Thank You Secret Santa!!

Our wonderful leader from the Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge, Stacey Schafer (check out her blog at Stacey's Stamping Stage), is always thinking of her design team: making sure we are having fun and aren't overworked, coming up with exciting sponsors, and bonding us together as a team and as friends. For the holidays - we had Secret Santas.  It was so exciting in the midst of all of the hustle-and-bustle and no-time-for-cards to have a surprise package of goodies show up.

My surprise package came from Jessica at Homespun Elegance.  Check out my new stash!!

I love the mix of pinks and florals and vintage prints along with the kraft and burlap and wood veneer! Thank you Jessica!

I challenged myself on my first card to be a little more vintage than I typically am - and I really, really like how it turned out!  These aren't products which are typically in my stash - but I am so glad to have them!! 

For a second card, the burlap/kraft/wood side of the gift was absolutely perfect for my true need today.  It is my youngest son's birthday tomorrow - he turns 14.  What he really wanted to do was go to our place in the mountains, but it just isn't going to work with all of our schedules.  We are going for New Year's Eve so it isn't like he has to wait too long. And he has been totally bribed with a birthday trip to his favorite sushi place - so he's OK.  But I saw the wood veneer trees in Jessica's gift and the kraft tags and the brown stickers and decided that I could bring a little mountain atmosphere to my son's birthday card!


Thank you again Jessica. I love my gift!  And thank you, Stacey, for coming up with these fun events. (She's already set up a Valentine surprise - so there's more to come!)

Fresh Squeezed Stamps: A Tennis Shoe Christmas

I know you are probably all done with thinking about Christmas so I really shouldn't be posting a Christmas card today.  But it's my day to post at Fresh Squeezed Stamps and since they came to my rescue on the 24th, I wanted to share.  We had planned to give my 13-year old son his pick of basketball shoes for Christmas.  This is somewhat different from our usual approach in which he wants the most expensive and we refuse to buy anything but the cheapest!!  His gift was to pick out his own (within reason) without us complaining about the price!  As I was finishing up on Christmas Eve it occurred to me that he wouldn't have anything from us under the tree because he had would have to go shopping for his own shoes after Christmas.  He's still so young - I HAD to have something for him to open up.  Fresh Squeezed and their cute tennis shoe from String Me Along came to the rescue!!

If you knew my 13-year old son, you would understand why I also HAD to include the "nice 2b naughty" graphic from Hello December!  (BTW - if you like the idea but not for Christmas, On Trend 2013 has a great birthday word bubble that could replace the "naughty" circle!  That set is also where I got the swoosh that I used for the ground.)

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and are now looking forward to the new year!!

• Stamps: Fresh Squeezed Stamps On Trend 2013, Hello December, String Me Along
• Paper: MFT Red Hot, Fuse Green
• Ink: MFT Red Hot, Fuse Green, Factory Green
• Accessories: Pretty Pink Posh Sequins

Sparkle and Shine and Merry and Bright!

I woke up this morning and decided to treat myself to some time at my craft table before the day began!! I have a number of Christmas stamps still in my NBUS stash (Never-Before-Used Schtuff).  I had big plans to use them in the last week, but you know how it is this time of the year - joyful and busy, excited and stressed, peaceful and frantic.  I am a bit of a pre-Christmas grinch but starting today - it's all perfectly wonderful!!  I have carols playing, great coffee in my mug, just a little cooking to do today and I am looking forward to candles and carols and His story at tonight's Christmas Eve service.


I love this bokeh style set from Neat and Tangled called Party Dots. I can't believe that it has been in my NBUS stash for so long.  Particularly given how well it works with the sentiment and ornament from the set Merry and Bright.  A splattering of Neat and Tangled sequins and it completely captures the glow that is so beautiful during Christmas.
I was going to stop at this card.  But there were a few more stamps and sequins calling my name.  I went out to a Christmas lunch with a dear friend yesterday and after a few Cucumber Mimosas(!) we wandered through a number of stores.  One of them was a high-end antique/craft type store that included a display of ornaments and decoration in colors and styles that took me right back to my childhood.  I'm standing in the middle of a crowded store almost in tears with the happy memories brought on by these kitschy ornament!!  (Or maybe it was the mimosas!)  I don't have the stamps to truly capture it all - but I did put together some of the colors and sparkle.

I also wanted to do cards today to use my NBUS Neat and Tangled stash along with the Little Tangles challenge of sequins, sequins, sequins.  I do like Neat and Tangle sequins.  Their mixes are fabulous and I love their Crystal Clear sequins.  It's amazing how different clear sequins can be.  Some are iridescent and take on other colors, some are truly clear - but Neat and Tangled's have a silvery cast to them (see first card) that work so well with snowflakes!

Have a happy Christmas Eve day!!!

Sparkle and Shine:

• Stamps: Neat and Tangled Party Dots, Merry and Bright
• Paper: Papertrey Ink Smokey Shadow
• Ink: Papertrey Ink Harvest Gold (light), My Favorite Things Lemon Drop (darker), Papertrey Ink Smokey Shadow
• Accessories: Neat and Tangled sequins in Summer Sun and Crystal Clear, Studio Calico gem, Hemptique black

Merry and Bright:

• Stamps: Neat and Tangled Merry and Bright
• Paper: Papertrey Ink Scarlet Jewel, My Favorite Things Whip Cream and MME Mistletoe Magic 6x6
• Ink: Papertrey Ink Scarlet Jewel and Limeade Ice
• Accessories: Neat and Tangled sequins - Classic Christmas mix

Merry & Bright, the Twin Polar Bears

It's my day to post at Fresh Squeezed Stamps.  I definitely wanted to use the bear yet from Arctic Friends (I had used the penguin here and the walrus here.)

As I was pondering what to do with this cute stamp, I was remembering twin polar bears born almost 20-years ago in my local zoo. Their mother abandoned them, but zoo staff successfully raised them.  It was quite an experience for the entire city - we all stood in line for hours to see them, books were written about them - they were famous!

Their names were Klondike and Snow and they lived most of their adult years in Orlando.  Klondike died just this fall and Snow died a year ago at the ages of 17 and 18.

These stamps aren't quite as cute as the real baby cubs - but pretty darn close!!  And these twin bears are wishing you a Merry & Bright Christmas!


This definitely works for the current Merry Monday challenge to use an animal on a Christmas card.

• Stamps: Fresh Squeezed Stamps Arctic Friends, Hello December
• Paper: Papertrey Ink Blueberry Sky
• Ink: Papertrey Ink Blueberry Sky, Winter Wisteria, Versamark
• Accessories: Stampin' Up Heat & Stick Embossing Powder, Martha Stewart Crystal Fine Glitter, Divine Twine Black Licorice, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder (see here for details on this embossing folder)

CAS(E) this Sketch! Believe

It's time for a new sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch

I am determined to get through my Christmas NBUS (Never-Before-Used-Schtuff) stamp sets - so I ended up going in a slightly different direction.  I wanted to use My Favorite Things Holiday Subway Art, but when I used it I wanted to use a number of the words.  Instead of using a single word - I used a variety of words in a subtle color - then popped the word "Believe" in red.

The die is also in my NBUS basket - it's the Small Blooming Poinsettia from Memory Box.  I love how it layers up!
I think this is a very nice sketch - add a beautiful sentiment and a simple embellishment and you have a great card!  I hope you all find time to play along during this busy holiday season.

• Stamps: My Favorite Things Stamps Holiday Subway Art
• Paper: Stampin' Up Real Red, Papertrey Ink Soft Stone, Basic Grey 25th and Pine 6x6, Stampin' Up Silver Glimmer Paper (just the center of the flower)
• Ink: Stampin' Up Real Red, Papertrey Ink Soft Stone
• Accessories: Memory Box/Poppystamps Small Blooming Poinsettia, Hemptique 10-lb white twine

God Bless Us, Everyone!

I went shopping at Verve Stamps a few weeks ago, specifically to pick up the stamps for this project. While I was shopping, this dapper little guy just jumped into my cart.  He is SO perfect with the sentiment!


I didn't want to do anything fancy with him - he is cute enough to stand alone.  I did use some paper that I liked a lot - but in general would be too busy for my style.  I thought it gave the card a little bit of the older Dickens-look - appropriate for the sentiment.
This is out of my NBUS Christmas stash.  I was paging through that pile and looking at challenges for inspiration.  I am playing along with Merry Monday to use an animal. (I am assuming my bird is OK since the challenge graphic has owls!!).  Also playing with CAS on Sunday: Christmas.

I hope all is going well with each of you as we near Christmas.  I don't have my cards out yet, which is stressing me. They are made - but my little secret is that I have illegible handwriting - while my husband's is quite clear.  So he gets to address envelopes and hasn't done it yet.  I am going to my nieces' Christmas pageant this afternoon and my son's band concert tonight.  I have a few more rehearsals for Sunday and for Christmas Eve bell choir performances.  But other than that - I'm going into the final week feeling pretty good!

• Stamps: Verve Christmas Joy (it's on sale right now!)
• Paper: Carta Bella So This is Christmas 6x6 dsp, Papertrey Ink Scarlet Jewel
• Ink: Memento Black and Copics
• Accessories: Papertrey Ink Scarlet Jewel button, Lil' Inkers Stitched Rectangles, Hemptique Natural 10-lb twine, one little gold dot on his hat

Simple Gift Box and Tag

My oldest son always takes hot chocolate mix as a gift for his teachers - see here.  My youngest prefers Pretzel Turtles.  I think that he thinks they are less work, but by the time he unwraps all of the Rolos - not so much!!  Particularly since he needed 108!  I contribute the tags.  (He has written to/from on the tag since I took this picture, but handwriting is not his strong point so I took the picture first!)

The tag is Papertrey Ink's Tag Sale #5 (the bottom is cut off on the white layer.)  The snowflake is My Favorite Thing's Let It Snowflake. The sequins are Neat and Tangled's Crystal Clear.  And the twine is Hemptique.  The paper and boxes are from Hobby Lobby.
We first started doing the Pretzel Turtles before they became so popular.  Now you can find displays in every grocery store with the pretzels, Rolos and pecans.  When we first made them, the teachers were in awe of these simple little candies. Now I think it is my son who is in awe - particularly of all the parts and pieces that he can nibble on while making them!  They are perfect for kids to make (as long as they are careful of the chocolate when it is hot)!  If you haven't tried them...

---

Pretzel Turtles Small mini pretzels Rolos Pecan halves Preheat oven to 300. Arrange the pretzels in a single layer on a parchment of foil-lined cookie sheet. Place one Rolo on each pretzel.  Bake for 4 minutes. While the candy is warn, press a pecan half onto each Rolo.  Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Curtain Call: Send you a Blizzard

It's time for a new challenge at Curtain Call Inspiration Challenge.  The inspiration photo is this sweet and yummy picture.

We have a fabulous new sponsor, Uniko Studio, for this challenge!

The LEAD of this challenge will receive a gift certificate to use at Uniko Studio!  And the design team got to play with Stunning Snowflakes.

It's a beautiful set with three different snowflakes, each in three different sizes, along with beautiful sentiments.  I love this sentiment - sending a blizzard of kisses....

Aren't these lovely snowflakes??  And it was very nice change to work with pinks and blues instead of reds and greens!!!  I do hope you join in to this challenge.  I know it's a busy time -but all that much more reason to try to take some time for yourself and get craft!

• Stamps: Uniko Studios Stunning Snowflakes
• Paper: Stampin' Up Coastal Cabana
• Ink: Stampin' Up Coast Cabana, Crumb Cake, My Favorite Things Bubblegum, Versamark
• Accessories: Lifestyle Crafts embossing folder, Hemptique twine, Pretty Pink Posh sequins, Stampin' Up Heat & Stick Powder, Martha Stewart Fine Crystal Glitter

Catered Crop: Small Size Matters

The current challenge at Catered Crop is that (small) size matters!!  Make some mini cards - they can be tags or gift card holders or anything teeny tiny.

The challenge came at the time when my kids were making hot chocolate mix for their teachers.  We've done this for a number of years and I have a template in Word that prints off tags in just the right size for one of my tag dies.  I just change up the teachers name's and it's ready to go.  However, the mini card challenge got me thinking of how easy this makes it for my kids - too easy (other than the fact that they measure out the hot chocolate mix).  A card would require them to write something on the inside - and think a little bit about each teacher as they put the gifts together.

I just got the Holiday Treats set and dies from Verve Stamps and with its mini cups, I knew it would be perfect for my mini cards!


Here's a close-up.

It's a very nice hot-chocolate mix - rich chocolate with a dash of peppermint.

The layers are:
1 cup powdered milk 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 cup granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy It all fits in a 1-quart jar and makes 12 servings









On the inside flap of each card, I did pre-print instructions and added my favorite stamps from the set "Have a cup of cheer". 

The jars aren't actually done yet - I made one so that I could write this post.  So, after my kids and the entire high school marching band perform in today's Christmas parade - we'll come back and the powder will start flying and the sound of crushing peppermints will echo!!

• Stamps: Verve Holiday Treats
• Paper: Stampin' Up Crumb Cake
• Ink: Stampin' Up Poppy Parade, Certainly Celery, Crumb Cake, Memento Cottage Ivy, WPlus9 White
• Accessories: Verve Cup of Cheer die set, Hemptique Twine, Pretty Pink Posh sequins

Winter Peace with the Lawnscaping Winter Blog Hop

This is my second post today. 

My post for Fresh Squeezed Stamps is a short scroll away!

I was one of the lucky group who snapped up a space for the Lawnscaping Winter Blog Hop!!!

You should have come here from Amy's card at Tsuruta Designs.  If you started with me, be sure to head to the Lawnscaping Blog to start from the beginning.  There are also details there about the great prizes and sponsors available as part of this hop.

Being a winter hop, it gave me a chance to pull out Making Frosty Friends.  I am so in love with Lawn Fawn's sweet little animals that I tend to forget this set, but it is a great set to work with. There are two sizes of snowmen plus individual stamps and dies for everything you might need to dress up the snowmen - hats and scarves and mittens and even a broom.  Of course, I had to pull out one little creature from Into the Woods.

Next on the hop is Erica from CardsByErica.  Just remember that if anything goes wrong on the hop - head back to the beginning at Lawnscaping Blog.
Have fun!!

• Stamps: Lawn Fawn Making Frosty Friends, Lawn Fawn Into the Woods, Lawn Fawn Critters in the Snow (the bigger snowflake)
• Paper: Papertrey Ink Winter Wisteria, Authentique Seasons Winter 6x6 dsp
• Ink: Memento Black, Copics, Papertrey Ink Winter Wisteria, Soft Stone, Spring Rain
• Accessories: Lawn Fawn dies for Making Frosty Friends and Into the Woods, Lawn Fawn Cole's ABC dies, Lawn Fawn Silver Sparkle Hemp Cord, Cuttlebug embossing folder (retired but see this post for an alternative), misc gems

Fresh Squeezed: Don't Forget to Have Fun!

In the middle of this busy holiday season, I wanted to remind to make time to have some fun!  After all, it's Friday and it's sure to be 5:00 somewhere!


I was looking at this skyline stamp from Fresh Squeezed Stamp's On Trend 2013.  It was the end of a long day and I was also contemplating whether it was too early for a glass of wine.  That wasn't a particularly hard to decision, so I poured myself a glass of wine and came back to my desk only to realize that the set Take a Number had the perfect sentiment.   The geo-tag and stamped sequins also all come from On Trend 2013.  I had to add in a few real sequins for sparkle.
That's quite a party building, isn't it??

• Stamps: Fresh Squeezed Stamps Take a Number, On Trend 2013
• Paper: Black, white, Astrobrights Glow cardstock
• Ink: Memento Black, Hero Arts Neon in Blue, Orange, Pink and Green
• Accessories: clear sequins, Yellow Stickles

CAS(E) this Sketch: Cheers to You!

This is my second post today.

If you are looking for the My Favorite Things Release Rewind,

it's just a post away BUT the card in this post also uses MFT new products!!

It's time for a new sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch!

There is so much that you can do with these three elements.  As is usual, I am amazed by the variety of elements that the design team has come up with.  I went with actual circles because I have these fun new dies from My Favorite Things.


You won't believe how I picked these colors?  Blue margaritas - do you see it?  Red wine.  Champagne!  I wonder what that says about my state of mind as I was creating this card!?  I cut the circles in their colors and then again in white.  I painted the white with MFT's Glitter Glaze to give it shine and a bit of sparkle.   I think it all says "cheers"!
I hope you can play along - I look forward to seeing what everybody uses for those three elements!

• Stamps: My Favorite Things Celebrate Big
• Paper: MFT Blue Raspberry, Brick Red, Natural, Project Life Midnight Edition (the stripes)
• Ink: MFT Brick Red
• Accessories: MFT Cheers Glass Charms Die-namics, Pretty Pink Posh flat black sequins, Hemptique 10 lb black twine

My Favorite Things Stamps Release Rewind

The big December release at My Favorite Things Stamps was Tuesday evening and now it is time for a Release Rewind!  The design team will be doing posts on Thursday and Friday showing you a few more ideas with the new products.  This is my last post as an official guest designer so I definitely had some fun with it!

My first card uses the Celebratory Greetings Die-namics along with part of a phrase from Celebrate Big (the free with $60 purchase set).  The flower is from the new LJD Grand Peaceful Wildflowers.


The pink and red color combo is not a usual combo for me, but I am still working on showing off MFT colors.  The colors on this card are Cotton Candy, Red Hot, and Jellybean Green.  (I just realized that for my candy-lovin' self - this is a great combo!)
Full credit for this card layout comes from the current Muse challenge.
Then I had an inspiration for the Pure Innocence Close Knit stamp set...actually for a border for the Close Knit set.  Did you know you could use the Looped Border Die-namics and loop it together so it looks like knitting?!  What do you think?

I am not usually a pastel color person.  (Probably comes from being surrounded by three men and boys and my childhood in the sand box with my Tonka trucks!)  But I hadn't used any of the pastel color family at MFT on my previous posts.  This is my attempt at pastel using Pink Lemonade and Banana Split.  The button is Bubblegum.  Also on this card are the Washi Tape Die-namics and the DC More Washi Patterns stamp set.
Now for my final card.  I wanted to end with color and what better to use on a colorful card than Sunny Day Doodles Be Your Best Self.  There's nothing fancy on this card - but that's the joy of a fun sentiment - it doesn't take much else to create a great card.


My rainbow of colors includes Razzle Berry, Orange Fizz, Lemon Drop, Sour Apple, Blu Raspberry and Grape Jelly.
I have had a fantastic time over this last week.  I hope that I have been able to show you how much I love these products.  I have many other stamp sets and dies from My Favorite Things that I have purchased over the years so they won't be a stranger on my blog.  Thanks for dropping by this week!

My Favorite Things Stamps Product Launch

Guess what?

All of the My Favorite Things stamps, dies, ink, cardstock, etc. that you have seen on my blog over the last week are now available!!  And if you haven't quite decided, the entire design team is participating with Product Launch posts.  If you head over to the My Favorite Things blog, you can click through to each blog and see even more inspiration!

I want to thank all of the fine people at My Favorite Things for asking me be part of December's release.  It has been a fabulous experience - there are great people running MFT and there's such a variety of fun products!  I will have one more post on Thursday of this week as part of the Release Rewind, but that won't be the last that you see of MFT on my blog.  I used MFT regularly before my guest spot and you'll see more after (you won't believe the Christmas stamps that I have in my NBUS stash!)

I went with congrats and celebration theme for my Product Launch cards.  The first card uses the Celebratory Greetings Die-namics, the Polka Dot Cover Die-namics from today's release.  I also used DC Party Balloons and Party Balloons Die-namics.  The colors on this card are Natural, Berrylicious and Wild Cherry.


This next card uses a set that I have not yet shown you on my blog - Celebrate Big.  It's one of those versatile sets that includes large and small sentiments, plain and script fonts - and they all work together.  

I used a die set that I have had for awhile. The Flower Medley Die-namic includes a nice variety of flowers that all layer nicely.  The leaves come from the Leaf-Filled Flourish Die-namic (although I did cut and re-adjust a couple of tendrils to fit my card.)  The scallop is the Open Scallop Edge.  I also used the Woodgrain Background stamp in white on the blue.
This card went in a different direction than I had originally planned. I have been telling you that I wanted to show you the MFT colors, so I sat down to review what I had used.  I missed quite a few!  So I tucked a four of them in this card - Hot Fudge, Paver Red, Olive and Sno Cone. It's a different combination for me - but I like it!
I used the current Sweet Sunday sketch for this card.

Be sure to check out the Product Launch posts by the rest of the design team and be very sure to head over to the My Favorite Things blog to see if you were one of the prize winners from this past week!

My Favorite Things Stamps Day 7: Cheers and Sweetness

It's the last day of the Release Countdown at My Favorite Things Stamps.  Tonight (Tuesday), at 10 pm EST, the new products will be available!  Also at that time (just in case you haven't finalized your wishlist), everybody on the design team will do another post with some of our favorites.

The first thing that I want to show you today is another new Pure Innocence set.  This one is called Wish You Were and has just the perfect look for a "missing you" card.


I don't generally do anything special on my insides, but because I didn't have a sentiment on the outside of this card - I wanted to do a little extra on the inside.

Isn't this a sweet set?  Of course, they are all sweet, but this cute little face was just made for a "missing you" card.  
I created my background on Berrylicious cardstock with white ink using the DC Plaid Background Builder set.  The ground is Sour Apple using the Snow Drifts Die-namics.  The clouds are the Flat-Bottom Clouds Die-namics.  The button is Lemon Drop. The frame is from the Postage Stamp STAX Die-namics.
My second card is very different - I wanted an elegant celebratory card and the Layered Champagne Glass Die-namics and Celebratory Greetings Die-namics were perfect for it. 

The colors on this card are Natural, Steel Grey and Brick Red. (I'm loving Brick Red!!!!)
There is also a stamp set being previewed today. It's Celebrate Big which is a great set with big fonts and small fonts that all work together.  But I decided to save my card for my Product Launch post tomorrow night because it is definitely the right time to "celebrate big"!!!  If you are checking out the rest of the design team members, I'm sure you have seen some fabulous uses for this set.
Be sure to head over to the My Favorite Things blog and leave a comment for your chance at a prize. Then come back tonight to see if you have won and to check out all of the new Product Launch posts!

My Favorite Things Stamps Day 6: Text and To the Point

It's Day 6 of the Release Countdown at My Favorite Things Stamps.  After today, there is one more day of previews.  Then Tuesday night, at 10 pm EST, the entire design team are doing Product Launch posts and everything is available in the My Favorite Things store.  Just in case you haven't quite decided, there are also posts by the design team on Thursday of Friday with just a few more ideas!!

Today's previews include a new background - Typewriter Text. And there is a truly fun new set by Laina Lamb Designs called To The Point along with a coordinating die for the "pointer".  Check out the "pointer"....


I am SO in love with the "pointer"!!!  It's wonderful with the fun sayings and fonts in the set.  You can actually put together "UR OLD" with this set - ha!!  There are many other sayings - both nice and snarky!
I pulled out a few MFT colors that I hadn't yet used for this card.  The "YOU" is Tangy Orange.  The background paper is Factory Green.  The gray is Steel Blue.  I used Whip Cream - my favorite new off-white - for the main panel, and the text is also stamped in Whip Cream - I like the way it comes up.
I used the Wanna Sketch? from Lisa at dahlhouse designs.

Tomorrow is the last preview post.  It's a sad day for me because it's all coming to an end, but it will also be fun because the stamps and dies are all about celebrations!  
Be sure to head over to the My Favorite Things blog today to leave a comment so that you have a shot at today's prize!

My Favorite Things Stamps Day 6: Best Friends and Calenders

It's Day 6 of the Release Countdown at My Favorite Things Stamps and there is quite a variety of stamps today - from cute to office-style.

I started with cute.  This is the new Wendy Burns Design set Best Friends. This card came together far more quickly than any other card I have done for this release.  Living in a houseful of men and teenage boys, I crave sweet and cute.  I also immediately knew that I wasn't going to color her.  Have you seen the coloring work of the rest of the design team?  Mad coloring skills!!  I knew I couldn't show her off well enough - but I am really happy with the look of just a couple of splashes of color.


When I first agreed to guest designing for My Favorite Things, I knew there was sure to be something by Wendy Burns or a Pure Innocence set - so I went shopping for fun and cute dsp.  I haven't used much dsp yet in this release - I'm having fun showing off the MFT color palette.  But this paper from the Teresa Collins You Are My Happy pad was made for this stamp set!!    The button is from My Favorite Things - it's Bubble Gum.
Now I am going to do something not-so-smart.  I am going out of my comfort zone.  My original plan was just to do the cute card today, but the other set was on my desk, right next to a free pad of paper that had come in an order.  The possibilities hit me over the head.  It's really not generally bad to go out of one's comfort zone.  However, as a guest designer, presumably I was asked because MFT liked my style and body of work.  And...my CAS style is comfortable for me - that's probably because I am not good at other styles no matter how much I admire them when I see what others have designed.  So jumping out of the box is probably not smart on a guest post!  Anyway...here's my leap...

It's busier and more collage-ish than my usual style - although some of you are laughing because it's not really a big leap. It's still just a few layers; however, it is missing my beloved white space!  It does allow me to show off a few things.  This is Lainie Lamb Design's Journal It - Pocket Calendar. Obviously it's intended for journaling or scrapbooking - but it makes a nice masculine birthday card too.  (If you get this set, be sure to check out the 3x4 Insert die as it is a perfect fit. Then be sure to check out all Lainie Lamb Designs stamps and Die-namics because there is an entire series of stamps and dies that go with "Journal It".)
I also used the new Blueprints 10 which was previewed on Day 1.  Other stamps and dies that I used are the DC Party Balloons, Party Balloons Die-namics and the Fishtail Flags STAX Die-namics.  Colors from My Favorite Things are Electric Red, Fuse Green and Chocolate Brown.  The image is stamped on Primitive White.  (The dsp is 7 gypsies Postale.)
I used the deconstructed sketch.

Be sure to head over to the My Favorite Things blog and leave your comment for today!

My Favorite Things Stamps Day 5: Morocco and Get Well

It's Day 5 of the Release Countdown at My Favorite Things Stamps.  I hope you have been popping by their blog each day and leaving a comment for a chance to win a fabulous prize!!

Today I am previewing the Moroccan Tile Border Trio Die-namics and the Get Well Wishes stamp set.  Get Well Wishes was the freebie with purchase last month so you might have seen it before.  This month it becomes available for purchase.

My first card uses both in a very clean and simple card.


I used the smallest of the trio of border dies.  The other two are slightly bigger motifs than this one.  I wanted to add the rich colors of Moroccan tile so I used Orange Fizz, Grape Jelly, Gumdrop Green, Lemon Drop and Wild Cherry. (The blue isn't from MFT.)
I used the current sketch from Freshly Made Sketches for this card.

I also was inspired by CAS(E) this Sketch but my design team card (which I don't like as much) was already published!!

What I love most about Get Well Wishes is the combination of large fonts and small script fonts, so I wanted to do a second card showing both.  This card also uses Lisa Johnson Designs Grand Peaceful Wildflowers which was previewed on Day 1.

The tag on this card comes from Blueprints 1.  The main cardstock is Whip Cream which I am loving - it's off-white without being a yellowed cream.  I also used Natural, Bubblegum and Sour Apple. 
I hope you are enjoying this month's release.  Isn't there an amazing variety?  There are three more days of previews, than everything is available for purchase on Tuesday, December 10th at 10 pm EST along with a Product Launch post from everybody on the design team!  
Be sure to head over to the My Favorite Things blog to leave a comment and to check out all of the other designers.

Deck the Hall with Inky Paws Blog Hop

This is my third post today. 

If you are looking for the Fresh Squeezed Stamps Happy Walrus, it's here.

If you are looking for the My Favorite Things Release Countdown, it's here.

December is already busy.  I am amazed every year at how much there is to do and how much I should have done in advance!!  Making cards becomes even more important to me in December as a break from the insanity.  And it always helps when I get to play with stamps that make me smile.  Newton's Nook Designs has the perfect stamps for brightening my day (and I'm sure it will make the recipient smile too!), so I happily agreed to be part of the Deck the Halls with Inky Paws Blog Hop.

I am owned by two cats and their antics amuse and annoy me daily.  So I am a huge fan of the cats in Holiday Mischief.  This one is pretty true to life...

Newton's Nook Designs does have great cat stamps, after all, "Newton" from "Newton's Nook" is a cat!  But they aren't just about the cats so I wanted to be sure to show you a holiday tag using an entirely different set.  These stamps are from Holiday Wishes which includes a variety of holiday lines and words.

If you started with me - be sure to head back to the beginning at Newton's Nook Designs.

If you have been doing the hop - you are at the end {sad face - no more Inky Paw today}.  I hope that you have played along with the contest and have been leaving comments, because you can tell there are some great stamp sets that you are going to want to win!  

And if you want to order right away - through Monday, Dec. 9 and Midnight CST, Newton's Nook is offering free shipping with the code  INKYHOP13

Would you like to win a $10 coupon for Newton's Nook Designs online shop?

We will be choosing Two lucky winners! 

Here's how to win: 

Comment on the Design Team Member and Guest blogs (see list below)! One winner will be chosen at random from the collective blogs in the blog hop. Make sure to check out each of their blogs and comment for your chance to win. You will not know which blog has been chosen so the more you comment on the better your chances are of winning! 

You have until Sunday, December 8th at 9 pm CST to comment  -- winners will be announced on the blog post on Monday, December 9th.

Make sure you check out all the blogs below to enter.

Newton's Nook Designs Blog

Jennifer Ingle

Tessa Wise

Jocelyn Olson

Samantha Mann

Shelly Mercado

Rachel W K

Jessica Esch

Chan Vuong

Ashley Marcu

Danielle Lounds

Alice Wertz

Danielle Pandeline

Kim Singdahlsen

Fresh Squeezed Stamps: Merry Walrus

This is my second post day.

If you are looking for the My Favorite Things Release Countdown, it's here.

It's my day to post at Fresh Squeezed Stamps and I've been wanting to play along with Merry Monday's challenge to use the chalkboard technique.  It turns out it's a perfect match.  I thought that the cheerful walrus from Arctic Friends would look just perfect on a smudge of snow and ice, and might just be thinking "merry" thoughts!  (The "merry" is from Hello December - I love its woodgrain.)


I bet you are feeling "merry" after seeing this sweet guy.  The set includes this walrus and a penguin that I used here, and there is a bear.  I'm don't quite know yet what I will be doing with the bear, but I'm sure you will be seeing him soon!

• Stamps: Fresh Squeezed Stamps Arctic Friends, Hello December
• Paper: Stampin' Up Coastal Cabana
• Ink: WPlus9 White
• Accessories: Hero Arts white embossing powder, The Twinery Caribbean