock, Prima North Country 6x6 pad
Ink: Ranger Walnut Stain and Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink, Stampin' Up Crumb Cake, Papertrey Ocean Tides
Accessories: Verve Snowflake Tidings die set, Lovely Marquee die, Rounded Scallop Frame die; Pizzazz Aplenty mother of pearl buttons, foam adhesive, corner rounder, Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder, distressing tool, Papertrey Fine Linen satin ribbon, May Arts crochet trim, Lil' Inker Designs sentiment flag die
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

Nuts About You

2011-11-18T09:55:00.001-05:00

Thought I'd pop in and share a little treat that the staff at my children's elementary school are getting today from the PTO. I thought this adorable acorn idea that I found via Pinterest (thanks for pinning it, Laurie Schmidlin!) would work perfectly with Lil' Inker's equally adorable Acorn Die & Stamp Set.

I used mini nutter butters (found packaged in plastic cups at grocery and convenience stores) and Hershey Kisses to make the acorns. For the stems, I used a frosting bag and small round tip to squeeze out just a smidge of melted Wilton dark cocoa candy melts (available at craft stores). Mini chocolate chips (shown in the original idea) would work, too -- the candy melts were a bit more efficient for me. Hopefully you can kind of see the acorns in the above photo. I didn't think to photograph them before bagging them all up.

The tag dies are by Verve (Tabbed Rectangle for some and Sweet Scallop for the others). The acorn and sentiment flag dies are by Lil Inker Designs. The acorn bottom, cap, and (one) leaf are all part of the same die, so the fun part was cutting out a bunch and then mixing and matching colors and patterns. You know I would have stuck a button on there if I didn't have so many to make! Some combos turned out better than others, of course. Here are a few more:

And here's all 64, boxed up and ready to take over to the school!

Sorry I haven't had anything else to blog this week :) Have a super weekend, my sweet, stampin' friends!

Verve After Party

2011-11-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

It's been a tradition at Verve this year to have an after-party on the Monday following each release. Each Diva shares a favorite card made with the new stamps and/or dies. Be sure to head over to the Verve blog, where you can see all the Diva creations in one place! I chose to feature the card above, which uses the new Bright Spirits stamp set and Jackie's Viva La Verve sketch from this past Friday.

Also, Teresa is hosting a brand-new Get Your Diva On Challenge, with the theme "Celebrate the Season." In her words ...

My challenge is broad, it is for Christmas and it is called Celebrate The Season. I want you to be inspired by the Christmas tree; what goes on it, under it, or the inspiration photo provided. Make an ornament, make a gift, gift wrapping, gift card holder or a card to send at Christmas.

You have until this coming Sunday, November 20 at 9 pm MT to enter for your chance to win a $100 Verve gift certificate.

And here is Teresa's inspiration photo:

Thanks for stopping by and thanks again for all the recent comment love. Congratulations to all the giveaway winners!!

Stamps: Bright Spirits (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Papertrey black, kraft, and rustic white card stock, My Mind's Eye "Rosy" Lost & Found Two 6x6 dp
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Ranger Antique Linen Distress
Accessories: Spellbinders Classic Circle, Twisted Metal Accents, Ribbon Banner, and Labels Twenty-Two dies, Stampin' Up large oval punch, My Favorite Things Medium Scallop Border Dienamics, sewing machine, Kaisercraft black rhinestones, foam adhesive, Papertrey button, May Arts twine
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

Verve Holiday Spotlight Hops - Day Four

2011-11-12T09:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to our final Holiday Spotlight Hop! Last night Verve released 2 new stamp sets, 5 plain janes and 6 dies to coordinate with new and old Verve holiday sets! All of the new products we've been showcasing this week are available now in the Verve store! Be sure to leave a little comment love as you take one last stroll through the Diva and Guest Diva blogs. One lucky commenter from today's hop will win the ENTIRE Release! Check out the Verve Blog today for all the prize details and deadlines.

1. Julee	8. Sankari
2. Andrea	9. Teresa
3. Vickie {Guest}	10. Charmaine
4. Amy	11. Tosha
5. Maureen	12. Wanda {Guest}
6. Laurie	13. Jackie
7. Gretchen {Guest}

My card features a sentiment from Bright Spirits and the new Frosty Snowflakes Die Set (which coordinates with the snowflakes in one of my all-time favorite Verve sets, Christmas in the Air, from two years ago). I had the beginnings of a Mojo 214 sketch laid out with leftovers from my day one spotlight card, but I set it aside, thinking it wasn't very "Christmas" and didn't really work with what I had in mind for the rest of the stamps and dies previews. Then yesterday I tossed on a few leftover snowflakes and thought it looked plenty wintry after all! The beautiful scripty "Peace" sentiment, from Bright Spirits, is punched with a Stampin' Up oval punch, then layered onto a flag/banner strip, then a pink Classy Label die-cut, and then a kraft Rounded Rectangle die-cut. I accented with black buttons, pink pearls, and a random application of silver vintage glass glitter around the edges.

Here's the Mojo 214 sketch:

It's a contest week at Mojo Monday, too! Upload your sketch creation to the Mojo 214 post and you could win a Verve set of your choice. Good luck!

Thanks so much for hopping with the Verve Divas this week. Your sweet and enthusiastic comments mean the world to me! Glad you're liking the new Verve!! And before I go, a huge shout-out to the three super talented guest Divas this month: Gretchen, Vickie, and Wanda. Their projects have been amazing!

Have a fantastic weekend,

Stamps: Bright Spirits, Christmas in the Air (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Papertrey Kraft and Rustic White card stock, My Mind's Eye "Blush" Lost & Found Two 6x6 pad
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Pumice Stone Distress, white pigment ink
Accessories: Verve Frosty Snowflakes Die Set, Classy Label Die, Rounded Scallop Frame Die, Stampin' Up striped ribbon, Pizzazz Aplenty mother of pearl button and 4mm pink halfback pearls, Papertrey black buttons, May Arts burlap string, My Favorite Things Medium Scallop Border Dienamics, paper doily, sewing machine, Stampendous silver vintage glass glitter, Kaisercraft black rhinestones, foam adhesive, distressing tool
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

Verve Holiday Spotlight Hops - Day Three

2011-11-11T09:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Day Three of Verve's Holiday Spotlight Hops! Today we're peeking the remaining sets and dies that will be released tonight at 11 pm EST. Join us in the Verve Forum beginning at 9 pm EST for our Release Party ... stamp set and die reveals, chit chat, prizes, and FUN!

One lucky commenter from each day's hop will win the sets and dies featured that day, so be sure and leave a little love in the Divasphere! Check out the Verve Blog today for all the prize details and deadlines.

1. Julee	8. Sankari
2. Andrea	9. Teresa
3. Vickie {Guest}	10. Charmaine
4. Amy	11. Tosha
5. Maureen	12. Wanda {Guest}
6. Laurie	13. Jackie
7. Gretchen {Guest}

After yesterday's wild card, I thought I'd tone it way down today! The sweet reindeer is from Santa's Helper -- so adorable! I stamped him three times and popped up his face and arms once and then just his nose again. Layering the image allowed me to reposition his left arm to better "hold" the sentiment panel. The sentiment is from Bright Spirits and is stamped onto a Vintage Oval diecut. The snowflakes are from Christmas in the Air, and have been colored with Copics and die-cut with the Frosty Snowflakes Die Set. I also dotted on some glitter and added red buttons to the centers for some extra zip. Those same snowflakes images are stamped onto the Kraft card base in a mix of white craft ink and VersaMark ink. Other details include some black glaze on the eyes and a teeny rhinestone in the center of the poinsettia on his hat.

Enjoy the hop, and hope to see you tonight!

Stamps: Santa's Helper, Bright Spirits, Christmas in the Air(Verve Stamps)
Paper: Papertrey Kraft and Smokey Shadow card stock, Copic XPress-It Blending card stock
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Memento Tuxedo Black, white pigment ink, VersaMark
Accessories: Verve Frosty Snowflakes Die Set and Vintage Oval Die, Cuttlebug D'Vine Swirls embossing folder, The Twinery twine, My Favorite Things Medium Scallop Border Dienamics, Copic markers, Papertrey buttons, May Arts twine, two-way glue pen, clear glitter, foam adhesive, corner rounder, Sakura black glaze pen, Pizzazz Aplenty 2mm clear rhinestones
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

Verve Holiday Spotlight Hops - Day Two

2011-11-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Day Two of Verve's Holiday Spotlight Hops! Hop along with the Divas this week as we share our first looks at a few of the new products releasing from Verve this Friday night! One lucky commenter from each day's hop will win the sets and dies featured that day, so be sure and leave a little love in the Divasphere! Check out the Verve Blog today for all the prize details and deadlines.

1. Julee	8. Andrea
2. Jackie	9. Vickie {Guest}
3. Teresa	10. Amy
4. Charmaine	11. Laurie
5. Maureen	12. Gretchen {Guest}
6. Tosha	13. Sankari
7. Wanda {Guest}

Are you ever in for a treat with today's sets and dies! Those who have already picked up previously released Christmas in the Air will be thrilled to see the Winter Fun Die Set, which includes a die for the tree in that set. And in case you haven't picked up Christmas in the Air (on sale now in the Verve store, by the way), now there's a slight variation of that tree in Plain Jane format: Winter Tree PJ! Not only that, but remember the sweet love birds in Love Story? Dies for those as well (Love Birds Die Set), plus the love birds make a reappearance in today's big set, Bright Spirits, which also includes, among many other wonderful images and sentiments, a six-point star image that handily works as a star, poinsettia, or snowflake. Versatility at its best! The Winter Fun Die Set includes dies for both sizes of that star, too! Whew!! Did you get all that? *grin*

For today's card, I went a little crazy combining papers and elements and came up with a busy, but fun holiday card. The papers are from Bo-Bunny's 6x6 Blitzen pack. I stamped the Winter Tree PJ onto ivory card stock, die-cut it with the Winter Fun Die Set, then paper pieced it using a green pattern from Blitzen. The tree is placed on a Sweet Scallop Tag and accented with one of the smaller birds from Bright Spirits (colored with Copics and die-cut with the Love Birds Die Set) and two snowflakes from Bright Spirits, colored with Copics and die-cut with the Winter Fun Die Set. If you look closely, you'll see an early peek (and literally just a peek) at one of tomorrow's featured dies, too. Julee peeked this die earlier this week, too. Check it out HERE.

Enjoy today's hop, and I hope to see you again tomorrow!

Stamps: Winter Tree Plain Jane and Bright Spirits (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Papertrey Kraft and Rustic Ivory card stock, Bo-Bunny "Blitzen" 6x6 paper pad
Ink: Ranger Walnut Stain Distress Ink, Papertrey Fresh Snow ink
Accessories: Verve Winter Fun Die Set, Love Birds Die Set, Sweet Scallop Die, and Lovely Marquee Die; 5/8" lightweight natural twill, Papertrey red baker's twine, Pizzazz Aplenty clear 4mm rhinestones and 3mm Cranberry pearls, May Arts crochet trim, foam adhesive, Stampin' Up circle punch, distressing tool and sanding block
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

Verve Holiday Spotlight Hops - Day One

2011-11-09T09:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the first of Verve's Holiday Spotlight Hops! Hop along with the Divas over the next few days as we share our first looks at a few of the new products releasing from Verve this Friday night! One lucky commenter from each day's hop will win the sets and dies featured that day, so be sure and leave a little love in the Divasphere! Check out the Verve Blog today for all the prize details and deadlines. And be sure to join us Friday night, 9-11 pm EST, in the Verve Forum for our Release Party!

1. Julee	7. Andrea
2. Teresa	8. Vickie {Guest}
3. Charmaine	9. Amy
4. Maureen	10. Laurie
5. Tosha	11. Gretchen {Guest}
6. Wanda {Guest}	12. Sankari

I hope you love this release as much as I do! Today I'm featuring the Jeremiah 33:3 Plain Jane, the Flared Cross Plain Jane, and the fabulous Cross Die Set. I stamped the Flared Cross PJ in Stampin' Up's Purely Pomegranate ink onto Papertrey Rustic White card stock, die-cut it using the coordinating cross from the Cross Die Set, and gave it a frame using Verve's Curvy Bookplate Die and a Spellbinders Fancy Tags die. I am going to love having dies to match the Flared Cross and Curvy Cross images! The Jeremiah 33:3 Plain Jane is stamped in Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink onto a pink gingham pattern from My Mind's Eye's Blush Lost & Found Two 6x6 paper pad. I used My Favorite Things dies for the rolled flower and the scallop border. Stitching, twine, and a small button and ribbon accent finish things off.

Enjoy the hop!

Stamps: Flared Cross Plain Jane, Jeremiah 33:3 Plain Jane
Paper: Papertrey Rustic White and Dark Chocolate cards stock, My Mind's Eye Blush Lost & Found Two 6x6 pad
Ink: Ranger Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink, Stampin' Up Purely Pomegranate ink
Accessories: Verve Cross Die Set and Curvy Bookplate Die, My Favorite Things Rolled Flower and Medium Scallop Border Dienamics, Spellbinders Fancy Tags die, foam adhesive, sewing machine, burlap string, Papertrey button and white ribbon, Kaisercraft adhesive pearl
Size: 5 12" x 4 1/4"

You're Wheely Great

2011-11-06T13:37:00.000-05:00

I grabbed a few minutes just now to attempt some handmade tags for my daughter's roller skating birthday party favor bags. I'm really, really, really looking forward to the awesome paper-pieced wardrobe I can give this sweet little roller skater (My Favorite Things Pure Innocence - Roll With It). A different outfit for each party guest, naturally. But methinks Plan B is in order: re-purposing the tag idea into thank-you cards instead. The party starts in only a couple of hours and this is only the first of more than a dozen that I'll need. Whatever Plan B turns out to be, I'll be sure to share it here!

Have a great Sunday!

Stamps: Pure Innocence - Roll With It (My Favorite Things)
Paper: Papertrey Kraft, White and Aqua Mist card stock, Jillibean Soup Apple Cheddar Soup dp
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Copic markers, paper piercer, white gel pen, My Favorite Things bracket tab die, The Cat's Pajamas grass die, Lil' Inker Designs cloud die, Papertrey button, May Arts burlap string, Cuttlebug Seeing Spots embossing folder

November SFYTT - Verve

2011-11-05T08:00:00.000-04:00

As hard as it is to believe, here we are, folks, already at the first Saturday of November, which means a brand-new Sketch For You To Try, a brand-new sponsor, and a brand-new guest designer. Without further ado ...

... our sponsor is the one and only Verve Stamps! Having proudly designed for Verve for the past few years, I simply cannot say enough wonderful things! Fantastic designs, superb quality, excellent customer service, and an owner who is one of the classiest women I know -- Julee Tilman. As our sponsor, Verve is offering a set of choice to a SFYTT participant who uses Verve in her creation. The random winner will be announced with the December SFYTT.

Here's what we're playing with this month:

I took a more minimalist (for me) approach using the pumpkin trio in Verve's Bountiful Harvest. I paper pieced the pumpkins, colored the sky and grass with Prismacolor pencils, and added a stamped moon and stamped stars (all from Bountiful Harvest as well). For the horizontal band in the background I chose to add a subtle dry-embossed strip in the same chocolate brown as the card base.

For more sketch inspiration, visit our uber-talented Designer of the Month, Broni Holcombe

as well as the SFYTT Sisters:

Jen del Muro

Amber Hight
Becky Carafa
Carole Burrage
Iwona Palamountain (Chupa)
Jen Tapler
Jodi Collins
Kerry Johnson
Megan Lock
Susan Liles
Terri Moore

Many of the Verve Divas also have samples. Visit Jen's blog for a complete list. You might get to see some advance peeks at next week's release, too!

1. The SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY {SFYTT} will be posted on the first Saturday of each month on www.iheart2stamp.com at 8am EST and will stay open to participants until the last day of the month, unless otherwise noted.
2. This is for fun! Interpret the sketch as you wish and embellish as desired. There are no vendor restrictions, but we would love to see you use the sponsor’s stamps!
3. Each month we will have a Designer of the Month that will be chosen from past month’s participants.
4. Come and play with us on each and every sketch! On Christmas Day 2011 a prize package worth over $200 will be given away to one very lucky and loyal SFYTT stamper that participates in EVERY sketch for the year.
5. To be eligible for the prize package, you must complete ALL of the sketches by each of the deadlines AND link your creation to the link system on that month’s sketch post (the first Saturday of the month). Everyone except for SFYTT Sisters are eligible for the prize package, including Designer of the Month and international players.
6. When posting your sketch creation on your blog, please post the sketch and link back to the sketch post on www.iheart2stamp.com. When posting to online galleries, please use the keyword “SFYTT.”

Stamps: Bountiful Harvest (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Papertrey Dark Chocolate, Kraft, and Rustic White card stock, Jillibean Soup Cheddar Soup dp, Crate Paper Farmhouse dp
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Tuxedo Memento Black, Ranger Distress inks
Accessories: Distress Stickles, Copic markers, Prismacolor pencils, sewing machine, Papertrey buttons, May Arts burlap string, Stampin' Up oval punch, My Favorite Things Medium Scallop border Die-namics, Cuttlebug Seeing Spots embossing folder, Scor-Pal, foam adhesive
Size: 5 1/2" x 4 1/4"

From Our House To Yours

2011-11-04T09:25:00.000-04:00

I'm thrilled to be hosting the Viva La Verve sketch challenge for this week. All of the participation details can be found HERE.

Here's the sketch:

The poinsettia image and sentiment are from Poinsettia Christmas, our current Stamp of the Month, which means you can pick this set up for yourself (or as a gift) at a sweet 40% savings!

Have a great day!

Stamper's Dream Store Closing Update!

2011-11-03T12:43:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to pass this along.... Michelle at Stamper's Dream has upped the store closing discount to 40%! The minimum purchase before your discount is $25, and the coupon code to use on the checkout page is 40OffSale! All sales are final. Slight shipping delays are possible due to volume. Shop early for the best selection!

I've been enjoying a short, unplanned break from stamping and blogging, but I *will* be back tomorrow with a Viva La Verve sketch challenge, Saturday with a Sketch For You To Try sample, and most of next week, as Verve will be releasing new stamps and dies on Friday, November 11. Woohooo!!! Spotlights begin Wednesday, the 9th. You'll be tired of me by next weekend ;)

For now, Happy Birthday wishes to my darling daughter, who turns 8 today!

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T10:20:00.000-04:00

It's been very, very quiet on the stamping front lately, so I thought I'd share this teacher treat that a few friends and I put together for the PTO to give the teachers and staff at our kids' elementary school (we made nearly seventy of them!). This little guy is a lot worse for the wear, having been transported several times and handled quite a bit by my 4yo (safekeeping efforts, of course), but you'll still get the idea. I used to think, "What did we do before the internet?"; now it's "what did we do before Pinterest?" I seriously love that site for inspiration of all sorts! I found both this skeleton cuppie project (courtesy of Woman's Day magazine) and the tombstone free printable (thank you Elle's Studio) via Pinterest. Because of my compulsive need to stamp anything and everything {grin}, I embellished the tombstone with an oval stamped with "Spooky Treats" (from JustRite's Halloween Mini Sentiments set). The grass along the bottom was die-cut with a grass die from The Cat's Pajamas.

I will say the white fudge-coated pretzel skeletons were a bit more involved than it appeared from the recipe. I thought I'd simply thread the lollipop stick through the pretzels and stick on some broken-pretzel arms. Turns out the holes in the pretzels were too large and the pretzels spun freely and wildly around the sticks. To keep everything nicely in place, I used Wilton candy melts to secure the pretzels to the stick, quite time-consuming for such a large quantity. In the end, it was worth it, though. It always is!

Happy Halloween!

Color Throwdown #165 - Never Too Old

2011-10-26T19:46:00.001-04:00

So happy that the family is on the mend. Harder to shake is that disoriented feeling of losing an entire day. We're all feeling loads better, though, and I'm certainly up for a good challenge. Here are the colors for this week's Color Throwdown #165:

Cool combo, huh? I worked with two of the patterns in Crate Paper's Farmhouse collection, two of the sentiments from Verve's Words of Wisdom, and this week's Mojo Monday sketch (#212):

Before I go, just want to thank the ladies at The Color Throwdown for having me as their guest this month. It's been an honor, not to mention lots of fun!

Check out all this scrumptious inspiration, too ....

Broni Holcombe - Splashes of Watercolor
Barbara Anders - Paper Pursuits
Danielle Kennedy - Wild Dragonfly Designs
Tammy Hershberger - Stamp Happy
Kristin Beuter - Mindless Creativity
Laura Pryor - Lil' Inker Designs
Carole Burrage - Mother's Little Helper
Keva Brown - How Now Brown Kow
Lori Tecler - Inking a Loud
Lynn Put - The Queens Scene
Wanda Cullen - Cullen-ary Creations
Joan Ervin - Stamping With a Passion

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Words of Wisdom (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Crate Paper Farmhouse collection, Papertrey Rustic White and Kraft card stock, Stampin' Up Daffodil Delight card stock
Ink: Stampin' Up Old Olive craft, Ranger Old Paper Distress
Accessories: EK Success punch, May Arts wide ricrac and natural burlap string, Verve Tiny Sweet Scallop Tag die set, Recollections brads, paper piercer/needle/thread, Pizzazz Aplenty turquoise 2mm rhinestones, foam adhesive
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

Color Throwdown #165

2011-10-26T02:00:00.000-04:00

Laura is hosting this week's Color Throwdown challenge, and has come up with this beautiful combo for us:

Visit the CTD blog for inspiration from the CTD designers.~~So sorry, but I'll be posting my guest designer sample a little late this week due to an inconsiderate little stomach virus running through my house. Be back soon!~~ [Update: My sample is posted HERE.]

Christmas Birdcage Tag

2011-10-23T10:00:00.001-04:00

{Updated to Add: The Stamper's Dream store closing discount has increased to 30% effective immediately! Everything must go! Get while the gettin's good, girls! Use discount code SDClosing30 at checkout. $20 minimum order.}

I was inspired by a plethora of YouTube videos to pull out my Tim Holtz Caged Bird die, a definite favorite, but sadly underused. No longer, though -- I plan to make a bunch of these to have on hand for the holidays. My end result could work as a gift or treat tag, an ornament, or even as a card element. The rosette was something I rescued from my leftovers pile and the flowers were from my stash (Bo Bunny for the rolled-style flower and Prima for the poinsettia). The bird (part of the Tim Holtz die) was cut from My Mind's Eye's Lost & Found Christmas collection. I added a sentiment flag with "From Our Family" using JustRite's Christmas Mini Sentiments set. At the top is a hemp bow topped with two rusted jingle bells. The snowflakes were diecut with MFT's Snowflake trio Dienamics die and topped with glass glitter. ~~Sorry for the not-so-great photo -- I'm working on it!~~ [Nevermind! :grin:]

Thanks for visiting,

Color Throwdown #164 - Boo To You

2011-10-19T02:00:00.000-04:00

Verve just released the most adorable Halloween set yesterday -- Boo to You. I know, surprise!! Here's the thing: due to manufacturing delays, the current supply is limited. More sets will arrive in the coming weeks, but they're not guaranteed to be here in time for Halloween. So if you’ve got to have it, grab it fast!

My card is also my guest designer sample for this week's Color Throwdown Challenge, #164, hosted by Broni! Hope you'll join us!

Check out all the fabulous inspiration from the Color Throwdown design team:

For my card, I opted to incorporate the colors in small amounts against lots of white. The damask pattern is from Echo Park's Apothecary collection. The kraft circle behind the ghosts was done with a Spellbinders Picot Circle Nestabilities die. The ribbon tails are all Stampin' Up ribbon and the black ricrac is by May Arts. I cannot for the life of me remember the source of the green pom-pom trim, but it sure is fun! I dotted some two-way glue onto the ghosts and sprinkled with Stampin' Up's Dazzling Diamonds glitter, Paula- and Linda-style. The dry embossing was done with the Seeing Spots embossing folder by Cuttlebug.

Wishing you a beautiful day ...

Stamps: Boo to You (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Papertrey black, kraft, vintage cream, and rustic white card stock, Echo Park Apothecary collection
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Ranger Pumice Stone Distress Ink
Accessories: Stampin' Up circle punch, Spellbinders Picot Circle Nestabilities, two-way glue pen, Stampin' Up Dazzling Diamonds glitter, SU ribbon, May Arts black ricrac ribbon, hemp twine, foam adhesive, Cuttlebug Seeing Spots dry embossing folder, pom-pom trim (unknown), corner rounder, Papertrey button
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

Stamper's Dream Blog Hop: You're the Best

2011-10-18T07:00:00.000-04:00

Stamper's Dream and friends are joining together for a final Stamper's Dream blog hop. Sadly, Michelle has decided to close her store. As unfortunate as it is to lose one of my very favorite places to shop, I absolutely 100% support Michelle and her decision. She has posted a little bit about it today on her blog.

You know the drill ... everything must go! Save 20% on EVERYTHING with the coupon code Farewell2U. Just enter the code at checkout and you'll receive 20% off the lowest marked price of the items in your shopping cart! $20 minimum purchase to activate the coupon. Sorry, no free shipping during the liquidation.

A proper farewell hop wouldn't be complete without the Dream Team and some very special Dream Team alumnae:

Michelle Rodgers
Becca Feeken
Tosha Leyendekker
Denise Marzec
Laurie Schmidlin
Carolyn King
Amy Sheffer
Arlene Cuevas
Teresa Kline
Jessica Diedrich
Mariana Grigsby
Lea Lawson
Jo Thompson

I dedicate my card to Michelle. She is the best, and I am so blessed to call her a true friend. I have the utmost love and admiration for her, and know our friendship will remain long after the store's doors have closed! The sentiment I used is from JustRite's Friendship Nested Sentiments, and the yellow oval frame is from JustRite's Song in My Heart. Some of the details include Kaisercraft Aqua Rhinestones and a postage border done with Spellbinders' Classic Postage Stamp Edgeabilities. The beautiful papers are from Prima's Alla Prima Collection. I used various flowers from my stash, but this collection does have coordinating Avon Rose Alla Prima Flowers.

The layout is this month's Sketch For You To Try, sponsored by Waltzingmouse Stamps. You have until the end of the month to play along -- link up your creation HERE!

A few more detail shots ...

I'll continue to post Stamper's Dream projects during the liquidation, so this isn't really a farewell ... yet! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Follow Your Dreams

2011-10-16T10:53:00.006-04:00

I don't think it's actually been forever since I last blogged, but it sure feels that way. I had great expectations and a fun stamping to-do list that, unfortunately, remains untouched. But it's been a blessedly full week. One highlight: my first out-of-the-home paid employment in twelve years (woohoo!!), subbing at my youngest son's preschool. Five hours, times two days, with ten two-and-a-half years olds = ten times more worn out than usual, but 100 times blessed. Happy sigh ...

I did have a little stamping time last night. Bits and pieces of Prima's Londonerry collection (available at Stamper's Dream) have been spread out on my craft island from a couple of other cards I've made and posted, so it was an easy place to start. I have two friends who are embarking upon big life changes, both career-related, and so I designed this card with each of them in mind. It can be scary to follow your dreams, especially when it involves leaving a place of comfort and familiarity for the unknown. I want them to know I believe in them!

The "Follow Your Dreams" sentiment is from JustRite's Dare to Dream set. "Londonerry" has several sheets in it of wonderful reduced-size elements such as the ticket that I stamped the sentiment on and the tilted square framed panel behind it (Finick Finack).

There are also a couple of word borders that I cut apart to tuck here and there.

Details include May Arts green velvet crochet-edged ribbon, a crochet trim bow topped with a purple Prima flower, and a crystal flourish. I don't know why, but I had never thought to tie the crochet trim into a bow until I saw it someone's blog a week or two ago. Of course now I can't remember whose blog it was, but a big thanks for the inspiration just the same!

Thanks so much for stopping by. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Stamps: Dare to Dream (JustRite Stamps)
Paper: Prima Marketing Londonerry, Stampin' Up naturals card stock for card base
Ink: Ranger Walnut Stain Distress Ink
Accessories: May Arts crochet trim and velvet crochet-edged ribbon, Prima flower, bling (unknown?), My Favorite Things bracket die, sewing machine, distressing tool, Martha Stewart butterfly punch, Stampin' Up vintage trinkets (safety pin), foam adhesive
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"