Hebrews 11:1

Earlier this week, I received some new Verve stamps to play with for the August release, which reminded me that I still have a card or two from the last release that I haven't yet shown here. What have I been waiting for?? The Hebrews 11:1 stamp is one of the newest Plain Janes (a line of single stamps priced for value [only $3 each]). I stamped it onto a glitter shape from Crate Paper's Lillian Collection, then embellished with more of the glitter shapes. The designer papers are also from the Lillian collection. The brown flourish under the birds is by BossKut. (I cut it apart and rearranged the shapes a bit.) I embellished with some ribbon and a button (by Papertrey), clear rhinestones (Hero Arts), and some machine stitching around the perimeter. I wish you could see the sparkle in real life!

About that new Verve I mentioned.... mark your calendars and save your pennies. The new stamps will be releasing on August 14, and they are FUN!!! In the meantime, tune in to the Anni-VERVE-sary Blog Hop, beginning at 11 AM EST tomorrow (August 1) over on the Verve blog. We'll be celebrating Verve's second anniversary with lots of fun and prizes!



Stamps: Hebrews 11:1 Plain Jane (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Papertrey Vintage Cream and Dark Chocolate, Crate Paper Lillian collection
Ink: Memento Rich Cocoa
Accessories: Crate Paper Lillion glitter shapes, Hero Arts rhinestones, Papertrey ribbon and button, May Arts burlap string, circle Nestabilities, foam adhesive, sewing machine

You're Delicious

I love the sketch Frances put together for this week's My Favorite Things Sketch Challenge (#92). Check it out, and play along for a chance to win a $5 MFT gift certificate . I used the sweet little cherries from Feelin' Fruity, along with some Basic Grey Lemonade paper (love the cherries on that background panel!). My coloring, done with a combination of Copics, Prismacolors, and sponging, is inspired by the uber-talented Paula Williamson and Linda Heavens. I know I've said this before, but my gosh, can they color! The sentiment treatment was inspired by some of the projects in the latest Paper Crafts magazine, including one by my pal and stamping idol Jen del Muro (woohoo girl!). Love the look of the cut apart letters. I used a marker to ink one letter at a time, cleaning well in between each one. A little time-consuming, but fun!

TGI{almost}F!



Stamps: Feelin' Fruity (My Favorite Things)
Paper: MFT Perfect Paper Panels, Stampin' Up Kiwi Kiss, Georgia Pacific white, Basic Grey Lemonade dp
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Antique Linen and Vintage Photo Distress
Accessories: Copics, Prismacolor pencils, Gamsol, blending stumps, sponges, quickie glue pen, clear glitter, Spellbinders Blossom and Labels 1 Nestabilities, Stampin' Up button, May Arts burlap string, Making Memories white acrylic paint, sewing machine
Size: 5" square

Fill Your Pumpkin To the Top

Can you believe it's already time to start thinking about Halloween projects? Today I have an early peek at a new set by My Favorite Things: Trick or Treat with Who's That Girl. I had a lot of fun working with this one. The coloring is all done with Prismacolor pencils. I popped up WTG's arm and candy bowl, as well as Flopsey (twice) for some extra dimension. Why is Flopsey green? It's Halloween! He can be any color you want!! I stamped one of the sentiments around the perimeter of the image to create a frame look.

Trick or Treat with Who's That Girl, some brand-new spooky ribbon, and an assortment of spooky crystals are all part of the August VIP Bundle, which is available in limited quantities TODAY ONLY. On the last Wednesday of each month, the VIP Bundle gives MFT fans a chance to order one of the next month's stamp sets, plus other new products a whole week early. Orders ship quickly, so chances are good that you'll have your things before the official release. If you want to, you're invited to post teasers along with the MFT design team during the release party. For more info on this month's contents and perks, go here HERE.

In other MFT news, the Bubble Bin has been updated for the week. Lots of good deals there, as always. And if you've ever wanted to know more about Smooch paints, pucker up and head on over to MFT's How'd They Do That forum, where Jessie will tell you all about them!

The blog and Facebook updates from CHA are beginning to pop up everywhere, while I sit at home wishing I were there. Anyone else?? Let's have a virtual Left-Behind Happy Hour.

Have a drink (or two) at 3:00
I''ll think of you, and you think of me!

Stamps: Trick or Treat With Who's That Girl (My Favorite Things)
Paper: MFT Perfect Paper Panels, Stampin' Up Basic Black, Whisper White, and Pumpkin Pie card stock, dp
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Prismacolor pencils, Gamsol, blending stumps; SU ribbon, brads, white EP, edge distressing tool, paper piercer, and dimensionals; sewing machine
Size: 5 1/2" square

Tooty Fruity

The new Feelin' Fruity set by My Favorite Things is irresistible - I just had to do another project! I found an assortment of gumdrop fruit wedges at my local grocery a while back and knew they'd be great to use with this set, but it took me FOREVER to get around to it - so long, in fact, that I had to go get a second box of the fruit wedges. Yep, ate 'em all! One here, one there, and before I knew it, they were gone :) Not so great for the diet, I have to say.

Speaking of diets, I was shocked to return from my vacation 3 pounds lighter than when I left, despite my mealtime indulgences. Woo hoo! We even had dinner one night at one of the local seafood restaurants, where seriously, everything was deep-fried - right down to the mac 'n cheese and hot dogs on the kids menu. I know ... WHY?? I guess it's a southern thing? I'll confess, it was tasty. I had deep-fried clam strips and conch fritters to start, then deep-fried crab cakes, deep-fried french fries, deep-fried hush puppies, and deep-fried corn-on-the cob (again ... why??) for my meal. It's a wonder we didn't all have heart attacks right there at the table.

I doubt you're here for deep-fried chitchat, so I'll get on with the project. As I said, I created this one around the gumdrop fruit wedges. I looked through my closet of alterables to find something to hold them, because if I don't start using some of these things, I'll have to stop buying them, and, well, that just wouldn't do. I haven't seen these altered wooden gift bag/box thingies in a while, so at the risk of being way behind the times, I decided to go with that. You can find these in the unfinished wood section at Michael's for $1 I think. They're cute, inexpensive, and so easy to alter.

The papers are all from MFT's Spring dp collection (which, by the way, is available as both "real" paper or a digi download). The colors are perfect for all this fruit! The ribbon and button are also part of MFT's Spring line. Love how everything comes already coordinated. I also used my new hot-fix applicator tool to apply the glitter pearls. Works like a charm!

Here's another look at just the cello bag and tag:



And here's the box/bag thingy all by its lonesome:



Oh, and before I go, I want to show you my unedited photo of this project. Ready?



I know ... blech!! Wanna know how I fixed it? Check out the Photographing Your Papercrafting Projects Tutorial in MFT's How'd They Do That? Forum (in case you weren't paying attention the last time I sent you there {grin}).

Thanks for visiting!



Stamps: Feelin' Fruity (My Favorite Things)
Paper: MFT Perfect Paper Panels, MFT Spring Collection dp, GP white
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Copic markers, Michael's wooden bag/box, cello bag, MFT Soft Spring Ribbon Nest, MFT Spring Collection buttons, Spellbinders circle Nestabilities, Stampin' Up scalloped border punch and oval punch, May Arts burlap string, Making Memories white acrylic paint, MFT hot-fix glitter pearls, paper piercer

Orange We Quite the Pear!

How fun are these cute little fruity faces?? They're from a My Favorite Things set called Feelin' Fruity. I created this for Carole's Good Enough to Eat Dare to Get Dirty Challenge (by the way, the link will only work for SCS Fan Club members). Even though the DTGD challenges have all been posted, the fun isn't over yet. Fan Club members have until August 1 to upload their challenge creations. Those who complete ALL the challenges (combining is totally okay, by the way) qualify for some prize drawings. Read all about it HERE. And for a master list of all the challenges, go HERE.

So, I was cranking out stuff like crazy before I left for vacation and was in that mode where I was perfectly ready and willing to take a few shortcuts if it made life easier. Recognize the layout on this one? It's the same as THIS CARD that I made for Verve's Divine Details Project Parade. Can you imagine two more different finished cards? I love that about sketches - so many different interpretations of the same basic plan.

For the image panel, I stamped the orange slice onto one of MFT's Perfect Paper Panels, masked it, then stamped the pear. Coloring is with Prismacolor Pencils, Gamsol, and a blending stump. I die-cut the image panel with one of the Blossom Nestabilities then mounted to a larger Blossom mat. Both are sponged with Ranger Distress Inks (Vintage Photo for sure, and also either Antique Linen or Old Paper).

I had a little fun combining sentiments from the set to make my own. First I stamped the word "orange" from "orange you somethin'," then added "we're quite the pear," omitting the apostrophe and "re."

The papers are all from MFT's Spring paper collection, and the button and plaid ribbon are also by MFT.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!



Stamps: Feelin' Fruity (My Favorite Things)
Paper: MFT Perfect Paper Panels, MFT Spring paper collection, Stampin' Up Basic Black
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Distress Inks
Accessories: Prismacolor pencils, Gamsol, blending stump, Eclipse masking tape, Spellbinders Blossom Nestabilities, foam adhesive, MFT Spring button, MFT plaid ribbon, SU black brads, Top Note die, spiral punch, sewing machine

Dare to Get Dirty

We came back from our vacation late yesterday. It's good to be home! I had plans to keep posting to my blog while I was away, but once I got there, I think the beach lazies took over, because I didn't even open my bag of stamping supplies or browse through my blog reader even once! (Forgetting my laptop charger helped, too.) I've missed my stamping friends and my stamps!!

Today's card is one I've had ready since before I left. It is my sample for Jen's Sketch For You To Try and for a Dare To Get Dirty (DTGD) Challenge I'm hosting over on Splitcoast. Have you been following this year's DTGD? In case you haven't run across this one yet, it's three days of back-to-back challenges (today's the last day) hosted by past and present Splitcoast Dirty Dozen designers. It's an event put on especially for the SCS Fan Club. If you're not part of the Fan Club yet, this fun, annual event is just another reason to join! You can read more about the Dare To Get Dirty event HERE.

To see the sketch that I used, pay Jen a visit at i{heart}2stamp, where you'll also see her sample and a sample by guest designer Regina Mangum. The sample-maker crew awaits with even more creative inspiration: Amy Rohl, Carole Burrage, Kelly Lunceford, and Susan Liles. To participate, just use the sketch for you own creation, then link it up to Jen's post and/or use keyword: SFYTT on Splitcoast. Hope you can play!

The butterfly stamp I used is the Dancing Wings Medallion by Holly Berry House, a line that Michelle has recently added to the Stamper's Dream store. The medallion images are so perfect for the paper tole technique. I stamped the butterfly three times, trimming out the entire butterfly for the bottom layer and then just portions of the wings for the second and third layers. Each layer is colored with Copics and glittered up using a Sakura Quickie Glue Pen and Art Institute Crystal Ultrafine Transparent Glitter. I used watercolor paper for the white layers and card base.

Thanks for visiting! Can't wait to get back into my stamp room!!



Stamps: Dancing Wings Medallion (Holly Berry House); sentiment by Whiff of Joy
Paper: Prismatics Wizard card stock; watercolor paper
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black
Accessories: Sakura Quickie Glue Pen, Art Institute glitter, Copic markers, Spellbinders Labels 3 and Blossom Nestabilities (used for embossing), Swarovski hot-fix 4mm pearls, edge distressing tool, Fiskars lace border punch, Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder, foam adhesive, Stampin' Up organdy ribbon and silver cord (both retired), clear embossing powder, beads from the Michael's bead department (sorry, don't have the manufacturer), pearl ring (Pink Hedgehog Paper Crafts)
Size: 5 1/2" square

Spread a Harvest of Hope

Hi friends! Have you missed me? I've only been gone a few days, but it feels like forever! Today's sweet wheelbarrow image, Spread a Harvest of Hope, is one of the newest images from My Favorite Things. I colored with Copic markers, then added the grassy ground underneath with Prismacolor pencils and Gamsol. If you haven't checked out Paula Williamson's tutorial on how to add a patch of grass with your Prismas, you really should! You can find it in MFT's How'd They Do That forum (it's in the HTDT? Tips & Tricks for the July Release 6.30.09).

Speaking of How'd They Do That tutorials, I've just posted this week's tutorial, Photographing Your Papercrafting Projects. I am no photography expert by any stretch - just sharing tips I've gleaned over many years of scrapbooking (plus a couple years of cardmaking) and tricks I've discovered through trial and error. I hope you'll take a peek! Even more, I hope you'll find something useful in it ;)



Stamps: Spread a Harvest of Hope (My Favorite Things)
Paper: MFT Perfect Paper Panels, K&Co dp, Stampin' Up Kraft
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, white pigment pad
Accessories: Copic markers, Prismacolor pencils, Gamsol, blending stump, Spellbinders pinking border Piercabilities, MFT spring butons, MFT perfect plaid ribbon, Close to My Heart bigger brads, SU corner rounder, sewing machine
Size: 5 1/2" square

SFYTT

Hi friends, I'm taking a short break and will not have a sample for this week's Sketch For You to Try. But don't let that stop you from playing. Visit Jen to see the sketch, her sample, and guest designer Regina Mangum's sample. Amy Rohl, Carole Burrage, Kelly Lunceford, and Susan Liles all have even more inspiration to get you going. Hope you'll play along!

I'll be back next week!

Verve Project Parade - Divine Details

Yesterday, Verve Stamps kicked off its monthly project parade. Our theme: Divine Details. The Divas will be sharing a bit about their design process to give you an idea of how we come up with our designs. There are so many stamping styles represented on the design team - I know I can't wait to follow along each day and pick up some tips and good advice!

Here's a look at the card I'm sharing today. Head over to the Verve Stamps blog to read a bit about my "divine details" and for all the details on how you can win some Verve stamps by playing along and/or leaving comments on the projects along the way.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great weekend!

JustRite Week - Thinking of You

I'm back with another installment in the Stamper's Dream JustRite Week. All week, the Dream Team is showcasing the fantastic new stamps from JustRite Stampers. Also sharing projects today are Cammie, Denise, Laurie, and Michelle.

Today I have a card that I made using Thinking of You, a set of six oval centers and six coordinating borders. This set has some truly beautiful sympathy imagery and sentiments. I chose to use the more all-purpose "Thinking of You" sentiment. I love that I can stick this one in my stash and use it for pretty much anything - sympathy, birthday, or a just because card.

The oval is in four layers. At the back is a scalloped oval. Next is the larger oval stamped with the JRS border. Then comes the smaller oval, which is stamped with the JRS center, and last are the popped up flowers, which are colored an orange-red to match the colors in Cosmo Cricket's Everafter collection, then colored with a clear Spica and topped with tiny black pearls from Kaiser Craft. I sponged all of the edges with Ranger Old Paper Distress Ink.



Last, I added some scrumptious May Arts ivory crocheted ribbon (love this stuff!). For a more ruffly look, I wove a length of thread through the top so that I could gather the lace a little before adhering it to the card. You can see a side shot of that here:




Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Thinking of You (JustRite Stampers)
Paper: Stampin' Up Basic Black, Papertrey Cream, Cosmo Cricket Everafter
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Old Paper Distress
Accessories: Spellbinders classic and scalloped oval Nestabilities, mega curved rectangle Nestabilities, and RicRac Scalloped Border Piercabilities, clear Spica, KaiserCraft black pearls, black satin ribbon, May Arts ivory crocheted ribbon, foam adhesive

Hoppy Bunny - MFT Blog Hop

Tonight at midnight, My Favorite Things will be releasing three stamp sets, and the Sweet Sixteen are kicking things off with a blog hop. If you haven't arrived here from Frances, I'd recommend going back to the beginning with Kim. That way you won't miss a thing. Just follow the links to the end, where you'll have a chance to win MFT stamps!

Flopsey fans - meet Bubble Bunny! Is this not the cutest Flopsey yet? I did my coloring with Copic markers, then did some additional shading with my Prismacolors. I used a mop brush and ink pads for the sky and grass, then went back and added the blades of grass using the awesome instructions Paula shared in the How'd They Do That? forum a couple of weeks ago. (While you're in the forum, check out this week's tutorial too!) The patterned papers are all from the My Mind's Eye Bloom & Grow "Grow" collection. Love the happy greens, aquas and oranges - perfect for Flopsey's outdoor setting. I embellished with some buttons, lots of stitching, and some Diamond Glaze on the bubbles.

In addition to the new sets, I also want to call your attention to this week's Bubble Bin. For this week only, all Bubble Bin sets are an unheard-of $3 each. Now THAT's a bargain! It's all part of our month-long celebration - MFT turns 3 this month! The first 50 orders will also receive a free Bamboo Leaves Memento Dew Drop.

Thanks so much for stopping by! The next stop on the hop is the amazing Carole!



Stamps: Bubble Bunny Flopsey (My Favorite Things)
Paper: MFT Perfect Paper Panels, Stampin' Up Wild Wasabi and Pumpkin Pie, My Mind's Eye Bloom & Grow "Grow" dp
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, SU Pumpkin Pie and Wild Wasabi, Ranger Old Paper Distress
Accessories: Spellbinders classic and scalloped oval Nestabilities, Spellbinders Piercabilities, Papertrey buttons, JudiKins Diamond Glaze, Stampin' Up Top Note die, photo corner punch, ribbon, and brads, sewing machine, foam adhesive
Size: 5 1/2" square

JustRite Week at Stamper's Dream

I'm excited to help kick off a new JustRite Week at Stamper's Dream. Michelle has all the newest JustRite products in stock, so all week long, the Dream Team is taking turns sharing project ideas. Be sure to see what Cammie and Michelle are also sharing today.

I've put together a quick(ish) card using the new Friendship set, which comes with six designer centers and six coordinating round borders. I thought this fun Cosmo Cricket Girl Friday pattern would be a perfect fit for this particular center and border. They both just make me smile!

I stamped the border onto dark blue card stock, then cut it out with the Labels 3 Nestabilities. I love how the border fits right in there snug as a bug in a rug. Next I stamped the center onto white card stock, colored and glittered, and cut it out with circle Nestabilities. The light blue flower-shaped mat is done using the Blossom Nestabilities. I finished off with some white candy dots, white twill from my stash, a Cornice Edge punched border, and some machine stitching. The Kraft card front is attached to a card base of the same size. That way, none of the perimeter stitching shows through to the inside, and it gives me a place to hide my tied off threads.

A quick word about stitching. I've been asked how I get my stitching so straight. First, it's not always straight! Second, I usually just find a place on my machine's presser foot, line up the edge of the card or panel with that, and go fast. When I slow down, the stitching gets crooked. I do, obviously, have to slow down for corners, but give me a straightaway, and it's full-speed ahead. (Shhhh ... I drive that way, too.) I know that may not be much help, but I don't have any other secrets, except that I've been sewing since elementary school, or, around {choke} thirty years. I use a relatively inexpensive, no-frills Kenmore full-size sewing machine.

Enjoy the moments that make you smile!



Stamps: Friendship Borders & Centers Round 3 1/4" (JustRite Stampers)
Paper: Cosmo Cricket Girl Friday dp, Stampin' Up Kraft, Buckaroo Blue, Soft Sky, and Whisper White card stock
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Stampin' Up Buckaroo Blue and White craft
Accessories: Spellbinders Classic Circle, Blossom, and Labels 3 Nestabilities; Martha Stewart Cornice Edge punch; Stardust Stickles; Pebbles white candy dots; white twill; sewing machine; foam adhesive

Sweet Baby Girl

I can't think of a better reason to celebrate all weekend than a new baby! Yesterday, the Verve Divas celebrated the upcoming arrival of Charmaine's baby girl, and today, the Stamper's Dream Team is celebrating. Woohoo!! Can you feel the love, Charmaine? I hope so, because we're all just so excited for you!

Check out what the rest of the Dream Team made:

Becca Feeken
Carolyn King
Denise Marzec
Kimberly Crawford
Laurie Schmidlin
Michelle Rodgers
Tosha Leyendekker

For today's card, I've used stamps from JustRite Stampers' Baby Stamp Ensemble. This pair of baby shoes is way too adorable! I colored them with Copics, trimmed them out, and placed them on an assortment of layered Spellbinders Nestabilities (Oval, Scalloped Oval, and Labels 4). The words "Sweet Baby" are part of one of the outer rings from the same JRS Baby Stamp Ensemble. I inked all the edges with a combo of Old Paper and Vintage Photo distress inks for a little bit of a shabby look, then added some machine stitching and punched borders using the Martha Stewart doily lace edge punch (top) and flourish punch (sides). The overall size on this one is a little smaller than standard. My original plan was to layer what you see onto a standard card base, but the more I looked at it, the more I liked it just like this.

Thanks for stopping by!


Stamps: Baby Stamp Ensemble (JustRite Stampers)
Paper: Papertrey Vintage Cream card stock; K&Co dp
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Stampin' Up Always Artichoke, Ranger Old Paper and Vintage Photo Distress
Accessories: Copic markers; Spellbinders Classic Oval, Scalloped Oval, and Labels 4 Nestabilities; Martha Stewart Doily Lace Edge Punch and Flourish Edge Punch; Papertrey buttons; Stampin' Up ribbon; Bow-Easy; sewing machine; foam adhesive

Oodabug Shower Hop

A new little baby Diva is almost here, and today the Verve Divas are celebrating with a suprise shower hop! So come along with us and do the hop, hop, hop to help celebrate the arrival of Charmaine’s new little oodabug! This shindig started at the Verve Stamps blog, so if you’ve just happened along, be sure to hop on over there to start from the beginning!

I've put together this little pink and kraft number using the adorable baby girl bunny from Practically Perfect. I did my coloring with Copic markers. The bunny is stamped three times - once on the base, a second time to pop her up, and a third time to pop up just her head and feet. The necklace is dotted with Liquid Pearls, and the ribbon is covered in Stardust Stickles.

For more cuddly goodness, hop on over to Laurie's blog!

The layout for my card is based on Jen's Sketch For You to Try. Visit Jen at i{heart}2stamp to see the sketch and what she and July guest designer Regina Mangum have put together. For more inspiration, visit the rest of the SFYTT gang: Amy Rohl, Carole Burrage, Kelly Lunceford, and Susan Liles.

[Update: Kristin, et al, I will be posting a "How'd They Do That?" photography tutorial in the My Favorite Things forum on Tuesday, the 21st. Stay tuned!]

Have a great weekend!



Stamps: Practically Perfect, Starlight Starbright (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Stampin' Up Pink Pirouette, Kraft and Whisper White, MFT Perfect Paper Panels
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Old Paper Distress, Papertrey Vintage Cream
Accessories: Copic markers, Stardust Stickles, Liquid Pearls, Spellbinders Nestabilities, Martha Stewart border punch, Swiss Dots Cuttlebug folder, SU ribbon and brads, flowers from Michael's floral department

You ...

Here's something I haven't done in a long, long time: a no-designer-paper card. A year ago, I rarely used patterned paper because I was afraid of it. Now I'm dependent on it. The many different leafy branches in Verve's latest release were just begging to be stamped into a custom background pattern. I started with Kraft cardstock and then randomly stamped the different size leaves (Just For You, Forever In Our Hearts, and Leaves Plain Jane) in Stampin Up's Always Artichoke craft ink, Certainly Celery craft ink, and White craft ink. To continue the garden-like look, I added some white lattice punched borders and layered everything onto an Always Artichoke base panel. The sentiment is from Just for You and the subtle branch just behind it is the Leaves Plain Jane.

Just a reminder that Verve's Viva La Verve sketches are posted on Fridays in the Verve Forum on SCS. If you complete all of a given month's sketches, you're entered into the Sketch Champion drawing, where one lucky winner receives the entire next Verve release! (Not to confuse you, though - my card today doesn't use the VLV sketch. I made this one a month ago, and just haven't shown it here yet.) Also, if you haven't seen it, Julee has posted info in the Verve Forum about an upcoming Verve anniversary blog hop on August 1. The more participants, the merrier, so head on over for details and to sign up!

Happy Friday!



Stamps: Just for You, Forever in our Hearts, and Leaves Plain Jane (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Stampin' Up Certainly Celery, Always Artichoke, Kraft, and Whisper White card stock; Bazzill textured white card stock
Ink: SU Certainly Celery, Always Artichoke, and White craft
Accessories: Cuttlebug embossing folder, Martha Stewart lattice punch, Spellbinders circle Nestabilities, Offray ribbon flowers, SU white taffeta ribbon and white brads, paper piercer, foam adhesive
Size: 5 1/2" square

Happiness Is Like Perfume ...

This great quote, along with the perfume bottle image, comes from the new Puttin' On the Glitz set by My Favorite Things Presents. I used this week's MFT sketch for my layout. The weekly sketch challenges, as well as the weekly My Favorite Challenges, are always posted on Thursdays in the MFT Forum on SCS. You have a week to enter, and then the winner for each challenge is announced the following week. As always, all are welcome and encouraged to play along!

[Updated: A question was asked about the Top Note die and the layering. I hand-trimmed the ivory mat around the Top Note die. The sentiment panel is cut and embossed with one of the Deckle Edge Rectangle Nestabilities. Hope that helps!]

Thanks for visiting!



Stamps: Puttin' On the Glitz (My Favorite Things)
Paper: Papertrey Vintage Cream, Basic Grey Porcelain
Ink: Ranger Antique Linen and Vintage Photo Distress
Accessories: Spellbinders Nestabilities, Stampin' Up Top Note die and grosgrain ribbon, Kaiser craft adhesive pearls, sewing machine, foam adhesive

MFT Kits - Just Add Color!

My Favorite Things is pleased and proud to introduce something fresh, fun and completely distinctive – MFT Kits!

Each month, a new limited-edition Kit will be revealed, complete with an exclusive, unreleased stamp set, and the items you’ll need to complete a very special project (s). The set included with your MFT Kit is a brand new, unreleased set, and will not be available for a period of at least 3 months after the MFT Kit containing the set is released.

The By The Seashore Kit includes the following:

*On The Pier (mini stamp set)
*6 die-cut tall gable boxes in ocean blue
*15 yards of hemp in natural
*6 Perfect Paper Panels
*5 yards, 3/8” twill in natural
*100 aged copper brads
*Memento Dew Drop in Rich Cocoa
*Project sheet download

*Cost: $25

Purchase the MFT Kit between 7/8-7/14 and you will receive a discount code good for a free digi paper download (2.95 value) as well as a coupon for a future order. Be sure and check out Joanne's and Michele's blogs to see these fabulous kits as completed projects! Of course even after your kit projects are completed, you'll have unlimited mileage with your On the Pier mini set. Check out what Carole made for today's SCS sketch challenge.

On the Pier coodinates beautifully with By the Seashore. Mix and match from both sets for even more versatility.

It's Wednesday, which means it's time for another How'd They Do That? tutorial in the MFT Forum. Check out all the amazing ways Kathy Daume' incorporates fabric into her stamped creations. Truly incredible projects!

See you tomorrow with a project to share!

A Very, Very, Very Fine House

Our house is a very, very fine house
With two cats in the yard
Life used to be so hard
Now everything is easy
'Cause of you
Crosby, Stills & Nash - "Our House"

I'm smitten with the new Impression Obsession images illustrated by Gary Robertson. Doesn't this house look like a place where everything would be easy? The details are incredible -- the beautiful flowers in the window boxes, the letter box by the front door, the wrought-iron gate, the working shutters (oh, how I'd love to have a home with those). There's even a cat - can you find it?

I did my coloring mostly with Copic markers, then added some extra shading and a bit of blue sky using Prismacolors and Gamsol. The papers are from the My Mind's Eye Bella Bella French Flea Market collection. I embellished with some May Arts Ivory Crochet Ribbon, Kaiser Craft black pearls, Offray black satin ribbon, and some machine stitching. The sentiment is from Impression Obsession's Mini Messages set.

You'll find a selection of Impression Obsession images, including the house stamp I used today, in the Stamper's Dream store.

Thanks for visiting!

Friends Forever and Ever

I have a few more cards to share using stamps from Verve's latest release. Today I'll share one that uses images and a sentiment from Kindred Spirits. I like how the colors and patterns of the K&Co "Addison" papers and the fleur-de-lis stamped images combine for a sort of Mediterranean look and feel. There's a lot going on with this one. What can I say, I like my layers :) Let's see, the center fleur-de-lis clusters are stamped in navy blue, heat embossed and trimmed. The dotted perimeter around the green circle panel is a stamp from another of Verve's new sets - Just For You. Behind that is a navy and aqua framed die-cut piece done with Spellbinders Labels 3 Nestabilities and Cuttlebug's Swiss Dots embossing folder. The shapely sides on that pool-tile-looking panel are done with the Martha Stewart Flourish Edge punch. The corners are punched with Stampin' Up's photo corner punch, then topped with a single fleur-de-lis stamped image. And last, the bling, which is a light green in real life, is by Hero Arts.

Thanks for all the well wishes for my youngest son. He had his follow-up visit with his pediatrician this morning, and got a great report!

Cheers to all!



Stamps: Kindred Spirits, Just For You (Verve Stamps)
Paper: Papertrey Vintage Cream, Stampin' Up Night of Navy, K&Co Addison dp
Ink: SU Night of Navy craft
Accessories: Hero Arts bling, clear embossing powder, SU oval and photo corner punches, Spellbinders classic and scalloped circle and labels 4 Nestabilities, Marth Stewart flourish edge punch
Size: 5 1/2" square

Hoot Hoot

Happy 4th of July to those who celebrate it! My plans today include nothing more than keeping an eye on my littlest one, who's been battling croup since Thursday night. It was bad enough for him to be hospitalized for observation most of yesterday and overnight. The good news is he's home now, sounding and looking so much better.

I would have skipped posting a sample for Jen's Sketch For You To Try this week, except that I've had both cards (couldn't decide which direction to take) all laid out since Thursday night, so all I had to do when I got home and sufficiently caught up on sleep (aka long afternoon nap) was adhere everything together. The owl stamp is by Inky Antics (he wears a birthday hat on his head, which I snipped off for this card) and the dps are from the K&Co Carolyn Gavin Greenhouse collection. Coloring is with Copics. The owl is popped up, and then the eyes are popped up a second time.

If you haven't seen Jen's sketch already, have a look over at i{heart}2stamp.com. While you're there, give a warm welcome to the new July guest designer!! Amy Rohl, Carole Burrage, Kelly Lunceford, and Susan Liles all have sketch samples posted for even more inspiration. Hope you'll play along! Link up to Jen's post and/or use keyword SFYTT on SCS.

Here's my alternate version:



Have a great weekend!



Stamps: Birthday Owl (Inky Antics)
Paper: SU Kiwi Kiss and Baja Breeze, PTI Vintage Cream, Dark Chocolate, and Kraft, K&Co Carolyn Gavin Greenhouse dp
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, PTI Vintage Cream
Accessories: Copic markers, Labels 3 Nestabilities, foam adhesive, SU buttons, linen thread, twill, and ribbon

Catch Some Rays

This is me in my dreams ... tanned, thin, and bikini-clad would all be nice, but for me, the dreamiest part would be to relax in the summer sun with a stack of books. The sunbather and her various accessories are all part of My Favorite Things' new Catch Some Rays set. The papers are from the Bloom & Grow "Grow" kit by My Mind's Eye. I did my coloring with Copic markers and Prismacolor pencils.

Some MFT happenings:
* Have you seen the Bubble Bin this week?
* The new stamps are now available. The sets are sold individually, or for the best value, the Buy it All Bundle includes four new sets and the cutest polka-dot ribbon nest and the One-Click Collection includes just the four new sets. Discounted pricing is available for a limited time.
* Check out the Design Team Tips & Tricks for the new sets in the How'd They Do That sub-forum.
* This week's sketch challenge and My Favorite Challenge have both been posted. Check out all the details -->HERE<--!

Thanks for stopping by today! I'm off to catch some rays today :)



Stamps: Catch Some Rays (My Favorite Things)
Paper: PTI Vintage Cream, SU Pumpkin Pie and Wild Wasabi, My Mind's Eye Bloom & Grow "Grow" collection
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Copic markers, Prismacolor pencils, SU Top Note die and brads, Spellbinders label die, sewing machine, foam tape

Happy News!!

[If you're looking for the My Favorite Things Blog Hop, scroll down one post or click HERE]

I have some super exciting news to share today - I've joined the design team for Stamper's Dream! Michelle's Dream Team is full of so many of my favorite stampers and friends. I'm thankful for, and humbled by, the opportunity to join them! If by chance you haven't been to Stamper's Dream, stop by for a visit. The store is full of tons of stamps and sets from a multitude of different manufacturers, as well as everything else a stamper could dream of: paper, embellishments, tools, ribbon, and more. Now is a great time to visit, as Michelle is celebrating her recent birthday with a sale!

I recently received a most fun assortment of goodies to get started with! For today's card, I chose a cute pair of birds from Inkadinkado's Best Friends set, stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black and colored with my Copics. The designer papers are all from Kaiser's Spirograph collection. The borders are die-cut with Spellbinders Piercabilities, and the dry embossing is done with a Cuttlebug folder. It's hard to see in the picture, but I popped up the entire card front and layered it onto a slightly larger white card base. A little glitter, ribbon, and a button finish it off!

With my good news also comes some sad news. In an ongoing effort to keep my design team commitments in check, I have elected to resign from the Our Daily Bread Designs team. It's been a very difficult decision, but I have no doubt the incredible ODBD stamp sets will continue to find their way into my stamp room and in turn here on my blog. I won't go too far! I'd like to thank Kelley for the opportunity to be a part of her team since almost the very beginning of the company. I was still fairly new to the stamping community and "green" when I started, so I appreciate the vote of confidence she gave me! It's been a fantastic and rewarding experience. Thank you Kelley!

Speaking of ODBD, it's the first of the month, so that means new stamps! I'm getting my shopping cart loaded up right now, and waiting for their blog hop, which begins at 10 AM EST. You'll also see some fresh faces on the DT - congrats to all of those talented stampers!

Thanks for visiting today!



Stamps: Best Friends (Inkadinkado)
Paper: Neenah Solar White, Kaiser Craft Spirograph (Spirograph isn't in the store right now, but some other Kaiser paper kits are)
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories: Copic markers, Spellbinders Labels 4 and circle Nestabilities, Spellbinders Ric Rac Scalloped Border Piercabilities and Fancy Scalloped Border Piercabilities, Quickie glue pen, clear glitter, Cuttlebug embossing folder, Papertrey Dark Chocolate twill and button, foam tape