A Princess For Halloween!

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Good Morning!

Tomorrows October 1st, which only means two things in our house - Halloween decorations come out and new stamps being released from Claudia and Company! Yippee! Today's card is a sneak peek of what's to come!

Meet Princess Chloe!

Another adorable Puddle Jumper from the fabulous designer Lori Boyd!! And the best part is that she's also releasing a Halloween Treat Bag digi set...so you can turn Princess Chloe into a Trick or Treater!! And what perfect timing too because my Little Ray of Sunshine has been begging to be a Princess for Halloween since, oh, last Halloween! LOL

As usual, I colored Princess Chloe with my reinkers and aquapainter brush. I used SU's Morning Marigold on her dress and More Mustard for the shadows. Her hair was done using Antique Linen, Tea Dye and a teeny, tiny bit of Vintage Photo Distress Ink. Although, in this photo you can't see it too well, those streaks in her dress are areas of glitter I applied using a Quickie Glue pen. The sentiment is from the Birthday Lily set. Love how versatile she can be! That patterned paper is a 6x6 Girl's Paperie sample pack of paper I bought from Claudia's online store, DieCutsRUs. But those things fly out the door like hot cakes, so I can't link you to them....because they're all gone!

If you want to see some more sneak peeks, then check out what the rest of the Claudia & Co team have been working on this week! (The links are in my sidebar.) Or, if you'd rather keep it a surprise, then stop back here tomorrow for a huge blog hop where you'll see another Puddle Jumper, a new monster on the block....and our FABULOUS guest designer for October!! Bet you can't guess what FARM she's from?! ;)


Supplies
Stamps: Claudia & Company 'Princess Chloe Digital Stamp' & 'Birthday Lily'
Inks: Creamy Caramel, Pretty In Pink, Morning Marigold, More Mustard, Sahara Sand, Distress Inks 'Antique Linen, Tea Dye and Vintage Photo'
Papers: Georgia Pacific, Bazzil Basics, PP - The Girls' Paperie
Access: Ribbon, Martha Stewart Edge Punch, Fiskars Decorative Scissors, Stampendous Crystal Snow Glitter, Machine Stitching, Dimensionals

Smooches!

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Good Morning Farm Lovers!

I've been feeling WAY guilty for not inking up my new Wild Sprouts from The Greeting Farm. They're not the newest kids on the spot, but since they haven't seen ink yet, they're new to me! I also bought some new paper from Crate Paper, a few weeks back that I haven't broken into yet, so Saturday night I pulled them all out and got them dirty! ;)

I've really missed my time on the Farm (the Greeting Farm, that is) so it was great to revisit it by playing with what might possibly be the CUTEST wild sprout in the land - Dee Dee! I also used this week's Club Anya and Friends Saturday Sketch challenge for my layout. Do you see the sparkle on that inverted scalloped border?? It's black glitter paper (from Michaels) and it's my favorite paper right now! I can't get enough of the stuff!

As usual, I used my reinkers and aquapainter brush to color in Dee Dee. I distressed the base panel with my edge distresser and then each panel was sponged with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink and machine stitched with either a straight stitch or my other favorite thing right now - zigzag stitch! I don't own the inverted scalloped circle nesties, so I used the flip side of my Fiskars scalloped scissors instead. When I do use this technique, I try to hide the point where I stopped and started under something - like the ribbon. I punched a scalloped border out of some scrap black cardstock and tucked it under the ribbon. The sentiment is from Kraftin Kimmie's everyday sentiments.

It felt good to ink up a neglected stamp! May have to do this on a regular basis....hmmm, I wonder what else is calling my name?! ;)


Supplies
Stamps: The Greeting Farm 'Wild Sprout Dee Dee', Kraftin Kimmies 'Everyday Sentiments'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Pretty in Pink, Raspberry, Almost Amethyst, Regal Rose, Ruby Red, Distress Inks 'Antique Linen, Tea Dye & Frayed Burlap'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Kraft, Bazzil Basics, PP - Crate Paper 'Restoration Collection'
Access: Ribbon, EK Success Edge Punch, Spellbinders Large Circle Nestibility, Fiskars Decorative Scissors, Tim Holtz Edge Distresser, Machine Stitching, Sponges, Dimensionals

The Tooth Fairy Was Here!

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

So something BIG happened that I've been dying to share with you! On Sunday night, my Little Ray of Sunshine lost her first tooth!


Soooo exciting, right?! We've been at her to wiggle and jiggle that tooth for about a month now, and last night her daddy convinced her it was time to pull that sucker out! The first tug made it bleed and that shocked her because she started crying - poor baby. We probably wouldn't have pushed it any further, but that tooth now lay horizontal instead of looking up at the sky! LOL So we convinced her to give it one more tug - which did the trick!

After that, just like a typical kid, she was completely fascinated with the hole that now lives where the tooth was once was. :) Even to the point where, in the wee hours of Monday morning, she woke me up to tell me that the hole had stopped bleeding! (It had already stopped before she went to bed, but apparently she had forgotten that!) Hahaha

Anyway, just had to share that. :) Thanks for popping in!

TSG74: Inspiration Challenge

Monday, September 27, 2010

Good Morning!

So, we were supposed to be packing this weekend because tomorrow would have been the day we closed on the house we've been negotiating over for the past 6 weeks. The packing didn't happen. Why? Last Monday we found out that the bank appraisal came in $11,000 lower than our offer and the owners refused to sell for the appraised value. But they took all week to decide this! Grrr! So we've extended our contract another month and we're going to get another appraisal done to see if it comes in any closer to our original offer. It's crazy I know, but we adore the house. So we fight on. *sigh*

Since it's Monday again, I have another There She Goes challenge for you all! This one is brought to us by the crazy talented Trendsetter, Iwona Palamountain! I adore her creative style...and the fact that she lives in my home country *might* have something to do with it too! ;)

Iwona has challenged us to an inspiration challenge this week and it's an awesome one - see the image above! The thing I love about inspiration challenges is that you can use ANY part of the image to inspire you! It could be the colors, the layout, the texture, style....anything! I chose to work with the layout and apply it to a Halloween card.

I was itching to make a card using this image and sentiment for the release last week, but I ran out of time! How FUNNY is this sentiment?!? I LOVE IT! It still cracks me up and I've spent heaps of time looking at it! I used Martha Stewarts bat punch and rhinestones to take the place of those white pompoms and two pieces of Basic Grey's old Eerie Halloween paper to create the backdrop.

To be eligible for the giveaway, you are to create a card using this sketch challenge, then come back to the TSG Blog to add your name and a link to your project in the InLinkz that is located at the bottom of this challenge post. This challenge is open until the winner has been announced on the following Monday (September 20th). The winner will get a $5 gift certificate to use in the TSG Web store!

By participating in this challenge, you may also find yourself in the Trendsetting Spotlight that shines on the TSG Blog every Thursday. We will be on the look out to find challenge cards that stand out and show Trendsetting qualities. TSG stamps are not required to participate in the challenges but are appreciated :)

You do not need to have a blog to be able to participate in the TSG Challenges! You can simply add the URL link from your project after it has been uploaded to your online craft gallery. If you upload your card to an online craft gallery, please use the keyword TSG74 so we can check out your beautiful work!

A little birdie told us that our fabulous Trendsetter, Jodi Collins, is gearing up to bring her second daughter into the world today!! So please join me and the other Trendsetters in congratulating Jodi and her family the very best of luck and a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS!!

Thanks for stopping by today!


Supplies
Stamps: There She Goes 'Hauntingly Delightful'
Inks: Creamy Caramel, Pretty In Pink, Soft Suede, Going Gray, Sahara Sand, Distress Inks 'Antique Linen, Tea Dye, Vintage Photo, Black Soot'
Papers: Georgia Pacific, Bazzil Basics, Glitter Paper, PP - Basic Grey 'Eerie'
Access: Martha Stewart Edge Punch and Bat Punch, Spellbinders Labels One Nestibilities, Adhesive Rhinestones, Machine Stitching, Sponges, Dimensionals

Etsy Friday Finds

Friday, September 24, 2010

Happy Friday everyone!

Did you all enjoy the TSG sneak peeks this week? Awesome sets right?! I have been in an Autumn kind of mood, sothis week I thought I'd seek out everything harvest-y on Etsy! Hope you enjoy these!

Bucks County Frames
Just a gorgeous image isn't it? Love, love, love the colors in this picture.









Funky Lobez
LOVE THESE!! I remember making one of these things (on a much larger scale) when I was a kid, so these earrings remind me of good times. :)





Rosa Maria's Kitchen
Mrs Rosa is a very talented lady! I was salivating over these yummy apples when I saw them!









Alien Label
Looooove the colors of this ring...and the pearls make it more delicious!









Naokosstoop
How cute is this?? Love the prints you can find on Etsy!










Thanks so much for popping by this week! Have a fabulous weekend!

TSG Hauntingly Delightful and You're A Hoot Blog Hop!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Welcome to the third and final blog hop for the October There She Goes releases!

Today the Trendsetters are showcasing two FABULOUS sets - You're A Hoot! and Hauntingly Delightful!! If you've hopped here from Piali's fabulous blog, then you're a-ok, but 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 one of these awesome sets just by hopping with us today!

I'M SO EXCITED that Halloween is just around the corner! Torico has illustrated a ton of fun images that you are going to love creating spooky projects with! From witches to vampires and everything else in between, this stamp set is going to quickly become a favorite of yours to use for years to come.

Hauntingly Delightful is a 6x8 stamp set that includes a total of 36 stamps and will sell for $24.


Being that Halloween is my FAVORITE holiday, I had a ton of fun making this card! I used all three mummies from the Hauntingly Delightful set (LOVE how they look like a Mama, Papa and Baby mummy!) and colored them up with Antique Linen, Tea Dye and Vintage Photo Distress Ink. Then I gave them a purple glow with Milled Lavender and Dusty Concord Distress Inks. That YUMMY paper is from Graphic 45's 'Halloween in Wonderland' collection - loooove it!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Jessica has been wanting to add a cute owl themed stamp set to the TSG stamp line for a while now, so when Torico came to her with the idea of wanting to illustrate an owl set, she was already on board! This fun stamp set includes owls in different shapes and sizes as well as fun sentiments and access images.

You're A Hoot is a 4x6 stamp set that includes a total of 26 stamps and will sell for $15.


I {heart} this set!! It reminds me of my very first owl set (by Sassafras Lass) which I loved, but I could never color in those images - I can with this set! I stamped out the branch and owl, then used my Post-It note technique to sponge the clouds behind them. Then I colored in Mr. Owl with my reinkers and aquapainter brush. The card base was created by layering cardstock and some Autumn-y Bo Bunny paper (Kitchen Spice) and machine stitching them together. The large scalloped edges were done with a corner punch (with the guard off) and the little scallops were created with my $2 decorative scissors from Michaels. Then it was just a matter of adding some wrinkled brown ribbon and brown rhinestones as the finishing touches!

Don't forget to leave a comment on each of the blogs and to leave your name in the Mr. Linky at the bottom of the TSG post so you can be in the random drawing to win your very own Cattitude set!

Your next stop along this hop is the amazing designer herself...

Torico!

Supplies
'Don't Worry...'
Stamps: There She Goes 'Hauntingly Delightful'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Sahara Sand, Distress Inks 'Antique Linen, Tea Dye, Vintage Photo, Milled Lavender and Dusty Concord'
Papers: Georgia Pacific, Bazzil Basics, PP - Graphic 45 'Halloween In Wonderland'
Access: Rangers Glossy Accents, Fiskars Pinking Shears, Spellbinders Labels Four Nestibilities, Sponges, Dimensionals

'You're So Very Wise'
Stamps: There She Goes 'You're A Hoot'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Sahara Sand, Close To Cocoa, Soft Suede, More Mustard, Really Rust, Ruby Red, So Saffron, Cool Caribbean
Papers: Georgia Pacific, Bazzil Basics, Kraft, PP - Bo Bunny 'Kitchen Spice'
Access: May Arts Solid Wrinkled Ribbon, Fiskars Decorative Scissors, EK Success Corner Punch, Taylor's Tiny Twinkles - Multi, Sponges, Machine Stitching, Dimensionals

TSG Autumn Mosaics Blog Hop!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

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

Today the Trendsetters are showcasing the beautifully serene set, Autumn Mosaics!! If you've hopped here from Piali's gorgeous 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 this fabulous set just by hopping with us today!

Autumn Mosaics is another stunning set designed by the incredibly talented Chris Dark. This set has all the things I love about autumn - from baskets filled with apples to big maple trees that (when colored) glow in the afternoon sun. I feel very fortunate that I get to experience this season in all it's glory living in New Hampshire!

Autumn Mosaic is a 4x8 stamp set that includes a total of 21 stamps and will sell for $18.

For this card I really wanted to create a very soft, traditional watercolored scene, so I used more water on my brush than usual. Then I sponged the edges with Antique Linen Distress Ink to age the image, matted with some Kraft and Bitter Chocolate Bazzil cardstock and machine stitched them together. The patterned paper is from MME and it's something I've had forever now. I sponged the edges with Tea Dye and Vintage Photo Distress Ink, machine stitched them to some pumpkin-colored Bazzil cardstock and adhered it to a Bitter Chocolate base. I wrapped the image with some beautiful wrinkled silk ribbon and kept the rest of it simple.

Congratulations! You've made it to the end of this hop!

Make sure you've left a comment on each blog along the way and don't forget to leave your name in the Mr. Linky at the bottom of the TSG post so you can be in the random drawing to win your very own Autumn Mosaic set!

Thanks for hopping with us today! Make sure you come back for tomorrow's grand finale hop!

Supplies
Stamps: There She Goes 'Autumn Mosaics'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Old Olive, Soft Suede, Soft Sky, Ruby Red, Distress Inks 'Antique Linen, Tea Dye and Vintage Photo'
Papers: Georgia Pacific, Kraft, Bazzil Basics, PP - MME
Access: May Arts Wrinkled Ribbon - Brown, Machine Stitching, Sponges, Dimensionals