It's Not All Black & White

Thanks Peeps!

2010-06-29T15:52:00.003-04:00

Hello! Just a super quickie today, both the card and the post. I ran out of thank you cards for my baby shower gifts and had to whip this one up right quick. I used papers from Nana's Nursery pack (DCWV), a blossom die cut (Spellbinders), Cosmo Cricket ribbon scalloped velvet ribbon, and the SU bird punch. A pen with the paper piercing template continues the line of the Papertrey Ink sentiment (Lily of the Valley set). Card stock is SU amethyst, rose, and celery.

Hugs! Gotta run.

A Floating Hello

2010-06-26T20:07:00.003-04:00

With summer and baby preparation, perhaps you've noticed I haven't been stamping as much as usual. But the mood finally struck yesterday, so I put together this vibrant little card. I used a sketch from PaperCrafts' Go-To Sketches, which also happens to be the sketch for a challenge they're running.

I opted for orange and blue, inspired by the goldfish and water in the stamp. The stamp, from Playful Pals, is colored with Copic markers. I also added just a bit of clear glitter with a Spica pen on the pale blue part of the fish bowl. And it's hard to see, but I added a few white air bubbles coming up from the fish's mouth. I mimicked that with the Pebbles' candy dots in the lower left corner, and repeated the idea again with the white dots across the top. Those were done with a white gel pen and Stampin' Up's paper piercing template. Papers are Pink Paislee, Georgia Pacific white, tangerine tango and pacific blue SU.

FYI- Lizzie Anne is having a Try-a-Mix special this weekend only. So if you've been wanting to see for yourself what a great deal this program is, you can purchase Dream Big (my fave) or It's Good to be Queen for the outstanding club member price of just $25. Check out the details here.

Pretty in Pink

2010-06-17T09:00:00.002-04:00

It's the 17th. That means it's time for the monthly Lizzie Anne design team challenge. Today we're working with this photo for inspiration. And what a pretty picture it is! This is what stood out in my mind. The soft pink, green, and brown colors. The flowers. And the overall "prettiness". So, here's what I came up with.
Lots of "pretty" elements, starting with this swirly, old fashioned sentiment from Vintage Verses. I used some very pale pink Copic markers to highlight the clock, then edged the die cut with a couple of brown inks. More "pretty" came from the plethora of mixed Prima flowers, scalloped edges, shiny swirls and polka dot embossed green strip.

What's In It?

Stamps- Vintage Verses (Lizzie Anne Designs)

Paper- blush blossom, celery, chocolate, vanilla (SU)

Ink- rich cocoa (memento), vintage tea dye duo (PTI)

Other- brown brads, Prima flowers crystal swirls, fillable frames #3 die (PTI), scalloped edge punch (EK Success), swiss dot embossing folder (Cuttlebug), Copic markers, glue dots and foam adhesive

Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to check out what the other design team girls were inspired to create:

Tricia (Lizzie) - Meridith (Anne) - Joslyn - Deb - Wendy - Taylor - Kendra - Jeni - Jeanne

A New Mix and a Hop

2010-06-15T08:32:00.004-04:00

Today is Monthly Mix day for Lizzie Anne Designs. Not only will we start previewing July's Monthly Mix today (Simply Sweet), but there is also a customer/design team combined blog hop. You'll see July Mix peeks from the team and creative projects from customers using any Mix they'd like.

You can go to the Lizzie Anne blog for a complete list of participants. And now here's my July Mix card:

The flowers and sentiment are two separate stamps. So you can mix up the colors like I did here, or even mix the stamps with others from the set.

See how you can get this set for only $25, here. It starts shipping on July 1.

Paper and bird sticker are from October Afternoon's Fly a Kite collection. SU's only orange and Georgia Pacific white. PTI's eyelet lace border die, button twine, and tea dye duo inks. Cuttlebug flower dies and Spellbinder's Label 4 die. Foam adhesive.

Keep on Swimming

2010-06-07T10:11:00.002-04:00

Hi! Just popping in for a quickie today. This card uses the Merry Marine stamp set and some older Basic Grey blue paper, Lollipop Shoppe. The grid paper is Cosmo Cricket's Girl Friday line. I punched three layers of the blue paper with my circle punch to create the waves, then rubbed the edges along a white ink pad so it looks like the frothy sea. The cute sub is colored with Copics, and I added Glossy Accents to the windows.

The baby shower is this weekend, and I really want the nursery done before then. So this week I'll be touching up paint and assembling the crib and night stand. Hopefully the dresser (pre-assembled, yay!) will arrive soon. It's on back order, so it may not be here 'til shortly after the shower. I can't wait to add all the cute baby things now! I'll have pictures soon.

Glitzy Flower

2010-05-27T09:22:00.002-04:00

I just love yellow and red and haven't done a card in those colors for ages, so...voila. And, it's not a baby card, as promised!

I stamped the flower from Hello Friend three times and cut them into different sized pieces for layering, so my flower has lots of dimension. I also lined the petals and leaves with a glitter pen, very pretty in real life.

What's In It?
Stamps- Hello Friend (LAD)
Paper- banana, real red, celery, kraft (SU)
Ink- rich cocoa (Memento)
Other- AC ribbon, label 4 nestie, sakura glitter pen, pearl cluster, dimensionals

Party Animal Thanks

2010-05-26T13:43:00.003-04:00

I decided to raid my stash of stamped images while I was making my thank you cards. I had a couple of this image left and just couldn't resist it. It's called Party Animals by Penny Black. So I actually made two of these.

And I also got to use my brand new goodies from Papertrey Ink, the "thank you" from Lily of the Valley, the frame stamp and matching die from Fillable Frames 2, and the eyelet lace border die. And since all those little circles from the eyelet die were laying on my desk, I just used one of them for my flower center and covered it in Glossy Accents. I colored the Party Animals with Copic markers. Papers are Georgia Pacific white, SU celery, and DCWV Nana's Nursery.

Now, I promise to have something other than baby thank yous for you soon.

Be a Mix Member for a Day

2010-05-22T15:26:00.002-04:00

I know it's a little late, but I've been REALLY busy today. We just finished painting the nursery~ green on the bottom, cream on the top and now I have to run as we're late for a picnic. Buuuuuutttttt.... I wanted to let you know, straight from the Lizzie Anne Blog:

"Hey Lizzie Anne Fans... we have an exciting promotion going on TODAY ONLY! We are listing four of our Monthly Mix sets at the club price of $25.00 on our website today (Saturday, May 22nd!) If you aren't a Mix Member and you would like to try out our stamp sets before deciding to join the club, now is your chance! The following stamp sets are $25.00 today:

It's Good to Be Queen
Singing in the Rain
Celebrate
Christmas Wishes

The retail price for these sets is $39.99 so get them today while you can... we know you'll love our Mix sets. They are a tremendous value.

Also, when you sign up for the club you can choose an additional Mix set for only $10.00! This is 75% off the retail cost. For more information, visit the Monthly Mix Club page!"

Go to the blog for all the links. Yes, I'm running THAT late. Sorry. But I didn't want you to miss out on this opportunity. Eek, Josh is calling up the stairs for me.

Snail Mail Thanks

2010-05-20T16:14:00.004-04:00

I've got another group of quickie baby thanks for you today. I used an old layout, just changed the orientation. You can see the original here. I even used up some older snaps for the wheels while I was at it. The paper is pearlized white from Paper Accents. I think I used Cameo Coral and Certainly Celery ink, as well as onyx black VersaFine. I created a template to draw the outer part of the frame using a stray piece of thick acetate. That way I could just center it, then trace. Then use a ruler to add the inner frame.
The snail is from Baby Button Bits and the sentiment is an older anniversary set called Simple Little Things, both from Papertrey Ink.

Thanks for stopping in today! I love your visits.

Design Process

2010-05-18T17:06:00.004-04:00

Granted these are pretty simple cards, because I'm trying to get a stockpile of thank yous before my baby shower, but it does give you a little peek into my trial and error design process.

I started with this week's Sweet Sunday Sketch from Karen, which you can see on this first front card. Now, I kept all of the cards, even the "mistakes" because I'm really trying to get some quick thank yous together. But, you can see that I didn't quite like the colors I used, so I switched to yellow polka dots, a green rattle, a blossom die cut rather than a plain circle, and green embellishments rather than teal. Trust me, the sketch is totally cute, but I just needed to move on. So I also made just one strip of wavy punched green. You can see these results in the second picture, rear card. I decided that I didn't like the two sizes of dots, so I switched to fewer, and all large, dots. Like I said, a very simple card, but...tada the Bethany Paull trial and error design process in motion. Even now, I'm wondering why I didn't pop up the blossom on dimensionals, ha!

I curved the clear sentiment stamp on my block to mimic the circle, then I drew the green border lines with a marker tracing a couple of circle nesties.

Oh, and here's a close up of my favorite of the bunch.
What's In It?
Stamps- Baby Button Bits, Polka dot basics, damask designs (PTI)
Paper- retired SU designer paper and dark pink, also celery (SU) and white (GP)
Ink- taken with teal, apricot appeal, celery (SU)
Other- Basic Grey pearls, Making Memories brads, EK Success punch, blossom and circle nesties, BG and PTI buttons, old olive marker

Doggone Best Tag

2010-05-17T09:00:00.003-04:00

It's the 17th of the month and that means it's also Lizzie Anne design team challenge day! This month's challenge is to design or decorate your own packaging. I found that so often, the gift itself is pretty enough to just about stand on it's own. All you need to add is some nice ribbon and a creative over sized gift tag. So that's what I've done here.

My in-laws dog sat for us while we spent last weekend at Niagara Falls, so we picked up a little thank you. It's a sampler pack of mini ice wines. If you've never tried these, I really like them. Very sweet, and definitely a dessert wine, but so yummy. They make it from the grapes that have frozen on the vine, turning them sugary.

Sorry for that little sidetrack. Now, back to this cute tag. Isn't it so perfect for a dog sitting thank you? I cut the pattern paper with my largest blossom nestie. Then cut the ruby red circle layer, as well as the top white layer. I stamped the dog and sentiment from Playful Pals with tuxedo black Memento ink so I could color it all with Copic markers, including a grassy hill I just drew in directly with the green markers. Afterwards, I added the puffy clouds with white ink and a q-tip. I added a little loop of ribbon between the patterned and red layers so it would be all ready for hanging.

Here, you can see how I used the same ribbon to tie up the box and hung the tag by it's loop with a bit of copper cording. I'll add a brief message to the back, and my little thank you gift is all ready for presentation.

What's In It?
Stamps- Playful Pals (Lizzie Anne Designs)
Paper- white (PTI), rose red (SU), offbeat (BG)
Ink- tuxedo black (memento), white (PTI)
Other- Copics, blossom and circle nesties, kiwi ribbon and copper cording (SU), dimensionals

Be sure to stop by the Lizzie Anne Designs blog and see what creative packaging the rest of the design team can inspire you to create.

Bird Song

2010-05-15T07:52:00.003-04:00

So, I promised you something more on the clean and simple side today, and I'm delivering! Today is the reveal for Lizzie Anne Design's June Monthly Mix, Life is Good. It will be mailing out to mix members starting June 1. Check out how to get in on this great deal and see the entire set, here.

I used this sweet little song bird, stamped on kraft card stock and colored with a few Copic markers. The stamp has just the one music note, so I re-inked that one note and stamped it a couple more times to get the music trailing off the top of the panel. Then I drew the double border with a pen ruler.

Stop by the Lizzie Anne blog to see a whole list of design team members who are also showcasing Life is Good on their blogs today, as well as a few customers who are getting in on the action showcasing the Mix of their choice.

What's In It?
Stamps- Life is Good (Lizzie Anne Designs)
Paper- kraft, spring rain (PTI)
Ink- tuxedo black (Memento)
Other- Copic markers, EK Success border punch, American Crafts ribbon, dimensionals

Sweets for the Sweet

2010-05-14T12:36:00.004-04:00

This card was supposed to be a quickie, then it ended up taking me forever. I am such a slow stamper. Hmm...blue or orange...double bow or single...to bling or not to bling...etc, etc, etc. But it's finally done. And you can't go wrong with cupcakes, right?

I used Jen's Sketch For You to Try and some Pink Paislee papers with this adorable cupcake from Papertrey Ink's Baby Button Bits. I colored a few highlights over the patterned paper, as well as the leaves with Copic markers.

What's In It?
Stamps- Baby Button Bits (PTI)
Paper- Pink Paislee, white (GP), pixie pink, soft sky, only orange (SU)
Ink- tuxedo black (Memento), white (PTI)
Other- Copics, prima and daisy d crystals, button, thread, grosgrain (SU-retired?), circle and blossom nesties, cuttlebug bloom dots emboss folder, dimensionals

Hopefully I can get a couple more cards done today in a little less time, as I need them for tomorrow. Eeks!

Little Baby Birds

2010-05-12T09:24:00.003-04:00

I think these little birds are just the cutest and couldn't wait to ink them up. And now I'm just thrilled with how they work with that notebook paper stamp.

After stamping the paper, I added the little pink vertical line with a ruler and marker, just to give it a bit more of a realistic look. Then I added the sentiment. The birds, moon, and star got stamped on watercolor paper, then cut out individually. I also stamped them on the notebook paper so I didn't have to try to cut out the bird legs and the string on the star. I glued the moon and star (covered in star dust stickles) down flat, and adhered the birds with dimensionals. I added gemstones to my buttons and finished with a border punch blue strip, ribbon and machine stitching around the edges.

What's In It?
Stamps- Dream Big (Lizzie Anne Designs)
Paper- My Mind's Eye, caribbean, banana (SU), white (PTI), watercolor
Ink- pumpkin, caribbean, apricot, saffron, pretty in pink marker (SU), onyx black VersaFine
Other- EK Success border punch, MAMBI gemstones, Dashes Dots & Checks ribbon, star dust Stickles, thread, sewing machine, dimensionals, buttons, water color brush

I went for another ultrasound this morning and things are looking good. Josh has decided that the baby has his nose, and I have to agree. It's so cute. We also got a definite on the sex. It's a girl! So now I'm going to order my furniture and pick out the paint colors. Things are moving right along. I don't figure on having the nursery all ready for a couple of months, but when I do, I'll be sure to share pics. HUGS to you all.

Precious Baby Bee

2010-05-10T09:25:00.002-04:00

Hello! How was your weekend? Josh and I made a little three day getaway to Niagara Falls, on the Canadian side. We almost cancelled because the weather was going to be bad, but decided we could use the relaxation as much as we would have enjoyed a busier weekend. It's just a little over a four hour drive, but such a beautiful place to be. And would you believe I forgot my camera? But I'm sure you've all seen pictures of Niagara Falls before anyway. We did manage to squeeze in the Cave of the Winds tour and a morning shopping in Niagara-on-the-Lake between rain drops...and snow flurries!

On to the card. This cutie is from Lizzie Anne's new Great Expectations sixlet set. (Just $11.99. How awesome is that?!) I cut the card 3.5 x 5.5 inches so I'd have room to hang the flower off the edge and still fit the card in a regular envelope. Besides, I think this is the cutest size card anyway. I embossed the card front with a Cuttlebug folder. I had to run in through twice to get a fully embossed front. Then I just used a stylus on a soft surface (my paper piercing foam mat) to finish off any circles that only got half embossed. That way there's no seam. Make sense? The flower is a Spellbinders blossom die, with a circle die cut in the center. I colored my bee with Copic markers and Stardust Stickles and added a bling swirl from Prima. And it's all ready for a new little someone! Papers are SU's barely banana, pixie pink, and cool caribbean.

Chalkboard Butterflies

2010-05-06T18:36:00.003-04:00

Doesn't all of that white stamping on black remind you of chalk on a blackboard? I did it all with detail white embossing powder so it would be nice and crisp. I can't remember the last time I used so much black on a card, but I'm pretty tickled with how it turned out. I echoed the three big curves with dots of black Stickles and tied on a big, happy yellow bow. What's In It?

Stamps- Dream Big (Lizzie Anne Designs)

Paper- white (PTI), black (SU), Hello Sunshine (Cosmo Cricket)

Ink- versamark

Other- curve punch (EK Success), black diamond Stickles, organdy ribbon, dimensionals

Bridal Shower

2010-04-26T16:35:00.003-04:00

I had a bridal shower to go to this past Saturday, and of course I waited 'til the last minute to make a card. I figured on just using one from "my stash", but then I couldn't stand not having one that matched the brown and green swirled gift bag. So Saturday morning saw me throwing this together quickly before heading out the door. Fortunately it came together pretty easily.

I printed the sentiment from my computer, being sure to leave enough room to stamp the cake (Lizzie Anne's Dream Big) above, which I did using Memento rich cocoa ink, and colored with a bit of green and gray Copics. I layered it on celery, then chocolate chip with a punched border. The background, I ran the edges along my brown ink pad before embossing with the birds and swirls cuttlebug folder. The greens of the flower, cake and butterflies really do match much better in real life, I promise. I wished I had snapped a pic of the inside too. It looks so pretty with matching wedding rings in green overlapping the matching sentiment. I love having something to stamp on the inside of my cards. That way I don't have to come up with something to say myself. I can just sign my name.

BABY:
I've had a few questions about how the baby is doing, so if you're interested...Things are going quite well. I can't complain other than the typical heartburn and back pain type things. And, well, I guess that's just par for the course. There's lots of movement going on in there which is exciting and reassuring. The ultrasound technician couldn't be sure if it's a girl or a boy, but she said "probably" a girl. I go back for another in a couple of weeks or so, so maybe we'll get a better view. I haven't bought any of my nursery furniture or decor yet, but I have it all picked out. We just went to look at paint this morning before Josh had to head out to work. I'll be sure to share a photo in a couple of months when it's all put together. Thanks for asking!

New Stamps!

2010-04-23T08:34:00.004-04:00

Yay! Lizzie Anne Designs is releasing EIGHT new sixlet stamp sets today. These sets each contain six cling mounted rubber stamps and sell for only $11.99. What an awesome deal. And now I have a little eye candy for you. And I didn't even get a chance to use my very favorite set yet. So just you wait.

This first card uses Brilliant Blooms and I started with a sketch from page 9 of the new Go-To Sketches magazine. I plan on getting my full use out of that great publication, so be ready to see more of their sketches in the near future. I stamped the stem and flower on the right, then stamped the flower on the left. I very lightly drew in the remaining stem, and after coloring with Copic markers and giving it a few seconds to dry, I went over the pencil marks with a dark brown marker. I cut out a couple of extra flowers so that I could pop up the flower/stem combo once, and just the flowers a second time for lots of dimension.

For this second card, I started with a label die cut from My Mind's Eye paper, added a couple of swirls (love those things) from the previously released Fanciful Flourishes, and layered my sentiment on with dimensionals. That gorgeous sentiment is just one of six in the new Vintage Verses set. Be sure to check out all the others. I can never have too many sentiments. I really like putting together cards with no images, and these work perfectly for that. I used my paper piercing template and a brown marker to dot the frame around my die cut, and I mixed turquoise and clear glitter (to tone it down just a bit) and sprinkled on a strip of tacky tape for the glitzy embellishment on the bottom.

What's In It?

Purple Blooms Card
Stamps- Brilliant Blooms (LAD)
Paper- PTI and MME
Ink- Memento, dark marker
ribbon, button- PTI
rub on- crate paper
other- red line tape, pop dots, thread, pearls, corner rounder

Good is Beautiful card
Stamps- vintage verses (LAD)
Paper- Georgia Pacific, MME
Ink pad, marker, piercing template- SU
ribbon, button- PTI
labels 4 die- spellbinders
pop dots, thread

You can see all the new releases on the Lizzie Anne website, under new releases, and check out the eye candy from the rest of the design team girls, too. Links are on the right. Have a great weekend!

Make Life Big

2010-04-19T12:54:00.003-04:00

Hello! Just popping in briefly to share a card I made last week using Fall-To Layout #85.

What's In It?
Stamps- May Monthly Mix Dream Big (Lizzie Anne Designs)
Paper- caribbean, melon, teal, pumpkin, kraft, vanilla (SU), My Mind's Eye
Ink- rich cocoa (Memento)
Other- SU border punch and beautiful wings embosslit, PTI moss ribbon and twine, MAMBI gems, button, Copics

Thinking Out of the Box

2010-04-17T07:12:00.003-04:00

I'm ususally pretty literal with my stamps, so I really had to put my thinking cap on when Tricia (Lizzie) announced this month's design team challenge: to use a stamp other than for its intended purpose.

I came up with using this circle sentiment and making it work double duty as some sunshine as well. I think it turned out pretty cute with a colorful kite and a blue sky background. All three stamps, the third being "you made my day", come from the newly revealed May Monthly Mix, Dream Big. The set will start to ship on out May 1, so you still have plenty of time to get it at the discounted club rate. I know the girls are working on the website this weekend, so you may need to stop back, if you can't get past the homepage. Trust me, this set is well worth it!

Now, don't miss what creative ideas all the other Lizzie Anne girls have thought up for this challenge as well. Links to all the blogs are listed over there ------> on the right under Lizzie Anne Designs.

What's In It?
Stamps- May Monthly Mix Dream Big (Lizzie Anne Designs)
Paper- vanilla, red, pumpkin, summer sun (SU), white (PTI), Earth Love (Cosmo)
Ink- pumpkin (SU), black (Memento)
Other- circle punch, photo corner punch (SU), Copic markers, PTI buttons, wavy scissors, glue dots, pop dots

Dream Big

2010-04-16T20:09:00.002-04:00

"Dream big and reach high". I love that sentiment all the more so when paired with these great little hot air balloons from Lizzie Anne's new May Monthly Mix set, Dream Big.

I used this week's CPS sketch, and stamped each balloon individually in different vibrant colors. I also stamped the little balloon on scrap pieces, cut out and cover with Glossy Accents to use as embellishments. I doodles the frame and added just a few gemstones to finish it off.

Thanks for stopping by! I'll see you again tomorrow with Lizzie Anne's design team challenge. It's a good one!

What's In It?
Stamps- May Monthly Mix Dream Big (Lizzie Anne Designs)
Paper- pink passion, caribbean, olive, white (SU), Greenhouse (K & Co)
Ink- same as above and chocolate chip
Other- glossy accents, gemstones, pop dots

Soap Gift Packaging

2010-04-13T16:09:00.003-04:00

One day I was browsing through Pier One and found some great little soaps (sized about 2 inches by 3 inches) on clearance, and now I finally found something to do with them. And it's such a quick and easy "something".

I stacked two soaps together and wrapped them with green paper first, then a slightly smaller patterned paper from Basic Grey. I topped that off with the strip of pink paper, stamped on each side with "thanks for everything", from the April Mix, It's Good to Be Queen. Then I finished it off with a pretty tag (a Spellbinders Labels Four die cut), featuring these modish trees, also from the April Mix, and a nice fluffy organdy bow.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you find some stamping inspiration today, too.

What's In It?
Stamps- It's Good to be Queen (LAD)
Paper- green, pink, Basic Grey Eva, PTI white
Ink- memento black
Other- Spellbinders Labels 4 die, Copic markers, ribbon, pink eyelet

Bright, Sunny Days

2010-04-08T14:17:00.003-04:00

With the beautiful weather we've been enjoying, I haven't been doing too much stamping. I did find time for this bright and happy card though. It reminds me of our bright, sunny days. I cut a mask with scalloped scissors, then used it to ink the clouds. I need a little practice with this technique, but it is very cool. The bike and sentiment ("The road to a friends house is never long.") are from the April Monthly Mix set, It's Good to be Queen.

What's In It?
Stamps- It's Good to be Queen (Lizzie Anne Designs)
Paper- white, pink passion, summer sun, Ooh La La (MME)
Ink- soft sky, pink passion, not quite navy
Other- ribbon, Martha butterfly punch, scalloped scissors, sponge, PTI button, thread

Papertrey Ink Hop

2010-03-25T18:00:00.002-04:00

Hello Hoppers! Or if you haven't come from the Papertrey Ink Blog Hop and would like to check it out, you may do so here. This month's challenge is to use buttons. Now that's an easy one. I kept my card simple and just used the button as an accent, because I'm considering mass producing this one for baby shower thank yous. But hey, I love clean and simple anyway.

I used a bird punch on some My Mind's Eye pattern paper for my bird and added the graphic, modern legs from Bird Watching Additions. The elegant, yet clean and simple senitment is from Damask Designs. And the single little button is from the Holiday Mix. I would guess it's Raspberry Fizz though. Cardstock is white, kraft and spring moss. Die cut is Spellbinders Labels 1.

A few little tips for threading your buttons:

Set the button in place and pierce the holes with a paper piercer (or needle) first, then do the actual sewing. (Yes, I read that somewhere else, but maybe you haven't yet.)
Pull the thread through starting from the back and just tape it in place with a little bit of scotch tape. That way you won't accidentally pull it the whole way through, and it secures it permanently.
When you're doing an "x" stitch, do all of the stitches one direction first, then do the other direction. It makes a neater looking x.
Then just secure the end of the thread to the back with another little piece of tape. Personally, I find it much easier than trying to tie a knot.

Button Thanks

2010-03-23T20:13:00.003-04:00

I deviated a little bit from the sketch, but this is basically Fall-To Layout 83 from Clean & Simple Stamping. I really had fun with this simple little card. I love the bit of scalloped trim on the sentiment layer. Cute, hm? Not to mention those buttons! Fun! I pulled out an older PTI set for the sentiment, Butterfly Kisses. And the pattern papers are from a Nana's Nursery DCWV stack.

Thanks for stopping by today!

What's In It?
Stamps- baby button bits, butterfly kisses (PTI)
Paper- hibiscus burst, new leaf, dark choc, white (PTI), Nana's Nursery (DCWV)
Ink- black (Memento)
Other- holiday mix buttons (PTI), border punch (SU), copics, dimensionals, needle, thread

Birdie Mom

2010-03-18T16:28:00.003-04:00

I sat down with no particular card in mind, but I did want to use this really cute Mom stamp from Queen for a Day. And I also wanted to use my bird on a branch punch that has gone unloved since it arrived. Now that I'm done, I think it could be for "your mom" obviously, but wouldn't it also be cute for a new mom? I just love how it turned out with some of my favorite papers, colors, and yummy polka dots.

What's In It?
Stamps- Queen for a Day (Lizzie Anne Designs)
Paper- white (PTI), old olive (SU), Ooh La La for Her (MME)
Ink- black Memento, saffron SU
Other- SU bird punch, AC ribbon, Labels 4 die, sponge, dimensionals, Taylors tiny twinkles, PTI holiday mix buttons, thread, needle, sewing machine, copics

I'm sorry that I forgot to get back to you about last week's ultrasound. It was Friday afternoon, and baby is doing just fine, thank goodness. Of course, I got no definite answer on the age old boy/girl question. I simply can't imagine my child being obstinate and not giving us a clear view, but we're pretty sure it's a girl! Just no painting the nursery pink or buying clothes yet since it's not a sure thing.

Going Green

2010-03-17T09:00:00.000-04:00

It's design team challenge day for Lizzie Anne Designs, and today we're Going Green! Click here to see the challenge details, and get a link to all the eye candy the girls' have whipped up for today. By the way, you'll also find a pleasant surprise or two while you're there...a SALE...and...blog candy! I pulled out Cute as a Bug, because I thought this little creepy crawler would look fab in green. I colored him with some Copic markers and added just the tiniest touch of pink to my otherwise green card, for his smiling cheeks. A sentiment and a decorative strip of layered papers, and he's ready to go bug somebody.

What's In It?

Stamps- Cute As a Bug (Lizzie Anne Designs)

Paper- vanilla, wasabi (SU), perhaps (BG)

Ink- black Memento

Other- Copic markers, corner punch, white gel pen

Wonderful You

2010-03-15T16:01:00.002-04:00

This is a quick, but fun little card I whipped up using Queen For a Day, Lizzie Anne's April Monthly Mix set. You can see the whole set here. I think it has some really great unique stamps, a little different than the regular LAD sets. Have fun perusing. The whole team will have a challenge hop for you this Wednesday.

What's In It?
Stamps- Queen for a Day (Lizzie Anne Designs)
Paper- hometown (October Afternoon), rasp fizz, new leaf, white (PTI)
Ink- onyx black (versafine)
Other- border punch and ribbon (SU), spring mix buttons (PTI), dimensionals, Copic markers for coloring ribbon, thread, needle

Blog Candy Winners

2010-03-11T09:02:00.002-05:00

I probably won't have a card for you today, as I'm going to help my mother-in-law start cleaning out her mother's house. It will be going up for sale very soon, as grandma needs to start staying in assisted living.

So, the winners are:

For the first prize package with PaperCrafts and an Abundant Blessings stamp set:
#23
Holly Jordan said...
Hi Bethany!! Thanks for the chance to win somw awesome goodies. I love your blog. Very inspirational to me :) Congrats on the baby news <3
MARCH 5, 2010 10:45 AM

And for the second prize package with PaperCrafts and a spring mix of stamping goodies:
#27
Mandy said...
Thanks for sharing! How sweet of you! :)
MARCH 6, 2010 7:43 AM

Thanks to all who entered and follow along with my little blog. If you're a winner, please email me as soon as you get the chance with your mailing address. I'd love to get your package in the mail ASAP.

Having a Bloomin' Good Day

2010-03-10T17:23:00.004-05:00

Hello! I can't tell you how happy it makes me when we have sunshiny days! Perfect for this Bloomin' Good Day sweetheart from My Favorite Things' Pure Innocence line. I colored her with Copics and paper pieced her dress with an older Basic Grey paper in the Sultry collection. Still cute, right? I have so much paper, I think I could make about two cards for everyone in the world before running out. So, I'm trying to give it all some love. All of the layers, except the focal point and card base are from that Sultry 6 x 6 paper pad.

I faux stitched the brown layer, punched the green edge, and embossed the pink layer with a Cuttlebug folder. The pink and white layers got a little tea dye ink on the edges. And the whole she-bang is based on Mercy's sketch this week.

Cheers to you! And see you in the morning with a blog candy winner.

What's In It?

Stamps- pure innocence blooming good day (MFT)

Paper- choc chip (SU), white (PTI), sultry (BG)

Ink- memento black, PTI tea dye duo

Other- brads, paper piercer and template, white gel pen (SU), Copic markers, labels 1 die (Spellbinders), birds and swirls (CB), scallop diamond punch (EK Success), star dust stickles, dimensionals

Baby Bird Thanks

2010-03-09T11:00:00.003-05:00

First, I'm sorry for the delay in choosing a blog candy winner. I think some of my email subscribers just got the post yesterday. So I'm going to pick a winner on Thursday morning, March 11, to give them a chance to enter also. Thanks for your patience.

And now for today's card. It's very clean and simple, but I like it. I used the sketch from Clean & Simple Stamping this week and the color challenge from Stamping Around. After finishing my card, I think the color they're asking for is a darker pink, but this should work too. I decided to add to my stock of baby thank yous, just to be ahead of the game.

I stamped a bird on each circle in a tone-on-tone color. Then I adhered the circles with temporary tape so I could fiddle with the placement. Then I was able to stamp the dotted circle border from B & C Monogram Edition right over top of the colored circles, using dark brown ink. The sentiment was originally a one liner, so I inked the "so much", stamped, cleaned, inked the "thanks" and stamped again. Each bird got a light blue gem stone eye, and I popped up the yellow circle.

Thanks so much for taking a minute to stop by! I hope you're getting as much sunshine as we've had here lately. I have high hopes that all the snow may melt very soon.

Stamps- bird watching additions, simple little things, b&c monogram edition (PTI)
Paper- kraft, celery, banana, pretty in pink (SU)
Ink- same as above plus choc chip (SU)
Other- circle punch, tiny twinkles (Taylored Expressions), dimensionals

Blog Candy

2010-03-07T17:00:00.000-05:00

Hello! I have a couple of extra copies of the latest PaperCrafts magazine, so I put together some blog candy for all of you. I'll try to keep this post at the top of my blog until Sunday, and I'll pick a random winner (or two, actually) and let you know who that is on Monday.The first name drawn will get the magazine (March/April issue) along with a Tips, Tools, and Techniques CD, and this Papertrey Ink Autumn Abundance stamp set.
The second name drawn will get the magazine and CD, as well as a few spring themed items, including an alterable notebook, blue heart and green balls straight pins, and a bottle of my favorite Star Dust Stickles.

Please leave only one comment by Sunday night. You must leave a way for me to contact you and respond within a couple of days, or I'll pick a new winner. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Thankful Bunny

2010-03-06T00:28:00.003-05:00

Okay, I think Joslyn has me hooked on this size card now. It's the sketch for the week on Lizzie Anne Land, and the size is 3.5 x 5.5 inches. So fun!

I stamped the green and yellow squares with In the Background using white ink, and edged them with a brown punched border. The bunny (Lucky You) is done in white embossing powder, then I just rosied up his cheeks with a Copic marker. You may notice that I mirror reversed the sketch. It just worked better since the bunny faces to the right. Sentiment is from A Harvest of Memories.

What's In It?
Stamps- Lucky You, A Harvest of Memories, In the Background (Lizzie Anne Designs)
Paper- celery, saffron, choc chip, kraft, white (SU)
Ink- cocoa (memento), versamark, PTI white
Other- detail white ep, SU border punch, PTI buttons, Copic E93, thread, sponge, dimensionals, glue dots

Chicks In a Row

2010-03-05T12:44:00.004-05:00

I finally finished my card today for last week's Sketch For You to Try from Jen. But it's such a cutie. I love the layout to start with. Then I paired these darling chicks (Lucky You) with some chickie paper from Cosmo Cricket's new Garden Variety series. What In It?

Stamps- Lucky You (Lizzie Anne Designs)

Paper- chocolate (SU), cream (PTI), Garden Variety (Cosmo)

Ink- Cocoa (Memento)

Other- circle and scalloped circle dies (Spellbinders), Girl Friday ribbon and Garden Variety button (Cosmo), brads (SU), sewing machine, thread, dimensionals, Copic markers

Baby News- Last night was the first time I couldn't comfortably button my skirt! Eeeeek! Ultrasound is next Friday. Any guesses...boy or girl?

Bee-utiful Friend

2010-03-02T10:11:00.004-05:00

The girls at Lizzie Anne Designs have really outdone themselves with this month's Mix, Lucky You. Every stamp I pull out, I think this is my favorite. Such as this tree with the buzzin' bees. Again, how cute!?! What's In It?

Stamps: Lucky You (Lizzie Anne Designs)

Paper: kraft (SU), white (PTI), Earth Love (Cosmo Cricket)

Ink: black, cocoa (Memento)

Other: copic markers, pearls and urban prairie button (basic grey), hemp (PTI), tags die (Spellbinders), paper piercer, dimensionals, star dust Stickles (Ranger)

How many of you watched the Canada / USA hockey game? Wow! What a game! Also, I'll be back later today with some blog candy. So stay tuned.

Make a House a Home

2010-02-27T08:47:00.004-05:00

I made this card yesterday morning and just got a chance to photo it today. I really love this darling house from Lizzie Anne's March Monthly Mix set: Lucky You. I stamped the house and extra flowers first, then masked it off to add the cloud in the background. Every thing's colored with my Copic markers. Hope you enjoy. If you're not a mix member and are interested in getting these eclectic sets each month, you can get the deets here.

What's In It?

Stamps- Lucky You (Lizzie Anne Designs)

Paper- pumpkin, teal, sky (SU), white (PTI), Bloom and Grow (My Mind's Eye)

Ink- Memento black

Other- butterfly punch (Martha Stewart), ribbon (American Crafts), brad (K&Co.), taylors tiny twinkles (Taylored Expressions), Copic markers, border punch (SU), dimensionals

Sketch Card

2010-02-22T11:50:00.003-05:00

I am so happy to be stamping with bright, colorful springy stamps and papers again. Because we're still in snow up to our shins here. It is slowly melting finally though.

This card uses the Lizzie Anne Designs sketch challenge for this week, posted by Jen. Be sure to link your card in that thread if you play along. We'd all love to see it.

My card base is two scalloped circles (cut with nesties). I layered some strips of Garden Variety papers by Basic Grey and the green strip on top and finished it off with that oh-so-fun flower from the new March Mix, Lucky You. The two card bases are connected with that gold brad. It goes through the butterfly, then both circles, so that they swing open. Get it?

What's In It?

Stamps: Lucky You (Lizzie Anne Designs March 2010 Monthly Mix)

Paper: marigold morning, celery, glorious green (SU), white, Basic Grey Garden Variety

Ink: black (memento), glorious green

Other: Martha Stewart classic butterfly punch, Copic markers, brad, circle and oval nestabilities dies

Any hockey fans out there catch the USA-Canada olympic game last night? Woot! But I fell asleep and missed half of a very awesome game. Oh well. I'm thinking they'll be meeting up again, eh?

What's Been Keeping Me Busy?

2010-02-18T12:16:00.003-05:00

This. I'm about 3-1/2 months along now, and feel a little bit safer sharing my news. Having been through a miscarriage before, I've been, let's just say, a little bit cautious: ie. paranaoid.

I had started a temporary job right before I found out I was pregnant. So with extra work, extra tiredness, and a LOT of nausea, I thought it best to set aside stamping and designing for a few months. So thanks to all of you who have hung in with my blog silence, and now that I'm feeling a lot better, I plan on chatting with you here more regularly again. And as far as the baby's health, so far, so good.

Hello Again!

2010-02-17T06:00:00.002-05:00

Did you think I dropped off the face of the Earth? Some days I feel like I did. I'll come back (soon, I promise) to let you know what's been keeping me so busy and away from blogging. But for now, I have eye candy. Go easy on me! This is the first time I've stamped since November, if you can believe it. Wow, time flies.

This card is for Lizzie Anne's design team challenge for the month. And you can play along, because it's also the sketch challenge for the week. Check it out.I love that the sketch calls for a peek-a-boo window, allowing your recipient to get a little glimpse to the inside of the card right away. It also makes for a very pretty inside, with no extra stamping! Below you'll see that I added the With Sympathy single in purple to this flower from the August 2009 Monthly Mix set, Hey Sunshine. I love how even the little butterfly peeks through the window.
I can't wait to catch up with all of you and will be doing some serious blog hopping now. Thanks for stopping by.

What's In It?
Stamps: August 2009 Hey Sunshine, With Sympathy single (Lizzie Anne Designs)
Paper: vanilla, pale plum, kraft (SU)
Ink: rich cocoa (memento), perfect plum (SU)
Other: V01, V04, G21 (Copic markers), classic butterfly punch (Martha), felt flower (American Crafts), pearls (Mike's), nestabilities dies, button and twine (PTI), lace colored with marker

Taking a Little Break

2009-12-18T09:38:00.001-05:00

So, if you hadn't noticed, I'm taking a little time off. I'm really busy with a new job and taking care of some family responsibilities. I'm hoping I'll be back stamping and sharing with you by February 1. Thanks so much for hanging in with me. Hugs to you all.

Stamp Simply x 4

2009-11-27T00:01:00.001-05:00

I can't believe it's my last week guest designing with Sharon's Stamp Simply team. It's been such a blast, with some really great challenges. Thank you Sharon! And today's challenge may be my favorite of them all. Create a card that is SUPER easy to mass produce. And here's my happy, cheery thank you card (times four).

No coloring, no cutting out little pieces, just punching, gluing, and little bit of stamping. And since the accesories are minimal, it's a pretty cheap card to mass produce too.
If you'd like to recreate this card (maybe using your choice of papers to suit your theme), here are my measurements. I cut everything out first, then quickly assembled.

Blue polka dots: 1.75 x 4.25 inches (x2)
Solid blue: 2 x 4.25 inches
orange strips: .25 x 4.25 inches (x2)
striped strips: 3/8 x 4.25 inches (x2)

This is all layered on a solid white base. I also cut/punched all of my butterflies, flowers and circles at one time as well.

What's In It?
Stamps: Circle Sentiments (Lizzie Anne Designs)
Paper: white, celery (SU), sea salt (Bazzill), Ooh La La (My Mind's Eye)
Ink: turquoise (SU)
Other: classic butterfly punch (Martha Stewart), corner rounder, circle nestie, Cuttlebug flower die, Prima flowers, gold Stickles, dimensional adhesive

Please use keyword ssnotime115 when uploading your challenge card(s) to online galleries. And now check out the fab Stamp Simply team:

Janine
Julie
AJ
Tammy
Deb
Barbara
Jenny
Barb
Jennifer

Pssst...

2009-11-26T11:05:00.005-05:00

Be sure to stop over at Lizzie Anne Designs in the next few days for some GREAT deals!

See you in the morning with a Stamp Simply project. Happy shopping. I hope you're enjoying your day.

All Wrapped Up

2009-11-20T00:01:00.002-05:00

It's another Stamp Simply challenge with Sharon Johnson. Today, your challenge is to "Wrap It Up". Wrap anything for any occassion. I chose to do one of these gift card holders (ie., gift card "wrappers") that I have been seeing around. I kept thinking they were so cute. And now I don't know why I waited so long to try it. This was SUCH a quick and easy project. I did a little searching and found this easy-to-follow tutorial.

I used one double-sided piece of patterened paper to speed things along, and topped it with this darling crossroads sign for winter, from Lizzie Anne. I randomly stamped the matching snowflakes on the inside as well. I added May Arts ribbon and a few snowflake crystals from Michael's. Paper is from Basic Grey.

See what the rest of the girls are "wrapping up" this week:

Janine
Julie
AJ
Tammy
Deb
Barbara
Jenny
Barb
Jennifer

I hope you'll play along with us. If you do, please use keyword ssnotime114 when uploading to online galleries. Thanks!

Jbelle Inspiration

2009-11-17T15:42:00.005-05:00

I'm running a little late today, but I do have a Jbelle challenge card to share with you. The challenge is to choose one of the darling little girl dresses shown on this website, and use it to inspire your creation. Goodness there were so many cute choices, but I finally settled on this one, because the red trim reminded me of some great May Arts ribbon I have. I also used the seams and snowflake to come up with my layout.

And here's my card:
The ribbon is from May Arts, as I mentioned. The snowflake is a Sizzix die cut, which I dressed up using a Prima Say it in Studs center. I ran my three panels thru my cuttlebug with an embossing folder, finishing off the edges with a gold paint pen. And lots of dimensionals tossed in for good measure.

Here are the links to the rest of the players. Hopefully you'll find time and inspiration to join us. Use keyword JBE080 when uploading.

Carly Robertson
Heather Lee-Reppen
Jill Dunn
Jimmi Mayo
Keri Lee Sereika
Lindsey Botkin
Michelle Philippi
Shemaine Smith
Stephanie Hargis
Tobi Crawford
Trudee Sauer

Matchbook Penguin

2009-11-13T00:01:00.000-05:00

I'm excited to be joining Sharon and her team of talented stampers again this week for another Stamp Simply challenge. I love this one. I think non-typical folds are so fun and interesting to work with, and today's challenge is to make a matchbook fold card. That means it has an extra little flap to tuck your card front into, like a matchbook.
I started with a 4-1/4" x 11" piece of white card stock. I punched one edge, which left me with 4-1/4" x 10-3/4". Starting from the punched edge, I scored at 1" and 6-1/8". So when my card is all folded up, it measures 5-1/8" x 4-1/4".
I used some red line tape to adhere my flap at the crease. That way it leaves enough room to tuck in the card front, and also be tight enough to keep the card closed.

I chose some Lizzie Anne Designs paper (Winter Wonderland) to go with my penguin (from the Way Up North set), and accented with a few glittered snowflakes.

I hope you get a chance to play along. If so, use keyword ssnotime113 when uploading to online galleries. And here are links to the talented Stamp Simply team samples:

Janine
Julie
AJ
Tammy
Deb
Barbara
Jenny
Barb

Vintage Winter

2009-11-11T00:01:00.002-05:00

Hello Stampers! Today's card has some vintage charm. I stamped the skates (from Christmas in the City) in chocolate chip ink on bashful blue card stock. Then I used a water brush and some more ink to color a few parts. The skate blades are colored with a glitter pen. And I added a brad to "hang" the skates on.

I layered some snowflake die cuts and punches for an embellishment and tied on a sentiment tag.

What's In It?

Stamps: Christmas in the City (LAD)
Paper: bashful blue, creamy caramel (SU), vintage cream (PTI), Mistletoe and Co. (Pink Paislee)
Ink: chocolate chip, close to cocoa (SU)
Other: rectangle and scalloped rectangle and tag die cuts (Spellbinders), distress Stickles (Ranger), snowflake dies (Sizzix), snowflake punch (Martha Stewart), snowflake gemstone (Michael's), twine (PTI), dimensionals, vintage brad (SU), water brush, sponge

Bags, Tags, and Gifts, oh my!

2009-11-10T10:20:00.003-05:00

Today's Jbelle Challenge is something for gift giving, like a bag, tag, or the gift itself. I made a bag using a 6 x 12 inch piece of My Mind's Eye paper (from the Ooh La La for Her kit). The finished bag measures 3.25 x 2.5 inches x 4.25 inches tall.

The top half inch of decorative paper is the reverse side of the paper, folded down. Then I added a scalloped border and decorated the front. The flowers and tag (on which you can write the recipient's name) are pieces from the same My Mind's Eye pack. I used a green piece of paper from the kit to freehand some stems and leaves. Some finishing touches include the Me and My Big Ideas gemstones and May Arts ribbon for the handle.

Check out more rock star inspiration:

Carly Robertson
Heather Lee-Reppen
Jill Dunn
Jimmi Mayo
Keri Lee Sereika
Lindsey Botkin
Michelle Philippi
Shemaine Smith
Stephanie Hargis
Tobi Crawford
Trudee Sauer

And then play along with us! Use keyword JBE079 when uploading to online galleries, like SCS or PCP.

I'm Stamping Simply

2009-11-06T00:01:00.000-05:00

Yep, this whole month I'll be joining Sharon Johnson's Stamp Simply challenges as a guest designer. I am SO excited! Without further ado, here's this week's challenge:

ssnotime112 - "Let's Be Thrifty": Use brown postal wrap or a brown grocery bag in your project.

I chose to do a gift wrapping project. I started with a brown grocery bag, cutting just the front, since I knew that would be plenty of paper to wrap my box. Just for good measure, I ironed it flat on both sides so I'd have a nice stamping surface. I love mixing rougher, natural textures with elegant stamps and finishing touches, so I started randomly stamping three swirl stamps (from Fanciful Flourishes) randomly all over the paper.

Until it was all full. Just keep your swirls pretty closely spaced.
Then I wrapped my box, adding some pink organdy ribbon and a matching tag. The snowflakes are a Sizzix die and a Martha Stewart punch. The pearlized paper gives it a little extra pizzazz.
Now, here are more great samples from the design team:
Janine
Julie
AJ
Tammy
Deb
Barbara
Jenny
Barb

Well, my supplies are all packed up and ready to go to Stamping Around Philly. Now I just have to pack my suitcase. Yippee!!!!

It's Another Jbelle Tuesday!

2009-11-03T08:23:00.004-05:00

And today's challenge is a sketch challenge. I really liked this sketch and my card came together pretty quickly. I started with the Basic Grey June Bug 6 x 6 paper pad and picked out a matching embellishment from the June Bug Pops, the heart. I layered the heart on kiwi kiss card stock and cut a thin border so it would have a little contrast against the patterned papers. The sentiment is from Lizzie Anne's Monthly Mix, There's Something to Crow About. I stamped the "thanks" in multiple colors and cut out the blocks to mix and match. Then I added a few Daisy D rhinestones to dress it up even more.

Thanks for stopping by! I'm off to Stamping Around Philly this Friday and Saturday. I can't wait to meet some new stampers and have a busy couple of stamping days. I'm sure I'll have pictures for you next week. Hopefully I'll be able to pop in with some eye candy for you between now and then, as well.

What's In It?

Stamps: Something to Crow About (Lizzie Anne Monthly Mix)

Paper: real red, kiwi kiss, pirouette pink (SU), June Bug (Basic Grey)

Ink: real red, kiwi kiss (SU), onyx black (VersaFine)

Other: embossed curve punch (EK Success), rhinestones (Daisy D), June Bug pop (BG), ribbon (SU), dimensionals

Check out the rest of the Jbelle Rock Stars for more inspiration:

Carly Robertson
Heather Lee-Reppen
Jill Dunn
Jimmi Mayo
Keri Lee Sereika
Lindsey Botkin
Michelle Philippi
Shemaine Smith
Stephanie Hargis
Tobi Crawford
Trudee Sauer

And then you can play along, here!

abc, 123, baby, you and me!

2009-10-27T08:09:00.003-04:00

Are you singing with me?

Today's Jacksonbelle challenge is to make a 1, 2, 3 card. That means:

1 stamp
2 embellishments
3 (or less) layers

So I used one stamp (Lizzie Anne Designs' Get Well Soon), two embellishments (crystal swirls and flower from Prima) and three layers (including this Mistletoe and Co. patterned paper from Pink Paislee).

I hope you'll play along with us this week. Here's a link to the challenge on the Jbelle blog. And here are all of the rock stars with more samples for you:

Carly Robertson
Heather Lee-Reppen
Jill Dunn
Jimmi Mayo
Keri Lee Sereika
Lindsey Botkin
Michelle Philippi
Shemaine Smith
Stephanie Hargis
Tobi Crawford
Trudee Sauer

Just a note, Lizzie Anne Designs is holding their first GUEST ROCKSTAR STAMPER search. Get the details and throw your hat in the ring, here. The deadline is October 31.

Vellum Snowman

2009-10-21T06:00:00.003-04:00

If you don't get the Lizzie Anne Designs newsletter (you can sign up here), then you missed this card, including the tutorial on making a vellum snowman. So I just thought I'd share really quickly here as well. Have a great day!

What's In It?
Stamps: Christmas in the City (LAD)
Paper: blue bayou, bashful blue, heavy vellum (SU), pearlized white (Paper Accents)
Ink: brocade blue, bashful blue, choc chip, pumpkin (SU), tuxedo black (Memento)
Other: ribbon (Cosmo Cricket), tag die (Spellbinders), sponge, stylus, glitter, glue pen, white gel pen, scissors

Fall is in the Air

2009-10-20T13:57:00.006-04:00

It has been downright chilly hear lately! Today is actually a heat wave at 64 degrees. Josh and I have been missing some of our morning walks, because it has been 32 ! That's freezing! Literally! Regardless, the air is crisp, the leaves are floating to the ground, and the sky is blue as can be. Yep, fall is most definitely in the air. Therefore, my fall inspired card for today's Jbelle Tuesday challenge.

The challenge today is a sketch challenge. And I knew exactly which papers I wanted to use. These gorgeous, totally autumnal Captivating papers by Pink Paislee. Love 'em. I colored my image (PTI) with SU markers and a water color brush. Made a sentiment flag and accented it with this gorgeous Prima Say It In Studs piece. I use my photo corner punch to make the little flag ends.

Thanks for stopping by, and check out the rest of the team:

Carly Robertson
Heather Lee-Reppen
Jill Dunn
Jimmi Mayo
Keri Lee Sereika
Lindsey Botkin
Lynda Benden
Michelle Philippi
Shemaine Smith
Stephanie Hargis
Tobi Crawford
Trudee Sauer

I hope you can play along with us here.

What's In It?
Stamps: Autumn Abundance (PTI)
Paper: Lovely and Beloved from Captivating (Pink Paislee), banana, bashful blue, pumpkin (SU), watercolor (Strathmore), white card base
Ink: onyx black (VersaFine), chocolate chip and various markers for coloring (SU)
Other: circle nesties (Spellbinders), Say It In Studs (Prima), watercolor brush, photo corner punch

Vellum Challenge

2009-10-13T09:54:00.004-04:00

Today's Jacksonbelle challenge is to use vellum.

Hmmmm. I had to think about this one for a little while. Then I decided to stamp my image (from Stampavie) directly on the vellum. By coloring with markers on the back of the stamped image, then you get this nice soft look on the front. And you don't have to worry about your ink smearing, because you're coloring on the back side. I also dry embossed all of her fur trim to make it nice and white, as well as dimensional. Cute, huh? I also edged the vellum in glitter and added brads to my Ooh La La paper.

I hope you find some time to play along with the Jbelle Rockstars this week and incorporate some vellum into one of your projects. It really can give you lots of cool, unexpected effects. Check out the rest of the team:

Carly Robertson
Heather Lee-Reppen
Jill Dunn
Jimmi Mayo
Keri Lee Sereika
Lindsey Botkin
Lynda Benden
Michelle Philippi
Shemaine Smith
Stephanie Hargis
Tobi Crawford

What's In It?
Stamps: Sarah Kay Noel Joy (Stampavie), Damask Design (PTI)
Paper: Ooh La La for Her (My Mind's Eye), pretty in pink, celery, vellum (SU)
Ink: memento black, various SU markers
Other: glue pen, glitter, brads, dimensionals, dry embossing stylus

Just So You Know

2009-10-08T11:42:00.003-04:00

I don't have any eye candy for you today. I'm busy cleaning, making appointments, doing laundry, etc, etc, etc. You know how it is. But I wanted to let you know that Lizzie Anne is revealing two more stamp sets today. You can enter to win yesterday's sets, as well as today's. Just stop by the LAD blog and comment on each post. Hope to see you soon, with something pretty to share.

LAD Previews!

2009-10-07T03:00:00.002-04:00

The Pilgrim Boy and Girl singles were already released on the first of the month, and now Lizzie Anne Designs is previewing their fall release stamp sets today and tomorrow. I've got a couple of samples for you today, and you can check out lots more on the Lizzie Anne blog, here.

For this first card, I paired the new Fanciful Flourishes with this acorn and leaf image from October's Monthly Mix, A Harvest of Memories. You really must check out the entire set, as there are so many elegant flourishes. I foresee myself reaching for this set A LOT.

And to get ready for winter, how cute is this set, called Way Up North? It has several darling sentiments to work with all of the images, but this particular one reads, "Colder weather brings us together!" Seriously cute! I hate to rattle on and on, but really... I mean, there is a bear making a snowman (or snow bear as the case may be). I just LOVE it.

What's In It?

Acorn Swirl Card:
Stamps: A Harvest of Memories, Fanciful Flourishes (Lizzie Anne Designs)
Paper: kraft, garden green, chocolate chip (SU), Sultry (Basic Grey)
Ink: fresh snow (PTI), chocolate chip (SU), Versamark
Other: clear embossing powder (SU), circle nesties, fake dew drops, organic flourish border (Cuttlebug)

Snow Bear Card:

Stamps: Way Up North (Lizzie Anne Designs)

Paper: chocolate chip, vanilla (SU), flocked snowflakes (Making Memories)

Ink: rich cocoa (Memento)

Other: long rectangle nesties, Copic markers, tafetta ribbon (SU), dimensionals

Black and White +1

2009-10-06T05:00:00.001-04:00

Today's Jbelle Challenge is to use black and white plus one other color. I LOVE this concept. I used turquoise as my third color. The felt, flowers and crystal swirls are all from Prima. The polka dotted paper (yum) is October Afternoon, and the bid brad is from Making Memories with a coating of black diamond Stickles.

I hope you get a chance to play along with our challenge. If you do, link up to the Jbelle blog, here. That way we can check out what you came up with. Can't wait to see it.

Oh yeah, and the 25% off EVERYTHING sale continues through Thursday. Use promo code FALL. Seriously, when was the last time you saw a sale this good at an online paper crafting store? How about never?

What's In It?
Stamps: Damask Designs (PTI)
Paper: white (PTI), caribbean, turquoise (SU), Hometown: County Library (October Afternoon)
Ink: onyx black (VersaFine)
Other: black diamond Stickles; Say it in crystals, flowers, die cut felt (Prima); jumbo brad (Making Memories)

And the rest of the rockstars:

Carly Robertson
Heather Lee-Reppen
Jill Dunn
Jimmi Mayo
Keri Lee Sereika
Lindsey Botkin
Lynda Benden
Michelle Philippi
Shemaine Smith
Stephanie Hargis
Tobi Crawford

Love You Sew Much

2009-09-30T15:54:00.004-04:00

How cute is this sewing machine? I love the little heart shaped button on the bottom right. I'm a sucker for the details. Both this sewing machine and the matching sentiment are part of Lizzie Anne's monthly mix for October. So if you haven't signed up yet, it starts shipping tomorrow!

I colored with Copics and added a little distressing ink (Ranger's tea dye and Papertrey Ink's chamomile) to the circle's edge. The blue flower was originally white, but I colored it with a Copic marker to match.

All the details:
Stamps: A Harvest of Memories (Lizzie Anne Designs)
Paper: tangerine, brilliant blue (SU), cream (PTI), vintage findings (Making Memories)
Ink: black (Memento), brilliant blue (SU), chamomile (PTI), tea dye (Ranger)
Other: circle nestabilities, flower (Hero Arts), lace from Walmart, vintage findings button (MM), embossed curve punch (EK), paper piercer and template (SU), winter retreat dew drop, dimensionals, rustic jute button twine (PTI)

A JBelle Color Challenge

2009-09-29T08:00:00.001-04:00

Lot's of good stuff going on at Jacksonbelle Embellishments this week! Here's the run down:

A SALE!!! In fact, a BIG SALE. 25% off the entire store with discount code FALL (use all capital letters). And if you order today, you'll probably have new goodies in time for World Card Making Day!
Still lots of new product in stock and arriving. The latest? Some really yummy My Mind's Eye papers and accessories.
This week is your last chance to enter the September contest with the Grand Prize of a $50 Gift Certificate to the store, as well as a 2nd and 3rd place prize.

And now for today's Jbelle Challenge! Use all or some of the following colors: green, blue, red and black.
For my card, I used all but the green. The butterflies and flowers are some Basic Grey rub-ons, highlighted with Me and My Big Ideas gemstones. I used lots of the new Making Memories Vintage Findings line (paper, button, and gem pins) and some scrumptious black May Arts ribbon.

What's In It?
Stamps: Fancy Florals Remixed (Verve Stamps)
Paper: vanilla, black (SU), Vintage Findings (Making Memories)
Ink: onyx black (VersaFine), chamomile (PTI)
Other: vintage findings button and gem pins (Making Memories), gemstones (MAMBI), rub-ons (BG), labels 4 dies (Spellbinders), ribbon (May Arts)

Check out what the rest of the JBelle Rockstars are doing:

AJ Otto
Carly Robertson
Heather Lee-Reppen
Jill Dunn
Jimmi Mayo
Keri Lee Sereika
Lindsey Botkin
Lynda Benden
Michelle Philippi
Shemaine Smith
Stephanie Hargis
Tobi Crawford
Trudee Sauer

Thankful Pear

2009-09-24T07:38:00.003-04:00

Here's one that's quick and easy to put together. I used yesterday's sketch challenge from Splitcoast Stampers. The pear image and sentiment are from Lizzie Anne's October Monthly Mix. It's called A Harvest of Memories and will start shipping early October. I pieced the pear with some great K & Co. paper and added a pink Making Memories snap.

An Owl with Mojo?

2009-09-23T12:17:00.003-04:00

Hello! Here's a card I put together last week with Julee's so cool Mojo Monday sketch.
I stamped the trees and owl (from The Great Outdoors, which happens to be on sale this week) on water color paper and colored with markers and a paint brush. The "hi" is from September's Monthly Mix, Something to Crow About. I used my Spellbinders' nestabilities for the circles and EK Success' Parisian Punch for the green strips. Pearl brads are by SEI. I also glued down just the centers of the trees and owl so I could roll up the edges for subtle dimension.

JBelle Something New

2009-09-22T09:25:00.004-04:00

This month's contest at Jacksonbelle Embellishments continues. So if you can find time to play along with any of this month's weekly challenges, enter your card to win up to a $50 gift certificate. Details can all be found here! And this week's challenge is to show off what you can do with some of the yummy new Jbelle product that has been coming in fast and furious ever since summer CHA.

I'm using this ca-ute Sarah Kay image from Stampavie, which I colored with quite a variety of Copic markers. I also added a bit of shimmer to the candy with a Spica atyou pen. Patterned paper is by October Afternoon.

More Jbelle inspiration:

AJ Otto
Carly Robertson
Heather Lee-Reppen
Jill Dunn
Jimmi Mayo
Keri Lee Sereika
Lindsey Botkin
Lynda Benden
Michelle Philippi
Shemaine Smith
Stephanie Hargis
Tobi Crawford
Trudee Sauer

A Shiny Get Well

2009-09-21T14:50:00.003-04:00

I haven't been feeling super chatty on the blog front lately. Just not much to say. So I'll leave you with a quick recipe today, and move on. If you ever have any questions, just drop me an email. I used Jen's Sketch For You To Try for this one. Enjoy! Stamps: Bloomin' Doodles and Get Well Soon single (Lizzie Anne Designs)
Paper: bashful blue, saffron, chocolate, olive, regal rose, vanilla (SU)
Ink: rich cocoa (memento)
Other: say it in crystals (Prima), circle nesties (Spellbinders), larger crystals (Mike's), dimensionals, Copic markers (RV42, RV34)

Slow and Steady...

2009-09-18T11:45:00.004-04:00

This is how I feel, slow and steady, but with a smile on my face. Anyway, today's card features this cheerful snail from Cute As A Bug. I colored him, and some grass and sky, with Copic markers, and paired him up with some of Basic Grey's June Bug papers. The black dots on the scallops are black diamond Stickles, and the dots with the sentiment were done with a gel pen.

Hugs to you! And have a great weekend.

What's In It?
Stamps: cute as a bug (Lizzie Anne Designs)
Paper: summer sun (SU), white (PTI and georgia pacific), June Bug (Basic Grey)
Ink: black (Memento), chamomile (PTI), rose red, summer sun (SU)
Accessories: black gel pen, sponge dauber, black diamond stickles, ribbon, circle and label 4 nesties, copic markers

FYI...

2009-09-16T12:00:00.006-04:00

Just dropping a quick post to let you all know that the October Monthly Mix has been revealed for Lizzie Anne Designs. I am so in love with this new program. If you'd like any more details, check it out here.

(samples by Joslyn)

Another Chance to Win

2009-09-15T08:58:00.003-04:00

It's another Tuesday challenge at Jacksonbelle Embellishments and another chance to enter this month's contest. Just make a card using Inkadinkado, Basic Grey, Prima or Stampavie stamps, and email it to jacksonbelle.embellishments@gmail.com. Get all of the nitty gritty here.

And this week's challenge is to make a fall or Halloween themed card! What a great excuse to pull out my untouched Earth Love pad from Cosmo Cricket. It seems to be out of stock right now, but just drop Lindsey an email if you'd like her to order more. Look at those yummy fall colors. I also used an Inkadinkado stamp, Primas and distress Stickles in frayed burlap. I applied different colored inks to the owl stamp using VersaMagic dew drops, then colored with Mango Madness and a blender pen around the stamped image. Thanks for stopping by.

What's In It?
Stamps: Birds Galore (Inkadinkado), Heartfelt Phrases (Verve Stamps)
Paper: vanilla, kraft, guava (SU), Earth Love (Cosmo Cricket)
Ink: tea leaves, gingerbread, jumbo java, mango madness (VersMagic), olive (SU)
Other: flowers (prima), ribbon (American Crafts), word window punch, blender pen (SU), frayed burlap distress stickles (Ranger), dimensionals

The rest of the Jbelle Rockstars:
AJ Otto
Carly Robertson
Heather Lee-Reppen
Jill Dunn
Jimmi Mayo
Lindsey Botkin
Lynda Benden
Michelle Philippi
Mitzi Koons
Shemaine Smith
Stephanie Hargis
Tobi Crawford
Trudee Sauer

P.S. Have you seen the new Prima flowers that just came in? Oh my word!!!

Inching Along

2009-09-11T14:15:00.002-04:00

I feel like I'm moving about as fast as this inchworm today. I used a couple of Lizzie Anne's digital paper packs on this card. Specifically, Cute as a Bug and Bloomin' Doodles. And the inchworm is from the matching Cute As A Bug stamp set. His smiling face just brightens my day! And the sketch is Julee's Mojo Monday #103. Have a great weekend!

What's In It?

Stamps: Cute as a Bug (Lizzie Anne Designs)

Paper: Cute as a Bug and Bloomin' Doodles digitals (Lizzie Anne), white (Papertrey Ink and Georgia Pacific), olive and guava (SU)

Ink: tuxedo black (Memento)

Other: Copic markers, rectangle nesties, buttons, thread, dimensionals, wavy border punch (EK), frills embossing border (CB)

My Little Trip

2009-09-10T11:29:00.004-04:00

Here are a few pictures I took during our little trip last weekend. Far from professional, but so beautiful that I had to share. This is Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater. This is the view as you approach:And here are a couple from a viewing point slightly down the river.

The nearby town and state park (19,052 acres of it!) are called Ohiopyle.

We hiked along all of that to get to this:
Beautiful! And shortly after we arrived, some guy came with his two dogs. They were barking and playing and splashing in the water. It was idyllic.

I didn't take any pictures of the nearby resort where we stayed. But it is definitely worth seeing if you have a minute. We were in the Chateau LaFayette at Nemacolin Woodlands.

And all of this is less than an hour-and-a-half from Pittsburgh. Just about an hour for us. I find that amazing. I'm hoping to drive down just for the day when the leaves change. Can you imagine?

Well, I'm off to the dentist. Boo! But just for a check up. I hope to do a little stamping this afternoon. See ya all soon.

A Touch of Nature

2009-09-09T15:21:00.003-04:00

This card was in the last Lizzie Anne Newsletter, but for those of you who may have missed it, I'm adding it to the blog here. You can get step-by-step directions here. It uses The Great Outdoors stamp set and some K & Company papers called the Carolyn Gavin Greenhouse Mat Pad.

Speaking of nature, I only took a few pictures of my trip last week, but they're quite pretty. I'll try to get a couple edited to share with you.

Now I'm going to continue the hunt for my mojo. It seems like when I go away even for a little trip, it's hard to get back into the stamping swing of things. Perhaps a sketch challenge is in order. See ya soon.

Sunflower Season

2009-09-08T10:01:00.005-04:00

It's another challenge and another chance for you to enter the Jacksonbelle Embellishments contest going on this month. Get all the details here. You could win a store gift certificate! This week is a sketch challenge, and this is my card using Basic Grey's Perhaps paper and an Inkadinkado sunflower stamp. I embossed it onto the yellow/gold patterned paper as well as the green pattern. I cut some of the green petals to use as flowers. The pearls are also from Basic Grey.

By the way, the brand new Basic Grey is in at Jacksonbelle Embellishments too.

What's In It?
Stamps: sunflower (Inkadinkado)
Paper: vanilla, choc chip (SU), Perhaps (Basic Grey)
Ink: versamark
Other: twill, detail black embossing powder, Basic Grey pearls, corner rounder, dimensionals

More from the Jbelle Rockstars!
AJ Otto
Carly Robertson
Heather Lee-Reppen
Jill Dunn
Jimmi Mayo
Lindsey Botkin
Lynda Benden
Michelle Philippi
Mitzi Koons
Shemaine Smith
Stephanie Hargis
Tobi Crawford
Trudee Sauer

Wishing You Well

2009-09-02T09:40:00.004-04:00

Hello! I've got a quickie for you today. I have to get the house put together and ready to leave in the morning. We're taking a short getaway to a nearby resort in the Laurel Highlands. It's called Nemacolin Woodlands. We'll also be doing some hiking and touring Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater. Isn't nature BEAUTIFUL?!? Hopefully I'll be able to snap a few decent pictures. I was going through some odd bits and pieces stashed on my stamping desk when I came across this flower, all colored and cut out. I added the white highlights and tossed together a simple card. I'm really tickled with it. I think it might be the color combo that appeals to me so much. I'll just leave you with the recipe now, since I've rattled on quite a bit already. And it is a very simple card. Drop me a line if you have any questions.

What's In It?
Stamps: Abundant Blessings, Wonderful Wishes (Verve Stamps)
Paper: vanilla (SU), white, spring moss (PTI), sea salt (Bazzill), Girl Friday: Wednesday (Cosmo Cricket)
Ink: tuxedo black (Memento)
Other: spring moss grosgrain (PTI), Making Memories brads, Spellbinders double ended tags die, pop dots, glue dots

Ribbon Optional

2009-09-01T08:00:00.004-04:00

Hello! Guess what? Lindsey is kicking off the fall season with a really fun month of challenges on the Jacksonbelle Embellishments blog. There will actually be five challenges. One for every Tuesday in September, starting today. And, yep, there are fab prizes involved. The Grand Prize winner will receive a $50.00 Gift Certificate to the store! Second Place, $30.00 and Third Place, $15.00! There will be a goodie package going out to ALL winners!!

You must use stamps or other store product as your main focus, and you must email all five of your cards at the end of the five challenges to jacksonbelle.embellishments@gmail.com no later than Thursday, October 1st at midnight (EST). Please check out the blog for more details, and don't hesitate to ask any questions you may have. We sure hope to have you play along!

And now for challenge number one: A One Layer Card!

Okay, I know this may be tough, but let's see if you can follow me. LOL.

1. Make card base with Basic Grey June Bug paper.
2. Slap on rhinestones and Pops stickers.
3. Stamp sentiment.
4. (and this one's optional) Tie on ribbon.

There was A LOT of discussion among the design team as to what qualifies as a one layer card. I'm pretty sure the final answer was: Your card base (stamped as you please), with as many accessories as you'd like. But no more card stock.

Get more gorgeous inspiration from the whole Jbelle Team!
AJ Otto
Carly Robertson
Heather Lee-Reppen
Jill Dunn
Jimmi Mayo
Lindsey Botkin
Loretta Lock
Lynda Benden
Melissa Bove
Michelle Philippi
Mitzi Koons
Shemaine Smith
Stephanie Hargis
Tobi Crawford
Trudee Sauer

Are You Ready For Fall?

2009-08-31T11:11:00.003-04:00

I can't decide. I like to cling onto summer as long as possible. But it was only 59 degrees for my morning walk. Talk about a chill in the air. And it's only just beginning. So, whether you're ready or not, I've got a fall inspired card for you. This uses Lizzie Anne's In The Treetop, one of my all time favorites. I inked each treetop in celery, then rolled the stamp in olive, ruby red, and pumpkin pie. Same with the leaves, except I accidentally dunked one in the chocolate chip ink pad that was sitting out. So I decided to just roll with it. For the grass, I repeatedly stamped the zig zag stamp randomly using celery and olive inks. I also sponged a little bit of soft sky for the sky.

What's In It?

Stamps: In the Treetop (Lizzie Anne Designs)

Paper: chocolate chip, vanilla, Haiku (Stampin' Up)

Ink: chocolate chip, certainly celery, old olive, pumpkin pie, ruby red, soft sky

Other: chocolate chip ribbon (SU), vintage findings plastic flowers (Making Memories), pop dots

Sunflower Friends

2009-08-29T08:36:00.003-04:00

Good morning! I woke up early today and used the time to finish off this card that I started last night. Sometimes I need a little break to see what I need for the finishing touches. Or to decide that it's alright as is. This morning I decided that all it needed was that tiny bit of ribbon and a button. There wasn't a whole lot of room for accessorizing with these big beautiful images.

I used Beate's weekend sketch and Papertrey's Friends 'Til The End stamp set. I use my photo corner punch to make the little pointed flag endings. A square punch would work just as well, perhaps better, but I don't have one. So the photo corner punch it is! By the way, if anyone is looking for a replacement for the gorgeous but retired Soft Sky, I just love this sea salt color from Bazzill. I'm so happy to have found a new "soft sky". I had been down to itty bitty scraps. Josh seems to have picked up pink eye again yesterday. He had it a couple of months ago too. So I may be on my own for our usual morning walk. We've gone every single morning but one for the past three weeks, weekends included. And that was because I was really sick. We walk 2 miles, including about a 3/4 mile jog. I sure hope you all enjoy your weekend. Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing a bit of your time with me.

What's In It?
Stamps- Friends 'Til The End (Papertrey Ink)
Paper- vanilla, cocoa, bayou, saffron, celery (SU), seal salt (Bazzill)
Ink- tuxedo black (memento), chocolate chip (SU)
Copics- Y21, Y17, Y38, YG03, YG63, YG95, E55, E57, E79
Other- lemon tart grosgrain ribbon (PTI), button and thread, pop dots, photo corner punch (SU)

And the Matching Thank You

2009-08-27T09:11:00.002-04:00

This is the matching Thank You card to go with yesterday's invitation/baby card. Again, pretty simple. I cut the star image from the lemon tart Bitty Box Basics paper and pieced it onto the circle panel. I didn't want the moon this time, so I inked only the stars with a chocolate marker to add them to the blue circle panel. The circle "thanks" stamp is from the Circle Sentiments set. Card is 4.25 inches square. And here are the two of them together.

What's In It?
Stamps: In The Nursery and Circle Sentiments (Lizzie Anne Designs)
Paper: spring rain, vintage cream, bitty box basics (PTI), kraft (SU)
Ink: chocolate chip (SU)
Punch: embossed curve (EK Success)
Other: antique brads (Lasting Impressions), pop dots, glue dots, american crafts and PTI lemon tart ribbons

Moonbeams and Stardust

2009-08-26T12:24:00.004-04:00

I made this card for a publication call, but it didn't get picked up. So I get to share it with you here. And tomorrow I'll have a similar card that goes with this for you. It's pretty clean and simple. Stamp the sentiment, star and moon on blue card stock with brown ink. Layer on pale yellow patterned paper that has been punched with an embossed curve. It's hard to see the faint pattern, but that is Papertrey Ink's Bitty Box paper. Tie on layered ribbons and insert brads. See? Simple. But I thought it was nice and calming for a chic baby shower.

What's In It?

Stamps: In The Nursery (Lizzie Anne Designs)

Paper: spring rain, vintage cream, bitty box basics (PTI), kraft (SU)

Ink: chocolate chip (SU)

Punch: embossed curve (EK Success)

Other: antique brads (Lasting Impressions), pop dots, glue dots, american crafts and PTI lemon tart ribbons

You Are My Sunshine...

2009-08-25T08:00:00.004-04:00

...my only sunshine. You make me happy.....

Yeah, you get the picture. This week's Jbelle challenge is a fond farewell to summer. That could mean summer images like bugs, flowers or beach stamps. Or maybe hot summer colors like orange, yellow or red. Or maybe your shine comes from Shimmerz or Stickles. Once you've made your summer card, leave a comment on the Jacksonbelle Embellishments blog so we can all check it out.

I LOVE summer and wish it could last all year long. I won't hold my breath though, not here in the northeast. Here's my sunshine card. It's five inches square. I used some Lizzie Anne stamps from the August Monthly Mix, aptly titled Hey Sunshine, along with these bright, happy June Bug papers. It doesn't get much hotter than that. The matching ribbon is from May Arts and the flowers, from Prima. The flowers are dotted with Stickles (on sale all week).
Jacksonbelle Embellishments has been getting in some fun new stuff recently, the latest and greatest of which, in my opinion, is JENNI BOWLIN! Woot! Go check it out. Just don't buy it all before I get a chance to pick some out. LOL.

What's In It?
Stamps- Hey Sunshine (Lizzie Anne Designs)
Paper- caribbean, turquoise, summer sun (SU), white (PTI), June Bug (Basic Grey)
Ink- tuxedo black (Memento)
Other- Copic markers; eyelets, paper piercer and template (SU), ribbon (May Arts), circle and label 1 die cuts (Spellbinders), flowers (Prima), stickles, foam adhesive

Be sure to check out how the rest of the design team is celebrating summer too.
AJ Otto
Carly Robertson
Heather Lee-Reppen
Jill Dunn
Jimmi Mayo
Kristine Breach
Lindsey Botkin
Loretta Lock
Lynda Benden
Michelle Philippi
Mitzi Koons
Shemaine Smith
Tobi Crawford
Trudee Sauer

Lemon Lime

2009-08-24T10:02:00.003-04:00

Veronica was such a sweetheart to send me some beautiful Flourishes images to play with. Thank you, dear! I am in love with this lemon tree. And yesterday I found some spare time to get my coloring on. The coloring (with Copic markers) was fast, easy and fun. Then I hit the proverbial wall. Eventually, after a few reorganizations, I came up with this. If you have any questions, just drop me a line.

What's In It?
Stamps- Life, Love and Lemons (Flourishes)
Paper- white, spring moss bitty box (PTI), Hometown: Depot Park (October Afternoon), brilliant blue (SU)
Ink- tuxedo black (Memento)
Copics- Y13, Y17, YG03, YG63, G99, B23, B29, B99, W3, E57, E71, E79, 0
Other- oval nesties, brads (SU), flowers (Prima), ornare piercing template

Clean and Simple Friday

2009-08-21T09:25:00.003-04:00

(If you're looking for the Friday Funny, scroll down to the next post.)

I've got a quick but cute card to share with you today. I'll be using it to go with my cousin's wedding gift. She actually got married at the beach a little while ago, but there is an informal wedding party tonight. I used Fall-To Layout 55 from Clean & Simple Stamping, along with two stamp sets, Bloomin' Doodles for the flower and Say It In Script for the sentiment. This was pretty much a no-brainer, which was just what I needed since I've been in a creative funk for the past few days. I colored the flower with Copic markers (0, Y17, B02, B05, B29) and rearranged the sentiment to make it longer rather than taller. For that, I used a Stamp-a-ma-jig and a black Stampin' Up! marker.

What's In It?
Stamps- Bloomin' Doodles and Say It In Script (Lizzie Anne Designs)
Paper- vintage cream (PTI), kraft (SU), Woolsworths from Hometown collection (October Afternoon)
Ink- black marker (SU), tuxedo black (Memento)
Other- aqua mist satin ribbon (PTI), urban prairie button (Basic Grey), thread, pop dots, glue dots

The Friday Funny (8/21/09)

2009-08-21T09:23:00.001-04:00

Mr. Johnson was overweight, so his doctor put him on a diet.

He said; “I want you to eat regularly for two days, then skip a day, and repeat this procedure for two weeks. The next time I see you, you should have lost at least five pounds.”

When Mr. Johnson returned, he shocked the doctor by having dropped almost twenty pounds.

“Why, that’s amazing!” the doctor told him. “You did this just by following my instructions?”

The slimmed down Mr. Johnson nodded. “I’ll tell you, though, I though I was going to drop dead that third day.”

“From hunger, you mean.”

“No,” replied Mr. Johnson, “from skipping.”

Tree-mendous

2009-08-19T08:32:00.003-04:00

This is another card using the upcoming Lizzie Anne Monthly Mix for September, called Something to Crow About. I pressed the stamp into a celery ink pad, then colored the stem and around the swirl with a chocolate marker, then pressed to paper. Lastly, color the bird pink, dotting the eye brown, and add your sentiment.

Happy Hump Day!

What's In It?
Stamps- Something to Crow About (LAD)
Paper- vintage cream, raspberry fizz (PTI), chocolate chip (SU), Carolyn Gavin Greenhouse mat pad (K & Co)
Ink- chocolate chip, celery, pink passion (SU)
Other- swirls from flower bouquet die (Sizzix), antique brads (Lasting Impressions), raspberry satin ribbon (PTI), parisian punch (EK Success), pop dots

A JBelle Sketch Challenge

2009-08-18T09:00:00.003-04:00

Today's Jacksonbelle Embellishments challenge is a sketch. Love those! Check it out at the Jbelle blog, and hopefully you'll be able to play along with us as well. We'd love to have you join in.

So here's my card. I used some great June Bug paper and the oh-so-fun June Bug pops too. I didn't like the sentiment on this oval, so I punched out some paper and added my own. Along with a couple of little butterflies from a Martha Stewart punch. What's In It?
Stamps- Friends 'Til the End (Papertrey Ink)
Paper- June Bug 6x6 pad (Basic Grey), saffron, black (SU)
Ink- onyx black (VersaFine)
Other- classic butterfly punch (Martha Stewart), oval punch (SU), Lil' Man and Girl Friday ribbon (Cosmo Cricket), June Bug pops (Basic Grey), flower bouquet die (Sizzix), jumbo brad (making memories), small brads black licorice (Lasting Impressions)

Stop by the rest of the Jbelle team's blogs for more eye candy!
Kristine Breach
Tobi Crawford
Stephanie Hargis
Mitzi Koons
Loretta Lock
Jimmi Mayo
Michelle Philippi
Carly Robertson
Shemaine Smith
Lynda Benden
Melissa Bove
Jennifer Buck
Jill Dunn
AJ Otto
Heather Lee-Reppen
Lindsey Botkin
Trudee Sauer

A September Day

2009-08-17T14:24:00.003-04:00

I can't believe how the time is passing. September is sneaking up on me. This card is done with Lizzie Anne's soon to be released September Monthly Mix stamp set. The set is called Something to Crow About. If you haven't heard about the new Monthly Mix program, check it out here. It is such a great deal. So I did my stamp in Onyx Black VersaFine ink, then colored the dots and swirls with Stampin' Up! markers. Then I added the "Enjoy Your Day", which is a separate stamp, in real red. All of my papers come from the June Bug 6x6 pad, and the flowers are a combo of different felt flowers. The card sketch is by Jen del Muro.

Here's a shot of the whole set. How cute, right?!? What's In It?
Stamps- September Monthly Mix Something to Crow About (Lizzie Anne Designs)
Paper- black, real red (SU), white (PTI), June Bug (Basic Grey)
Ink- onyx black (VersaFine), real red, summer sun, celery (SU)
Other- classic butterfly punch (Martha Stewart), black licorice brads (Lasting Impressions), lemonade felt flowers (Heidi Swapp), greenhouse felt flowers (American Crafts), pop dots, circle nesties (Spellbinders)

The Friday Funny (8/14/09)

2009-08-14T01:18:00.002-04:00

It was April and the Aboriginals in a remote part of Northern Australia asked their new elder if the coming winter was going to be cold or mild.

Since he was an elder in a modern community he had never been taught the old secrets. When he looked at the sky he couldn't tell what the winter was going to be like. Nevertheless, to be on the safe side, he told his tribe that the winter was indeed going to be cold and that the members of the tribe should collect firewood to be prepared.

But being a practical leader, after several days he had an idea.

He walked out to the telephone booth on the highway, called the Bureau of Meteorology and asked, 'Is the coming winter in this area going to be cold?'

The meteorologist responded, 'It looks like this winter is going to be quite cold.'

So the elder went back to his people and told them to collect even more wood in order to be prepared.

A week later he called the Bureau of Meteorology again. 'Does it still look like it is going to be a very cold winter?'

The meteorologist again replied, 'Yes, it's going to be a very cold winter.'

The elder again went back to his community and ordered them to collect every scrap of firewood they could find.

Two weeks later the elder called the Bureau again. 'Are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very cold?' he asked.

'Absolutely,' the man replied.

'It's looking more and more like it is going to be one of the coldest winters ever.'

'How can you be so sure?' the elder asked.

The weatherman replied, 'Our satellites have reported that the Aboriginals in the north are collecting firewood like crazy, and that's always a sure sign.'

Buzzin' By

2009-08-13T15:35:00.002-04:00

Sometimes I just don't have it in me to come up with a good blog title. Okay, let's face it. Most times I don't have it in me to come up with a good blog title. But I do think I came up with a pretty cute card today. At least I'm rather tickled with it. It's that clean vintage look that I've been loving lately around blog world and in the mags. I started with this sketch from 2 Sketches 4 You and my new Cute as a Bug stamp set. I dug out some coordinating paper and ribbon and set to work. I stamped the bee on confetti white card stock and colored with Copic markers. I applied Shimmerz gold glimmer Blingz, a light coat to the body and a heavier coat to the wings. I love the sentiment banners and flags that are so "in" right now, so I used one of those here. It seemed to fit right in with the buzzing bee. I achieved my vintage look with the confetti and kraft papers, roughing up the one layer, and staining the patterned paper with Vintage Touch tea dye duo inks. To keep the ribbon a little bit flatter, I didn't knot it. I just layered the two tails over one another and sewed on my button, gathering the ribbon behind it.

What's In It?
Stamps- Cute as a Bug (Lizzie Anne Designs)
Paper- kraft, confetti white, black (SU), urban prairie: wild flowers (Basic Grey)
Ink- tuxedo black (Memento), N5, 100, Y17, Y38 Copic markers; tea dye duo inks (PTI)
Other- gold glimmer blingz (shimmerz), Lil' Man ribbon (Cosmo Cricket), urban prairie button (BG), black licorice brads (Lasting Impressions), black thread, tonic distresser, pop dots

Home Is...

2009-08-12T09:16:00.003-04:00

How cute is that? "Home is where you dig your stakes." This card started with Fall-To Layout 52, and I tweaked it just a bit to work with my images and this card's style. I stamped the tent on creamy caramel and colored with a gray Copic marker. The fire was also stamped (on white) and colored with Copics. I cut out the tent, then stamped it directly on my card front as well, to get the stakes and ropes. (What are those support ropes called?) Those totally fun mushrooms are in the Great Outdoors digi paper pack. Love 'em! I also used some decorative scissors on the garden green trim and a white gel pen for the marshmallow. All stamps are from the Great Outdoors set. Card base is sahara sand.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

The Challenge: No Stamping!

2009-08-11T08:00:00.001-04:00

Eeek! I thought the no stamping challenge would be fun, which it was. But it was more of a challenge than I expected. If you'd like to play along with this week's Jacksonbelle Embellishments challenge, we'd love to have you join us! Just make a card or project using NO STAMPING! You don't have to use Jacksonbelle products if you don't have them yet. Please use keyword JBE066 and leave us a message on the Jbelle blog. For my card, I started with this SO CUTE cupcake, cut from some Pink Paislee paper. I colored over the cherry with a clear glaze pen. I also used some more patterns from the Sweet Cakes line. I added a Basic Grey button (Urban Prairie line) Prima Mini Me's and gemstones, and the Cuttlebug "hi" (from Olivia alpha). The yellow scallops were cut with my long scallop rectangle nesties.

If you haven't checked it out yet, don't miss the Dollar Days sale going on for a limited time at the Jacksonbelle store. You will find some amazing deals. I just hope I get my butt in gear before it's all gone. LOL.

What's In It?
Stamps: NONE
Paper: sweet cakes (pink paislee), coral, saffron (SU)
Ink: NONE
Other: button (urban prairie: basic grey), thread, ribbon, long scallop rectangle nestie, pearl cluster, gemstones and mini me's (Prima), olivia alphabet (cuttlebug), pop dots, clear glaze pen

Check out the rest of the team:
Kristine Breach
Tobi Crawford
Stephanie Hargis
Mitzi Koons
Loretta Lock
Jimmi Mayo
Michelle Philippi
Carly Robertson
Shemaine Smith
Lynda Benden
Melissa Bove
Jennifer Buck
Jill Dunn
AJ Otto
Heather Lee-Reppen
Lindsey Botkin
Trudee Sauer

Parka Penguins For You!

2009-08-06T09:00:00.002-04:00

ETA: Random.org chose number 34. Sooooo, the winner is Nicole! Congrats! I'll be in touch shortly!

Check them out! Just how cute are these peguins, all bundled up for winter? Read on for details on how you can win this Our Craft Lounge stamp set, called Parka Penguins.They just keep remindig me of Chilly Willy the Penguin and I can't get the theme song out of my head. Do you remember that cartoon? "I'm Chilly Willy the Penguin. I'm frozen through and through..." So anyway, my chilly little guy is doing a little winter fishing in his purple parka and cap.

What's In It?

Stamps: Parka Penguins (Our Craft Lounge)

Paper: white (PTI), turquoise, black (SU), Blitzen's Jack Frost and Skate Shoppe's K-Stall (Basic Grey)

Ink: black (memento), old olive (SU)

Other: Copic markers, SU oval punch, ribbon, EK Success wavy punch, SU brads, sponge dauber, pop dots

Now for the fun stuff! I have one Parka Penguins set to give away. Leave me a comment on this post between now and Sunday, August 9 at 9 pm Eastern, that's 6 pm Pacific time. How about letting me know what your favorite cartoon was growing up? You MUST leave me a way to contact you in your post or I'll move on to the next winner. I'm sorry, but I won't have time to track you down otherwise.

More good news! The entire OCL release, all 31 stamp sets are now available for purchase at retail locations, including some online stores. So check out the Our Craft Lounge website for participating retailers, right here.

Yet more good news! There are thirty more OCL stamp sets being given away this weekend. The list of blogs for you to visit is on the OCL blog. Each person can win only one set. Have fun hoppin' and good luck!

Another Our Craft Lounge Preview

2009-08-05T09:00:00.002-04:00

It's Day Three of the Our Craft Lounge previews. Check out the blog for links to all ten sets being shown today. And don't forget, tomorrow's the big give away of 31 different sets to 31 different winners. Today I'm previewing: Tweet Winter Wishes What's In It?
Stamps- Tweet Winter Wishes (Our Craft Lounge)
Paper- spring fling: skipping stones (pink paislee); caribbean, turquoise, real red (SU), white (PTI)
Ink- tuxedo black (memento)
Copics- E27, R29, R24, BG10, BG15, B05, Y38, YR07, YG03, YG63, C1, 0
Other- snowflake punch (martha stewart), oval nesties, fruit punch and star dust stickles, half pearls (Basic Grey), ribbon (may arts), pop dots

Stamps will be available from online retailers starting tomorrow! See ya here for the blog candy tomorrow as well.

Let's Get Punchy

2009-08-04T08:00:00.001-04:00

In honor of the arrival of the latest Martha Stewart punches, today's challenge on the Jacksonbelle Blog is to Get Punchy! We'd love to have you play along and link your punched creations to the Jbelle challenge. If uploading to a public gallery, please use keyword JBE065. I built my card around the butterfly and border punches, adding in a labels four die, some really lovely October Afternoon paper, and this dotted American Crafts ribbon.

Thanks for stopping by. Tomorrow I'll have another Our Craft Lounge preview, so be sure to check in again.

What's In It?
Stamps- thank you (imaginisce)
Paper-vanilla, ruby, chocolate chip, caribbean (SU), Detours: Gazebo (October Afternoon)
Ink- choc chip, real red, celery, apricot, caribbean (SU)
Other- swiss dots (Cuttlebug folder), vintage die (cuttlebug), scallop border and butterfly punches (Martha Stewart), label four die (Spellbinders), ribbon (American Crafts), sponge dauber, pop dots

More Get Punchy cards from the Jbelle Design Team:
Kristine Breach
Mitzi Koons
Loretta Lock
Michelle Philippi
Carly Robertson
Shemaine Smith
Lynda Benden
Melissa Bove
Jennifer Buck
Jill Dunn
AJ Otto
Heather Lee-Reppen
Lindsey Botkin

Our Craft Lounge BLITZ

2009-08-03T09:00:00.005-04:00

Our Craft Lounge is coming out with thirty one new stamp sets and you can get some peeks at them over the next three days, starting right now. I am thrilled to be helping out Joy and Cambria as they share their newest release. Today, I made a card with my personal favorite of them all...Fueled by Caffeine.

You can see all ten sets being revealed today and lots of great design projects starting with the Our Craft Lounge blog. Check the blog every day through Wednesday for more reveals and finally a blog candy hop on Thursday. As Cami would say, "Yeah, Baby!"

What's In It?
Stamps- Fueled by Caffeine (Our Craft Lounge), polka dot basics (PTI) Paper- white (GP 110), teal, celery, mustard (SU), raspberry (PTI), girl friday: saturday (Cosmo) Ink- black (memento), summer sun (SU) Copic markers- Y17, R05, W3, B05, YG03, YG63, 0 Other- flower dies (cuttlebug), urban prairie buttons (basic grey), raspberry satin ribbon (PTI), black thread, pop dots, glue dots

Anni-VERVE-sary Blog Hop

2009-08-01T11:00:00.003-04:00

Welcome to the first ever official Anni-VERVE-sary Blog Hop. Verve turns two today and we’re celebrating with a hop, hop, hop! The party kicked off over on the Verve blog, so if you’ve just happened along, be sure to hop on over there to start from the beginning! And to make this party a real shindig, there’s a mystery jackpot hidden at one of the stops along the hop. One lucky commenter on that blog will win Verve’s entire August release! But of course, it wouldn’t be a mystery if you knew which blog, would it? So if you’re feeling the love, give a little shout out to the bloggers in the hop and you just might have a reason to jump for joy!
My card uses last year's Anni-VERVE-sary stamp set, Beautiful You, along with some delish K & Company paper. Clicking the picture should give you a close up.

Thanks for stopping by! Now it’s time to hop on over to Sarah’s blog, for a little more Verve-y goodness.

The Friday Funny (7/31/09)

2009-07-31T01:00:00.001-04:00

A duck walks into a bar and asks, "Got any grapes?"

The bartender, confused, tells the duck no. The duck thanks him and leaves.

The next day, the duck returns and asks, "Got any grapes?"

Again, the bartender tells him, "No -- the bar does not serve grapes, has never served grapes and, furthermore, will never serve grapes." The duck thanks him and leaves.

The next day, the duck returns, but before he can say anything, the bartender yells, "Listen, duck! This is a bar! We do not serve grapes! If you ask for grapes again, I will nail your stupid duck beak to the bar!"

The duck is silent for a moment, and then asks, "Got any nails?"

Confused, the bartender says no.

"Good!" says the duck. "Got any grapes?"

Bloomin' Easy

2009-07-29T01:00:00.000-04:00

I just loved this layout from Clean and Simple Stamping. It was the Fall-To Layout last week. The flower, from Bloomin' Doodles, is stamped, colored with Copics, cut out, and covered with Glossy Accents. I also used Say It In Script, which is this week's product of the week, and therefore 20% off!
How 'bout that background paper? I love the new digital paper pack made to go with this stamp set. It's called Bloomin' Doodles also. Here's a little peek at how I printed my paper(s). I cropped a quarter of a sheet of each of these four papers and added them all to one document. I use PhotoShop Elements. That way I can get a variety of papers on only one sheet. Because I never use whole sheets anyway. They just end up laying around, making a mess of my stamping desk. You can see how they print with a border, since I don't have a borderless printer. At least not that I know of. LOL. So they work perfectly for layering on 4.25 x 5.5 inch cards.

What's In It?

Stamps: bloomin doodles, say it in script (Lizzie Anne Designs) Paper: bloomin doodles digi papers (Lizzie Anne), pearl white (paper accents), white (pti), pale plum (SU) Ink: black (memento), pale plum (SU) Copics: V09, V15, YG03, YG63 Other: label 1 (spellbinders), thread, sewing machine, glossy accents (ranger), brads, paper piercer and template (SU), pop dots, white gel pen

Life's Moments

2009-07-28T08:00:00.002-04:00

This week's Jacksonbelle Embellishments challenge is to use Pink Paislee or October Afternoon products. Can you say YUM? I had a hard time choosing between the two, but opted for this Pink Paislee Office Lingo line in the end. I also finished it off with a Basic Grey pearl on my flower and some fun May Arts ribbon. Finished card is 3.5" x 6". What's In It?
Stamps: beautiful you (Verve) Paper: office lingo (pink paislee), turquoise (SU), raspberry, white (pti) Ink: onyx black (VersaFine), turquoise, pink passion, kiwi (SU) Other: flat clip (Making memories), ribbon (may arts), dotted wave punch (EK), nesties and flower creations(spellbinders), grass/ivy pearl (basic grey), white gel pen, pop dots, sponge daubers

Now, be sure to see what the rest of the team has done, and let us know on the Jbelle blog if you've decided to play along!

Kristine Breach
Tobi Crawford
Stephanie Hargis
Mitzi Koons
Loretta Lock
Jimmi Mayo
Michelle Philippi
Carly Robertson
Shemaine Smith
Lynda Benden
Melissa Bove
Jennifer Buck
Jill Dunn
AJ Otto
Heather Lee-Reppen
Lindsey Botkin
Trudee Sauer

Thank You Berries

2009-07-27T12:03:00.003-04:00

This is one of those cards that looks (and is) so simple, but it took me forever to make. I had to step away and come back later twice. But now I'm pretty pleased with it. I used several of the challenges from this weekend's Dare To Get Dirty extravaganza on Splitcoast Stampers, including one of the sketches. If you're a Fan Club member, you can play along too.

Design note: I colored the pearls to match with a B05 Copic markerWhat's In It?

Stamps: strawberries (Lockhart stamps), green thumb (PTI) Paper: real red, caribbean, artichoke (SU), white, spring moss (PTI) Ink: artichoke (SU), black (memento), chamomile (PTI) Copics: R20, R24, R29, YG91, YG95, YG99, B00, B02, B05, W3 Other: score pal, spots and dots (CB), ribbon (may arts), pearls (Mike's), square and scalloped nesties (Spellbinders), pop dots, white gel pen, corner rounder

Grow With Love

2009-07-25T03:00:00.006-04:00

Can you believe I actually have something for you on a Saturday? For once, I have a few extra cards at the end of the week. I hope you like it!
I used this week's Lizzie Anne sketch by Kendra, though I forgot to add in the twist of adding some gems to your card. (oops) I stamped the July release single, Grow with Love, using Memento ink on Papertrey white card stock and die cut with the Spellbinder's Labels 4 dies, including a mat for layering.

Money saving tip: Just buy white thread (and maybe brown and black). Then, before sewing, color a length with a Copic marker to match any project. It only takes a few seconds. I leave my machine threaded. Pull the thread out past the needle, and color. Then re-wind the spool. That way you don't have to go through the whole up, down, loop, over, in, etc. threading process.

You can now find all of the new Lizzie Anne stamps available for sale, here, on their new release page.

So far, my plans are pretty low key for the next couple of days. I hope you have a great weekend.

What's In It?

Stamps: Grow with Love (Lizzie Anne Designs)

Paper: pink pirouette, soft sky (SU), white (pti), lily pad (Bazzill), pretty please: flower drops (my mind's eye)

Ink: tuxedo black (memento)

Copics: B00, R43, R24, YR04, YG91, BG93

Other: labels 4 nesties (Spellbinders), ribbon (american crafts), SEI brad, thread, sewing machine

ETA: I just found out that Lizzie Anne is having their Spellbinder's dies 40%!!! Holy freakin' deal. I'll let you know if I get any more details. Get them before they're gone. I know I'm going shopping.

Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie

2009-07-24T03:00:00.003-04:00

Have you heard about Lizzie Anne's new Montly Mix kits yet? Be sure to follow that link if you'd like more info. Because, not only are these sets so fun and versatile, they're also a great deal with even more perks for club members. You can even get free shipping on the first month if you sign up before August 1.
This card uses the August Monthly Mix: Hey Sunshine! and this week's sketch challenge at Splitcoast Stampers. I stamped the three swimsuits (all one stamp) individually to get my three panels, then colored with Copics. After I colored them, the middle suit reminded me of Wonder Woman. LOL! I know you all want a suit just like this now, don't you?

What's In It?
Stamps~ August Monthly Mix: Hey Sunshine! (LAD), polka dot basics (PTI)
Paper~ bashful blue, ballet blue, real red (SU), yellow from celebration (American Crafts), white (Georgia Pacific)
Ink~ tuxedo black (memento), rea red (SU), Versamark
Copics~ B32, B95, YG03, Y38, R29
Other~ square and label 1 nesties (Spellbinders), hello kitty flower bouquet die (Sizzix), paper piercer and template, clear embossing powder (SU), pop dots

It's another preview day at Lizzie Anne Designs. But I don't have any of those peeks for you today. When you're done here, you can head over to the Lizzie Anne blog for full set reveals, sample ideas, and give aways. That's right. Make sure you enter to win EACH DAY's stamp sets. You still have time to enter all three.

The Friday Funny (7/23/09)

2009-07-24T01:00:00.000-04:00

WHY MEN ARE NEVER DEPRESSED:

Men Are Just Happier People-- What do you expect from such simple creatures. Your last name stays put. The garage is all yours. Wedding plans take care of themselves. Chocolate is just another snack. You can be President. You can never be pregnant. You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park. You can wear NO shirt to a water park. Car mechanics tell you the truth. The world is your urinal. You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky. You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt. Same work, more pay. Wrinkles add character. Wedding dress $5000. Tux rental-$100. People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them. New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet.

One mood all the time.

Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat. You know stuff about tanks. A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase. You can open all your own jars. You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness. If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend.

Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack. Three pairs of shoes are more than enough. You almost never have strap problems in public. You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes. Everything on your face stays its original color. The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades. You only have to shave your face and neck.

You can play with toys all your life. One wallet and one pair of shoes -- one color for all seasons. You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look. You can 'do' your nails with a pocket knife. You have freedom of choice concerning growing a moustache.

You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes.

No wonder men are happier.

Introducing: Bloomin' Doodles

2009-07-23T03:00:00.003-04:00

Today is another preview for Lizzie Anne Design's latest releases, available Saturday, July 25th. This uses the oh so fun Bloomin' Doodles! These were a blast to color, and so easy. I used tuxedo black Memento ink and a variety of Copic markers. Check out the LAD blog for the full previews of Bloomin' Doodles stamp set AND digital paper pack, as well as the Hallow's Eve stamp set. You'll be sure to find more eye candy as well. What's In It?
Stamps~ Bloomin' Doodles, Say It In Script (LAD)
Paper~ white, bitty box basics (PTI)
Ink~ tuxedo black (memento)
Copics~ B23, B32, Y21, RV29, RV34
Other~ raspberry fizz satin ribbon (PTI), white gel pen, Queen and Co. Kissy Fit brad, pop dots, glue dot

If you're making a card today, why not use one of Lizzie Anne's sketches and enter to win the ENTIRE summer release? You have until July 24th. All the details can be found on the Anniversary Celebration page. You must feature LAD stamps.

Lizzie Anne Previews!

2009-07-22T03:00:00.003-04:00

I am so excited to be back working with Lizzie Anne Designs. And no time is more exciting than release time, which is upon us! I have previews of TWO brand spankin' new stamp sets for you today. They'll be available for purchase on Saturday, July 25th. Keep checking in for more previews leading up to release day. You won't be sorry.

Featuring The Great Outdoors:Mushrooms are so trendy right now, so I was thrilled to see this little cutie nestled among The Great Outdoors camping set. I love how it can be organic or funky, like I've done with the blue, green, and orange combo here. And I have always loved this Shakespeare quote! That dotted paper is also from The Great Outdoors Digital Paper Pack.

Featuring Cute as a Bug:

Whether it flutters, flies, or inches by, you're going to love the non-creepy crawlies in this set. And of course the matching sentiments so that it all "works", know what I mean? Here I used the delightful butterfly, water colored and flitting over a field of green.

You can head over to the Lizzie Anne Designs blog to see these two sets revealed in their entirety, BOTH matching digital paper packs, and some more fab design ideas.

Funky Mushroom card:
Stamps~ The Great Outdoors (LAD)
Paper~ great outdoor digi pack (LAD), wasabi, pacific point, pumpkin (SU)
Ink~ tuxedo black (memento), pumpkin, saffron (SU)
Copics~ YG03, YG63, G07, YR04, YR18, B05, B23, W3
Other~ star dust Stickles, ribbon tag trio die (Spellbinders), circle punches, ribbon (American Crafts), pop dots

Buggin' Ya Butterfly card:
Stamps~ cute as a bug (LAD)
Paper~ white, raspberry (PTI), sweet cakes: sweet nothings and lovey dovey (Pink Paislee), water color (Strathmore)
Ink~ onyx black (Versafine), turquoise, pink passion, rose red, summer sun (SU)
Other~ aqua mist satin ribbon (PTI), slit punch (SU), button, thread, pop dots, Star Dust Stickles