Before I get rolling with my post, let me apologize in advance if my post looks a little strange today. Blogger has been driving me crazy during the last several days by either removing my line breaks and adding extra line breaks where they don't belong. Since it is getting late on Wednesday night and I am trying one last time to fix up my post, I'm crossing my fingers and hoping for the best.
Now back to our regularly scheduled programming....
It's Thursday so it's time for the Meljen's Designs new release and new challenge. DT member Diana Kronquist created a great sketch for us to use in our challenge this week. For my card, I used the new Victorian Bird Cage image paired up with my favorite October Afternoon papers.
Here is a look at the sketch for the challenge this week. You can see the challenge rules and link up your project on the Meljen's Designs blog.
Here is a peek at the new release. These will be available in the Whimsy Stamps store today.
Don't forget to come by tomorrow for the Meljen's Designs 1st Birthday blog hop and the Whimsy Stamps new digital release blog hop. As with most blog hop, there are prizes involved, but you have to stop back tomorrow to get the details.
Thank you for stopping by!
Supplies:
Stamps: Victorian Bird Cage by Meljen's Designs on Whimsy Stamps
Papers & CS: Neenah Crest solar white CS, Papertrey kraft CS, PaperStudio black CS, October Afternoon Thrift Shop paper pad
Inks: None
Tools: Sewing machine, Copic markers
Embellishments: The Twinery charcoal bakers twine, misc buttons, misc. red felt from Hobby Lobby, Sakura gold glitter pen, Close to my heart Stardust Glitz
Double Dutch - Something old (papers), something new (image), something borrowed (the sketch and felt from a friend), something blue (blue copic marker used for shading)
Our Sentimental Sundays challenge this week is "Cute & Cuddly". I made 2 cards for the challenge this week. You saw the first one on Sunday and this is the 2nd one I made using up scraps and pieces on I had on my desk. 'll
Using a pre-colored digi from Doodle Pantry made throwing this card together a snap. The best part is that I have another card for my OWH box. My box is almost full and will soon be mailed!
I also have some fun stuff coming up on my blog. On April 1st, there will be 2 blog hops. The first is to celebrate Meljen's Designs 1st birthday and the second is to show off the new digital releases at Whimsy Stamps. Make sure you stop to check out the hops. Like all hops, there will be prizes sprinkled along the way.
I will have a fun announcement in April for a GRAND OPENING on April 15th of something super cool. Stay tuned for this. I am dying to let the cat out of the bag but I have to wait. I can't wait to tell you all.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you will come back for some of the fun events coming up.
Supplies
Stamps: Bunny Friends with Bunny (precoloreddigi) from the Doodle Pantry, Ticket Sentiments from Raindrop Echo Designs on Whimsy Stamps
Inks: Close To My Heart chocolate ink
Papers: PaperTrey white CS, Neenah Crest solar white CS, Stampin' Up Bashful Blue CS & Bella Bird CS
Tools: Sewing Machine, Big Shot, PaperTrey Victorian Lace, Beautiful Blooms II #1 & Banner Basics die
It is so HARD to keep a secret! I can't wait to share with you what else I have been up to! I can't spill the beans just yet, but I can say that it is gonna be BIG and I am thrilled that I am able to be a part of it. Keep checking in though because there WILL be free stuff involved! Who doesn't love free stuff! Remember, you heard about it here first! I'll start posting some sneak peaks soon!
It's time for a new Sentimental Sundays challenge. This week our challenge is "Cute & Cuddly". Don't forget a sentiment! We also have a special guest designer joining our team this week. My 9-year old daughter has joined the fun. Please stop by her blog to check out her project (and leave a comment. She loves them!)
I made this flower using some old fabric and tulle that I found in the basement. The tulle is pink and was left over from a princess birthday party for my daughter from several years ago. I was inspired by this tutorial from Linda, the Funkie Junkie. The textured, brown piece was punched out of a Starbucks coffee sleeve. I love the texture of these things.
Thank you for stopping by! Don't forget to join in the Sentimental Sundays "Cute & Cuddly" challenge. The challenge is being sponsored by Heart Song Designs. Stop by the blog to see all the lovely creations from the DT and to get the challenge details.
Supplies:
Stamps: Garden Bun Bun Fairy by Meljen's Designs & Garden Bun Bun Sentiments from Raindrop Echo Designs (Both available on Whimsy Stamps)
Inks: None
Papers: PaperTrey white CS, Neenah Crest solar white CS, Stampin' Up Bashful Blue CS & Bella Bird CS
Tools: Sewing Machine, Big Shot, PaperTrey Victorian Lace, Beautiful Blooms II #1 & Banner Basics die, Copic Markers
Embellishments: Starbucks coffee sleeve, pink tulle, white linen, LuminArte Icicles, Liquid Pearls Opal, Paper Studio brad, Prismacolor white pencil
I have been on a Grace Potter kick this week. Grace Potter and the Nocturals has been one of my favorite groups for the last several years.
I couldn't decide which songs to share this week, so I picked two. The first is one that makes me want to move and my Jazzercise friends should recognize it. (If it makes you want to dance, come join us in class!) The second song is much slower but shows off her beautiful voice and song writting abilities.
If you have a song you would like to share, link up on Marcea's blog!
Have a great week end!
P.S. If you liked those two, HERE you can see the video for "Paris" which is starting to get some air play and I even heard in a commercial.
I am soooo ready for spring. I thought we were on our way. The robins and blue birds are back. Some of the trees are starting to bud. And then the temperatures dropped and *gasp* we even got a little bit more snow. I know, I know.... I should be used to it living in Wisconsin but what can I say? I was really hoping that winter was gone for awhile.
To remind myself that spring is right around the corner, I decided to make a card using some spring colors and this adorable caterpillar. I usually am not a big fan of caterpillars, but there is just something about this one that I love.
This little guy is no longer available in the Whimsy Store but you can find lots of other delightful rubber and digi stamps there.
I hope you have a wonderful week end. Thank you for stopping by.
Supplies:
Stamps: Warm Fuzzies from Bug Hugs Creations on Whimsy Stamps
Papers: Papertrey white & ripe avocado CS, My Mind's Eye Pretty Please papers
Inks: None
Tools: Big Shot, Spellbinders Lotus Border Petites, Big Scalloped Circles & Pose-Abilities Daisy Heads, Copic Markers
Happy Thursday! How is your week going? All week I have had the feeling that I am forgetting something. I keep checking my calendar and I look clear but I have that nagging feeling.... I guess I'll see what pops up.
I am trying to stock up on boyish/masculine cards to send into OWH. (I am still working hard to fill my box and get it sent!) I used Fuzzy Owl from Meljen's Designs (on Whimsy Stamps) to make a campy/boyish birthday card.
I have liked this image ever since it came out but, for some reason, I have never used him. Well, I guess there is no time like the present. I was especially inspired to put him on card since I just watched the movie "Legends of the Guardians" with my family. Have you seen it? We enjoyed it and really liked the educational bit about owls included on the disc.
Be sure to stop by the Meljen's Designs blog to see the new releases for the week and join in our "Be Creative with your Punches" challenge. Here is a preview of the new digis. You can see the projects some of the DT created with the new images on the Meljen's Designs blog.
Stay tuned for more information on a blog hop starting on April 1st to celebrate the 1st birthday of Meljen's Designs. As always, there will be chances for you to win some Meljen's Designs digis. Watch for more information soon.
Thank you for stopping by!
Supplies:
Stamps: Fuzzy Owl from Meljen's Designs available on Whimsy Stamps
Papers & CS: PaperTrey kraft CS, Neenah Crest CS, October Afternoon Campfire & Fly a Kite paper packs, Bazzil Basics green CS
Inks: Distress Ink in Antique Linen
Tools: Sewing machine
Embellishments: Natural Jute Ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon, blue & white bakers twine, misc brads & button
I can't believe it is that time already. My month as the orange torch bearer for Amber Ink has just flown by. Now it is time for me to pass my Amber Ink torch on to the next person. Anita Madden of Just A Pigment of My Imagination will be running with the orange torch for the next month. If you do not know Anita, I encourage you to check out her blog. Her beautiful projects always blow me away. Seriously, go check out her blog.
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Following, you can see all hand offs of the Amber Ink torches:
This is a recap of my projects over the last month. And I need your help....
...I need to send in one project to Amber to use for trade shows, conventions, etc. but for some reason I just cannot decide which one to send. I thought I would let my blog readers vote to decide which card to send in. So if the voting gadget works, you should see a poll below. Please vote for your favorite Amber Ink card from the ones above and I will send the winner into to Amber.
Thank you to Amber and Pam for allowing me the opportunity to be a torch bearer. I really enjoyed it. They are wonderful to work with and have an amazing sense of humor and fun.
Thank you so much for stopping by today! Please give Anita a warm welcome to the Amber Ink team. I can't wait to see her creations over the next month.
Wow this week has flown by! I can't believe it is already time for the new Sentimental Sundays challenge. This week we are challenging you to "Get Sentimental" with us. Use a sentiment as a focal point for your project.
I love cards that use a sentiment for a focal point. I used a sentiment from the Gratitude Sentiments digital stamp set created by Raindrop Echo Designs (available on Whimsy Stamps). Verve Sketch VLVMar2011 (week 3) was the starting point for my card. Cream seam binding was dyed using an ink pad to match my papers. In real life, it is the exact color but the color changes a bit in the photo.
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I hope you will join for our "Let's Get Sentimental" challenge at the Sentimental Sundays Challenge blog.
Spring is coming! Melissa of Meljen's Designs is getting us in the spring mood with some new little baby bunnies!! These are just the sweetest, cutest, cuddliest little loves ever! I just know you're going to love them!
I used Cuddle Bun Love to make a card to welcome a baby girl. I have the sentiment "Welcome Sweet Baby" on the inside because I just couldn't fit on the front.
Have you noticed all the stitching on my cards lately. I am really loving my new little sewing machine. But, let me let you in on a little secret. I sewed the front of the card to the card base. Not only that but I sewed the card closed. No wonder the needle didn't seem to want to go through. I guess 4 layers of PTI card stock might be a bit much for my cheap little machine. Never fear, I made a new base to put my card front on. Of course I might need a second mortgage on my house to pay for postage.....
Here is a peek at all the images release this week. They are perfect for the new Meljen's Designs Challenge, "Use Dots".
Thank you for stopping by! Happy Friday and have a great week end!
I was so excited when Melissa of Pink Cat Studio asked me to be a guest designer for the new release this week. The Gnome family has a new addition, Bibi.
I chose to use the Gnome couple with baby. Aren't they just the cutest? I plan on giving this card to my DD's teacher when she has her baby. Since we don't know if it is a boy or a girl, I tried to keep the card kind of gender nuetral. (**Edited - She had a baby boy last night!)
Here is a peek at the entire release of the gnome family and their newest addition. Aren't they cute?
Be sure to stop by the Pink Cat Studio blog to see all the creations from the PCS design team.
Today I have a sneak peek of one of the new rubber stamps from Crissy Armstrong that will be released at Whimsy Stamps tomorrow! To celebrate the release, there will be a blog hop with prizes starting at the Whimsy Inspiration blog on Wednesday, March 16th, at noon EST. You won't want to miss it!
For my card today, I used Benny & Joon Have Cake by Crissy Armstrong. I just love this fawn and bunny, they remind me of Bambi and Thumper. It took me a few tries to get the image colored how I wanted. I'm still in the learning curve with Copic markers, but I am pretty happy with the way it turned out. (Did you see it was used for the blog hop button? I know it's not much but it made me really happy!)
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Remember to stop by the Whimsy Inspiration blog tomorrow to get all the information and jump in on the blog hop. Whimsy will be releasing 4 rubber stamps from Crissy Armstrong, 2 rubber stamps from Meljen's Designs, 4 rubber stamps from Kenny K, 3 rubber stamp sets from Raindrop Echo Designs and 2 dies/sets from from Raindrop Echo Designs.
Thank you for stopping by!
Supplies:
Stamps: Benny & Joon Have Cake by Crissy Armstrong available on Whimsy Stamps
Papers & CS: Papertrey white & dark chocolate CS, My Mind's Eye Quite Contrary Little Miss Muffet collection, misc. mulberry CS
Inks: None
Tools: Sewing machine, Stampin' Up edge punch, Creative Memories 1-1/2 inch circle punch, Copic markers
Embellishments: Hug Snug seam binding, Tatered Angles pearl glimmer mist, Adorn It Tiny Etched Natural alphabet stickers
Awww, I'm feeling kind of sad. This is my last project for my term as an Amber Ink torchbearer. I know I will still be using their fun images and papers but it just won't be the same. On Friday, March 17th, I'll recap my Amber Ink projects and the following Monday the new torchbearers will be announced.
This is another card that I made for Operation Write Home. I am really working on getting my box filled so I can ship it out soon. I had to use Mod Kitch Kitsch and Say It Like It's 1959!. These sets are so perfectly punny - I love them! If you aren't comfortable using digi stamps, they also come in clear stamp sets.
Before I go today, I wanted to tell you about a new line of digi stamps on Amber Ink. The line is called "Get Them While They're Hot - Sheen On" It is a line of sentiments inspired by Charlie Sheen and his recent rants. I soooo wanted to make a card with one this week end but I ran out of time. Go check them out HERE.
It's time for the new Sentimental Sunday's challenge. This week we are challenging you to "Go Green!" You can interpret however you feel, St. Patrick's day, the color green, or even recycling, but be sure to include a sentiment.
I decided to make a card for St. Patrick's day using a new, precoloreddigi from Meljen's Designs and a sentiment from Raindrop Echo Designs. Using a precoloreddigi made putting a card together really quick. These papers are out of my stash. I bought them a few years ago when a local scrapbooking store went out of business and they have just been sitting there waiting to be used.
I am looking forward to making my Guinness-Braised Beef Brisket & Quick Cook Cabbage and cracking open a Guinness while listening to my Celtic playlist on Thursday. What do you do for St. Patrick's day?
I hope you will join us in the "Go Green!" challenge at Sentimental Sundays. Thank you for stopping by!
This week I have another Irish influenced band that I wanted to share for St. Patrick's day. This is one of my favorite bands to see each year at Milwaukee's Irish Fest.
I apologize for the sound quality. I had a hard time finding a video to post.
I just stumbled across this and had to add it.
If you would like to play along, link up your song at Marcea's blog.
I am trying to make more cards for Operation Write Home (OWH). I keep a box in my craft area for OWH. Once I have if filled, I ship it off. I thought this little mouse from Meljen's Designs would make a good "Any Occasion" card for OWH.
Don't forget to stop by the Meljen's Designs blog to see the new St. Patrick's themed digital stamps released yesterday or to enter our "Green" challenge.
I don't have a lot of chit chat today. It has been a busy week. Thank you for stopping by!
Supplies:
Stamps: Penpal Mouse by Meljen's Designs on Whimsy Stamps, It's Official by PaperTrey
Papers: CS: Georgia Pacific CS, BasicGrey Hopscotch paper pad
Ink: Versa Mark, Close To My Heart chocolate ink
Tools: Sewing machine, Big Shot, PaperTrey ric rak die, EK Success edge punch, Spellbinders Nestabilities, Close To My Heart edge distressing tool
Embellishments: Felt from Hobby Lobby, misc. brads, Glossy Accents
This week Amber Ink is sponsoring the CASE Study challenge. I was inspired by the card layout. Head over to the CASE Study blog to check out the challenge details.
I have another Amber Ink project to share with you today. I'm posting this a little early because I have to travel for work tomorrow and I won't get a chance to get on line. I know I can schedule a post but I just wanted to get it done now to make sure I don't have any Blogger issues.
This sweet little deer is part of the Wild Animal With Heart (WAWH) series. When you purchase this image, it comes two ways. It comes as you see it here and also with hearts (where I put the spots). Sooo cute and versatile!
Now, down to the important stuff. Who is the winner of the Bunny Hug image provided by Amber Ink during the OWH blog hop? I won't make you wait any longer...
Congratulations Seongsook! Please email me at shestamps11-blogs at yahoo dot com to claim your Bunny Hug digital image. If you were not the winner but really like the Bunny Hug image, you can find it in the Amber Ink store.
Thank you to every one that stopped by my blog during the Operation Write Home bunny hop. I really enjoyed reading all your comments. If you didn't hop with us, you still have time to visit all the projects and sign up for chances to win candy at some of the other stops. You can get more information on the hop from THIS post.
I can't believe this is the fourth of my six projects as an Amber Ink torchbearer. The time is just flying by. You will get to meet the new torchbearers on March 21. Until then I have a couple more projects to share with you but you'll have to come back to see them.
Welcome to my stop on the Bunny Hop for Operation Write Home. If you came from Velda's blog you're on the track. If you just came across the hop and would like to start at the beginning, the hop starts at the OWH Stars & Stamps blog where you can find all the blog hop details and complete list of all the stops. You will want to read to the bottom of my post to see how you can win some Amber Ink blog candy.
I used Bunny Hug from Amber Ink. I think this is just the sweetest image which can be used for all kinds of occasions. I actually love the entire Bunny Love line. The the bunnies are colored with Copic makers with a little Fun Flock added to their tails. Of course I had to use October Afternoon papers. (I love OA!)
I hope you will get a chance to play along with SFYTT this month for your chance to win some Amber Ink product. See the SYTT blog for the details.
Remember, if you would like to send in cards to OWH for the spring holidays, there are a couple of deadlines you should keep in mind. The Easter deadline is March 18th and the Mother's Day deadline is March 31st. You can check the OWH Mail Room for more information on how to send in your cards.
If you have time, check out the blog comments from our heroes who have received cards from OWH. They truly appreciate the cards they are sent. I love reading these messages.
Your next stop on the OWH Bunny Hop isPAPER ADDICT CATHERINE. If you get lost along the way or if there is a broken link, you will be able to find the complete blog hop list on the OWH Stars & Stamps blog.
Now for the details on how to win the blog candy. I am being sponsored by Amer Ink today and will be giving away the digital image, Bunny Hug, that I used on my project today to one random commenter.
Here's what you need to do to win-
1) Stop by the Amber Ink store and pick out your favorite product. It can be any Amber Ink product - digi stamps, clear stamps, or ipaper.
2) Enter your name in the linky tool below. After your name, include the name of your favorite Amber Ink product. (i.e.: Cheryl - Bunny Hug) If you do not have your own blog address, you can use mine but be sure to leave a comment with your email so I can get a hold of you if you win.
3) Please leave me a comment. You don't have to in order to qualify for the candy drawing but I love getting them. :)
4) Entries will end Monday, March 7th, at 5 pm CST. I will announce the random winner on my Amber Ink Torch Bearer post on Tuesday, March 6th.
It's March! Spring is on the way (hopefully) and St. Patrick's day is right around the corner. It's time for me to share some of my favorite Celtic influenced music.
If you would like to share a song, link up on Marcea's blog.
Stop back later today for the OWH Bunny Hop. I'll have a chance for you to win an Amber Ink digi!