Paper Sweeties February Inspiration Challenge #16 - "Be Mine"

Happy February!  Today  begins a new challenge at Paper Sweeties. To celebrate the design team and alumni have a blog hop to kick things off. It's a great way to  have some fun with your Paper Sweeties stamps and just maybe win a few more sets!  You can get all the details and link up  your creations here. 

Here's the inspiration photo for this month.  You can use the photo or the colors as your inspiration.  I wanted to make a Valentine with lots of bright fresh color.  The sentiment is from  "So Sweet of You".  It has a larger size sentiment that  I knew would look perfect here.

Here's a list of all the designers participating in the hop today - just click on their name to jump to their blog. 

Amber Kroening

Andrea Ewen
Annette Allen

Annette Witherspoon

Char Cundy

Debbie Marcinkiewicz – Paper Sweeties

Jeanne Jachna  (That's me!)

Kerin Sylvester

Kristi Schurr

Lesley Croghan

Lisa Elton

Maria Patrick

Michelle Bala

Nancy Penir

Tammy Hobbs

 February Guest Designer: Donna Baes

Thanks for stopping by!  We're looking forward to seeing your project linked up on the Paper Sweeties blog!  I hope you will join us!  Have a great day!












Supplies Used:  Finished Size 4.5 x 6.25"
Stamps  Paper Sweeties:  So Sweet of You
Pattern Paper:  Crate Paper Fourteen 6x6"
Card Stock:  SU! Garden Green, Coastal Cabana, PTI Simply Chartreuse, Vintage Cream
Dies:  Cheery Lynn Olive Branches, Celtic Heart
Ribbon:  SU! 5/8" Natural Chevron Ribbon, May Arts Ivory Button Twine 
Flowers Paper Studio (Hobby Lobby)
Buttons
Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black

12 Kits of Occasions - January 2014

I'm so excited to share with you that I've rejoined the 12 Kit of Occasions! This is a group of 12 designers. Every month one of us puts together a kit for the group. On the last day of the month we all share what we made using the same kit. It's lots of fun to see the different ways we used the same items. I had to step back from the group a few months back because of other commitments. My duties have lightened and I'm delighted they were able to let me come back. Amy Kolling is now the lady in the hot seat with lots of commitments and left an opening that I was longing for! There's been a few changes while I was gone including a new web site that you can check out here.

The hostess with the mostest is Sharron from On Papillon Wings blog.  She put together a wonderful Valentine's kit full of peach, scarlet, and grey.  Lots of cute images from Avery Elle, and Momma Elephant, Wplus9, and Technique Tuesday.  I always picture Sharron sitting in her garden enjoying her beautiful lillies and watching the birds (she even snuck a few of those in here for us!)

I made LOTS of cards - warning - lots of photos folks!  I tried to keep true to the kit and use ONLY the ingredients supplied without adding too much of my own things so here's me doing CAS - no bows - well just one bitty twine ones (wink!)  So without further ado... here's what I made with this wonderful kit this month!  Oh yes!  You will see some of the items missing from my kit.  Stinker Binker the wonder dog felt it necessary to assist with the assembling of these cards - that or she's mad at me for too much crafty time and not enough Binker time.   

 

Want to see what the rest of the ladies made?  Just click on their names here to jump to their blog!  Oh and we have a guestie this month!  Be sure you say Hi to Michelle!

Sharron - On Papillon Wings  (Our host this month!) 

Renee - It's a Patchwork Life

Marybeth - It's Time For Paper

Joyce - Cards By The Sea

Cathy Weber - Empty Nest Crafter

Christina Maclaren

Kim - Cupcakes Cards & Kim

Kara - K & R Designs

Jessica - The Paper Parade

Tracey McNeely - In My Creative Opinion

Kellly Schirmer - Gingham Girl

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Supplies Used:  Finished cards all 4.25 x 5.5" Except Lunch Noe and UrMyHeart - both  3 x 3"
Stamps:  Avery Elle Lots of Love Mama Elephant Love From Above, Technique Tuesday Totally My Type, W+9 Love Birds
Card Stock:  PTI White, SU! Crisp Cantaloupe, Primrose Petals, Sahara Sand, Bazzil Stonehenge
Pattern Paper:  Teresa Collins You are My Happy 6x6"
Dies:  Lifestyle Crafts Love Shapes, Lil Inker Floating Heart, Love Tags, Mini Bow, Of the Heart, Memory Box Precious Heart, PTI Block Alphabet, Lunchbox Die, Simon Says Stamp Happy, Small Hello, Large Heart Doily, WPlus9 Folk Art Florals, Heart tackers, Seasonal Sentiments
Embossing Folder Zig Zag Lifestyle Crafts
Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black, Hero Arts Fresh Peach, Pale Tomato, Wet Cement
Buttons:  PTI
Ribbon:  Michael's
Jute:  Primo American Crafts
Twine:  Divine Twine
Washi Tape & Sequins Teresa Collins You Are my Happy
I added:  Heart Pins Ribbon Reel, Heart Gems Recollections, Die Cuts Spellbinder Fleur De Lis Square, Lil Inker Stitched Photo Frame, Round Pin Dritz,  Coarse Glitter Martha Stewart, Copic Markers, Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, SU! Silver Glimmer Paper

Serendipity Stamps New Relase - Ladybug

Thanks for stopping by!  It's the last day of the Serendipity Stamps new release previews.  If you are hopping along you should have reached me from  Anya's blog.  If you'd like to start at the beginning and get all the details you can click here to go to  Mary's Blog.  Today we are showing samples made with the new ladybug die!    This one is so cute and packed with lots of great details.  

The entire back of the lady bug is covered with an etched intricate swirly design.  The head has a nice clean cut line across the "neck" leaving it attached only at the ends so it is easy to switch out for a different color, and the curly antennae are attached to the head so you don't have to worry about them uncurling when you release them from the paper, or when you peel off the wax paper when you remove them.  A layer of wax paper between the die and your card stock makes releasing an intricate die Easy Peasy!  

I have lots of great memories of sitting in the garden as a child or with my own children finding ladybugs, counting their spots to see if we are lucky, and singing "ladybug, ladybug, fly away home".  Those garden memories inspired me to layer my ladybug on a layered, embossed sunflower.  The bright yellow and red together jump off the page.

Oh Maybe you noticed I had a little snafu yesterday!  I was supposed to show you the bunny die, but wound up posting the ladybug by mistake.  Well... so sorry - I still have something new to show you that wasn't on this post yesterday - it's been updated with this project featuring the new Heart Bouquet stamp - I just got it in the mail on Tuesday so this one is really fresh - and just in time for Valentine's Day!!  This one was lots of fun to color and is so fun and happy looking!

 The next stop on the hop is Jenny Gropp.    But before you go - make sure you leave a comment.   Each day of the hop one random winner will be selected from the commenters to receive a $10 gift certificate to use at Serendipity Stamps - so you can get whatever you like!    You have until February 5 to leave a comment.  Winners will be posted on February 7 on  Mary's Blog  For your convenience a  complete list of all the designers on today's hop is here.  Just click on their names to jump to their blog.

Julie Warner

Karen Amidon

Marybeth Lopez

Miriam Napier

Pauline Pollington

Vickie Zimmer

Anya Schrier

Jeanne Jachna  (That's me!)

Jenny Gropp

Good luck and have a great day!

Supplies Used:  Finished Size 4.5 x 6.25"

Stamps:  Serendipity Stamps Hello Small

Dies:  Serendipity Stamps Ladybug, Little Inker Stitched Banner, Spellbinder Blossom 2, Nested Leaves

Pattern Paper:  My Mind's Eye Dilly Dally 6x6"

Card Stock:  PTI Vintage Cream, Pure Poppy, True Black, Simply Chartreuse, SU! Crushed Curry, Garden Green

Button

Embossing Folder:  Cuttlebug Cane Back Chair

Border Punch:  Double Embossed Dotted Lace EK Success

Ribbon:  3/4" Canvas Tape Measure, 5/8" Twill Red, Ivory Button Twine

Valentine Bouquet  4.5 x 6.25"
Stamps:  Serendipity Heart Bouquet, Hugs & Kisses SM
Pattern Paper:  My Mind's Eye Lucky In Love
Card Stock:  PTI White, Pure Poppy
Glitter Heart Paper Studio
Dies Spellbinder Charmed I'm Sure, Grand Ovals, Grand Decorative Labels
Gems:  Recollections
Ribbon:  May Arts 1/4" Silver Ric Rac, 5/8" Grosgrain Dots Red / White, Twinery Maraschino

Serendipity Stamps New Release - Bunny

Thanks for stopping by!  It's day two day of the Serendipity Stamps new release preview.  If you are following along with the blog hop you should have reached me from Anya's blog.  If you'd like to start at the beginning and get all the details you can click here to jump to  Mary's Blog.

Today we are previewing designs using the new bunny die.  This sweet bunny is cut with a fun flower pattern. There is also lots of detailed etching on the body to make the features more prominent.   Check out the flowers - they are made with little egg shaped die cuts - and the tail looks like an etched leaf.


Bunnies always make me think of Spring and the garden.  I'm always shooing one of them out of my garden in the summer.  I'll be honest - most of the time they scare the heck out of me!    I will be watering the garden and one will just jump out of no where to flee for safety.  The next thing I know binker is in hot pursuit chasing it across the yard!  Don't worry - he always makes it in time to slip under the gate to safety!

So when I made my card I knew I wanted to surround him with a background of flowers.  To fill the die cut holes I cut him first in light blue, popped out all the die cut holes and then placed tape on the back of the die to fill all the holes.  I cut the bunny a second time in yellow, placed the yellow cut over the blue one and then just pushed the cut outs down into the sticky holes.

The next stop on the hop is Jenny Gropp.    But before you go - make sure you leave a comment.   Each day of the hop one random winner will be selected from the commenters to receive a $10 gift certificate to use at Serendipity Stamps - so you can get whatever you like!    You have until February 5 to leave a comment.  Winners will be posted on February 7 on  Mary's Blog  For your convenience a  complete list of all the designers on today's hop is here.  Just click on their names to jump to their blog.

Julie Warner

Karen Amidon

Marybeth Lopez

Miriam Napier

Pauline Pollington

Vickie Zimmer

Anya Schrier

Jeanne Jachna  (That's me!)

Jenny Gropp

Good luck and have a beautiful day friends!  See  you tomorrow for the last day of new release peeks!  Think SPRING!! 

Supplies Used!  Finished Size 4.5 x 6.25"

Stamps:  Serendipity Stamps Happy Spring

Dies:  Serendipity Stamps Bunny, Spellbinder Classic Oval, Ribbon Banners, Beaded Ovals

Pattern Paper:  Crate Paper  Pretty Party 6x6"

Card Stock:  PTI Aqua Mist, Vintage Cream, Lemon Tart, Kraft, Enchanted Evening

Ribbon:  May Arts 5/8" Organic Cotton Stripe Blue, 3/8" Metallic Band Seafoam Silver, Ivory Button Twine, Webster's Pages Blue Netted Lace

Button

Pearls Doodlebug

CASE Study #176 - Love

 Hi friends!  I hope you are having a great day!  I'm loving the inspiration from our muse at CASE Study this month - the wonderful Donna Mikasa from 3 Umbrellas blog.  She's been taking me to school this month and teaching me new ways to look at things.  That's something I really love about CASE - seeing that there are so many different ways to  interpret a design, and finding beauty in all of them. 

Here's the design for this week - hooked yet?  I love the die cut flower, the sprinkle of sequins, the rich gold embossed sentiment on vellum, and YES!  Hot Pink!!!    So clean, but absolutely PACKED with lots of details.   How did I make it mine?  I switched out the flower for a heart, the vellum sentiment for a die cut sentiment, and pattern paper, for the plain white card stock.  To add a little sparkle to my die cut sentiment I added silver glimmer paper inside the heart cut outs and sprinkled on some silver sequins topped with silver pearls.  The die is actually cut into the pattern paper, and the die cut pieces set inside.

Want a  little more inspiration, or maybe you just want to see what the rest of the design team made?  Just click on their names here to jump to their blogs!

Chupa - Iwona Palamountain

Amy Wanford

Andrea Ewen

Clare Buswell

Debbie Hughes

Maureen Plut

Tasnim Ahmed 

Maureen Merritt

Silke Ledlow

I'm looking forward to seeing what you make!  You can link up your designs here - at CASE Study Challenge Blog!  Have a great day!











Supplies Used:  Finished Size:  4.25 x 5.5"
Die Cuts:  Memory Box La Rue Heart, Serendipity Stamps Love
Pattern Paper:  Crate Paper Emma's Shoppe Collection
Card Stock:  SU! Silver Glimmer, PTI Pure Poppy, Hibiscust Burst, SU! Pretty In Pink, Pink Pirouette 
Sequins, Silver Pearls
1/4" Corner Chomper We R Memory Keepers

Serendipity Stamps Blog Hop - Day 1 Shamrock

Today is  the first day of a three day new release blog hop for Serendipity Stamps.  We've got three great new dies to show you.  If you are hopping along you should have reached me from  Anya's blog.  If you just dropped by and would like to start from the beginning you can get all the details here at  Mary's Blog. 

Today we are previewing the new shamrock die!  This shamrock makes the perfect embellishment for  St. Patrick's Day cards or treats, or just wish someone good luck. I'm an Indiana girl and I can even see using these for some fighting Irish (Notre Dame) scrapbook pages.  The detail is beautiful on this die from the celtic inspired design to the bitty row of hearts running along the stem of the die.

I wanted to use this sentiment, but didn't want the shamrocks to show so  I placed tape over the shamrock images, inked it up, removed the tape, and then stamped the image.  To create the debossed pattern I  attached the shamrock die to the stamped cardstock with removable post it note tape and ran it through my die cut machine with a rubber embossing pad.  I repeated this process several times changing the position of  the shamrock to create a pattern over the entire base of the card.  To fill the die cut holes of the shamrock I first cut it in dark green card stock.  I poked out all the die cut holes and then put scotch tape on the back side of the die cut to cover all the holes.  Next I cut the shamrock  a second time with a lighter green, placed it over the dark green shamrock and pushed the small pieces into the sticky holes.  

The next stop on the hop is Jenny Gropp.    But before you go - make sure you leave a comment.   Each day of the hop one random winner will be selected from the commenters to receive a $10 gift certificate to use at Serendipity Stamps - so you can get whatever you like!    You have until February 5 to leave a comment.  Winners will be posted on February 7 on  Mary's Blog  For your convenience a  complete list of all the designers on today's hop is here.  Just click on their names to jump to their blog.

Julie Warner

Karen Amidon

Marybeth Lopez

Miriam Napier

Pauline Pollington

Vickie Zimmer

Anya Schrier

Jeanne Jachna  (That's me!)

Jenny Gropp

I hope you will stop by tomorrow to see another new release die and have another chance at winning! 

Supplies Used:  Finished Size 4.25 x 5.5" 

Stamps:  Serendipity Stamps Happy St. Pat's

Dies:  Serendipity Stamps Shamrock Die

Card Stock:  PTI White, Simply Chartreuse, SU! Garden Green

Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black

PSSPARKS January Sketch - Floral Reflections

Wow another super cold day here!  The high is 1 if you can believe that.  We have wind chill advisories, and the kids are home from school - yes even the one in college!  And just got another voice mail alert - no school tomorrow either!   I can't ever remember so many school closings in one season before - EVER!   I wanted to play along with the Paper Smooches Sparks Challenge so I snuck off for a little "me" time this morning.   This week is a sketch challenge.  I don't know why but this one sort of scared me.   I almost didn't play at all.   I think it was that split down the middle and dividing my design in half that had me worried.    

After I decided on what set I would use I pulled out all the ink and started stamping and the rest sort of came together on it's own.   I think the little strip of vellum really pulls it all together. 

There is a lesson in there some where... don't doubt yourself, or just have fun maybe? I'm glad I stuck with it because I'm really happy with how it turned out. 

Thanks for stopping by for a look!  I hope you have a beautiful day!  

Supplies Used:  Finished Size 4.5 x 6.25"

Stamps:  Paper Smooches Sentiment Sampler, Reflections

Pattern Paper:  My Mind's Eye The Sweetest Thing Tangerine 6x6

Card Stock:  SU! Certainly Celery, PTI White, Terracotta Tile, Vellum

Dies:  Paper Smooches Hickory Leaf, Little Inker Designs Stitched Rectangles, Spellbinder Standard Circles, Big Scalloped Circles

Pearls:  Doodlbug

Heart Gem:  Recollections

Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black, Memento Tangelo, Love Letter, Peart Tart, Morocco, Cantaloupe, Dandelion, Bamboo Leaves

Papertrey January Blog Hop Challenge

Are you hopping today?  It's the January Papertrey Ink Blog Hop and the theme this month is PINK!   Lucky me to have my friend Joyce remind me to play along!  She knows I love pink so this is an easy one for me!!  Because of all the hearts on the inspiration photo I wanted to do something romantic.  My first thought was the Lace Bouquet stamp set.  I love the intricate lace pattern flowers that remind me of beautiful embroidery.    To keep with the pretty feminine feel I embossed Raspberry Fizz card stock for the base of a shaped card with lots of curves.     I made the dimensional flower with the Beautiful Blooms II dies with a button center.   The scalloped tag is from the Tremendous Tags dies and fits the mood perfectly.   I know this is supposed to be "all pink" but I couldn't resist adding the little green leaf fronds.   I know you have lots of hopping to do!  Big thanks for stopping by and enjoy all the Pretty In Pink projects today!  

You can see all the other creations linked up today - and add your own  from 10 am EST until 11:30 pm here.  Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful day! 

 








Supplies Used:
Stamps:  PTI  Lace Bouquet, Framed Out #12
Dies:  PTI Beautiful Blooms II, Happiness In Bloom Leaves, Tremendous Tags,  Spellbinder Labels 23
Card Stock:  PTI Vintage Cream, Rasperry Fizz, True Black
Ink:  Memento Luxe Rosebud, Versafine Onyx Black
Twinery Twine Pink Sorbet
Ribbon:  7/8" White Stitch Edge Hot Pink May Arts
Embossing Folder:   Cuttlebug Anna Griffin Poppy

Think Spring!

Today it's my turn to post on the Poppystamps blog!  Sorry!  All I can give you is a sneak peek....  Let me set the scene - cold harsh midwest winter... wind whipping around ... temps so low that even salt won't melt the snow off  the street!   So what am I thinking about?  Well Spring of course!  Looking forward to thawing out!!!

Want to see more?  Just click here!

If you've been following the Poppystamps blog blitz today is the last day to leave comments to win on all posts between Jan 6-19!  There is a prize on each post - just comment to enter!

W+9 MMB25 - Yellow Roses

Hi and thanks for stopping by!  The month is quickly winding to a close.  I hope January takes all the freezing weather with it when it leaves!  It's been really harsh this past week.  Even my dog is hating going outside.  Sometimes I see her standing out there on three feet because she doesn't want to put the fourth one down.  The kids have been catching some breaks - late starts and cancelled classes due to the severe weather.  Even my poor hubby who works out in the cold  had some time off or was sent home early a few days this month.   Me?  I'm blessed with my kept life and only go out if I feel like it.  I'm holding down the fort with warm meals, and some home made cookies when the mood strikes.

Today I'm playing along with the WPlus9 Monday Mood Board #25.  I've been itching to get working with some of the new sets I got for my birthday in November.  Yes I am a very lucky girl!!

 If you're going to play this one you better hurry!  There are only a few days left!    You can see all the other designs linked up and get all the details here!  Have a great day!

Supplies Used:  Finished Size 4.5 x 6.25"

Stamps:  W+9 Very Vintage Florals, Coming Up Roses

Dies:  W+9 Coming Up Roses, Label Layers 3,  Paper Smooches Flag Tags, Spellbinder CLassic Oval, Classic Scalloped Oval

Pattern Paper:  October Afternoon Farmhouse 8x8"

Ribbon:  May Arts 3/8" Crochet Trim Natural

Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black, Smokey Grey, Memento Dandelion, Cantaloupe, Pear Tart, Bamboo Leaves, Cottage Ivy

Card Stock SU! Crushed Curry, PTI Vintage Cream, White, Harvest Gold