Claudia & Company Sneak Peek!

Friday, October 29, 2010

Something's been brewin' over at Claudia & Company! For the past month or so Claudia, Lori and the DT girls have been feverishly planning and creating a huge November party bash and today we all get to share an itty bitty sneak peek of what you can expect to see at the birthday bash next Friday!

Claudia and Lori know how much you all love the Puddle Jumpers, so you are going to flip when you see what we all have in store for you today! We have not one, but TWO cuties to share with you all! Hold onto your hats peeps because here they come......

Meet Winter Ella!!

Love this girl!! She's oh so cute with those earmuffs and scarf! And don't even get me started on that pet penguin of hers! OM gosh!

Winter Ella is a digital stamp, so you can have that instant satisfaction of coloring her up when you purchase her! For this card I printed Ella on some Georgia Pacific cardstock and colored her up with my reinkers and a aquapainter brush. Those yummy papers are from a 6x6 sample pack of Echo Park's 'Everyone Loves Christmas' collection. I used Julee's MOJO160 sketch for my layout because that's how long I've had this card sitting on my desk unseen! :)

The sneak peek I have to share with you today is my favorite!

Introducing Party Time Piper!!

She's just too precious!! I can't get enough of her polka dot dress! So many color combinations for it! There's no need to find the perfect sentiment and accessories because Party Time Piper digital stamp set comes with that present and the sentiment so you have everything you need to create a Christmas card! I've been dying for a chance to use that velvet ribbon on a card!! Sooo yummy! And it works perfectly with that beautiful Christmas paper from Basic Grey!

You definitely want to check out what the rest of the girls have come up with using these cuties, so do yourself a favor and pop on over to Kadie's, Kim's, Krista's, Risa's, Sheri's, Tori's, Tracy's, Jacquie's, Lysa's, Margie's, Nicole's, Pam's and Shelby's blogs!

We'll all be back on Wednesday with another sneak peek, so ya'll come back now, ya hear?! :) Have a FABULOUS weekend sweet peeps!

Supplies
'Winter Ella'
Stamps: Claudia & Company 'Winter Ella Puddle Jumper - Digital Stamp'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Pretty In Pink, Regal Rose, Ruby Red, Cool Caribbean, Distress Inks 'Antique Linen, Tea Dye, Vintage Photo'
Papers: Georgia Pacific, Bazzil Basics, PP - Echo Park Papers 'Everybody Loves Christmas' Collection
Access: Ribbon, Spellbinders Labels One Nestibilites, Pebbles Inc. Candy Dots - Glitter White, Machine Stitching, Sponges, Dimensionals

'Party Time Piper'
Stamps: Claudia & Company 'Party Time Piper Puddle Jumper - Digital Stamp'
Inks: Creamy Caramel, Pretty In Pink, Ruby Red, Cranberry Crisp, True Thyme, Distress Inks 'Antique Linen, Tea Dye and Vintage Photo'
Papers: Georgia Pacific, Bazzil Basics, PP - Basic Grey's 'Jovial' Collection
Access: Spellbinders Tags Trio, Velvet Ribbon, Adhesive Rhinestones, Machine Stitching, Sponges, Dimensionals

Etsy Friday Finds... and a Trick or Treater!

TGIF! I'm excited about this weekend since it's officially moving day tomorrow (even though we've been in and out of the house all week) but I have reservations since moving it's my least favorite thing to do. But the benefits far outweigh the cons, so I'm just going to grit my teeth and get it done!

Anyway, so just in case we don't have our cable and internet hooked up in time, I've scheduled a bunch of posts for next week (including Claudia & Company sneak peeks and the BIG release happening next Friday!), so fingers crossed Blogger behaves itself and everything posts when it's supposed to! :)

So, in honor of our pending move and Halloween on Sunday, here's a few of my favorite finds on Etsy this week!


Isabella's Art
Wouldn't these look great propped up in a milk glass vase?? Awesome workmanship!








Corso Studio
I am addicted to the True Blood series and this bracelet is calling my name! Oh baby! ;)





Purrple Turtle
Such a cute charm! I'd wear on a pandora bracelet!









Yellow Bug Boutique
What can I say, but.......AWESOME!!!

I forgot to share with you a couple of pictures of Syd in her Halloween costume! We finally convinced her to go with something else other than her original idea of a bride (something about a child bride gave me the heebie jeebies!).

A shy Alice In Wonderland!

(One of the guys I work with took this shot - awesome isn't it?!)

TSG Snow Days Blog Hop!

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Welcome to the last blog hop for the November There She Goes releases!

Today we're showcasing the awesome and adorable Snow Days set! If you've hopped here from Piali's wonderful blog, then you're A-OK! If you haven't and would like to play along with us, just hop on back to the TSG blog and start your journey there. Remember, you could win this great set just by hopping with us today!

Torico has been winning our hearts with her cute animals and this month she has done it again! Our favorite pooch from Puppy Love is all bundled up and ready for winter!! From skiing and snowboarding to hanging out with a snowman pal, this adorable puppy will warm your heart just in time for the holidays.

Snowy Days is a 4x6 stamp set that includes a total of 17 of stamps and will sell for $15.


TRUST ME! When I say, you are going to WANT THIS SET! You already know how cute the puppy is from Torico's Puppy Love set and this set is the perfect compliment to it! And he's talented too! Look at him go! :) I colored him up with my reinkers and aquapainter brush, used some of those gorgeous papers from Echo Park and this week's Sketch For You To Try.

Would you like a chance to win the Snow Days stamp set? Here’s what you need to do: go to each of the Trendsetter’s blogs and leave a comment on their Snow Days Blog Hop Challenge post. After you have finished checking out the eye candy and have left some love, return to the TSG Blog to add your name to the Mr. Linky at the bottom of the Blog Hop Challenge post. A winner will be chosen randomly using a random number generator to receive their very own Snow Days stamp set. The winner will be announced Saturday (the 30th) during the Release Party Chat.

Your next stop is.....Torico!

Supplies
Stamps: There She Goes 'Snow Days'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black',
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - Echo Park Papers 'Everyone Loves Christmas'
Access: PTI Button, Bakers Twine - Red, EK Success Edge Punch, Machine Stitching, Sponges, Dimensionals

TSG Gobble and In Stitches Blog Hop!

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Welcome to the second blog hop for the November There She Goes releases!

Today the Jessica and us Trendsetters are showcasing the awesome sets Gobble! and In Stitches by the uber talented illustrator, Torico!! If you've hopped here from Piali's fabulous blog, then you're on the right track, but if you haven't and would like to play along with us, just hop on back to the TSG blog and start your ride there. Remember, you could win one of these sets just by hopping with us today!

Just in the time for Thanksgiving! Torico has illustrated this fun and adorable Turkey that has a lot to say ;) Not only can he hold a sign designed to say 7 different sayings but he also has his glass and fork ready just in time for the big dinner.

Gobble is a 3x4 mini stamp set that includes a total of 13 of stamps and will sell for $7.

This set is awesome!! It has a bunch of sentiments and this fat and juicy bird! Hehehe I couldn't decide which sentiment was my favorite, so I used as many as I could get on this card! :) Couldn't resist adding some Glossy Accents to their eyes too. The sketch is this week's CPS #190 rotated 180 degrees. Guess what a large group of turkeys is called? A rafter! I would have never guessed that one!

One of the biggest trends in stamping right now is using a sewing machine to stitch directly onto your hand stamped cards. This is one of my favorite techniques, but if it's not yours but you love the look - no worries! TSG is here with a quick and easy way to get that stitched look you love! This mini set not only has some beautiful silhouette border images but it also includes two styles of stitching that will give you that stitched look you are after.

In Stitches is a 2x6 stamp set that includes a total of 7 of stamps and will sell for $7.

I tend to sew on all my cards but it's so refreshing to skip this step and just stamp the stitches instead! I used four of the stamps from this set (can you see where they are?) and Cosmo Cricket's 'Material Girl' paper collection was the perfect paper for this happy card! Love the short, but sweet sentiment! I used Holly's TSG78 sketch for the layout and substituted the oval element for the paper flower.

I know you're loving all the sneak peeks, right? This team ROCKS! Remember to leave a comment on each of the blogs today to be in the running to win yourself one of these sets! Thanks so much for hanging out with me today!! and I hope to see you all hopping along with us tomorrow for our final sneak peek! :)

Your next stop is the illustrator herself....TORICO!

Supplies
'Happy Turkey Day'
Stamps: There She Goes 'Gobble!'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Going Gray, Regal Rose, Ruby Red, Creamy Caramel, Real Rust, Distress Inks 'Antique Linen, Tea Dye, Frayed Burlap, Black Soot'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - Creative Imaginations
Access: Fiskars Decorative Scissors, Rangers Glossy Accents, Sponges, Dimensionals

'Hi'
Stamps: There She Goes 'In Stitches'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Distress Inks 'Antique Linen, Tea Dye, Vintage Photo'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - Cosmo Cricket 'Material Girl' Collection
Access: Ribbon, Basic Grey Brad, EK Success Circle Punches, Fiskars Decorative Scissors, Sponges, Dimensionals

TSG Bountiful Blessings Blog Hop!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Welcome to the first blog hop for the November There She Goes releases!

We're showcasing another gorgeous set called Bountiful Blessings from illustrator Chris Dark! If you've hopped here from Piali's beautiful blog, then you're on the right track, but if you haven't and would like to play along with us, just hop on back to the TSG blog and start your hayride there! :) Remember, you could win this fabulous set just by hopping with us today!

Bountiful Blessings is a 4x8 stamp set that includes a total of 18 of stamps and will sell for $18.

Besides Halloween cards, Fall cards are my favorite type of card to make. Mainly because I love all the colors associated with the season! The rich chocolates, rust and mustard colors - soooo warm and inviting! I colored up this harvest collection of fruits and vege's with my reinkers and aquapainter brush. Basic Grey's Pyrus collection makes for gorgeous Fall cards, doesn't it? The sketch is a loose take on an old Sketch For You To Try.

Make sure you leave a comment on each blog post along the way and once you're done hopping, head on back to the TSG blog and leave your name in the Mr. Linky at the bottom of the post for your chance to win your very own Bountiful Blessings set!

Thanks so much for playing along today!! and I hope to see you all hopping along with us tomorrow for our second sneak peek! :)

Your next stop is...Torico!

Supplies
Stamps: There She Goes 'Bountiful Blessings'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Soft Suede, Pumpkin Pie, Really Rust, Old Olive, Regal Rose, Ruby Red, Distress Inks 'Antique Linen, Tea Dye and Frayed Burlap'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - Basic Grey's Pyrus Collection
Access: May Arts Wrinkled Ribbon - Brown, Spellbinders Oval and Scalloped Oval Nestibilities, Machine Stitching, Sponges, Dimensionals

Etsy Friday Finds

Friday, October 22, 2010

Good Morning! I wasn't looking for one thing in particular this week. LOVE that about Etsy! :)

NervousSystem

Just beautiful! *sigh*

Bellarageous
Now this is a sexy apron! ;)

Chaiv

I was watching a house intervention show the other night and they used these 3D butterflies on the wall as decor for a kids room....soooooo want to do this in Syd's new room!! Sooo adorable!

MemrieMare

These are gorgeous and would make great embellishments on a Christmas card! Oh, and you should see the other things she has in her store! *be still my heart*

The Decorated House
Wouldn't these be great printed on burlap throw pillows?!

Have a fabulous weekend!!

TSG Dollar Find Friday

If you'd like to check out some fun AND CHEAP Halloween treat buckets....head on over to the There She Goes blog! I got a bit creative this week! :)

Have a fabulous weekend!

Pretty Cool McCoy

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Good Morning!

I can't believe how fast the temperature dropped around here lately! It's already into the low 40's every morning and there's ice build up on the car windscreen. Brrr! Although I wouldn't complain if this was as bad at the winters got here....*sigh* a girl can dream, right?

Here's another look at Cowboy McCoy from Claudia & Company!

What a cutie he is! I was waiting for the right image to come along so I could break open my Pyrus paper pad from Basic Grey and McCoy was perfect for it! LOVING this paper collection!

I colored McCoy in with my reinkers and aquapainter brush on Strathmore Bristol Vellum (SBV) (it's not really vellum!). The edge of each panel was sponged with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink and machine stitched to some coordinating cardstock. I stamped the sentiment onto some scrap SBV, cut it out with the Labels Four Nestibility, cropped the top off it, sponged the edges with more Distress Ink and added the button and twine detail.

In case you missed the announcement during release day, Claudia from DieCutsRUs (and boss lady of Claudia & Co stamps) will donate $1 for every single Claudia and Company rubber stamp purchased at Die Cuts R Us during the month of October, and $2 for every photopolymer/rubber stamp set to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation! It's for a fabulous cause, so isn't it about time you picked up a cowboy?!? LMBO!

Thanks for stopping by!


Supplies
Stamps: Claudia & Company 'Cowboy McCoy Puddle Jumper' and The Greeting Farm 'Roll Call'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Pretty In Pink, Soft Sky, Buckaroo Blue, Morning Marigold, Distress Inks 'Antique Linen, Tea Dye, Frayed Burlap, Black Soot'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - Basic Grey's '??' Collection
Access: PTI Rustic Button Twine, PTI Button, Spellbinders Labels Four Nestibilities, Fiskars Decorative Scissors, Machine Stitching, Sponges, Dimensionals

TSG Trends

Each Wednesday over at the There She Goes blog, one of the Trensetters shares a trend, tip or trick with everyone and this week it happens to be my turn. If you want to see what trend I'm sharing this week (HINT: It's got something to do with this sneak peek!) then head on over to the blog to find out! :)


Toodles!

TSG77: Color Challenge

Monday, October 18, 2010

Good Morning!

This week is my turn to host the There She Goes challenge! Can you guess what colors I chose for the color challenge?!??? Hehehe Yep! I'm challenging you all to create some cards with the colors Green, Orange and Black! It doesn't have to be a Halloween card, but why go against the grain?! ;)

Even though it's my turn for Trendsetter week, I thought I'd give myself a bit of a break in the coloring department and simplify things a little. I used the ghouly ghosts from the Hauntingly Delightful set and the only reinker color I used on them was SU's Going Gray! To make them pop, I sponged a combination of Antique Linen, Tea Dye and Vintage Photo Distress Ink around them. Then just for a little sump'n, sump'n, I added a sprinkling of crystal glitter on them.

I meant to make that bow bigger, which is why there's space over the ghosts on the main panel. Oops! Each panel was sponged with Distress Inks and machine stitched to cardstock. I can't get enough of that MME Boo To You paper! They make the best stuff don't they?!

So now it's your turn; make a card using the colors in the challenge and then head over to the TSG blog to leave a link to your creation so we can all oooh and aaah over it! Who knows; you could be the winner of a $5 gift certificate to the TSG webstore!! :)


Supplies
Stamps: There She Goes 'Hauntingly Delightful'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Going Gray, Distress Inks 'Antique Linen, Tea Dye and Vintage Photo'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Kraft, Bazzil Basics, Glitter Paper - Black, PP - MME 'Boo To You' Collection
Access: Ribbon, PTI Button - Black, DMC Thread, Spellbinders Large Oval and Scalloped Oval Nestibilities, Spones, Machine Stitching, Dimensionals

Etsy Friday Finds

Friday, October 15, 2010

I've been feeling very inspired lately by bloggers who create warm and inviting cottages and homes. So I browsed Etsy for vintage inspired things. Here's just a little taste of what I found.

Joie DeCleve
Wouldn't this look beautiful on a stove top?!







Little Laura Stitches
This is gorgeous! It's handcut silk ribbon! So beautiful!!







The Wooded Lake
Love this little cupboard duck! The fabrics an stitching caught my eye.









The Primative House
I have few mason jars that would look FABULOUS in this tote!!






Dovie Moon

I {heart} this jug. :)

Have a fabulous weekend!

Bippity Bopitty BOO!

Friday's are a wonderful thing! :)

After tonight, I'll have been to three pumpkin carving events this week! The reason is that tomorrow is Keene's Pumpkin Festival and everyone in town is gearing up for it. Last year we broke our town record and had 29,000 carved pumpkins registered and when it gets close to dusk, everyone chips in to light them. The scene is nothing short of spectacular!! Unfortunately, the organizers have said that this will be their last year organizing it. :( But we're hoping that the retailers in town will come through and bring it back next year.

Today's card is a bit of a tribute to my little Ray of Sunshine. She's insisting on wearing one of the dresses in her dress up box as her costume this year (unless we can persuade her otherwise this week). It's a wedding dress!! So this is what Syd will look like on Halloween, if she has her way.


Sydney, uh, I mean Princess Chloe is all dressed up and ready to Trick or Treat with all that glitter on her dress! I colored in the shadows on her dress with SU's Cool Caribbean, then added the glitter with a Quickie Glue pen. Once she was dry, I cut her out. The paper is from MME's Boo To You collection and I'm sorry, but I used more of that black glitter paper from Michaels! I flipped over my scalloped decorative scissors and cut around the circle panel to create that inverted scalloped edge. Each panel was sponged with Distress Inks and machine stitched to Bazzil cardstock. The sentiment is from Whipper Snapper. Can you believe I actually came up with this layout myself?!? I couldn't find a sketch that fit this week. Shocking isn't it?!! Hahaha

Got any plans for the weekend? Besides the pumpkin carving tonight and the Festival tomorrow, we'll be packing some more stuff up for the pending move. It's starting to sink in a little more that we'll actually own a house again. :) I'll be more excited the day of closing.

I'll be back in a little bit with my Etsy Friday Finds, but have a great weekend whatever it is you're doing!!


Supplies
Stamps: Claudia & Company 'Princess Chloe Puddle Jumper' and Whipper Snapper 'Spooky Expressions'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Pretty In Pink, Cool Caribbean, Distress Inks 'Antique Linen, Tea Dye, Frayed Burlap, Black Soot'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - My Mind's Eye 'Boo To You' Collection
Access: PTI Rustic Button Twine, PTI Button - Black, Spellbinders Large Circle Nestibilities, Fiskars Decorative Scissors, Stampendous Crystal Snow Glitter, Machine Stitching, Sponges, Dimensionals

Miss You

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Good Morning!

I love Wednesdays! And not just because it's hump day either. I love Wednesdays because it's the one day of the week that I totally devote my evenings to watching TV! Starting at 8pm, I'm hooked on watching The Middle, Modern Family and Cougar Town! Do you watch these?? They're hilarious! I love how they take the mickey out of what a 'normal family' is.

I borrowed my friend Kadie's stamp while we were at Miss Mary's house (a few months ago) and colored her up there. Then last week, while I was blog hopping looking for sketches and challenges, I saw the Lolita Boutique's #18 challenge for this week and thought that Miss Lilith would be perfect for it!

I loved Lil Lolita Lilith! She has that moody, Burtonesque look about her. Lil Lolita's challenge this week was to use the colors of purple, black and orange and the colors in Basic Grey's Eerie paper collection matched the challenge perfectly! (I'm loving the fact that I've been using up this 6x6 pad so far this season!)

The layout is this week's Sketch For You To Try (probably my absolute favorite challenge!). I did squash the elements together just a bit for this card, but they're all there, I promise you! :) If you click on the picture for a close up view, you might be able to see that I added some sparkle to her hair and to the skull clip. Love adding little details like that to the images!

Each layer was sponged with Black Soot Distress Ink and machine stitched to cardstock. I think I'm addicted to the zigzag stitch!! It add SO much to a card! I got that lace from my local scrapbook store and that flower is from a new jar collection by Prima Flowers (found at Michaels). The small scalloped border around the image was done with my FAVORITE decorative scissors - also from Michaels.

Hope you're having a great week so far!


Supplies
Stamps: Tickled Pink 'Lil Lolita - Lilith', MFT 'Essential Sentiments'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Pretty In Pink, Sahara Sand, Ruby Red, Distress Inks 'Antique Linen, Tea Dye, Vintage Photo and Black Soot'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - Basic Grey 'Eerie Collection'
Access: Lace, Prima Flower, Basic Grey Brad, Spellbinders Labels Eight Nestibility, Kaisercrafts Adhesive Pearls - Black, Tim Holtz Edge Distresser, Machine Stitching, Sponges, Dimensionals

TSG76: A Recipe Challenge

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Saving every penny for the past one and a half months has been really boring! Although it's for a good cause (a house), it really has taken it's toll on us lately. So on Saturday we decided to get out of town and do a little shopping. Ahhhh! We could afford to do a little bit of retail therapy, so we did our annual pilgrimage to the Yankee Candle factory in Deerfield, MA. LOVE this place! It's smells wonderful and they have a great home decor section! If you ever get the chance to go, I highly recommend it!

So this week's There She Goes challenge (TSG76) is a recipe one and the lovely Piala has challenged us to use:

A kraft base, the colors black and white, a splash of color and a dry embossing technique.

Because I'm (still) in the festive mood (you're going to have to drag me out of it kicking and screaming!) I immediately thought of a Halloween theme for my card. (Bare with me friends, there are still two more weeks before the holiday!) I can't get enough of the cute characters from the Hauntingly Delightful set - they're just soo cute!!

Using the old Eerie collection of papers from Basic Grey, I chose to go with a predominately black card, with hints of white and my splash of color was the green. I used Taylor's TESC131 sketch for my layout and embossed the vertical strip with the swirls embossing folder from Cuttlebug.

Now it's your turn! Make your creation using Piali's recipe and upload it to your blog or SCS gallery. Then leave a link to it in the InLinz do-dad at the bottom of the TSG post. You could be the winner of a $5 gift certificate to the TSG webstore! :)

Thanks so much for stopping by!


Supplies
Stamps: There She Goes 'Hauntingly Delightful'
Inks: Going Gray, Distress Inks 'Frayed Burlap, Black Soot'
Papers: Georgia Pacific, Kraft Cardstock, Glitter Paper - Black, Bazzil Basics, PP - Basic Grey's 'Eerie Collection'
Access: Fiskars Pinking Shears, Machine Stitching, Sponges, Dimensionals

Claudia & Company Monthly Challenge!

Friday, October 8, 2010

Hello again!

Can you believe it's the second Friday of October already?!?? Where does all that time go?!! It feels like it was only just the beginning of September and my baby was starting Kindergarten! It'll be Christmas before I know it too! Oi vey!

Well, because it's the second Friday of October, this means it's time for another Claudia & Company monthly challenge! Thank you to all those who played along with us last month. If you want to know who the winner was, just pop on over to the Company blog to see. And while you're there, you'll be able to see what this month's challenge is - it's a recipe challenge!! Lori, Claudia and the girls are challenging you all to create a card using these three things: The color Orange, some ribbon and some buttons!


This is definitely my kind of challenge because it has all the things I love on a card! :) I had to use Mr. Smiles again - especially for this challenge - because orange is such a happy color and Mr. Smiles is a happy kind of monster. :)

First off, I colored him with my Distress Ink pad (Broken China), SU reinker (Buckaroo Blue) and aquapainter brush. I couldn't resist - I gave him rainbow horns!! Hehe Then I cut him out with my precision scissors. For all the panels on the card, I sponged them with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink and machine stitched them to a piece of coordinating Bazzil cardstock. Then I used some contrasting ribbon to make the card pop and added a few buttons to pull the whole card together. I can never remember to think about where the sentiment might go until the very end of the process, so most of the time it just gets slapped on! Only today, I decided to slip it under the circle panel - I love this look!

Now it's your turn! Create a card using the color orange, some ribbon and some buttons and leave a link to it on the Claudia & Company blog post. You have until November 10th to get your entries in! Who knows - you could be our winner next month!! :)

Have a FABULOUS weekend everyone!!

Supplies

Stamps: Claudia & Company 'Mr Smiles'

Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Cool Caribbean, Regal Rose, Ruby Red, Pumpkin Pie, Really Rust, More Mustard, Distress Inks 'Frayed Burlap, Broken China'

Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - Basic Grey's 'Offbeat and Mellow Collection'

Access: Ribbon, PTI Buttons, Spellbinders 'Labels One and Large Circle Nestibilities', Sponges, Machine Stitching, Dimensionals

Etsy Friday Finds

Good Morning!

I've had so much fun finding all sorts of Autumn/Fall things on Etsy these past few weeks! I love the colors and cosy feelings they evoke! Hope you enjoy these beauties this week!

Twiddle and Tweet

Love how striking the white doodle patterns are on the kraft background. So pretty!




Harmonized Creations

It's not a Fall inspired thing, but OMG it's GORGEOUS! Soooo want one! :)





Calabasa's Candy Co.

Pumpkin marshmellows!!!! They look like they could melt in your mouth! YUM!!








Bloom and Barnacle

How can you NOT love this little ghoul?!






Look out for another post from me later this morning! :)

Spoooooky Stella!

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Happy Hump Day!

I hope you're not sick of Halloween cards yet! I have a few more up my sleeve in the weeks to come. I can't help it - I love this holiday! :)

It's not like my stamp collection is lacking in the Halloween department, but I couldn't help adding Spoooooky Stella to my cart at my last Stamping Bella purchase! How can you not love Stella?! She ROCKS!

For this card I colored Stella with my reinkers and aquapainter brush on Strathmore Bristol Vellum cardstock. Then I added some Crystal Snow glitter to her wand and tiara. I used this week's Sketch Saturday #123 for my layout and I had completely forgot I had this stack of Halloween paper from Making Memories! Each panel was sponged with Vintage Photo Distress Ink and then machine stitched with black thread. I used the corner punch with the guard off to create the scalloped border and then I added some of Taylors Tiny Twinkles in black to the centers of them. This was a fun card to make! :)

Thanks for stopping by today! (Only two more days until the weekend! woohoo)

Supplies

Stamps: Stamping Bella 'Spoooooky Stella', Recollections 'My Little Monsters'

Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Soft Suede, Pumpkin Pie, Really Rust, Going Gray, Morning Marigold, Old Olive, So Sahara, Distress Inks 'Dusty Concord, Vintage Photo'

Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - Making Memories 'Spook Alley'

Access: Ribbon, Stampendous Crystal Snow Glitter, Taylors Tiny Twinkles, Spellbinders Large Circle Nestibilities, EK Success Corner Punch, Fiskars Pinking Shears, Sponges Machine Stitching, Dimensionals

TSG75: Color Challenge

Monday, October 4, 2010

Happy Monday everyone!

I have to apologise. I've been a little preoccupied lately (some call it obsessed) with our house buying endeavors. It's totally consumed me! I so want this over with so, one way or another, I can get on with my life! And because all my focus has been on it, I've haven't paid attention to much else - including stamping! *shock* But don't worry, I plan on getting my groove back because October is my month! I love everything about October - pumpkins, fall, trick or treating and especially Halloween!

And this week's challenge TSG75 is all about that fun day! It's a color challenge and Trendsetter Corinna McGregor is challenging us to use the colors ORANGE, PURPLE and LIME on our projects!

I decided to pull out an old TSG Halloween set for this challenge. Remember the cool Spookatular Silhouettes set?! It has some great images in it and this awesomely spooktacular sentiment!

I always find color challenges hard because I can never balance the colors very well, but I think I did ok on this one. :) I used Jen's Sketch For You To Try for my layout and the paper is from Recollection's Halloween stack from last year. I stamped the sentiment onto black cardstock with Versamark Ink, applied white embossing powder and heat set it. Then I used the Labels Eight and Large Oval Nestibilities to cut the frame from some of that GORGEOUS black glitter paper (again!), popped it on dimensionals and laid it over the sentiment. For the two band elements (in the sketch) I used a few rows of scalloped (done with a corner punch) purple paper and the Martha Stewart rickety old fence punch. I completely forgot I owned that punch which is why I sooo need a stamp room so I can see everything I own without having to dig for it! ;) See that little spider dangling from the ribbon/button detail? He's in the set too.

Now it's your turn! Create a card using these colors and head on over to the TSG blog and leave your name in the Mr. Linky at the bottom of the post. You could win yourself a gift certificate to the TSG webstore! :)

Oh, by the way, I added a bunch of Halloween and recent cards to my store yesterday. I'd love it if you gave them a new home! :) Thanks SO much for stopping in today!


Supplies
Stamps: There She Goes 'Spooktacular Silhouettes'
Inks: Versamark, StazOn 'Jet Black', Distress Inks 'Lavender Lace, Dusty Concord, Tea Dye, Vintage Photo'
Papers: Bazzil Basics, Black Glitter Paper, PP - Recollections 'Halloween' Stack
Access: Ribbon, PTI Button - Black, PTI Rustic Button Twine, Martha Stewart Edge Punch, Sponges, Machine Stitching, Dimensionals

Release Day for Claudia & Company!!

Friday, October 1, 2010

Hello and welcome to the October release for Claudia & Company!! We've got some versatile sets this month, so hold onto your hat partner - you're in for a WILD RIDE!

If you've stopped here from the awesome eye candy that is Risa West's blog, then you're riding the right trail, but if you haven't and would like to saddle up with us, then head on over to the saloon...oops! I mean Claudia & Company blog and start your rodeo there! :)

Today, Claudia & Company is releasing two rubber stamps and a couple of digital stamps and the best part about them is that they're SO versatile!! You can make regular cards with them (like I did) or you can add accessories and turn the cuties into adorable Trick or Treaters! So without further ado...

Meet Cowboy McCoy

Isn't it every boy's dream to dress up like a cowboy some time in their lives?! I know my brother did and we grew up in New Zealand....it's about as far away from the Wild Wild West as you could possibly get! LOL Lori Boyd really has outdone herself with this little guy! Don't you just LOVE that hat and his ride?!!

I kept this card pretty simple so Cowboy McCoy would shine. I colored him with my SU reinkers and aquapainter brush and believe it or not, I have had those Cosmo Cricket 'Wanted' papers in my collection ever since they were first released the first time around! (Luckily, Claudia has a 6x6 sample pack of them in her store, so you can create your own cowboy card!)

The other rubber stamp being released today is by Claudia & Company's newest designer, Jane Beljo!!

Introducing Mr. Smiles!!

He's perfect for Halloween, right?!! I love Halloween monsters! :) I also love Halloween paper and MME's Boo To You collection is aweeeeesome! (I got mine from the DieCutRUs store, but apparently they flew out the door too!) A Halloween card wouldn't be complete without some ricrac and rustic twine. Oh, and do you see that arrow image on the green paper?? That was done with a stamp that comes with Mr. Smiles AND the sentiment! Very cool! Now, I do have to point out that Mr. Smiles doesn't have those particular eyes. I stuck die cut eyes from an old DCVW Halloween die cut pack so they could pop off the page like that.

The third image being sold today is Princess Chloe, who you can see in THIS POST! Perfect for the little princesses in our lives - mine included! :)

!!Cause Alert!!

October also means it's Breast Cancer Awareness month and Claudia is generously donating $1 from every Claudia & Company single rubber stamp sold, and $2 from every Claudia & Company rubber set to the Susan G. Komen For The Cure Foundation!

Your next stop along this hop is.....Sheri's blog!

Supplies
'Cowboy McCoy'
Stamps: Claudia & Company 'Cowboy McCoy Puddle Jumper'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Pretty In Pink, Buckaroo Blue, Soft Suede, Close To Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Morning Marigold, Distress Inks 'Antique Linen, Tea Dye and Vintage Photo'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - Cosmo Cricket's 'Wanted' Collection
Access: Spellbinders Large Oval Nestibilities, Eyelets, Twine, Machine Stitching, Sponges, Dimensionals


'Smile'
Stamps: Claudia & Company 'Mr. Smiles' set
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Distress Inks 'Antique Linen, Tea Dye, Vintage Photo, Milled Lavender and Dusty Concord'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - My Minds Eye 'Boo To You' Collection
Access: Ric Rac Ribbon, PTI Rustic Button Twine, PTI Button - Black, DCWV Halloween Die Cut Pack, Pinking Shears, Machine Stitching, Sponges, Dimensionals

Twice In One Week?!?

Can you believe it?! Two teeth in one week!!

Only, this one wasn't pulled out.

I accidently caught this one on the washcloth I was using to wipe Sydney's face clean! It fell onto the floor with Syd and I looking on in shock! LOL I felt SO BAD, but Syd took it in her stride and said "It's ok Mama." *sigh* Love that girl!

PS. The Tooth Fairy hasn't visited yet....Syd wrote a note begging the Fairy not to take it! But, I think the Tooth Fairy will be writing back tonight convincing her otherwise! hahahaha

PPS. As of this morning...the tooth is MISSING!! Apparently Syd wanted to 'keep it safe' and took it out of the box and slept with it last night! Who does that?!?