Spring...or snow?

Well, I woke up this morning to snow flurries! We only have maybe an inch on the ground, but still...I am ready for flowers, green grass, and bunny rabbits! ;)

I was excited to get to play in a few challenges this weekend! I have been kind of absent from them because I spent the last 2 weeks doing some scrapbooking. I seem to neglect the books to make cards! Oops!

I played this week with Paper Pretties (Spring is in the Air) and Pals Paper Arts (Embossing). I background embossed the Crumb Cake layer with a SU embossing plate and I also embossed the image on watercolor paper.

Thanks for looking! I hope you see sunshine and blue skies today!

Stamps: Everyday Miracles (Paper Pretties)
Paper: Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, Baja Breeze, Pear Pizazz, DCWV Linen pack, Watercolor Paper
Ink: Palette Noir, Watercolored with SU ink
Accessories: Clear EP, Half-backed Pearls, Crumb Cake Ribbon, SU Embossing Plate, MS Branch Punch

PWC142: Glittery Oz

My Guest Designer term with Paper Pretties ends this week. I want to say THANK YOU to Heather for her confidence in my ability to represent her marvelous company and also to Frances and the Paper Pretties DT for being so good to me the past 2 months. It was a blast!

This week's challenge is a glittery challenge! All you need to do is add glitter in some way to your card. I can be glitter, glitter glue, glitter paper etc. I knew IMMEDIATELY that I wanted to make some red, glitter shoes. :) And I thought the sentiment was a perfect addition. I hope Dorothy would be proud!

If you play this week, you will have a chance to win the set "One of these Days" You do not need to use Paper Pretties stamps in order to play along, but if you do, you will get a bonus entry into the drawing! Please be sure to mention our challenge and link back to the Paper Pretties blog in your project posting. When uploading to SCS or PCP please use keyword PWC142.

Stamps: Sassy Shoes (Paper Pretties)
Paper: Early Espresso, Whisper White, Crushed Curry
Ink: Versafine Black, Cats Eye Chestnut
Accessories: Lots of ribbon from my stash, Rhinestones, Stickles, Bo Bunny Swirls, Clear Embossing Powder

Hope your day is magical!

Love is in the Air

The challenge this week at Scrap, Stamp & Doodle Saturdays is to make a card about love. Very fitting for the week, no?

I am in the mode of using sets that have yet to see ink, so I went to my stash of TAC sets and found this darling little girl holding a balloon! With a little help of the Hearts & Brackets Sizzix die, I changed the shape of her balloon. :) Much better for the occasion!

Stamps: main image is TAC, sentiment Timeless Love (Paper Pretties)
Paper: PTI Stampers Select White, Poppy Parade, Daffodil Delight, Tempting Turquoise, Wild Asparagus patterned paper
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics to color
Accessories: Poppy Parade ribbon, skittles, Hearts & Brackets Sizzix die, stickles. Glassy Glaze, white gel pen, SU Scallop Edge punch

Hope you have a fabulous long weekend!

PWC141 Cards for Kiddos

With 3 kids in the house under 10 (for another day, anyway!) I am always in need of a birthday card for a child. Both of my girls are soooo into horses! Needless to say, when they saw this image from Paper Pretties, they were immediately enamored!

And just to elaborate so no one thinks anything bad, my son turns 11 tomorrow! I am not sending one off into the wildness for some boot camp...yet anyway. Heh. ;)

This week's challenge at Paper Pretties is to make a card for child! One random lucky participant will win the set ""Wade E Bug"" You do not need to use Paper Pretties stamps in order to play along, but if you do, you will get a bonus entry into the drawing! Please be sure to mention our challenge and link back to the Paper Pretties blog in your project posting. When uploading to SCS or PCP please use keyword PWC141.

Stamps: Horsin' Around
Paper: Basic Black, Riding Hood Red, Kraft, PTI Stampers Select White, patterned paper from my stash
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics
Accessories: Kaisercraft black rhinestones, Crystal Effects, Stickles, Distressing Tool, SU Scallop Border Punch, Seam Binding Ribbon

Horseplay is allowed...hope you play along!

Hopping with Paper Pretties!

So very happy, happy, happy to be hopping along with the Paper Pretties design team for the February new release showcase! Hopefully you arrived here from Pam's blog! And you can find the start of the hop on the Paper Pretties blog here.

Happy Days is such a versatile sentiment set! When I saw it, I immediately knew I wanted to pair it with Ballerina Sophia. My 5 year old just started back at ballet after her teacher was out on maternity leave. Sophia could not look any happier to be dancing, just like my little one: Happy, Happy, Happy!! And, I don't know about you, but with 2 girls at home, I am always in need of a birthday card for an upcoming party. (And always last minute, because my 8 year old has a tendency to pull the invite out of her backpack the day prior to the party. :/)

Stamps: Happy Days & Ballerina Sophia (Paper Pretties)
Paper: Basic Black, Pretty in Pink, White, DCWV Mat Stack
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics, Versafine Balck
Accessories: Bling and SU Ribbon, Stickles

The Wednesday challenge for this week is an Inspiration Color Challenge! Use Valentine's Day as your color inspiration, but you don't have to make a Valentine's Day card! When uploading to online galleries, use keyword PWC140. You can find more information on the Paper Pretties Blog! Hope you play along with the fun!

Thanks so much for stopping by! The next stop on your hop is Heather's blog for some more new release goodness!

So Very Happy!

Nothing makes me happier than animal print and bling! (Man, I am slowly becoming those ladies that walk around Vegas in gold, heels, and animal print, aren't I?)

Anyway, this versatile sentiment set is a new release at Paper Pretties this month! I actually made that black panel background with all of the "happy" words in the set. It was so fun!

Be sure to head over to the Paper Pretties blog to leave some love, as one random lucky commenter each preview day will win the set being previewed.

Stamps: Happy Days (Paper Pretties)
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, Real Red patterned paper, Zebra print from the stash
Ink: Versamark, Versafine Black
Accessories: American Craft Ribbon, bling from Japan, SU Scallop Edge Punch, Clear Embossing Powder

Thanks for popping in!

Smile Monkey

It is release week over at Paper Pretties and just look at this darling monkey! Isn't he cute? He is one of 4 sets being released this month, so be sure to go check them all out! You will also want to head on over to the Paper Pretties blog, as one random lucky commenter each preview day will win the set being previewed!

Stamps: Smile Monkey (Paper Pretties)
Paper: Early Espresso, Wild Wasabi, Crushed Curry, PTI Stampers Select White, Rusty Pickle Summer Luau
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics to color
Accessories: Stickles, Robin's Nest Dew Drops, Distressing Tool, Wild Wasabi Ribbon, SU Scallop Edge Punch

I knew I wanted an island theme to showcase this image. Thankfully I had this perfect piece of double sided patterned paper sitting in my paper stash! See, sometimes it does pay off to be a paper hoarder. ;)

Thanks for looking and have a great remainder of your weekend!

Sketchy Chick

Isn't this the cutest chicken stamp?? I just fell in love with it the moment I saw it! And the whole set comes with the most darling sentiments that are so versatile! I will be using it a lot for sure!

It was so fun playing with the sketch this week at Paper Pretties! One random lucky participant this week will win the set "Angel Wings Sophia" You do not need to use Paper Pretties stamps in order to play along, but if you do, you will get a bonus entry into the drawing! Please be sure to mention our challenge and link back to the Paper Pretties blog in your project posting. When uploading to SCS or PCP please use keyword PWC139.

Stamps: Cluck Part II (Paper Pretties)
Paper: Basic Black, Cajun Craze, Daffodil Delight, PTI White
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics to color
Accessories: Nesties, Kaiser Black Rhinestones, Stickles, SU Gingham Ribbon, Dimensionals

I hope all of my virtual friends who are getting pounded with snow and cold weather are hanging in there. This would probably be a bad time to say we are having gorgeous weather here...positive 24 today. You can thank me for sending you that little arctic blast later...no cards required!

CAS Love Struck

Well, it is official; I am finally getting my groove back after Christmas! And...drum roll please...I have another Valentine's Day card to show you!

This card is based on the sketch at Clean & Simple Stamping this week. Isn't it fun? And it also meets the criteria over at Scrap, Stamp, & Doodle Saturdays to use a punch on your card! I chose my most favorite punch, the SU Scallop Edge. :) Yay for fun challenges!

I have 2 cards posted: one is blinged out with stickles and the other is plain. I can't decide which I like better! The glitter really shines IRL...thought it would be a fun touch. What do you think?

Stamps: Timeless Love (Paper Pretties), A to Z Accents (SU)
Paper: Crumb Cake, Basic Black, Melon Mambo, Pixie Pink, Pink Passion, Regal Rose, Pretty in Pink
Ink: Versafine Black
Accessories: Baker's Twine, Stickles, SU Scallop Edge Punch

Have a fantastic day! Thanks for dropping by!

Timeless Love

Yay! I finally posted a Valentine's Day card! After seeing all my blog buddies working on them, I felt like a total underachiever! (We won't talk about the girls who do Christmas Cards all year...my hat is off to them!)

I was excited to have a chance to play in some of my favorite blog challenges this week. This card meets the requirements for:

Clean & Simple: Sketch
Hand Stamped Sentiments: Use Hearts
Scrap, Stamp & Doodle Saturdays: Anything Goes

Woo Hoo! 3 challenges in 1! That is a lot for me...I know many of you can do like 10 in one. You have official superhero status in my eyes!

Stamps: Timeless Love (Paper Pretties)
Paper: PTI White, Old Olive, Cajun Craze, Basic Grey Indian Summer
Ink: Versafine Black
Accessories: SU Old Olive Ribbon & Button, DMC floss, Stickles, Nestabilities, SU Scallop Edge Punch, CB Embossing Folder

As a side, the ribbon off the edge was a total mistake! I tried to take the card apart to tuck it under but the darn cardstock started to tear. Anyway, then I kind of liked it! Sometimes mistakes work!!

Wild Stitches

It is Wednesday and that means another challenge over at Paper Pretties! This week was scary for me...we were asked to used some form of sewing on our creation! As you can tell, I cannot sew well at all...not even in a straight line, but I think that just adds character, no? ;)

(And of course you could have used faux sewing, but if I tried that my little Janome Sew-Mini would have mocked me the entire time I made the card, being quite the distraction.)

One random lucky participant this week will win the set "One of these Days" You do not need to use Paper Pretties stamps in order to play along, but if you do, you will get a bonus entry into the drawing! Please be sure to mention our challenge and link back to the Paper Pretties blog in your project posting. When uploading to SCS or PCP please use keyword PWC138.

When I chose to use this darling stamp set, I immediately thought of attitude and sassiness! Don't you just love that shoe?! And I knew I had the perfect paper to pair it with (no pun intended)!

Stamps: Sassy Shoes (Paper Pretties)
Paper: Basic Black, Pink Passion, Whisper White, Zebra paper from my stash
Ink: Versafine Black, Copics to color
Accessories: ribbon, Stickles, rhinestones, circle/scalloped circle nestabilities, my trusty ol' Janome Sew-Mini :)

We are having a little warm spell here! Tomorrow's forecast...a high of 7! YES! A positive 7! It is the little things...;)

Hope you have a blessed day!

PWC137 Paper Piecing

Yay for another Wednesday challenge at Paper Pretties! This week's theme is Paper Piecing! I love this technique! It helps me use my stash...which I have a **slight** tendency to hoard. ;)

One random lucky participant this week will win the set "Simply Special" You do not need to use Paper Pretties stamps in order to play along, but if you do, you will get a bonus entry into the drawing! Please be sure to mention our challenge and link back to the Paper Pretties blog in your project posting. When uploading to SCS or PCP please use keyword PWC137. Hope you play along!

Isn't this little Sophia darling? She comes with a gorgeous Thank You sentiment. I chose to pair her with the Happy Birthday sentiment because I always seem to need birthday cards! She was fun to paper piece as well! Her dress really lends itself to the technique.

Stamps: Giving Thanks-Sophia, Make A Wish Sophia (sentiment) all from Paper Pretties
Paper: PTI Stampers Select White, Certainly Celery & Bashful Blue (SU), Patterned Paper from my stash!
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics to color
Accessories: Stickles, Rhinestones, Buttons, DMC Floss

I am officially surviving winter here in Alaska. Last night on my drive home, the car thermometer read -30! On the bright side (no pun intended!) we are gaining 7 minutes of daylight a day. Yippee! Summer here rocks and I cannot wait for it!

Wishing you a blessed day!

PWC136: Unique Fold...Origami Lanterns

I have some exciting news to share! I have the honor of being a guest designer at Paper Pretties for the months of January and February! Needless to say, I am totally excited and I can't wait to share the fun with you!

This week's challenge at Paper Pretties is to make something with a unique fold or a non-traditional fold. When I saw the border of hibiscus stamps in Aloha Sophia I immediately thought...origami lanterns!!

I took traditional origami paper and stamped the hibiscus with versamark and then heat embossed with gold embossing powder. The neat thing...each lantern is stamped differently! One red lantern is stamped with several parallel lines, the other with intersecting lines; the yellow has the hibiscus stamped diagonally over half of it leaving the other half blank; and finally for the black, I stamped one hibiscus randomly all over the paper. I was amazed at all of the different designs I could get out of one border stamp!

After I stamped and embossed the paper, I used this balloon pattern from an origami website. Once they were folded, I attached them to a string of Christmas lights by sticking the light right into the open end of the origami balloon...making a little string of lanterns!


And if you don't have a line of lights, you can just put these in a bowl and display them, as shown in the picture at the top of my post. Here I am showcasing them where they sit in my house now...on an end table in my living room. :)

We would love to have to play along with us this week! You do not need to use Paper Pretties stamps in order to play along, but if you do, you will get a bonus entry into a drawing for some free stamps! Please be sure to mention our challenge and link back to the Paper Pretties blog in your project posting. When uploading to SCS or PCP please use keyword PWC136.

Stamps: Aloha Sophia (Paper Pretties)
Paper: Origami paper from Japan
Ink: Versamark
Accessories: Gold Embossing Powder, Heat Gun, Christmas Lights

As a side, it feels soooo good to be back! My family enjoyed a 3 week vacation to Florida where we were able to not only visit with our family, but also see Mickey Mouse! The weather was gorgeous...and the shopping was fabulous! I hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday as well!