Work

Good morning friends! Today my daughter and I are leaving for a mission trip with our church youth group to Thunder Bay Ontario, Canada. This will be our second mission trip with this group and we are both super excited! We will be gone for a week (but don't worry- I have posts scheduled!) and have lots of hard work planned for each day.

This (old) sentiment from Unity fits our trip to a "T". We will be disconnected from technology and will have lots of time to really get to know the others in our group without modern distractions. We will be serving others in the Thunder Bay community but we will also have time to play. It will be a great time!

Please stop back tomorrow for a fun announcement regarding i {heart} papers! 

Thanks for stopping by!

stamps: Birdie Inspiration (Unity)

ink: memento tuxedo black (Tsukineko)

paper: baja breeze, very vanilla (SU!); Sweet Girl DP (Echo Park)

accessories: glitter, button (SU!); black twine (Hemptique); black gems (Kaiser Craft)

You Rock!

Hello friends! I'm back with another one of the cards I made for my kids' for their great academic success. This one is for my oldest son. I found this guitar stamp from an old Unity KOTM set and made it look as masculine as I could! The DP is from Doodlebug Design Boys Only collection. I colored my guitar with my Copics and added a sentiment from Paper Smooches Sentiment Sampler set that fit perfectly. I'm just loving this ribbon by SU! it is so soft and easy to manipulate!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I've been busy making holiday treats and have a fun project to share with you tomorrow for our i {heart} papers design team challenge!

stamps: Sentiment Sampler (Paper Smooches); guitar (Unity Oct 2009 KOTM)

ink: memento tuxedo black (Tsukineko)

paper: Copic blending cardstock (X-Press); Boys Only DP (Doodlebug Design); night of navy, tangerine tango card stock (SU!)

accessories: copic sketch markers; ribbon (SU!)

Winter Wishes

Happy Weekend my crafty friends! I know it's been awhile since I've posted, so sorry about that! I hope to get back into it this week though! I think Mother Nature has finally realized which month we are in here in MN and has started to send us into the freezing temperatures! We enjoyed some beautiful 50 degree days last week and now we are headed into the single digits! I can't complain though- it's just time to get out the turtlenecks and long undies :)

There are snow flurries in the forecast today so I thought some cute mittens might warm me up! I'm sticking to my plan to use my older stamps more and dug these mittens out from a Unity set from 2010! I paper pieced them with some Jingle DP by LilyBee Designs and added some twine thread to string them together. The layout is from SCS's Wednesday sketch challenge. Buttons, sewing and ruffled lace trim complete my card.

Thanks so much for stopping by and enjoy the weekend!

stamps: October 2010 KOTM (Unity)

ink: memento rich cocoa (Tsukineko)

paper: Jingle DP (LilyBee Designs); crumb cake (SU!)

accessories: buttons (my stash); natural twine string (Creative Impressions); ruffled lace trim (Maya Road); sewing machine

Hugs

Happy December?! I can't believe we are just a few weeks from Christmas! I finally had some crafty time to myself yesterday and made a cute little card for a friend who is going through a rough patch right now. Always hard to deal with around the holidays so I thought this sweet puppy would bring a smile to her face! I colored my puppy with my Copics (of course) and used some fun new Gathering DP by Authentique. The sentiment is from the Chit Chat set by Paper Smooches and the layout is this week's sketch challenge. Funny how the glitter didn't look that messy on the card but sure shows up in the picture :)

We had our first real snow fall overnight and my little charges are excited to get out and play in it so I'm off to bundle them up. (That should count for my 30 minutes of aerobic exercise in itself!) Hope you have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

stamps: Chit Chat (Paper Smooches); Tail Wagger Itty Bitty (Unity)

ink: memento rich cocoa (Tsukineko)

paper: crumb cake, very vanilla (SU!); Gathering DP (Authentique)

accessories: oval punch, glitter (SU!); Copic sketch markers; ice blue rhinestones (Kaiser Craft); ivory satin ribbon (May Arts); square, scallop square nestabilities (Spellbinders)

Puppy Birthday

My oldest son and my niece share a birth date. My son just turned 14 and my niece was 11! We didn't get to see her on her birthday so I made this card and sent it off for her. Isn't this puppy just adorable?! I love his little spots- he would be a fun one to paper piece I think! This time I took out my Prismacolor pencils and odorless mineral spirits and did some coloring. I haven't done it in so long (guess I've been hooked on those Copic markers!) and I really enjoyed it! My DP is all from the Happily Lost collection by Lily Bee and my layout is this month's Sketch for You to Try. I know my niece will love this- she's crazy for dogs- and there's a gift card to her favorite tween store tucked inside!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

stamps: Tail Wagger (Unity); Sentiment Sampler (Paper Smooches)

ink: memento rich cocoa (Tsukineko)

paper: very vanilla, chocolate chip; crumb cake (SU!); happily Lost DP (Lily Bee Designs)

accessories: circle nestabilities, scallop circle nestabilities (Spellbinders); corner rounder; hot pink rhinestones (Kaiser Craft)

Happy Birthday

My parents went out to lunch with friends this afternoon so that gave me a chance to sneak down to my craft room and play! I made this birthday card for my stash. I stamped my birdies and colored them with Copics (I seem to do that a lot lately, huh?) and then I layered them up on a bunch of Authentique Splendid papers. The birdies come with a sentiment but I just love the whimsical fonts in the Paper Smooches Sentiment Sampler set that I chose one from there. Some fun pom pom trim and brown twine tie it all together (hee, hee).

I'm going to try and sneak in a few loads of laundry while they are gone and the mailman just brought me another big box full of new papers and ribbons from i {heart} papers that I would love to dig into too! Thanks for stopping by!

stamps: Sentiment Sampler (Paper Smooches), Happy Chick Birthday (Unity)

ink: memento rich cocoa (Tsukineko)

paper: very vanilla, early espresso (SU!); Splendid DP (Authentique)

accessories: brown pom pom trim (Maya Road); brown twine string (Creative Impressions); Copic sketch markers

Fly

Hi friends! Today the i {heart} papers design team is hopping along with the Unity design team. Be sure and check out all of their blogs to see some wonderful Unity creations and then hop along with us here! In celebration of this little hop, ALL full-sized Unity kits are $12 or less! But, there is VERY limited inventory and these past kits will not be restocked so don’t wait or you might miss your chance to get them at this price. Happy hopping and happy SHOPPING!

For my card I used the set "Total Cuteness". I stamped my butterfly in poppy parade ink and carefully trimmed it out. I layered it up on some Country Drive DP by Echo Park. My sparkly flourish is from the bargain bin at Michael's. Thanks so much for stopping by and be sure and check out my fellow DT members too!

 Tracy

Carolyn

Kendra

Kate

Lori

Deb

Lynn

Loretta

stamps: Total Cuteness (Unity)

ink: poppy parade (SU!)

paper: poppy parade, very vanilla (SU!); Country Drive DP (Echo Park)

accessories: border punch (Fiskars); ribbon (May Arts); rhinestone flourish (Michael's)

Cupcake

Oh I'm having so much fun with the Dare To Get Dirty challenges at SCS! My card today is for Dini's challenge and I chose this fun cupcake (another Itty Bitty by Unity) for my main image and for the sprinkles, I used some seed beads from my cross stitching days! My cupcake is colored with my Copics and layered up with my circle and eyelet circle nestabilities. You have to be a fan club member to see the challenge details so go here to join!

It's finally a nice day here- not so flippin HOT- and we have the windows open for some fresh air. Going to spend some time reading on my (nicely stained) deck this afternoon. Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

stamps: I'll Always Love You {Itty Bitty} (Unity)

ink: memento rich cocoa (Tsukineko)

paper: riding hood red, very vanilla (SU!); Lime Twist Life of the Party (MME)

accessories: Copic sketch markers; circle and eyelet circle nestabilities (Spellbinders); vanilla seam binding, word window punch (SU!); border punch (EK Success); cotton candy stickles (Ranger); seed beads (?); button (Basic Grey); natural twine string (Creative Impressions)

Dirty Fun!

Man- July just flew by in a whirlwind here! We enjoyed the big USA Cup soccer tournament, swimming lessons and just hanging out at the pool to keep cool during the day. Last weekend we stained our deck (that desperately needed it!) and now I think it's time to get back to my true passion of stamping!! AND, if you are a fan club member, this year's Dare To Get Dirty challenges have started on SCS! Yay, just what I need to get my stamping MOJO flowing again!

Another thing that helps with the MOJO is the NEW PRODUCTS that have started to appear in the i {heart} papers store from summer CHA! I started with Rose Ann's DTGD challenge and a new Itty Bitty stamp from Unity. I colored my roller skates with my Copic sketch markers using today's color challenge of white, turquoise and gray. I added some sparkle to the wheels and hearts using an Atyou Spica glitter pen and then some tiny brads to the wheel bearings. I embossed the card using my circle and lacey circle nestabilities.  A fun little card to get me back in the stamping groove!

There will be challenges posted throughout the week exclusively for fan club members with prizes being awarded too! If you're not a fan club member, what are you waiting for?! You can find all of the details to become one HERE.

Thanks for stopping by!

stamps: How's It Rollin? {Itty Bitty} (Unity)

ink: memento tuxedo black (Tsukineko)

paper: Copic blending card stock (X-Press)

accessories: Copic sketch markers; circle and lacey circle nestabilities (Spellbinders); Atyou Spica glitter pen; brads (Basic Grey); ribbon (May Arts)

IHP DT Challenge

Hello my friends!  (It's been awhile since I've posted, so sorry about that!) Today is our monthly DT challenge at i {heart} papers so I have a fun project to share with you today! Our challenge this month is to use our favorite charity's logo as our inspiration. This is the charity and logo I chose:

I knew nothing about Multiple Myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cells in the bone marrow, until my Mother-in-law was diagnosed with it in December of 2005. There is no cure for this disease but there are medications and treatments to help prolong a patient's life. In September of 2006 my Mother-in-law underwent a stem cell transplant at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. It was a very tough year of recovery but her body responded well and she is in what is considered a "partial response" to the transplant for the past 4 and 1/2 years! We are so thankful to live near one of the top medical facilities that specializes in this type of cancer and so very thankful that she is doing so well! My Mother-in-law returns to the clinic every six weeks for her myeloma numbers to be monitored and, so far (praise God) she has not needed any further treatment, although we know that that day will eventually come. You can read more about the MMRF on their website HERE.

 Now onto my card!

I chose the branch and acorns from the logo as my focal point and used this bird image from Unity's Bird's of a Feather set. I colored my image with Copic markers. My bird is burgundy to signify the color of the Multiple Myeloma awareness ribbon. All of the DP is from Basic Grey's Oxford collection. I also used this week's Sweet Sunday Sketch from Karen's blog.

Please check out my fellow DT member's chosen charities and projects and leave them some love or even a donation to their chosen charity!

Carolyn

Deb

Gretchen

Kendra

Loretta

Lori

Lynn

Megan

Tracy

Kate

Thanks so much for stopping by!

stamps: Bird's of a Feather (Unity)

ink: memento tuxedo black (Tsukineko)

paper: very vanilla, crumb cake (SU!); Oxford DP (Basic Grey)

accessories: scallop border punch (Fiskars); labels 14 nestabilities (Spellbinders); ivory silk ribbon, natural twine string (Creative Impressions); Copic sketch markers; jet rhinestones (Zva Creative)

Hey!

Hey there friends! Today's ways to use it, something old, something new, really got me in the mood to create today! The challenge is to use something that is at least 6 months old and something that is new on your project. Not hard for me to find either of these items in my craft room! In fact, I used quite a few "old" products on my project! I first stamped my vintage banners from Unity (old) with some pink pirouette ink on vanilla card stock and cut them out. I used my Olivia cuttlebug alphabet (super old) to die cut the word "hey". Then I chose last week's sketch challenge for my layout and used a striped impression plate (really old) to emboss the circle. My new item is the dotted pink DP from Echo Park's Dots and Stripes Candy Shoppe 6x6 paper pad. I added the pom pom trim and some twine string to the banners along with a Basic Grey brad. The banner stamps are quite large so the finished size of this card is 5 1/2 inches square. 

I'm off to tackle my mountain of laundry. My husband and 2 youngest sons just came home from 4 days of cub scout camp yesterday so you can image the fresh scent in the laundry room today!! Thanks for stopping by!

stamps: Good Times Vintage Banner (Unity)

ink: pink pirouette (SU!)

paper: very vanilla, melon mambo (SU!); Dots and Stripes Candy Shoppe DP (Echo Park)

accessories: striped texture plate (Sizzix); Olivia alphabet (Provo Craft); pom pom trim (SU!); circle cutter (Creative Memories); scallop circle die (Sizzix); twine string (Creative Impressions); brad (Basic Grey); paper piercer

Smile

Hi friends! It's time for another IHP design team challenge! This month we are making projects with some of the new summer items that are in the i {heart} papers store. For my project I made this little framed saying.  During the summer months, I suspend my daycare business to spend time with my own 4 children. My children range in age from 8 to 15. Nearly every day one of them is taking some kind of jab at another, or arguing or picking on each other in some way (sometimes I think preschoolers are easier than my own kids!) I am constantly reminding them to be nice to each other and many times I am responded to with an eye roll! When I came across this little saying from the Quiet Essence store kit from Unity, I knew I could make it into a nice little reminder for my kids. I mean, how can you be grumpy at each other if you greet each other with a smile right?! I stamped my sentiment in black on some Echo Park Splash paper and framed it with a lacey square. Then I layered it on more Splash DP and tied a bit of bakers twine around one end. I couldn't add too many embellishments because of the glass so I decided to add a fun little pinwheel shape to the frame itself. The DP for the pinwheel is also from the Splash collection and I secured it with a brad from Basic Grey. Now just cross your fingers that this will work {grin}!

Check out my fellow DT members projects too!

• Carolyn


• Deb
• 
  
• Kendra


• Loretta


• Lori


• Lynn


• Megan


• Tracy


• Kate
AND there's a sale going on at i {heart} papers! Even though new items are still arriving in the store (new Unity, OCL and Echo Park, to name a few), CHA is only a few weeks away! Starting today, IHP is having a HUGE Pre-CHA Clearance sale to help make room for new things that will be purchased at the show. Some highlights of the big sale:
o All Unity $12 or less, including store kits and co-brands
o Unity Itty Bittys $3.25
o OCL (except the latest releases) are all $11 or less
o All open stock 12x12 only 25¢ per sheet
o FlowerSoft only $4.50! 
o Stampavie only $6!
But there is much, much more so be sure to check out the sale page for all the details! And, as always, free US shipping with you $50 order!

Thanks for stopping by!

stamps: Quiet Essence (Unity)

ink: memento tuxedo black (Tsukineko)

paper: copic medium white (X-Press); Splash DP (Echo Park)

accessories: lacey square nestabilities (Spellbinders); baker's twine (Jillibean Soup); pinwheel die (Lil' Inker Designs); Life of the Party brad (Basic Grey); frame (Target $ Spot)

Fairytale

Happy Saturday! Today my cousin is getting married and we are all excited for the party to follow! It's always fun to get together with family to celebrate. This is the card I made for them. I love this sentiment and it is perfect for the wedding couple! All of my DP is from the Stella & Rose Hattie collection by MME. My fancy scroll elements behind the sentiment are actually a die from the fancy tags 3 nestabilities. The gold scallop is made from velvet paper and adds just the right touch of elegance. I hand colored my flower with a marker to match the DP.

Thanks so much for stopping by- we're off to party!!

stamps: May KOTM (Unity)

ink: early espresso (SU!)

paper: Very vanilla, early espresso (SU!); Hattie DP (MME); Jocelyn velvet paper (SEI)

accessories: flowers (Bazzill); brown twine (Creative Impressions); lace trim (May Arts); Fancy Tags 3, circle and scallop circle nestabilities; lotus borderabilities (Spellbinders); chocolate pearl brad (Kaiser Craft); glitter (SU!)

Buzz

Oh my goodness! Where have I been?! I'll tell you where- freezing my tooshie off at soccer games! I think I've got my schedule (or I should say, my children's schedules) under control now so I will have more time for crafting. My card today is just a quick one using some LilyBee This & That DP. This pad has lots of different patterns that all coordinate beautifully! My stamps are from Unity and  I colored my image with my Copics adding some sparkle to the bee's wings.

Thanks so much for stopping by (and sticking with me!)

stamps: Spring Unity (Unity)

ink: memento tuxedo black (Tsukineko)

paper: very vanilla, basic black (SU!); This & That DP (LilyBee Design)

accessories: black silk ribbon (Creative Impressions); oval nestabilities, large scallop oval nestabilities (Spellbinders); black brads (Hobby Lobby); glitter (SU!)

Direction

Happy St Patrick's Day friends! I am only the teeny tiniest bit of Irish but I've got my green on today! I also created a little card this morning using the sketch from SCS and some GREEN Jillibean Soup DP (hee, hee). I used a bicycle from the Hero Arts Joy Ride set and stamped it in Memento New Sprout ink. Did you see that i {heart} papers now carries the memento dew drop inks in sets?! They are a nice little size and you get a great variety of colors, not to mention they are the perfect ink for your Copics! Speaking of Copics, Kate also has the 12 NEW Copic colors in stock and available HERE. Okay, back to my card. The sentiment is from the Unity kit All About the Journey and I stamped it right over my new sprout bike. I layered it all on some fun Blossom Soup DP (that is currently out of stock but click on the reorder notification and Kate will let you know when it's back in stock!).

Thanks for stopping by! We are off to get Shamrock Shakes for a little St Patty's Day/Spring Break treat!

stamps: All About the Journey (Unity); Joy Ride (Hero Arts)

ink: memento new sprout, tuxedo black (Tsukineko)

paper: basic black, very vanilla (SU!); Blossom Soup DP (Jillibean Soup)

accessories: word window punch, paper piercer (SU!); silver baubles (Sierra Pacific Crafts); Circle nestabilities (Spellbinders)

Birdie Wish

It's i {heart} papers DT challenge day! Today's challenge is to use some of the NEW stuff that is in the i {heart} papers store. Really tough to do I know! I did have a hard time picking which new DP to use for my card today but I finally settled on the MME Gertie pad from the Stella & Rose collection. These 4 new collections from MME have just been flying out of the store! Kate is already on her 3rd reorder and they are in stock right now (but don't wait too long 'cuz you never know how long they'll be there!) I also used these cute little birthday birdies from Unity and colored them with my Copic markers and added some sparkle to their hats with a glitter pen. My button is from the Salt Air collection by Cosmo Cricket (another new item!). For the sentiment, I inked just the "make a wish" part of the stamp that also comes with the birdies with my marker and then punched it out with the word window punch from SU! Now check out the rest of the team's creations with new products and then head on over to the i {heart} papers store to get some fun new stuff to play with of your own!

Carolyn

                                                                              Deb

Kendra

Loretta

Lori

Lynn

Megan

Tracy

Kate

Thanks so much for stopping by and Happy Shopping!! Ooo and did you notice I took my picture outside in the SUNSHINE yesterday and you can even see some of the rocks in the landscaping again {grin}!

stamps: Happy Chick Birthday (Unity)

ink: memento rich cocoa (Tsukineko)

paper: Gertie DP (MME); chocolate chip, crumb cake, very vanilla (SU!)

accessories: circle nestabilities (Spellbinders); button (Cosmo Cricket); red rope twine (Jillibean Soup); Copic sketch markers; brown twine string (Creative Impressions); turquoise ribbon (May Arts); Lemon Atyou spica glitter pen (Copic); word window punch (SU!)

Too Kind

While blog surfing last night, I came across a new challenge being hosted by Heather Pulvirenti of Witty Title Here. Her challenge is a color challenge that she will hold on the first and third Fridays of every month. If you've ever seen Heather's cards then you know she has a way with color so this challenge is perfect for her to host (and will probably be quite a challenge for the rest of us)! The challenge this week is posted here. I don't have Papertrey card stock so I used the SU! colors of old olive, crushed curry, melon mambo and cool Caribbean. (The cool Caribbean really is there- I used it to sponge in my sky around the tree!) My main image is by Unity and I colored it with my Copic sketch markers. The sentiment is from SU!'s Whimsical Words and the DP is also from SU! You may recognize the layout as Karen Giron's Sweet Sunday Sketch (also a new to me challenge!)

Thanks for stopping by!

stamps: Hodgepodge of Happiness (Unity); Whimsical Words (SU!)

ink: memento tuxedo black (Tsukineko); cool Caribbean (SU!)

paper: whisper white, crushed curry, old olive, retired DP (SU!)

accessories: Copic sketch markers; melon mambo ribbon, circle punches (SU!); rectangle nestabilities (Spellbinders)

Happy Saturday!

Yay the weekend is here! I got some time to stamp this morning and started with the MOJO sketch of the week. I used some new goodies from i {heart} papers too! The DP is from the Curio collection by Basic Grey and the stamp is from Unity's January kit of the month (this is out of stock right now but add your name to the email notification and Kate will let you know when she gets more in!). I also added some vintage crochet trim and a Martha Stewart punched butterfly. I came across some spiral clips while cleaning up my desk and tied a rope bow around it for the element in the corner.

I'm off to get some more crafting done (yay me!). Thanks for stopping by!

stamps: January stampin' store kit of the month (Unity)

ink: chocolate chip (SU!)

paper: rust, brown (Archiver's); very vanilla (SU!); Curio DP (Basic Grey)

accessories: vintage trim (Maya Road); natural twisted rope (May Arts); butterfly punch (Martha Stewart); tiny pearl (Zva Creative); circle nestabilities, blossom nestabilities (Spellbinders)

Life is Good

This week's featured stamper is Marisa! I love her style and frequently visit her blog. I chose this card from her gallery to CASE. I kept the dry embossing, the die cut flowers and the basic layout pretty much the same and just switched up the stamps and the colors. I love this sentiment from Unity, it reminds me to be thankful for all that I do have and not worry about all of the little things that get me down! I sponged the vanilla card stock with some antique linen distress ink to make the edges and embossing pop a little bit. I love these iridescent jewels from Zva Creative too- they make the flowers really sparkly!

Thanks for stopping by!

stamps: December KOTM (Unity)

ink: riding hood red (SU!); antique linen distress ink (Ranger)

paper: Togetherness (Cosmo Cricket); very vanilla, riding hood red (SU!)

accessories: circle nestabilities (Spellbinders); Tim Holtz embossing folder, Tim Holtz flower die (Sizzix); Island Floral die (SU!); yellow ribbon (May Arts); iridescent jewels (Zva Creative)

Sparkle

Another Christmas card. This one uses last week's sketch at SCS. I cut the snowflake with a Spellbinders die and then added the sparkly white paper behind it. I sponged white craft ink on all of the edges to give it a bit more dimension. The sentiment is from the Unity October kit of the month and the DP is by Memory Box.

Did you have a good weekend? I spent quite a few hours crafting and watching football. My daughter wanted to try my "fancy markers that nobody can touch" (yes, that would be my Copics) and so we spent some time coloring together too. Love lazy weekends! Unfortunately, when my husband and I got into bed last night, we realized that we forgot to put up the Christmas tree this weekend! That was the one "must do" thing on our weekend agenda. Whoops! Not sure when we will get time to do it now. . .

Thanks for stopping by and have a good day!

stamps: October kit of the month (Unity)

ink: memento rich cocoa (Tsukineko); white craft ink (SU!)

paper: crumb cake (SU!); Tinsel DP (Memory Box); sparkly white glitter paper (Petaloo)

accessories: 2010 Snowflake Pendant; circle nestabilities, scallop circle nestabilities (Spellbinders); button (Basic Grey); brown twine string (Creative Impressions); twill striped ribbon (May Arts); green pearls (Zva Creative)