TSG Love Birds/Sentimental Blog Hop!!

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Welcome to the third and final blog and hop for the January There She Goes release!

If you've stopped here from the lovely Piali's blog, then you're on the right track, but if you haven't and would like to join us on this hop, then head on over to the TSG blog to start your journey there.

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, you will definitely want to invest in a stamp set that is not only whimsical, but also versatile. Staying true to Torico’s clean and magical illustration style, this set features a bucket and a barrel that can be filled with all sorts of goodies (and the sentiments are to die for as well)! You’ll enjoy hours of creating and coloring with this fabulous set!

Buckets of Love is a 4x6 stamp set that includes a total of 18 stamps and will sell for $15.

You're going to love this set! I love bird stamps and TSG has some of the best ones around! I used one of the bird images from the set and stamped the cage over the top of it. Then I colored it up with my reinkers and cut it out. The base of the card was made using that gorgeous Curio paper from Basic Grey. Each panel was sponged with Distress Ink and machine stitched to black cardstock. One of my favorite things about TSG stamps are the sentiments and this one has some great ones. You might have noticed though, that this sentiment has a grammatical error in it and yes, Jess knows about it. Replacements are being shipped from the printers, so when you buy your set, yours will be correct. :)

Would you like a chance to win the "Buckets of Love" stamp set? Here’s what you need to do- go to each of the Trendsetter’s Blogs and leave a comment on their "Buckets of Love" Blog Hop Challenge post. After you have finished checking out the eye candy and have left some love, return to the TSG Blog and add your name to the Mr. Linky at the bottom of this Blog Hop Challenge post. A winner will be chosen randomly using a random number generator to receive their very own "Buckets of Love" stamp set. The winner will be announced Saturday (Jan. 1st) during the Release Party Chat.

Your next stop is....TORICO!

Supplies
Stamps: There She Goes 'Love Birds'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Cool Caribbean, Regal Rose, Ruby Red, Sahara Sand, Distress Inks 'Tea Dye, Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - Basic Grey's Curio Collection
Access: Ribbon, Heart Button, Fiskars Decorative Scissors, EK Success Edge Punch, Sponges, Machine Stitching, Dimensionals

TSG Buckets of Love Blog Hop!!

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Hello and welcome to the second blog hop for the January There She Goes release!

If you've stopped here from Piali's fabulous blog, then you're a-ok! If you've just popped on over here from somewhere other than Piali's blog and this sounds like a hop you'd like to play along on, then head on over to the There She Goes blog to start your ride!

Today's sneak peek is all about that romantic day in February!

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, you will definitely want to invest in a stamp set that is not only whimsical, but also versatile. Staying true to Torico’s clean and magical illustration style, this set features a bucket and a barrel that can be filled with all sorts of goodies (and the sentiments are to die for as well)! You’ll enjoy hours of creating and coloring with this fabulous set!

Buckets of Love is a 4x6 stamp set that includes a total of 18 stamps and will sell for $15.

This set is awesome! It's the perfect set for those of us who like to give Valentines Day cards that aren't over-the-top lovey dovey. It's the right amount of sweet and playful. I used the wooden bucket and hearts stamps from the set as well as one of the sentiments that at first glance, wouldn't seem like a match, but it still works. I colored the image with my reinkers and aquapainter brush, added a bunch of glitter to the hearts and popped it off the nestie with the help of dimensionals.

Would you like a chance to win the "Buckets of Love" stamp set? Here’s what you need to do- go to each of the Trendsetter’s Blogs and leave a comment on their "Buckets of Love" Blog Hop Challenge post. After you have finished checking out the eye candy and have left some love, return to the TSG Blog and add your name to the Mr. Linky at the bottom of this Blog Hop Challenge post. A winner will be chosen randomly using a random number generator to receive their very own "Buckets of Love" stamp set. The winner will be announced Saturday (Jan. 1st) during the Release Party Chat.

Your next stop is.....TORICO!!

Supplies
Stamps: There She Goes 'Buckets Of Love'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet black', Creamy Caramel, Soft Suede, Sahara Sand, Regal Rose, Ruby Red, Cool Caribbean, Distress Inks 'Antiqu Linen and Tea Dye'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PTI Kraft Cardstock, PP - October Afternoon 'Modern Homemaker'
Access: Grograin Ribbon - Black/White Stitch, May Arts Heart Trinket Pins, Fiskars Decorative Scissors, Spellbinders Labels Four Nestibilities, EK Success Corner Punch, Sponges, Machine Stitching, Dimensionals

TSG Wonderful Winter Wishes Blog Hop!!

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Welcome to the first blog hop for the January release of new stamps for There She Goes! This month Jess has four awesome sets for you and today's one is nothing short of beautiful!

If you've stopped here from Piala's wonderful blog then you're on the right track, but if you haven't and would like to hop along with us today, then head back to the TSG blog to start your ride there.

This first set, illustrated by Torico, showcases some precious images of children enjoying their snowy environment. This set will bring back childhood memories of crisp, fun-filled winter days.

Wonderful Winter Wishes is a 4x6 stamp set that includes a total of 12 stamps and will sell for $15.

Torico has created another amazing set that I've fallen in love with! The little kids she draws are sooo cute! And with all of the TSG's sets, the sentiments are perfectly suited to the images. I created this quick card using one of Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketches from a couple of weeks ago and my thread of choice this holiday season - baker's twine!

Would you like a chance to win the "Wonderful Winter Wishes" stamp set? Here’s what you need to do- go to each of the Trendsetter’s Blogs and leave a comment on their "Wonderful Winter Wishes" Blog Hop Challenge post. After you have finished checking out the eye candy and have left some love, return to the TSG Blog and 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 "Wonderful Winter Wishes" stamp set. The winner will be announced Saturday (Jan. 1st) during the Release Party Chat.

Your next stop is....TORICO!!

Supplies
Stamps: There She Goes 'Warm Winter Wishes'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, Ruby Red, Bahama Breeze, Soft Suede, More Mustard, Really Rust, Going Gray, Sahara Sand, Cool Caribbean, Distress Inks 'Dusty Concord, Frayed Burlap'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, PTI Kraft Cardstock, Bazzil Basics, PP - Crate Paper 'Snow Day' Collection
Access: PTI Bakers Twine, PTI Button, EK Success Corner Punch, Stampendous Crystal Snow Glitter, Machine Stitching, Sponges, Dimensionals

Happy Holidays!

Friday, December 24, 2010

Happy Christmas Eve everyone!!

Are you excited yet?? I know my little one is! We're all home today, so we have a day of cooking, eating and lots and lots of singing ahead of us. The cheesecake is setting in the fridge as we speak (or write!) and I'm preparing the soup this morning ahead of time. Then we'll bake a couple dozen cookies and watch a Christmas movie or two. Loooove Christmas Eve!

I couldn't let this season go by without coloring up this little guy from Stamping Bella!

I say 'little' in the visual sense of the word because the stamp is anything but little! As far as stamps for cards are concerned, it's huge! He's the King of the Candy Canes and he's from the Tiddly Ins line of rubber stamps at Stamping Bella.

I needed to make a quick and easy card with a equally easy layout, so I CASED this card by the fabulous Jeanie Witmer. You should do yourself a favor and check out her blog....it's gorgeous! The rules for CASING a card require you to change at least 3 things from the original, so I changed the image (obviously), the paper (it's from The Girls Paperie) and last, but not least, the size of the card. I made mine into a 5.5" x 5.5".

Before I sign off for the holidays, I wanted to share with you all some (really bad) photos of my living room dressed up for Christmas. I don't have a great camera for these night shots especially when I refuse to use the flash - it takes all the warmth out of the photos!

Our living room (That chair was $25 on Craigslist!)

Garland on the banister - SO PRETTY!

Our tree (That's my little milk glass collection up there on the bookcase!)

The sideboard next to the front door (LOVE those sidelights!).

Other side of the living room, the wood stove and the hallway (Can you spot our Elf on the picture?)

So until next week, from my family to yours, I wish you all a wonderful Christmas Day!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Supplies
Stamps: Stamping Bella 'King Of The Candy Canes', There She Goes 'Penguin Pals'
Inks: StazOn ;Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Soft Suede, Regal Rose, Ruby Red, Cranberry Crisp, More Mustard, Old Olive, Going Gray, Sahara Sand, Cool Caribbean
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Georgia Pacific, Bazzil Basics, PTI Kraft Cardstock, PP - The Girls Paperie 'Tinsel and Twigs'
Access: Ribbon, Fiskars Decorative Scissors, Stampendous Crystal Snow Glitter, Sakura Glaze Pen, Machine Stitching, Sponges, Dimensionals

Claudia & Co

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Good Morning!

Are you all set for Christmas Day? I've been preparing for Christmas Eve dinner at my house and the other night we had a minor setback. Our gas oven decided not to work! How does one cook a rib roast in an oven that doesn't work?! One doesn't! So The Man worked his magic and got the stove to work again! Yay! Now Christmas Eve dinner is back on and I'm psyched! I'm making a potato and leek soup for starters, then a rib roast, glazed carrots, squash and Yorkshire pudding for mains, and cherry cheesecake to finish the meal off. I haven't had Yorkshire pudding since I moved to the US over 10 years ago, so it's going to be a real treat for me! What are your favorite Christmas dishes? I'd love to hear them!

Today's card is one I had some fun with! Fun papers and a funky layout really put me to the test with this one!

I have so enjoyed coloring up these Puddle Jumpers, as has my little Ray of Sunshine! We like nothing better than to color in our art room together. While making this card, Syd insisted I color her hair black, so I obliged. :)

I colored up Party Time Piper with my reinkers and aquapainter brush and cut her out using some small precision scissors. I also did the same thing with the present thats included in the stamp set. The layout is this week's Friday Sketchers #133 layout. For the panel beneath Piper, I cut a piece of kraft cardstock with the Labels One nestie and matted it with some black and more kraft cardstock. Then I sponged the edges with Tea Dye and Vintage Photo Distress Ink and machine stitchedd them together. I can't resist adding more sparkle to a card, so I spritzed the panel with Pearl Glimmer Mist from Tattered Angels. Each panel was sponged with Black Soot Distress Ink and machine stitched to black cardstock. The horizontal strip across the bottom of the card was made with Papertrey Ink's eyelet lace trim using more of that gorgeous Curio paper from Basic Grey.

Have you heard the exciting news?! DieCutsRUS is changing it's name! On January 1st, they will officially be known as Claudia and Company! It's a name you know and love so the change won't be a hard one to wrap your head around! :) You can sign up for the new Claudia And Company newsletter to receive regular updates and heads up on all the sales. Head over to the webstore now and sign yourself up!


Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Supplies

Stamps: Claudia & Company 'Party Time Piper', There She Goes'Snow Days'

Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Pretty In Pink, Really Rust, Regal Rose, Certain Celery, Cool Caribbean, More Mustard, Distress Inks 'Antique Linen, Tea Dye, Vintage Photo, Black Soot'

Papers: Georgia Pacific, PTI Kraft Cardstock, PP - Basic Grey 'Curio' Collection

Access: PTI Eyelet Lace Trim, Spellbinders Labels One Nestibilities, Adhesive Rhinestones, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist - Pearl, Machine Stitching, Sponges, Dimensionals

Changing Of The Seasons Sale!

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Good Morning!

There's a sale going on this week and it's not because of Christmas! It's a Changing of the Seasons sale at There She Goes! This sale will run from today, December 21st until the 28th. All 5 stamp sets are 15% off of their regular price.

Dadisms $20.40 (reg. $24)
By The Sea $20.40 (reg. $24)
Art Is the Window $15.30 (reg. $18)
Bit of Stardust $15.30 (reg. $18)
Autumn Mosaic $15.30 (reg. $18)

So if you've had your eye on one of these sets, but haven't made the leap yet, now is the time to buy it! And don't worry about your hubby seeing the purchase - you can always say it was a gift for a friend! ;)

Last month a friend asked me to make her two baby cards for her nieces, who were expecting babies this month, so I whipped up this pretty, feminine card for the baby girl using the Bit of Stardust set.

I stamped the pram (or stroller as my American friends call it) with Tattered Rose Distress Ink on Strathmore Bristol Vellum, then I stamped the sentiment with Jet Black StazOn. Then I cut the image out and sponged around the edges with Antique Linen and Tea Dye. Then I matted the panel with red, white and pink cardstock and machine stitched them together. I used some of that fabulous Alphabet Soup paper from MME and some wrinkled cream ribbon for that feminine touch. The border was made using 4 panels cut with the Labels Four die from Spellbinders. The photo doesn't do it justice because I spritzed some Pearl Glimmer Mist over the main panel to add to the feminine feel of the card.

Thanks for stopping by today! Hope you have an awesome day!

Supplies
Stamps: There She Goes 'Bit Of Stardust'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Distress Inks 'Tattered Rose, Antique Linen and Tea Dye'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PTI Kraft Cardstock, PP - My Minds Eye 'Alphabet Soup' collection
Access: May Arts Wrinkled Solid Ribbon - Cream, Spellbinders Labels Four Nestibilities, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist - Pearl, Machine Stitching, Sponges, Dimensionals

Etsy Friday Finds - Gifts Under $15!

Friday, December 17, 2010

Howdy folks!

No card from me today. I was too pooped after spending the evening at a local auction house and didn't feel like heading to my craft room when we got back. However, I did find some fabulous deals on Etsy this week! More gift ideas for under $15 (or there abouts!)! A little something for everyone!

Black Dove Botanicals
What's that? What are they selling? It's an under eye serum that reduces puffy eyes and supposedly gives you a well rested look. Where do I sign up?!?







Substrata
Awesome wooden gift tags! These would look fabulous hung around a nice bottle of red. :)








Bubble Time
How stinkin' adorable is this little guy?!? I could picture a couple of these sitting on a shelf in my house!







MTheory Clothing
For my brother in law who's in a band. I think he'd love this t-shirt!






Uncommon
I think I'm in love! It's a wooden trivet! Can you say G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S?!?









Monster Promos
Nuff said. :D

Have yourself a FABULOUS weekend my sweet friends!

All of the Wonderful Things Winter Brings!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Good Morning!

Hope your week is panning out to be a good one. My week has been a consistant one of sleeping, working, eating and sleeping again. Nothing much out of the norm. I'm using the time to plan ahead and prepare....mentally! The Little One has a birthday party to go to on Saturday, The Man as a job interview the same day, Sunday will be spent at the Mall, next Wednesday is Little One's Christmas Party at school, and I have to decide on what I'm serving for dinner on Christmas Eve when the immediate family come over! 'Tis the season! :) What's your calendar look like?? Much the same?

Today's card is another Christmas one...surprise, surprise! ;)

I received the TGF newsletter yesterday and in it I spied a card by Melissa Connolly. Her work is amazing and so well put together. I had to case it since it was the perfect layout for this Snowy House stamp from Stamping Bella!

I've seen some amazing cards done with this stamp from Lindabella and Paulabella and I don't mind saying that my card does pale in comparison, but that's ok, because it's all about practice. Practice makes perfect, right? :) I'm regretting the location of the sentiment on that busy paper...bad decision on my part. Some lessons are harder to learn than others!

Here's a close up of the house. I added some crystal glitter (with a Quickie Glue Pen) to the snow and the sky around the house. In real life, this card sparkles! The snowflake was punched from some white glitter paper I found at Michaels and I popped a Basic Grey Jovial brad in the center.

Question: Which Basic Grey collection is your favorite?? Mine would have to be the Figgy Pudding collection - loved all the colors and patterns in that one!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Stamps: Stamping Bella 'Snowy House' and There She Goes 'Snowy Days'

Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', More Mustard, Really Rust, Old Olive, Going Gray, Cool Caribbean, Regal Rose, Ruby Red, Soft Suede, Distress Inks 'Antique Linen, Tea Dye and Frayed Burlap'

Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, Kraft Cardstock, PP - Basic Grey's Jovial Collection

Access: PTI Bakers Twine, EK Success Edge Punch, Stampendous Crystal Snow Glitter, Machine Stitching, Sponges, Dimensionals

Happy Holidays!

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Happy Wednesday everyone!

It's almost half way through December and we just got our first snowfall for the season! Considering we're in the Northeast, that's almost unheard of! Thankfully, about an inch of white stuff did fall and now I have a pretty view outside my kitchen window. It looks up at the hill behind the house and into the woods and everything now has a dusting of snow over it...so pretty! I'd take a photo for you but by the time I get home from work in the evenings, it's pitch black outside and I can't see a thing!

Speaking of snow, I made another card using that awesome Snow Days set from There She Goes!

What a good puppy he is leaving that tree and all it's ornaments alone! :)

Mr Puppy was colored with my trusty reinkers and aquapainter brush. I then cut the circle panel with my large circle nestie and sponged the edges of it with SU's Cool Caribbean ink. I then matted it to some kraft cardstock and paper pierced the edges. I just had to use more of that yummy paper from Crate Paper before the season is done! Each layer is sponged with Frayed Burlap Distress Ink and machine stitched for a more finished look. I added the snowflake (which I added Stickles to) and the Happy Holidays sentiment from the set for a little more sparkle....can't have enough sparkle on a Christmas card, can you?!!

Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet? We can finally start ours this weekend! Shocking, I know, but we had to wait for The Man's unemployment payments to start before we could get into the spirit of things. Nothing like some last minute shopping to get one in the Christmas spirit! lol

Have yourself a good one!


Supplies
Stamps: There She Goes 'Snow Days'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Soft Suede, Cool Caribbean, Regal Rose, Ruby Red, Sahara Sand, Old Olive, Pretty In Pink, Going Gray, Pumpkin Pie, More Mustard, Distress Inks 'Frayed Burlap'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - Echo Park 'Everyone Loves Christmas' collection
Access: PTI Baker's Twine - Red, Martha Stewart Snow Flake Punch, Spellbinders Large Oval Nestibilities, EK Success Circle Punches, Paper Piercer, Stickles - Diamond, Sponges, Dimensionals

Claudia & Company Monthly Challenge

Friday, December 10, 2010

Happy Friday everyone!

Got any plans for the weekend? I think I'm going to be making some Christmas cookies with the little one. We usually make a few different types and Syd really loves helping out, so that should be fun!

It's the second Friday of the month which means it's time for another Claudia & Company challenge! This month's challenge is a good one! The girls and I are challenging you to use the spotlight technique and highlight an area on your card!

I used the round and cuddly Party The Penguin rubber stamp for my card. He's nice and big and great on his own or in a pack! ;) Now, I will admit that I found this challenge tough! I had to restrain myself from coloring in the whole image!! I think you're supposed to 'pop out' a section of your image and color it up, but I chose to leave the image intact and color only one penguin in. Please don't gong me for this!

The layout for this card just kind of evolved. I stamped Mr. Penguin several times and colored in just one of them. I paper pieced his scarf with some matching patterned paper from Echo Park's 'Everyone Loves Christmas' collection. I used more of this yummy paper on the rest of the card and zigzag stitched around the edges. Each panel was sponged with Antique Linen Distress Ink and machine stitched to cardstock. As a final touch, I added some stitched ribbon, a bow and a tag with the hello sentiment from the So Random Set- Up/Down addition.

If you would like to see more examples of this technique, then check out what the other girls from the Claudia & Company team have whipped up!

Lori Boyd
Kadie Ensley
Kim Costello
Krista Van Tol
Risa West
Sheri Gilson
Tori Wild
Tracy Clemente

We hope you'll join us this month creating your own card using Claudia & Co. stamps and the spotlight technique! You have until the second Friday of next month to come up with an idea!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Have a fabulous weekend!


Supplies
Stamps: Claudia&Company 'Party The Penguin' & 'So Random Sentiments Up/Down Addition'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Going Gray, Morning Marigold, Distress Inks 'Black Soot'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics and Bling, PP - Echo Park 'Everyone Loves Christmas' Collection
Access: May Arts 'Black and White Stitched' Ribbon, Spellbinders Tags Trio and Labels Four Nestibilities, Fiskars Decorative Scissors, Machine Stitching, Sponges, Dimensionals

Congratulations!

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Good Morning!

This has to be a quick post today...I went to bed early(ier) last night and completely forgot to write up a post for today!

I was commissioned by a dear friend to make a couple of baby cards for her. One for a baby girl and one for a boy. Can you guess which one this is for??

Yep, it's the baby boy card! It's not quite your traditional baby colors because I sophisicated them a bit by picking more elegant patterned paper in the same colors.

So for this card I used There She Goes's Bit of Stardust set by the fabulous Torico! It's a beautiful set! I stamped three of the onsies in SU's Soft Sky on some scrap Strathmore Bristol Vellum, then cut them out using one of the smaller Labels One nesties. Then I sponged each panel with Antique Linen and Tea Dye Distress Ink. Then each one was matted with some Georgia Pacific cardstock and I hand cut the 1/8" border for them.

I used a combination of Bo Bunnies Double Dots patterned paper and October Afternoon's Thrift Store paper for the base of the card. The panels were sponged with Antique Linen and machine stitched in either straight stitch or a zigzag stitch. Oh, and you may not see it in the photo, but the nesties were spritzed with Pearl Glimmer Mist for some pretty sparkle! I made the bow with one of those bow easy thing-a-ma-does! It does a great job doesn't it?!

Ok, gotta head off to work now. Thanks SO much for stopping by today!


Supplies
Stamps: There She Goes 'Bit of Stardust'
Inks: Stazon 'Jet Black', Soft Sky, Distress Inks 'Antique Linen and Tea Dye'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, Kraft Cardstock, Georgia Pacific, PP - Bo Bunny 'Double Dots', October Afternoon's 'Thrift Shop' Collection
Access: Ribbon, Fiskars Decorative Scissors, Spellbinders 'Labels One Nestibilities, Machine Stitching, Sponges, Dimensionals

Wedding Wishes

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Good Morning all!

How you all doing this week? I'm off to a slow start but it is the holidays and I've been busy with errands, events and all the stuff that goes on during the holidays. I've also been busy making some custom cards for a friend as well as a card for a friend at work. We're throwing her a surprise wedding shower of sorts and I volunteered to make a card for everyone to sign. I thought I'd show it to you all today!

Isn't it sweet?! I intended to make a fairly neutral card, since it's going to a couple, but I got carried away while coloring the image and it turned into a sweet and fluffy card instead! Hope she doesn't mind too much!

I think you can tell I love coloring in these Sarah Kay images, can't you?! They're so much fun to color with the reinkers and I love all the little details in them - even though they are time consuming to color!

I bought this Stampavie/Sarah Kay stamp, called First Kiss, from DieCutsRUs when Claudia was having a sale. It's no longer in her store now (not surprising since it was a great sale!). I used a combination of SU reinkers and Distress Ink pads to color it in. Then once it was done, I cut it out using the Labels Four Nestie, matted it with some kraft cardstock (which I cut by hand) and machine stitched them together...very slowly! For the base of the card I used that beautiful paper from The Girl's Paperie and more kraft cardstock. Each panel was sponged, some were distressed with my Tim Holtz edge distresser and machine stitched.

The sketch is an oldie, but a goodie! It's Friday Sketchers #118 sketch. It may look familiar to you since I used it on a card I made using a Stampavie image! Who says you can't use the same sketch twice?! :)

Thanks so much for stopping by today!


Supplies
Stamps: Stamping Bella 'First Kiss', PTI 'Enjoy The Ride'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Pretty In Pink, Regal Rose, Ruby Red, Going Gray, Buckaroo Blue, Soft Suede, Old Olive, So Sahara, Cool Caribbean, Distress Inks 'Antique Linen, Tea Dye, Vintage Photo and Black Soot'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PTI Cardstock - Kraft, PP - The Girls Paperie 'Paper Girl Collection'
Access: Ribbon, Button, PTI Rustic Button Twine - Cream, Spellbinders Labels Four Nestibilities, EK Success Edge Punch, Fiskars Decorative Scissors, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist - Pearl, Sponges, Dimensionals

Season's Greetings - Part 2

Friday, December 3, 2010

Happy Friday Everyone!

Have you ever seen a grown man jump for his life?!?? I did last night! Apparently, my 260lb, 5'-11" husband is deathly afraid of mice! LOL I was in the living room and I hear our daughter yell "Rat!", quickly followed by "It's a mouse!" and then "Sandra, come here now!". So I walk into the kitchen to find our daughter pointing at the floor near my husband who is holding himself up on the kitchen countertop with his feet off the floor!! Bhahahahahaha! It was the funniest thing ever! There was a mouse and apparently it was dying because it didn't move a muscle when I scooped it up. Poor thing, but I'd rather it outside then in! Anyway, so now I have this funny mental picture of my husband petrified of a mouse and if I ever get down about something in the future, that's the image I'm going to conjure up to make me smile again! hahahaha

Today's card is part 2 of the Season's Greetings theme I started earlier in the week.

Aren't they the funniest bunch of misfits you have ever seen caroling?! :) I love this stamp! I colored it with my reinkers and aquapainter brush and added some glaze to their noses to make them wet and shiney, just like real noses on animals. The ground was watercolored with Sahara Sand and the sky was sponged with Cool Caribbean and watercolored around them.

Here's a close up of the image and sentiment, also from Stamping Bella (but I couldn't find it when I went searching for a link). The paper is from Basic Grey's Jovial collection and I sponged each panel with Vintage Photo and machine stitched to some cardstock. The layout is one of Mercy's sketches from a couple of weeks ago.

Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? I haven't. I'm hoping to next week, but we'll see. Unfortunately the Man lost his job a few weeks back and we're waiting for the unemployment checks to start up before we spend anything. Life is such a rollercoaster isn't it?! Sometimes a nice, leisurely Sunday drive would be nice instead. *sigh*

Have a good one!


Supplies

Stamps: Stamping Bella 'The Choir' and 'Seasons Greetings' (possibly retired)

Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Soft Suede, Close To Cocoa, Going Gray, Old Olive, Morning Marigold, More Mustard, Buckaroo Blue, Regal Rose, Ruby Red, Cranberry Crisp, Sahara Sand, Cool Caribbean, Distress Inks 'Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain'

Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - Basic Grey 'Jovial' collection

Access: Ribbon, Spellbinders Deckled Oval Nestibilities, Machine Stitching, Sponges, Dimensionals

Etsy Friday Finds - Gifts under $15!

Good morning everyone!

I'm so thankful it's Friday and the weekend is just around the corner. We're heading to The Christmas Tree Shop tomorrow. It's full of stuff you really don't need, but buy anyway. I'm on the hunt for some electric window candles for our place. I have always loved the look of these candles in the windows of old houses that can be seen all over the New England area and now I get to do this tradition in my own house! :) I can't wait!

This week I found a bunch of great gifts for family and friends under $15!

Junk To Joy
I love the idea of putting all my perfume bottles (all 1 of them right now! lol) on an antique silver tray and this one is priced just right at $11.95




French Market
Gorgeous, gorgeous lavendar satchels!! It's a shame they have to be hidden in a drawer!








Vintage Lucy's
Too cute! I think I need a pair!







MooreField Pottery
This cup jumped out at me - it looks like a stamp doesn't it?! It's perfect for the little boy in your family!








JamJam Tees
This just made me crack up laughing! Brilliant! If you click on the link, they've got a bunch more t-shirts that you'll get a kick out of too!

This was so much fun that I think I have to find some more deals next week! Look out for a card post later on this morning.

Happy Winter!

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Good Morning!

Have you ever been so tired that your eyes sting when you blink?! That was me yesterday and I know darn well it's because of all the late night's I've been having. 1am. 2:30am. 1:30am. I finished up a card quick last night and hit the hay early....relatively speaking. What?! 10:30pm is early for me! lol I do feel a bit better this morning so it worked but I know I need a few more good night sleeps to get myself back to feeling great again. Here's hoping for another great night's sleep tonight!

Today's card is another one I made for this month's Claudia & Company challenge.


I poured through my scrap stash and found these oldies but goodies pieces from Basic Grey's Figgy Pudding collection from a few years ago. Don't you love how Basic Grey's paper never dates itself?! Love that!! Anyway, it was perfect for this month's color challenge of cream, brown and one other color - my color of choice - blue. :)

I used this week's Card Positioning System's CPS #195 sketch for my layout and colored my one of those adorable Puddle Jumpers - Winter Landon! He's my favorite out of the November release - I can't get enough of that pea coat! :)

There's still time for you to play along with us on this challenge. You have until December 7th to create your card or project using your Puddle Jumpers or any other Claudia & Company stamp, and leave a link to it at the bottom of the challenge post. You could be next month's guest designer!

See you all on Friday!


Supplies
Stamps: Claudia & Company 'Winter Landon'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Pretty In Pink, Buckaroo Blue, Close To Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Soft Suede, Distress Inks 'Antique Linen, Tea Dye and Frayed Burlap'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - Basic Grey 'Figgy Pudding' collection
Access: Spellbinders Labels Eight Nestibilities, DMC Thread, Machine Stiching, Sponges, Dimensionals

Seasons Greetings Part 1

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Good Morning!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families and filled your bellies with as much turkey and fixings as you could fit in them! I know I did! LOL But I did work some of it off on Sunday because we had some wood delivered to our place and The Man, his parents and I stacked it all nice and neat. Who'd have thought this city girl would be living the country life now?! Hehe Worlds apart I tell ya!

I didn't spend a whole lot of time in the craft room this weekend, but I did manage to squeek out this card to share with you today.


When I saw Torico's snowman card in those soft, muted colors, I couldn't resist creating my own version using those beautiful tones! Using that fabulous Season's Greetings set, I colored it in with my aquapainter brush and Antique Linen, Tea Dye and Vintage Photo Distress Inks. Then I used a combination of SU's Regal Rose, Ruby Red and Cranberry Crisp inks for their scarfs and hats. Then I used a Label's One Nestie from Spellbinders to cut them out and while the die was still on the panel, I sponged around them with more Antique Linen and Tea Dye ink.

The layout is a quilt style one I use from time to time because it's great for using up my left over scraps. Which was perfect since I used papers from vintage Basic Grey and Cosmo Cricket collections (I think they were the Wassail and Wanted collections)! Each piece was sponged with Vintage Photo Distress Ink and machine stitched to some Bazzil Bling cardstock. As a finishing touch, I added some glitter to the snowmen with the help of a Quickie Glue Pen.

There She Goes challenge for this week TSG83 is to create a card for the kidlets. Sadly, I forgot this minor detail while making my card over the weekend, but you still have time! Just create your card and leave a link to it in the Inlinz thingy at the bottom of the TSG challenge post. You could win yourself a gift certificate to the TSG store just by entering! :)

Oh, and if you're wondering why I called this post 'Part 1'; it's because I'll have another Christmas themed card to show you later this week! :)

Thanks so much for popping in today!

Supplies
Stamps: There She Goes 'Seasons Greetings'

Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Regal Rose, Ruby Red, Cranberry Crisp, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Distress Inks 'Antique Linen, Tea Dye and Vintage Photo'

Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, Kraft Cardstock, Georgia Pacific Cardstock, PP - Vintage Basic Grey and Cosmo Cricket

Access: May Arts Solid Wrinkled Ribbon - Brown, Spellbinders Labels One Nestibilities, Stampedous Snow Glitter, Machine Stitching, Sponges, Dimensionals

Etsy Friday Finds

Friday, November 26, 2010

Happy Black Friday!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday! I know I did - I ate too much, as usual. :) Are you enjoying a quiet day at home or shopping till you drop today?? Or are you one of the unfortunate ones, like me, who has to work today? I'm bumming that I'm not at home today, but thankful that I don't have a job in retail! Phew! What a job that would be today!

Speaking of shopping, I found some great gifts and ideas on Etsy this week!

Print Party
These baskets are made from cork! So cool!






Imali
Unbelieveably ADORABLE!!! How could you eat the eggs after seeing them in these beanies?!?






Ramona Owen Designs
Love these baby pillows!! Love it even better knowing that I can probably make these for myself! Hehe






Lucky Hanks
Can you guess what these are?? They're dryer balls! Eco-friendly ones! NICE!






Timber Green Woods
I love wood and these wooden snowflakes are SO up my alley! They're tiny (1.5") but they'ed look great hanging off my garland that's hangs on my stairs!





Well, that's it from me this week. Don't forget the There She Goes Release Party tomorrow night starting at 9pm!

Have a good one.

TSG Seasons Greetings Blog Hop!!

Thursday, November 25, 2010

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

Edit: I just wanted to sneak this in and wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Today we're showcasing the absolutely beautiful set - Seasons Greetings! If you've hopped here from Piali's fabulous blog, then you're on the right path, 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!

The designer of this gorgeous folk art set is none other than the talented Chris Dark! I have always been drawn to folk art and the simplicity of their crafts and Chris has done an amazing job bringing that style to this set. These wonderfully illustrated images are perfect for creating elegant as well as whimsical holiday cards for your friends and family!

Seasons Greetings is a 4x8 stamp set that includes a total of 13 stamps and will sell for $18.

Hands down, this is my favorite set of the release! I adore the folk art Santa's and the whimsical trees are so cute! I can't wait for you all to see the whole set!! For this card, I started out using this week's Mojo Sketch MOJO166, but I got a little sidetracked when it came to the ribbon across the bottom. I stamped the Peace sentiment (which looked like a signature, so that's why I put it there) on the bottom of the tag and left no room for the ribbon! Bugger. Oh well. I had good intentions. :)

I stamped Mr. Clause onto some Strathmore Bristol Vellum, then colored him up with my reinkers and aquapainter brush. Then I cut him out and added some snow glitter for some sparkle...just like the sentiments said to! To make the tag, I used some of Basic Grey's Kraft Basics paper, ran it through my Cuttlebug with the Labels One nestie and sponged the edges with Tea Dye and Vintage Photo Distress Ink. Then I spritzed the whole thing with some Coffee Glimmer Mist from Tattered Angels....for more sparkle, of course! Then I stamped that beautiful sentiment and adhered Mr. Clause. Oh, and I popped on an eyelet (remember those things?!) and threaded some ribbon through it for a more authentic tag! That yummy paper is from Girl's Paperie (which I got at Die Cuts R Us, but it's not available there anymore - sorry!). A pretty simple card, but somehow it took me forever to do last night! Why is that?!

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 Seasons Greetings set! Oh, and don't forget about the Release Party on Saturday night, 9pm, in the TSG forum - it's a great way to kick of the holiday season...and wind down from the Thanksgiving festivities!

Your next stop along this hop is...

Torico!

Supplies
Stamps: There She Goes 'Seasons Greetings'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Distress Inks 'Antique Linen, Tea Dye, Vintage Photo'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - Girls Paperie

Access: Ribbon, Button, PTI Rustic Button Twine, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist - Pearl, Spellbinders Labels One Nestibilities, Sponges, Dimensionals

TSG Penguin Pals Blog Hop!!

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

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

Today we're showcasing the awesome and adorable Penguin Pals 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!

TSG has a big announcement today and it has been soooo hard trying to keep it under wraps!! We are happy to share with you that TSG has joined up with Di Carubia (of Di’s Digi Downloads) to offer you exclusive TSG stamp sets that feature Di’s adorably whimsical illustrations!! For Di’s first TSG stamp set, she has illustrated these penguins that are too cute for words. They can also be combined with a variety of other images from the set for even more versatility and fun!!
Penguin Pals is a 4x8 stamp set that includes a total of 16 stamps and will sell for $18.

These penguins are just too adorable for words!! They're chubby, cuddly and fabulous to color!! I created this card just one of the images from the set, but there are many others to choose from. As usual, I used my reinkers and aquapainter brush on Strathmore Bristol Vellum. Then I added a bunch of snow glitter to make the whole image sparkle. I borrowed this week's Friday Sketchers #129 Challenge for this layout and used that gorgeous Snow Days paper from Crate Papers!

Would you like a chance to win the Penguin Pals stamp set? Here’s what you need to do: go to each of the Trendsetter’s blogs and leave a comment on their Penguin Pals 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 Penguin Pals stamp set. The winner will be announced Saturday (the 27th) during the Release Party Chat.

Your next stop is...Torico!

Supplies
Stamps: There She Goes 'Penguin Pals'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Old Olive, More Mustard, Regal Rose, Ruby Red, Cranberry Crisp, Cool Caribbean, Going Gray, Sahara Sand, Distress Inks 'Frayed Burlap and Black Soot'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, Kraft, PP - Crate Paper 'Snow Days'
Access: Ribbon, Spellbinders Large Circle Nestibilities, Pebbles Inc. Candy Dots - Glitter White, Machine Stitching, Sponges, Dimensionals

TSG JustFor You/Wrapped In Joy Blog Hop!!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

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

Today the Jessica and us Trendsetters are showcasing the awesome sets Just For You and Wrapped In Joy by TSG's 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!

I don't do this often enough, but whenever I've given a handmade gift, it's usually been more appreciated than anything I've ever bought. And now I can add a personal touch to the gift tags too! Torico has done a beautiful job illustrating this tag set that can not only be used for the holidays but is versatile enough to use all year long!

Just For You is a 4x6 stamp set that includes a total of 15 stamps and will sell for $15.

So, true to form, I ran out of time to make something handmade to attach the tag to, so instead I used the tag as a focal point on a card. Using this weeks TSG82 color challenge, I stamped the tag onto some kraft cardstock with Walnut Stain Distress Ink. Then I spritzed it with some Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist to give it a bit of an aged look (but with a whole lot of sparkle!). Then stamped the image a couple of times onto some white cardstock and cut the circle and sentiment banner out. Mr. Gingerbread Man was also stamped onto some scrap white cardstock (with Creamy Caramel ink) and cut out. Then I layered all three pieces using lots of pop dots! Then the whole tag was layered onto a paper medallion and backed with some sparkly Christmas ribbon. The card background was a pretty plain layout, so I channeled some of Kim's talents and embossed main panel with the Swirls embossing folder and matted it with some white cardstock. I LOVE these tags!!

If you loved the cute little kids in Torico's back-to-school Believe In You set, then you're going to LOVE the cuties in her latest set, Wrapped in Joy! This set is a must have for anyone's collection! And as with all of Jessica's TSG sets, this one is versatile for almost every gift-giving holiday!

Wrapped In Joy is a 4x6 stamp set that includes a total of 16 of stamps and will sell for $15.

This is such a cute set!! I fell in love with the little kiddies from Torico's Believe in You set and I'm sooooo glad she's brought them back in this all occasions set! This is probably the main image from the set and its the perfect size for a card (this card is 5.5"x5.5") and as with all of the TSG stamp sets, there are plenty of sentiments to choose from! I used this week's sketch, TESC 134, from Taylored Expressions and the paper is from Basic Grey's Olivia Collection.

I know you're loving all the sneak peeks, right? This team ROCKS! Remember to leave a comment on each of the blogs today (and leave your name in the Mr. Linky thing at the bottom of the TSG blog post) 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 second sneak peek! :)

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

Supplies
Card One
Stamps: There She Goes 'Just For You!'
Inks: Creamy Caramel, Chocolate Chip, Distress Inks 'Antique Linen, Tea Dye, Walnut Stain'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - Crate Paper and Scenic Route (old collections)
Access: Ribbon, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, Martha Stewart Edge Punch, Fiskars Decorative Scissors, Machine Stitching, Sponges, Dimensionals

Card Two
Stamps: There She Goes 'Wrapped In Joy'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Pretty In Pink, Razzleberry, Old Olive, Sahara Sand, Buckaroo Blue, Cool Caribbean, Going Gray, Distress Inks 'Frayed Burlap'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - Basic Grey's Olivia Collection
Access: May Arts Solid Wrinkled Ribbon - Cream, Kaiser Crafts Adhesive Pearls - White, Spellbinders Oval Nestibilities, Fiskars Decorative Scissors, Machine Stitching, Sponges, Dimensionals