Prettie Changes

A couple of weeks ago we took a break from Prettie Wednesday challenges due to some big happenings at Paper Pretties.  If you haven't heard by now, Paper Pretties is under new ownership and is now based right here in the US!!  Yea!!  There are new flat rate shipping rates and since it is US based the shipping will be much faster!  You can check out more details on the Paper Pretties site.

The hard part . . . I've decided to "retire" from the Paper Pretties design team.  I have been so blessed over the last 3 years to be a Prettie Girl - I have learned a LOT, met amazing people, had SO much fun and loved it all!  But it's time to step aside and move on.  I know that the new owner has LOTS of fun things planned, new products, new stamps, new lines, etc. and you will not be disappointed!  I plan on watching and cheering them on as everything unfolds - I may even shop a bit! *wink*

Thank you so much to everyone for your support!  I'm a bit melancholy today but I'm excited to see what lies ahead! :)

Missed You!

 Afternoon friends!  Summer has kicked in here and it's hot and sticky - we should have gone to the lake today, lol!!  Instead I made a card for the SCS CAS Challenge which is a color challenge - light blue, light green and orange.  

I love those colors and it seemed like another perfect opportunity to use Very Square from Mint Motif and iheartpapers.com.  It was also fun to give my butterfly die from Papertrey Ink a try!  I don't know why but butterflies normally aren't my thing but I think the dies are fun because you can make them any pattern you want!


I stamped the squares and then used the die to cut them out. The background was embossed using a Quickutz embossing folder.  I love the sentiment - it's from Very Square Sentiments and I know just who I sending this one too! :)  This was a very simple layout but I really like the ribbon ending on the card instead of tied and the sentiment tag.

I hope you all enjoy the day and thanks so much for visiting!!

Cardstock:  White (Gina K Designs), Spring Rain (Papertrey Ink), Stamps: Very Square, Very Square Sentiments (Mint Motif for iheartpapers.com), Ink:  Summer Sky, New Sprout, Tangelo, Black (Memento), Accessories:  Spring Rain rosgrain ribbon (Papertrey Ink), glue dots, foam adhesive, rhinestones (Kaiser), Tools:  Butterfly die (Papertrey Ink), embossing folder (Quickutz), Nestabilities (Spellbinders)

Dreaming . . .

Happy Monday my friends!! Are you enjoying summer? It was a pretty nice weekend here and we enjoyed every minute of it! My daughter, Anna is going to day camp all this week so we'll be busy shuttling her back and forth but she is SO excited to be going. I miss those days of going to camp!!

But on to the card . . . I've been drooling over my sweet friend Joanne's few FB posts/pics from Greece this week and got inspired to create something for her Clear Blue Skies challenge.   Get inspired by the ocean with shades of blue, and lots of contrast with the black and white. 

So what could be better than a beach-themed card using Kitchen Sink Stamps 3 Step Sea Shells?!  I used only shades of blue for the stamping and most shells were done with only 1 single color ink - just stamped off in increments to create the different shades.

Largest shell:  Step 4 - Spring Rain (Papertrey Ink), Step 3 - Summer Sky (Memento), Step 2 - Summer Sky (stamped off), Step 1 - Summer Sky (stamped off 2x), Step 5 - Bashful Blue (SU!)
Sand Dollar:  All steps done with Blue Danube (Memento)
Starfish:  All steps done with Bahama Blue (Memento)
Long skinny shell:  All steps done with Bordering Blue (SU!)
Small shell: All steps done with Enchanted Evening (Papertrey Ink)

I stamped the script image from 3 Step Letters from the Past (also from Kitchen Sink Stamps) all over the card base using Summer Sky ink.  The sentiment is from another great set from KSS, Vintage Words.  The layout is FTL #96 - it just was perfect!  One final touch, a small blue bit of bling in the center of the sand dollars. 

Please don't forget to visit the rest of the KSS Crew today!  Lots of fun stuff coming up soon for KSS so watch for news of that soon!  Have a wonderful day everyone!

Angela • Connie • Lisa • Lynn • Makiko • Maria

Cardstock:  White (Gina K Designs), Black (Papertrey Ink), Stamps: 3 Step Sea Shells, Vintage Words, 3 Step Letters from the Past (Kitchen Sink Stamps), Ink: Summer Sun, Blue Danube, Bahama Blue, Black (Memento), Bordering Blue, Bashful Blue (SU!), Enchanted Evening, Spring Rain (Papertrey Ink), Accessories: foam adhesive, rhinestones (Taylored Expressions)

Thanks for the Lift!

Sadly, today is my last post as a Sugar Baby for The Sweet Stop Saturday Sketch team.  My six month term has come to an end and there will be some brand new Sugar Babies next week.  It's been so much fun to work with all the great ladies and a HUGE thank you to Korin for having me!!

Today's sketch was lots of fun and I used a very pretty new digi stamp from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps called Hot Air Balloon.  The colors were somewhat inspired by the cover of one of our school books from this past year, The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene du Bois (what a fun book that was!), although the pretty green didn't make it into the card.  I had some fun with my Copic markers and also a white gel pen on this card!  I think balloons are very "in" right now and this one is super cute!

You can check out today's sketch on The Sweet Stop blog along with the cards from the rest of the team - plus I know they'd love a visit too! :)  Of course, we'd love to have you link up your creation with the sketch as well!

Korin Sutherland
Audrey Gonzales
Andrea Vernagus
Candace Mitchell
Renata Elenbaas
Nancy Brown
Kathy Paige
Dana White
Kelli Caslow
and June Guest Cindy Coutts  

Have a wonderful weekend friends!

Cardstock: Kraft, Aqua Mist, Hawaiian Shores, Summer Sunrise (Papertrey Ink), White (Neenah), Patterned Paper: Dotty Biscotti (Papertrey Ink), Stamps: digi - Hot Air Balloon (Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps) sentiment from Up, Up & Away (Papertrey Ink), Ink: Memento, Accessories: Button, Twine, Ribbon (Papertrey Ink), foam adhesive, Copic markers, white gel pen, Tools: Nestabilities, medium scalloped edge die (Papertrey Ink)

You Shine!

Good morning! We're off to take the children fishing today - fun times! We had a wonderful afternoon yesterday visiting with Jana and her children. The girls hit it right off and Emma's so excited to have a new penpal she can correspond with! :)

I wanted to share a quick card I made this week using Sewing Box-Hugs from Waltzingmouse Stamps.  I used some cute paper from Jillibean Soup - love the fun colored stars on the kraft background!!  I stamped the star twice, one on the dp and once on the the green cardstock.  After cutting them both out I layered them on a cream circle that had been edged with glitter.

It still needed a little something so I added two lines of 1/4" Scor-Tape which I then sprinkled with glitter.  It all seemed to work perfectly with the sentiment in the bottom right corner, You Shine!  And of course I couldn't resist adding a cute button to the center.

Thanks so much for visiting today friends!  I hope you have a wonderful Friday!! :)

Cardstock: Kraft, Vintage Cream, Ripe Avocado (Papertrey Ink), Riding Hood Red (SU!), Patterned Paper: Jillibean Soup, Stamps: Sewing Box - Hugs (Waltzingmouse Stamps), Ink: Memento, Accessories:  Button, Twine (Papertrey Ink), Nestabilities, Scor-Tape, Dazzling Diamonds glitter (SU!), foam adhesive

Salt Challenge: Obedience

It's time for another Salt Challenge and this week it's Kim who's given us the theme.  Please take a minute to read Kim's excellent write-up on the Salt blog.  She's taken the theme from I Samuel 15:22 where Samuel tells King Saul, "To obey is better than sacrifice."  Saul's excuse for his disobedience was that he intended to sacrifice the spoils of war to God.  I'm reminded of a quote I remember from college, "It's never right to do wrong in order to get a chance to do right."  So often today I think we "bend rules" or tell "little white lies" in order to perhaps do something "good."  But God sees our sin and more than anything He wants our obedience!

As I thought about my project today I kept singing this song that our children sing in Sunday School (I grew up singing it as well!):

Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe.

Doing exactly what the Lord commands, doing it happily.

Action is the key - do it immediately, the joy you will receive.

For if we believe the word we receive, we always will obey.

I used the first line of the song on my ATC today as I believe it sums it up nicely!  The background swatches were stamped with the Mint Motif set, Very Square. The frame is Fillable Frames #4 from Papertrey Ink.

I'm off to tidy up - Jana is coming to visit me today!!! We're so excited!! :)

Cardstock: Kraft, Simply Chartreuse, Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink), Stamps: Very Square (Mint Motif for iheartpaper.com) Fillable Frames #4 (Papertrey Ink), Ink: Pear Tart, Tangelo, Dandelion (Memento), Accessories: Cream & Simply Chartreuse felt (Papertrey Ink), Brad (Pink Hedgehog Crafts), Flower dies (Provo Craft), Fillable Frame #4 (Papertrey Ink), White Gel Pen, foam adhesive

Pieced Dahlia (CAS72)

Hello friends!  Just popping in with a quick CAS card today.  Yesterday's CAS challenge on SCS was  fun sketch from Diane (fionna51).  This card seriously would have taken me about 15 minutes if I hadn't sat there and stared at it for so long - lol!  I used Delightful Dahlias from Papertrey Ink along with the coordinating dies.  The paper is Cosmo Cricket Early Bird of course - love that blue pattern with the red polka dots!!

We've got a full day ahead, I hope you are all enjoying some beautiful summer weather and sunshine!!

Cardstock:  Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink), Patterned Paper: Early Bird (Cosmo Cricket), Stamps: Delightful Dahlias (Papertrey Ink), Ink: Memento, Accessories:  Button, Twine (Papertrey Ink) Foam adhesive, Tools:  Delightful Dahlias dies (Papertrey Ink), paper piercer

6 Months 'til Christmas!!

Good morning and happy Monday! Today is the kick off to Kitchen Sink Stamps' annual 6 months 'til the holidays sale!  For 3 days only, Monday - Wednesday you can get 20% off everything in the store!  Also, orders that total $60. before shipping, will include a FREE Mystery Stamp Set (Retail Value: 27.95)... to keep or give to a friend.:) You will get your 20% off everything when using the code STAR when checking out.

For my card today I used Multi Step Build a Garland..  What a fun set with all the cute little things you'd need for the perfect holiday card!  I used FTL #95 for the sketch and kept it pretty simple.  I think you could whip up a bunch of these with different images from the set!  Here are the colors I used for my mints: 

Red:  Step 3 - Riding Hood Red (SU!), Step 2 - Riding Hood Red (stamped off), Step 1 - Riding Hood red (stamped off 2 times).  
Green: Step 3: Cottage Ivy (Memento), Step 2 - Cottage Ivy (stamped off), Step 1 - Bamboo Leaves (stamped off). 


Thanks for visiting today!  Be sure to check out what the rest of the Crew has for you today!

Angela • Connie • Lisa • Lynn • Makiko • Maria

Grow With Love (SSS61)

Happy Weekend! It's time for another Saturday Sketch from The Sweet Stop and this week we have a "sketch with a spin" - decorate the inside of your card. I don't do that often enough, it really finishes off the card nicely!

I used a beautiful set from Flourishes today called From the Garden. Believe it or not but the pot and the flowers are 2 separate stamps - neat! There are a few different options of flower to use with the pot and I chose the geranium.  Geraniums always remind me of my mother-in-law, she always has several pots of red geraniums around her house and yard and seems to have a way with them! :)

I loved this sketch - pretty clean and simple but very versatile! After I colored my image with Copic markers I cut it out and stamped the sentiment.  The patterned paper is from Jillibean Soup.  As I tried to decide what to add for ribbon or an embellishment I just started playing around with this thin silk ribbon and ended up making a small, loopy bow with a small button in the center.  I love the way the silk ribbon drapes so nicely and makes the bow seem soft and the loops remind me of all the small flowers in the geranium.

The inside is lined with the same dp and cardstock and I stamped the small image from the set in the bottom corner. 

I hope you have a chance to give today's sketch a try!  Leave a link on The Sweet Stop blog if you do and please do go over and check out the rest of the DT's work!!  Have a wonderful weekend!

Korin Sutherland
Audrey Gonzales
Andrea Vernagus
Candace Mitchell
Renata Elenbaas
Nancy Brown
Kathy Paige
Dana White
Kelli Caslow
and June Guest Cindy Coutts 

Cardstock: Kraft, Dark Chocolate (Papertrey Ink), Ivory (Gina K Designs), Patterned Paper: Jillibean Soup Stamps:  From the Garden (Flourishes), Ink: Memento, Accessories: Copic markers, Nestabilities, Silk Ribbon (May Arts), button, twine,  Medium scalloped die (Papertrey Ink), Chino Pearls (Kaiser)

Summer Sandals

I have a fun little card to share today.  I've been seeing denim all over blogland and have finally given it a try myself!  I used a super cute digi stamp from Tiffany's Doodles called Summer Sandles.  I thought they looked like a cute pair of shoes to wear with jeans or maybe a great summer denim dress (oh I had one that I loved many years ago - pre-children . . . I felt great in that dress - miss it! LOL!). 

I colored the shoes with Copic markers.  I used some burlap that I wet with Colorless Blending Solution and dabbed it right on the straps to give them a nice linen texture.  The denim is from an old pair of one of the girls' jeans. I added a little flower made by stacking several sized Cuttlebug flowers and adding a sparkly brad to the center. 

Don't forget there's still time to enter the 1st Tiffany's Doodles challenge for a chance to win!   Click here for all the details and have fun!

Cardstock:  Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink), Patterned Paper:  Lucky Me, Open Toed Paper (My Mind's Eye), Grid paper (October Afternoon), Stamps: Digi - Summer Sandals (Tiffany's Doodles), sentiment from Paper Pretties, Ink: Memento, Accessories: Corner Rounder, Copic markers, Nestabilities, Cuttlebug die

Prettie Wednesday Hold

Hello friends!  I don't have a Prettie Wednesday post for you today, we have a little 2 week break mostly due to the Big News.  But I couldn't leave you with nothing today . . . I've had this image colored for a few months but finally got around last night to putting a card together with it. (Sorry for the bad photo!)  I intentionally left off the sentiment so that I could add one when I need it. The image is You're Fantastic from Paper Pretties, it is definitely one of my favorite Sophia stamps!

I also wanted to let you know that there is a new challenge up at Children's Challenge Corner.  Do you have kids that love to craft with you?  Well, CCC is perfect for them!! We have fun challenges and prizes just for them!  We'd love to see more kiddos over there!

Have a great day!

Cardstock:  Raspberry Fizz, Black (Papertrey Ink) White (Neenah), Patterned Paper: Raspberry Fizz (Papertrey Ink), Stamps: You're Fan-tastic (Paper Pretties), Ink: Memento, Accessories: Rhinestones (Kaiser), Ribbon (SU- retired), Copic markers

Sky's the Limit

Good afternoon! I'm running a bit late today but I just finished up a quick little card for the CAS challenge over on SCS - Things that Fly!  I love using this adorable set, Fly Away from Becky Oehlers for Papertrey Ink and of course, clouds! :)

I used Aqua Mist and Ocean Tides for the colors with just a pop of red!  I think they're good colors for a masculine card and wouldn't this be a good graduation card or congrats on a new job card?  The layout is CAS94 sketch from Clean & Simple Stamping only I turned it on it's side.

Thanks for visiting today - I hope you all are enjoying some beautiful weather and perhaps a bit of happy crafty time yourselves!!

 Cardstock: Ocean Tides, Aqua Mist, Pure Poppy (Papertrey Ink), Stamps: Up, Up & Away, Up, Up & Away Sentiments, Fly Away (Papertrey Ink), Ink: Black (Memento), Fresh Snow (Papertrey Ink), Accessories:  Ribbon (SU!), Button, Tin Type Impression Plate, Corner Rounder, Clear Glaze Pen, Copic markers, Nestabilities (Spellbinders)

Father's Day ATCs

 I have 2 posts today - please scroll down for my Who's Fab? post! Thank you! :)

Hello my friends!  I have a little mass production project to share today.  Last week's Kitchen Sink Stamps Father's Day card for the KSS Crew Challenge got me inspired to create another Father's Day project.

Last month I took on a project at church.  Our church hosts several Sunday afternoon lunches a year for our church family. Each time they also box up approximately 35 of these lunches for delivery to friends in the area who are not able to make it out to church. For several years now they have been taking a small “favor” with each delivered meal and they recently needed someone to take over that project. I suggested that we make scripture ATCs (Artist Trading Cards) that could be kept in a small album.  I put together 35 little albums using my Bind-It-All and Mother's Day was our first one (you can see it here).  Now it's time for Father's Day and I again reached for my Multi-Step Trees from Kitchen Sink Stamps.

I printed the verse first and then used Multi-Step Trees from Kitchen Sink Stamps to stamp the tree slightly off the card.  Since I was mass producing I kept it fairly simple.  The brown cardstock layer was embossed with a woodgrain texture plate and the twine is wrapped around the card twice and tied.  Here's my ink recipe for the tree:

Step 4 - Rich Cocoa (Memento, Step 3 - Always Artichoke, Step 2 - Old Olive, Step 1 - Kiwi Kiss

I finished up a little early (which rarely happens let me just say!), so I decided to pretty up little glassine bags to hold the cards.  I stamped "happy father's day" from  Ready 4 Any Holiday and then the Step 1 leaf from Multi-Step Leaves (both from KSS).  Since the bags are a bit taller than the ATC, the label fits perfectly above so that you can see the ATC on the inside - I like that.

Thanks so much for visiting today, please be sure to visit the rest of the Crew also!  Have a great day!

Angela • Connie • Lisa • Lynn • Makiko • Maria

Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Naturals Ivory (SU!), Stamps: Multi-Step Trees, Multi-Step Leaves, Ready 4 Any Holiday (Kitchen Sink Stamps), Ink: Rich Cocoa (Memento), Always Artichoke, Old Olive, Kiwi Kiss (SU!), Accessories: Woodgrain Texture plate, Twine (Papertrey Ink), Brad (Pink Hedgehog Crafts)

Who's Fab?

It's a FABulous Monday!!  I'm so thrilled to be the Fab Friend over at My Favorite Things today!  What a treat for me this is!! I have loved My Favorite Things stamps for several years now - they were some of the very first non-SU! stamps I purchased when I began "branching out" - LOL! and I still am loving and buying them!  Kim has added so many fun lines to the original Who's That Girl line.  I know you all love the Pure Innocence line (*hint* - Go take a peek at my project on the MFT blog!) -  they are just so sweet!

Another favorite line is Flopsey - seriously with those ears what's not to love?! :)  As a little bonus, I had time to make a fun Reading Flopsey card for you today!  I used last week's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #72 from Karen Giron.  Flopsey's totally into his book. :)  I broke up the sentiment that came with the set and stamped the rest of it on the inside.

Thanks for letting me share my fun news and a HUGE thanks to Kim for giving me such a treat today!!  I hope you can pop over to the MFT blog and visit! Have a great day!

Cardstock: Kraft (Papertrey Ink), White (Neenah), Baja Breezes (SU!), Patterned Paper: October Afternoon (Farm Fresh), Stamps: Reading Flopsey (My Favorite Things), Ink: Mememeno, Accessories:  Rhinestones (Kaiser), Twine, Button (Papertrey Ink), Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Ric Rac (Melissa Frances), foam adhesive,Copic markers 

Some Bunny

Welcome to the weekend and a new Saturday Sketch from The Sweet Stop. Be sure to pop over to the blog when you're done here to view the sketch and all the samples from the Sugar Babies!

I saw this week that Kim and the My Favorite Things girls were highlighting Flopsey in all his cuteness, which inspired me to pull out a few of my Flopsey stamps (yup, you'll be seeing more of this cutie coming up!). This is Flopsey Chocolate Bunny and don't you just love his recliner - lol!  The dp is from October Afternoon of course!

I hope you get a chance to play along with the sketch and leave a link on The Sweet Stop blog.  Take a look at what the Sugar Babies have made for today too and have a wonderful day!!

Korin Sutherland
Audrey Gonzales
Andrea Vernagus
Candace Mitchell
Renata Elenbaas
Nancy Brown
Kathy Paige
Dana White
Kelli Caslow
and June Guest Cindy Coutts 

Cardstock: Kraft, Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink), Baja Breeze (SU!), Patterned Paper: Farm Fresh (October Afternoon), Stamps: Flopsey Chocolate Bunny (My Favorite Things), Ink: Memento, Accessories: Copic markers, Nestabilities, Glaze gel pen, Twill tape (SU!), Button, Twine (Papertrey Ink)

Salt Challenge: Mother

Hello it's my turn today the challenge today on the Salt blog so I've just pasted my copy here:

A friend from church and I will be starting a program in the Fall for the little girls (kindergarten & up) at our church. We have several elementary school age girls in our church, and it's our desire to spend time teaching them from Prov 31, different aspects of being godly girls and women someday. In preparation for this, I have begun reading books and search for resources for not only the group, but for the mothers of these girls.

I was reading an excellent book this week the author talks about motherly love and one of the best examples of it in Bible, Hannah. We all know the story well I'm sure. As a mother I cannot imagine giving up my son, my firstborn son, to live far away from me the care of priests at the temple. But the author pointed out that the very next verse after Hannah takes Samuel to the temple and gives him over to Eli is I Samuel 2:1: "And Hannah prayed and said, 'My heart rejoices in the Lord.'" After doing what was probably the most difficult thing she could have, she praised God! Hannah knew, as we should, that our children belong first to God - He loves them more than even we do and He has given them to us for a short time to raise for His glory!

I thought of the verses in Deuteronomy 6:6-7: "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up." As the mother of 5 small children, my greatest desire isn't that they be "happy", as you hear so often, but that my children love the Lord with all their hearts and live to serve Him always!

My ATC may not scream "mother" to you, but I sort of went with the teaching theme from the verse.  The apple and ruler are from 3 Step School Days from Kitchen Sink Stamps.  Please take a moment to view all of the beautiful creations from the team today on the Salt Blog and if you get chance we'd love to have you create along with us! Be sure to leave a link.

Celebrate

It's time for a new Prettie Wednesday challenge - this one from Jane, and she wants us to make a trifold card.  Sometimes it good to be pushed - I hardly ever make trifold cards.  So I went and found this great tutorial on SCS and came up with this cute one.  Be sure to begin today on Christie's blog!

Instead of using patterned paper I simply used cardstock.  For the red, I added some scored lines and added dots to the blue.  The Featured Sets this week are Lady Liberty and Canadian Girl, both from Paper Pretties and more coming in rubber!  Both will be 40% all week.  As you can see, I used Lady Liberty.  Wouldn't this make a great invitation for a 4th of July picnoc?

Next stop is Jana's blog!  We're headed out to the beach today and then swimming lessons so I better get a move on!! Have a great day! :)

Wishing . . .

I am loving this cute Up, Up & Away set from Papertrey Ink! Course that means you subjected to more cute clouds - lol! I was just playing around the other night and came up with this fun card. The rainbow would be fun to do in lots of funky colors wouldn't it?

After I die cut the clouds I added a bit of Spring Rain ink to the edges using a sponge dauber just so they wouldn't get lost up there in the sky - which by the way was embossed with the Swiss Dot embossing folder.  The sentiment is from the companion set, Up, Up & Away Sentiments.  Wouldn't you love to get a happy card like this in the mail?! :)

All Supplies Papertrey Ink unless noted:

Cardstock: White, Spring Rain, Stamps: Up, Up & Away, Up, Up & Away Sentiments, Ink: Memento, Accessories: Lemon Tart Ribbon, Cloud dies, Vintage Button, Copic markers