A Birthday Celebration

This is just a quick post to let you know about the birthday celebration that is taking place for Jan Marie of Flourishes over at SCS . This is the card I made for the drawings that will be taking place throughout the day. Isn't sweet of Jan Marie to be giving away gifts for HER birthday! All images of my card are, of course, by Flourishes. These beautiful stamps are so versatile that I have actually combined images from 3 different sets to make this card and yet, they go so well together. The bird bath is actually a cake stand with an additional curve to give if depth. It is embossed with French Vanilla EP from MFT then filled with CE "water." I wanted to try to let the birds see their reflection in the water but the basin of the bird bath just wasn't big enough for it to look right. I used the Poppin' Pastels technique for the leaves on the branch and the hinges are elements that I cut from the Basic Gray Periphery PP. The sweet little fan brad is from Deja Views. So be sure to stop by the party at the Flourishes Members Company forum! It's ALWAYS A Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Stamps: Flourishes- Love Nest, Flourished Words, Cake Decorating 101

Paper: Soft Sky, Old Olive, Basic Gray PP- Periphery

Ink: Soft Sky, Palette- Burnt Umber, Brillance- Graphite Black, Ranger- Antique Linen, Versamark

Accessories: Cuttlebug, Nestabilities, French Vanilla EP (MFT), Versamarker, heat gun, Stampin' Pastels, sponge dauber, sponge, May Arts ribbon, American Craft olive brads, Deja View fan brad, circle punches, Dew Drops, Stampin' Dimensionals

Simple Does NOT Mean Easy

I so... admire simple cards. When I say simple, I don't mean easy, necessarily. Granted sometimes a simple card can come together quickly but the design process of a "simple" card (at least for me) can take much thought and planning. I am taking an on-line class from My Creative Classroom called Simply Great Card Design taught by the enormously talented Julie Ebersole. I have admired Julie's work for quite sometime (well, I've only been stamping for a little over 2 years but I "discovered" her early on) and one thing that I love about Julie's art is the ability to send a message with simple elements. This is the first week of the 5 week course and I am loving it! Julie is really stressing to us that this is a process so I don't have a completed card to share, yet, but I can say that I am really excited about what I have learned so far. What I do have to share is what I consider a simple card that I made for a SWAP. I feel Elzybells are so cute and well designed that by teaming them up with the right sentiment, you can definitely get a message across with little else needed. I made this window card using an a muse Popsicle Pink Mod Dots notecard. A muse notecards are another new discovery for me and I have to agree with Tracy at Eat, Sleep, Stamp- they are addictive! You can use them as notecards, pattern paper- just let creativity take over- teeheehee! Anyway, I used my Coluzzle to cut the circle from the center dot, then made the scalloped flower with a 1 3/8" circle punch then the SU scallop circle punch out of Bazzill Bling CS (I made 2 of these for each card so that I would have one for the inside, as well.) Before adhering the scalloped flowers, I used the window as a template to lightly pencil the circle on the inside of the card. This gives me an area for stamping the image. After I stamped the image with Andirondack Pitch Black ink, I erased the pencil marks with a white eraser. I colored the Girl on Swing image with Copic markers, added a paper pieced dress of American Craft paper then added some bling to her shoes with a Spica Glitter pen and to her hair with an a muse rhinestone heart. I finished the card off with some blue striped ribbon from May Arts and some pink polka dot ribbon from my stash. If you will notice, I did add a paper pierced corner in the lower right hand - yes, this is a process for me- simple does not come easy for me!!!! It's ALWAYS a Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Stamps: Elzybells Girl on Swing, sentiment

Paper: a muse notecard, Bazzill Bling, PP- American Craft

Ink: Andirondack Pitch Black

Accessories: May Arts ribbon, pink polka dot ribbon from stash, 1 3/8 circle punch, scallop circle punch, mat pack, paper piercer, Copic makers, Spica glitter pen, Stampin' Write markers, a muse rhinestone

Toothfairy Envelope Basket

It had been a long time since I had participated with a challenge on SCS. I love the challenges but other commitments and priorities seemed to get in the way. When I saw the adorable envelope basket that was Monday's "Try a New Technique" challenge, I couldn't help myself- I had to play along. Amanda was the hostess for the challenge and she give an excellent tutorial for this cute but simple envelope project. With Easter quickly approaching, my initial thought was to do an Easter themed pouch but I had these American Craft paper scraps on my work table from a previous project (I'll share that one in the near future) and the colors made me think of fairies. I had purchased the Lizzie Anne Designs fairy awhile ago, but she had been sadly neglected. The soft lines of this sweet image were calling my name so I inked her up and stamped her on some white sparkle CS that I purchased from my lss. She was easy to color with my Copic markers and just a little blending. I punched her out then mounted her to a scalloped circle which is punched from the back side of the blue polka dot paper. I had already constructed my basket, used my corner punch to add scallops to the handle and top and my double rectangle punch down the center for some ribbon weaving. I assembled the paper pieces, tied the ribbon at the top, stamped the PTI sentiment (the sentiment that goes with the fairy was too big) and added the MM sparkly brad (I cut the prongs off the brad and adhered it with a glue dot.) Voila! A cute little pouch to put up for the big day when Rachel looses her first tooth! I can't wait to try this with different themes. It's ALWAYS a Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Fairy Envelope Basket recipe:

Stamps: Lizzie Anne Designs- Fairy, PTI- sentiment

Paper: PP- American Crafts, sparkle white CS from lss

Ink: Andirondack Pitch Black

Accessories: SU envelope, Tag punch, corner punch (retired), circle punch & scalloped circle punch (MU), Copic markers, ribbon in stash, double triangle punch, slot punch, Prima flower, MM sparkle brad

Techniques: envelope basket

Happy Valentine's Day!!!!!

Here is a super quick look at the Valentine's Day cards that I made for my family. The first one with the Stampendous Changito Monkeys Love Balloon is for our "little monkey," Rachel! None of my photos turned out very well today (go figure) so you cannot see how sparkly the red heart balloon is but after coloring the image with Copic markers, I painted the balloon with red Stickles. The background is stamped in Bashful Blue with one of my favorite CHF backgrounders- Gingham. The sentiment (C.C. Design Love Ya Much) is followed by 3 Hero Arts rhinestones. Rachel loved all the bling!
This second card is for Mary Elizabeth. I used a combo of 2 products that I LOVE- Happy Heart Day and Ginger Blossom PP. The cute little mouse is stamped on watercolor paper and then colored with a water pen and inkpads in Regal Rose, Groovy Guava, Ruby Red, and Going Gray. Since I couldn't let a 10-year-old girls Valentine be sans sparkle, I added Stardust Stickles to the little flower on this great big heart. The scallop on the PP was made with my corner rounder minus the guide and both the circle and scalloped circle were made with Marvy punches. Notice the cute background of River Rock. I broke in my brand new Swiss Dot embossing folder with my Cuttlebug. This is the only folder I have of the new releases- so far- teeheehee! The inside sentiment is from the set "To someone with a big heart!"- absolutely perfect for my sweet little girl!
Finally, a card for my best friend, my soulmate, my love. Dan is a engineer for NASA so I when I saw this little rocket image and sentiment from The Cat's Pajamas months ago, I knew this was what I wanted for his Valentine! After stamping the image in Andirondack Pitch Black, I colored it with Copics and yes, added some red Stickles to the little hearts tailing the rocket (what can I say, I was on a roll.) The little buckle on the May Arts ribbon was made by a Cuttlebug die and 1 1/4 inch circle punch. The Ballet Blue layer was embossed with a Cuttlebug heart folder and the base of the card is Summer Sun. A Fastenator was used to attach the ribbon flag with a "LOVE" staple. A simple, straightforward card for my favorite rocket scientist! Hope everyone else had a special day with their loved ones. It's ALWAYS a Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

1st School Valentine's Day Celebration

This is the first year that Rachel has really grasped the concept of Valentine's Day and she has taken to it with much enthusiasm (as she does with most aspects of life)! Everything from the Valentine mailbox she made at school to the "goodie package" that arrived in the mail today from Mamaw to the rose Daddy surprised her with this evening (she kept saying "I love your rose party, Daddy!") has made her little face glow! So when she found out that Mommy was making her Valentine cards that held her favorite Smarties for her classmates, she was beside herself. I was fortunate to come across an awesome tutorials for these little pockets while getting my daily dose of blogging on Julie Buhler's Paper Pleasing Ideas. Apparently, she has a little one that has just started preschool, as well, and made her own version of these pockets.

I definitely think the teacher needed a super special treat for Valentine's Day. We are so fortunate to have Jennifer Clardy aka Mrs. Clardy as Rachel's preschool teacher. I cannot say enough nice things about this lady. The patience and love she has for the kids in her class is beyond description. PTI now carries these exclusive heart shaped tins. When Nicole Heady designed these she certainly had the papercrafter in mind! To go along with these wonderful tins, I had the tutorial from one of my favorite papercrafters, Debbie Olson, on her blog Thinking Inking. Isn't it just wonderful when someone does all the nitty gritty measuring work for you! Thanks, Debbie! I was definitely pressed for time this week and you truely made my life easier! Once the tin was complete, I filled it up with Mrs. Clardy's favorite peanut M & M's- probably not the most color coordinated treat for the box but sometimes a favorite treat has to take presidence over artistic detail-lol.

This second heart tin, I made for Mrs. Sanchez, the class Aide. Her's will be filled with peanut M & Ms, also. Two gifts for two very deserving ladies! Tomorrow I will share with you the Valentine cards that I made for my family and that should wrap up this fun holiday. It's ALWAYS a Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Recipe for Smartie pockets:
Stamps: C.C. Designs- Love Ya Much, CHF- Polka Dot Backgrounder
Paper: Real Red, Pretty in Pink, Vellum CS, Whisper White,
Ink: Real Red, Andirondack Pitch Black
Supplies: Corner rounder, Oval punch, Scallop oval punch, SU lg oval punch, American Craft brads, Copic markers, Sakura Quickie glue pen, Dazzling Diamonds, red line tape

Recipe for Nuts About You tin:
Stamps: PTI Punny Valentine
Paper: Whisper White, Brocade Blue, PP- Rusty Pickle Chocolate Bunny
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Brocade Blue, Creamy Caramel
Supplies: May Arts ruffled & checked ribbons, SU Blue grosgrain ribbon (retired), Cinnamon Stickles, Stamping Dimensionals, heart scalloped punch, MM brad, tag punch & small tag punch, red line tape, Xyron

Recipe for Berry tin:
Stamps: PTI Punny Valentine, Beautiful Blooms
Paper: Whisper White, Pink Passion, PP- Valentine's pack from Target by Marcello for K & Co.
Ink: Pink Passion, Pixie Pink, Real Red, Green Galore
Supplies: ribbon from stash, tag punch, small tag punch, Dazzling Diamonds, Sakura Quickie Glue pen, Stampin' Dimensionals, red line tape, Xyron

Elzybells Valentine's ATC SWAP

Here is one of the projects I have been working for an ATC SWAP hostessed by Tracy Clemente. As of Friday, they are on their way to California. I can't wait to get these SWAPs back! I am such an addict to these cute little Elzybells images. Slowly but surely, I am getting quite a collection! For the bottom layer, I stamped a piece of Pretty in Pink CS with Real Red ink using CHF wonderful backgrounder- Pretty Patterns. The bg stamps has a lacy, heart-like look to it that I thought was perfect for my theme. The image was colored with Copic Markers then I decided it "had" to have some sparkle. I painted the moon with yellow stickles, went over her shoes with a red Spica glitter pen and added a small rhinestone heart from A Muse to her hair and a larger one from Me & My Big Ideas hanging in place of the star for this image. After coloring, I paper pieced her dress with Bo Bunny PP Valentine's paper. As soon as I saw this A Muse sentiment, I knew it was a MUST have. Both of my DD were read "Guess How Much I Love" from the day I brought them home from the hospital. Little and Big Nut Brown Hare hold a special place in our hearts! Other than that, everything else is pretty straight forward. I am really getting to enjoy making ATCs for these SWAPs! It's ALWAYS a Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Recipe for Valentine SWAP:

Stamps: Girl on Moon (Elzybells), sentiment A Muse, Backgrounder CHF Pretty Patterns

Paper: Pretty in Pink, Real Red, Whisper White, PP- Bo Bunny

Ink: Andirondack Pitch Black, Real Red

Accessories: Nestabilities, Cuttlebug, Copic markers, Queen & Co. Brad, May Arts ribbon, M&MBI rhinestone, A Muse rhinestone, yellow stickles, Clear Spica glitter pen

A Midday Moment of Peace

Aahh! Rachel is down for a nap and Mary Elizabeth is finishing up the school day by reading Trumpet of the Swan. The television is off and all that I hear is the click of the keyboard. And I got to make a card today. All is good and well in my world. During this peaceful time, I took a moment of silent prayer for the families in my state of Alabama and the surrounding states of Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas that have suffered losses from the devasting tornadoes of last night. We were so very blessed that they were North of us, although, I have had many family and friends calling today to make sure we are okay. I am so very thankful that we are!

I have been busy meeting deadlines for 2 ATC SWAPS and 1 card SWAP so I haven't had anything that I can post just yet. Thus my lack of cards on my blog lately. Today though I knew I wanted to make a card for Julee Tillman's Honored Guest Sketch Challenge Contest for her awesome store, Verve Visual! Be sure to stop by the link to get the details and see the awesome stamp sell that she is having for the whole month of February (I intend to take advantage of it very soon)! Julee is such a talented gal and always has the most awesome sketches and this one is no exception. I kind of went out on a limb with this one and attempted my first transparency card. I learned a couple of things regarding transparencies. First, they are a magnet for paper dust and second, it is very difficult for me to get a good photograph of one. IRL, I love this card but I am not pleased with the photo. The PTI Text Boxes background in Palette's Cote d'Azure stands out much better in person and the rhinestones on the PP are much more stunning! Oh yeah, the Patterned Paper. This is a Me & My Big Ideas line called Modern Milan. I found it at my local Michael's yesterday and it is so.... yummy. The rhinestones and the epoxy sentiment are part of the collection, as well. I hope to get a chance to make a more traditional card using Julee's sketch for her contest. I'm a bit fearful about having an experiment be my only entry! It's ALWAYS a Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Transparency Card recipe:

Stamps: PTI- Text Boxed, Butterfly Kisses

Paper: PP- Modern Milan (Me & My Big Ideas)

Ink: Night of Navy, Palette Cote d'Azure

Accessories: Tempting Turquoise ribbon, M&MBI rhinestones, epoxy sentiment, paper trimmer, 1 3/8 " circle punch, transparency card- Hero Arts, Mat Pack, Paper piercer

Enabler Alert

This webstore has last summer's unmounted The Cat's Pajama's stamps 40 % off! Sprinkles and Poochie stamps are running $2.55 and sentiments are $1.95! It's ALWAYS a Stampin' Good Time (when things are on sale)! Take care!

Hannah Montana!!!

Did anyone else see the Hannah Montana meet Miley Cirus 3-D movie this weekend? Well, if you did not let me share the experience with you. Mind you, this is a movie not a live concert. Try as we may, we have not been able to get tickets in any state that even touches Alabama and I refuse to pay scalper prices on principle alone! So picture little girls (some couldn't have been over 3-years of age) to pre-teens decked out in "everything" Hannah down to the long blond wigs standing in line for a sold-out movie, anxiously awaiting to be given their 3-D glasses and enter the theater. Once inside, the movie staff did a great job to get the crowd pepped up (even though I'm sure some of the teenaged guys felt awful silly in their Hannah Montana t-shirts.) Once the movie began, it was just like attending a mini-concert. The girls were so excited! When Hannah came on the screen they screamed and went to the front of the theater where they were allowed to dance and sing and hang-out with other Hannah Montana fans. You could even see cell phones lit up and swaying back and forth. And let's not forget the Jonas Brothers. Being the latest pre-teen heart throbs, their arrival on the screen brought about another round of screams from the audience up-front. All in all, I have to say that the production of the movie was done quite well (Disney, of course) and there was enough interesting behind the scenes shots to keep everyones attention. So......

2 Movie Tickets: 36.00
Concessions: 15.00
Ice Cream After the Show: 10.00
An Afternoon with My Pre-Teen Daughter: Priceless!

Hoping to get a little late night stamping done tonight so that I'll have something to share tomorrow. It's ALWAYS a Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Happy Groundhogs Day!

When asked "What does the groundhog look for when he pops out of his hole?" my 4-year-old Rachel quickly replies "Food!"