Tara Bee Ink

Masculine Birthday - The Deconstructed Sketch

2012-01-30T11:01:00.000-08:00

This weekend was my husband's birthday. You would think that I would know exactly what type of birthday card to make for him, but I struggled with this one. I found a new sketch blog, Deconstructed Sketches, that looks so cool and the sketch jumped at me right away. I decided to go to the Well Worn paper and start from there. I think Well Worn has a great color combination for masculine cards ( which are so hard to create). None of my images seemed to fit my husband so I went with a sentiment only and added some embellishments to jazz it up a bit.

Ahhh now on to the challenge of making a masculine Valentine card.

Stamps - Engraved Greetings, Established Elegance, Since of Time
Ink - Not Quite Navy, Soft Suede, Early Espresso
Paper - Well Worn DSP, crumb cake, very vanilla, not quite navy and early espresso card stock
Accessories - square lattice embossing folder, 1 1/4" circle punch, vintage tags, brads, linen thread, dimensionals

UstampwithDawnandFriends Big Shot Round Up - Valentine Decor

2012-01-27T08:53:00.000-08:00

My project for UStampwithDawnandFriends is an early release so I can share it with you. This round of USWDAF is focusing on the Big Shot and all the wonderful things you can do with it. I made a tabletop decoration for Valentine's Day featuring the new Framelits Label Dies and Serif Essentials Alphabet. I will be posting another project during this series using the new Edgelits Dies and Adorning Accents Embossing Folders.

Join us for this special round of UstampWithDawnandFriends and treat yourself to 40+ projects using the Big Shot. Just click the blink below to join.

You're My Type

2012-01-20T08:50:00.000-08:00

This week I have many things to be thankful for and the Thank You cards continue to be made. I used a sketch from The Sweet Stop this week to make this card using one of my new favorite stamps sets "You're My Type". I paired this with Just Add Cake DSP since it had so many papers that reminded me of office supplies. A quick simple card combining cake ?? and a typewriter ?? - what a pair.

Stamps - You're My Type
Ink - basic black
Paper - Just Add Cake DSP, basic black, whisper white card stock
Accessories - black gingham ribbon, black button

Thank You for Freshly Made Sketches

2012-01-19T12:34:00.000-08:00

I have found a lovely challenge blog with an amazing design crew . You should check out these talented ladies of Freshly Made Sketches. I have many thank you notes to create so I turned to this blog for a fantastic sketch.

I received a beautiful memorial stone for our little Dempsey and wanted to use a dog image on the card. I created this little note using a TE stamping taking note that I need to order a stamp with furry friends.

Stamps - Scotties in Love (TE), Just Believe
Ink - pool party, lucky limeade, poppy parade, basic black, chocolate chip
Paper - Everyday Enchantment DSP, pool party, poppy parade, whisper white, lucky limeade
Accessories - pool party ruffled ribbon, crystal effects

Stamp Club Projects - A Little Bit of This and That from the New Occasions Mini

2012-01-05T10:10:00.000-08:00

Our Stamp club met last night and we created 3 different styles of cards using items from the new Occasions Mini-Catalog. We had such fun - they are a wonderful group of gals!

The "Fussy" Card

Inspired by layout from Elizabeth Price

Stamp - Apothecary Art

Paper - Attic Boutique DSP, crumb cake, pool party, pear pizzaz, very vanilla card stock

Ink - daffodil delight, soft suede, pool party, crumb cake

Accessories - very vanilla seam binding, daffodil delight reinker, Framelits Label Die, basic pearls, schmootz spritz, linen thread, button

The CAS Card

Stamps - You're My Type
Paper - Twitterpated DSP, whisper white, basic black, cherry cobbler
Ink - basic black
Accessories - Old label maker

The "Cute" Card

Stamp - Gnome Sweet Gnome

Paper - Everyday Enchantment DSP ( Sale-A-Bration), peach parfait, poppy parade, whisper white

Ink - basic black, pool party, island indigo, poppy parade, daffodil delight, pear pizzazz

Accessories - Everyday Enchantment ribbon ( Sale-A-Bration), poppy parade poly ribbon, designer printed brads, oval die

Goodbye Little Dempsey

2011-12-30T10:25:00.000-08:00

We had to say goodbye to our little "winky" Dempsey this week. His other eye ulcerated and became infected. Given his onset of dimensia and other health issues, we were left with the hard decision not to put him through another painful operation and end his suffering. We will miss our sweet little buddy. He was a GREAT doggie.

Christmas Vacation - Homemade Decorations

2011-12-21T10:33:00.000-08:00

The crafting closet is closed for the holidays and we are up in Mammoth Lakes, Ca for our Christmas Vacation. The kids and I arrived here on the 18th ( and Marc will join us soon) to find very little Christmas decorations available in the stores. We hit the Ben Franklin store in Bishop for a little fabric, twine, glue and other items and made our own decorations. This is what we came up with.

A few flowers in some mason jars, pinecones in a basket and we have our homemade Christmas decorations. Definitely not a Better Homes and Gardens look, but festive enough for our simple, homemade Christmas. Next year, we'll bring the decorations with us:)

Wishing you and yours a

Very Merry Christmas!

The Paper Players Challenge - Ann's Color CAS Challenge - Time to Say Adieu

2011-12-11T00:05:00.000-08:00

Yes, it is time to say adieu to you and you and you.. I can't believe how quickly my time as Guest Designer has flown by. How could 3 months seem more like 3 weeks? It has been such a wonderful experience for me to be a Paper Players Guest Designer. Not only have I worked with amazingly talented, funny and wonderful women, but I also had the opportunity to explore all the amazing, creative talent of all the challenge entrants.

So on to the challenge...... This week the fabulously talented Ann has a color combo - very vanilla, cherry cobbler and gold - as well as a Clean And Simple design challenge. I love these rich colors together and really had to work to keep the design simple.

I started by embossing my background paper using Creative Elements stamp set and gold embossing powder. Since this design has quite a bit of pattern, I wanted to keep the rest of the card simple. I used My Digitial Studio and found a sentiment from Wishes and Greetings and sized it to fit my card. After cutting and mounting the greeting, I accented it with Gold Glass Glitter. A quilted cherry cobbler ribbon, cherry cobbler seam binding and glimmer brad finish the card.

Join us this week for The Paper Players Color and CAS challenge. Visit each of the design team's beautiful creations and leave a sweet comment.

The Paper Players Design Team

Susan Joyce ( November GD)

Paper - very vanilla, cherry cobbler card stock

Ink - Versamark

Stamps - Creative Elements - Wishes and Greetings (MDS)

Accessories - gold embossing powder, gold glass glitter, cherry cobbler seam binding, cherry cobbler quilted satin ribbon, glimmer brad.

Off to Do My Holiday Shopping

2011-12-09T09:24:00.000-08:00

I am off this morning to face the dreaded malls for my Christmas shopping. I must preface this with the fact that I loath going to the mall during the holiday season. I try to avoid it at all costs. I do as much shopping as I can on-line, but there are items that I must venture to the mall for. The kid's activity schedule has been so busy, I have not had a chance to go out until now.

I am going out well fed, and armed with my iPod filled with my favorite Christmas Music - Christmas with the Rat Pack and Josh Groban's Noel. I will make this shopping experience both joyful and triumphant!

UstampwithDawnandFriends Up on The Roof Top Blog Hop - Blog Candy

2011-12-07T06:17:00.000-08:00

Thank you for all your sweet comments on my Christmas Mantle Decor project. Now it's time for some sweet stuff. The random number generator has selected number 8 and Tammy is the winner of my blog candy.

Tammy said...

Love this Tara. It will look great on my mantel. Can't wait to make this for my sister in law and myself. Get project.

Congratulations Tammy, please send me your address and I will send you your package of Stampin' Up! goodies.

A New Venture into My Digital Studio

2011-12-04T21:38:00.000-08:00

Ever since I attended my first Stampin' Up! workshop 12 years ago, I have always hand made and stamped my Christmas cards. Our list has grown to over 85 recipients and I would make multiple versions so I wouldn't get bored with the same design . I am diving into new waters this year and producing the cards with My Digital Studio. I am a little sad to let go of the hand crafting but I am also a little excited for the new cards.

Due to our travel schedule and commitments early this month, it would be nearly impossible to complete the cards before Christmas. I created the holiday card above and ordered it tonight. WOW! One evening to complete the cards instead of a week - what a time saver! I am very anxious to see the final product and may add a few jewels before I send them off.

I am really taking a liking to My Digital Studio. MMM I may already have another project in mind:)

The Paper Players - Non-Holiday/Christmas Challenge - MDS Hybrid

2011-12-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

WOW! I can't believe my time as a guest designer for The Paper Players is almost up. I have just one more project with the team next week and then I will go back to entering the challenges. My, how time flies when you are having fun! This week Nance has a fun challenge for us to use non-holiday stamps or color combinations to create a Christmas card.

I knew I wanted to use Calypso Coral and Pear Pizzaz ( don't know where my brain picked that from). Since the color combination is a little modern and youthful I decided to use my Furry Folk set and went from there. I had a scene in my head but no paper to match SO I turned once again to My Digital Studio. I created the background paper using digital paper and stamps. It was rather fun and I am really starting to see endless possibilities with MDS.

I printed out this sentiment on whisper white card stock, then stamped the images around it. I just love this little hedgie! A little glimmer paper border, ribbon and jewels and it is finished. Non- holiday stamp with non-holiday colors.

I had some company in the closet while while I was working and had to post these pictures.

Boo tucked up asleep on my work surface

Barney - The Stalker - He follows me EVERYWHERE

Please join us this week for The Paper Players challenge. Make sure to visit all the design teams non-traditional Christmas projects and leave a sweet comment.

The Paper Players Design Team

Susan Joyce ( November GD)

Paper - whisper white card stock, silver glimmer paper, 2011-2012 In Color Stripes (MDS)

Ink - basic black, pear pizzaz, chocolate chip, crumb cake, calypso coral

Stamps - Furry Folk, Season of Cheer (MDS), Frosty Day II (MDS)

Accessories - whisper white organza ribbon, silver glimmer brad, basic jewels, circle dies, dazzling details

UStampwithDawnandFriends Up on The Roof Top Blog Hop - Christmas Mantle/Tabletop Decor

2011-12-01T18:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the UStamp with Dawn and Friends!! Up On The Roof Top 2011 World Showcase Holiday Blog Hop.

If you have been following the Blog Hop from the beginning, you have just been wowed by Dawn Kiel Mills Very Merry Scrapbook Layout. What a wonderful way to preserve those precious Christmas memories!

If you are just joining the Blog Hop, no problem, as you can start at any point. All the Designer's Blogs are linked together so you will be able to see ALL the FABULOUS projects we have for you.

My project is a Christmas Mantle/Tabletop Display. I had an older version that I had made years ago and wanted to recreate one with my SU products. I also made it smaller than my original since the old one was REALLY big.

These decor items may take a bit to create but they are FUN! I would also encourage you to place all sorts of other items that you may have ( pieces of candy, part of a pine tree branch etc. ) on them to create your own unique piece. These decor items can last for years if stored properly. My old one is about 5 years and is still in good shape. Just fold up accordion style and place in a large ziplock bag.

I used Frostwood Lodge as my main DSP since the Garden Green and Cherry Cobbler color combination are great traditional Christmas Colors. I added a little black inspired by Santa's boots and Belt.

I was so excited to break open the Stitched Felt Accents from the Holiday Mini. Man! are these little accessories cute! .

Almost every panel has a bit of sparkle to it or a little item tucked away - It IS Christmas - Merry and Bright:)

I hope you enjoy making this Christmas Mantle/Tabletop Decoration. I would suggest you make 2 at the same time and give one away as a gift.

As a Special Thank You for stopping by my blog I am giving away BLOG CANDY!!

Please leave a comment about my project to be entered for a chance to win a great goodie bag of current Stampin' Up! products. I will randomly select a winner to be announced on Tuesday, so please check back to see if you are the lucky recipient!

AND there's MORE...LOTS MORE!!

You have the opportunity to get the downloadable PDF Tutorial for my project FREE!! It's a GIFT from UStamp with Dawn and Friends!! Woohoo!! See the blinkie below to access the FREE Blog Hop Website.

In the Spirit of the Holiday Season, you have the opportunity to get in on "Special Holiday Pricing" for the upcoming UStamp with Dawn and Friends!! SCORE!! Event. The Stampin' Up! Simply Scored Tool is HOT STUFF and SCORE!! will feature 40+ projects, all created using the Simply Scored Tool. SCORE!! is a MUST NOT MISS Event!! See the blinkie below to join and get in on the Early Bird savings.

And now for the most exciting giveaway of the season...

Everyone that joins the new and exciting upcoming event - SCORE!! - with "Special Holiday Pricing" will be entered into a Drawing to win 1 of 3 FREE Passes for an ENTIRE YEAR of UStamp with Dawn and Friends!! events!!

YES!!

You read that right!!

YOU could win a whole year of UStamp with Dawn and Friends!! events FREE!!

***Special Holiday Pricing of just $19.99 ends Dec 8th***

Winners will be announced on Friday, Dec 9th.

Click the Blinkie below to join SCORE!! with Special Holiday Pricing

and a chance to win a FREE Year of UStamp with Dawn and Friends!! events!!

Click the blinkie below and you will be taken to

THE UP ON THE ROOFTOP BLOG HOP WEBSITE!!

Of course it's ***FREE*** to join and

there you will find the tutorials for ALL the blog hop projects,

PLUS live chats, challenges and more prizes!!

You will even have an opportunity to be considered for a spot as a Guest Designer!!

Yes!! It is all FREE, so tell all your friends and

join the fun with UStamp with Dawn and Friends!!

***

AND last but certainly not least, it's time to hop on over to the next Designer's Roof Top, so please click below for NEXT BLOG, where you will find Melissa Stout ready to share a delightful Holiday project with you.

If you would like to hop back to Dawn's Roof Top, please click below.

Thanks again for stopping by and Happy Holidays to YOU!!

UStampwithDawnandFriends Up on The Roof Top Blog Hop

2011-12-01T10:59:00.000-08:00

Join me tomorrow, Friday, December 2, for a fabulous Blog Hop. I have a great project to make for you and to give as a gift.

The Paper Players - Sketch Challenge

2011-11-27T03:00:00.000-08:00

This week's challenge at The Paper Players is a great sketch challenge from Lesley. I was inspired to create this card by a project I saw in Paper Crafts magazine using the emboss resist technique. I did use a few retired items - the Botanical Gazette DSP and All a Flutter stamp to coordinate with my resist image.

I am actually proud that I pulled out the background honeycomb paper and USED it since I have been hoarding it since last Spring:). At times I become a little too attached to paper and ant to "save" it. I still have an unopened pack of Autumn Meadow DSP that I occasionally take out and admire. Perhaps a little therapy will persuade me to use it someday.

I hope you submit a lovely creation for this week's challenge. Make sure you visit the design team's beautiful blogs and leave a sweet comment.

The Paper Players Design Team

Susan Joyce ( November GD)

Paper - Botanical Gazette DSP, more mustard, very vanilla, chocolate chip card stock

Stamps - French Foliage, Tiny Tags, Simply Soft

Ink - versamark, more mustard, chocolate chip

Accessories - black embossing powder, clear embossing powder, jewelry tag punch, crochet trim, very vanilla seam binding, vintage trinkets

The Paper Players - Jaydee's Color and CAS Challenge

2011-11-20T03:07:00.000-08:00

This week the Paper Players are working with some CAS designs and crisp colors ( just like the weather!) for Jaydee's challenge this week. I tried to keep this card simple but was just loving all the bling and glimmer that SU has to offer this season. The glimmer paper, the embossing powders, the dazzling details etc. were all calling to me. They really pop when combined and contrasted with the dark Night of Navy.

I started with embossing Bells and Boughs with silver embossing powder and making an extra poinsettia to brush with dazzling diamonds glitter and pop up with a dimensional. Again, My Digital Studio has come to my rescue and I printed the sentiment to my specified size using the Beautiful Season Digital Stamp. The Silver Glimmer Paper, glimmer brad and jewels all sparkle and are in keeping with the silver of the color scheme.

Make sure to visit the other design team's beautiful blogs and leave a wonderful comment.

The Paper Players Design Team

Susan Joyce ( November GD)

Stamps - Bells and Boughs, Beautiful Season (MDS)

Paper - Silver Glimmer Paper, night of navy and whisper white card stock

Ink - Versamark

Accessories - Silver embossing powder, Scallop Trim Border Punch, dazzling diamonds glitter or dazzling details, basic jewels, glimmer brad, Petals-A-Plenty embossing folder, circle dies, whisper white satin ribbon

UStampwithDawnandFriends - My Advent Calendar

2011-11-14T10:19:00.000-08:00

My project for UStampwithDawnandFriends Knock Out Punches (featuring Stampin' Up! Punches) has posted so I can now share it with you. I actually started designing this quite awhile ago and have since donated it to our church's preschool auction. What was so surprising was that I was almost completely done with my Advent Calendar when I opened last month's Stampin Success, and I saw their Advent Calendar USING CLOTHES PINS just like mine! I panicked a bit, thinking those that subscribe to USWDAF would think I was just copying something from SU and not creating anything unique. After a few deep breaths, I then realized, mine was quite a bit different and it would all work out.

An option that can make this calendar a bit fun, is to print out activity cards to place behind each day. Unfortunately, I did not capture these on film, but included them with the calendar. I have searched the internet for ideas, but also came up with a few of my own and they are listed below. You can place the ones that take the most time behind the weekend days.

If you would like detailed instructions for this calendar and MANY other fantastic projects, click the Knock Out Punches blinkie to the right and join today.

Family Advent Calendar Activities.

1. Find a jar and DECORATE IT! – make it fantastic. Put all your loose change in the jar for 3 weeks. Use the money collected at the end of 3 weeks to buy items or donate to your favorite charity.
2. Wrap a small gift and leave it on your neighbor’s doorstep. Ring the bell and RUN!
3. Call grandma, grandpa or other relative and tell them how much you love them
4. With your family, share your favorite memory that happened this year.
5. Go to the library or internet and research how other countries celebrate Christmas – try one of the traditions this year
6. Read the True Story of Christmas
7. Sing your favorite Christmas carol and tell others why it is your favorite.
8. Compliment 3 people today
9. Light candles and have dinner by candlelight
10. Make a Christmas ornament with things you have at home
11. Share with your family your favorite thing about each person
12. Start a Christmas memory book with favorites, Christmas lists, pictures etc.
13. Gather food items for your local food pantry or Ronald McDonald House
14. Enjoy an evening together with no television or computers and read multiple Christmas stories
15. Make popcorn and watch your favorite Christmas movie
16. Write a letter to Santa and include lots of colored drawings
17. Have a family game night
18. Bake some cookies and take them to your local fire station
19. Drink a mug of hot cocoa around the Christmas tree and listen to Christmas music
20. Ask older relative or neighbors how they used to celebrate Christmas
21. Name your Christmas tree
22. Walk around your neighborhood and look at all the Christmas lights
23. Share your favorite Christmas memory
24. Listen to Christmas carols and have hot cocoa and cookies

The Paper Player 's - LeAnne's Color Challenge

2011-11-12T23:10:00.000-08:00

This week LeAnne has a wonderful color challenge for us - Riding Hood Red, River Rock and Always Artichoke. I thought of these colors as being very natural and "woodsy" and created this card with a tree trunk and flowers in mind. I wanted to keep it clean and modern so rolled the flowers without any scallops. I hope you will be patient with my photography. I normally shoot my cards outside, but it is very rainy here in Southern California ( don't believe the song that it never rains:)) so I am shooting inside and struggling to get the correct lighting. The Riding Hood Red looks much deeper in the picture and the River Rock appears much more green than gray. The card is much more subtle in person.

Anywhoo, I can't wait for you to submit your creations using this wonderful color combination. Make sure to visit the each design team member's blog and leave a sweet comment.

The Paper Players Design Team

Susan Joyce ( November GD)

Paper - Frostwood Lodge DSP, riding hood red, river rock, always artichoke card stock

Stamps - Kindness Matters

Ink - Always Artichoke

Accessories - Little Leaves Sizzix die, Standard hole punch, 3/4" circle punch, 1/4" circle punch, glue dots

New Project for UStampwithDawnandFriends

2011-11-10T12:18:00.000-08:00

I have been selected to design as one of the Creative Crew for UStampwithDawnandFriends. Click the blinkie to the right to join the fun. Each day multiple talented stampers share their projects with you complete with step by step instructions. Knock Out Punches features all the punches that Stampin' Up! sells. See amazing and creative ways to get use from your punches and create fantastic projects just in time for the holidays. All products used on UStampwithDawnandFriends are Stampin' Up! . Yahooo!

Now that my post has gone live I can share it with you. I created this home-made hot-cocoa kit to make for the holidays. Hand made gifts are a holiday tradition in our family. Not only do our neighbors love the hand crafted gifts, but our family enjoys the time together working in the kitchen and infusing the joy of the season into our creations. Once you get a handle on making these boxes, they go together very quickly. They can also hold many other sweet items and treats. In my instruction packet, I have included a recipe for some home made hot cocoa mix, but look around the internet and find a yummy recipe that you would like to share. Add some chocolate chips, cinnamon or cayenne to your mix to spice it up a bit. Whatever recipe you use or other treat you share, your friends and loved ones are sure to enjoy this cute little package of "sweets the season brings".

Now that the holidays are quickly approaching, join me at YouStampwithDawnandFriends and start creating. Just click the blinkie on the right.

Masculine - Simple Card

2011-11-10T10:41:00.000-08:00

I needed another masculine birthday card and was inspired to create this one from a card in Paper Crafts magazine. I used basically the same layout as my inspiration piece, but changed the image. I stamped the leaf using Gently Falling and dug out my glass glitter to do a little broken glass technique. Clean and Simple but with a little bling.

Paper - chocolate chip, pacific point, crumb cake whisper white card stock
Ink - chocolate chip, pacific point, more mustard
Stamps - Gently Falling, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Accessories - square lattice embossing folder, linen thread, button, glass glitter

The Paper Player Recipe Challenge

2011-11-06T03:00:00.000-08:00

White Shimmer Paint and Dazzling Diamonds for a Frosty tree

Anne Marie has a fun challenge for us this week at The Paper Players. Everyone was cooking something up with Anne Marie's special recipe - 3 Patterned Papers, 2 Ribbons, 1 punch and a pinch of glitter. It took me a while to chose the DSP, and I opted for Frostwood Lodge. I paired this with Lovely as a Tree and sprinkled the branches with a bit of White Shimmer Paint and Dazzling Details. Although you cannot see it in the picture, the snowflake is painted with the White Shimmer Paint as well.

I hope you come up with a yummy concoction for this challenge. Make sure to leave a sweet comment on all the lovely design team's blogs.

The Paper Players Design Team

Susan Joyce ( November GD)

Blog Candy Winner!

2011-11-05T16:55:00.000-07:00

Thank you for all your kind comments last week for the Paper Players Fall blog hop. I hope you had fun hopping around. The Random Number Generator selected #73 for blog candy - April. Congratulations!

April said...

You are so right about the retailers skipping holidays. It's the same way when you want to buy a pair of gloves or a hat when it gets cold, but they don't have any because they sold them during the summertime! I love your Thanksgiving project. I am new to MDS, but I will definitely give this a try. Thanks for sharing! :)

April, please send me your email address so you can claim your blog candy.

Be sure to join us this week at The Paper Players for another fantastic challenge from Anne Marie.

Stamp Club Project

2011-11-03T08:50:00.000-07:00

Last night we completed this project for our stamp club. The hostess chose a Thanksgiving theme but did not want anything for a Thanksgiving table setting. I went with the same display idea as my previous post but changed up the size and layout. Again, using My Digital Studio, you can vary the size of your projects. This layout is a twist of that seen in the Holiday Mini Catalog on page 16. I wanted to add a bit of texture so decided to add a small piece of burlap in lieu of a ribbon. I purchased an inexpensive 5x7 frame to complete the look.

Paper - whisper white, more mustard, old olive card stock

Ink - more mustard, cajun craze, chocolate chip, old olive, versa mark

Stamps - Gently Falling, MDS Autumn Spice Digital Kit, Texture

Accessories - Pewter embossing powder, Large Circle Scallop die, Tag die, Square Lattice embossing folder, hemp twine, brown button, burlap

The Paper Players Blog Hop - Another MDS Hybrid for Me and Blog Candy

2011-10-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Saturday everyone! If you have been to the Paper Players Blog, you will know we are having a blog hop today! Everyone on the team has created a Fall project! We are linking our projects up on our blogs this week, and some of us have blog candy to share! So be sure to check out each blog. Here is the Blog Hop list...click the names to visit their blogs.

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile
Cindy Hall

Tara Bilbao (you are here)

My Project today is a somewhat simple Thanksgiving Decor Item. I get so annoyed with the department stores putting Christmas decorations up before it is even Halloween. They seem to skip Thanksgiving altogether - ACK! I love Thanksgiving. Don't get me wrong I am a Holly Jolly Girl through and through, but THERE IS A HOLIDAY BETWEEN HALLOWEEN AND CHRISTMAS!! OK enough of my ranting.

I decorate my house for Thanksgiving and wanted to make a little something for my entryway . In order to get the scale a bit larger than the stamped image, I turned to my handy, dandy My Digital Studio to give the background a distressed look and to print out the Thanksgiving sentiment. I added a few hand made flowers and some pewter embossed leaves in a simple layout and I have a Thanksgiving decor item for my hall table. Yes Virginia, there is a Thanksgiving:)

I realized my center piece was crooked after I took this picture - I fixed that!

Paper - whisper white, very vanilla, old olive, early express more mustard card stock

Ink - soft suede for distressing, more mustard, early espresso, old olive, cajun craze, bravo burgundy

Stamps - My Digitial Studio - Autumn Spice Digital Kit

Accessories - 1 3/4", 1 3/8" , 1", 3/4" circle punches, scallop border trim punch, glimmer brad, small brads, frame

I have blog CANDY! Leave a comment and I will randomly select a winner that will recieve a "Button, Button" clear stamp set along with a ribbon assortment.

Paper Players - A Sketch From Nance

2011-10-23T03:00:00.000-07:00

This week Nance has a fabulous sketch for us at The Paper Players. I was torn between vintage and modern for this card and combined the two for this wonderful sketch - a little bit of vintage paired with monochromatic black and white give this card a bit of a quandary, but I think it works for the challenge. I continually saw the New Edition dsp against a black background and went from there to design the card. A little old with a little new - mmm - what do you think?

Paper - New edition DSP, basic black and very vanilla card stock

Stamps - Established Elegance, French Foliage, Notably Ornate, Tiny Tags

Ink - Black

Accessories - black satin ribbon, jewelry tag punch, 1 3/4", 1 3/8" 1 " circle punches, scallop border trim punch

Nance Leedy is such a talented stamper/crafter/artist make sure you visit her blog and leave a sweet comment on her fabulous work. While you are at it, give some sweetness to the rest of the amazing Paper Players Design Team that I am so blessed to be a part of for the season.

The Paper Players Design Team

Tara Bilbao
Cindy Hall (October GD)

Our Second Annual Operation Write Home - Christmas

2011-10-20T21:59:00.000-07:00

Megan, Traci, Martee and Marianne

Ahhh, finally a moment to post again. I have been very busy with the kids schedules and also some projects for upcoming UStampwithDawnandFriends sessions ( stay tuned for coming announcements) and have not posted much.

Anywhoo, I am glad to post our pictures from our 2nd annual Operation Write Home day. Last Sunday, 5 of us met at my house and worked away stamping Christmas cards for our troops. We even put on a little Christmas Music to get into the mood. It's always such fun to get together with friends for some stamping, lots of chatting and laughter and of course a little food. I believe we will have completed 80 cards for our package that I will be sending off on Monday.

Operation Write Home is such a wonderful organization, please visit http://operationwritehome.org for more information.

Paper Players CAS Christmas Challenge #68

2011-10-16T03:00:00.000-07:00

This week Lesley has a wonderful challenge for The Paper Players. It is a CAS (clean and simple) Christmas challenge using the colors red and green. CAS is always a challenge for me especially for Christmas. I had something completely different in mind for this challenge, but unfortunately, I ordered my new Christmas stamps too late and they will not arrive until Monday:(

I definitely kept it simple here. I actually did not even stamp this card but created the main image using My Digital Studio. I really enjoy using MDS for many projects and this is a perfect example. With MDS I was able to create a project instantly using digital stamps in lieu of a physical stamp. I am not an exclusive MDS user but love it for hybrid projects where I can create an image using Stampin' Up! artwork and combine it with perfectly matching paper and accessories. Contact me to learn more about My Digital Studio

I was ACHING to put some glitter on that tree or a few jewels or even dazzling details - but I really worked at keeping it simple. The layout is from a card that inspired me from Paper Crafts Magazine. Again, it was such an effort not to add an additional layer or two and some bling, (glitter, glitter glitter the tree) but I kept it simple:)

Visit the Paper Players Design Team beautiful blogs and leave a sweet comment

The Paper Players Design Team

Tara Bilbao
Cindy Hall (October GD)

Paper - Letters to Santa DSP, whisper white, crumb cake card stock
Ink - NONE - I used MDS
Stamps - MDS Bright Hopes Stamp Brush Set
Accessories - real red 1/8" taffeta ribbon, real red button, linen thread

Paper Players - A Color Challenge from Jaydee

2011-10-09T03:00:00.000-07:00

This week Jaydee has a beautiful color challenge for The Paper Players. As soon as I saw this challenge, I pictured falling leaves and created this card using embossed leaves and brayered paper. To offset the gold embossed leaves, I created a sliver of paper with glass glitter to set beside the leaves. A small sentiment finishes the card for a quick card with a great color challenge combination.

Paper - Very Vanilla, Early Espresso

Ink - more mustard, bravo burgundy, cajun craze, versamark

Stamps - Petite Pairs, Gently Falling

Accessories - brayer, gold glass glitter, dimensionals, gold embossing powder

Visit the Paper Players Design Team beautiful blogs and leave a sweet comment

The Paper Players Design Team

Tara Bilbao
Cindy Hall (October GD)

The Players #66 - Music

2011-10-02T03:00:00.001-07:00

This week the Paper Players challenge is to use music as an element or theme for your project. It is this week that my mojo has decided to leave for vacation and I find it very frustrating given that music is such an important part of my life. I went through at least 5 different designs for a card and finally gave up on this one. I hope you all can relate to the occasional creative block. One aspect that I couldn't give up on was a card board heart. We all receive so many Stampin' Up! boxes and I had to grab a piece of the textural box for this card. I used a piece of the card board box and die cut it with Hearts and Brackets die -pulled off a paper layer and then distressed it with whisper white craft ink and soft suede.

The musical relation to this card conjoins the songs that I used to sing to my kids when they were babies. Both songs involve a heart or reference to one. I used to sing the Cinderella song " A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" to my daughter every night to put her to sleep. She was indeed a princess. My son was born on Valentine's Day so of course I sang " My Funny Valentine" to him each night. I also sang the Elvis Presley song " Wooden Heart " to both of them so I had to create a card that used not only musical notes but incorporated a heart as well. I loved those cozy nights singing my children to sleep. The songs not only had heart in their lyrics, but were truly sung from MY heart.

This is not what I had in mind but still captures my overall thought. Make sure your visit the Paper Players design team members beautiful creations and leave a comment.

The Paper Players Design Team

Tara Bilbao
Cindy Hall

Paper - Neutrals DSP, Beau Chateau DSP, early espresso, riding hood red, very vanilla card stock

Ink - Early Espresso, Soft Suede, Crumb Cake

Stamps - Petite Pairs, Music Notes Stampin Around Wheel

Accessories - Hearts and Brackets die, Cardboard box, dimensionals, Victoria crochet trim, button, crumb cake seam binding, scallop trim border, dotted scallop ribbon border

Sympathy Cards

2011-09-30T16:26:00.000-07:00

I love to make cards but absolutely do not enjoy making sympathy cards and these are for a very sad occasion. My husband is the coach of my son's flag football team and yesterday one of our boy's father passed away. He was such an involved father and a constant at every practice and game. It is heartbreaking and we are all shocked and saddened. I made the first card for the team to give to their team mate who is now without his dad. I think the sentiments are just perfect for how the boys feel. I wanted to post these for you so you can see how great the Petite Pairs set is and how apropos the sentiments are.

The second card is for his mother.

1st Card

Paper - Spice Cake DSP, early espresso and more mustard card stock, watercolor paper

Ink - Stazon black, crumb cake, soft suede, chocolate chip, more mustard, pear pizzazz

Stamps - Petite Pairs, Furry Folk

Accessories - Heart punch, linen thread, button

2nd Card

Paper - Websters Pages DSP, basic black card stock

Ink - basic black

Stamps - Teeny Tiny Wishes

Accessories - dotted scallop ribbon border, rosette, hand-dyed ribbon

U Stamp with Dawn and Friends - Guest Designer - Halloween Mantle/Tabletop Decoration

2011-09-29T09:19:00.000-07:00

Today my project was posted at U Stamp with Dawn and Friends - Paper Parade 2011 and I can finally share my project. I created this mantle/tabletop decoration using Pick Your Poison designer series paper from the Holiday mini-catalog. The letters and many of the accents were constructed using MDS. By joining USWDAF, you will get a full tutorial of this spooktacular mantle decoration and MANY other wonderful projects. I have also included a jpg of the MDS file so all the letters are created for you.

UStamp with Dawn and Friends is a great resource for many paper-crafting projects. All projects are 100% Stampin' Up!. I am sure you will recognize some of your favorite demonstrators once you join the fun. Click the blinkie below to join UStamp with Dawn and Friends.

The Paper Players Sketch Challenge #65- Not Spice Cake

2011-09-25T03:00:00.000-07:00

This week Ann Marie provided a beautiful sketch challenge for The Paper Players. I have Spice Cake DSP on the brain and love the paper but need to design without it. OK, but I really love Spice Cake and thought of it first thing when I saw this sketch - (step away from the Spice Cake and think of something else). This sketch is so versatile that I created 2 cards for the challenge. I had a Thanksgiving theme in mind for my original concept with lots of distressing and layers and yummmy Spice Cake DSP - need to let it go. SO, I picked up Paisley Petals - such a beautiful paper. Once I started working with the pretty Paisley Petals paper, I liked the clean look and decided not to distress all the edges as planned. I cut out the pretty leaves for dimension and a coordinating accessory per the sketch and liked the overall look of the card. - AND THEN I realized that our dear friend's birthday was this week. I needed a masculine card. I started working with the GO TO sketch and created a vintage balloon card using the Up Up and Away stamp set and Well Worn DSP . Up Up and Away may be considered a juvenile set but when I first saw it in the catalog, I envisioned it as a vintage set. The images are stamped on our Halloween DSP, Pick Your Poison. This paper has a great distressed look for the vintage feeling I was trying to create - but no Spice Cake.

I am pleased with both cards due to Ann Marie's FABULOUS sketch. Visit the rest of the Paper Players design team blogs and leave a sweet comment on their BRILLIANT creations - and some of them use Spice Cake - MMMMMM , I really like Spice Cake:)

The Paper Players Design Team

Tara Bilbao
Sandra Conner (September GD)

UP UP And AWAY CARD

Paper - Pick Your Poison, Well Worn, soft suede, very vanilla, not quite navy, crumb cake card stock

Stamps - Up Up and AWAY, Teeny Tiny wishes, Established Elegance

Ink - Soft Suede, Not Quite Navy, Cajun Craze

Accessories - circle dies, modern label punch, word window punch, dimensionals, linen thread, button

THANKSGIVING CARD

Paper - Paisley Prints, very vanilla, early espresso, always artichoke card stock

Ink - early espresso

Stamps - Seasonal Sentiments

Accessories - Circle dies, Fancy Scallop dies, dimensionals, button, linen thread

U Stamp with Dawn and Friends - Guest Designer - Paper Parade 2011

2011-09-19T11:17:00.000-07:00

I am very excited to announce that I will be a guest designer for U Stamp with Dawn and Friends Paper Parade 2011. Yahooooo! It is such an honor to be a part of this wonderful group of designers. I have a Spooktacular project for all of you so join today so you don't miss a thing.

A note from Dawn:

WOOHOO!!!!!!!

UStamp with Dawn and Friends!! has implemented a new FAST AND EASY way for everyone to join as a member and you no longer need to wait for Opening Day to receive and invite!!

BIG YAY on that one!!

Are YOU a Paper LOVER?? Who isn't, right??!!

Paper Parade will be focusing on showcasing Stampin' Up! Paper from the USA/Canada 2011 - 2012 Idea Book & Catalog as well as the 2011 Holiday Mini Catalog!! Obviously not all papers are available in all the Stampin' Up! countries, so Designers from the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand will be showcasing the Paper Designer Series Paper Stacks

(which by the way are some of my FAVES!!).

This is a HUGE Challenge to cover all the papers in 40+ projects...but all the Designers are way excited and are more than up for the challenge!! Keeping in mind that the most important element is the AWESOMENESS of the project, each Designer is working MAGIC with the Stampin' Up! Papers!!

Here is the list of all the Stampin' Up! papers that the Designers will be covering...

Cardstock

In Colors (10)

Brights Collection

Subtles Collection

Regals Collection

Neutrals Collection

Basics

White Vellum

Glimmer Paper

Waffle Paper

Watercolor Paper

Specialty Designer Series Paper

Designer Series Paper

Paper Stacks

Simply Scrappin'

Since our focus this round is PAPER and not just the upcoming Holiday Season, we have a VAST VARIETY of FANTASTIC Projects!!

Come join us and take advantage of the Early Bird Savings!! ONLY $19.99

Click the blinkie below to start the payment/signup process....it's E*A*S*Y*!!

The Paper Parade website is OPEN NOW,

so you will not need to wait for an invite on Opening Day!!

Remember, with the implementation of the new payment process allows YOU to enter the website as soon as you make your payment!! Woohoo!!

Hope you join us...I will "see" you over at the Parade Parade Website!!

The Paper Players CAS Challenge

2011-09-18T03:01:00.000-07:00

This weeks's Paper Player's Challenge is a CAS ( clean and simple) challenge using an animal or a plant. I have to admit I almost feel like I am cheating on the Simple part of this challenge given how easy this card was to create. The plant is the flower in the tag and the flowers in the "Four Frames" stamp. I used the "Tea Time" Simply Scrappin' kit to create the card. The pink and green scallop borders are pre-cut border stickers that were applied to the white background. The green tag is a pre-cut sticker that I adhered to white paper and bordered with early espresso. The only real stamping is the sentiment within the "Four Frames" stamp set punched with the corresponding decorative label punch. I inked up only half of the flowers and the frame. How simple is that?

The Simply Scrapin' kits are perfect not only for scrap-booking, but for simple quick cards. These kits are amazing for stamp-a-stacks and perfectly coordinating decor items with little effort.

Join us this week for The Paper Players CAS challenge. Please visit each of the design team blogs, leave a sweet comment and enter our challenge.

The Paper Players Design Team

Ann Schach

Anne Marie Hile

Rita Wright (for Jaydee)

Julie Marshall

LeAnne Pugliese

Lesley Croghan

Nance Leedy

Tara Bilbao

Sandra Conner (September GD)

Stamps - Four Frames, Petite Pairs
Ink - Early Espresso, pink pirouette, lucky limeade
Paper - Simply Scrappin' Tea Time label and borders, whisper white, early espresso
Accessories - pretty in pink taffeta ribbon, designer buttons, decorative label punch, dimensionals

In Remembrance

2011-09-11T12:56:00.000-07:00

The Paper Players Color Challenge

2011-09-11T03:09:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it is already my second week as a GD for The Paper Players. It has been such a fun and exciting experience. This week's challenge is a color challenge from Nance. When I saw the old olive and rich razzleberry paired with basic gray, I immediately thought of halloween. I have paired the old with the new for this card. One of my favorite sets that is now retired Halloween Hoot and Wicked Fun DSP are the old, joined with the new Wicked Cool stamp set and Basic Grey DSP.

Pop on over to The Paper Players and show us your creativity.

Stamps - Wicked Cool, Halloween Hoot
Ink - basic black, old olive, basic gray, rich razzleberry
Paper - Wicked Fun DSP, Neutrals DSP pack, whisper white, old olive and rich razzleberry card stock
Accessories - glimmer brad, ribbon border punch, 1 1/4",1/2", 3/4" circle punch

The Paper Players Birthday Challenge

2011-09-04T18:05:00.000-07:00

I am so honored to be chosen as a guest designer for The Paper Players challenge blog. I hope you play along each week and are inspired by all the amazing talent of the design team.

This week's challenge is a birthday challenge. I have been anxious to ink up these cute little FURRY FOLK from the new Idea Book and Catalog. This set caught my eye right away and I think the images can be very versatile. I thought the little critters would combine well with the cheery colors of SPICE CAKE designer series papers ( yummy!). Megan has already claimed this card for one of her friends.

Pop on over to The Paper Players challenge blog and play along.

The Paper Players Design Team

Tara Bilbao
Sandra Conner (September GD)

Stamps - Furry Folk, Bring on the Cake
Paper - Spice Cake dsp, watercolor paper, early espresso and very vanilla card stock
Ink - Staz On black, chocolate chip, soft suede, crumb cake, pear pizzaz
Accessories - linen thread, 3/4" circle punch. 1/2" circle punch, mono glue, dimensionalshttp://www.thepaperplayers.blogspot.com/

Paper Players Guest Designer

2011-09-03T09:36:00.000-07:00

I have been selected to be a guest designer this fall for the Paper Players! I am so honored to be working with the amazingly talented design team. I hope you join me each week and submit your lovely creations.

Card Class Project

2011-08-21T13:59:00.000-07:00

Here is the card we made for this last Wednesday's stamping class. I was inspired by a layout from Paper Craft's magazine. I know I am using this dress form a little too much and promise to put it away for a day or two:) I really love the set Established Elegance and like to combine it with Elements of Style.

Stamps - Established Elegance, Elements of Style, Bring on the Cake, Timeless Treasures
Ink - soft suede, always artichoke, pink pirouette
Paper - Beau Chateau, whisper white, crumb cake, soft suede card stock
Accessories - corner rounder, linen thread, crumb cake seam binding, vintage brads

Twin Birthday Cards

2011-08-12T17:06:00.000-07:00

Today Jake needed birthday cards for twin 11 year old boys. I made the above cards using the emboss resist technique. I wanted to make them similar but not exactly the same ( just like the twins).

Stamps - Bring on the Cake, Up Up and Away, Extreme Elements

Ink - early espresso, soft suede, cajun craze, not quite navy

Paper - Well Worn DSP, not quite navy, cajun craze and very vanilla card stock

Accessories - 3/4" circle punch, clear embossing powder, brayer, dimensionals

Moxie Fab World Tuesday Trigger

2011-08-11T11:45:00.001-07:00

Browsing this week's challenges, I came across an inspiration challenge for Moxie Fab World Tuesday Trigger. I immediately saw the torn layers of this card in my mind and went to work to create it. Ahh, if only I had the figure to wear this beautiful dress. Even though the inspiration dress is a bit more mod, I went with a vintage feel for my project. I just received my new stamp set Established Elegance and HAD to ink it up.

Stamps - Established Elegance, Elements of Style, Vintage Labels (sentiment)

Paper - Paisley Prints, Springtime Vintage DSP, early espresso, very vanilla card stock

Ink - early espresso, always artichoke, cherry cobbler, peach parfait

Accessories - dots embossing folder, oval die, vintage trinkets, vintage brads, early espresso satin ribbon, dimensionals

Masculine Thanks - Unscripted Sketches 117

2011-08-09T10:27:00.000-07:00

A little stitching for detail

Per my previous post, a masculine card is in order. This time I looked to Unscripted Sketches for inspiration. I feel I get stuck using the same layout, so it is nice to challenge myself to try different sketches. I knew I wanted to pair Lovely as a Tree with the new DSP Well Worn the moment I saw the paper. I used linen thread for the accents to keep a natural feel to the card.

Stamps - Tiny Tags, Lovely as a Tree

Ink - early espresso, Stazon black, cajun craze, old olive, more mustard, chocolate chip, soft suede

Paper - Well Worn DSP, early espresso, old olive, cajun craze card stock, watercolor paper

Accessories - Circle punch, jewelry tag punch, linen thread, dimensionals, mat pack

ColourQ - Teen Birthday

2011-08-09T10:12:00.000-07:00

I added a touch of dazzling diamonds glitter to the butterfly and just a smidge to the flowers.

I am frequently in need of a teen girl's birthday card and this week's Colour Q Challenge is perfect for those occasions. Even though Megan likes to make cards for her friends, with school, athletics and other activities she doesn't always have time to make them so it is nice to have a few on hand. This one is going in the stash.

For this color combination, I wanted to use something with very simple graphics and paired some old items with new. Two new items I am very excited about are/is the new in-color Pool Party and the new stamp set Petite Pairs. I am finding that Pool Party coordinates with so many of the other SU colors and creates a bright, crisp look. I also love Petite Pairs for sentiments. This set includes 2 sentiments for almost every occasion, birthday, get well, sympathy, wedding, baby, Christmas, thank you etc. and the size is perfect to add with a stamped image.

Stamps - Sweet Summer, Petite Pairs

Ink - basic black, tangerine tango, melon mambo, pear pizzaz

Paper - Tea Time ( Simply Scrappin'), basic black and whisper white card stock

Accessories - scallop border punch, corner rounder, black and white gingham ribbon, melon mambo pom pom ribbon, glimmer brads, dimensionals

Card Patterns - Beau Birthday

2011-08-08T08:43:00.000-07:00

I have been waiting to create a card using the blues from Beau Chateau DSP. I clicked on over to Card Patterns challenge for a layout. The blue and white patterns of the paper reminded me of transferware china so I added a little teacup from Timeless Treasures.

My next project is definitely going to have to be masculine since I have a few thank you cards to make for men and I have created so many feminine cards lately. No flowers or lace:)

Stamps - Timeless Treasures, Petite Pairs

Paper - Beau Chateau DSP, very vanilla, marina mist card stock

Ink - marina mist, daffodil delight

Accessories- Victoria crochet trim, marina mist satin ribbon, circle and scallop dies, pearl jewels, little leaves sizzlet, dimensionals.

School Scrapbook - Back to School

2011-08-07T17:05:00.000-07:00

As I was de-cluttering the house, getting organized and ready for back-to-school, I came across many report cards and certificates that I needed to file in the kid's school scrapbooks. I thought I would share these simple pages with you. The Paper Player's challenge this week is also a back-to -school challenge. Pop over and see all the beautiful projects they have created.

I have made 2 scrapbooks using this simple layout for both Megan and Jake. I created a two-page layout for each grade starting in preschool and continuing up to Senior year in high school. When I receive the school pictures, I just fill in the teacher's name and insert the school picture on the left. The right hand page is a pocket in which I tuck report cards, honor role certificates and misc. pictures and other items. Now all their school pictures, academic certificates etc. are all in one place. In the future I hope to create a similar album for their sports activities.

Redux - I Like it Better

2011-08-06T17:09:00.000-07:00

I switched the colors on this card and like the contrast much better. To add a little texture to the mustard band at the bottom, I "sueded" the paper. I am really enjoying the new In Color -Pool Party. It really coordinates with so many colors.

Paper - early espresso, pool party, very vanilla, more mustard

Ink - pool party, early espresso, more mustard

Stamps - Elements of Style, Nature Walk, Because I Care ( sentiment)

Accessories - Large decorative label punch, early espresso satin ribbon, dimensionals

Paper Crafts Inspiration Card

2011-08-06T13:40:00.000-07:00

This card was inspired by a card that I like in the July/August issue of Paper Crafts magazine. It looks very light in the picture, but it is really a bit darker in person. I am going to give this one another try with a darker color combo to make it pop a bit more.

I didn't have a re-inker to color the ribbon with so I used a Blushing Bride Stampin' Write marker to color very vanilla seam binding, then quickly dipped it in water to disperse the color. I hung it to dry and it actually worked. Needless to say, blushing bride re-inker is on my current order list.

Paper - very vanilla, blushing bride, crumb cake

Ink - pool party, crumb cake, blushing bride

Stamps - Elements of Style, Nature Walk, Because I Care ( sentiment)

Accessories - Large decorative label punch, very vanilla and crumb cake seam binding, blushing bride Stampin' Write marker, dimensionals

Green Birthday

2011-08-06T13:32:00.000-07:00

Here is the latest birthday card I made for my friend. Given that the paper is so decorative, I created a simple layout and finished it with my favorite - seam binding and victorian lace ribbon.

Stamps - Bring on the Cake
Ink - early espresso
Paper - Webster's Pages DSP, Stampin' Up! old olive, early espresso card stock
Accessories - pear pizzaz seam binding, victorian lace ribbon, vintage trinkets

Back and Stamping

2011-08-02T14:29:00.000-07:00

We are back from vacation! - After sorting through mounds of mail and emails, and getting settled back in - I couldn't wait to stamp. Ohhh, where to start? It has been so long since I have stamped and created any paper projects so of course I looked to my favorite challenges to get inspired. This week the Paper Players have a sketch challenge. I have been anxious to pair the new stamp set " Up Up and Away" with the new Simply Scrappin' Kit -" Tea Time". Don't you just love these yummy colors together?

Paper - Simply Scrappin' - Tea Time

Ink - basic black, lucky limeade, pool party

Stamps - Up Up and Away, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Accessories - Top Note die, corner rounder, whisper white taffeta ribbon, pink button, dimensionals

Enjoying the Great Outdoors

2011-07-26T09:35:00.000-07:00

I haven't been posting any creations lately since we are on vacation in Mammoth Lakes, CA. We have been settling into a new house and enjoying hikes and the beauty of the area. I am going through a bit of withdraw in the evenings not being able to stamp or obsess about paper but our days have been busy and so much fun. Tomorrow we will tackle Cathedral Lake in Yosemite. Here are some pictures of the kids enjoying the great outdoors.

Horseback riding at McGee Creek

Jake's wild horse?? - That would be a mule.

Goofy Hikers

On top of Pot Hole Dome - Yosemite

Beau Chateau Thank You

2011-07-08T21:03:00.000-07:00

I have been waiting for a while for the Beau Chateau designer series paper for 2011-2012 and was so excited when it arrived yesterday on the big brown truck! I needed a thank you card and of course couldn't wait to dig into this pack. I created this card for my very best friend who gave me some amazing gifts for my birthday. BUT the most amazing gift is her friendship. She is an amazing person and I believe I am a better person because of her influence. Whenever I hear the song "For Good" from Wicked I think of our friendship. (click on the link and listen) I am truly blessed to have her in my life.

So anywhoo, I received this paper as well as a few other goodies that I ordered, but one of the most exciting is the Simply Scrappin' Kit - Tea Time. I normally don't order Scrappin' Kits but this one caught my eye right away and it is so beautiful. The great thing about the kits is that they come with everything you need to create scrapbook pages or many sets of coordinated cards/projects ( DSP, card stock, stickers, borders etc). You will see some shortly from this beautiful Tea Time set.

Stamps - Four Frames, Silouette Sentiments, Elements of Style

Ink - Marina Mist, Pink Pirouette, Soft Sable

Paper - Beau Chateau DSP, marina mist, crumb cake, whisper white card stock

Accessories - very vanilla seam binding, decorative label punch, oval die, dimensionals, vintage trinkets, Beau Chateau side notes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQJaZO2nfGg

Paper Players - Mom's Birthday

2011-06-30T14:58:00.000-07:00

My mother's birthday is tomorrow. I almost had the same birthday, but decided to wait one more day to make my appearance into the world so I could have my own birthday - or leave Mom her own. I turned to the Paper Players Sketch this week for inspiration for her card. She loves butterflies so I used PinkPaislee's Butterfly Garden Designer Paper. I love the romantic look of the paper and thought it fit her taste perfectly.

Speaking of romantic - I can't wait until tomorrow when I can order Stampin' Up!'s new Designer Series Paper Beau Chateau ( just beautiful). I am sure I will be using that quite a bit. Another must have for me is denim ribbon. Stampin' Up!'s new 2011-2012 catalog items are available for purchase tomorrow. I AM SO EXCITED!!! Make sure you visit tomorrow after noon to order your new items.

Stamps - Watercolor Trio

Paper - PinkPaislee Butterfly Garden, crumb cake, very vanilla card stock

Ink - crumb cake, blush blossom

Accessories - Beautiful Wings sizzlet die, scallop circle punch, very vanilla seam binding ribbon

Fitting Birthday

2011-06-24T10:37:00.000-07:00

Another birthday card today. I wanted to break out my Webster's Pages - Trend Setters/Ladies and Gents and loved this color combination. The papers are so beautiful that the layout of the card can be very simple and quick to create. Gotta love a quick card!

Stamps - Chic Boutique ( retiring at the end of the month)

Ink - early espresso, pear pizzaz

Paper - Webster's Pages - Trend Setters/Ladies and Gents, SU pear pizzaz, baja breeze, early espresso, very vanilla card stock

Accessoires - Beautiful Wings embosslit die, old olive button, Martha Stewart Hydrangea punch, dimensionals, beads

A Silly Card for a Silly Guy

2011-06-24T10:28:00.000-07:00

Megan had another birthday party to attend so I went out of the box and made this card for her friend. He is such a goofy, nice boy so I wanted the card to reflect that. I used Picnik to create the special colors and effects of the photos then imported them into my publishing program. If you want to edit photos quickly check out the Picnik site.

Stamps - Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper - basic gray, black, whisper white card stock
Ink - basic black
Accessories - black brads, dimensionals

Another Mojo Card

2011-06-10T09:12:00.000-07:00

I loved the Mojo Monday sketch and used it once again for this Bar Mitzvah card. Just changing the color scheme to a more masculine one gives it a different feel.

Stamp - Shalom Sayings

Ink - Early Espresso, Soft Suede

Paper - Basic Grey Max and Whiskers, Bazzil Basics Simon, Stampin' Up early espresso, cajun craze and very vanilla card stock

Accessories - 1" and 1 1/4" circle punch, early espresso satin ribbon

Mojo Monday - Goodbye to You My Trusted Friend.....

2011-06-09T15:03:00.000-07:00

Today was the last day of school for my son Jake. I needed a card and gift for his teacher so I turned to the Mojo Monday Sketch Blog for inspiration. Oh My GOODNESS! there are so many beautiful cards submitted this week by the design team and all the participants. I guess it is indicative of a great sketch. Make sure you pop over to the Mojo Monday blog and check out all the amazing talent.

Anywhooo, so I am saying goodbye to a trusted friend - Play Date DSP. It was my go-to for a bright uplifting card. I thought this paper was perfect for my son's teacher. Make sure you take the opportunity to order this paper before June 30th before it's gone for good.

Stamps - Silhouette Sentiments
Paper - Play Date DSP, real red and whisper white card stock
Accessories - paper daisies, 1" and 3/4" circle punches, Play Date Quick Accents

A Go To Sketch Site - Sweet Sketch Wednesday

2011-06-01T21:12:00.000-07:00

Raised number "13", stamped image and circles

One of my go-to sites for sketches is Sweet Sketch Wednesday. I am amazed at the quality and challenge of the sketches the design team produces each week. Make sure you "bug on over" and check out their challenge and the beautiful work of the design team each Wednesday. I have the site bookmarked and visit each week for great inspiration. What amazing talent! Anywhooo....

I was in need of a 13 year old birthday card for my dear friend's son ( who is like a son to me) and used their sketch for inspiration. Even though the DT has such cute, pretty cards, I used the sketch for a more masculine feel. My "son from another mother" loves orange so I had to incorporate lots of orange in the card. Yes, I am using all retired items, but they were the great ones that I held on to.

All items Stampin' Up!

Stamps - Bring On the Cake ( Spring Mini 2011- retired)

Paper - Travel Journal DSp ( Summer Mini 2010 - retired), night of navy, wisper white, pumpkin pie card stock

Ink - basic black, night of navy, pumpkin pie

Accessories - 1" 3/4" 1/2" circle punches, dimensionals, glitter brads.

So while I was away.....

2011-06-01T20:54:00.000-07:00

While I was focusing on the 8th grade project many things around the house were neglected so I have been doing a bit of delayed spring cleaning. My main concern was my kitchen "command center". This is the typical center from which everything important in the household is controlled . I do not have a calendar posted with all sorts of activities on it since everything is controlled via iCal and iPhone and Weplay (which is a must for team moms and any sports family- I will have to do a separate post on that later) programs on our individual phones and computers ( I love Apple!). My go to drawer and cabinet were just getting too out of control and over run so I worked on that and other kitchen cabinets over the past few days and I feel much more mentally stable:).

So here is what I have been doing

Command Center Cabinet Before

Command Center Cabinet After

Total Command Center

Pens and Pencils OUTSIDE of the junk drawer

One of the first cabinets that I organized was my spice cabinet. I went through my various bottles and transferred the spices into same size bottles and labeled them, throwing away expired spices. I was amazed at how many bottles were expired - cha-ching!$$ I have always arranged them alphabetically but this is the first time I have transferred them into same-sized bottles and I love it; however, I need to restock all those out of date spices like Oregano.

A Very Empty Spice Cabinet

Labeled Spice Jars

I still have a few more cabinets and then it will be on to the next room.

Where I Have Been Focusing My Time - 8th Grade dance

2011-06-01T20:06:00.000-07:00

The past month I haven't been stamping as much as I would like to due to being on the 8th grade dance committee. Graduation from my daughter's catholic school is a big deal and the dance is a huge hi-light of the festivities. The gym is divided into sections to decorate and transformed by the parents for the week of the dance and festivities of graduation. A theme is chosen and kept secret until the night of the dance ( this year it was Disney). I was the coordinator of the gym entrance or facade and have been working with my trusty crew of 4 to do our section. Our only draw back compared to the other sections is that we have to erect our section in one day. We had a plan but didn't know if the measurements, theory of support, etc. would work until that day. Thank goodness for duck tape!

So here is the before and after of the gym and our project

Before

After

The best thing of the evening was bringing Megan home and hearing all about the wonderful evening she had with her friends. ( You can tell she is my first right?) Here she is dancing the first dance with her dad ( they are both gorgeous yeah? Yes, she is almost as tall as he is) The first dance of the evening is for mothers and sons and fathers and daughters then they kick the parents out.

Megan and Marc