Step into my Enchanted Gardens

HI All!!

I have a little scrapbook layout to share with you today.  I am working at getting our Disney trip all done......and we went to Disney World last May.....argh!!!   I am so far behind, I really thought I was in first place.....really.  Any way....I did a layout last week for some of the beautiful topiaries that were in Epcot.   They really do amazing stuff with food and shrubs.  awesome.

Here is what I came up with:

Life size princesses and princes......astounding.
Let's get to the dirt.......lol.  I wanted to use floral paper that had pink tones in it.....so I pulled out Fabulous Florettes and made my own!!  The flowers are stamped onto whisper white card stock and then I felt it lacked depth.....so I sponged the flower centers with daffodil delight ink......still a little "off" to me......so I pulled out my spritzer tool and regal rose stampin write marker and went to town.  :D  And I couldn't resist using the triple layer flower punch for a border.....again.  :)  Doesn't it make the sweetest border??  I think so.  And then to ground it to my background page, I added a strip of always artichoke designer series paper from the regals pack.  Take a closer look:

I cut the title with my big shot and the timeless type alphabet sizzlets.  yummo.....  And to give them a little depth, I accented highlight marks with a stampin' write marker.  And I ha to cut some flowers out for accents.  see?

That is the greatest thing about stamping your papers and accents......you can have perfectly coordinated pieces to match your "designer series paper."  Well - how did I do?  I would love to hear your feedback.

bunny *licious*

Hi stampers!!!

Guess what????  To honor National Scrapbook Month - I have several layouts lined up to share with you.  I didn't get to participate in the Create with Connie and Mary challenge last week - and boy did I miss it.  This week is a color challenge - and instantly I knew what I was going to do.  Wanna see the colors?

What came to your mind?



oh really????  This is what came to mine- instantly.  :)

Let's start with the left hand side:

Before we go any further - I want to explain.  The post it notes on my pages were intentional - I am super weird about my daughter's face being online - but I don't want that to stop me from sharing my pages and ideas with you.  Sorry if this offends any of you if this is yoru first time stopping by - but that is why there are bright colored squares all over my daughter's face.   lol

The title is chipboard that has been covered with whisper shite craft ink and embossed with iridescent ice embossing powder.  The chipboard is retired - still Stampin' Up!, but retired.  I have a package of the current chipboard alphabet - but alas, I couldn't find it.  argh....but that is another story ;)

Take a closer look at the blingage on this page:

Did you notice the wild wasabi satin ribbon???  I know!  We don't have that!  I took a piece of white organdy ribbon and used my wild wasabi stampin write marker and colored it - easy peasy, lemon squeezy (right from the mouth of my 5 year old :)  )  And then I adhered the ribbon pieces to the page with subtles glimmer brads - {luv} these!!

Now, let's move onto the right hand page......

Don't you think the little tag is so sweet peeking out from behind the pictures?  The butterfly was punched with the butterfly punch out of pale plum card stock.  I stamped the flourish from Easter Blossoms.  I sure hope this set makes it into the cattie.......please, pretty please with a cherry on top.........  The eggs and sentiment are also from this set.  I sprinkled the eggs through wild wasabi grass  :)  The polka dot paper is from the subtles designer series paper pack.  What a great way to get designer sheets from an entire color collection.  I hope it doesn't disqualify me for using retired stamps - I made these layouts last week when they were current...but wanted to save them for National Scrapbook Month - not thinking that the stamps wouldn't be current :(

I would love to know what you think of this 2 page spread.  I was so inspired by the color choices....and I hope in some way I have inspired you.

Happy Stampin'

April Showers.....

....bring May flowers, right?  That is what "they" say......  ;)  My daughter has been keeping me in full supply of daffodils from our yard - she picks a few almost daily.  At least we get to see them inside, right?  hehehe....

Well - I gotta tell  you - I loved the Create with Connie and Mary sketch so much this week - I decided to give it another try.  I also just got my Summer Mini Preview order yesterday.....and I had to play with that, right?  Here is a reminder of this week's sketch:

I might have to admit - I think I am getting addicted to sketches....for both cards and scrapbooking....have you noticed the pattern here?  lol!  Anyway - wanna see what I did this time???  Do ya? Do ya?  okay

Well - isn't that the sweetest little thing?  I know - no modesty here today - lol!  Can you spot the new goodies that will be in the summer mini????? 

Well....let's take a closer look - maybe you can pick up on some things:

Did you see that flower?????  OH MY - Wait until you get your hands on the new triple layer punches!!!  Yes - you heard me right - T.R.I.P.L.E. Layer........that means three differnt layers on ONE punch - oh, my head just spins!!!  This punch here is the Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer Punch.....{luv} it! 

Look at all the dimension here - i {luv} dimension :)

There are more new things here though.....Did you notice the embossing I did for the stem and butterfly?  Oh yes!  That is right stampers - new COLORED EMBOSSING POWDERS!!!!  I used wild wasabi and melon mambo here - and ther is one more color that will be available.  wanna take a stab at what it might be???  NO?  Well, I will tell youthen......tangerine tango.  HELLO......{{awesome}}

Did you notice the thread that ties the flower and button together????  Another new sneak peek - white baker's twine - I just can't stand it!!!!

Other things to note:  The stamp set used here is bold blossom - such a sweet little flower set.  The butterfly was embossed onto velum card stock and cut out to give it a little bit of delicateness.  Oh my - I am so excited about this new mini cattie....wait until you see what I have to share tomorrow......

Maybe the 5:00 mojo is what it is all about......

Hey everyone!  I got up again today at 5:00 to create some goodness to share.....I KNOW - what is up with this????

I want to start out by saying that I am definitely not the originator of the two ideas that I haev combined on my little beauty today.....but I did need to combine the two for an Easter card for someone who hasn't forgotten that it isn't all about the bunny.  Jesus is also the reason for this season.

Wanna see what I did today?  okay

Well, you like?

I was really pleased with the final outcome.  However - this card is not mailable....sorry post office :(  But I will definitely hand deliver this baby.

I cut the cross with my big shot ans the square lattice die.  A couple of snips and viola - a cross!  I adhered that to a piece of whisper white that had also met the big shot this morning through the vintage wall paper embossing folder....this is my favorite folder, for sure.  I did sponge some bashful blue on the raised ares to kind of give the feeling of sky with out being totally blue.

Wanna closer look at the flower swag that I attached to the cross?

I did actually construct this just like you would make a real swag....It was completely put together and the adhered as one piece to the cross.  The greenery was a combination of the little leaves sizzlet and the branch from the bird punch.  The calla lilies - can you give a guess where they may have come from????

If you guessed a circle punch - you are...........wrong :) 

They are punched out of the blossom petals punch.  I cut the pointy end off of the petal and rolled it up adhering a stamen....aka a sliver of daffodil delight....and a stem.....aka a sliver of old olive with mini glue dots.  Then I used a mini glue dot to adhere the flower together.

I adhered the flowers down onto the greenery and the made a bow from the 1/8th inch whisper white taffeta ribbon.  I adhered it to the card like it might be blowing in the breeze a bit......

It is hard to really see the dimension on this card...I realized that whiel I was typing up this post...so I whipped the card down on my computer and snapped a picture fo it laying down.....sorry for the poor quality ;)

The sentiment is from Easter Blossoms.   I punched it out with the wide oval punch and then just hand cut a daffodil delight mat for around it.

Well...how did I do?

Singin' in the rain........

i'm just a singin' in the rain!

I don't know about you - but I am tired of rain!!!  So I have whipped up a little sping goodness for you this morning.  I have been working on my studio move this week......but tool some time this morning to stamp some petals out.  I came across some challenges I thought I might incorporate.  The first one was Create with Connie and Mary - they proposed a color challenge for today.

And then I came across the PPA challenge - spring bonnet- perfect!!!

Do you wnat to see what I whipped up this morning???

I can't hear you.........

that's better!

The flower petals were stamped by inking them up in so saffron and then using a sponge dauber to put real red where the flower center will be.  Then they were punched out with the build a blossom punch - amking this flower easy peasy to put together!!  The flower center was stamped in chocolate chip and then punched with the boho blossom punch - cute, huh?  lol!  Wanna see a little closer?

You know I couldn't just put that flower on my card all flat like, right?????  So look at the dimension -

This one will have to be hand delivered, that is for sure :)

Well....what do you think?

SALE-A-BRATE good times -

COME ON!!   do do do do do do do do....... There's a party going on right here - A sale-a-bration that happens once a year!  Bring your good times, and your laughter too - I'm going to sale a brate my party with you!!!!

Now, maybe some of you will have that song in your head all day like I will :)  lol!!

I have a little Sale-a-Bration eye candy for you this morning.  Wanna see????

As soon as I saw the set, Sweet Summer, I immediately thought of a field of wildflowers being pollonated by little busy bees.  Did you have the same vision?  And It is a totoally FREE stamp set with a $50 purchase - Does it get any better than that????  I'm serious - Does it?  I don't think so. :)

I started by stamping my flowers out onto shimmery white card stock with black staz on ink.  I then colored them in with my blender pen and ink refills.  Did you happen to see the busy bee's dotted trails?  That was soooo easy to add in - I just took my basic black stampin' write marker - used the fine point and made little "flitts" of dots.  Super easy and I think it really added to the bees - do you?

Oh yeah! - I had to add some grass with two rows of old olive cut into slivers.  My sentiment is also a FREE stamp set through sale a bration - So Happy for You.

Have a wonderful inky day!

Thinking of a Cottage Garden

HI All!
i know.....second post today!!  If you are here and didn't see the earlier post about the color changes....scroll down - you won't want to miss it!!

I pulled out the scs sketch today and was able to play, a little bit.  I have so many sets that haven't even been inked yet....so sad!!  I need to ink 'em .....need to!  I love the hat image from Garden from the Heart set in the Occassions mini.  It sold me on the whole set, really....hehehe!!!  So i knew I wanted to start there....here is what I did:

I used up some scraps of cottcge wall designer series paper.  Hey!  maybe since we will be keeping rich razzleberry.....maybe this paper won't retire.....hopefully!!  It is so pretty!
The card base is rich razzleberry.  The sentiment is from teeny tiny wishes....no surprise there, huh?  lol!!  I punched it with the small oval punch and matted it with the large oval in old olive.  My hat image was stamped with balck staz on ink onto watercolor paper.   Wanna see a little closer????

Well...how did I do?  I used ink refills and an aquapainter to color it in.  The colors I used were: soft suede, certainly celery, old olive, perfect plum, rich razzleberry and the shading was done with sahara sand.  Don't you just love the little button detail???  It is from the playground collection of buttons and I tied it on with linen thread.  That panel was mounted with stampin' diemnsionals along with the sentiment.

I couldn't leave the inside out, right??

I stamped the hat with rich razzleberry stamped off two times before stamping it onto whisper white.

Share you love....you like?

Flight of the Sweet Pea!

Good morning stampers!!  What a beautiful weekend we had for Easter!  I have another display card that I had sent in for the DIVA display using sweet pea felt flowers.  This idea just came to me while sitting at ly desk staring at a pile of felt pieces....two leaves were kaying there together point to point and a cocoon had hatched!

Well????  lol!

The card baseis rich razzleberry.  The designer series paper is raspberry lemonade.....yummm......  The main image panel is whisper white that I sponged with bashful blue ot make sky.  The sentiment is from flight of the buterfly.  I glued two leaves end to end with tombo mono multi and then punched a word window in chocolate chip.  I cut it in half and put a 5/16th inch brad for the head and drew in antennas with a stampin write marker.  That panel is matted with old olive.  the whole thign was set off with a knot of rich razzleberry polka dot ribbon.

I have to say....I think this is cute.  Can I say that???lol!!

Awash in my two step!!

what?????  I bet you have no idea where that came from!  lol!!

Well, I am about to show  you a brand new stamp set that will be available in the next idea book and catalog!!!  Torture, huh?  Well....Stampin' Up! is having a "Two-Step into Spring" campaign in April!!  You can either buy this GREAT set early, only in April, or you can earn it for FREE!!!!!  You can click on the sale flyer on my side bar to get the full details!

I was anxious to create my own designer series paper with this set since I ordered it last month (yeah....a major perk of demos - to preorder goodies!!).  Be sure to contact me if you are interested in becoming a demo. 

I also wanted to participate in this week's Paper Pals Art challenge - a color challenge to use Lovely Lilac, Barely Banana, and Certainly Celery.  I had to throw in so saffron and a smidge of basic black....I hope I am no stoned out of the challenge ;)

We went to see the Easter Bunny last weekend and my daughter ran right up to her and gave her a great big hug.....I have to admit, I was rather jealous of that great hug :)  Here is the double page spread:

I can not get a two page spread to look nice in a picture, no matter what I do....sorry about that!  But, not to fear.....I have taken pictures of them separately as well.  You figured, huh?  lol!!
Here is the left side:

Wanna close up of "my designer series paper?" 

I gotta tell you....I really like this color combo for spring :)  I wasn't sure I could love anything done with Lovely Lilac.....I am more of a pale plum kind of girl...lol!  But I love this!  Thanks PPA for pushing me into a new comfort zone!!!!  I used the billboard die and the big shot for my title.  sweet, huh? 

And I couldn't leave you hanging on the right hand page.....now, could I?

By the way...the designer series paper that I used was from Animal Stories and Sweat Pea....I need more of these....need, I say....NEED!

How about a close up of those accent flowers??

I absolutely LOVE this stamp set....it is a two step set that requires no "real" lining up.....it just looks better a little off, know what I mean?

Well.....Here i am, feeling all good that I have last weekend's scrapbooking done.  Too bad I wasn't caught up to here....LOL!!!!

Season of Sweet Pea

Hi Stampers!!

I can't believe that Sale a Bration is over in less than a week :(  One set that I think may have been over looked a bit in the Sale a Bration catalog is Good Neighbors.  And it was FREE!!!  It is really a cute little set - not little in number os stamps in the set - 10! - but small in size.  I think the little houses are begging to become this:

A little (not so little to the tree or bird :) ) abode for the bird in the tree from  Season Of Friendship!!!
The house roof and bird are adhered with stampin dimensionals.  The spring blooms in the tree are from the sweet pea felt flower assortment.....love them :)  The designer series paper was also FREE from Sale a Bration, Welcome Neighbor.   

Email, or call, me right away to get these and more FREE before Sale a Bration is gone.

Sneaky Peeky coming your way!!

HI Stampers!

I have a sneak peek of the project we are making at the Vintage Vogue Stamp Camp tomorrow.  I don't usually post our projects, but I feel frisky today.  lol! 

Here is the first impression of the ensemble:

wanna see the side???? 

I figured you did!  lol!!
love that dimension!!!!!
Doesn't this make you feel like Spring just might actually be around the corner?? 

oooo.....here it is open:

note: I see now I didn't include the envelopes...they wer eon my desk when I took the picture....they will go right in with the cards :)

Here is a few of the cards:

The "campers" will receive the Vintage Vogue Stamp Set as well as the template to recreate this gift again and again.

What do you think?
I would love to know :)

Six Weeks until Spring?!?!?!?!?!?

Well.....not in my stamp room!!!

I pulled out the scs sketch challenge today and got busy making a springy card.  I have been wanting to use my new set, Abundant Hope, for a while now anyway.....I have alot of rubber that needs my attention!

As soon as I saw this set offered in the Occassions mini....I knew it had to be mine!  I have been waiting for a daffodil stamp set.  I have tons of flower stamps, but I still "needed" it.  lol!  Wanna see what I came up with?

The desigenr series paper here is Tall Tales.  I used my FREE sale a bration punch, Scallop Trim Border and it's mate, the Scallop Trim Border Corner punch that is available in the Occassions Mini.  The daffodils and setniment are stamped on watercolor paper.  The sentiment is from Well Scripted, also from the Occassions Mini.  I have been long negleting my grommets....so I pulled out a white one today and accented the center of it with a knot tied with chocoalte chip satin ribbon......YUMMO........

I even did up the inside :)

I would love to know what you think.....comments do make me feel warm and fuzzy inside :):)

Flutter up the Cottage Wall

Yeah.....you heard me right...lol!

I made this scrapbook page last week - when I should have been cleaning ;) Keep it our little secret and no one gets hurt!

I vowed to myself that I wasn't going to get so behind on my daughter's scrapbook this year if it meant that I would scrapbook out of chronological order.....gasp!!! Well....I can not bring myself to scrap dates here and there.....so here I am still showing you Easter stuff for scrapbooking....please forgive me!! {please}

Here is the two page spread:

The designer series is from Cottage Wall. The butterflies are cut with my big shot and the exclusive butterfly die from Stampin' Up!.

Here is the left page:

A few little details about this side....The title was stamped with my jumble alphabet in pale plum. "The Big" was stamped with the calendar alphabet and number set in certainly celery. The subtitle "Good Times" is from fundamental phrases and I stamped it repeatedly with my stamp a ma jig in rich razzleberry. I put little circles in between the phrases with my old olive stampin' write marker.

Also, I wanted to do a little ribbon detail around the photo mat of the vertical picture. I wrapped the rich razzleberry polka dot grosgrain ribbon around it and instead of knotting it I secured it with a pewter build a brad. See that little butterfly??? That was punched out of the designer series paper as well - it pays to save scraps :) I adhered that with a mini glue dot and then put the clear bubble sticker over it. Cute as pie, huh?

Here is the right hand side page:

Boy oh boy....I'm glad to have another page done! :)

I would love for you to leave me a comment telling me what you think.

Oh Where, Oh Where has my mojo gone?????

Oh where, oh where can it be????

Today is Mojo Monday and it took me this long to decide what to do....what in the H-E-double hockey sticks is up with that!??!???! I usually get a challenge and run right with it....with more than one thing in mind....not today. I needed to get a Mother's Day card made for my mother in law...so I knew I wanted to start there :) And it isn't that the sketch wasn't GREAT......it is!!! My mind is on shut down, I guess. Hopefully I won't disappoint anyone today with my card....I hope that it is a favorite on the mojo monday blog....there are prizes involved :):):)

I earned the Dream a Little set a while back and knew when it did see ink, I would do something fun with the hummingbird. My mother in law likes hummingbirds....so this is all swell, right? lol!

Well....do you like????

Sorry about the crooked picture....I told you my mind is on shut down! lol!!

I did use a piece of retired celery designer series prints here....sorry :( I don't hardly think my card is "polished" with out designer series paper. And since it is on sale this month....you can't go wrong!!! The pink pirouette is from pink pirouette designer series patterns, the riding hood red stripe is from washington apple...that is a lot of spreadin' the love around the paper packs, huh? lol!!! All of the stamps here are from the level three, Dream a Little. The leaves are cut from little leaves sizzlets die and my big shot. Sentiment is from All Holidays. The card base is garden green.

Oh yeah, want another shot at that bird and the flower??

Now, tell me, honestly....you like? I really did end up loving what I ended up with - with my mojo or not ;)