three umbrellas

A Bittersweet post...

2012-01-27T03:00:00.034-10:00

Hello, friends! This will be my last official card as a Sweet Tooth Gal, and I can't believe how quickly six months have passed.

My card uses the sentiment from Hello Beautiful, the very first stamp set that I worked with, along with some Authentique papers and pearls that were part of the Paper Made Bakery kit.

I used Spellbinders Labels 18 and made some paper roses with the mini rolled roses die from My Favorite Things. The punched leaves were in my paper stash.

I'd like to dedicate this card to Nicole and the rest of the Sweet Stamp Shop design team. It's been a fun six months and I'd like to thank you for making it such a sweet experience!

And best of luck to the new design team! You're in for a sweeeeet ride!

SUPPLIES:

InLinkz.com

CAS-aul Fridays Challenge #36 -- Penguin Suit

2012-01-25T18:00:00.010-10:00

I think I got my card in just under the wire! In honor of Penguin Day, CAS-ual Fridays latest challenge is to create a CAS black and white card, using ONLY black and white. Yep, just black and white, period.

Julie Ebersole created a CAS card in a recent online class and I just loved it--so I CASEd it. I didn't have the same size flowers as she did--mine are smaller, so I went with a square card. I really like how it turned out, but hubby didn't.

I asked him what he thought about the black flowers and he asked if it was a sympathy card. So I made another, alá Julie's colors:

He liked it much better.

SUPPLIES:

InLinkz.com

More POD love--and a giveaway!

2012-01-24T23:59:00.012-10:00

Here's a quick, last minute giveaway happening now on Michele's blog. Simply leave a comment whether you prefer coffee or tea to win these stamps:

"To Go" cup and Hopscotch Sentiments

For every 25 comments, Michele will give away both stamps to a random commenter. The more comments, the more chances to win! The deadline is Wednesday, January 25th at 11pm PST. One comment per person, please, and we'd love it if you helped spread the word.

Here's a mini 3x3" Valentine that I made using all Purple Onion Design stamps. I was inspired by this mini card by Kristina Werner. I stamped both backgrounds with the Vintage Damask background. I substituted Kristina's handstitched heart with a stamped one, and the sentiment comes with the stamp.

Hurry over to Michele's blog to be inspired by some caffeine goodness from the design team, and comment to win some stamps! Run!

SUPPLIES:

InLinkz.com

xoxo

2012-01-23T00:00:00.089-10:00

Hello, friends! This week I'll be sharing some Valentine themed cards using stamps from Purple Onion Designs.

I used Faith the Chicken and paper pieced her with papers from My Mind's Eye. The card base was die cut with Spellbinders Labels 17. The little "love note" was stamped with some dollar Studio G alphabet stamps, and I cut a little slit in Faith's beak so she could carry it.

This card will find its way to Winter Sims. Once again she's sponsoring a Valentine card drive for several children's hospitals. You can read all about it here, and I hope you'll send some in, too. There are tons of prizes from some very generous sponsors.

Thank you for visiting today, and have a great week!

SUPPLIES:

InLinkz.com

hello

2012-01-22T03:00:00.001-10:00

And how is your weekend coming along? I'd like to share a quick card made with Sweet Stamp Shop's Spectacle set.

I simply stamped a pair of eyeglasses in three different colors of Distress inks, and added some Glossy Accents to the lenses. I tied a bit of twine to the top, rounded off one corner and stamped the sentiment with another stamp stamp set--Sweet Alpha Doodles. Done!
A fun and easy card!

For more inspiration, visit the Sweet Stamp Shop Flickr gallery to see more samples using this sweet set!

InLinkz.com

Winner, winner!

2012-01-19T00:00:00.055-10:00

Hello, friends! I'm still sending out thank you cards and today I'd like to share a quick one that I made using my neglected Nestabilities and Hero Arts stamps.

I used Big Scalloped Circles and stamped Raindrop Background with Crushed Olive distress ink. The sentiment is from the Friends Are Treasures cling set that I was lucky to spot in the clearance bin at a local stamp store. You can never have too many sentiment stamps,

I attached three felt roses and some felt leaves that I had in my scrap bag, and finished it off with some faux stitching. How's that for a quick card?

Speaking of winners, I used random.org to help me choose the winner of the Tiffany Doodles digital stamp set--Love Letters--that I shared on my card last week. The winner is Paula--the very first person to comment on that post! Congrats, Paula! I hope you have fun with the digis and create some Valentine cards for your loved ones.

Please visit Tiffany Doodles to see the complete list of winners....you might see your name!

I'd like to also share that I was so excited when I saw that Savannah O'Gwynn was one of the three winners of some new 2012 Hero Arts stamps and her name was chosen from a comment left on my blog! So happy for Sav, because there were over 7000+ comments from 24 blogs and she certainly beat the odds. Enjoy your awesome prizes, Sav!

InLinkz.com

Wish you were here

2012-01-16T03:00:00.007-10:00

Hello, there! Have your legs recovered from all the hopping last week? Don't forget to visit Hero Arts and see if you were one of the lucky winners from the 5-day blog hop.

I made a quick card with the Newspaper Skyline stamp. My original plan was to create a Polaroid, but I would have trimmed off too much of the skyline, so it's a "faux Polaroid".

The stamp was clear embossed and I ink distressed with Pine Needles, Evergreen Bough, and Rusty Hinge distress inks. I flicked some water to mimic a starry sky and stamped the sentiment from Wish You Were Here.

The sentiment was stamped with Hero Arts' new Mid Tone Shadow Ink in Wet Cement. I've always wanted a nice gray ink and the new ink is the perfect shade. Love the new mid tones!

Thanks so much for visiting today. Have a great week!

InLinkz.com

Sentimental Birds

2012-01-14T03:00:00.126-10:00

Please scroll down, or click here for the Tiffany Doodles blog hop. Thank you!

Hello, hello! Whew! This past week was a whirlwind of blog hops, and I want to thank you for hopping along and leaving your kind comments on my Hero Arts, Sweet Stamp Shop, and Tiffany Doodles posts.

Today I'd like to share a card made with one of Sweet Stamp Shop's newest releases--Sentimental Birds.

I clear embossed the rows of birds and ink distressed them with Scattered Straw, Rusty Hinge, and Victorian Velvet distress inks to give the appearance of a sunset. I flicked some water on the piece and stamped the sentiment. The piece was mounted on a square cardstock and the card was done. So quick and easy!

From now until Sunday, January 15th, buy one new release and get another stamp set for 40% off. Just use coupon code JAN40 upon checkout.

Also, you have a few more days to apply for a spot on the Sweet Stamp Shop design team. See this post for the requirements on how you can become a Sweet Tooth Gal. The deadline for application is January 17th.

Thanks, always, for stopping by. I hope you're having a great weekend!

InLinkz.com

Tiffany Doodles' 2nd Anniversary Blog Hop!

2012-01-12T19:01:00.003-10:00

*Note: If you're looking for Day One of Hero Arts' 2012 Catalog blog hop, please click here.

I'm thrilled to be a part of Tiffany Doodles' first blog hop of 2012 to celebrate their 2nd Anniversary and One Year Anniversary of the digital store! You're sure to find lots of inspiration along the way and leaving comments will help you win some of Tiffany's wonderful digis.

There are 19 blogs in the hop, and you have three days to comment. Hopefully, you arrived here from Karen's blog. If not, I'll direct you back to Jessica's blog so you won't miss a thing!

I decided to use Love Letters, a set of four words and acronyms, perfect for your Valentine cards and projects. If you like this stamp set, simply leave a comment on this post, and I'll choose a random commenter to win it!

As a grand prize, Tiffany is giving away the entire January digital release if you create a card or project using a Tiffany Doodles image, blog about it, then add your name to the InLinkz tool on the Tiffany Doodles blog. On January 18th, the DT will pick one person to win the entire release!

Here's my card.

I wanted to use non traditional Valentine colors and changed the color of the digital image to match Brushed Corduroy distress ink. The background was stamped with Hero Arts' Leaf and Floral background. I hand dyed the seam binding with Rusty Hinge distress ink, and the crocheted flower was handmade by Alice.

Thanks so much for hopping with us today. Now let's hop over to Sally's blog for more inspiration. You have three days to leave your comments or create a card to win Tiffany's awesome digis! All winners will be announced at Tiffany Doodles on January 18th. Good luck and happy hoppin'!

Supplies used:

InLinkz.com

Sweet Stamp Shop's January Preview and Release

2012-01-11T03:00:00.011-10:00

*Note: If you're looking for Day One of Hero Arts' 2012 Catalog blog hop, please click here.

Hello and welcome to the second day of Sweet Stamp Shop's preview and stamp release! I hope you arrived here from Lindsay's fab blog. Today we're all featuring projects using Against the Grain and here's my card.

I clear embossed the woodgrain circles and ink distressed them with various colors of distress inks. I hand cut the circles and attached them to a square notecard.

The sentiment was cut apart to fit. Gotta love that about clear stamps! I rounded one corner of the card and tied a bit of twine and my card was done.

Please visit the rest of the SSS design team to see more ideas using this unique set. Here's the order, and if you ever get lost or if there's a broken link, simply head over to Sweet Stamp Shop.

Savannah

Donna

Aga

As she does each month, Nicole is giving away each of the stamp sets to random commenters. Make sure that you leave comments on each team member's blog for your chance to win.

Both Sentimental Birds and Against the Grain are available for purchase in the Sweet Stamp Shop store. Buy one new release and get another set for 40% off by using coupon code JAN40 upon checkout.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Now head over to Geny's blog for more sweet inspiration!

Supplies used:

InLinkz.com

Sweet Stamp Shop's January Preview

2012-01-10T03:00:00.016-10:00

*Note: If you're looking for Day One of Hero Arts' 2012 Catalog blog hop, please click here.

It's preview time at Sweet Stamp Shop and I hope you found your way here from Lindsay's fab blog. Today I'd like to share a peek at one of Sweet Stamp Shop's releases--Sentimental Birds. For my card, I used a Paper Made Bakery kit that you can find here at Paper Made Bakery.

This fun set includes:

Sweet Stamp Shop's Sentimental Birds stamp set
A 6x6 pad of Authentique Blissful patterned paper pad
An assortment of blank notecards and envelopes
Maya Road grey pleated tulle
Crinkled white ribbon
Memory Box pearls
Vintage buttons
Maya Road bingo pieces

And here is my card using some of the yummy papers and embellishments and the new Sentimental Birds stamp set.

Nicole has a sweet deal for you, too. Buy one new release, and get another stamp set for 40% off! Use coupon code JAN40 at checkout.

And a heads up that you have until January 17th to apply for a spot on the Sweet Stamp Shop design team! See this post for all the details and requirements to be a Sweet Tooth Gal.

Now head over to Geny's sweet blog to see how she used Sentimental Birds. Thanks so much for stopping by today. See you tomorrow for another sweet peek and the stamps will be released!

InLinkz.com

Hero Arts' 2012 Catalog Blog Hop

2012-01-09T04:00:00.035-10:00

Hello, friends! If you've arrived here from Sue's fabulous blog, then you're on the right track for Day One of Hero Arts' 2012 Catalog Blog Hop featuring Hero Arts' Hostesses!

Here are my cards that I made using stamps from Hero Arts' newest catalog. The catalog cover is what inspired my first card. I ♥ Hero Arts' background stamps and the Newspaper Background has been given a permanent spot on my craft desk!

Stamps used: Newspaper Background, Year Round Sentiments,

Sweet Hearts

I love that even with text on it, the stamp can be read both horizontally and vertically. I used it horizontally here on my second card, along with the Newspaper Skyline, another new favorite.

Stamps used: Newspaper Background, Newspaper Skyline, Year Round Sentiments

The sentiments on the first two cards are from Year Round Sentiments. Hero Arts will donate 25% of the profits from this stamp set to Operation Write Home. How cool and generous is that?

Stamps used: Leaf and Floral Background, Truly Grateful

I decided to go vintage on my last card, using Leaf and Floral Background and Truly Grateful, a gorgeous set of labels. The hand crocheted flower was made by a dear friend.

During this 5-day hop, Hero Arts will be awarding prizes from randomly drawn comments. For a chance to win, simply comment on ANY of the stops along the hop on ANY day, including each day's starting post at the Hero Club Blog. The more comments you leave, the better your chance of winning!

Now let's hop over to Barb's blog. I can't wait to see what she's done with the new catalog stamps! If you find a broken link, you'll find a master list of the hop links at the Hero Club Blog. Also, please report any broken links to Tami.

Thanks for hopping by, and thank you, Hero Arts, for the opportunity to reunite with the other hostesses and help showcase the 2012 stamps!

Happy hopping!

InLinkz.com

Sweet Hearts

2012-01-08T00:00:00.051-10:00

Do you remember conversation hearts from way back when? Of course you do! They were my favorite Valentine candy when I was in grade school, and I remember going through boxes that I received on Valentine's Day, looking for the perfect ones with the perfect sentiments.

I couldn't resist making this quick card with Hero Arts new Sweet Hearts stamp set. There are different sized hearts and sentiments, and you know this is the 21st century when you see TWEET ME, and E-MAIL ME as sentiments.

I hope you're having a sweet weekend! Please be sure to stop by tomorrow for a fun event you won't want to miss with prizes galore! Hope to see you then...

Supplies used:

InLinkz.com

Have you met Wryn?

2012-01-05T01:00:00.003-10:00

The newest character at Tiddly Inks is Wryn, and I grabbed her on release day from the Tiddly Inks store. She's a little sugar and a little spice, along with everything nice! You can read all about how she was created by Christy Croll here on her blog. It's a charming story.

I printed Wryn on white cardstock and colored her with Copics. The sentiment is an oldie from Hook, Line & Inkers. I rounded one of the corners, tied a bit of twine and my first Valentine card of the year is done.

Several images of Wryn are sold separately, or you can save 20% by buying an assortment of five Wryn digis at once. Such a great deal!

You can find Wryn and many more cute digis here in the Tiddly Inks store. And please stay tuned because the Sweet Stamp Shop stamp previews have been postponed until some time next week. Thanks for stopping by today!

InLinkz.com

Apple of my eye

2012-01-04T02:00:00.015-10:00

Hello, friends! Hope the new year is off to a great start for you. Today I'd like to share a card made with Sweet Stamp Shop's stamp set--The Core of It.

The apple wanted to be paper pieced so I grabbed several packs of patterned papers and complied. The sentiment was stamped with Studio G's awesome dollar alphabet set.

Also, Sweet Stamp Shop is putting out a call for designers. Check out Nicole's post here for the requirements. You'll get to work for the sweetest team with the sweetest designs!

Please stop by tomorrow to see one of two new Sweet stamp releases, too. Thanks for visiting, and have a sweet day!

Supplies used:

InLinkz.com

congrats!

2012-01-02T00:00:00.041-10:00

Have you seen Hero Arts' new 2012 stamps? I couldn't resist grabbing a few from a local stamp store--Stamps and Memories--after the owner graciously called me when they came in. Talk about great customer service!

I love the Newspaper Skyline and made this quick card for my daughter and son-in-law. They recently moved into a new condo and she was just hired for job that's only walking distance from home. We're so happy for them and it looks like it's going to be a good year!

I stamped the skyline with my favorite white ink--Papertrey Ink's Fresh Snow. I popped up one of the buildings, added a heart, and stamped the sentiment. An easy peasy card that could be used for different occasions. (Hubby thought it was a graduation card, my daughter thought it was for a wedding.)

Check out Hero Arts' 2012 stamps here in their online catalog. Have a great week and thanks for stopping by!

Supplies used:

InLinkz.com

Sparkle

2011-12-30T00:00:00.019-10:00

Hello there! Wow--can you believe it's almost the end of the year? For me, it was a whirlwind year with both sad and happy occasions. But that's life, huh?

I'd like to share a card using the Sweet Victoria set from Sweet Stam p Shop. I used the chandelier with lots of bling and the sentiment from Hero Arts. The background is stamped with Hero Arts' Raindrop Background.

Thanks to all of you for your blog visits and for leaving such sweet comments. You really do make my life sparkle!

Wishing you and yours a safe and Happy New Year!

Supplies used:

InLinkz.com

A blooming good day

2011-12-27T00:00:00.005-10:00

Hi there! Today I'd like to share a card made with some new images from Stephanie Ackerman for Purple Onion Designs. Her Hometown collection features different buildings, which are so popular now, along with some matching sentiments.

For my card I chose the Flower Shop. I colored the shop with Copics and stamped the sentiment below it.

I used Martha Stewart's hydrangea border punch and drew some faux stitching lines around the edge. The piece was mounted on an embossed card and tied with some rayon seam binding.

Please visit Purple Onion Designs and see the selection of buildings and store fronts in the Hometown collection. Thanks for visiting today, and have a blooming good week!

Stamps: Purple Onion Designs
Ink: Memento, Ranger distress inks
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink
Other: Copics, Sizzix dots embossing folder, Prismacolor pencils, Martha Stewart hydrangea border punch, rayon seam binding, dimensional adhesive

A very Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T00:00:00.046-10:00

Hello, and Mele Kalikimaka to you! I'd like to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and thank you for your visits throughout the year.

Thank you, too, for your cards that have been sprinkling in. My mail carrier gets just as excited as me when he sees the the return addresses from my friends in different states and countries.

I wish you all a safe and happy holiday and I hope that Santa brings you everything you wish for!

Stamps: Hero Arts
Cardstock: Canson watercolor paper
Ink: Hero Arts chalk ink
Other: Memory Box Country Landscape die, Cuttlebug embossing folder, Frosted Lace Stickles

Peace, love & joy

2011-12-21T00:00:00.010-10:00

I so admire my stamping friends who are awesome fussy cutters! I've been known to change a hairdo or amputate an image--ouch! It must be my scissors...

And because I'm "scissors impaired", I love that some of my favorite stamp companies are coming out with dies that match some of their stamps.

Here's a quick card that I made using Poppystamps' new penguin stamp and die. I clear embossed Hero Arts' Starry Sky Design Block--which kinda sorta looks like snow--then ink distressed with two different shades of distress inks.

The penguins are supposed to represent my hubby (green scarf) and me. It was quite addicting to stamp and die cut them. I have a whole army of penguins waiting to be attached to cards or tags.

Thanks for taking the time to visit today. I hope you're having a stress free week as the countdown to Christmas begins...

Stamps: Poppystamps. Hero Arts
Ink: Memento, Ranger distress ink, Fresh Ink, Versamark
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink
Other: Clear embossing powder, Poppystamps penguin die, Martha Stewart snowflake punch,
Frosted Lace Stickles, dimensional adhesive

Cups of Joy

2011-12-14T00:00:00.002-10:00

Hi there! Today I want to share a new stamp by Heidi Grace Kress for Purple Onion Designs, called Cups of Joy. As soon as I saw it, I knew that I wanted to make a gift card holder.

I stamped the image on some watercolor paper and colored it with Copics. The sentiment is from the Handwritten Holiday set. I adjusted the measurements to fit a gift card and attached a small piece inside to hold the card.

To give some subtle texture to the card, I stamped Hero Arts' Envelope Pattern over the image. I rounded the corners and ink distressed with Antique Linen distress ink. Some faux stitching and a bit of twine finished it off.

This was so much fun and so simple to make. I may be commissioned by my daughter (again!) to make some for her friends who are avid Starbuck's fans.

Visit Purple Onion Designs to see more of Heidi's Clever Handmade line and be sure to visit her blog to download some wonderful Christmas papers--for free!

Stamps: Purple Onion Designs, Hero Arts
Cardstock: Canson watercolor paper
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa
Other: Copics, corner chomper, twine

Meet Ben and some Mistletoe

2011-12-12T00:00:00.005-10:00

Hello, hello! Today I'd like to share a couple of cards that were featured on Michele's blog last week.

First up is one of Stephanie Ackerman's Winter Kids named Ben. After coloring him with Copics, I thought he looked a little "flat", so I added some shading with Prismacolor pencils.

I went around the edge of the card with a Sharpie, and drew the wonky lines alá Julie Ebersole that she shared here. It was a lot of fun and adds to the playfulness of the image. Thanks, Julie! After stamping the sentiment, I added some gemstones which look like Christmas lights when the card moves.

Next up is a card using Mistletoe Ball from carolyn draws. I colored the image with Copics and drew those wonky lines again.

I showed this card to my hubby and asked him what it was. Staring intently, he asked me if the "ribbon is supposed to be like that" and I said yes, I didn't DRAW the image, I just COLORED it.

It took a while for him to answer until I pointed to the sentiment and he said, "Oh!! Mistletoe!" Yay for him. Little does he know, it's his Christmas card and he'll be seeing it again in a few weeks.

You can find these and many more holiday images at Purple Onion Designs that help make quick and simple cards.

I hope that your holiday cardmaking is in full swing. Have a great week and thanks, always, for stopping by!

Stamps: Purple Onion Designs
Cardstock: Canson watercolor paper
Ink: Memento
Other: Copics, Prismacolor pencils, Sharpie pen, gemstones

It's a steal!

2011-12-09T06:00:00.004-10:00

Hello, friends! Here's a heads up for you. Scrapbook Steals is offering a steal today, for just twelve hours starting at 9:00am MST.

They're featuring a choice of three different stamp bundles of Sweet Stamp Shop's stamps up for grabs at an incredible steal! It's your chance to get your hands on Nicole's hand drawn stamps for a great deal! And all of the sets will be retired once they're gone so now is the best time to get 'em before they're gone forever!

Here's my card that's being shared on the Scrapbook Steals blog.

I used Cool Scoop and paper pieced the scoops of ice cream. Nicole's images make for fun and easy paper piecing and I find myself doing this often, rather than coloring.

Visit the blog to see the rest of the Sweet Tooth gals' amazing cards and projects and then hurry over to Scrapbook Steals for the 12-hour steal!

Thanks for stopping by today....have a cool weekend!

Stamps: Sweet Stamp Shop, Hero Arts (Large Canvas Stripes)

Cardstock: Papertrey Ink

Ink: Versafine, Ranger distress ink

Paper: My Mnd's Eye

Other: Spellbinders Labels 8, twine, pearls

Three stockings

2011-12-07T00:00:00.002-10:00

Hello there! Today I'd like to share two cards and also remind you about Purple Onion Designs' annual Holiday Sale with all stamps 25% off.

Stamps used: 3 Stockings, Handwritten Holiday

I used 3 Stockings, an older stamp from last season and colored them in non traditional colors of pink and green. The white card is a simple one layer card with a bit of twine and a rounded corner to finish it off.

Stamps used: Happy Holidays noteblock, 3 Stockings

The green card was stamped with the Happy Holidays noteblock in Versamark ink, and the stockings were attached with dimensional adhesive. Two different looks from the same stamp.

You have until Sunday, December 11th to take advantage of great savings on all Purple Onion Design stamps. Simply enter code HOL2011 upon checkout. Happy shopping!

Stamps: All Purple Onion Designs
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink (white), Flavours Gourmet (lemongrass)
Ink: Memento, Versamark
Other: Copics, corner rounder, twine, dimensional adhesive

Most wonderful time

2011-12-05T00:00:00.005-10:00

Just a quick post to share something "other than a card"--a stamped candle! My creative friend and Penny Black designer, Elizabeth Allan, inspired me to try this after seeing her samples and following her great tutorial on her blog.

I stamped and trimmed out Mademoiselle Noel but she was a tad too tall for my candle, so I performed some minor surgery. I trimmed off less than 1/4" off from her legs, and she became a perfect fit! Can you tell? Probably not, because this technique is very forgiving.

I was equally surprised that when I heated the white tissue paper with my heat gun, it magically "dissolved" into the green candle and there wasn't a hint of any paper. It's truly magical!

I added some gemstones and was quite pleased with how the candle turned out. I was even commissioned (by my daughter) to make some for her friends for Christmas. Stamped candles make for a quick, festive, "last minute" gift, with endless possibilities using all your holiday and non holiday stamps.

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you're all off to a great week!

Stamps: All Penny Black
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black
Other: tissue paper, candle, waxed paper, gemstones, heat tool

A Holiday Sale + Heidi Grace Kress!

2011-12-03T06:00:00.013-10:00

There's a Holiday Sale happening at Purple Onion Designs! From now until Sunday, December 11th, receive 25% off all stamps--old and new. Enter code HOL2011 upon checkout.

Michele has decided to release Stephanie Ackerman's Hometown Collection--some wonderful buildings and matching sentiments you can view here.

And Michele is adding another line of stamps by Heidi Grace, under the name Heidi Grace Kress. Check out her adorable stamps here. Heidi is also offering free downloads of some Christmas papers on her blog, that match the new stamps perfectly.

The design team will be sharing cards and projects made with all the new stamps in the coming weeks. Stay tuned, and meanwhile, happy shopping!

December stamp preview and release!

2011-12-02T03:00:00.007-10:00

Hi there! Thanks so much for visiting all three days and checking out the new stamps that will go on sale today in the Sweet Stamp Shop store. And starting today through the weekend, Nicole is offering a 25% discount on a set of your choice with coupon code NRD25.

Today we're featuring the Buddy Bee stamp set, which has a puppy dog theme. Here's my card, welcoming a new pup into a household.

I paper pieced the dog food bowls with Basic Grey's Oliver papers and adhered them to the card with dimensional adhesive. The background was stamped with pawprints and ink distressed with Antique Linen distress ink. I rounded off the corner and tied a bit of Cappuccino twine and the card was done.

If you want a chance to win this stamp set, visit each designer's blog and leave a comment. Here's the list of blogs:

Donna -- you are here!

Geny

Aga

Leigh Ann

Nicole

Please note: Some people are having issues with Blogger,

and if you can't visit all the blogs, please come back again to leave a comment.

Thank you!

If you have a Facebook account, you can get an extra "entry" by sharing about the giveaway and let us know that you shared by posting on Sweet Stamp Shop's wall.

You can see the full reveal of all three stamp sets and the store is now open. Remember to use the code NRD25 to receive your discount on any one set, old or new, through Sunday. Many of the sets are running low and once they're sold out, the set will be retired.

I hope you love the new release as much as we do! Please share your cards and projects in the SSS Flickr group or SCS gallery. We'd love to see your work!

Thanks so much for stopping by. Happy shopping and good luck with the giveaway!

Stamps: Sweet Stamp Shop
Cardstock: Paper Accents
Ink: Versafine, Ranger distress ink
Patterned paper: Basic Grey's Oliver
Other: Twine, dimensional adhesive, corner chomper

More Sweet previews

2011-12-01T03:00:00.032-10:00

Hello there! Welcome to the second day of Sweet Stamp Shop's December previews. I hope you arrived here from Lindsay's fabulous blog. Today we're featuring cards and projects made with the new Spectacle set, and here's my card.

I went with a simple design with lots of bling to match the sentiment. I stamped three pairs of eyeglasses and simply added gemstones and pearls on each. I realized later that the glasses look more like something Elton John would probably wear...

Here's the list of the rest of the design team.

Donna--you are here!

Please note: Some people are having issues with Blogger,

and if you can't visit all the blogs, please come back again to leave a comment.

Thank you!

Nicole will be giving away one stamp set every day so be sure to comment on each blog for your chance to win. If you have a Facebook account, you get an extra entry if you help spread the word about the release and post it on Sweet Stamp Shop's wall.

The full release of all three stamp sets will be shown here tomorrow and the shopping will begin! Thanks for stopping by today. I hope to see you tomorrow for the third and final preview.

Now let's head over to Geny's blog to see what sweetness she's created....

Stamps: Sweet Stamp Shop

Cardstock: Papertrey Ink

Ink: Versafine

Other: gemstones, pearls, corner chomper

Sweet Stamp Shop December Preview -- Day One

2011-11-30T03:00:00.027-10:00

Hello, hello! Yes, it's that time of the month--Sweet Stamp Shop's previews! Hopefully you arrived here from Lindsay's blog. Today we're all featuring cards and projects using the new Sweet Victoria set, and here's my card.

I used Hero Arts' Large Canvas Stripes for the background, and die cut the silhouette with Spellbinders Labels 10 because the die reminds me of a cameo.

The set comes with several different sentiments, and I chose "Gratitude", as well as the design scroll and roses.

The leaves are from the Melvin and Vernie set, and as a finishing touch, I created a choker on the silhouette with a few small pearls.

Please visit the rest of the SSS design team to see more ideas using this sweet set. Here's the order, and if you ever get lost or if there's a broken link, simply head over to Sweet Stamp Shop.

Savannah

Donna

Aga

As she does each month, Nicole is giving away each of the stamp sets to random commenters. Make sure that you leave comments on each team member's blog for your chance to win.

Please note: Some people are having issues with Blogger,

and if you can't visit, please come back to leave a comment. Thank you!

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Head over to Geny's blog, and please visit us tomorrow for more sweet previews. See you then!

Stamps: Sweet Stamp Shop, Hero Arts

Cardstock: Papertrey Ink, Paper Accents

Ink: Memento, Versafine, Ranger distress inks

Other: Copics, Spellbinders Labels 10, pearls, dimensional adhesive, corner chomper

Mimi in pink

2011-11-28T00:00:00.002-10:00

Hello, friends! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and got some great Black Friday deals. I can't believe how quickly Thanksgiving came and now we're in Christmas mode!

Here's a card I made with Ornamental Mimi from Penny Black, in a non traditional color--pink! She was colored with Copics and I used Frosted Lace Stickles on the stars and the furry parts of her hat.

I used Reverse Wonky Rectangles and the faux letterpress technique on the frame. I swiped some Victorian Velvet distress ink on the inside of a Sizzix dots embossing folder and ran it through the Cuttlebug.

I've got to send this, and a few other Christmas cards to Vera and her card drive. I hope Mimi will bring a smile to someone this holiday season.

Thanks for stopping by today. I'm hoping to share a new release from Sweet Stamp Shop this week, along with some exciting news from Purple Onion Designs. Have a wonderful week!

Stamps: Penny Black
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink
Ink: Memento, Ranger distress ink
Other: Copics, Spellbinders die, Sizzix embossing folder, Frosted Lace Stickles, dimensional adhesive

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T00:00:00.020-10:00

I'd like to share a recipe card--complete with a recipe!--that I created with Pilgrim Mary, one of the new Autumn Kids by Stephanie Ackerman for Purple Onion Designs.

Pilgrim Mary was colored with Copics, trimmed, and adhered to a card, printed with a recipe. I punched out a few maple leaves, ink distressed them and added them to the bottom, and tied a bit of Cappuccino twine on the top.

The recipe is a family favorite and goes well with ham. Feel free to adjust the amounts according to your liking. We'll definitely be preparing this for our Thanksgiving dinner.

I hope my US friends have a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving. Thanks so much for stopping by today.

Stamps: Purple Onion Designs
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink
Ink: Memento, Ranger distress ink
Other: Copics, Martha Stewart maple leaf punch, Twinery twine, dimensional adhesive, corner chomper

Happy Birthday, Virginia!

2011-11-23T00:00:00.002-10:00

My blogging friend Virginia Lu will be celebrating her (ahem!) "21st" birthday next month, and I'd like to share a card that I created for her, along with a little background on our friendship.

I first met Virginia several years ago in the Hero Arts Flickr group. What amazed me back then was that she kept using a single stamp (Hero Arts' Background Scallop Circle) in so many different ways. She formed umbrellas, apologizes for not having any heart stamps and then whips up a batch of hearts! Amazing!

Over the years, she has blossomed into an awesome, creative cardmaker and has been scooped up by numerous design teams and her work is always being noticed and recognized. And she just had her first card published and I'm sure there will be many, many more!

She continues to amaze me daily with her creativity, wit, and charm. If you aren't already a follower of her blog, then head over there and meet her! She's a super wife and mom, a worldwide traveler and a gourmet cook to boot.

For Virginia's card, I white embossed Hero Arts' Circle Lace and added some felt roses and leaves. The sentiment was embossed and attached with dimensional adhesive.

If you'd like to celebrate Virginia's birthday, become a follower of her blog and create a card to mark this special occasion. Wish her a Happy Birthday and link your creation here and Virginia will offer some generous prizes to random entrants.

Happy 50th Birthday, dear Virginia! I know you'll continue to amaze and inspire us with your creativity and your talent. I wish that I could send you 50 real roses, but this card will have to suffice for now. Here's wishing you a fabulous day, today and EVERY day!♥

Stamps: Hero Arts

Cardstock: Papertrey Ink

Ink: Versamark, Ranger distress ink

Dies: My Favorite Things mini roses Die-namics

Other: Detail white embossing powder, felt, pearls, corner chomper, dimensional adhesive

Sports fever

2011-11-22T02:00:00.002-10:00

Hello there! Today is my day on the Sweet Stamp Shop blog and I'm featuring a card using the new Sports Fever set.

I wasn't into sports "way back when" and I wasn't a soccer mom, either. Maybe things would have been different if the sports equipment came in fun patterns and colors?

I paper pieced the different balls with Basic Grey Picadilly and Making Memories Just Chillin' papers and cut them out. The football background was stamped with Shabby Shutters distress ink and I attached the balls, and stamped the sentiment.

The background was lightly ink distressed in Shabby Shutters, I rounded one corner, tied a bit of twine and the card was done.

Will you be watching football this Thanksgiving? Then this card is dedicated to YOU!
Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving...and enjoy the games!

Stamps: Sweet Stamp Shop
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink
Ink: Memento, Ranger distress ink
Other: Twine, puffy heart stickers, corner chomper

peace•love•joy

2011-11-19T00:00:00.049-10:00

Today I'd like to share a card that I made with Sweet Alpha Doodles from Sweet Stamp Shop. This set features Nicole's handwritten alphabets and numbers, along with some adorable doodle frames.

When I saw the smallest frame, it reminded me of an ornament, and a Christmas card was born.

I stamped the frame on patterned papers from My Mind's Eye and trimmed them out. I adhered them with dimensional adhesive and scribbled in the hanging strings.

The sentiment was made using the alphabets in the set, and I formed all the words without having to double up on the letters! Some gemstones were added and the card was done. Hooray for thinking "outside of the frame"!

Stamps: Sweet Stamp Shop

Cardstock: Papertrey Ink

Ink: Memento

Paper: My Mind's Eye Lime Twist

Other: gemstones, dimensional adhesive

And here's a heads up from Nicole. From now until Thanksgiving, the delightful Thanksgiving Owl-fits set is on sale for just $6! Once the stamp set is gone, it won't be reproduced, so get your set while you can.

Please visit Sweet Stamp Shop and don't forget to follow us on Twitter and "like" us on Facebook. And Nicole has uploaded some great videos on YouTube, too!

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you're having a wonderful, crafty weekend!

joy

2011-11-16T00:00:00.003-10:00

Hello there! Did you check out all the new designs over at Purple Onion Designs? I'm excited about the houses and buildings that are coming out--Stephanie really outdid herself with this release!

Today I'm sharing a card that I made with some older stamps. Everything was stamped on the smooth side of some watercolor paper and colored with Memento ink pads and a Tombow colorless blender pen. I added some Glossy Accents to the ornaments and hand scribbled the "joy". An easy peasy card!

Purple Onion stamps used: Doodle Branch, The Bird Cage, Merriness

I love how happy and joy-ful the little bird looks after decorating his branch.

Check out the new images in the Purple Onion Designs store, and I'll be sharing some cards that I created with them in the next few weeks.

I hope you're having a great week so far. Thanks for visiting!

Stamps: Purple Onion Designs
Ink: Staz On, Memento
Cardstock: Canson watercolor paper (Thank you, Elizabeth!)
Other: Glossy Accents, Sharpie extra fine pen, Tombow colorless blender pen

Did you know....

2011-11-11T00:00:00.009-10:00

...there's a huge Fall and Winter stamp release at Purple Onion Designs! Go here, here, and here to see all the new designs from Michelle Clement and Stephanie Ackerman. Then visit Michele's blog to see what the design team created with this fun release!

And there's a special offer on Stephanie Ackerman's Autumn Kids. The stamps have some bumpy spots on the low lying areas of the rubber. These bumps do NOT affect the stamped images, but are not the quality or normal look of Purple Onion stamps. So Michele is offering the entire Autumn Kids collection of 7 stamps, plus the Sentiment Bubble Word set (a $47.00 value) for just $26.00!

There's a limited number of about 20 sets, and will sell on a first come first served basis. There's a separate button on the bottom of the webpage for ordering the full collection at the discounted price.

Stamps used: Christmas Trees Doodle Frame, Stitches set

Here's a card I made with the Christmas Trees Doodle Frame set. I stamped the frame with Staz On ink on the smooth side of watercolor paper (thanks, Elizabeth!) and colored it with various Memento ink pads and a Tombow colorless blender pen.

The sentiment is framed, but I chose to ink just the words, and the faux stitching is from the Stitches set. I also added some Glossy Accents to the ornaments, and a bit of Frosted Lace Stickles to the tree's trim.

I love how the card turned out and now I have another card to send to Vera's card drive.

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you'll find something you like in the new release, and I'll be sharing more cards soon. Have a wonderful weekend!

Stamps: All Purple Onion Designs
Cardstock: Canson watercolor paper
Ink: Staz On, Memento
Other: Tombow colorless blender pen, Glossy Accents, Frosted Lace Stickles, dimensional adhesive

Warm thoughts

2011-11-09T02:00:00.021-10:00

Hello there! I'm sharing a card that I made using some dies that I bought a while ago, but never used before. Namely, the mini rolled roses from My Favorite Things.

I was inspired to play with the dies after I saw Kristina Werner's card on her latest Make a Card Monday.

The Large Canvas Stripes background and sentiment were both stamped with Papertrey Ink's Fresh Snow ink. The sentiment was cut apart to fit and embossed with white detail embossing powder. I added some white faux stitching around the label, and a few Hero Arts pearls. The leaves were handcut by me.

The roses were surprisingly fun to make and I'm only sorry I didn't attempt them earlier. I'm sure now you'll be seeing a few roses popping up on future cards and projects...

Have a great rest of the week, and thanks for stopping by! I know I always say this, but I really do appreciate your timely visits and gracious comments.

Stamps: Hero Arts
Cardstock: Hero Arts layering paper
Ink: Papertrey Ink
Tools: Papertrey Ink label die, My Favorite Things mini rolled roses Dienamics
Embellishments: Hero Arts pearls
Other: Wool felt, dimensional adhesive, Signo white pigment pen

Merriest wishes

2011-11-07T00:00:00.006-10:00

Hello there! Today is the first day of Holiday Card Boot Camp and I can't wait to see what Kristina and Jennifer have in store for us!

Here's a card that I made for the Pre-Class Gallery using all Hero Arts stamps. The ornament die was stenciled and stamped before it was removed from the die. I stamped the sentiment from Very Merry Christmas and added some punched leaves and gemstones.

The background was embossed with a stripes folder, and the ornament was attached with dimensional adhesive.

The next time I make a card with an ornament, I'll attach it in a way that the recipient can remove it and hang it on their tree.

I think I'll be sending this card to Vera for her Cards that Care card drive.

Thanks, always, for stopping by. Have a wonderful, crafty week, and I hope to see you in class!

Stamps: Hero Arts
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink
Ink: Versafine, Ranger distress inks
Tools: Spellbinders Heirloom ornament die, Couture Creations Pinstripes embossing folder, McGill leaf punch
Embellishments: gemstones, gold cord
Other: dimensional adhesive

Cards that Care

2011-11-04T02:00:00.033-10:00

Two sweet friends, Vera Yates and Jennifer McGuire, have teamed up for the Cards that Care Card Drive and today's blog hop. The card drive will collect handstamped cards for the elderly living in nursing homes to bring them a little holiday cheer.

You can get all the details of the card drive here on Vera's blog. Send in your cards and you'll be eligible for some fabulous prizes from such wonderful sponsors. The more cards you send in, the more chances to win!

* * *

Today's blog hop is huge, but it's for such a worthy cause--AND, there are prizes just for leaving comments! Winners will be randomly chosen from participating blogs, so the more you comment, the better your chance of winning.

The prize sponsors are some of your favorite companies: Hero Arts, Lawn Fawn, May Arts, and Penny Black, to name a few. Visit Vera's blog or Jennifer's blog to see a complete list of prizes and start hopping!

You should have arrived here from Aga's blog. If not, start at the beginning at Vera's blog and you'll find the master list of blogs. You can also visit Vera's blog in case you get lost, or if there's a broken link along the way.

Here's my card for the hop and the card drive. All stamps are from Sweet Stamp Shop's new release. The snowflakes and sentiment are from Tree Traditions, and the adorable bunny is from Furry Friends Forever.

The snowflakes were clear embossed and ink distressed with three different distress inks. I added some Glitter Domes for a bit of bling, and I made sure the bunny was cozy warm with a ribbony scarf.

And now hop over to Nicole's blog. Remember to leave comments along the way for your chance to win some awesome prizes. You have the whole weekend to visit and comment. The deadline is Sunday, November 6th at midnight CST.

I hope this hop has inspired you to create some cards for the card drive, spread some holiday cheer, and win some prizes, too. Happy hopping!

Stamps: All Sweet Stamp Shop

Cardstock: Papertrey Ink

Ink: Ranger distress inks, Versafine, Memento, Versamark

Other: Copics, clear embossing powder, Glitter Domes, ribbon, dimensional adhesive

Hello, Gnomies!

2011-11-02T02:00:00.139-10:00

Hello, hello! It's the last day of Sweet Stamp Shop's previews and today we're all sharing the Sweet Alpha Doodles stamp set. The set includes some doodled frames and a cool handwritten alphabet font, too.

Fellow Sweet Tooth gal, Leigh Ann, designed this door template that you can find here on her blog. It makes for a charming card for the cute little Gnomies who remind me of some holiday elves.

I stamped Hero Arts' Woodgrain Background and die cut a hole with some Circle Nestabilities. The leaves are from the Melvin and Vernie set, and do you see the "hello" sentiment? That was made using the alphabets from the new set.

I like that there are several duplicate letters in the set, so you're able to spell out words like "hello" that can be stamped all at once.

The sweet news is that the three new stamp sets will be released today! If you've been following all three days, you have a chance to win some stamps just by commenting on each blog post.

Now hop on over to Geny's fabulous blog and see what she's created. When you reach Nicole's blog at the very end, she has a coupon code you won't want to miss!

And thanks so much for hopping along with us the past three days. We hope you love the new release as much as we do!

Stamps: Sweet Stamp Shop, Hero Arts

Cardstock: Paper Accents kraft

Ink: Memento, Versafine, Ranger distress ink

Other: Copics, Nestabilities, dimensional adhesive, door template by Leigh Ann, Liquid Appliqué

My giveaway winner!

2011-11-01T07:00:00.007-10:00

(Note: Please click here or scroll down to see Day 2 of Sweet Stamp Shop's previews! Thanks!)

Just popping in to announce the winner of my "with hope" giveaway.

Random.org helped me choose #15--Linby.

Congratulations, Linby! Please email me with your mailing address so I can send your goodies to you. Thank you all for your comments and for your support of breast cancer.

Girls rule!

2011-11-01T02:00:00.041-10:00

Hi there! Here's my card for Day 2 of Sweet Stamp Shop's new preview--Sports Fever. This stamp set is dedicated to all the tomboys out there who love sports as much as guys do. Nicole came up with some fun sports equipment and clever sentiments to match.

I paper pieced the football, basketball, and baseball with Making Memories' Just Chillin' papers. The background was stamped using Hero Arts' Raindrop Background and Versamark ink.

The baseballs were popped up using dimensional adhesive, and I masked one of the footballs to add the "Girls rule" sentiment. I added a bit of wonky faux stitching with a white pigment pen, and some Twinery twine finished the card.

Here's a peek at tomorrow's card. I mixed some older stamps with the new set and used a cool template designed by a fellow Sweet Tooth gal. Now head over to Geny's blog to see her sweet creation.

And be sure to comment on all of today's blogs for a chance to win the Sports stamp set. See you tomorrow for the last day of previews. Thanks for hopping by!

Stamps: Sweet Stamp Shop, Hero Arts

Ink: Versafine, Versamark

Cardstock: Paper Accents kraft

Patterned paper: Making Memories

Other: Copics, corner chomper, dimensional adhesive, puffy heart stickers, twine

Furry Friends Forever

2011-10-31T02:00:00.095-10:00

Hello, and welcome to Day One of Sweet Stamp Shop's newest preview--Furry Friends Forever. I couldn't wait to ink up these adorable critters! I pulled my Copics out of hibernation and colored them up in no time at all.

I used Nestabilities Labels One dies and pre stamped some kraft cardstock with Hero Arts' Designer Woodgrain stamp--I wanted to give my card a "foresty" feel. The leaves are from the Melvin and Vernie set.

I curved the sentiment--gotta love clear stamps to be able to do that!--and stamped it above the critters. A bit of Twinery twine and my card was done. A great little card to share with a BFF!

Here's the best part of a new stamp release: Nicole is having a giveaway of a stamp set each day to one lucky person! Simply follow Sweet Stamp Shop and the rest of the design team and leave a comment along the way.

Get a bonus entry when you share on Facebook, and leave a comment on Sweet Stamp Shop's wall, letting us know that you shared. That gives you two chances to win!

Now hurry over to Geny's wonderful blog to see what she did with this sweet set. Before you go, here's a sneaky peek of tomorrow's card.

Thanks for stopping by today...hope to see you tomorrow!

Stamps: Sweet Stamp Shop, Hero Arts
Ink: Memento, Ranger distress inks
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink, Paper Accents kraft
Other: Copics, Nestabilities Labels One, dimensional adhesive, twine

Sweet sneaky peeks!

2011-10-30T02:00:00.026-10:00

Hello there! Hope you're all having a great, crafty weekend! Beginning tomorrow, October 31st through November 2nd, Sweet Stamp Shop's design team will begin sharing cards using three new stamp sets with hand drawn sweetness by Nicole Rixon.

I thought I'd tease you with a sneaky peek of my card. Any guesses?

Tomorrow, start here at Sweet Stamp Shop and visit the rest of the Sweet Tooth gals and see their wonderful cards and projects all featuring the same set. And be sure to come back to see my card's full reveal!

* * *

And are you signed up for Holiday Card Boot Camp 2011? Summer Card Camp was so much fun, I decided to join Jennifer McGuire and Kristina Werner for more cardmaking fun and tons of holiday inspiration.

Class begins on November 7th and registration is opened indefinitely. Hope to see you there!

with hope...and a giveaway!

2011-10-26T00:00:00.004-10:00

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Hero Arts has this stamp for sale with all profits going to various charities that fight breast cancer. My stamp arrived a few days ago and coincidentally, I had my annual mammogram, too.

I created a card using Hero Arts' Traditional Butterfly and added the pink awareness ribbon in place of the antennae. The sentiment was stamped in the center of a Labels 18 die that was sponged with pink distress inks before it was removed from the die.

I happen to have an extra stamp that I would like to give away, along with a 6x6 pad of Lost and Found Two Blush patterned paper from My Mind's Eye, and two pink Cat's Eye stamp pads.

Simply leave me a comment here and I'll choose a random winner on November 1st. I'll ship internationally, too, so spread the word!

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope that you'll "think pink" for the rest of the week!

Stamps: Hero Arts
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink
Ink: Ranger distress inks, Versafine
Other: Spellbinders Labels 18, Couture Creations Pinstripe embossing folder, gemstones, ribbon, dimensional adhesive

Winter Wonderland tags

2011-10-20T00:00:00.005-10:00

The current challenge at the Penny Black blog is to create gift tags. For my tags I used some Spellbinder ornament dies and the adorable birds from the Winter Wonderland set.

I sponged the background before I removed it from the die and I stamped each of the birds from the set. They were all colored with Copics and I dotted some falling "faux snow" with White Opal Liquid Pearls. Liquid Pearls were also dabbed on the furry parts of the Santa caps.

The sentiments are from the Winter Wonderland and Winter Wonders stamps sets.

I knotted some red grosgrain ribbon and added a bit of twine and the tags were done.

Hope you're having a great week so far. Thanks, always, for stopping by!

Stamps: All Penny Black
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink
Ink: Ranger distress inks, Memento
Other: Spellbinder Heirloom Ornament dies, Copics, Liquid Pearls, twine, ribbon, hole punch

full of gratitude

2011-10-17T00:00:00.003-10:00

Hello, hello! It's taking me a while to get back to stamping. Feeling a little tired. A little lazy. I'm trying to catch up visiting blogs and commenting but it seems there aren't enough hours in a day. Somebody please give me a jump start with those battery charging cable thingies.

Going through my stamping supplies, I discovered some Papertrey Ink stamps that have (gasp!) never touched ink! I always do that. Buy the stamps as soon as they come out because someone made such a fabby card that I HAD to have those stamps. Do you do that, too? Please say that you do.

I did a bit of hunting for my heat embossing tool and Cuttlebug and after a two month hiatus, I managed to finally stamp a card.

I loved Dawn McVey's card when it was on the cover of the Create: Stamping magazine and used it as inspiration for my thank you card.

I substituted the paper doily she used with the Starburst Lace stamp from Hero Arts. And the butterflies that she used are way smaller than the ones I had, so I used only three on my card. The sentiment is also from Papertrey Ink.

After I made my card, I went and ordered the set that Dawn used on her card. Yes, I just HAD to have them! Hopefully, I'll ink it up sooner than I did these.

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope to share some Purple Onion and Sweet Stamp Shop cards very soon. Have a happy, crafty week!

Stamps: Papertrey Ink (butterflies, sentiment), Hero Arts (doily)
Ink: Memento, Versafine
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink
Other: Dimensional adhesive, pearls, corner chomper

Halloween fun with Purple Onion Designs

2011-10-12T00:00:00.015-10:00

My fellow Onions and I were asked to come up with some Halloween projects using Purple Onion Design stamps. Instead of my usual "go to" project, I actually came up with something other than a card. Yay, me!

I used the Caution Labels set and stamped them in Spiced Marmalade and Black Soot distress inks. I love the distressed look of the labels so you don't have to be concerned with a clear, crisp image. After cutting them out, I added some Halloween buttons for a bit of fun.

I filled some skinny cello bags with black and orange M&Ms, tied them off with some black and orange twine that I found here on Etsy (thanks for the heads up, Torico!) and tied the labels on. Done! I'm planning to assemble a bunch of these for my daughter's first graders for Halloween.

Visit Purple Onion Designs to see many more Halloween cards and projects from the rest of the design team. Trick or treat!

Stamps: Purple Onion Designs
Ink: Ranger distress inks
Other: Cellophane bags, twine, decorative buttons

* * *

For anyone interested, I'm happy to announce that our kitchen is 99% complete!

Here's a "before" shot. All the cabinets and drawers were ripped out and several layers of flooring were removed.

Here's the finished project. The porcelain tile flooring still has to be waterproofed and some finishing touches done on the walls, but for the most part, it's functioning and we love it! Our workman will build an island and then it will be completely done.

I'm so happy to be cooking again and not having to order take out anymore...

Thanks for visiting today! I'm fully recuperated and hope to share some cards and projects soon. Have a great week!

Operation Julie's Smile & Sweet Stamp Shop Release

2011-10-06T00:00:00.008-10:00

Hello, friends! I know many of you have heard of, or personally know Julie Ranae Murray. She's the design team coordinator/consultant extraordinaire for numerous craft/stamp companies (The Twinery, Craft's Meow, Sweet Stamp Shop to name a few) and today, she needs our help. Here, in her own words, is Nicole Rixon, owner of Sweet Stamp Shop:

Many of you may know that a few weeks ago, Julie Ranae had to have emergency oral surgery resulting in the removal of her two front teeth. The dentist at that time believed the best course of action would be to remove the rest of her teeth and replace them with permanents to avoid years of dental work. Relieved at finding a solution to this major dental problem, she visited the office for dental surgery that week.

Unfortunately, it wasn't the visit she was expecting. After the consultation and scheduling the surgery, the surgeon's office informed her that she would need to bring $4000 back to the appointment with her and they would proceed. This amount would not include the dentures to follow.

Here Julie is today, sitting without front teeth that were pulled with the belief that they would be replaced immediately. It is an overwhelming experience for our dear friend and one that I hope our creative community can help with.

So Nicole, with the help of our awesome stamping community, put together a HUGE three day blog hop with various companies and design teams to help raise funds for Operation Julie's Smile. So far, over $2500 in prizes are available for both participants and those who donate to this worthy cause to bring Julie's smile back.

The hop starts here tomorrow, Friday, October 7th and runs through Sunday, October 9th. There's a fabulous line up of designers and friends, and you won't want to miss all their creative cards and projects they're going to share.

And if you're so inclined to help Julie, I've posted a donation button on my sidebar. Thank you in advance for your consideration and generosity. I just know that Julie will be sharing her sweet smile with us again!

* * *

I'm still on "blog leave" but I wanted you to know that Sweet Stamp Shop has been having blog hop previews of their newest stamp release. The Sweet Tooth gals have been sharing such amazing cards and projects and the exciting news is that stamps will go on sale today!

Nicole is offering some super sweet deals, too. Buy any 3 (new) sets and receive any one set for FREE. Use code 3FREE.

Or buy 1 or 2 stamp sets and get 15% off using code OCT15. These discounts will run through Thursday, October 13th. Make sure you grab the new sets before they run out. They're super sweet and coming out just in time for the upcoming holidays.

And if you missed the hop, you still have the weekend to visit each blog (start here) and leave a comment to win one of four new stamp sets. Lots of amazing sweet deals for you!

Thanks so much for visiting today. Happy hopping and shopping!

Have a great day

2011-09-27T00:00:00.004-10:00

Hello there! Here's a card I made a while ago but never shared on my blog, using all Purple Onion Design stamps by Stephanie Ackerman and Stephanie Tafoya.

All the images were paper pieced with My Mind's Eye and Basic Grey papers. The house, heart, clouds, and sun are from the Home Sweet Home set. The sentiment is one of four in the Homegrown Sentiments set, the zig zag "grass" uses the Stitches set, and the flowers are from the Doodle Flower set by Stephanie Tafoya. I used dimensional adhesive on the sun, cloud, and heart for a bit of dimension. I wish I had a house that looked like this!

* * *

I'd like all of you to know I'll be taking a little blog break. I have some health issues to take care of and it will give me some catch up time to visit your wonderful blogs while I'm recuperating.

Thanks, always, for stopping by! I hope you all have a great day...and a great week!

Stamps: All Purple Onion Designs
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink
Paper: My Mind's Eye, Basic Grey
Ink: Memento, Ranger distress ink
Other: Copics, corner rounder, dimensional adhesive, button
Finished card size: 4.25" square

Purple Onion Designs + Tombow

2011-09-22T00:00:00.005-10:00

This week, Purple Onion Designs and Tombow have teamed up to showcase each other's products on their respective blogs.

Here are the cards that I made using Tombow's Dual Brush Pens. I loved using the blender pen and it felt like I was watercoloring--without the water!

I stamped the images with Staz On ink on watercolor paper and brushed some ink onto an acrylic block to use as my palette. I loved how effortless it was to get the look of watercoloring with just a few swishes of the blender pen.

On my second card, I colored the flower using the brush pens and blender pen on watercolor paper. I trimmed it out and used Tombow's Foam Tabs to attach it to the card base. There are two sizes in a pack and I was able to use both sizes on different parts of the image.

The zig zag stitches were colored using a brush pen and since I used it to color in the leaves, it was an exact color match.

Be sure to visit both blogs to see more ideas using Purple Onion stamps paired with Tombow's awesome products. Thanks for stopping by today...

Stamps: All Purple Onion Designs
Ink: Staz On
Cardstock: Strathmore watercolor paper
Other: Tombow brush pens, Tombow Foam Tabs, Twinery twine

Scary without you

2011-09-20T00:00:00.011-10:00

Hello, hello! Today I'd like to share a Halloween card made with a new Penny Black stamp set--Scary Halloween. I was planning to make a Polaroid, but the image went way beyond the frame, so it became a regular sized card. I hope it still looks like a Polaroid.

I ink distressed a square piece of cardstock with Black Soot, Pumice Stone, and Orange Marmalade distress inks and water splotched it for a spooky sky.

The main image was stamped and colored with Copics. A few bats from this set were stamped flying off in the distance as well as the perfect sentiment to the owl's expression.

Gray cardstock was embossed with Cracked, a Tim Holtz texture fades embossing folder and the spooky cute owl and Polaroid frame were attached. My first Halloween card for the year is done!

* * *

Our kitchen renovations are well under way and you're welcome to go here to see pics of an almost completed project. I'll be sharing a photo of the finished kitchen here on my blog when it's all done and pretty.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Have a great, crafty week!

Stamps: All Penny Black
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink
Ink: Memento, Ranger distress ink
Other: Copics, Sizzix embossing folder, dimensional adhesive

A Sweet Birthday Blog Hop!

2011-09-15T18:01:00.011-10:00

Hello, friends! Welcome to Sweet Stamp Shop's blog hop in honor of Nicole's dad whose birthday happens to be today!

Happy Birthday, Patrick!

To celebrate this momentous occasion, Nicole is offering a 20% discount off your total purchase when you enter code DAD20 at checkoout. How sweet is that? And free shipping, too! (Only to the US and Canada.) This birthday special is good from Thursday, September 15th thru Sunday, the 18th.

Also, how would you like a little taste of something "sweet" to add to your stamp collection? Leave a comment on my blog and all the blogs on the hop (there are only 9 total) between now and Sunday, the 18th, and we will draw the names of 2 lucky winners for ONE STAMP SET OF YOUR CHOICE! Winners will be announced here on Monday, September 19th.

I hope you arrived here from Lindsay's blog. If not, start at the beginning and hop your way through the design team's blogs for lots of sweet inspiration.

Here is the blog hop order. Don't forget to leave some sweet comments along the way--I know the DT will really appreciate them!

Sweet Stamp Shop

Lindsay

Donna--you are here!

Nicole

For my simple card dedicated to Patrick, I used the Sweet Tooth stamp set. I just love that gumball machine!

The "Happy Birthday" was used from the Scootin' By stamp set.

I used a blue violet/green/orange color combo and colored all the images with Copics. The gumball machine was attached with dimensional adhesive.

I scribbled in the "guy" part of the sentiment, and although I've never met Patrick, I just know he's a sweet guy, since Nicole inherited his sweetness!

Remember to use the code DAD20 from now till Sunday for 20% off your total in the Sweet Stamp Shop store, along with FREE shipping to the US and Canada!

Thanks so much for stopping by. Your next stop is uber talented Savannah! I can't wait to see what she has in store for you. Happy hoppin' and shoppin'!

Stamps: All Sweet Stamp Shop

Ink: Memento

Cardstock: Papertrey Ink

Other: Copics, corner rounder, dimensional adhesive

Arigato

2011-09-12T00:00:00.004-10:00

Sister Stamps came out with their second release and I just had to get Ayako because she's holding...an umbrella! These images are the perfect size--not too big or small and very quick to color with Copics.

I tried to color her hair using Amy Young's fab coloring tutorial here and I know I need a lot more practice! I chose to give Ayako brown hair for a "hapa haole" look. Hmm...maybe our future granddaughter will look like this?

I used a Sizzix embossing folder for the background and sanded the surface to make the embossing show through. There wasn't room for a sentiment so I stamped "Arigato" on the inside. A quick thank you card on its way to a dear friend.

I hope you're off to a great week. Thanks for visiting today!

Stamps: Sister Stamps
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink, Hero Arts
Ink: Memento
Other: Copics, Nestabilities, dimensional adhesive, gemstones, ribbon

Tiffany Doodles Blog Hop -- Day 3

2011-09-11T02:00:00.013-10:00

Welcome to the last day of Tiffany Doodles' Three Day Blog Hop! Tiffany graciously invited me to be a part of this blog hop and I was more than happy to join the fun.
The theme for today's hop is Wings. We're all featuring cards made with Bird images from Tiffany Doodles.

Here's today's blog hop order:

And here's my card using the Warbler digital stamp. Isn't he a cutie? I loved this digi from the moment I saw it. I'm not too comfortable coloring realistic images, but I wanted to give this little guy a try.

I colored the digi with Copics and cut it out using circle Nestabilities. I stamped Hero Arts' Designer Woodgrain background, and the sentiment is from one of my favorite sets. The seam binding was hand dyed with Vintage Photo distress ink.

Your next stop on the hop is Deirdre's wonderful blog. I just know she has something amazing and inspiring to share!

Thank you so much for joining Day 3's hop! Remember to comment on all blogs for your chance to win shopping sprees in the Tiffany Doodles store, and awesome digi stamp packs, too.

The hop order for Day 1 starts here, and the hop order for Day 2 starts here. Winners will be announced tomorrow at Tiffany Doodles. Happy hopping!

Stamps: Tiffany Doodles, Hero Arts
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink
Ink: Ranger distress ink, Versafine
Other: Copics, Nestabilities, dimensional adhesive, rayon seam binding

* * *

I hope today you will take some time to reflect upon
and remember the innocent and the brave
who lost their lives ten years ago.

Peace.

hello

2011-09-09T00:00:00.003-10:00

Oh my, I can't believe it's been a week since I've posted! Today I'll share another card made with Penny Black's Winter Swing slapstick stamp. This time, I stamped the image with brown ink, and colored it with Copics which gives it a softer look than colored pencils.

I used Reverse Wonky Rectangles--AGAIN??--and embossed the frame with a Sizzix folder to add a bit of texture. The frame was distressed lightly with Antique Linen distress ink. The sentiment is by Kim Hughes for Cornish Heritage Farms.

Stamps: Penny Black, Cornish Heritage Farms
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink
Ink: Memento, Ranger distress ink
Other: Copics, Nestabillities, Sizzix embossing folder, dimensional adhesive

And if you ♥ Penny Black, visit my blogging friend Elizabeth Allan. She's having a giveaway of an adorable woodblock stamp together with a handmade card to a lucky commenter on this post. The only requirement? That you love rubber stamping and you'll give the stamp a good home with lots of inky love.

I'm proud to say that I've received a card from Elizabeth, and just owning her card would be such a treat!

Thanks for stopping by today! I'll be sharing more Penny Black cards soon. I hope whatever you do, you'll have a wonderful weekend!

Love to you

2011-09-02T00:00:00.002-10:00

Hi there! Happy Friday! I'm proud to say I've finished another Christmas card. I used Penny Black's Winter Swing slapstick stamp and colored the image with Prismacolor pencils.

I used Reverse Wonky Rectangles and framed the image, and used an SRM sticker for the sentiment. It was my first time using stickers and they won me over. They're easy to apply and there are a lot of sentiments in different sizes.

I chose a circular design and affixed a little bow. I also added some Glossy Accents to the little stars.

I forgot how fun it is to use Prismas again although I don't have them in as many colors as I do Copics--hence, the bright colors. It was nice to give my Copics a rest and the pencils were great for coloring in small areas on the image.

I hope you have some fun plans for the weekend. Thanks, always, for stopping by!

Stamps: Penny Black
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink
Papers: Bo Bunny dots
Other: SRM stickers, Nestabilities, Prismacolor pencils, Glossy Accents, dimensional adhesive, ribbon

Penny Black goodness

2011-09-01T01:00:00.004-10:00

Hello, friends! Happy September! Honestly, where did the month of August go? This month will be super busy for me. Our kitchen renovation will begin and I'm trying to imagine what the demolition process will be like and wondering how much crafting time I'll have with construction going on. Wish me luck!

For the recent Penny Black ATC swap, I was partnered with Jie Ying in Singapore. Here are her ATCs that she sent me using her Penny Black stamps. Aren't they adorable? Little works of art. I just love that hedgie!

And she even included a birthday card for me--I love the little peephole! Thank you so much, Jie Ying!

Lastly, here's a card that I made with Penny Black's Magical Mimi. I used pastels for a different look and colored the image with Copics. Her dress and the mushrooms were popped up with dimensional adhesive.

Reverse Wonky Rectangles were used for the card base, and I embossed the frame with Cuttlebug's Swiss Dots embossing folder.

I applied some Glossy Accents to the bee, butterfly, and ladybug, and some Diamond Stickles to Mimi's wings. The sentiment is from Nina Brackett's Heartily Yours Additions.

Thanks, always, for stopping by! See you soon!

Happy Birthday, Nicole!

2011-08-30T00:00:00.012-10:00

Today is the day! Sweet Stamp Shop's owner, Nicole Rixon is celebrating her birthday and offering you a HUGE discount today through Friday, September 2nd.

What's the discount, you ask? Her age! Nicole turns 27 today. Simply enter code HBN27 during checkout to get a 27% discount off your total purchase in the store!

In honor of Nicole's birthday, I've made a card using the Cool Scoop stamp set. The card was cut using Nestabilities Labels One dies. I paper pieced the ice cream and scoops with papers from My Mind's Eye Stella & Rose Gertie papers. I added more paper on the top and bottom of the card and tied some Lemondrop twine from The Twinery.

The sentiment was made by cutting apart the birthday sentiment from Scootin' By and inserting the word "yummy". That's the great thing about clear stamps--being able to cut them apart and put them back together again.

Stop by the Sweet Stamp Shop blog and wish Nicole a "Happy Birthday", then head over to the store and celebrate with a 27% off discount!

Happy Birthday, Nicole! Have a sweet day!

Stamps: Sweet Stamp Shop
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink
Paper: My Mind's Eye
Ink: Memento
Other: Copics, Nestabilities, dimensional adhesive, twine

Penny Black ATC swap

2011-08-29T00:00:00.003-10:00

I joined Penny Black's recent ATC (Artist Trading Card) swap and my partner was Jie Ying who lives in Singapore. We decided to create three ATCs using whatever Penny Black stamps we owned.

Here's what I sent to Jie Ying.

The first uses some houses from Air Mail, a fun, whimsical set that I won on the Penny Black blog. I ink distressed the sky and ground with distress inks and colored all the images with Copics. The sentiment is by Hero Arts, and I finished it off with a bit of twine and some gemstones.

The second ATC uses an older stamp called Brush Tulips. I ink distressed the ATC with Victorian Velvet and Scattered Straw distress inks, and stamped the image with Vintage Photo.

I water splotched the surface and stamped the manuscript from Hero Arts. I inked the word "Dream" from a Hero Arts stamp, and added a few pearls to complete the ATC.

The last ATC is my fave. I used the dog from Mimi in Paris, colored him with Copics and drew in some grass to ground him. I stamped the sentiment and added some punched butterflies for dimension. See the one on his nose?

I love creating ATCs and the challenge to fit a design on a small space. I'll be sharing Jie Ying's ATCs later this week, along with a Penny Black card.

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you're off to a great week!

Last Days of Summer Blog Hop

2011-08-26T00:00:00.093-10:00

Eleven manufacturers are participating in a "Last Days of Summer" blog hop, sponsored by PSA Essentials. One lucky person who completes the hop and leaves comments at all 11 blogs will win an amazing prize package valued at over $300!

Start here at Purple Onion Designs and follow the link to the next blog. Here are the participating companies:

Discount Cardstock • Scor-Pal • Flower Soft • Want 2 Scrap •

Urban Lily through Urban Swank • Really Reasonable Ribbon • Helmar •

Nikki Sivils, Scrapbooker • The Twinery • PSA Essentials

Here's my card with a summery theme. I used Purple Onion Designs' Summer Noteblock, clear embossed on white cardstock and ink distressed with Shabby Shutters, Scattered Straw, and Victorian Velvet distress inks.

The background is clear embossed with Hero Arts' Designer Woodgrain--love how that turned out!--and I embossed several pennants from the Build-a-Banner set. They were ink distressed with Victorian Velvet and Scattered Straw distress inks.

I used some Honeydew twine from The Twinery and the great tutorial from my blogging friend, Emily Leiphart, to make the little twine knots between the pennants. It took me several tries to make my knots look like Emily's "little roses", and I liked using the knots as embellishments instead of pearls. Thanks for a great tutorial, Emily!♥

The hop runs through Sunday, August 28th at 11:59pm EST. You won't want to miss this chance to win some awesome prizes! Happy hopping!

Stamps: Purple Onion Designs, Hero Arts
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink
Ink: Versamark, Ranger distress inks
Other: Clear embossing powder, twine, dimensional adhesive

Just scootin' by

2011-08-25T00:00:00.009-10:00

Hi there! Just sharing a quick card made with the Scootin' By stamp set from Sweet Stamp Shop.

I paper pieced the scooter with papers from My Mind's Eye Lime Twist pad, and topped it with a tower of presents. The seat, tires, presents and horn were colored with Copics. I stamped the little puffs of engine smoke, the clouds and sentiment. I'd love to zip around in a colorful scooter like this!

The inside reads, "Happy Birthday" and depending on the occasion, there are several different sentiments to choose from.

Visit our Flickr gallery to see how customers and the design team used this cute set. Be sure to follow us on Twitter and "Like" us on Facebook, too!

Thanks for scootin' by today!

Stamps: Sweet Stamp Shop

Cardstock: Papertrey Ink

Ink: Memento

Paper: My Mind's Eye

Other: Copics

Giveaway winners!

2011-08-23T00:00:00.004-10:00

Hello, hello! Thank you for making my 29th birthday so memorable with your good wishes and for joining my celebratory giveaways! Here are the winners, according to random.org:

The winner of the "Christmas" theme giveaway, #25, Alle mooie dingen.

The second winner of the "Halloween" themed giveaway is #35, Scrappy Jackie.

And the winner of the third set is #6, Lindsay.

Congrats, ladies! Please email me with your mailing address and I'll get your goodies off to you! Please put "Giveaway winner" in the subject line.

I'm sorry that I couldn't give you all some goodies for being faithful followers, but I will be having more mini giveaways in the future. Lots of patterned paper packs and stamps that could use new homes, so stay tuned, ok?

Oh, and my birthday present from my hubby is a brand new KITCHEN! We're choosing cabinets, countertops, flooring and a new oven, too. I'll try to share before and after photos of the renovation, and I hope I don't lose my sanity in the construction chaos!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Have a great week!

A sparkly green Christmas

2011-08-20T00:00:00.001-10:00

With Christmas about four months away, I made my first Christmas card using a Penny Black stamp from last year--Mademoiselle Noel. I love these "fashion girls". They're quick to color and appear to have a sassy chic personality.

I seem to be on a green kick lately. I've grown fond of Papertrey Ink's Spring Moss cardstock, which feels like a green version of kraft. The background was stamped with Hero Arts' Magical Background in Peeled Paint distress ink.

The image was colored with Copics and I added a bit of Diamond Stickles to the fur trim and her bouquet. I used Reverse Wonky Rectangles--again!--and tied a bit of self dyed seam binding. Some clear gemstones were added for a touch of bling.

Done! One card down and many more to go...But it's a start!

I hope you're having a fun weekend! There's still time to enter my birthday giveaway here. The Magical Background that I used on this card is one of the stamps up for grabs. I'll announce the winners on Tuesday, August 23rd.

Stamps: Penny Black, Hero Arts
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink
Ink: Memento, Ranger distress inks
Other: Copics, Nestabilities, rayon seam binding, dimensional adhesive, Diamond Stickles, gemstones

Gnomies on sale!

2011-08-18T00:00:00.007-10:00

Hi there! A heads up that Nicole is offering this adorable set of gnomes--Gnomies-- for 25% off, now through August 20th. The set includes some gnomes, 'shrooms, and a few punny sentiments, too. Here's my card using this sweet set.

I stamped Designer Woodgrain background by Hero Arts and punched out a peephole, perfect for two little gnomes. The patterned papers are scraps that were trimmed to fit, and I stamped the sentiment and added a few accent pearls.

I know that their hats are sticking out beyond the hole, and yes, it does get tweaked--but they don't mind. Once the card is opened, the gnomes won't be peeking out anymore...

The gnomes are so cute, and could be turned into Christmas elves in a few months! Hurry over to Sweet Stamp Shop and grab them while they're on sale through Sunday, the 20th. Use coupon code LOVGN25 at checkout.

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you're having a crafty week!
Stamps: Sweet Stamp Shop, Hero Arts
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink
Patterned paper: from my scrap stash
Ink: Memento, Ranger distress ink
Other: Copics, Nestabilities, dimensional adhesive, pearls

My belated birthday giveaway!

2011-08-15T00:00:00.002-10:00

This was my birthday cake, eleven days ago. My daughter and her boyfriend surprised me with this yummy cake from Patisserie la Palme D'or. One candle. That's all I wanted.

Here are my flowers. My other daughter and son-in-law sent these to me and I loved that they weren't tall and showy. They know that orange is my favorite color. So pretty.

And here, finally, are my birthday giveaways for you, my dear followers. I decided to divvy up some candy and offer three sets so more people could win. This will all be random draws for random sets. Here they are:

The first has a Halloween theme. This set includes:

One 6x6 pack of S.E.I. "Spooks" paper
One set "Monster Squad" clear stamps by My Favorite Things
One pack of Mini Shimmer Alpha stickers
One tube of green glitter
One pack of 1/4" black Zapdots dimensional adhesive
One skein Mandarin twine
One skein Charcoal twine

The next set has a Christmas theme. It includes:

One 8x8" pack of October Afternoon "Good Cheer" paper
One "Magical Background" stamp by Hero Arts
One Martha Stewart "icicles" border punch
One package of red Kaiser Craft pearls
One skein Peapod twine

Remember the set of Stitchery stamps I knew I had but couldn't find? Well, I found them! They're part of the third set here, which includes:

One 6x6" pack Lost & Found - Market Street papers by My Mind's Eye
One pack of Dainty Dots brads by Sassafras
One Martha Stewart 3-in-1 hydrangea punch
One set of pink Kaiser Craft pearls
One Distress Stickles in Mustard Seed

For a chance to win a random set, simply become a follower of my blog and leave me a comment. Any comment. Want to guess how old I am? (Be kind...) Any comment will do!

You have until Sunday, August 21st at midnight HST to leave a comment on this post. See the clock on my sidebar if you're not sure of the times. I'll draw the names and announce the winners on Tuesday, August 23rd, and I'll ship internationally, too!

Thanks so much for helping me celebrate my birthday, and for your timely visits to my blog. Good luck!

B is for baby

2011-08-12T01:00:00.006-10:00

Hello, and happy Friday! Just sharing a couple of cards made with Stephanie Ackerman's newest images for Purple Onion Designs.

I made a card for a baby boy and a baby girl, just by changing the colors. The images were colored with Copics, and I chose different sets of words for each sentiment.

A small bow was added on the girly bear, and both backgrounds were stamped with Large Canvas Stripes from Hero Arts.

Remember that for one week, all stamps are 25% off when you use the code SUM2011 upon checkout. See all the new stamps here, and help celebrate Purple Onion Designs' 8th Anniversary. Hurry, the sale ends on Sunday, August 21st!

Stamps: Purple Onion Designs, Hero Arts
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink
Ink: Memento, Hero Arts, Ranger Distress inks
Other: Dimensional adhesive, ribbon

* * *

From now until Saturday at Sweet Stamp Shop, Nicole is featuring Hello Beautiful at a 10% off savings when you use coupon code HB10 upon checkout.

And please join and upload your creations to the Sweet Stamp Shop Flickr group. We'd love to see your sweet creations!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Mini stamp release & Anniversary sale

2011-08-10T00:00:00.004-10:00

New stamps are now on sale at Purple Onion Designs! And to celebrate their 8th Anniversary, Michele is offering a 25% off discount for one week! Go here to see all the new stamps and use code SUM2011 as you checkout.

I made a quick card with the Beach Chair set by Michelle Clement. The set includes a beach chair with umbrella, a beach bag, and some handwritten sentiments.

I went the simple route and color washed some watercolor paper with Broken China and Antique Linen distress inks, then stamped the beach chair with Versafine ink when it was completely dry.

I decided to turn it into a Polaroid shot and stamped the sentiment below. The background is Hero Arts' Large Canvas Stripes, and the seam binding was dyed with Glimmer Mist in Chocolate Covered Cherries.

I'll be sharing more cards soon. Thanks, always, for stopping by!

Stamps: Purple Onion Designs, Hero Arts
Cardstock: Papertrey Ink, watercolor paper
Ink: Versafine, Ranger distress inks, Glimmer Mist
Other: pop dots, seam binding

All dolled up

2011-08-09T00:00:00.012-10:00

Hello there! I'd like to share a card made with the new "Hello Beautful" stamp set from Sweet Stamp Shop. It features a lot of "girly" images--nail polish, lipstick, and some fun sentiments, too.

I chose the hair dryer and paper pieced it with some My Mind's Eye papers. I added a strip of paper and tied it with some twine, added the sentiment and the card was done! A fun card to send to your BFF for a girl's night out, maybe?

You can find this stamp set on sale here in the Sweet Stamp Shop store.

* * *

My birthday giveaway is still in the works. I'm still learning about InLinkz, gathering goodies and will probably divide it into sets, so more people can win!

And visit here and here to see if you were one of the "B" winners at Purple Onion Designs and see what the design team has cooked up with the new images. All the new stamps will go on sale tomorrow, August 10th, in the POD store.

Thank you so much for stopping by today! See you soon!

Stamps: Sweet Stamp Shop
Ink: Versafine
Cardstock: Paper Accents
Patterned paper: My Mind's Eye
Other: Twinery twine, pearls, puffy heart sticker, corner rounder