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

Thanksgiving Sale!

Monday, November 22, 2010

Die Cuts R Us is having a HUGE Thanksgiving week sale....yes, I said week! All week long!! So if you love a bargain, then head over to the store and stock up on all those craft things you're going to need for your Christmas projects!

Die Cuts R Us!

Etsy Friday Finds

Friday, November 19, 2010

Hi again!

I had a lot of fun this week looking through Etsy! There is a ton of ideas for handmade Christmas gifts there! I was definitely drawn to a color theme this week...can you guess what it was?! ;)

Namolio
How cute is this pin cushion?! So adorable! And crocheted too!





Kaspienne
I {heart} these gloves (hint hint to any family member reading)! The cable knit just makes them look so warm and cosy looking!






Country Dreaming
This is the winter I love! When everything is blanketed with a layer of snow and it's oh so pretty! It's the next day with it turns to ice and mush that I don't like much. :(





No144
Are these not the CUTEST little accessories you have ever seen?! Oh my gosh! I think I gasped out loud when I spotted these!







AMI Designs
Another gorgeous accessory that no wrist should be without this holiday season! And for $23, it won't break the bank!







Expect to see a lot more Christmas gift ideas each week...I'm giving handmade gifts this year!

Winter Hugs!

Happy Friday Everyone!

So glad it's finally here! My work week has been less than exciting because of the monotinous work I'm doing lately, but hopefully things will pick up next week. Oh, and thank you to everyone who left suggestions for switching things up in my craft room! We found the little tv we had from the apartment and put it in my room, and it definitely made things more comfortable in there. Only now, I'm constantly watching the thing instead of stamping! Might have to bring the ipod player in too! :)

I didn't get anything done on Wednesday night because we went to look at a wood stove off of Craigslist....and ended up buying it! It's huge, but I think it's just what we need for our house. I didn't tell you but the Monday after we moved into our house, the power went out for 4 hours! Even though the heat didn't drop too much, The Man and I were pretty much in agreement that we needed a secondary source of heating the house in case we had any more surprises like that! Can't wait for it to be installed and the snow to start falling! Oooo!

Ok, enough about wood stoves! lol Today's card is a bit of a tribute to my favorite part about winter - piling on the layers!

Don't you love that about Winter too?! Love being as snug as a bug in a rug! Apparently so does Winter Hannah from Claudia & Co.! She's so cosy looking in all those layers!

For this card I used this week's sketch MTSC100 from Mercy's blog and more of that awesome paper from Basic Grey's Jovial Collection. Each panel is sponged with Distress Ink and machine stitched in either a straight stitch or a zigzag stitch. I get a lot of questions about how I stitch around the nesties, and I'm not going to lie to you - it's a slow process! I rest my foot on the pedal so the machine sounds like it's in motion, but the needle doesn't move until I pull on the wheel a little to help it turn over. I do this with each and every stitch! Yes, it is slow, but so worth the final look on a card!

Winter Hannah was colored with my reinkers and aquapainter brush on my favorite paper, Strathmore's Bristol Vellum (not really vellum). Then I sponged Antique Linen and a little Tea Dye around the edges of the oval. Then I stamped that vertical sentiment (love these sentiments - because I never leave enough room for horizontal ones!) from the So Random, Up-Down Edition set. Then I matted it onto a scalloped oval piece of Georgia Pacific cardstock. Added a little ribbon, some black rhinestones and some Stickles to her pompom and I was done!

So what are your plans for this weekend?! Getting your plans for Thanksgiving finalized? I have to go hunting for our Elf....he is scheduled to pay our new house a visit next week! I have been looking forward to this ever since we knew we were buying this house! :)

Have a fabulous weekend, whatever it is you're doing!

PS. I have a great Etsy Friday Find for you a little later on today!


Supplies
Stamps: Claudia & Company 'Winter Hannah', 'So Random Sentiment set, Up-Down Edition'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Pretty In Pink, Regal Rose, Ruby Red, Sahara Sand, Morning Marigold, More Mustard, Old Olive, Soft Suede, Distress Inks 'Antique Linen, Tea Dye and Black Soot'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PTI Kraft Cardstock, PP - Basic Grey 'Jovial' Collection
Access: Ribbon, Adhesive Rhinestones, Spellbinders Large Oval and Oval Scalloped Nestibilities, Sponges, Machine Stitching, Dimensionals

Live Your Bliss

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Good Morning sweet peeps!

How are you all this morning? Good I hope! I'm so glad it's hump day already. I could use another weekend already. It's just been one of those weeks, ya know? I just want it done already. Although today's ride home from work should be interesting....I'll have a large bird in my truck tonight. :) Haha! The company I work for gives each of their employees a turkey for Thanksgiving! Sweet, right?! I'll be taking it over to my in-laws for our Thanksgiving feast. YUM!

I've been trying to get used to coloring in my new room for a couple of weeks now and for some reason it's really strange working in a new space. Is that weird?! In the apartment, I was in the middle of everything (smack in the middle of the living room and dining room) and now it's all quiet in the room and I'm almost looking for a distraction now! So bizarre! I'm sure I'll get used to it soon though. Anyway, so one of the images I colors up this week (yesterday actually!), was this image by Sarah Kay.

There's something about her images that really lends itself to the watercoloring style, it's there?? I just love how you only get a climpse of the kids faces and they could be anyone's kid. As usual, I colored this up with my reinkers and aquapainter brush on Strathmore Bristol Vellum (not really vellum). It's nice, thick and smooth! When I color, always pick the upper right hand corner of the image for where my sunlight is coming from and all my shadows are on the left hand side of any objects. I did the opposite to this on this card because more of the image (the little girl) was 'facing' the left hand side, so I switched corners and put my 'sun' in the upper left hand corner. Does that make sense?! I hope so.

The layout is one I keep going back to again and again. I can't remember where I got it from or when I used it first, but it's a keeper! I figured the image required a simple but layered layout. The paper an oldie but goodie MME collection....which I can't remember the name of right now! Sorry!

Thank you SO MUCH for stopping by today!

Supplies

Stamps: Stampavie Sarah Kay 'Adele Enjoying Fresh Apples', PTI 'Mixed Messages'

Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, Ruby Red, Cranberry Crisp, Old Olive, Buckaroo Blue, Going Gray, So Saffron, Cool Caribbean, Distress Inks 'Antique Linen, Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain, Tattered Rose'

Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - My Minds Eye

Access: Ribbon, Machine Stitching, Sponges, Dimensionals

TSG81: Holly's Sketch!

Monday, November 15, 2010

Good Morning!

Well, we definitely got a lot done around the house this weekend. It was such a GORGEOUS weekend (finally!) and we spent most of it outside. We raked and blew most of the leaves out of the yard, moved the empty boxes, took the rubbish to the dump, and moved the furniture around to a more permanent position. I even made pancakes and apple crisp yesterday! Go me! hahahaha

It was so nice outside that I bearly spent any time inside (which is why I forgot to take photos of the house too - sorry!), but I did manage to make a card, yes, just one, for today's There She Goes challenge (TSG81). Trendsetter Holly created a fantastic sketch for us all!

Even though the leaves have all but gone from the trees around these parts, I still have that fall fever going on. So I pulled that beautiful set by Chris Dark, Bountiful Blessings.

Using my reinkers and aquapainter brush, I colored in the cornucopia in a bunch of rich colors - everything from SU's Ruby Red to Not Quite Navy was used in that image! Then I was going to go with BG's Pyrus paper collection again, but I just got Cosmo Cricket's Circa 1934 collection from DieCutsRUs and HAD to use it instead! And because I used a sentiment in the main panel, I made the tucked element from a few embellishments instead.

To be eligible for the TSG giveaway, create a card that uses the sketch provided then come back to the TSG Blog to add your name and a link to your project in the Mr. Linky that is located at the bottom of this challenge post. This challenge is open until the winner has been announced on the following Monday (Nov. 22). The winner will get a $5 gift certificate to use in the TSG Web store!

Good luck and thanks so much for popping in today!

Supplies

Stamps: There She Goes 'Bountiful Blessings'

Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Soft Suede, Sahara Sand, Morning Marigold, Pumpkin Pie, Really Rust, Regal Rose, Ruby Red, Old Olive, Not Quite Navy, So Saffron, Distress Inks 'Tea Dye, Vintage Photo and Frayed Burlap'

Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PTI Kraft cardstock, PP - Cosmo Cricket 'Circa 1934' collection

Access: PTI Button - Black, PTI Rustic Button Twine - Jute, Sponges, Machine Stitching, Dimensionals

C&Company Challenge: Color Recipe!

Friday, November 12, 2010

Hello again!

It's the second Friday of the month (seriously?!?) which means it's time for another Claudia & Company challenge! You're going to love this one because it's a color recipe challenge! The girls and I are challenging all of you to get out your C&Co. stamps (rubber or digi) and create a card using the colors - cream, chocolate and your choicce of another color!

I have had this paper pack from Memory Box since last Christmas and haven't used a single sheet.....until now! :) It had the cream, the chocolate and one other color - baby blue!

And who better to be paired with this color combination then Party Time Noah! I can't get over how handsome he looks in that cute outfit! As usual, I colored him with my reinkers and aquapainter brush on some Strathmore Bristol Vellum (it's not real vellum!). Then I cut him out and adhered him to the card. The layout is this week's Mojo Sketch MOJO164. And because you can't have a Christmas card without some bling, I added some chocolate colored adhesive pearls for a little sparkle!

We'd love for you to play along with us this month, so grab your Puddle Jumpers and make a card using your favorite color as well as cream and brown! And remember - have fun!! :)

Have a fabulous weekend everyone! I'll be raking leaves, but I'll be enjoying it in my new house!


Supplies
Stamps: Claudia & Company 'Party Time Noah'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Pretty In Pink, Chocolate Chip, Soft Suede, Buckaroo Blue, Distress Inks 'Antique Linen, Tea Dye and Frayed Burlap'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - Memory Box
Access: May Arts Wrinkled Ribbon - Brown, Basic Grey Adhesive Pearls, Machine Stitching, Sponges, Dimensionals

A Kiss Is Just A Kiss!

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Hello Sunshines!

Another week almost done! Awesome! I'm looking forward to weekends now that the festive holidays are right around the corner. I don't think I'm quite ready to host my own Thanksgiving dinner for family (I have to adjust to my new gas stove first!), but I think Christmas Eve in our new house is definitely on the cards! I received the latest copy of Kraft's Food and Family magazine the other day and it had the most delicious sounding menu in it - potato and leek soup, roast beef with maple glazed carrots and a raspberry and cranberry cheesecake for dessert! How amazing does that sound?! My mouth is watering already! :)

Ok, so please excuse the bad lighting in this photo but I was desperate and in a bit of a rush. Last Sunday was my In-law's wedding anniversary and the extended family went out for dinner. I spent the afternoon coloring in this adorable image and thought I had ample time to turn it into a card, but that was not the case! Around 4pm, The Man comes inside (after playing with his new backpack leaf blower) and informs me we have 1 hour to get cleaned up, dressed and drive across town for the dinner! WHAT?!?? Why do they (and I mean men) insist on doing this to us even after 10 years of marriage?! You'd think they'd know better than that! Anywho...the lighting is bad in the photo because I had to take it in the bathroom of our new place....I told you I was desperate! Hahaha

Since it was an anniversary card, I knew this adorable image from Stamping Bella would be perfect for my In-laws! Eunice and....I can't remember the other mice's name, were colored up with my SU reinkers and aquapainter brush and the purple area around the two was watercolored using Milled Lavender Distress Ink. That delicious paper is from Crate Paper's Pink Plum collection - I needed a bit of Spring in my life that day! :D The beautiful silk ribbon is from Die Cuts R Us.

I'm pleased to say that the card was a hit! Mental note to self: Stock up on anniversary cards. Last minute cards don't ever go smoothly! ;)

Supplies
Stamps: Stamping Bella 'Kiss Me You Fool'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Going Gray, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Regal Rose, Cranberry Crisp, Soft Suede, Pretty In Pink, Cool Caribbean, Distress Inks 'Antiqu Linen and Milled Lavender'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - Crate Paper's Pink Plum Collection
Access: May Arts Wrinkled Solid Ribbon - Pink, Machine Stitching, Sponges, Dimensionals

TSG80: Creating A Scene!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Good Morning Sunshines!

Had a great first weekend in our new house! Got a lot done too. We sorted through the last of the boxes in the shed and found homes (permanent and temporary) for all of it. Made pancakes on Sunday morning and we even found time to do a bit of raking! Unfortunately Mother Nature was not as impressed as we were because in the wee hours of Monday morning a storm blew in and blew away all the leaves we'd painstakingly swept up! Oh, and as a welcoming gift, she left us with no power for four hours! Mother Nature: thank you for reminding us that we live in the country where we are not sheltered from these sorts of things anymore! Hmpft!

I've been asked to post more pictures of our new house, so I'll do that next week for you all. (I have to wait until the weekend when I'll be home when it's still daylight out - oh how I already miss day light savings!)

Ok, if you haven't seen this week's There She Goes challenge, here the low down: This week's featured (and fabulous) trendsetter, Angela Thomas is challenging us all to create a scene on our projects!

We look out over Surry Mountain every morning and with the leaves changing color, it's a sight to behold! So when deciding on which stamp set to use for this challenge, it was a no brainer for me. I pulled out Chris Dark's Autumn Mosaic set and painted my own little piece of Surry Mountain!

I stamped out the tree, then stamped the fence a few times and stamped the sentiment last. Then I cut my panel with the tree off to one side. (Sometimes it's nice to let the sentiment be the focal point!) Then with my reinekers and aquapainter brush, I watercolored the image, just as the sentiment suggested. ;)

The patterned paper is from Basic Grey's Pyrus Collection and I added just a little bit of rustic button twine for a little bit of detail.

To be eligible for the giveaway; you are to create a card that uses the provided sketch 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 (11-15-10). 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 TSG80 so we can check out your beautiful work!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Have a good one!

Supplies

Stamps: There She Goes 'Autumn Mosaic'

Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Soft Suede, Old Olive, Soft Sky, Sahara Sand, Dusty Durango, Cranberry Crisp, Morning Marigold, Distress Inks 'Antique Linen, Tea Dye and Frayed Burlap'

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

Access: PTI Rustic Button Twine - Jute, Fiskars Decorative Scissors, Machine Stitching, Sponges, Dimensionals

Claudia & Company November Release Blog Hop!

Friday, November 5, 2010

Hello and welcome to the November Release Party for Claudia & Company!!

We've been showing you samples all week and today is the grand finale!! We have two more stamps to share with you today along with the ones we've shown you this past week. If you've stopped here from the Claudia & Company blog, then you're on the right track, but if you haven't and would like to hang out with us today, then head back to the C&Co blog because that's the first stop! :D

Ok, lets kick things off!

Meet Party Time Noah!!

He's just too adorable for words! I couldn't resist coloring him in preppy Christmas party clothes! Doesn't he look dapper?! He is made from deeply etched rubber and comes with the stocking and sentiment you see on this card. I used some more preppy paper from Basic Grey's Jovial collection and the layout is from last week's Sweet Sunday Sketch SSSC90.

Next up.....

Meet Winter Hannah!!

Lori really did outdo herself with all these Puddle Jumpers this month! Hannah is so stinking cute with her sagging hat and polka dot dress! I love her! I used some of that awesome paper from Crate Paper and I finally pulled out the Martha Stewart snow flake punch this year! If you click on the image, you might be able to see the snowflakes I stamped around Hannah. Those come with the Winter Hannah Puddle Jumper set too! (She also comes with a 'Brrr!' sentiment that I completely forgot to add to this card! Opps!)

Here's another look at all the cards I've sneak peeked this week!

Winter Landon

Winter Ella

Party Time Piper

Party The Penguin

Your next stop along this hop is....TORI'S!!

If you get lost along this hop, here's a complete list of blogs for you:

Claudia & Company Blog

Sandra

Tori

Pam

Risa

Shelby

Krista

Nicole

Margie

Tracy

Jacquie

Kim

Sheri

Lysa

Lori

Shelly

Kadie

Our wonderful guest designer:

Mercy Kerin

Claudia

Thanks SO much for hopping with us today!

Supplies
'Party Time Noah'
Stamps: Claudia & Company 'Party Time Noah Puddle Jumper'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Soft Suede, Cool Caribbean, Regal Rose, Ruby Red, Cranberry Crisp, Distress Inks 'Antique Linen, Tea Dye, Black Soot'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - Basic Grey's 'Jovial' Collection
Access: EK Success Edge Punch, PTI Button and Twine, Tim Holtz Edge Distresser, Machine Stitching, Sponges, Dimensionals


'Winter Hannah'
Stamps: Claudia & Company 'Winter Hannah Puddle Jumper'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Pretty In Pink, Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Cool Caribbean, Distress Inks 'Antique Linen, Tea Dye and Vintage Photo'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - Crate Paper's 'Snowy Day' Collection
Access: Martha Stewart Snow Flake Punch, Pebbles Inc Candy Dots - Glitter White, May Arts Stitched Ribbon, Button, Machine Stitching, Sponges, Dimensionals

Etsy Friday Finds

Happy Friday everyone!

Hope you all had a great week! We're still unpacking and finding spaces that need things to fill them, so I'm sure we'll be hitting the local auctions soon. Love these auctions! It's one of very few still around that you can still find a deal at. I had fun finding some neat things on Etsy...a little bit of everything this week!

Colette Consentino
This scene is so serene to me. I'd love it in our bedroom, but it's a little out of our price range at the moment.








Little Smarty Pants
How stinking adorable!! Syd would LOVE these!

Piano Bench Designs
Love, love love the simplicity of this! On skin, this necklace would pop!








Adventures In Clay
I just thought these were cute and I love the detail around the edge of it.





Stellavi
This is a lampshade! Isn't it GORGEOUS!! I am in love!






I have another post later on this morning, so be on the look out for it!

Claudia & Company Sneak Peek Two!

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Good Morning! I have another Claudia & Company sneak peek for you all today and if you loved the last sneak peek, you're going to LOVE THESE!!

Meet Winter Landon!!

I'm a sucker for a beanie and a peacoat! And....are those Uggs?! ;) Winter Landon is one of the Puddle Jumpers being offered in red rubber this month and like all of Claudia & Company rubber stamps, Landon is made from deeply etched rubber and stamps like a dream! And just like most of the Puddle Jumper sets, Landon comes with the CUTEST little buddy - the teddy bear - and the perfect sentiment! I paired him with some of Cosmo Cricket's Jolly by Golly Christmas paper from last year (but you can still find it in Claudia's store!) I used Jen's Sketch For You To Try from a couple of weeks ago for the layout.

Next, we have another adorable critter from illustrator Jane Belio!

Introducing Party The Penguin!!

Just like her last little guy, Monster Smiles, Party the Penguin is big and bold and perfect for coloring! I decided to give him a color makeover and made him Rich Razzleberry! So refreshing don't you think?! And he matches the old Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses paper perfectly! Penguin comes in rubber this month and he comes with the beanie and the two sentiments.

There are some awesome samples being shown today on all the Claudia & Company design teams' blogs, so check them out - you won't be disappointed!

Sandra
Tori
Pam
Risa
Shelby
Krista
Nicole
Margie
Tracy
Jacquie
Kim
Sheri
Lysa
Lori
Shelly
Kadie

Our wonderful guest designer:
Mercy Kerin
Claudia

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Friday is the official November Release Party Blog Hop and all the stamps you've seen so far (as well as two more we have under wraps!) will be on sale!!

Supplies
'Winter Landon'
Stamps: Claudia & Company 'Winter Landon Puddle Jumper'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Pretty In Pink, Buckaroo Blue, Regal Rose, Ruby Red, Cranberry Crisp, Distress Inks 'Antique Linen, Tea Dye, Vintage Photo, Black Soot'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - Cosmo Cricket's 'Jolly By Golly' Collection
Access: Ribbon, KaiserCrafts Adhesive Pearls - Snow, Spellbinders Large Oval and Scalloped Oval Nestibilities, Machine Stitching, Sponges, Dimensionals

'Penguin'
Stamps: Claudia & Company 'Party the Penguin'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Distress Inks 'Antique Linen, Tea Dye, Vintage Photo, Milled Lavender and Dusty Concord'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - Basic Grey's 'Eskimo Kisses' Collection
Access: Martha Stewart Lace Edge Punch, EK Success Circle Punches, American Crafts Ribbon, Button, Machine Stitching, Sponges, Dimensionals

Happy Holidays

Monday, November 1, 2010

Happy Monday everyone!

I scheduled this post because this past weekend was MOVING WEEKEND and I wasn't sure when we'll have cable and the internet hooked up. After three months of negotiating and disappointment, we are officially moved into our new house! Wahoooo! :) It's going to be so nice to have our own space again after living in a tiny apartment for the past three years. No more nagging Syd about picking up her feet when she walks through the apartment, no more crazy OCD neighbor who slams her door 2-3 times every night and no more listening to the couple upstairs arguing! Oh, how quiet life will be now! :) In more ways than one because the house we bought is a farmhouse, built in 1870, in a rural area. We can't see any neighbors and from the master bedroom, we look out onto a small mountain! Here's what the front of the house looks like:


Beautiful isn't it?! Of course, it isn't as lush and green anymore but that's ok because the mountain across the road is ablaze with fall foliage!! :D It's spectacular and one of the reasons we wanted to buy the house. And even though it was built in 1870, it was gutted and renovated about 10 years ago, so it has all the qualities of a new house, but all the charm of an old farmhouse! Love it!

Ok, enough gushing from me! Today's card is one I made last week with my new-favorite set - Snow Days!


This puppy ROCKS! He reminds me of our old dog. He was so smart that he'd pick his own raspberries off the bushes! Hehe So while I was making my cards for last week's TSG blog hops, I spied Taylor's Blast From the Past sketch and even though it wasn't a sketch for everyone to play along with, I couldn't help borrowing it to make this card with another image from the set.

Mr Puppy and Snowman were colored with my ever faithful reinkers and aquapainter brush. Then I applied sprinkles of snow glitter (from Stampendous) with a Quikie Glue Pen. I then matted it to some white and red cardstock and paper pierced the edges. I couldn't help using more of that yummy paper from Echo Park (it's such a cheery Christmas collection!) Each layer is sponged with Distress Ink and machine stitched for a more finished look. I added the snowflake and glitter candy dots for a little more sparkle....can't have enough sparkle on a Christmas card!

I hope you all enjoyed last week's TSG blog hops - I think they were our best yet! :) Thanks for stopping by today!


Supplies
Stamps: There She Goes 'Snow Days'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Soft Suede, Cool Caribbean, Regal Rose, Ruby Red, Distress Inks 'Antique Linen, Tea Dye and Red Brick'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - Echo Park 'Everyone Loves Christmas' collection
Access: Ribbon, Martha Stewart Snow Flake Punch, EK Success Edge Punch, Pebbles Inc. Candy Dots - White Glitter, Spellbinders Labels One Nestibilities, Paper Piercer, Sponges, Dimensionals