May SFYTT - Skipping Stones Design

Happy Cinco de Mayo! In addition to margaritas and the mariachi, today also brings us the May SFYTT, which is sponsored by Skipping Stones Design, home of some of the funniest stamp sets in the industry.

Here's what we're playing with this month:

I was in the mood for something soft and pretty this morning when I sat down to stamp up today's sample (nothing like waiting until the last minute), so I pulled out my all-time favorite Skipping Stones Design set, the classy and timeless Healing Wings. I stamped one of the beautiful butterflies onto pink paper, then trimmed it out, curled the wings for dimension, and attached it to a patterned gray Spellbinders Labels Eighteen die-cut. All of the papers are from Cosmo Cricket's Evangeline Mini-Deck. Accents include crinkled seam binding, burlap string, stick pins, mini rose ribbon, adhesive pearls, and distressing. Missing is some stitching, and that's because my brat machine is broken -- again! Grrrr.

Visit the SFYTT Sisters for more sketch inspiration:

• Jen del Muro with designer of the month, Annie Rose
• Amber Hight
• Becky Carafa
• Carole Burrage
• Jen Tapler
• Jodi Collins
• Kerry Johnson
• Megan Lock
• Susan Liles
• and our newest Sister, Tracy Shultz (Welcome Tracy! Woohooo!!!)

Hope you'll join us at SFYTT this month! All the how-to is in the graphic below (click to enlarge):

Have a fantastic weekend, friends!

Tweet Birthday

September has flown by, and here we are already at the last Tuesday of the month, which means my time as sketch designer for Skipping Stones Design is sadly coming to an end. Sniff, sniff ... always sad to say goodbye :(  But it's been another fun month, and so along with the last sketch, I also have a giveaway! More on that in a bit.

Here's our sketch this week:

For lots of sketch inspiration and to link up your entry, head over to this post at SSD! Hope you'll play along!

My sample features a beautiful bird and sentiment from Everyday Blessings, an absolutely gorgeous set. When my new Spellbinders dies arrived a few days ago, I was thrilled to find that Michelle at Stamper's Dream had tucked in some of Prima's beautiful, new Londonerry papers. I wasted no time cutting into those! (Thanks, Michelle!) Details include distressing, chunky bling, stitching, and wide striped ribbon for some drama.

I bet you're wanting me to get to the giveaway, so I'll waste no time there either. Up for one lucky commenter is ...... {drum roll} .....

...  Bras, Volume #1 !!! All you have to do is leave a comment! Deadline is this Thursday, 11:59 pm EST. Winner announced Friday. Good luck!

{Update: A winner has been chosen ... Heidi of Heidi's Happenings. Congrats!!}






Stamps: Everyday Blessings (Skipping Stones Design)
Paper: SU Basic Black, PTI Rustic Cream, Prima Londonerry
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black
Accessories: Copic markers, SU small oval punch and wide striped ribbon, Spellbinders circle Nestabilities, MFT doily die, bling, distressing tool, sewing machine, foam tape
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

Creeping By to Say Hi

A new sketch challenge is up over at Skipping Stones Design -- hope you'll join in the fun!

My sample features a set called Halloweenie, on sale all month long for $12.49! Both the creepy spider image (um, arachnophobe here! :shivers:) and the sentiment are from Halloweenie. I isolated just the word "hi" for the star accent and also stamped the full sentiment repeatedly on the scalloped strip. The spider is stamped onto a text print. The papers are all from My Mind's Eye's Mischievous collection.


Here's what we're playing with this week:

And here's a look at Halloweenie (love the "BOO" poem!):

For lots of fabulous sketch interpretations, visit the Skipping Stones Design site, where you'll find samples galore, from this month's rock-star guests and from the uber-amazing SSD design team! I've seen some of the samples already, and they are amazingly creative!

Thanks for visiting!




Stamps: Halloweenie (Skipping Stones Design) 
Paper: Papertrey Kraft, My Mind's Eye Mischievous 
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Ranger Pumice Stone Distress 
Accessories: Stampin' Up circle and star punches, My Favorite Things Simply Scallops Medium Die-namics, papertrey twine and button, paper piercer/needle/thread, foam adhesive, distressing tool 
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

Skipping Stones Blog Hop - Holiday Cats

Today I have the pleasure of kicking off a Skipping Stones Design blog hop featuring a brand-new stamp set release, Holiday Cats! This one is a hoot!

It's also Tuesday, which means another fun sketch challenge. I'm thrilled to be guest sketch artist all month long! Below is what we're playing with this week -- hope you'll join us! Just link up your creation over on the SSD blog.

And here's my take, featuring the new set, Holiday Cats:

How adorable is this image?! I just love him with his silly expression! I stamped in Memento Tuxedo Black, colored with Copics, and shaded with Pumice Stone Distress Ink. The papers are from a We R Memory Keepers 6x6 Halloween pad called Spookville.

I'm excited for you to see loads more Holiday Cats inspiration, starting with the the next stop on today's hop .... Kandi!!

And here's the full hop order just in case there are any glitches along the way:

Amy (you're here)

Kandi

Taylor

Chan

Wendy P

Jingle

Cristina

Shannon

Katie

Amber

Karen

JoAnn

Nicole

Vanessa

Stephanie

Wendy J

Thanks so much for visiting, and enjoy today's hop!

  

Thank You, Skipping Stones Design

I'm excited to be joining Skipping Stones Design this month as their guest sketch designer. I had a blast hosting the sketch challenges back in January, so when Heather asked me to come back, I was thrilled! SSD is welcoming a new group of guest designers as well, and let me just say, I'm so honored to be in their company! A full meet-and-greet is available HERE on the Skipping Stones Design site.

New sketches are posted each Tuesday on the SSD blog, where you'll also find all the participation details. Hope you'll play along!

I drew up this sketch with the gorgeous background image from Timeless Textures in mind. I thought it would be perfect for the embossed resist technique. I stamped in Versamark onto watercolor paper, then clear embossed. Next I brushed on a generous helping of water, then added color with a combination of Distress Stains (Tumbled Glass, Peeled Paint, and Antique Linen), Maya Mists, and Glimmer Mist. You might be able to see some of the shimmer in this detail shot, which also shows the beautiful music-themed butterfly image from Heartsong.
 

Thanks for visiting! My little guy returns to preschool today and I've decided my summer survival reward will be four hours of uninterrupted daylight stamp time! Can't wait!

August SFYTT - Skipping Stones Design

It's the first Saturday of September, which brings us a fabulous new Sketch For You To Try, a new sponsor, and a new guest designer, Alyssa from ACS Paper Creations. In addition, we're excited to add two new faces to the SFYTT team: Becky Carafa and Iwona Palamountain (Chupa)! Welcome, ladies!

This month we're being sponsored by Skipping Stones Design, makers of some of the funniest stamps available! Take a minute to browse through their products -- prepare for a chuckle, a snort, even a full belly laugh. While you're there, you'll also notice some more "serious" sets, including one of my very favorites, Healing Wings, which I've used today. This set just speaks to me -- the butterflies, the encouraging sentiments, the beauty. The various papers I've used today are from the "Rosy" Lost & Found Two collection by My Mind's Eye. The doily die and matching border die are by My Favorite Things.

Here's the September sketch:

I love the rounded corners, but had to leave those out as my corner rounder bit the dust a while back. I must get around to replacing that!

For more sketch inspiration, visit the amazing, talented SFYTT Sisters:

Jen del Muro with August guest designer Alyssa

Amber Hight
Becky Carafa
Carole Burrage
Iwona Palamountain (Chupa)
Jen Tapler
Jodi Collins
Kerry Johnson
Megan Lock
Susan Liles
Terri Moore

---

1. The SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY {SFYTT} will be posted on the first Saturday of each month on www.iheart2stamp.com at 8am EST and will stay open to participants until the last day of the month, unless otherwise noted.
2. This is for fun! Interpret the sketch as you wish and embellish as desired. There are no vendor restrictions, but we would love to see you use the sponsor’s stamps!
3. Each month we will have a Designer of the Month that will be chosen from past month’s participants.
4. Come and play with us on each and every sketch! On Christmas Day 2011 a prize package worth over $200 will be given away to one very lucky and loyal SFYTT stamper that participates in EVERY sketch for the year.
5. To be eligible for the prize package, you must complete ALL of the sketches by each of the deadlines AND link your creation to the link system on that month’s sketch post (the first Saturday of the month). Everyone except for SFYTT Sisters are eligible for the prize package, including Designer of the Month and international players.
6. When posting your sketch creation on your blog, please post the sketch and link back to the sketch post on www.iheart2stamp.com. When posting to online galleries, please use the keyword “SFYTT.”

Have a great weekend!





Stamps: Healing Wings (Skipping Stones Design)
Paper: Papertrey Rustic Cream and Fine Linen card stock, My Mind's Eye Rosy Lost & Found Two dp
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Ranger Old Paper Distress
Accessories: Spellbinders Classic Circle Nestabilities, My Favorite Things Decorative Doily Duo and Faux Crochet Border Die-namics dies, Papertrey Fine Linen satin ribbon, distressing tool, Papertrey button, May Arts natural burlap string
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" 

Butterfly Birthday + Giveaway

Today I have another Skipping Stones Design sketch and sample to share. This is my last sketch as guest sketch designer this month. Thanks, SSD, for the opportunity!!

Here is this week's sketch:

For my sample, I inked up a fabulous set called Dandelion Dreams ...

Love the beautiful floral, bird, and butterfly silhouettes! I started by repeatedly stamping the Happy Birthday sentiment in blue ink onto ivory card stock. I die-cut a scalloped circle using a Spellbinders Lacy Circles Nestabilities die. Last, I stamped the floral stems in brown ink. I stamped them a second time, slightly offset and without re-inking, for a subtle shadow effect, which you can just barely see in the detail photo below. The butterfly, done with a Martha Stewart punch, is in two layers for some extra dimension.

The banner along the top was made by putting together sentiment flags die-cut with a Li'l Inker Designs die and a striped border die-cut with Papertrey's Victorian Lace border die. The idea to use the sentiment flag die as a banner came from this card by Laura Pryor, owner of Li'l Inker Designs, and this one by Jen del Muro (thanks, ladies!) I placed 1/2-inch brown circles behind the flags so that they'd just peek out along the bottom. Some twine and buttons help make it look like a real banner. Teeny butterflies top each flag. (You could also use the banner area to personalize the card.)

I'm giving away one Dandelion Dreams set to a lucky commenter! Deadline to enter is Thursday, January 27 at 11:59 pm. I hope to announce the winner sometime on Friday.** Be sure to visit fellow SSD guest designer Jen del Muro for another giveaway opportunity! Also be sure to visit Skipping Stones Design for more awesome sketch inspiration from the SSD design team and special guests! To play along, link your creation over at SSD, too!

Thanks for visiting!




**By the way, I'll also be flying out to LA on Friday for CHA! Woohoo! If you'll be there, leave a comment or email me!

Men Are Like Purses ...

(Men are like purses)

Time for another Skipping Stones Design sketch challenge! I'm going to miss this gig come February :) Today's card uses a brand-new, super fun set called Birthday Purses.

Ready for the inside?

(cute, full of crap, and totally replaceable)

Here's a look at the full set:

Gotta love a cute purse (or three), and aren't these sentiments awesome?!

Here's the sketch, SSD60:

I hope you'll play along! All you have to do is link your creation up to the SSD#60 post on the Skipping Stones Design blog. There may be goodies ... just sayin' ;)

My sketch sample is pretty straightforward. The three purses are paper-pieced with patterns from Cosmo Cricket's DeLovely collection, then layered onto a lacy circle die-cut. For the strips along the left, I just used some more DeLovely scraps. The sentiment flag is attached with a button and some Pink Sorbet baker's twine. The pink die-cut border on the inside (totally crooked - eek! I can't believe I didn't catch that beforehand!) was done with Papertrey's Victorian Lace border die, and the sentiment is die-cut with a Spellbinders Labels Fourteen die. I don't think I've ever dry-embossed the inside of a card, but the panel was lying there (a reject for the card front), and I thought why not?

I made this card for a good friend who could use a little cheer in the "men" department. She will know exactly who those three purses represent - teehehe! Time for a new purse, B____!
 



Stamps: Birthday Purses (Skipping Stones Design)
Paper: Papertrey Dark Chocolate card stock, Neenah Classic Crest Solar White card stock, Cosmo Cricket DeLovely dp
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Ranger Walnut Stain and Tumbled Glass Distress Inks
Accessories: Spellbinders lacy circle die, Papertrey button, The Twinery baker's twine, Swarovski crystals, needle and thread, Papertrey border die (inside), Spellbinders Labels Fourteen die, paper piercer, needle, thread, Prismacolor pencils

Skipping Stones New Release & New Sketch!

Hi everyone, not only is today Skipping Stones Sketch Tuesday, but it's also release day! To celebrate the two amazing new sets, Heartsong and Purse Birthday, the SSD design team and guests have put together a blog hop. If you've just happened upon my blog today, you'll want to go back one stop to the beginning at Skipping Stones Design. And then, when you're finished here, you'll head to Wendy Jordan next. (I'll link to her again at the end. And, just in case any of the blog hop links are broken, the full designer line-up is posted at Skipping Stones Design, too.)

As the Skipping Stones Design guest sketch designer for January, I'm excited to bring you the second of my four sketches for the month, but first, a big thanks to all who played along this past week. The entries were fantastic! I can't wait to see what you come up with this week!! To play along, just link up your creation to the SSD58 sketch post on the Skipping Stones Design blog. One lucky winner will receive a free stamp set or half off any stamp set in the store!

Ready for the sketch?

And here's my sample, using the new Heartsong, which I absolutely LOVE! The music theme is fantastic and the style of illustration is just perfect for the vintage, shabby, rustic look I love so much!

I stamped the two butterflies onto one of Basic Grey's Curio patterns, then trimmed them out. The different card layers are also made of various Curio patterns. For some fun texture, I used a Pink Paislee Artisan Element behind the sentiment. The sentiment is done in three layers, all die-cut with Spellbinders dies -- in back, a Labels Fourteen, in the middle, a tag from Fancy Tags (which I shortened), and in front, a Petite Oval. Along the bottom are some Kaiser Craft adhesive pearls in Pewter.

That's it for me! Don't forget to head over to Wendy Jordan's blog next! And when you're finished hopping be sure to head back to Skipping Stones Design to take advantage of their "buy three, get one free" sale!

Thanks for stopping by!

Another Gray Hare

I promised a fun announcement yesterday, but before I get to that, just wanted to let you know that Verve's New Release Spotlights have begun! Head to the Verve blog for a list of all the Divas offering peeks today, and mark your calendar for Friday's release party, at 9 pm EST in the Verve Forum! I can't wait to share my peeks tomorrow and Thursday (truth be told, I can't wait to make them -- how's that for last-minute?).

Today, I'm thrilled to be guest designing for Skipping Stones Design and more specifically guest sketch designing. SSD posts sketch challenges every Tuesday. I encourage you to check them out and play along! I'll be there all month long! For lots more sketch inspiration, head over to Skipping Stones Design to check out what the SSD design team and guests have put together. Plus, there are chances to win goodies! In fact, I have a set to give away today... more on that in a minute.

But first, here's sketch #58:

And here's my card, featuring the super cute and humorous Gray Hares stamp set.

(outside)

(inside)

Awwww, isn't that cute? One of my very best friends is celebrating her birthday today, so I made this with her in mind. Happy Birthday Becky! I did my coloring with Copics, and the papers are all from Basic Grey's Marjolaine 6x6 pad. For the grass, I used the grass Die-namics die by My Favorite Things, and the clouds on the inside were also cut with a Die-namics die. Lots of stitching on this one. I am soooooo over hand-stitching and will be taking my ailing machine in for repair this week! I've been meaning to since before Thanksgiving!!

Would you like to win Gray Hares???

Just leave a comment here on this post for a chance to win! Deadline is Thursday at 11:59 pm EST. I'll do a random drawing and announce a winner on Friday! Good luck!!

Thanks so much for stopping by!!







Stamps: Gray Hares (Skipping Stones Design)
Paper: Papertrey white and Aqua Mist card stock; Basic Grey Marjolaine designer paper
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Papertrey Aqua Mist
Accessories: Spellbinders Lacy Circles Nestabilities, Papertrey button, May Arts white burlap string, green satin ribbon (source unknown), Kaiser black adhesive pearls, My Favorite Things grass and clouds Die-namics dies, Cuttlebug Seeing Spots embossing folder, paper piercer, needle, and thread
Size: 4 1/4" x 5 1/2"

Skipping Stones Blog Bounce!

Today, I'm joining Skipping Stones Design for it's first annual "Blogs 4 Boobies" blog bounce/hop! This is the second day of a two-day hop, so be sure to go to Skipping Stones Design to check out yesterday's post for even more cards, projects and fun! I have a lot of info to share about the fundraiser part of this hop, so let's get started.

There are three ways that you can be a part of the event:

1. Go Shopping!
For every stamp set that you purchase between September 15 and September 23, SSD will donate $2 to the Komen Foundation. Stamping and shopping that you can feel good about! Skipping Stones Design is celebrating "Blogs 4 Boobies" with the release of two new stamp sets as well: Bras Volume #2, a follow-up to the best-selling Bras Volume #1, and a beautifully illustrated Christmas set called Wise Men.

2. Bid on Blog Bounce Cards/Projects!
EVERY card/project along the "Blogs 4 Boobies" bounce is up for auction. You'll find detailed bidding instructions at the end of this post. The auctions close September 23 at 8 pm Mountain Time. All projects will go to the highest bidders, and all proceeds will go to the Komen Foundation.

3. Spread the Word!

Help us spread the word about "Blogs 4 Boobies"! The more people that know, the more money we can raise, so tell all your friends!

For today's card, I chose to work with Healing Wings, one of my very favorite SSD stamps. Since this is a blog hop, you should have come from Sharon Harnist's blog, PaperFections. When you're finished here, you'll visit Jennifer Buck at The Buck Stamps Here. If there is a break along the way or you just need to make your way to the beginning, you'll find the entire blog bounce list below. Enjoy the designs and remember to make a bid or two! This is a great opportunity to take home cards or projects made by some of your favorite designers and fight the war against breast cancer at the same time!

Here's the full line-up for today:
Kim Hughes
Kandi Phillips
Sharon Harnist
Amy Sheffer (you're here)
Jennifer Buck
Amy Tsuruta
Tammie Beaton
Rae Ann Barthel
Wendy Jordan
Sarah Martina Parker
Lea Lawson
Teri Anderson
Deb Felts

Kimberly Crawford
Gladys Chia
Jen del Muro
Maile Belles

How to place a bid

1. Find the comment section of the blog that shows the "Blogs 4 boobies" card or project that you want to buy.
*Please note you may only bid on the card/project shown in the specific "blogs 4 boobies" post.*
Any bids not placed on the correct post will be considered invalid.

2. In the comment section, fill in the dollar and cents amount of what you are willing to pay for the card/project. A starting bid of $5 or more is recommended. Remember, your bid includes shipping as well as the card/project. One hundred percent of your bid will go to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

3. Next to your bid, please type in your email address. During a silent auction bidders sign their name next to their bid. Typing your email address is the electronic equivalent of signing your bid. Also it will help the blogger contact you if you are the highest bidder.

4. Watch and wait. Once you have entered your bid/comment sit back and wait. If someone out bids you then you may bid again. Bidding will continue until 8:00 p.m. Mountain Time September 23rd.

* Please note that participating stampers/bloggers will re-post their Blogs 4 Boobies card/project on September 23. When the blogger re-posts the project, the bidding will continue on the NEWEST post in that comment section. The winner of the auction will be the highest bid (that includes an email address) at the close of the silent auction.

Things to keep in mind:

Near the end of the bidding you may not see bids as they come in. Some blogs have a comment feature where the blogger must approve comments before they are published. So bid high. You might have the highest bid that is published, but someone might have outbid you in an unpublished comment/bid.

The blogger/designer will declare who has won the silent auction. Skipping Stones Design will send you an invoice for your donation/bid ammount. Please pay that invoice as soon as possible, so the designer can get your card/project in the mail to you.

Good luck! And don't forget to visit the next stop on the hop -- Jennifer Buck!

Friends Give Color to Our Lives

I'm especially excited to share my Sketch For You To Try card today because this week's SFYTT is being sponsored by one of my favorite stamp companies -- Skipping Stones Design! What does that mean for you? Well ...... one lucky sketch participant will win two unreleased SSD sets. One is a humorous chocolate set and, get this .... the other is a Twilight set! Woohoo!! (I think Jodi actually passed out when she heard that.) All you have to do to be eligible to win is complete a project using this week's sketch, then link it to today's post on Jen's blog using the linking widget. Deadline is noon Friday, June 18. The winner will be announced Saturday, 6/19.

Here's what you're playing with this week:



For my take, I used my favorite Skipping Stones Design set, Healing Wings, to create a friendship card. In keeping with the sentiment, "Friends give color to our lives," I pulled out my mostest colorfulest paper pack, Cosmo Cricket's DeLovely Mini Deck. I repeat: love this stuff! The butterfly is stamped on one of the yellow patterns, clear embossed and trimmed out. The scrunched ribbon treatment is inspired by Heather and Ashley. It's easy -- try it if you haven't already! Ashley has a tutorial here.

For more sketch inspiration this week, visit the crew:

Jen del Muro with guest designer Andrea Ewen
Amber Hight
Amy Rohl
Jenn Diercks
Jodi Collins
Kelly Lunceford
Leigh O'Brien
Megan Lock
Sonja Christoph
Susan Liles

I'm off to two farmer's markets and a baseball game this morning, then hopefully an afternoon of stamping before heading out to a movie tonight. Weekend stamping is a rarity these days - I'm going to treasure every minute of it! Have a great weekend!



Stamps: Healing Wings (Skipping Stones Design)
Paper: Stampin Up Basic Black, Papertrey Kraft and White, Cosmo Cricket DeLovely dp
Ink: Versafine Onyx Black, Ranger Old Paper and Frayed Burlap Distress Inks
Accessories: clear embossing powder, Spellbinders circle die, Papertrey buttons and ribbon, 1/4" Scor-Tape, MFT Jumbo Scallops and Scalloped Scallops Die-namics, May Arts ivory burlap string, paper piercer/needle/thread
Size: 5 1/2" square

Hop(e) For Haiti

Welcome to Skipping Stones Design’s Blog Hop(e) for Haiti. If you just happened upon my blog today, you’ll want to go back to the beginning at Skipping Stones Design. If you came here by way of Laurie Schmidlin, you're in the right place.

Skipping Stones Design wanted to do something to give back to the people of Haiti who have been so devastated by the recent earthquake. To start, each card you see on the blog hop today will be auctioned on E-bay, with 100% of the proceeds going to the Red Cross in support of the Haitian Relief Effort (please check the Skipping Stones Design website for the link to the auction). In addition, $2.00 from every stamp set purchased between February 16 and 22 will be donated to the Red Cross. So check out both the auction and the store and consider joining in this fundraising effort.

In addition to the fabulous eye candy, there will be a few pre-release stamp sets hidden along the blog hop. As you hop, make sure you leave comments on every post so you have a chance to win! If there is a break somewhere along the hop, refer to the master list at Skipping Stones Design and at Sparkle and Bling.

I decided to make a friendship card using a butterfly image and sentiment from Healing Wings, an absolutely stunning set and definitely one of my favorite SSD sets. I stamped two butterflies, colored them with Copics, added some glitter, and trimmed them out. The layout is last week's fabulous Mojo Monday Sketch #125 (love this one), and the dp is by October Afternoon.

Your next stop is the amazing Jackie Pedro at The Scalloped Edge! Enjoy the hop!





Stamps: Healing Wings (Skipping Stones Design)
Paper: Stampin' Up Basic Black and Kiwi Kiss textured, Papertrey Vintage Cream, October Afternoon "Report Card" dp
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black, Stampin' Up Soft Sky
Accessories: Spellbinders classic and scalloped circle Nestabilities, Fancy Tags and Fancy Scalloped Butterfly Piercabilities, Creative Memories circle cutting system, Kaiser Craft black adhesive pearls, foam adhesive, papertrey ribbon, button, and twine, Copic markers, clear glitter, Quickie glue pen