You're Just My Style!

Hi all! H0pe you are all enjoying your weekend! When I laid eyes on these new stamps from Gina K. Designs - I thought funky chic! (The set is called Retro Boutique!)Well, I also thought this stamp set called for a different kind of layout - so I grabbed a plate - yes a plate - and traced around the edge four times to create this curvy box. After I cut the small shape out of the white, I lined it up on my green piece and did this again adding about 1/4" on each side. When I was done, I had this funky layer! The purses were stamped on the white and again on the decorative paper multiple times so each purse could have it's own "look!" I added some silver leafing on the "metal" parts of the purse, added some bling and the sentiment and I was done! I have to admit, the cutting did take some time - but you know me-- love cutting things out!

That reminds me, I had a question a couple of days ago about my Silver Leafing Pen. I use the two way Zig that I got a few years back from Stampin' Up. One side is gold and the other is silver. I love it because it is a fine tip so I can add fun, fine details. If there are any SU demos out there - let me know if you can still buy these through SU!!!

Well, we are off to hike today - mountains here we come! Can't wait to get a whiff of that fresh mountain air!

Enjoy your day!

Stamp Simply --- In 10 minutes or less!

Hi All! It's Friday which means it's time for another Stamp Simply challenge!! This week, it's all about creating with ease! If you like to pump out cards in a hurry, you really need to pay attention to Sharon Johnson's 10 Minute Tuesday posts! That's what she does - cards that can be reproduced in 10 minutes! So, that's what this week's Stamp Simply is all about. You can check out the official details HERE.

You might look at my card and say - there is no way this is a ten minute card! Well, it was. You know why? All of the pieces - the cut paper, the scallops, the circle were cut ahead of time. All of these pieces were rejects from another creation. When I pulled out the lily of the valley stamp (part of the Peony set) from Flourishes, these pieces took on a whole new life! I matted it up, stamped my leaves with Vintage Green Vivid and my flower stalks with Versafine Smoky Grey. The words "lily of the valley was also stamped with Versafine Smoky Gray. I then accented the flowers with a really light blue Tombow marker. Add some ribbon (Seafoam Sheer by May Arts) and some adhesive backed pearls and you're done! So, dig through your paper storage and look for scraps - Take it from me - you never know when yesterday's rejects could be today's ten minute creation!

Need some more inspiration? Check out....

Jennifer
Janine
Tammy
Dee

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

A RAK and some "wild" pictures!

Well, my mail box has been happy lately! Recently, I got this little beauty from Cheryl Moody! Click HERE to check out her fabulous blog. She is a humorous, talented, warm hearted lady who I'm proud to call a bloggin' bud! Don't you just love this card!?! I love how it sparkles. And, the colors are so fun-- just a breath of sunshine!
I don't have any creations of my own to show you today! I was too busy playing with the kiddos! We went to the zoo and saw some fun animals!

We saw a tiger....
A wolf....
A bear....
A pygmy marmoset...
And many more.... But, this was the sweetest picture of them all!
On that note, I bid you adieu! Have a fabulous day!

Lavender Sprig and some happy mail!

Hi all! Just a quick card for you today! I made this with the new Botanical Dreams set from Gina K. Designs. It's basically a 10 minute card. Stamp, chalk, color, stipple on some distress ink, add brads, mat, add ribbon, done! Sometimes, you don't need a lot of "schtuff" on a card to make it pretty! That's why I love these new images drawn by Asela Hopkins. LOVELY!

Here's a close up! I actually stamped the sprig twice masking the mid-section of the sprig so that it wouldn't look too heavy.

Now... on to some happy mail! A while back Denise Gooch sent me a fabulous card she made with a little surprise for my girl. First, this card! She knows how much I am a sucker for white and black cards!!


Isn't this lovely? She used a set from Tim Holtz/Stamper's Anonymous that I had never seen before and LOVE! Thank you so much Denise! Your card completely rocks! I am always humbled when people send me hand made things. Makes me feel special-- ya know!!

The next goodie came for my daughter and is just too sweet for words. Remember her mission to run our Women's Run race screaming "You gotta want it!" all the way? You can see the pics HERE.

Well, this is what Denise came up with!
It's a vellum card that she did all by hand with the exception of the block style letters. The leaves and the calligraphy are all done by hand. You should see the sparkle to the ink she used! It's so beautiful! Underneath the vellum, right by the E and K, Denise wrote Ellie's name. So pretty!

Here's a closeup! Man is it hard to take a picture of vellum AND sparkly ink!! LOL!
Thanks again Denise! You're the best!

Hope you are all enjoying a great start to your week! We're off to the zoo. Our little town has a rather small zoo but they just got a new bear and the kids are anxious to "meet" him!!

Enjoy today!



P.S. HOLY COW! I just noticed my counter went past 100,000! You know what that means -- blog candy will be coming your way. I've got to make this one good too!!

Family Fun Ticket Book!

Hi All!
Friday was the release of some really fun new stamps from Gina K. Designs! If you liked her Kindred Spirits Moms or Kindred Spirits Dads, then you are going to love her new Kindred Spirit Kids line! When I saw all of the images, I immediately thought of a coupon book that I could make and give to my kids - things like having a sleepover, playing in the dirt, going on a hike, or hitting the spray park! These images work PERFECTLY for this!! There are so many I didn't use too! That means YOU could get even more creative than this!!

Here's the cover of my book - Used decorative paper and some fun embellishments - just gingham and grosgrain ribbon and some fun Making Memories epoxy buttons. The whole thing was held together with a ring that splits open - anyone know the name for this??? I couldn't think of it to save my life! It's like the rings that are on a binder - only it's by itself.
Here's the first "ticket/coupon." I colored all the images with the new Koh-i-noor pencils that Gina K. now stocks in her online store. I tell you what - these pencils have been described as "butter" and that description is dead on. They are so soft, they float on your paper. You then can blend them with odorless mineral spirits using paper stumps or tortillions.
Here's Ticket #2-- family bike rides are a family favorite in our house!
Here's Ticket #3-- With the mountains just about 60 miles away - this is a super duper fun get-away for us! I have to admit, I drew in a pony tail on the little girl to look more like my Ellie.
Ticket #4 - Love the "no questions asked" part. I am actually afraid of them asking to use this one!!! LOL!
Ticket #5- Sleepovers! What kid doesn't ask a million times a week for one of those!!

Want to know something funny? Well, the ink wasn't even dry on this baby and the kids already wanted to cash in one of their "tickets!" So, this weekend we hit the spray park in town and here are the pics to prove it!!
You can see Ellie in the back with the light blue bathing suit - yes, she is striking a pose. What this camera didn't pick up is her screaming - Big Bad Fountain HERE I COME! That girl cracks me up! Cal is there in the orange t-shirt trying to ring out his t-shirt. He thought he was too cool to run through the fountains. Well, we got there and he says - I might just walk Ellie around. Next thing we know he's sopping wet - t-shirt and all! Silly kid!

More pics!


p.s. I made a PDF of this ticket book file, so if anyone wants it to make a book like this of their own - just shoot me an email and I will send it along! Happy Monday!

I was TAGGED!

Ok, I'm it!!! LOL!

The fabulous Laura Davis over at A Day In The Life Of The Paper Poppy got me!

The rules of the game: Each player answers the questions themselves. At the end of the post the player then tags 4 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment letting them know that they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you've posted your answers.

Ten years ago....
I was 27 and a working mom. My son was one and I was the morning anchor at the local TV station. I got up at three in the morning so by noon I could be home with my son! At that point, we both needed nap time!

Five things on today's "to do list"
It was a "girls only" day since my hubby and son were on a father and son day trip to the hot springs (140 miles away) so, we went to the spray park, did our nails, went to dinner, I came home and had to work for a bit proofing the magazine I work for and then settled in to blog for a bit! Not a bad day at all!!!

Snacks I enjoy
Pretzels, popcorn, string cheese, freezie pops, is coffee with fun creamer a snack??? It is for me!!

Things I would do if I was a millionaire
Pay off all my debt, invest for retirement and college for my kids, start a foundation to provide grants for childrens' charities (this has been a dream of my hubby and mine for years and years).

Places I have lived
Royal Oak, Michigan; Beverly Hills, Michigan; Lansing Michigan; Billings, Montana! That's it!!

I am tagging...

Barb
Dee
Jennifer
Linsey

Take care all! :-)

Sketch Challenge Fun!

Well, if you stopped by the Gina K. Forum on SCS tonight, you might be cross-eyed right now. It's lightning speed fun with a bunch of stampin' addicts, tons of samples, challenges and contests - it's enough to make your head spin!!

This was one of the cards I revealed on the forum. It's Gina's new 1 Free with Three set. Buy three stamp sets and you get this baby free! I love the flowers that are a part of this set. So elegant and timeless! This card is rather simple! I stamped it in black and then colored it with Tombow markers. The cracked glass on the vase was outlined with my Copic Spica clear pen to make it look sparkly - like cracked glass! The decorative paper is actually something (gasp) I got at Dollar Tree. It's the Miss Elizabeth's collection. Not too shabby! Do you see the bling on my card? It's some new bling in the Gina K. Designs store! They are self adhesive rhinestones. What is so cool about this is that the set comes with varying sizes and multiple colors!

Now, for the fun part..... do you like the card's layout? Well, here's the actual sketch that you can try - there are even prizes on the line!!!

All you need to do is use my sketch and make a creation by Tuesday night, June 24th at 7 PM central. So grab your Gina K. Design stamps if you own them and put them to use! If you don’t own any (yet) PLEASE play along! The more the merrier! We know that you’ll be addicted to Gina’s stamps sooner or later!Upload your card on SCS using the keyword "JUNEGKDJK" and be sure to link back to the thread on the Gina K. Forum. On Tuesday night, I’ll take all the entries posted and pick a winner out of a hat. The winner will be announced on Wednesday. Guess what you win??? Any Gina K. stamp set valued at $18.95 or less!

So what are you waiting for! Can't wait to see what you cook up!!!

p.s. If you missed the previews I shared on the forum - check back this coming week. I'll have them all here eventually!! :-)

Double Take...

Today is a bit of a double challenge coming straight at ya!

First... we have the Stamp Simply 40 - Some like it hot AND second, the Impression Obsession DT decided to heat things up too with a summer challenge! So, I decided to join forces on this one and use some of the new Impression Obsession summer stamps!!!

For Sharon's Stamp Simply challenge the central theme is anything liquid -- drinks, a bath, the rain, water in a vase, the options are endless! Click HERE for the "official rules!"

Well, my ocean scene is certainly liquid and it's certainly summer!

I stamped the Seascape from Impression Obsession on a couple different pieces of paper. First on the light blue to be my "ocean", second on green for my sea grass, third on white so that I could chalk the sandy ocean floor, fourth on orange for my fish, and a sixth time on peach for my star fish. I used the white gel pen to color in the bubbles and ripples in the water. I used chalk on the blue piece around the ripples just to give it some depth! Cut it all up and paper piece it into place, add some glitter glue to the fish and star fish and that part is done! This card is actually a 4-1/4 square. I stamped the sentiment "Dropping You A Line" on a scrap piece of green, matted it onto the pearl blue and then punched a hole at the top. Now comes the fun part! I used a looped head pin for beading, cut it down and used a tool to curve it to create my "fishing hook!" Thread through some natural hemp cord (Stampin' Up) and attach this to the back of your mat. Attach this to a green card base and you're done!
Be sure to check out what the other IO gals did! They'll be posting throughout Friday!
Laura, Daniela, Deborah, and Kelli!

Need some more inspiration for the Some Like It Hot Stamp Simply Challenge, check out the Stamp Simply Team's creations!

Janine, Jennifer, Dee, and Tammy!


p.s. Don't forget about Gina K's Release Par-tay!!! Friday night, June 20th from 7-10 PM central! Games, contests, challenges and more. Plus, MORE sneak peeks! 5 new stamp sets, 7 new singles, plus new FAB bling! Join us at the Gina K. Forum on Splitcoast!

Sneak A Peek with a Peek-A-Boo!!

Hi All! This Friday, this bouquet of flowers..... could be YOURS! It's one of the new 1 Free with 3 set from Gina K. Designs. Buy three sets - you get this baby free! It's called Friendship Blooms and it has the prettiest flowers in it. Since I love flowers and I love to color--- what could be better?? I stamped my image on a circle that I cut out with my circle Nestabilities die. I then colored the flowers and vase with watercolor pencils and blended it all with a blender pen. Add some Stickles and that was it! I matted a scalloped green circle onto a larger circle that I sponged with sage green ink.

Now comes the surprise! I attached my flower piece to the base with one of Gina K's new kind of bling - they are rhinestone brads - they are smaller than the "mega" ones already in her store but bigger than a lot of the other brands out there -- makes them perfect! Why do I need a brad you ask.... scroll down and see!
There's a peek-a-boo phrase! I love this font - so elegant!
The rest of the card is pretty simple. The center is a strip of paper that I edged with ivory cardstock that was punched with the Threading Water Fiskars Border punch. I used my slot punch from Stampin' Up to create the holes for my ivory satin ribbon. That's pretty much it!!

Do you want to see some of the other Friendship Blooms Sneak Peaks? See what these DT members have cooking!
Kurtis
Michelle G.
Emily
Michelle Z.

There's also some new additions to the Kindred Spirits line - Check these ladies' blogs out!
Linsey , Joanne , Julie B., Barb

If you check out Barb's post, you might get a big chuckle! Remember my 4 year old's Cool Club that she created? Well Barb offered up her services as Treasurer of the club. After a long and lengthy debate between my daughter and I, we deemed she was worthy. Afterall, she will have to handle a LOT of money from dues for all the cool people in the world - you know? Anyway, check out her post -- tooooo cute!!!

Coffee With A Friend...

Hi all! You might not know this about me-- I am a coffee nut. I have to have my morning coffee and even my family knows not to really talk to me at length about anything really important when I am JBC (Julie Before Coffee). One of the greatest gifts recently from a friend was a coffee card. I love just being able to drive up to a kiosk and know that I can order whatever I want because this little luxory card is in my purse!!

So, why not Pay It Forward? Well, the new Stamp Simply set - Coffee With Friends - from Flourishes is PERFECT for great presentation! Last time I was getting my cuppa joe I begged for an extra cup and bought a gift certificate. That's when the fun began!!

I wrapped the coffee cup in a sage green paper and found a couple decorative papers ( K & Company) that matched up well. I used my Scalloped Oval and Oval Nestabilities to create the accent on the front of the cup. I paper pieced the coffee cup, added the flourishy "steam" and then accented it with my Copic Spica glitter pen. I used my slot punch from Stampin' Up to create the slits for the tied ribbon on both sides. On the scalloped oval, I sponged the edges with brown ink. On the bottom of the cup, I glued a piece of 1/2" brown grosgrain ribbon just to help it look more finished. Warning - you have to use strong tape to make the layers stick around the curved cup!!

I've never used a coffee bean as an accent on a stamped creation before! This was fun -- just added it with a mini glue dot!
On the top, I used my circle Nesties to add the sentiment. The coffee with friends saying fit PERFECTLY!

The next part of this project was to create the sleeve for my coffee card. I didn't really take the measurements but I set the card down on a strip of paper and then just penciled in lines where score lines should be. I created three folds and then on the last fold, I trimmed it down so that it would be more of a flap. Add some decorative edging, paper piece one of the cups from the stamped cup set, then mat it on top of a circle, scalloped circle and another contrasting circle and add some ribbon as an accent! The cool thing is - I only taped down half of this matted piece with foam tape so that the scalloped edge could slide underneath this and keep this all in place. I hope that makes sense!!


When you flip it open.... voila! The coffee card that was tacked down using some removable double stick tape!!
So, this little number is all ready to go for a friend who loves java. Think she'll take me with her?!?! LOL!

Happy Wednesday!

Sneak-A-Peak Time!!

Hi all! We're just a few days away from another Gina K. Designs release and this one has so many surprises--- it's really hard to even believe! New sets, new singles, new bling and new illustrator who really rocks... WOW!

Tonight, it's all about the girly girls! This is a brand new set from Rupa Shevde called Retro Boutique! So many fun images in this set that will make up great cards for your gal pals!

I love this little dress! It just screamed "paper piece me!" So, I did! All of the papers are from Lasting Impressions and are all the same color but each layer is a different design. I even sewed an edge on the base of the mat to give it a little more "ooomph!" The sentiment is also a part of the set. I love how little it is. I don't know about you, but I think all sets should come with some mini messages like this. Something that adds without overpowering! The tag is actually a part of a Cuttlebug mini tag set. I added some adhesive pearls, some sheer polka dot ribbon and bam---done!

Here's a close up of the dress... LOVE IT!If you want to see some of the other sneak peaks take a trip on over to see....

Linsey
Melanie
Michelle

And, don't forget to stop by Gina's place for all the release party details! She's also got a great giveaway going on!!!

Until tomorrow!!!

You are my sunshine....

Hi all! Hope you're spending time with the men in your life that are also great dads! I actually made this card for my hubby. I was down in my craft room and he pops in as I was making it and says -- Oh, I like that. Then, it dawned on me - "Wait, you're not supposed to see this!" I laughed and said - Great, cuz I'm making it for you. So, pretend you didn't see it!! He laughed.

I created this card with some fun decorative paper (Kaleidascope), some ribbon (American Crafts)and some watercolor paper (Strathmore, 140lb. cold press). I actually stamped the image - twice. I stamped it once on a piece of watercolor paper that I cut out with an oval Nestabilities die and then again on a scrap. I needed the umbrella in this stamp to pop up! I colored it with watercolor pencils and then blended it all with an Aquapainter. The "sand" was done with a stipple brush using Ranger Distress Ink in Tea Dye. I added some "white caps" to my waves with the help of some white Liquid Applique. I also cut a strip of paper with my scalloped scissors and then used the "wrong" side to create my "wave" strip of paper that borders my ribbon. After I made my card, I though -- I wanna go there! :-)

This set is so fun. It's the free with three set. Check it out HERE. It's called "You Are My Sunshine." The good news? Next Friday, when new images are released -- you'll be able to purchase this one!

Hope you have some sunshine in your lives! Enjoy today! We're barbequing and the kids want to take their dad and grandpa bowling! So, off to the lanes we go!