Whirlwind Holiday Season Has Begun!

Has it really been 11 days since I've logged in here? Sheesh! It looks like the holiday season has hit full force! (And, yes, I was one of THOSE crazy people who were out shopping at 5:00 a.m. on Black Friday aka the day after Thanksgiving!) I'm happy to report that I actually have ALL of my Christmas decorations up (including the lights on my house, thanks to my dh, Ron)! With such a busy schedule, however, I have only stamped a grand total of, yes - count 'em, THREE cards in the last two weeks! YIKES!

The first one is for my "Follow the Butterflies" challenge (see the link below - scroll down to Saturday, September 1, 2007). I really had fun with this one. The butterfly was an image sent to me by my friend Christine in California (chrisations.ink on SCS). She stamped it in black craft ink on some lovely shimmery white cardstock, then embossed it with clear embossing powder. It was very pretty!

Follow the Butterflies Challenge

I decided to "cut and color" this one. I used (once again) my plain ol' non-Copic SU markers. I then put my SU Creepy Crawly dsp to the test . . . I think it looks really great with this ol' butterfly, and it doesn't look Halloween-y to me at all (at least in this example!). This was all for SCS Sketch Challenge 150 (SC150).

Stamps: Butterfly image (unknown), Dotted Autumn
Cardstock: Basic Black, More Mustard, So Saffron, Shimmery White, Creepy Crawly dsp
Ink: Black Stazon, Black Craft, Barely Banana, So Saffron, More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie

Next, I made this card for FS41 (Shelly, aka papermoon04 was the Featured Stamper). Here is her card (the one I "case'd):

Shelly's Card

I loved her idea for just using a marker around the edges of the diamonds in the Print Pattern background stamp. It gives it a neat effect. I then stamped the French Script bg directly over it. I also got to play with some of my papertreyink stamps (in this case, the snowflake and "joy" sentiment for "Snowflake Serenade). And I am totally loving the rhinestone stickers from Me and My Big Ideas! They are soo fun to add that little bit of "bling" that some projects need!

Stamps: Snowflake Serenade (Papertrey), Print Pattern, French Script
Cardstock: Night of Navy, Bashful Blue, Baroque Burgundy, Whisper White
Ink: Bashful Blue, Bordering Blue, Night of Navy, Baroque Burgundy

I just realized that all three of these cards ended up in the mail to my son, Devan (who is in Germany)!! How funny! I sent the two butterfly cards, as they are my weekly "note from home" to him, and the snowflake one went in his Christmas package! Good stamping week for HIM! I was not feeling very inspired on this card at all. I guess I was just stressing about getting it in the mail. Sigh . . . some days are like that!! I am finally feeling justified in switching to more "wintery" color schemes, though. The main butterflies were stamped with Papertrey's "Butterfly Kisses" stamp set. I used "All in a Row" for the sentiment. I also used some of the vintage violet cardstock from SU's In Color line from LAST year (I DO like that color - wish it were still available!).

Stamps: Butterfly Kisses (Papertrey), Simply Stripes bg, All in a Row
Cardstock: Bordering Blue, Vintage Violet, Whisper White
Ink: Bordering Blue, Vintage Violet, Basic Black

I hope to be able to get to play more in the next couple of weeks, but I also know that I have a PILE of Christmas cards staring at me and wanting to get done! I'll be back soon! :)

Spellbinders Shock!

I still can't believe I actually got chosen to be on the 2008 Spellbinders Design Team. This is going to be SUCH a blast! I promised I would post what I had submitted, so here goes:

First off, let me explain that we were asked to submit one 12x12 scrapbook page, one card, one 3d item and one stamped project. I only cheated a little. The only thing I used that i had already made was this tin (which I posted on my blog earlier). I totally LOVE the Apple Cider paper. I am only reposting it to make it easier or everyone to see without having to go to a link. So if this looks very familiar to you, now you know why.

Stamps: True Friend, All Holidays
Paper: Apple Cider dsp, Wild Wasabi, Really Rust, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla
Ink: Chocolate Chip (craft), Really Rust

Okay, so this is going to be the part where I am really stretched, creatively, during 2008. I have done scrapbooks for years, but all of my scrapbooks are 8 1/2" x 11", not 12"x12". Totally new canvas for me! My kids will actually have a fun scrapbook at the end of the year, though. I have always loved these pictures of my kids. It was overcast that day, so the lighting was terrific. I stewed and stewed over this layout . . . I worried about it being too busy. I am a "balance" freak, so I hate to leave unbalanced empty space. Don't get me wrong, I USE empty space all the time, this page just didn't work out that way. I DID get to use my Cricut (which I LOVE) on this one, though. I can't wait to get all the new fun dies I will get to use in the Spellbinders Wizard (but, not 'til January . . . just gotta be patient!) I also incorporated some punches, so I was embellishing all over the place.

Paper: Night of Navy, Garden Green, Real Red, Pretty in Pink, Whisper White
Cricut Cartridges: Walk in My Garden, Opposites Attract
Punches: Jumbo Daisy and Small Daisy - Marvy

This card was hard for me to choose. Not knowing what they were looking for, I decided to do something heavier on embossing/ punching (because punches, after all, ARE diecuts, right??) We were also allowed so submit a link to any online gallery we currently had, which was GREAT for me, since I have one with over 200 photos in it on Splitcoast! I figured if they used the link, they would get a good feel for my cards, so that was covered at least.

Stamps: Cold Play
Paper: Blue Bayou, Soft Sky, Whisper White, Purely Pomegranate
Ink: Basic Black
Accessories: Stickles, SU Snow Blossom Punch, Small Snowflake Punch (Marvy), Large Snowflake Punch (Emaginations), Cuttlebug Sledding embossing folder

This is the project that I struggled with the most. You know how you visualize one thing, and something totally different emerges from the rubble? That is how I would describe this project. I totally wanted to use one of their products, and since the only thing I own at the moment is the rectangle Nestabilities, I knew I wanted to use those. I must have changed stamp sets at least 47 times!! Then, I changed the color scheme a bunch. I used a zillion stamps in the end, and I like how it turned out, but it took me much longer than I had anticipated because I couldn't get the picture in my head onto the paper on my table!!

Stamps: Watercolor Garden, Garden Whimsy, Stem Silhouettes, Snowflake Spot, Autumn Leaf Prints, Dotted Autumn, Season by Season
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Perfect Plum, Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Night of Navy, Bordering Blue, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White
Ink: Certainly Celery, Pale Plum, Perfect Plum, So Saffron, Close to Cocoa, Night of Navy, Bordering Blue, Pumpkin Pie, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive
Accessories: Rectangle Nestabilities, SU Keytag Punch, assorted ribbon and buttons, Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder, Paper Piercing Tool

So there you have it!! I'm still feeling kind of amazed. I look forward to the opportunities ahead, and can't WAIT to share what I learn with all of you! Have a wonderful day (it'll take me a while to come down!!)

Pinch Me, Pinch Me, Pinch Me!!

Oh my goodness!! I just can't believe it!! I got a call on Tuesday morning from Stacey Caron, co-founder and President of Spellbinders Paper Arts Company telling me that I had been selected as a member of their 2008 Design Team!! I just can't believe it (I think I said that already!!)

Here is the list of the amazing women I get to work with over the next year:

The Spellbinders' 2008 Design Team~

Beth Pingry, Naperville, Illinois
Cathy Chlebana, Chicago, Illinois
Donya Schroeder, Ionia, Iowa
Heidi Blankenship, Albert Lea, Minnesota
Holly Craft, Lawrenceville, Georgia
Jeni Caulkins, Mesa, Arizona
Jennifer Ellefson, Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania
Linda Duke, Tulare, California
Michelle Klomp, Oak Harbor, Washington
Sally Lynn MacDonald, Sandy Hook, Connecticut
Sharon Harnist, Grand Prairie, Texas
Wendy Weixler, Salt Lake City, Utah (ME!!!!)

For more information, check out the link HERE.

I'll post pictures of what I submitted sometime tomorrow (oh wait!! That would be later TODAY!!). I'm totally jazzed!! Stay tuned for some fun and exciting projects made with wonderfully-awesome Spellbinders toys!!

Slow Stampin' Week

This has been one of those weeks where I have had to wear more than my share of hats . . . mom hat, PTA hat, workin' hat . . . and the hat that has had to be on the shelf is my stampin' hat!! I was heavily involved in the musical at my daughter Amelia's middle school AND in the A'Cappella fundraiser dinner/auction for my son Garrett's high school. Glad that those are behind me! I also had to have a root canal yesterday, so you can see that there has been little time to stamp . . .

BUT, I was able to complete three cards to post. This first one was, of course, part of my "Follow the Butterflies" challenge. Here's a link if you want to see details on THAT:

Follow the Butterflies Challenge

I was sooo stumped on this card for some reason. It sat for nearly a day, uncompleted, 'til I could figure out what to do with it. The two large butterflies were sent to me all the way from my friend Anna in Australia. She heard about what I was doing and sent MANY wonderful images. I'm glad I have been able to use some of them. They were stamped in a color that looked like Close to Cocoa - I just sponged them with Bordering Blue and So Saffron to make them match. This card was done in conjunction with SCS challenges TLC141 (to make a horizontal pocket cards and WT139 (to incorporate some velvet). The only velvet thing I own right now is this fun brown ribbon, so that is what I used!

Stamps: Take Three, Large butterflies (unknown), Polka Dot bg, All in a Row, Totally Tabs
Paper: ordering Blue, So Saffron, Chocolate Chip, Barely Banana
Ink: Chocolate Chip craft, Close to Cocoa, So Saffron, Bordering Blue

I also used both the spiral punch and round tab punch.

Card #2 was for SCS FS40 (Featured Stamper - StampOwl - aka Frances). I love the fun things that Frances comes up with. Here is her card that I used as inspiration:

Frances' Card

I LOVE that PaperTrey set (Beautiful Blossoms). I even OWN it, although I haven't used it yet. I didn't want to copy her exactly, so I opted for a more fall approach. I really like this non-traditional fall color combo, too (thanks to my friend, Cheryl!). I used it a couple of weeks ago on my little peek-a-boo box, too! Now I have a card and a treat to go together!!

Stamps: Autumn Fest, Autumn Leaf Prints, Dotted Autumn, Fundamental Phrases, So Swirly Jumbo Wheel
Paper: Blue Bayou, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, River Rock
Ink: lue Bayou, Old Olive, River Rock, Chocolate Chip

Since I hadn't watercolored anything of significance for what seemed like forever, I decided to play with my blender pens/reinkers. I also used my Aqua Painter a bit, too! Oh yeah, and I can't forget that I colored some of the backgrounds with my plain ol' non-Copic SU markers.

Stamps: Thoroughly Thankful
Paper: Always Artichoke, Close to Cocoa, Ruby Red, So Saffron, Watercolor paper
Ink: Black Stazon, So Saffron, Barely Banana, Apricot Appeal, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Ruby Red, Really Rust, Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, Bashful Blue

I want to get busy and makes some new things to post! Maybe I'll have a little time later today . . .

50 Days & Counting!

Okay, I probably could have gone another week or two an NOT heard that! My friend called me today and reminded me that Christmas is a mere 50 days away! ZOINKS!! Where in the world did this year go??

I have had a rather busy week myself, with not nearly as much time to play and stamp as I would have liked! We spent all day Saturday pressing apple juice (a tradition my husband's family has been doing since he was a little boy), and then I spent all of the rest of my spare time this weekend sewing PIRATE shirts for my daughter's school production of "The Pirates of Penzance". I had to make four of those buggers! Sooooo glad to have that done! But, I digress . . .

I am up to my 10th card in my "Follow the Butterflies" challenge! I can already tell that making 104 distinctly different cards featuring butterflies is going to be tough! I really like how this one turned out, though. I made this in conjunction with SC148. I soooo love the Apple Cider designer series paper! It's awesome! There is really not very much stamping on this, either. I "rocked & rolled" the butterflies in Really Rust and Chocolate Chip. I also like doing the "hang the medallion" thing, too! I always think it adds such a fun touch to any card!

Stamps: Dotted Autumn (wheel), All Through the Year, Fancy Flexible Phrases
Cardstock/Paper: Really Rust, Chocolate Chip, River Rock, Very Vanilla, Apple Cider dsp
Ink: Really Rust, Chocolate Chip

There are a group of us over on SCS known as the Challenge Chasers (or "stalkers"). Why, you ask? 'Cause we stalk the daily challenges! We have a thread where we chat while we wait for the challenge of the day to be posted. (We also chat throughout the day as time permits as well!) One day a couple of weeks ago the challenge was taking a little longer to be posted than we were patient enough to wait for, so we decided to make our own challenges. This card is for one of those challenges (which can be located at the bottom of the Challenge thread, here):

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=40

This was for STEE02 (Stalker's Everyday Events Challenge). We had to make an ATC sized card as a "just because" card to brighten someone's day. I made a couple of these to put in my kids' lunches. I definitely had to use the stamp-a-ma-jig to line up all those little x's and o's!!

Stamps: Typeset Alphabet Lower, Short and Sweet
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Very Vanilla, Really Red
Ink: Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip

The only other card I got to make for "fun" was this one. This was for LSC142 - to make a easily-reproducable card for Christmas that wouldn't require extra postage to send!! This would probably not be too bad to duplicate, although you are bound to get sick of anything where you make more than 5 duplicates! This designer paper for this is from the Winter Bright Simply Scrappin' Kit. This paper is sooooo great! I have never been as "into" the patterned papers for cards as I have been this year. I LOVE 'em all!!

Stamps: Snowburst, Short and Sweet (twice this week!!)
Cardstock/Paper: Wild Wasabi, Real Red (textured), Bashful Blue, Whisper White, Winter Bright dsp
Ink: Wild Wasabi, Bashful Blue, Real Red

I better get busy with my Christmas cards!! I'm NEVER going to get them done if there are only 50 days left 'til Christmas unless I started whippin' 'em out TODAY!!