A Little Peek!

I am never sure if peek is a peek or a peak, so I finally looked it up and it is a peek...like peek-a-boo. The peak is a mountain top peak.....Now I've got it!

I am pre-posting and right now I am in Orlando, Florida at the Convention Center working at the Splitcoaststampers Booth at the Craft and Hobby Association Super Show!

I am here as a member of The Dirty Dozen and meeting tons of on-line friends and fellow stampers - and probably going ga-ga seeing so many famous stamping faces! I am probably thinking that I can hardly believe that I am here!!

Something else exciting happened to me this week! Jami Sibley , a member of Taylored Expressions design team, contacted ME and asked if I would like to be featured on Stamp a Sweet Impression's blog as "Our Friday Friend" this week! Does it ever end??!! I hope not!



I can show you a peek of my card and if you would like to (and please do!) head on over to the Stamp a Sweet Impression blog and read my interview along with a sweet recipe that I just love lately and have probably gained a kazillion pounds this summer eating it....so it is definitely good! Any questions about that delicious dessert, just e-mail me!

Wish upon a Star!

I was so VERY honoured to have been asked by Becca Feeken of Amazing Paper Grace to be one of her sample makers for the Splitcoaststampers Dare to Get Dirty 2009 challenges.

Her challenge was called "Cut it Out" and we had to make a card with punches and/or die cuts......so much fun and heaven knows I have a ton of punches and die-cuts, thanks to so many generous sponsors and companies! Thank you Thank you THANK YOU!!

So I got out my Stamping UP! star punches, Martha's star edge punch (which I got from Hope Stamps Eternal but they are selling like hotcakes and are gone!) and some Spellbinders classic inverted scallop dies and made up a little sumthin' sumthin'.....




I used Basic Grey June Bug for my designer paper and my card base is some delicious and I mean fabulous! new (to me) cardstock from Gina K Designs called Pure Luxury -"In the Navy" and it is such a nice heavy weight - I LOVe it!!

I also used Papertrey Ink Summer Sunrise and you KNOW that I am totally in LOVe with that cardstock too......what's a girl to do?! I feel like the Bachelorette trying to pick the best one, but just loving them all..........okay, probably a bit too much?

The stamp set I used is from Papertrey Ink Star Prints. The sentiment is not a curved stamp but the acrylic stamps are so pliable and easy to bend that I HAD to do it!!

Tomorrow morning I will be on a plane to Florida to the Craft and Hobby Association Supershow - I keep saying it but I AM SO EXCITED!! You know, we used to have a little toy poodle (Winnie-the-Poodle) and everytime someone came in the door, or she got excited, she would pee.....I am that excited......

I have preposted for a couple of days so don't forget me!

CHA talk and Little Paper Shop Monday

Good morning! It is a beautiful sunny morning here which is so refreshing, being as it has rained everyday for the last week, and not just rain but downpours. ugh. so happy the day is sunny....maybe I can hang out some clothes!

This morning, I am going to get my hair cut and my brows waxed (thought you should know....) because this Thursday, my daughter Marcie and I are leaving for the Craft and Hobby Association SuperShow, in Florida!!

SUPERSTOKED!! HYPERVENTILATING!! SO EXCITED TO MEET SOME OF MY FELLOW DIRTY GIRLS AND LOTS OF SPLITCOASTSTAMPERS AND FELLOW DESIGN TEAM MEMBERS!! Okay, now I am good again.......honestly, as a stamper, you know there is nothing more exciting than meeting other stampers, who truly just "get it"!

And, double woot woot!!, I get to work at the Splitcoaststampers booth on Friday morning! I don't know how much good I will do.....drooling on the make-and-takes might be looked at as a bit rude....
I am going to take lots of pictures (got my camera back yay!) so I will be posting them when I get back. Someone told me I could post them from my Blackberry......eh what?

Well, back to today's post and that is Little Paper Shop Monday!! Today is a colour challenge and if you would like to participate you will be entered into the draw for two free digi images!! Just leave on comment on the Little Paper Shop blog with a link to your creation! If you upload to Splitcoaststampers or Papercraft Planet leave the keyword LPSC26....easy!

Here are this week's colours ....




and here is my card.......




I used Little Paper Shop's {Little One} stamp set (oh my gawd, the links aren't working now..... argggghhhh!!!) I will be back to try to link things up and hopefully they won't be so fussy.....I must have a link limit......okay now they ARE working.......bah....

Thanks for coming around and listening to my rambling this morning! Did I mention how excited I was?????!!

Stamps: Little One (Little Paper Shop)
Ink: Dark Poppy (Papertrey Ink)
Paper: Pink PIrouette, Brilliant Blue (Stamping UP!); Stampers Select White, Dark Poppy, Bitty Dots (Papertrey Ink)
Accessories: Swiss Cheese punch ( EK Success); Pop up tape (Taylored Expressions); Ribbon from my stash, my poor excuse for a paper trimmer

Clearly it's a Cupcake Inspiration Challenge!

Am I not the smartest Title maker in the world???!! I bet you had no idea I would be talking transparencies today....lol!

Today is Cupcake Inspiration Challenge #17 at Hope Stamps Eternal and I was totally inspired with the beautiful presentation in the inspiration photo.





Seeing that the plate was glass, my first thought was to make a transparency card and with all the other challenges going on with the Dare to Get Dirty 2009, I knew I could combine a few challenges......yes, I still feel a tad guilty about combining challenges. I am going to do it anyway, but I keep thinking I am cheating on one challenge over another......geeesh.....

I folded my clear sheet just like a card and then cut it out with the largest die in the Spellbinders scalloped circle nestabilities set, making sure to keep the top of the die up off of the fold, so that I didn't just cut two scalloped circles but maintained the card fold.



The round polka dot circle on the inside of the card, is made by using two of the Spellbinders circle nestabilities nested inside each other when you roll it through the Cuttlebug to cut your paper.

I have used Basic Grey June Bug designer paper for my card. It is so bright and beautiful and it matches, naturally, the Basic Grey Woolies, June Bug, which I see Rachel is out of right now, but the link goes to the Basic Grey page, so I am sure there is something there that will catch your eye ;)!

It was a breeze to make the holes in the scallops with the crop-a-dile!

I stamped the sentiment from Papertrey Ink's Mega Mixed Messages onto one of the tags of the Wizard Tags Trio from Spellbinders and attached it with a small clear glue dot!

Please make some time today to take a look around at the other Sweeties blogs and see all the wonderful creations they have come up with!

Rachel - Hope Stamps Eternal
Michelle - Stop and Stamp the Roses
Tammy - Stamp Happy
Natalie - dougnat diaries
Colleen - Glitter Ink
Jessica - Shamrocks and Seashells
Kelli - Yard Sale Kind of Luck
Carolina - Carolina's Creative Pad

July Papertrey Ink Blog Hop!!

Ooooooo! I get so excited about the Papertrey Ink Blog Hop!

There is so much to be inspired by when we bee-bop around to everyone's site and see what they are doing with this month's theme!

The July theme, is to incorporate TEXT into your creation. So, my thought was to tear a flower from an old book and then add a sentiment. Quick and easy.

I found a bunch of old books downstairs and prepared to rip and create. I then discovered they were all Danielle Steele novels, which my Mother-in-law loves so I really couldn't rip them up.



I kept digging and found some old text books which turned out to be all about the History of Canada and I really didn't feel right tearing up Canada's history so I kept on searching.......ripping up books is not easy! I love reading and I just feel bad.......but then.....

I found an old Entertainment magazine which definitely should have been pitched ages ago.....but by that time my whole idea had changed!



I ended up using the Boss-Kut birdie die and cut it out of one of the pages which I think turned out fabulous!!

The sketch is from Cindy's sketch from the Dare to Get Dirty challenges going on right now on Splitcoaststampers and it also follows Becca Feeken's Punch it out theme!

Thanks for listening to my mumbling and for looking!!



Stamps: Everyday Classics (Papertrey Ink); Broad Stripe Backgrounder (Cornish Heritage Farms)
Paper: True Black, Summer Sunrise, Stampers Select White (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Black (Memento)
Accessories: Little Bird Die (Bosskut); Classic Inverted Scalloped Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders); Scalloped Punch (Stamping UP!); Crystals (Zva Creative);

Dare to Get Dirty 2009 GOODNESS!!!

Just so you know.......your going to have to read through all this before you get to the good stuff .....but it's good reading I tell you ----really good!!

As I touched on in my previous post, it’s time again for the Dare to Get Dirty Challenges on Splitcoaststampers for the Splitcoaststampers Fan Club!

As you may or may not know, the Fan Club gives you access to a fabulous gallery made up of creations made by the Splitcoaststampers Design Team - The Dirty Dozen. If you are not already a member, I'll tell you why you should really consider joining up!

Every year at this time, the Dirty Dozen and Dirty Dozen Alumni, present several days worth of great challenges for the fan club to participate in. This year, some of the challenges are going back to the very beginning and revisiting several of the "old" Dirty Dozen themes - that is those themes that were celebrated at the very beginning of the Dirty Dozen days, and are being revamped and renewed .......making the old fresh and wild again!!

I’m even hostessing a challenge this year, called "Flap Your Wings" (sorry, you have to be a fan club member to view it!) and it involves incorporating anything with wings into your creation! How inventive can you be, you ask? As inventive as you want.....that is the wonderful part of these things........it is all your own interpretation and NOTHING you create is wrong (which made me breathe a sigh of relief I tell ya.....)

And another fabulous things is that challenges can be combined! This has got to be the best time to join the fan club and have all these wonderful challenges available at your fingertips!

I had two wonderful sample makers help me with my "Flap Your Wings" (hah! you tried to click again didn't ya!) challenge, Melissa Bove and Jami Bova and (believe me) if you click on their links you will see their fabulous cards! Thank you Melissa and Jami!!

Here is my card for my challenge.....I went super simple so you can see that any type of card is acceptable.





I do hope you consider joining the Splitcoaststampers Fan Club. It is worthwhile, wonderful and wise (just wanted another "w" word.....) AND full of inspiration for you!



Stamps: Damask Designs (Papertrey Ink); 3 step Hearts and Roses (Kitchen Sink Stamps)
Ink: Fresh Snow (Papertrey Ink), Memento black
Paper: Kraft (Stamping Up!);Rustic Cream, Vintage Cream, Vellum and Melon Berry (Papertrey Ink)
Accessories: Tag Die (Spellbinders); Melon Berry Ribbon (Papertrey Ink); Threading Water Punch (Fiskars), Butterfly Punch (Martha Stewart), Cuttlebug Swiss Dot Embossing Folder (Provocraft), my swanky sewing machine

Busy busy bee!

My post title suggest that I might have bee card, but no, I am just freakin' BUSY!!

The Dare to Get Dirty challenges are on for three days over at Splitcoaststampers and holy moley what a fun time!

I hope you are a fan club member so you can play along in all the fun challenges! The Dirty girls have gotten together and are hosting a ton of challenges (can we hear that word "challenges" one more TIME!!)

This card is for Betty's challenge to use something, anything clear on your card. So I went whole hawg and did a transparent card with a Happy Birthday theme because it WAS Jessica's birthday yesterday but I didn't get the card posted on my blog in time for her to see it, but here it is now and it is from the heart!

Happy Birthday you hard working gal you!!





I used the stylized flowers Cuttlebug embossing folder on the transparency. I didn't really know how that would work but it is very pretty in real life and I love the effect!

The paper is Basic Grey Lemonade which I absolutely LOVE....the colours are fabulous ! Stamp set is Papertrey Ink Damask Designs - love the font! and the ribbon is Papertrey Ink also - Love it too......just luvin' everything today!

I have to get back to the challenges! My challenge was posted yesterday and I will show you my card later (sometime or other) and tell you what it was all about!

.........challengechallengechallengechallengechallengechallengechallengechallengechallenge
challengechallengechallengechallengechallengechallengechallengechallengechallengechallenge
challengechallengechallengechallengechallengechallengechallengechallengechallenge.......

True Love Day.....

Here is the wedding card that I made to go with the wedding gift wrapped with the homemade wrapping paper that Marcie and I made here........whew....




I LOVE the ribbon treatment I did, if I do say so myself.......it even looks semi-straight for goodness sakes! I just crumpled up the ribbon as I ran it along the sewing machine.

I am sure there are easier ways to fold up the ribbon and adhere it, such as glue dots, but that is so messy and I tend to get glue dots stuck to me where they shouldn't be stuck........I use them but I think they are nasty.....

Oh my computer is being so dumb right now.......everything I highlight turns to green.........the martians have invaded I'm sure.......


I have to do some cleaning up of stuff on this dang computer so off I go to investigate!!

Everything used in this card is from Papertrey Ink except the thread.......

LPS Monday and some goodies to win!

Oh yes, goodies from Little Paper Shop!! If you make a little something for our sketch challenge (that our delightful Cindy Haffner drew up!) you could be the lucky winner of Beary Best Katie!! YAY!!

Okay, on to the good stuff........ my card (ahem....)

Here is our fabulous sketch......


and here is my perfect card......




I LOVE the yellow.....just sayin'.....I LOVE the yellow!!

And look at me go with all those piercings!! You would think I was Jessica Rone or something!

Totally kidding......I know she is the Queen of beautiful piercings and she knows I love her! Right Jess? RIGHT?!

Yeh, I certainly cannot do those piercings justice like Jessica, and I may have got carried away with the spots and dots and pokes.....but I still love the colours.....what is better than turquoise? Well, maybe pink.....but still......

This designer paper is Basic Grey Urban Prairie paper, which I still love despite it being tossed by the wayside (hate that). Rachel has no more Urban Prairie left, but she does have the NEW June Bug and Lemonade which is just as pretty and maybe even more so.......

Now run along and look at all the other designers take on this sketch and then get stamping!! Enter the contest so you can win that sweet little Beary Best Katie!!

Stamps: {A Dream} (Little Paper Shop)
Paper: Urban Prairie (Basic Grey), Aquamist and Lemon Tart (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Baja Breeze (Stamping UP!)
Accessories: Lemon Tart grosgrain ribbon (Papertrey Ink); Swiss Cheese punch (EK Success);Scalloped Punch (Stamping UP!); Sweet Blossoms (Zva Creative); Stickles, Petite Scalloped Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Paper Piercer. popup tape

Happy Birthday!!

Good morning!! Good morning!

Today is Sunday and that means another Cupcake Inspiration Challenge from Hope Stamps Eternal!!

Here is what we do. Rachel shows us a picture of a cupcake and we (the HSE Sweeties) get terrifically inspired by said cupcake, because we are just that way, and we make a creation that is based off the inspiration cupcake! Sound easy? Well, it IS!! and we would love to have you join us! ETA: YOU DO NOT HAVE TO USE CUPCAKES IN YOUR CREATION! Anything is wonderful!!

Just create anything that inspires you after looking at the cupcake photo below, upload a picture of it to your favorite gallery such as Splitcoaststampers or Paper Craft Planet, use the key word CIC16 (Cupcake Inspiration Challenge 16) and then come back to the Hope Stamps Eternal blog and leave your link with Mr. Linky!!

Last week Rachel offered some yummy blog candy to one of our challengers and if you didn't play, you missed out on some wonderful products - I would have LOVED to win it!!

Well, onto this week's challenge! Here is the yummylicious cupcake photo and my take on this challenge!




Isn't it pretty??!! and this stamp from Taylored Expressions was so fun to colour with all it's cupcakes!

I used Basic Grey Porcelain paper and layered it onto Papertrey Ink aquamist cardstock. I stamped the image onto another piece of the Basic Grey Porcelain designer paper also and cut out the plates so that they could be paper pieced.





I added some Diamond glaze to some of the cupcakes and Frosted lace stickles to others.....all very delicious looking.....

I finished it off with some accordion ribbon with some Zva Creative sweet blossoms attached to the ribbon. I added some Frosted Lace stickles to the flowers too and some Zva Creative Crystals to under line the word cupcakes!!

Now take a boo over to the other HSE Sweeties blogs (on my sidebar) to see their take on this cupcake photo and tell them what you think!!

Thanks for coming around and I hope you have a wonderful day!

Bless this Nest!

ETA: I FOUND IT!! Here is the link to the post that Nichole Heady had and the downloadable template is in that post......


ETA: I have had a few people e-mail me this template, but it is NOT the same one, although I like it and now I will probably have to make that one! lol! The front of the template is different and I think it might be a bit bigger than this one.....but I just wanted to thank everyone for that link....


I have had this template half done for forever, and when I was semi-cleaning my scrap area (yay me!! ), mostly just moving stuff around, I re-found it and VOWED to finish it. After looking through today's Inspiration Challenge site, I decided it was a perfect time to do just that!

The inspiration site is Tracy Porter and there are tons of photos to be inspired by!! It is a gorgeous place to shop and I was glad I found my photo of this nest and speckled eggs so quickly and got off of there before there was real trouble$$!

This birdhouse is a free download from Papertrey Ink (isn't free wonderful??!!) but I printed it off so long ago, (I think it was in October or November! and now I can't find the link . If anyone finds the link could you let me know and I will link it up! linketylinketylinketylinketylinketylinkety....

I decorated the little birdhouse with Papertrey Ink's With Sympathy set,using just the bullrushes and stamping them on the two sides and the back.

The sign "BLESS this nest" is from Papertrey Ink's set Bird Watching and I stamped it in Dark Chocolate ink and then cut it out and popped it up onto the front of the birdhouse.






The roof, which is a Tall Rectangle Scalloped Nestabilities, was run through the Distressed Stripes Cuttlebug folder and then using the Martha Stewart Arched lattice punch, I punched out some "gingerbread" for the little house!

On the front, I used an aquamist button tied with a bit of twine and topped with a Zva Creative Sweet blossom - LOVE those little flowers - they are so easy to attach with a glue dot. They come on a stem, but I just cut it off and glue dot it on! Simple!

Why don't you check out today's Inspiration Challenge yourself and be TOTALLY inspired!!

Thank you to a friend......

We have an absolutely wonderful friend who has been driving our daughter, Holly, to school, where she is a volunteer with the Grade One and Two class. Our friend is also an Educational Assistant at the same school. She lives right down the road and picks up Holly every Wednesday morning and listens to her chatter away (and she does like to chatter.....!) all the way to school.

I made her a project that is now in the Dirty Dozen gallery, so you can't see it unless you are a fan club member (sorry), but I still needed a card. So here is my......uhm.........her card.

This is an image from Crafty Secrets Birds and Botanicals journal pad and I love the treatment that I gave it.

I cut out the image with my freakishly old pinking scissors. ....you know the ones that everybody bought when they first start out?!! They don't really work all that great and so I had to go along behind them and trim with REAL scissors.....but I like the look so I put up with it......

I took my brayer and loaded it with Champagne Dazzle Versamark and then rolled it over the whole image. I sprinkled on my clear embossing powder and heat embossed it! It turned out so beautiful and that Dazzle Versamark leaves such a subtle but sparkly look!

You can kind of see the sparkles in this close up photo. The little spots on the robin's wing are sparkles and shimmers in real life! So pretty!




The sketch is from yesterday's sketch challenge on Splitcoaststampers, which some may say I followed or didn't! I substituted the panel in the middle of the sketch, for some scoring with the Scor-pal....works for me!!

The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink's Star Prints set - LOVE that font!!

Yikes, today is my daughter Marcie's birthday and I don't have a card done yet. Something like the plumber whose pipes never get fixed, or the carpenter whose house is falling down around him, or the farmer who doesn't have a garden......oops hitting close to home!! I better get that card done ........ I hope you have a wonderful day!


Stamps: Star Prints (Papertrey Ink)
Paper: Melon Berry, Rustic Cream, Dark Chocolate (Papertrey Ink)
Ink: Rich Cocoa (Memento)
Accessories: Birds and Botanicals Journal Pad (Crafty Secrets); Petite Oval Nestabilities (Spellbinders); Melon Berry ribbon, Melon Berry button, (Papertrey Ink); Versamark Dazzle, silly pinking shears, twine (Walmart)

The Dirty Gallery is Open!!

It's the 15th of the month and that means the Dirty Dozen gallery is open at Splitcoaststampers and our two new Dirty Girls for July have been revealed!!

Congratulations to Jami Bova aka sgtStamper, and Julie Warner aka justwritedesigns!!!

I am not too familiar with Julie or her work, but I certainly know Jami and I couldn't be more excited for her! and I LOVE her new picture!!

You just HAVE to sign up for the fan club just so you can see the gorgeous work these girls have done this month!! Unbelievable!!





Well, here is my sneak peak for July! I love the Tropical theme!!

Today is the Day!

YAY!!

TODAY is the day that Little Paper Shop's TWO new adorable stamp sets, {Angelic Jena} and {Beary Best Katie} are available!! AND doubly fun!! ....as a special treat to our wonderful customers, they are on sale NOW through Monday (the 20th) for 10% off at Little Paper Shop while supplies last!

Can you believe it?!!!

Today, we would love for you to stop by the LPS Blog, because it is time for our Monthly Design Team challenge. The lovely Julie Lacey has issued us our challenge this month-to use Kraft, Pink, and Green on in our creations AND incorporate punches! Fun fun!!


Of course I am going to use my Basic Grey Lemonade papers - full of colour and this particular sheet has pink and green in it!

I used {Forest Critters} stamp set for those sweet trees and {Make a Wish} birthday set for the sentiment.

I sparkled up the trees with those fabulous little Zva Round Crystals! They are pretty teeny but a breeze to use! With a little dab of glue from your glue pen and your fingernail they just slip right on! I actually licked my fingertip so they would stick to my finger until I placed them on the glue! Easy and so pretty!

The particular punch I used is the Fiskar's Apron Lace punch and I see that Rachel is out of this particular one but there are a lot more punches to see at the store, including pre-ordering of the new Martha Stewart punches ! Wahoo!!

I also added a bit of my white gelly roll pen to add some faux stitches around the edges. I do have an Inkssentials white pen that I absolutely LOVE and use it all the time, however, due to a happening sort of beyond my control , the INkssentials white pen is temporarily unavailable......something about a messy desk......mutter.....mutter.....;)

Previewing Beary Best Katie and a challenge!

Little Paper Shop's second set being released this month is called Beary Best Katie!

You have TWO chances to win this set!

1) by leaving a comment on the Little Paper Shop blog and;
2) by playing along with our sketch challenge (please leave keyword LPSC24 if uploading to your favorite gallery and then come back to the LPS blog and leave your link!)

You have until the 20th to enter your sketch on the Little Paper Shop blog!





Our sketch was so cute and I basically followed it to a tee. I paper pieced Katie's dress with designer paper and coloured the rest with copics . The paper I used is that yummy Basic Grey Lemonade! I can't get enough of it so you will probably see it in some upcoming posts!!

Don't forget to take a boo on the other designers blogs to see how they featured this little cutie pie!!