Cozy Winter Wishes

The last 2 mornings have certainly shown us that there are colder days just around the corner. I actually sent Rachel to school wearing a coat instead of a light jacket. Now in true North Alabama fashion, we may very well wish we had on shorts on Thanksgiving Day but you never can tell! To mark the change in the seasons, I decided to post a card that I made with one of the latest releases from the Artful Inkables set, Frosty Mug Mates. I stamped the little snow fellow, then masked the image to place the tree "behind" him. After coloring the images with Copic markers, I added Liquid Appliqué and heat set it for a fluffy snow look. The little yellow stars and the snowflake embellishments were made by running a sheet of red sticky tape through my Cuttlebug with a snowflake die. After adhering the stars to the card (and the snowflakes to a die cut cs version,) I covered the other adhesive side with Art Glitter. PP is Paper Salon's last year wintry print and ribbon is PTI. Wishing everyone fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!

Wishful Thinking...

Yes, these little snowmen from the latest Artful Inkables release are probably about as close to snow as this southern gal with get. These fellows can be found in Frosty Mug Mates, along with a super selection of other snow friends! Not much time for a long post today. I have an extremely busy week ahead with 3 A Muse classes, Girl Scouts, Dr.'s appointments, hopefully lunch with another local A Muse addict, Vickie Cooper (Hiya, Vicky) and then the usual- taxi to dance lessons, horseback riding lessons, Upward cheer leading practice, and oh yeah, homeschooling in the middle of all of that. Time is definitely more precious than money. Anyway, today's goal is to get the house cleaned and laundry for the week done. Doesn't allow for much blogging or crafting time. I will be back later this week with my Jacksonbelle Tuesday challenge, and at least one more card from Frosty Mug Mates, and how about a look see at the A Muse cards that I will be teaching on Monday at Once Upon a Scrapbook. I know I have promised an account of the fabulous Seattle trip but I really want to wait until I can give it the time it deserves. So I'm going to leave you with the down and dirty deets of this card and Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!

Card deets: Stamps- Frost Mug Mates, paper- Real red, white cs, MME, ink- Memento Black, supplies- Top Note die from SU, Cuttlebug, Copic markers, Liquid Appliqué , paper snowflake- Imaginisce, rhinestone brad-MM, snowflake brad and ribbon from stash.

Hello from Seattle

If all went well with my scheduled post, it is Friday and I am in Seattle taking the Copic Certification class! I cannot wait to get home and share with you, my friends, about my trip! Until then I have another card to share. These pretty little snowflakes from the Artful Inkables brand new release "Paper Snowflakes" are very likely about as close as I am going to get to any of the cold, wet stuff this year! So I better enjoy them any way I can! And who wouldn't have a good time playing with this beautiful set? It comes with 4 unique snowflakes and 2 sentiments for either a Christmas card or winter well wishes. Here is a look at the rest of the images of the set:

I made this card during the wee hours of the morning and shot my photo right away. The lighting was particularly poor for this pic and you cannot see all the sparkle and texture on this card. The light blue base layer is actually a piece of velvet paper that I ran through my Cuttlebug using the Snowflake embossing folder. The wonderful snowflakes are covered with Dazzling Diamonds after being traced with a Sakura Quickie Glue pen. Be sure to check out the samples created by Pam and Terri using the beautiful set. I guarantee these gals will inspire you! Also, remember to use this coupon code for savings on your order.

Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!

Card deets: Stamps- Artful Inkables Paper Snowflakes, paper- KI velvet paper, Lovely Lilac, Whisper white CS, Ink- Lovely Lilac, Supplies- Cuttlebug, Snowflake Embossing Folder, circle punches, Silver Cord- SU, small oval punch, ribbon- May Arts, Dazzling Diamond, Sakura Quickie Glue pen, Stampin' Dimensionals

A Cup of Tea...

Hiya, Friends! Just a quick post in the midst of getting ready for my trip to Seattle. I am so excited and a bit anxious because flying is not my favorite thing! Anyway, I have quite a bit to do between now and take off and one important and FUN thing is to share this card that I made with the darling "Warm Drinks for Cold Days" by Artful Inkables. This is yet another of the 5 new really released sets! Although it uses "cold days" in the title of this delicious, it definitely can be used year round for any coffee or tea fan! Here are the rest of the images of this awesome set:
Today I teamed up the cute little tea pot and cup with Urban Prairie by Basic Grey. Now I love BG but this may be my favorite line yet! I love the eclectic color mix and all the little "nature themed" surprises you will find in this pretty paper! The image is colored with Copic markers and the "tea" is Bees Wax Shimmerz. I cut a little folksie flower from the PP and added a stem with a black Copic to give the tea pot personality. Buttons are from my stash and the terrific ribbon is A Muse. Be sure to check out DT members Jenn and Julia's blogs for some more ideas of using this cute set. Also, remember to include coupon code save10BT for your 10% discount on all of your AI purchases! Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!

Whohoo! Some New AI in the House!

Yes, yes, yes! It is time, once again, for another incredible new release from Artful Inkables. Kristin has been super busy creating FIVE beautiful new sets! I am so impressed by the versatility she has given to her designs. While several of the sets have images that would make wonderful Christmas and winter holiday cards, you will find that they will be appropriate throughout the year! For example, here are the images of this first set, "Peaceful Wishes."

Right away, I'm a huge fan because of the sweet little pine cone image! Definitely a must for a nature lover card anytime of the year! The gorgeous deer images would work great on the front of a Christmas or for a masculine birthday card. Another neat feature about this set- both the pine cone square and the poinsettia square fit perfectly in a 1" square punch- instant Inchies. That was the first thing that inspired me when I first saw this set. I knew I had to make a card with a trio of pine cone inchies. I had some Cosmo Cricket Wonderland paper left over from last year (absolutely a favorite of all time holiday paper) and thought this pine cone print would make a great background. The beautiful shimmer ribbon is May Arts and a brand new product for Artful Inkables! Be sure to check out my sister DT members Julia and Jenn's blogs for some more samples using "Peaceful Wishes!" And don't forget use this coupon code for 10% off your order!

I will be back later today with a fun sample from another AI new release "Warm Drinks for Cold Days" yummmmm!

Card deets- Stamps- Peaceful Wishes, Ink- Adirondack Espresso, Encore Gold, Paper- Cosmo Cricket Wonderland, Chocolate Chip, Poison Ivy, Supplies- ribbon May Arts, 7/8", 1" 1 -1/4" square punches, Stampin' Dimensionals, button from stash, Gold Cord- SU

Some Bunny Loves You

This week SCS is recognizing National Breast Cancer Awareness month by incorporating pink in all of the challenges. Yesterday's color challenge was too good to pass up- Pirouette Pink, Kiwi Kiss, and Chocolate Chip. I did not have Pirouette Pink but I thought this cute PP from Imaginisce Fairest of Them All collection certainly fit the bill. Also, since I was running short on Kiwi Kiss, I exchanged it for Old Olive. I had not stamped with this cute little thumping bunny image from Artful Inkables Deer Friends yet and thought it would be perfect for the soft colors. The image is colored with Prismacolor pencils and then blended with Gamsol. I feel the softer look of the pencils works well with these cute forest creatures. See the largest flower in the cluster? Well, the center was made using lace from Fancy Pants Designs. Fun stuff! Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!



Card deets:

Stamps: Artful Inkables- Deer Friend

Paper: Old Olive, white CS, PP- Imaginisce Fairest of Them All

Ink: Memento Creamy Cocoa, Ranger Distress Ink Tattered Rose

Accessories: Prismacolor pencils, Gamsol, Cuttlebug, Nestabilities, Prima Flowers, Imaginisce brads, Fancy Pants lace & velvet ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals

TGIF

Is anyone else looking forward to the weekend? I know I am! My hubby is off work on Monday for Columbus Day and he took yesterday and today off to make it a long weekend. The kids are off of school this week for Fall Break so little Rachel has not been at preschool- both a blessing and a trial. It will be much easier on me now that Dan and I outnumber her- teeheehee! Thursday is Mary Elizabeth's riding lessons and since Rachel usually has dance at about the same time she has been going with a friend. Dance was canceled this week for the break so we are all able to enjoy watching her ride yesterday. We got to experience a couple of firsts with her. It was her first day of jumps and it was her first time to fall off the horse. She was not hurt, in fact she got up smiling and climbed right back on his back. She is definitely a horse loving girl!

My card for today didn't start out as a "get well" card but while I was making it, I discovered that a friend was having a rough time health-wise and decided to make this for her. The cute little raccoon is from none other than the new Artful Inkables set, Critter Country. I started by stamping the little guy on gray CS with a glue pad then added black Fun Flock. After I cut him out I decided to add Petal Pink Liquid Pearls to the inside of his ears and Pewter LP to his nose. I had previous stamped and colored the stump and "weeds" on to white CS and colored them with Copic markers. I used Stampin' Dimensionals to fix the raccoon on to the stump. The PP is from BG's Mellow line and I used So Saffron CS to accent. I inserted 2 SU jumbo eyelets in the corner and added yellow gingham ribbon from my stash. The tag is cut from the gray CS with a Cuttlebug tag die and the sentiment is from AIs Basic Sentiments. I fixed the tag to the card with hardward from WRMK. The little button in the corner is SEI with a tiny knot of the gingham ribbon. Hope everyone has some super plans for the weekend (even if those plans just have to do with getting some rest-lol)! Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!

Sonoma Critter Country

Be sure to leave a comment HERE for a chance for some awesome Jacksonbelle Embellishment Blog Candy
AND
Be sure to check out the Artful Inkables' website for an awesome grab bag offer!

Today is Wednesday and that means a Sketch Challenge on SCS (SK197). I purchased this beautiful PP- Sonoma by Scenic Route- at my lss and had been waiting for just the time to use it. Each and every design from this line of paper is gorgeous (and of course, I had to have it ALL)! This adorable little fox image is from the latest Artful Inkables release and it is found in an awesome set called Critter Country- completely cute critters with great accessory stamps to make wonderful little scenes. After stamping the image in Memento Rich Cocoa, I realized I still had my Prismacolor and Gamsol supplies handy so decided to use them once again. To give the little guy depth, I added white Liquid Appliqué to the tip of his tail and chest area. Finally, I cut him out and popped him up on this little grassy scene panel. The yellow polka dot panel is embossed using the Cuttlebug branch folder. Ribbon is May Arts and hardware is HHH by SU. A cute, happy card! Be sure to check out the Artful Inkables site to learn about Kristin's Grab Bag speciall! Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!

Butterfly Blessings...

***********Be sure to check out this post for blog goodies opportunity!!!************



While the whimsical themed stamp sets such as the new Artful Inkables, Deer Friends and Critter Country are more my creative style, this beautiful, mosaic leaf butterfly from Butterfly Blessings was the image that I was most excited about receiving. The versatility of this stamp for such a huge variety of techniques it awesome! I can picture using my Copic markers, Gamsol Magic technique, pastel/chalk techniques, glitter techniques- get the picture! It is such a beautiful and unique stamp that I can tell I will be enjoying it for quite some time!

I stamped the image with Versamark onto Chocolate Chip CS then heat embossed with Rangers Gold EP. Rangers and SU are my two favorite EPs (often wonder if they are made by the same company.) Next, I painted the image using the Painted Pearls technique. It uses the combination of Pearl-Ex and a Futura filled Aqua Pen. It is a simply technique that really gives a big bang for the amount of effort! The sketch is a stretched out version of todays Sketch Challenge 196. It had been a while since I participate in a SCS challenge but I always enjoy it when I get the chance! Everything else is pretty straightforward. Ribbon is by American Craft, brads are by Paper Studio, and hardware is WRMK. PP is Cosmo Cricket Gretal that I purchase last fall from Jacksonbelle Embellishments and it remains one of my fav Autumn designs. I'll be back tomorrow with some peaks of the cards that I will feature in my first A Muse class- Fall for A Muse. Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!

Such a Deer

How dear is this little deer!!!!! This is probably my favorite of the 4 newly released sets from Artful Inkables! All images that I used can be found in the Deer Friend set except the tree stump which is from Critter Country. See how awesome these 2 sets coordinate. If you buy one you know your gonna "have" to have the other! Truly stamping fun!!!! Be sure to check out the other gals blogs using this darling set:

Pam Miller
Terri Todd
and owner/designer
Kristin Soboloski

I thought that Basic Gray Archaic would be perfect for this little nature scene. I originally purchased the 6 x 6 paper pad to make cards for my dinosaur crazed nephew Ryulee. His birthday is in January and I may end up buying another paper pad before it gets here! I love the prints for masculine and nature cards! I colored the image with Copic markers and "created" the ground cover with them, as well. This idea was cased from the fabulous Julie Ebersole on this card. I am totally blown away by this cool technique! For the "sky" I painted the background with Sky Blue Shimmerz and swirled around some Angel Wing Shimmerz. It does not show up as well in the photo as I hoped it would. Essentially it give the appearance of a nice, clear day! I was a bit challenged when I was coloring because my Colorless Blender and favorite Gray marker are out on loan (gasp) to someone interested in purchasing the markers. I thought I would not need them because I had completed the coloring of this little scene. Well.... apparently Rachel felt it needed something and added her own little touch or two! Can you say ruined- ahgggg! Be sure to check out the new discount label in the right hand column of my blog. Kristin has given each DT member a coupon code to share with our wonderful blog readers! These stamps really are too much fun to pass up! Stay tuned tomorrow for some super exciting news that will accompanied some yummy blog candy! Wishing you fun Times and inky fingers! Take care!

Autumn's Flowers

Hello! Today I am excited because it is my turn to post a sample card from the awesome new release from Artful Inkable! Along with me, you can find awesome samples from Autumn's Flowers on these DT members blogs:

Jenn Muraoka
and
Pam Miller

If you love leaves, as I do, this is definitely a MUST HAVE set! The sentiment is absolutely wonderful "Autumn is a second spring, where every leaf is a flower!" Wow! I had the best time not only playing with this stamp set but experimenting with products that I have had on my shelves for a while collecting dust. When I am in a hurry to get things done, I tend to rely on my tried and true techniques, embellishment and style. This card is definitely outside my usually comfort zone but it was such fun and I like the end result. The image was stamped, heat embossed with Judikins Sparkle Chocolate EP, and then painted with 3 different colors of Shimmerz (Olive, Beeswax and Pumpkin.) Once that was finished I made a mask for the image and sponge Ranger Frayed Burlap Distressing Ink on the rest of the oval panel. I did the same thing for the little "helicopters" only I cut them out instead. The other neat thing is I used the Ranger Distress paints along the outer border of the card. Once it was dry and crackly, I painted it with brown Shimmerz! Using the Shimmerz is awesome within itself- they go on beautifully and dry super quick! My PP is Mellow by BG, ribbon is May Arts, and sparkle dots are Jesse James. Not my ordinary card but a lot of fun getting my fingers messy! I'd be so pleased if you would stop by tomorrow when I show a sample Deer Friend- probably my favorite on the new releases, well one of them at least, LOL! Also, don't forget the coupon code in the right hand column that Kristin was so awesome to share with my super readers! Wishing you fun TIMEs and inky fingers! Take care!

Jacksonbelle Boosday

Today is the 4th and final sketch for the Jacksonbelle Embellishments Inkadinkado Contest. For all the specifics, check out the JBE Blog. Before I get to any details about today's sketch, I have some incredibly wonderful news. Lindsey's little boy, Austin, was able to be removed from the ventilator yesterday! He remains on a small dose of nasal oxygen but they feel that if things keep going as is, he will be out of PICU in a couple of days, then home from the hospital a few days after that! Truly the power of prayers is amazing!
So here is today's sketch. Be sure to take a look at the wonderful cards from the rest of the design team.

• Amber Hight
• Broni Holcombe
• Dee Jackson
• Elezibeth Neumann
• Kisa Peters
• Lila Holgate
• Lynda Benden
• Maren Benedict
• Rachel Hope

Remember to use JBE021 in the keywords if you upload to SCS AND be sure to e-mail ALL of your beautiful cards to Lynda Benden, lynda.benden@gmail.com, to assure entry into the contest!

Now for some more exciting news! Today is Release Day for Artful Inkables Stamps! Now, obviously I love AI stamps but with this release, Kristin ,the owner/designer, has completely ROCKED!!!! Can you say beautiful leaves, the most awesome butterfly EVAH, and the absolute cutie patootiest critters! Here is a look at the awesome images for these 4 sets:

The Design Team has divided up the peeks for these awesome new sets so today be sure to check out these blogs today:

Kristin
Julia- please check later this evening
Terri

And what rocks even better than new stamps? What about new stamps at a discount! Besides the everyday offer of free shipping for U.S and Canadian orders over 40.00, Kristin has given each DT member a discount code to share with the readers of our blogs. So I can actually share the love with you awesome folks! You will find this reminder in the column on your right for the remainder of my DT stint:

Be sure to check back tomorrow for some more samples from these terrific new sets! Wishing you fun TIMEs and inky fingers! Take care!

Artful Inkable Wednesday- A Technique Challenge

The last 2 weeks have simply flown by and now it is time for another Artful Inkables Challenge. Before I get in to the details about the challenge, I would like to introduce you to the newest Ink Girl, Terri Todd! You will definitely want to pop over to her blog and look at her awesome creations! Welcome, Terri! I'm so excited to be designing with you!

Now, this weeks challenge is hostessed by no other the Queen Ink Girl herself, owner/designer Kristin Soboloski! Since she is calling the shots on today's challenge, she is offering up an awesome prize via random drawing for all that participate in the challenge!!!! Anyone who participates in the challenge this week will be eligible for ONE FREE AI STAMP SET OF
THEIR CHOICE!! How awesome is that! If you wish to participate, please post a link to your creation either at the Artful Inkables blog or in your SCS gallery. (Include ARTINK [all capitals] in the keywords when you upload on SCS so we can find your card.) Kristin will
then randomly draw the winner from the names of those who participated. Artful INKables Stamps are not required, but if you've got 'em, why not give 'em some lovin'? The most important rule is to have fun.

The title of today's challenge is "The Doodle MASKquerade Challenge." The specifics are at the AI blog but essentially you are to include masking and doodling on your card! My card seemed to take on a life of it's own. I had a plan but as I stamped away things took on a different turn and a fairytale developed! I decided to make a birthday card for a friend that loves purple and the colors in the new BG Eva was perfect for this. I teamed it up with Pale Plum and Kiwi Kiss CS. The Pale Plum was embossed using a Cuttlebug folder. The ribbon is MM and the flowers are Prima.

My first part of the challenge was to make the "cloud" background using a mask made by punching a post- it note with a scallop oval punch. I then used a jumbo dauber to daub around the mask using Bordering Blue Classic Ink on Whisper White paper. The smooth finish to the Whisper White paper makes it perfect for this technique. The next example of masking was used to make the cute little fairy sit on the mushrooms. I first stamped the fairy from Enchanted Fairies onto Solar White CS then stamped it again on a post-it note and cut that image out to make a mask. After covering the original stamped image with the mask, I stamped the mushrooms living right under the fairy's "hiney hoo (Rachel's word for her bottom) to sit unmarred. I them colored the image with my Copic markers and added some Angel Wings Shimmerz to her wings. The next part of the challenge was just that, challenging. This card was not the right style for a black pen sort of doodle. Instead I used a gold Zig paint pen to enhance certain areas on the image. I, also, added the gold pen to the embossed Pale Plum and the Kiwi Kiss photo corners that I cut with a Sizzix die. My photo does not pick up the gold "doodling" as much as I would like but the soft gold definitely gives this Enchanted Fairy a magical, whimsical appearance. Be sure to check out the rest of the DT members blogs to see what they have done with these fun techniques!

• Jennifer
• Julia
• Pam
• Terri

Wishing you TIME filled with fun and inky finger! Take care!

Jacksonbelle Two-fer Tuesday

It's Tuesday, once again! And what makes this Tuesday so exciting? It is the release of Sketch 2 for the Jacksonbelle Embellishment Inkadinkado Sketch Contest! Of course, the DT always wants the readers of our blogs to join the Tuesday challenges but the contest this month makes it extra sweet- especially when Lindsey is offering up a grand prize of $50.00 Gift Certificate to Jacksonbelle Embellishments ,2nd Place $30.00 and 3rd place $15.00! Whahoo! The rest of the details can be found on this post HERE. If you decide to upload your card to SCS be sure to use JBE019 in you keywords- we want to share your beautiful cards with everyone! Also, an important note- a photo of ALL entries MUST be e-mailed to Lynda Benden at lynda.benden@gmail.com. The rest of the DT would love to share their versions of today's sketch. Feel free to check these out:

• Amber Hight
• Broni Holcombe
• Dee Jackson
• Elezibeth Neumann
• Kisa Peters
• Lila Holgate
• Lynda Benden
• Lindsey Botkin
• Maren Benedict
• Rachel Hope

My card today is very straight forward. This cute little Inka snowman was stamped with Memento Tuxedo black on to Solar White CS. I colored his accessories with Copic markers and highlighted him using Sky Blue Shimmerz. The little bells are cut with Quickutz Christmas Cookie Cutter dies from my lss, Once Upon a Scrapbook and then painted with Candlelight Shimmerz. The gold cording is SU, as well as, the retired Totally Thyme ribbon. Paper is Figgy by BG. Here is a better look at today's sketch. Lynda made a wonderful sketch that allows for MUCH creativity !
Last week was a bit rough due to back problems and a subsequent procedure to help. I'm glad to say that I am felling MUCH better. Thanks to everyone with their kind comments and e-mails! Over the weekend, I was able to get 3 of my 4 Inka sketch cards completed with last weeks sketch being one of them. If you did not get around to trying out last weeks fun sketch, it is not to late! You have until the end of the month to do all 4 sketches. You can enter with as few or as many cards as you like, with the sketches of your choice. There will be a special prize given for a random winner who has entered at least one of each sketch! You can find last weeks sketch at this post. I teamed up this cute little Inka Santa with the new BG Offbeat. I absolutely love the way this paper pad coordinates with the new In- Colors!!!!! Here I have paired it with Ridinghood Red for contrast and a Christmasy feel! The Santa was colored with Copic markers and Spica pens for added sparkle. The sentiment is a Karen Foster rub on and the ribbon is Bazzill. Brads are MM and snowflake with brad is Imaginisce. A fun, simple and quick card! Please be sure to stop by tomorrow to see what I have made for the Artful Inkables Every Other Wednesday Challenge. Our fearless leader, the ever talented Kristin, is the "hostess with the mostest" and hmmm, did I hear a rumor of PRIZES for 1 lucky participant???? Also, she has extended the free shipping for orders over 30.00 until September 15th! Believe me, with the beautiful selection of stamps at AI it is NO problem to have that in your cart in no time *wink*! Wishing you TIME filled with fun and inky fingers! Take care!

Artful Inkables Limited Supply Challenge

Hello, All! It's Wednesday and time for the every other week Artful Inkables Design Team challenge. This week's challenge was a first for me- a Limited Supply Challenge. Kim Teasdale came up with this challenge and it was a "challenge" in every since of the word 'cause I LOVE my to use lots of supplies on my cards! If you would like to join us for the challenge here are the deets:

1. Only use 2 layers + a base (maximum 3 layers to this card)
2. Only one kind of embellishment allowed (ie: ribbon OR brads)
3. You may use one sentiment on your card.
4. No Designer Paper (GASP! I know, but this is supposed to be a
challenge - heheheheh)
5. Be creative with your paper for textures (dry embossing, score pal
lines, decorative scissors, just let your imagination run wild)
6. Your card must be any size of a square

Yes, definitely a challenge for those of us who rely on layers, PP, and embellishments for our projects. If you would like to see the beautiful works of the rest of the design team, please click on their names below to go to their blogs. Also, don't forget to check out owner/designer, Kristin's work at the Artful Inkables blog!

• Jennifer
• Julia
• Kim
• Pam

Remember if you would like to play along, please live a link to your card with a comment to this post or if you upload to SCS use ARTINK in you keywords so we can see your wonderful creations.

My card for today is very simple but in the end I really liked it! The inspiration for the color combo comes from this weeks SCS Color Challenge to use Basic Black, Rose Red and Kraft. It is impossible to see in the photo but there is quite a bit of sparkle on this card. I started with a 5 1/2" square base. For the next layer, I took a piece of Kraft CS and stamped the dog print image with Versamark all over it. Next I colored in the little heart of the footprint with a red Spica glitter pen. I wanted to accent the heart so stay with the theme of my sentiment. Next I used my waterfall Fiskers border punch along the side of the card and added some faux stitching to the other side. Since I only had 1 more layer and it had to be dedicated to my main image, I decided to use my 1 embellishment, ribbon (of course) highlight my focal point. After cutting the ribbon to the length that I wanted I adhered them to the kraft paper. My initial plan was to sew the ribbon to the cs but my sewing machine was acting up last night. I'll look at THAT today once I am more awake! Finally, my focal image was stamped on Cryogen white paper with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored with Copics. Again, it is difficult to see but the little hearts on the bandanna have been sparkled with my red Spica pen. How is that for a simple, straight forward card. I was pleased the way it turned out but I will tell you the next card I make will make it up to my neglected supplies! It's ALWAYs A Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Congratulations!!!

Wow! I first want to say "thanks" for all the kind comments submitted for my blog candy drawing. It is so refreshing to see how truly appreciative everyone was for their blessings. Definitely uplifting! Without further ado, by using randomly generated numbers, my computer choose #20 Rose Ann as the winner of the goodies! Rose Ann wrote:

"Your card is so beautiful, Beth!! I love the colors, texture, and pretty image!!
Congrats on your hits!! You do such lovely work! My family is a huge blessing to me."

Well, Rose Ann, not only are blessed with an awesome family but some incredible talent. If you have never visited Rose Ann's blog, I suggest that your run, don't walk on over to see what this gifted gal has been up to. Rose Ann if you will please e-mail me with your postage details, I will be sure to get your goodies on their way!

My daughter and I returned from Atlanta late last night and it felt so good to sleep in my own bed. The concert was so much fun, although I still haven't recovered all of my hearing yet. The music was not so much the problem as the screaming fans! The look on my DD's face and the way she kept telling me "thank you" and "I love you" made it all worth while. They actually surprised Joe Jonas with a cap & gown and presented him with his high school diploma so all the fans actually attended his graduation (played Pomp and Circumstances and everything.) Mary Elizabeth thought that was pretty neat. It was, also, the opening act's Demi Lovato's 16th birthday (she is the gal from Camp Rock for those of you who know what that is) and everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to her. Certainly a memorable occasion for all! Dear ol' Mom was not without fun on the trip either. On Wednesday we visited Archivers which of course was great AND we went to another lss in Marietta called "Rubber Stamp Fantasy." This store was incredible. The owners, Debbie and Gary Taratoot were delightful and extremely knowledgeable regarding their trade. The store was wall-to-wall rubber stamps! They carried the entire line of A Muse products, Glimmer Mist in all colors, about any Tim Holtz product you could image, a huge selections of inks and EP and the list goes on, on, and on! I will definitely be back and if you are ever in the area this is a MUST stop! Thursday we spent the afternoon in IKEA and I bought several things for the girls and have some ideas that I want to put in to play for organizing my home (quit laughing) with some future visits.

Anyway, enough of our trip and on to this little treat bag that I made using the Artful Inkables new release, Orange You Sweet. This little orange image was made by putting scotch tape over the stemmed glass to prior to inking my stamp to prevent making that part of the image. After coloring the orange with Copics, I wanted to give it a juicy appearance so I painted on some Angel Wings Shimmerz (love that stuff)! The main image is cut using a square Nestabilities and matted on a scalloped Pumpkin Pie square. The scalloped rectangle is Wild Wasabi and the sentiment is from Artful Inkable Sunburst Dandies. This topper is trimmed with orange slice "scallops" made from Quickutz and again, sparkled with Angel Wings Shimmerz. It was placed on a SU small Cello bag filled with candies "orange slices" then punched with a double rectangle punch. The ribbon securing it is Pumpkin Pie, Wild Wasabi stitched and May Arts black and white striped. A very easy, sweet little project! It's ALWAYs A Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Paradise Island Gift Tin and Card

********* BLOG CANDY DETAILS HERE!!!!**********

Well, today is THE day. Mary Elizabeth are on our way to Atlanta to see the Jo Bros! She is beside herself about the concert. I, on the other hand, am planning a trip to Archivers, and Rubber Stamp Fantasy in Marietta on the way there and then a trip to IKEA on the way home on Thursday! Definitely a win/win sort of trip! Actually, I'll enjoy HER enjoying the concert. It is great to do something special for my super sweet gal!

Last week I made this card using the Paradise Stamp set from Artful Inkables. I was prowling around looking for something for another project and came across this green raffia. It inspired me to make this little matching cylinder tin to go with that card. The raffia is adhered to a piece of natural twill tape with sticky tape then applied to the tin using the same thing. The paper is once again from BG Urban Couture and the ribbon is SU Bashful Blue grosgrain. The main image is colored with Copics and a bit of white Zig Painty pen is added to highlight the coconuts.
This little tag displays the sentiment "I'm Coco-nuts About You" and had a portion of the palm leave stamped and colored with Copic markers. The hardware is retired SU HHH (Antique Brass.) I'm considering putting some bite size Mounds or Almond Joys in it to send to someone special! It's ALWAYs A Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Bountiful Blessing and Blog Goodies

Bountiful blessings- this is truly how I see my life. I am primarily a glass half full kind of gal but with the hectic pace of my life I rarely sit down and consider my blessings. My faith, my family, my friends, my health, my home, the list could go on and on. One of my many blessings is the friendships that I have formed through this ever growing world of paper craft blogs. I recently passed my 20,000th hit to my humble little A Stampin' Good Time and it truly boggles my mind ! You folks are awesome and to say Thank You , I have some yummies below for a random drawing. But first, a few quick details about my card (of course, you can always scroll down to the candy part first *wink*!


Today's card features the Artful Inkables set, Olive You. This is one of the 4 sets released last Thursday and like the rest is so versatile. I thought the little dove holding the olive branch was perfect for this Websters Pages rub-on "Beautiful Blessings." I teamed them up with BG, Periphery paper which I ran through my new Cuttlebug embossing folder, Leafy Branch. I love the way this new folder coordinates with the Olive set! My ribbon is May Arts and the brad is DCWV from Michaels.

Okay, now for the fun part!!!
I've been collecting some of the goodies for a little while waiting until I have what I thought was a worthy prize. For a chance to win the following: a My Favorite Things "Be Mine" stamp set, a Technique Tuesday mini stamp set, 2 bottles of Adirondack Tim Holtz's Alcohol Inks, a package of Making Memory summer themed felt embellishments, 1 piece of Tim Holtz Grunge Board and some May Art Ribbon, please, leave a comment on this post regarding at least one of your own blessings. I will draw a winner via Random Generator on Friday, August 22nd! So there you go! Hope everyone has a super week! It's AWAYs A Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Doggie Treats

Hope everyone is having a happy weekend! The weather is a bit wet here but the temperatures are wonderful!!! Rachel had her first soccer game today. Eight little 4-year-olds running around in shorts so long and socks so long that you cannot even see there knees is truly priceless! Other than that and eating lunch at the local Mexican restaurant and visiting the nearby Books-A-Million, things have been pretty low key after a very hectic week! Some much needed rest for the Thomas family. Mary Elizabeth and I are off to Atlanta on Wednesday to see the Jonas Brothers, so another busy week looms before us! Tomorrow will probably be spent with chores but tonight after Rachel goes to bed, I'm heading for my Stampin' room!

Today, I'm going to share with you one of the projects that I made for the August 14th Artful Inkables release. This is another image from the oh-so-cute set, Top Dog! I apologize for the darkness of the photos. They were taken late at night and I just could not get the lighting to please me. Santa is definitely being asked for a light box and photo lights this year!!!! My youngest sister lives in Atlanta with her four-legged baby, Gracie May. Since we will be staying with Lee and Gracie Pup during our trip, I wanted to make a cute container to take GP some dog biscuit snacks. I had made this cute little box before, but this weeks SCS Weekly Inkling included the tutorial for the box from the very talented, Laurie Schmidlin, with a twist- to add some scallops to the edges of the lid. Again, it is difficult to see with the dark picture but there is, indeed, some Ruby Red CS scallops all around the edge of this cute lid! While the sample box was used to hold a set of 3 x 3 notecards, I change it up a bit and added the yummy dog treats! I stamped the main image, colored it with Copic makers, paper pieced the "spot" and popped the head and paper pieced the ears. This darling PP is SEI's Park Buddies collection. The only problem with this line of paper is choosing which cute designs to use! The little felt "woof" is Queen & Co. and the ribbon is SU Chocolate Chip twill.

I just noticed that I have pasted the 20,000 visits mark and I want to give each of you that stop by a huge shout out to say Thank you! I do have some awesome blog candy prepared just for this occasion so be sure to visit tomorrow to have a chance at some awesome goodies! It's ALWAYs A Stampin' Good Time! Take care!

Paradise Found in Artful Inkables New Release

Today is THE day that the ever talented Kristin Soboloski releases FOUR new sets she has designed for her webstore, Artful Inkables. Now I hate to play favorites because all 4 of these fun stamp sets are wonderful, but I have to say that I am quite fond of this little tiki-style set, Paradise Island. Maybe it's the images are just so fun to color, or because they are so cute, or maybe it's because I really need a tropical vacation, I just don't know but I do know that I get pure stampin' happiness using them!

Today's card begins with a blast from the past for inspiration- Basic Grey's Urban Couture. I loved that line of PP and had been hoarding some away for just the right project. The washed-out brights of this botanical print along with the paper that reminds me of bamboo lattice reminded me of a retro (there's that word again) tropical paradise picture. My images were stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink then colored with Copic markers. I cut the little native fellow out and pop dotted under the cool palm trees. I almost made it through the entire card without the use of Nesties until I decided I wanted a ribbon slide for the sentiment. Ribbon is SU Bashful Blue, brown brads are American Craft and shell brad is Anna Griffin from Michael's this summer. I actually cut the brad part off of the shell because it was just too bulky. Simply replaced it with a glue dot and was much more pleased! A very straightforward card but such fun to make!

Enabling part: Be sure to check out this set in its entirety at the Artful Inkables web store. I joke about "enabling" 'cause I'm warning you this set would be hard to pass up! Seriously, there are so... many cute images and I think that no stamp collection is complete without a tropical themed set- think about all those cute invitations and decorations you can make for those end-of-the-year luaus! And if the beautiful, red rubber deeply etched stamps are not enough enticement, Kristin is offering FREE shipping for all orders over 35.00 during the month of August. I just love FREE shipping! Check back tomorrow for an idea for a little gift for "mans' best friend!" It's ALWAYs A Stampin' Good Time. Take care!