PPA26 - Anything BUT a Card -Favor Box JUGS Template

The first of the year brings many birthdays and birthday parties for us. Megan will officially become a teenager this year and is already planning her party. I wanted to experiment with some favor boxes and downloaded this template from Lauren Meader. I had such fun making this favor box and adding the stitching, brads and flowers - what a great design!

Papers - Cottage Wall DSP, old olive, whisper white, rich razzelberry card stock

Accessories - Flower folds Big Shot die, perfect polka dots embossing folder, 1" circle punch, old olive button, silver brads, whisper white organza ribbon, sewing machine

Stamping Royalty #3 - ONE Layer - AHHHHHHHH

Stamping Royalty has issued a CHALLENGE this week. Make a card using only one layer. This was such a challenge for me because I love layers. Well, here is my card. I like it for the challenge and will use the design in the future, but of course, I will add a layer with the greeting. I really like how the Bella Toile stamp turned out when colored. I am definitely going to experiment with this some more. Perhaps try it with some wild colors:).

Paper - Very vanilla

Stamps - Bella Toile, Matchbook Messages, Sincere Salutations

Ink - chocolate chip, pretty in pink

Accessories - Very vanilla taffeta ribbon

Color Throwdown 76

This week's color challenge uses the colors above. I love this color combination especially for spring. It is the first time I have worked with Mellon Mambo and I am lovin' it.

Paper - Sweet Pea DSP, Old Olive DSP, mellon mambo, so saffron, whisper white card stock

Ink - basic black

Accessories - on Board Timeless Type chipboard, hearts and brackets, circle scallop Big Shot dies, circle scissors plus, Chrystal Effects, whisper white taffeta ribbon.

ColorQ and Sweet Sunday Sketch

I am just LOVIN' the new stamps and paper from both the Spring Mini-Catalog and Sale-A-Bration brochure. Even though I love the holidays, it's been so nice to leave them behind and stamp with bright colors and new stamps. I combined two challenges for this card - Color Q and Sweet Sunday Sketch challenges.

In case you noticed. I have been stamping quite a bit lately. The kids have been sick and home with me so I am "under house arrest". That and the excitement of having new stamps has kept me stamping away.

Stamps - Happy Moments, Well Scripted

Ink - melon mambo, pretty in pink, pumpkin pie, bravo burgundy

Paper - Sweet Pea DSP, pumpkin pie, pretty in pink, melon mambo, whisper white card stock

Accessories - Crystal Effects, pretty in pink satin ribbon, sherbet buttons, perfect polka dots embossing folder.

Stamping 411 - PPA25 Again - An Accidental Design

Yesterday during my stamp class, I was showing my gals the new clear-mount stamps and I stamped the circle from the Vintage Labels stamp set on a piece of paper. A few minutes later a heart that I had punched landed in the circle and I thought. Hey! that looks nice together. So I had to create a card using the "accidental" design. I incorporated the 411 sketch shown to the right and the colors from PP25 to make this card.

Stamps - Tiny Tags, Vintage Labels

Paper - Sweet Pea DSP, chocolate chip, whisper white, real red card stock

Accessories - scallop circle punch, heart to heart punch, perfect polka dots embossing folder, real red satin ribbon

Stamping Royalty #2 - Color Challenge

OK , this challenge had me stumped. Even though my picture is a little dark, I used all three colors in the ink and mat for the card. Since the colors are so vivid, I wanted to keep the card simple and clean. Make sure you visit Stamping Royalty for a new challenge each week. I can't wait to see what they have next.

Stamps - Whimsical Words, Happy Moments

Ink - pale plum, rich razzleberry, summer sun

Paper - whisper white, pale plum, rich razzleberry, elegant eggplant

Accessories - perfect polkadots embossing folder, crystal effects, whisper white taffeta ribbon.

SPCC Color Combo #30 - Little Red Wagon Polka Dots

This is my first SPCC challenge. I used one of my previous layouts with the challenge colors since the colors were so sunny and reminded me of flowers.

Paper - Sweet Peas DSP, very vanilla, so saffron and pumpkin pie ( didn't have only orange) card stock

Ink - pumpkin pie

Accessories - Sizzix flower folds die, pumpkin pie corduroy button, sewing machine:)

Vintage Vogue Sympathy Card

Unfortunately, I have had to make 3 sympathy cards in the last few weeks. Here is my latest using Vintage Vogue with a blue vintage feel. I wanted it to have a delicate appearance so I used very little color.

Stamps - Vintage Vogue

Ink - bashful blue, sahara sand

Paper - very vanilla

Accessories - very vanilla taffeta ribbon, button,scallop trim border punch, perfect polka dot embossing folder

PPA25 - "..life is like a box of chocolates."

This weeks PPA challenge is an inspiration challenge based on the picture above. I remember getting a special box of chocolates for Valentines Day. I really love chocolate, but I think I enjoyed the boxes with the satin, ribbons and flowers as much as the candy inside. I would keep the boxes and put all my little trinkets in them until they fell apart. I haven't seen boxes like those in a long time. I also prefer chocolate now that comes with a gold wrapper. I'm sure you know what I am referring to:). I thought I would make a card somewhat like a box that chocolates would come in. This design would also be cute on top of a small altered box with a few gold wrapped truffles.

Stamps - Well Scripted, Tiny Tags

Ink -chocolate chip

Paper- Whisper White Bride, real red and chocolate chip card stock

Accessories - Sizzix scallop and hearts and brackets dies, circle scissors plus, chocolate chip taffeta ribbon, chocolate chip corduroy button.

Little Red Wagon and JUGS

This weeks challenge for Little Red Wagon is to use Polka Dots and JUGS challenge asks us to use stitching. I combined the two for a retro daisy look. I think my mom had these colors in her kitchen at some point in the 70's.

Stamps - Whimsical words**

Paper - Sweet Pea DSP*, pumpkin pie, barely banana and whisper white cards stock

Assessories - Sizzix flower folds die, textured impressions perfect polka dots folder*, basic jumbo grommets, sewing machine

* - items from new Spring Occasions mini-catalog

** - items from Sale-A-Bration catalog

Crazy 4 Challenges C4C19 - Birthday Redux

I needed some birthday cards for a few of Megan's friends and I thought I would revisit my previous layout but change it up for a girl. The patterned paper is once again from the Sweet Pea Designers Series Pack. This is such a versatile pack, I will be using it a lot this spring.

Stamps - Vintage Vogue, Well Scripted

Ink - pretty in pink, old olive

Paper - Sweet Pea Designer Series Pack, old olive, pretty in pink, barely banana card stock

Accessories - Sizzix circle scallop die, Beautiful Wings embosslit die, circle scissors plus, 1 3/4" circle punch, pretty in pink corduroy button, old olive 1 1/4" striped ribbon, beads

PPA24- Sketch Challenge - Masculine Valentine

"....'cause I don't have a wooden heart." The Elvis song kept running through my mind as I was making this card. I have had the wooden heart idea floating around in my head for a while so I thought I would use it for a Valentine's Day card.

Stamps - Teeny Tiny Wishes

Paper - Autumn Meadows, chocolate chip and taken with teal card stock

Ink - chocolate chip

Accessories - Big Shot hearts and brackets die, chocolate chip striped 1 1/4" ribbon, chocolate chip corduroy button, antique brads, twine

OK I've been using teal and brown quite a bit lately - but I love them, so I'll have to go on to other colors - maybe a color challenge is in order.

Stampin' Royalty's First Challenge - Birthday Theme

This week is the first Stampin' Royalty challenge. Check out their challenge site at http://www.stampinroyalty.blogspot.com.

Yes, this is more paper from the Sweet Pea Designer Series Pack along with another new favorite the Well Scripted stamp set both from the new Spring Mini-Catalog.

Ink - Chocolate Chip

Stamp - Well Scripted

Paper - Sweet Pea DSP, taken with teal, chocolate chip and pumpkin pie card stock

Embellishments - chocolate chip 1 1/4" striped ribbon, pumpkin pie corduroy button, antique brads.

Tools- Circle scissors plus, 1 3/4" punch, mat pack

Perhaps my New Year's resolution may have to be a challenge a day. This has been a fun week stamping!

Just Us Girls #14 - Sketch Challenge

Another day, another challenge. Just Us Girls is a new challenge for me - I'm on a roll. For this card I again used the Sweet Pea Designer Paper Pack from the new Spring Mini-Catalog. The large flower is actually cut directly from a design on one of the papers. You HAVE to check out this pack it is fabulous. I added a clear circle button with yellow Sweet Pea paper punched with a circle punch and glued behind it. I threaded the button with a small sliver of old olive card stock. The greeting is stamped in taken with teal using the Full of Life stamp set. I first added a few barely banana circles to create a soft background for the paper using the tree top from Trendy Trees. The smaller flowers were stamped using the Out of the Box hostess set and then cut out. Small coordinating circles were punched then adhered to these flowers to give them depth.

I think this is a cute, clean look for many recipients. I have been way too clean lately and need to dirty things up a bit. I think my next card will absolutely have to be distressed.

Mojo 120 - Sketch Challenge - Googley Eyes and Glitter

For Mojo Monday I wanted to make a juvenile Valentine's Day card. I really love this little bear from the Under the Stars stamp set so I used him with some glittery hearts to appeal to a younger crowd. I stamped him in chocolate chip ink and colored him in using close to cocoa and creamy caramel Stampin' Write markers. Even though this guy is cute, I added a few googley eyes for some additional character. I then punched the hearts using the Heart to Heart punch and covered them with pink glitter. My valentine bear is mounted on so saffron card stock (cut with my circle scissors) and rose red card stock die cut using the Sizzix Scallop Circle #2 die.

Again, I reached for the new Sweet Pea Designer Series Pack from the new Spring Mini-Catalog for all the layered papers. The scalloped edge is created using the new Scallop Trim Border punch from the new Sale-A-Bration catalog. The card is finished with 5 pink rhinestone brads.

I think this card will be perfect for my son Jake for Valentine's Day - It also happens to be his birthday so he gets 2 cards from me on that day. He's my "Funny Valentine" just like this little bear.

PPA23 - Anything BUT a Card Challenge - Post-It Note Cover

Happy New Year! Even though I enjoy the holidays, it is good to be back home and stamping again. This weeks PPA challenge is anything BUT a card. I must say this one took me a while since I am cleaning out the cabinets and closets in my home. I didn't want to create something that I wouldn't personally use. I am always making lists and posting reminders so I decided to make a pretty Post-It Note cover.

I can't believe how many beautiful papers come in the new Sweat Pea Designer Series Paper Stack from the new Spring Mini-Catalog. They are fabulous! The cover is made from the floral teal paper from this stack. I stamped the floral design from the Vintage Vogue stamp set using taken with teal and old olive Stampin' Write markers and added the note stamp from the Note to Self stamp set. I then distressed the edges with chocolate chip ink. The image is layered on taken with teal and chocolate chip card stock that has also been distressed.

The bottom of the cover is punched with the new Scallop Trim Border Punch from the new Sale-A-Bration catalog. I then layered some chocolate chip card stock under this to bring out the scalloped edge. The cover is then finished with some chocolate chip taffeta ribbon.

While traveling in Italy, we were always coming across pencils and pens wrapped in beautiful papers. I incorporated this idea into a coordinating pencil for the note pad cover using the same teal floral paper from the Sweet Pea DSP.

I am pleased with how this turned out and will enjoy it in my craft space. This would also make a cute little gift for any office or work area.

My Craft Closet - Thank You Ellen!

My Craft Closet

Wire baskets for my punches

A place for everything

So here is a picture of my completed craft closet. I converted a small walk-in closet into my craft closet years ago. Obviously I'm a crafter, not a clothes horse. My dear friend Ellen Berman from Closet Factory designed the layout and worktop for me. I am so happy with the results. After years of trying to make my space work with inferior products available to me, I finally turned to Ellen for help. I have SO MUCH room now, a fabulous work surface and even extra space - what a concept! I especially love the pull out wire baskets she incorporated into the design. They are perfect for my punches. If you are looking for someone to design a space like this for you, please email me and I will give you Ellen's information. Not only is she a great designer, she is a true joy!

Happy New Year!

Dempsey is taking a New Year's day nap in his alpine sweater and enjoying a sliver of sunlight. We are celebrating in Mammoth albeit with little skiing. Santa brought our family some wonderful things for Christmas, but the flu paid our home a visit on Christmas as well so we have been recovering instead of skiing.

We will return soon and I can't wait to get started stamping again with all the beautiful products soon to be released in the Spring mini-catalog and Sale-A-Bration 2010 brochure.

We wish you all a very happy, healthy New Year!