It's my story.....

....and I'm sticking to it! Animal Stories, that is!! :)

I absolutely love the animal set, Animal Stories....and you can get it FREE!! It is one of the sets in the Sale a Bration catalog from the regular Idea Book and Catalog that can be earned for free in place of a regular sale a bration set. I absolutely love that you can choose merchandise from the regular catalog this year!! WHOOOOOHOOOOO.........

I also made this card for the DIVA display I have been talking about. I think the animals in this set are so sweet!! I just had to "do up" the giraffe! He needed a hair makeover! lol!

See his "hair" and the ruffled border at the top of the designer series paper??

Here is what you need:

card stock: more mustard, old olive, whisper white, ruby red designer series paper (level 1 hostess pack)

ink: more mustard, old olive

stamps: Animal Stories, On your Birthday

accessories: 5/8 inch chocolate chip grosgrain ribbon, needle and thread, stampin dimensionals

punches: scallop circle, 1 1/4 circle, 1 3/8 circle

A Baby to Celebrate

Hi stampers!!

I am showing you another card I made for the DIVA display board. When I sat down to make this card...I knew where I wanted it to go. surprised? lol!! I wanted a baby card for another friend of the family and club member that had become a grandma for the first time -Hey Barb!! She is a quilter, so I new I wanted to use my quilted top note that the directions are for HERE. And also, I wanted to make something that I could recreate for the DIVA display using pleats or ruffles. That seems like a big order to fill, doesn't it? Well, here is what I came up with:

I absolutely loved this card as soon as it was done....I wanted to curl up in it and snuggle a baby with that "new baby" smell....lol! The card base is brocade blue. The designer series paper is from the Pawsitively Prints, it is with the Build a Bear collection. the paper has nothing to do with Build a Bear, per say, it just has small prints that were designed to use as clothes for the dies. If it is good enough for bear clothes, it is better for a baby quilt!!

The scallop circle is whisper white, punched with the scallop circle punch. I stamped the boat from nursery necessities inked up with stampin' write markers and cut out the individual pieces and adhered them down with stampin' dimensionals. the ribbon is white satin ribbon pleated with mini glue dots onto a piece of pumpkin pie card stock.

What do you think of this "baby"? hehehe!!

I will continue to dribble out the samples and anything else I get done that I can post....I am working on getting things lined up for next week's all occasions stamp camp.

I {heart} ruffles!!

Not on my clothes, mind you....but on my paper crafts!!

Remember THIS card? Well....I was super excited when Janet Wakeland asked me to do some samples for a display board at DIVA Days because of this card. I belong to a focus group under her called Dreambuilders and there is a sub group with in that group called DIVAS. She was hosting a diva meeting and since I live so far away from her, I usually do DIVA long distance. So, she asked me to create some samples and ship them to her for a board....how awesome is that!?!!?!??! It probably wouldn't be so exciting for most of you...but it was for me!! It was my first little publishing, in my mind. And for doing it, she rewarded me with free goodies - does it get any better????

Anyway...the first card I made to send in was a valentine. I absolutely love the I {Heart} Hearts stamp set, so I had to pull it out for a sample!  I was so inspired by Cindy Major's card here, but changed things up a little bit.

Did you see that Christmas designer series paper??? You didn't? Look closer....the vanilla with real red polka dots?? See it now? It is from the Christmas Jingle Simply Scrappin' kit. Don't go stashing your Christmas goodies away - they will move right in on Valentine's day. :) The horizontal panels are very vanilla matted with basic black. The bottom one, I stamped with the medallion background stamp in basic black classic ink. The top panel was accented with a curly label punch in real red folded in half and clipped on with a clip from the clip assortment accented with a piece of black gingham ribbon.

ooo....Back to the bottom panel....Did you see that ribbon??? Oh yes, we carry that in the current catalog. Don't recognize it?? Really???? It is the 5/8" real red grosgrain ribbon! Oh yes it is!! I threaded a piece of red sewing thread in a needle and basted right down the center. (basting is just a very simple up and down stitch that runs in a line - easy peasy!!) I pulled the thread to gather the ribbon and voila! Gathered ribbon in any of our ribbon colors! {luv} it!

Now to my little heart cluster - The scallop circle is actually cut with the big shot and the exclusive pennant XL die from Stampin' Up!. The real red circle was punched with the 1 3/4 inch circle punch. Matts nicely together, huh? I then stamped the dotted heart from I {heart} Hearts in basic black onto very vanilla. And since we have the option to get clear mounted rubber now....I was easily able to stamp the filigree heart ( from the same set) with out using a stamp a ma jig. I am in love!! the other little punched hearts are from the heart trio punch.

Are you wondering about my dimension???? You know I can't do a card without tons of stampin' dimensionals.....well, what do you think of all of this dimension, baby?

I would love to know what you think of this card - I had a ton of fun putting it together!!

Twice as much to Love

Hi Stampers!

I hope all of you have had a wonderful week! Mine has flown by!

I was in need of a card for a family friend and club member that just had twin grandsons (shout out to Cindy!) - how wonderful is that?!??!?! Hence - the title - twice as much to love :) I have baby sets, sure...but I really wanted to use my Fox and Friends to make a baby card. I think the animals in this set are so darling! So, here is what I came up with:

Isn't it sweet? (not to toot my own horn...lol!) The card base is bashful blue. I made my own background stamp by adding several images to one block....One of the many things I love about the new clear mount rubber stamps that Stampin' Up! has offered us! So, I stamped that in bashful blue ink. I made a little tag out of kraft card stock with the tag corner punch. The sentiment is from fundamental phrases. I tied a bow with the bashful blow striped grosgrain ribbon. And the two adorable turtles.....twin baby love!

Well...I must tend to the cleaning.....argh! lol!!

It's raining MEN....

hehehe! No - thank you. lol!

Today I whipped up a masculine birthday card. I struggle with masculine....I always want to add "fluff stuff" - glitter...bows....do dads....fluff...and stuff....

But, today I came up with a simple, clean lined ,masculine card that uses specialty designer series paper, To The Nines, so it has texture to touch and see with out it over powering the clean lines of it. Am I rambling here??? lol!

Ok, enough of me....

I have to say, I am pretty pleased with it. I don't usually do clean lined, quick cards. But, this, I like.

Stamp Camp Sneeky Peeky!!!

Hi Stampers!

Today I have a card that evolved through a couple of challenges. First, I wanted to get working on my samples for the All Occasion Stamp Camp on the 29th of January. Second, I wanted to use the mojo monday sketch for the week. And last, I wanted to use today's color challenge - Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip and Rich Razzleberry. One of the cards I wanted to do for the camp was a feminine birthday....so this was all coming together :)

If you haven't registered yet for that camp, do so soon to make sure you have a spot.

Here is one of the cards we will be making:

It is very hard to see in the picture (argh!!) but the scallop circle and satin ribbon are chocolate chip. This is the new satin ribbon in the occasions mini - YUMMO!!!!

just had to use mini seed beads for the cherries.....are they sweet??

Here is a closer look at the cupcake tower.

What do you think? I think it is a very sweet card...I {luv} the cupcakes!

My Ghost of Christmas Past.....

LOL!!! Anyone of you have those???? Christmas pictures that linger, waiting to be scrapped??? I sure do! I am starting out small scale - Our family picture album.

Every year since our daughter was born, we have gotten out family picture taken at Christmas time. And I plan on doing it for many years to come. So, I have an 8x8 Christmas Scrapbook that I do one layout a year in...just for our family photo. I should be able to handle that, right???? LOL!!! I haven't done anything in it since '06! So, I have three 8x8 layouts that I haven't mustered up the gumption to get them done. WHAT is the mater with me....I should be able to keep up with that! So today, I pulled out last year's family picture and got busy!
note: if this is the first time on my blog - I cover my daughter's face in pictures for my blog....I am sorry, I am weird that way.

My daughter's dress is a rich perfect plum velvet and white fur...it is hard to see that in the picture, but that is where I pulled the purples from for my layout.

The background is a blinged up glittery page I made myself starting with a basic black piece of card stock. I stamped the flourish from Baroque Motifs all over it in a random pattern with versamark ink and embossed it with my heat tool using iridescent ice embossing powder. OH MY SWEET GLITTERY GOODNESS!!!!! Y.U.M.M.O.!!! I then matted our picture with whisper white and then perfect plum. I stamped three of the ornaments from Delightful Decorations in elegant eggplant, perfect plum and pale plum. I then punched them out with the ornament punch. I know - it is from the last mini and not available anymore - but I am hoping, really hoping, that both of these make it into the next catalog. please....pretty please....

So, with true blinging fashion....I had to glitter them up with dazzling diamonds and a 2 way glue pen. My "08" was cut with the timeless type junior alphabet die set - love it! I started with brushed silver card stock and embossed a scrap with versamark ink and iridescent ice embossing powder, then I ran them through my big shot. they are adhered with stampin dimensionals to that ornament.

Each ornament is adhered with stampin dimensionals. I put a piece of silver elastic cord from the ornament to the top of the page for the "hanger" and then adhered a tiny bow I made from white taffeta ribbon with a mini glue dot.

What do you think??? Did I bling out my ghost of Christmas Past???? ~Now to stomp on some more of them :)

I give up!!

lol!! I made today's card super fast and then I spent over an hour trying to edit it to make the colors look right. argh!!!! So please be easy on me....

Today's color challenge on SCS is certainly celery, bermuda bay, handsome hunter (WHAT!??!?!?!), neutrals of your choice and a dessert topping of pink. The pink could not be card stock. Well, I immediately thought of my stamp set, Wellness Wishes. A cute pinkish band aid was to be my center piece :) And - today starts Sale A Bration and did you know that this is one of the sets you can earn for FREE in place of the regular sale a bration sets???? How col is that!?!??!?

So here is my contribution for today:

The card base is certainly celery. The textured panel is bermuda bay that I ran through my big shot using the brand new perfect polka dots impressions folder!!!! (page 35 of the mini) I matted that with basic black. The vertical panel on the right is handsome hunter ( I swear....I can not get my picture to pick up all of the colors right) My band aid from wellness wishes is stamped onto watercolor paper and colored with reinkers and an aquapainter. I punched it out with the 1 3/4 inch circle punch and matted it onto a scallop circle that came from the pennant die for the big shot. I mounted my scallop circle up onto stampin dimensionals.

Sorry for the crappy picture....I just couldn't get the colors right and I gave up! ;)

i would love to know what you think about it though.

I can't put down the.....

New Sending Love Designer Series Specialty Paper!!!! Every sheet of it is absolutely divine!!! There is glitter around every corner :) And you all know how I feel about glittah!!!!

My sketch inspiration today came from mojo monday#120.

Instead of a scalloped circle in the upper corner....I decided to cut out a flower that is on the Sending Love Specialty Designer Series Paper!!! It was already glittered - perfect! I also accented the flower center with a brand new Red Corduroy Button matted with a scrap of basic black card stock that I added glitter to. It was so easy to bling up my flower center. I used versamark ink on basic black card stock and then heat and stick powder, I heated that just until shiny and topped it off with black glitter from the cosmo glitter collection. yummo!!

A little side note for you.....don't be afraid of elevating some layers. I adhered the flower center with regular snail adhesive and then rolled up a pop up glue dot for under each of the flower petals. Nothing happened to me.....you will be fine....just do it.....every body's doin' it ;) lol!!

The card base is very vanilla. All of the designer series paper is Sending Love. I matted them with basic black card stock. I also used the mat pack and paper piercer to line up the holes for my black brads, from the vintage brads collection. My sentiment banner "XOXOXO" is from Fundamental Phrases - an essential sentiment set to have in a stamp collection, in my opinion. I use it so often. I crinkled it up a bit and adhered it down in places with stampin' dimensionals so the wavy part would stay up :)

OOOooooo ..... did you see the brand new edge punch??? It is the scallop border edge punch - and you can get it for FREE!!!! That's right - FREE BABY!!!!! It is one of the many Sale A Bration Items that you can choose absolutely free with a $50 purchase ( American). I punched a strip of basic black and glittered it up the same way I did the flower center.

Picture this.....a part Italian girl - not near as much as Emeril - but just as passionate as he is about his "BAM!" I am stretching my fingers out to you and yelling "BLING!!!!" hehehe!!

I would love to know what you think of this creation of mine - I really enjoyed making it - Like I said I can't put down the new stuff....you just wait until you get your hands on it too :)

RemARKable LOVE Blog Tour - Day 3

Wowza, huh!??!?!?!? There are some really great ideas on this tour....I hope you aren't missing any of them. It is the "LOVE" tour and that can be interpreted in many ways - things you love, valentine's love, marriage and the straight out "love" theme. I focused on the straight out "love" theme for this one. Don't get me wrong...I could have easily said it was things I loved that are coming out in the next mini.....because it is!!

Well!??!?!?!?!

I really do love it! I did not put anything on the inside - i am still debating what I will do with this one - hubby's valentine, anniversary, wedding - who knows??? The card base is actually kraft - but you can't tell that all in the picture - the 1/16th inch border of card base didn't show up much ;) I was going to use more kraft on the card front but I kept leaning towards the chocolate chip - can you blame me? It is chocolate chip, for pete's sake!!!! lol!

The designer series paper is coming in the mini, Sending love Specialty Paper - and it is "Special" let me tell you!!! It is glittered and blingy all over!!!! delish! I made my own shabby lace by using the eyelet edge punch and folding it up in small sections. My scallop circle was made the "old fashioned way" - you know before we had the big shot scallop circle dies - with a corner rounder. None of the sizes of scallop circle dies I had were exactly the size I needed, so I made my own with the circle scissor plus and the 3/16th inch corner rounder. The birds are punched from a brand new punch, 2 step bird punch - lOVE IT!!!! I stamped the wings with the same heart stamp I used for the pink heart in the background - I {love} Hearts. This set is so awesome!!! After I punched the birds, I ran them through the big shot with my finial press embossing folder. All sponging is done with creamy caramel. The bow was made from chocolate chip taffeta ribbon.

Oh and did I mention D.I.M.E.N.S.I.O.N.???? I think I used like 32 stampin dimensionals on this card! I {luv} dimensionals!

I would love to know what you think of these love birds. If you have enjoyed the projects on my blog, I invite you to stop back - I have loved having you. Now - before you go - Click on the icon below and spread your love throughout the rest of the tour! :)

RemARKable LOVE Blog Tour Day 2!!!!

Wow....Can you believe that first day!?!?!?!? There are so many awesome things on this tour! We are all excited about the new Occasions Mini as well as the Sale A Bration Catalog and you will be too when you get your hands on them!!

On of the stamp sets that is in the Occasions Mini that I was drawn to immediately is Something Sweet.
I saw so many possibilities with the images that can go with or with out the sweet treat cups. Besides the obvious of putting candy in the sweet treat cups - which I will be doing for Valentine's Day!!!! - I decided to make a shaker card out of the gumball machine. This set is so versatile - you will need it! ;) My daughter loves bubble gum...the latest thing my hubby gave her that I didn't think she was ready for - what did I know?? She chews like a champ until it looses flavor and spits it out! That's my girl!! So I made her Valentine card today out of the bubble gum machine.

The heart image that fills my globe is also included in the set, I stamped them in real red, pixie pink and pretty in pink. The sentiment is from Grateful Greetings in the current Holiday Mini catalog. I put a bit of red micro beads and pink seed beads in for some shaking fun.

OOooo.......Did you see the new border punch???? That is also coming in the Occasions Mini!! Oh - and do NOT over look the red satin ribbon......I already said you will love the new mini....and I meant it :)

Click on the image below to continue your tour, thanks for stopping by today.

RemARKable LOVE Blog Tour

Well...here we are on Day one of the RemARKable Love Blog tour....I hope you have been enjoying your ride!!!



We are working together to show you things we love from the Occasions mini And the upcoming Sale A Bration catalog.



I have to say I am in love with the paper pack, Sweet Pea. It is a larger package than normal and it has some awesome designs in it!! Here is a card I whipped up using the BRAND NEW CLEAR MOUNT RUBBER STAMPS!!!!! WHOOHOOOOOO........ I am in love with those, for sure!



The stamp set used here is Vintage Vogue and Jumbo Wheel (on the card base - it is hard to see in the picture) Totally Vintage. LOVE IT!!!!



Click on the logo below to continue your tour

Better late than never, right???

HI Stampers!

Today I'm going to show you a few things that we included in my daughter's preschool teacher's gift baskets for Christmas. The entire gift basket could be changed out for any event. We bought large coffee mugs and embroidered decorative towels for the baskets. I also included some coffee from a local maker, Howe's. But that is all mundane, straight from the store....I'm going to show you the homemade stuff :)

I made inserts for photo coasters....instead of photos....I inserted monogrammed inserts. The inserts were little mini works of arts. On each one there is embossing, stamping, sponging, and shading. I also included a hot cocoa cone for each one. And then I wanted something cute for the bow on the basket wrap.....so I bought colored metal cookie cutters and adorned then with ribbon and tied a bow on the top. They also had a loop of gold elastic cord so they could be used as tree ornaments if they wanted to.

I could see these sets changed easily for a birthday, anniversary, wedding, a get well basket or a just because gift. You could swap out the drinks for something more seasonal - hot cider packets, teas, lemonade mixes...the possibilities are endless. I will definitely will be duplicating these in the future.

Here are some pictures of the goodies.

These coasters were made with the En Francais background stamp, Baroque Motifs, and Lovely Letters Alphabet. Inks: versamark, real red classic, chocolate chip craft, sahara sand.

This set used Baroque Motifs, Friends 24-7, and Lovely Letters Alphabet. Inks used: versamark, brocade blue classic, chocolate chip craft ink, and so saffron classic.

I sure enjoyed putting these gifts together, I hope you have enjoyed seeing them.

REALLY?!?!?!?!??

I mean.......REALLY?!?!??!??!?!

You know.....there are days that I just can't catch a break. And this seems to be one of them......

The dog - who has officially entered toddler hood yesterday, when he turned 1 - has been tormenting my little one all morning. And she can't just walk away - she has to stand in one spot and scream like he has her right arm severed in his mouth when he is really just jumping around and nipping at her feet. So....finally he stopped and I figured he had finally found one of his 2,000 bones he has scattered all over the place and found a nice quiet place to chew on it. SOUNDS NICE, right?!??!?! WRONG!!!!

I walk into the dining room and find this -

Well, not this exactly, he has toilet paper hanging out of his mouth when I found him but spit it out for his big camera photo shoot! My dining room is something like 16x18 and it was covered, I mean covered, with toilet paper!!! I can't believe it all came from one roll......it doesn't seem to last that long hanging on a bathroom wall.......

Oh Calgon......when will you take me away???

How can all of this occur in between dressing and undressing Barbi and Ken???? Which I am now the new Mattel stylist for Barbi..........right down to the perfect accessories. :o)

I do have some stampin related things to show you - I need to photograph them and get them posted later today or tomorrow - pinky swear ;)

And then you will have to come back Thursday-Saturday for the RemARKable Love tour......

Merry Christmas to all of You!!

Now, I need you to do one thing for me.....
sing Let in Snow! in your head.....

done that?? ok......now sing this to that little tune :)

Oh, the weather outside if frightful
But the inks look so delightful
So, while the weather is cold and damp
Let us stamp! Let us stamp! Let us stamp!

It doesn't take much convincing
And I've bought a tool for crimping
Choose some paper, turn up the lamp
Let us stamp! Let us stamp! Let us stamp!

When we carefully press just right
How we smile when the image unfolds
Add some color, so bold, so bright
The result is a sight to behold!

Our projects are quickly drying
And there's new techniques for trying
So, until we get finger cramps
Let us stamp! Let us stamp! Let us stamp!

I hope all of you have a wonderful and safe Holiday Season!!

Is this a first???

Two posts in one day!!!! You all deserve it. I have been absent so long......

I started with a sketch challenge today. And I have included lots of new things from the Occasions Mini Catalog that will be out starting January 5th. yummy!!!!

Wanna see it?

Well.....What do you think? The stamps are from a new set called Vintage Vogue....and they are clear mount rubber!!!! Can you believe it....we will have the option of regular wood mounted or clear mounted rubber. Same detailed, awesome rubber images...you decide 0r regular mounting on wood or mounting on clear blocks that you reuse over and over again. Can anyone say "awesome storage??" {luv} it!

Here is what I used:

card stock: old olive, kraft, so saffron, very vanilla, sweet pea designer series paper

ink: sahara sand, old olive, barely banana, crushed curry, chocolate chip, creamy caramel

accessories: chocolate chip corduroy buttons, stamping sponges, kraft taffeta ribbon, and oh course - stampin' dimensionals! :)

The Final Countdown.....

Hi Stampers!!

I have a fun fun fun project to share with you today!! I absolutely adore it...and my hubby made fun of it....what does he know???? MEN!

I can't hold it in any longer...lookie:

An Advent countdown tree....well, mine is actually a count up tree. My daughter's preschool does the weather and date on a chart every day, so I thought a count up would be more appropriate for her...the date will coincide with her tree.

I made each drawer out of the stampin' up exclusive die, matchbox and my big shot. The tree drawers are all old olive and the wrap designer series paper is from the simply scrappin kit, Christmas Jingle. I tied a bow or made a flat bow from red gingham ribbon and real red striped grosgrain ribbon. I attached each one of those to the drawer fronts with an antique build a brad. The numbers are all stamped with the calendar and numbers stamp set in chocolate chip. The tree trunk is also made from the matchbox die. Both drawer and wrap are made from chocolate chip textured card stock. After the tree was assembled together with sticky strip, I adhered a piece of wide old olive striped ribbon on each side of the tree and tied it in a bow on top of the tree.

Here are a few more views for you :)

I would really like to know what you think of this, leave me a comment and I'll make my hubby read them aloud ten times...LOL!!!!

It's hard to say good bye......

It is Time to say good bye to these great stamp sets. They will retire January 4th.

They are headed to a retirement village :)

Let me know if I can order any of these sets for you.

Item Number Stamp Set
113407 Back Woods
114492 Beautiful Baby
114486 Birthday Wish
113200 Branch Out
114496 Celebrations
113732 Central Park
113206 Classic Sketches
113226 Classy & Fabulous
114498 Flowers in Silhouette
113405 Font of You
113216 For the Bride
114494 Forever
109425 Friend by Definition
114488 Fun Flowers
113716 Garden Greetings
114490 Glad Friends
111580 Grand Soiree
113242 Hit the Road
113710 Lexicon of Leaves
113236 Man's Best Friend
114423 Ocean Commotion
113728 Playful Petals
109276 Polka Dot
111544 Putt Putt
113240 Quilt Quips
113754 Really Retro
113403 Sip by Sip
113726 Sweet Stems
113250 That's Funny
113688 Wonderful Watercolors
114028 Para la novia
114032 Acuarelas Maravillosas

All that glitters is....ME!

Hi Stampers!

I think I am covered in glitter from making this card.....oh, sweet glitter......

I started today with a color challenge...Very vanilla, basic black and soft suede. Yummo!!!

I am not sure why....but I really wanted to use the level one hostess set, Of the Earth, today. So, I did. Wanna see??

The card base is very vanilla. The designer series paper is Night and Day that I sponged with soft suede. See the glitter stripe along the designer series paper??? I ran a strip of sticky strip down and poured the gold glitter over it. Isn't that pretty???? I also used a two way glue pen and edged the mats for the bird images in gold glitter.

This card isn't my usual "style" per say....but I was really in the mood to do something different.

How did I do?