Don't Miss It!!!

The Sneak Peek officially started TODAY!! Don't miss your chance to win the dies featured on Debbie Olson's blog today . . . click on the link to the right that features her blog - "Thinking Inking." If you enter to win on each of the featured blogs on their designated "Peek" day, not only do you have a chance to win the die featured on that specific blog, BUT if you enter on all 14 featured Sneak Peek sites you will automatically be entered in a drawing to win a NEW RASPBERRY WIZARD AND $500 WORTH OF SPELLBINDERS DIES!!! WAHOO!!

This cute little mini album is one I did for Spellbinders a little while back, using the circle Nestabilities!! (I soooo don't know how I EVER made anything without them!!) I will be posting step-by-step instructions next week. I am headed out of town for a day, plus I have to put the finishing touches on my own Sneak Peek projects, so I'm a little short on time for the next few days! But, I DO promise to give you a tutorial . . .

Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to be back after 12:00 a.m. on Wednesday (that would be July 2), and enter for your chance to WIN!!!

Spellbinders Sneak Peeks and PRIZES!!

HOORAY!! I can finally tell you!! I've been sworn to secrecy for a couple of weeks! So glad I could finally "spill the beans!"

In order to celebrate and commemorate the 1-year Anniversary of the AWESOME Nestabilities by Spellbinders, we are a having a TWO-WEEK-LONG Blog Sneak Peek of some of the new dies being released at CHA!! All I can say is that they are INCREDIBLE!!

AND that's not even the coolest part! By visiting the blogs on the "Sneak Peek" list, you can enter to be eligible to win a NEW Wizard AND $500 worth of incredible dies, too!! Who doesn't like PRIZES??? Who doesn't like FREE????

I hope you will visit EVERYONE on the Sneak Peek list! I am scheduled to highlight a new die on NEXT Wednesday, July 2!! I can't wait!! I have some fun things in store! I hope you come back to see everything, and tell all your friends, too!!

This is a card I created using my long rectangle Nestabitlies AND my large classic and scalloped square Nestabilities!! I really liked how, when I "Nested" the little squares, I got a lovely little embossed edge through the middle of the frame they created (not sure how well it shows up in the photo, but it is GREAT in real life). I also think that a Patriotic theme is appropriate for next week's kickoff, don't you???

Here is a link with ALL the details:

SPELLBINDERS SNEAK PEEK CELEBRATION!!

Good luck and have FUN!!

Stamps: Classic Stars Jumbo Wheel (SU)
Ink: Night of Navy, Real Red
Paper: Night of Navy, Brocade Blue, Barely Banana, Whisper White
Accessories: Large Classic and Scallop Square Nestabilities, Large and Small Star Punch, Making Memories red-striped ribbon, dimensional, Stickles

Limited Supply Challenges and a Secret!!

Okay, I have some fun news!! I am one of the new Limited Supply Challenge (LSC) hostesses on SCS. I am going to be sharing the honors with Jeanne S. and Dawn Mercedes. We will be on a rotating schedule, with the fourth week being done by a "guest" hostess. I am so excited!!

I hosted my first challenge today (Friday). The LSC's are on Fridays. I actually posted mine Thursday night to give people a little bit of a chance to think about it!!

I made two samples and had my daughter, who is 14 (hi Amelia!), make one!! I was a little nervous about getting the whole thing posted and rolling, but it actually went rather smoothly! I posted a challenge called "Brads are NOT the Pits!" where the challenge was to use brads as your ONLY embellishment (no ribbon, hardware or anything else), and to use the brads as part of the image, not an accent to it. LOTS of fun cards were submitted (and continue to be). Super FUN!!

Here is what I did:

The first card was done with Papertrey's "Honey Bees" set. It is soooo darn cute!! I was trying to think of keeping it simple, yet keeping my interest enough to like the finished product.

Stamps: Honey Bees (Papertrey)
Paper: So Saffron, Basic Black
Ink: So Saffron, Basic Black, Cameo Coral, Soft Sky, Certainly Celery, Wild Wasabi
Accessories: Large and small oval punches, Pebble Brads (Polo) by MM, paper piercing tool

Example #2 was made with "Fabulous Flowers" by SU. That big ol' polka dot brad just makes me smile!! Kind of a funky color combo, but I like it!! i really wanted to add some ribbon to this card, but I just decided to keep trying to change the layout around to a point where I felt it looked good enough to help us forget the lack of ribbon!

Stamps: Fabulous Flowers, Polka Dots, Print Pattern, Small Script
Paper: Tempting Turquoise, Basic Black, Pixie Pink, Summer Sun
Ink: Tempting Turquoise, Pixie Pink, Basic Black
Accessories: Big Pink Polka Dot brad (not sure where it came from!), dimensionals

And HERE is Amelia's card! I am so proud of her!! I thought that this turned out really cute!! She was kind of worried that it looked "Halloween-y" because of the black and orange, but I think it looks great!!

Stamps: It's a Celebration (Papertrey), Groovy Lines
Paper: Basic Black, Only Orange, Green Galore, YoYo Yellow
Ink: Basic Black, Green Galore, YoYo Yellow, Only Orange, Taken with Teal
Accessories: 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" circle punches, small red brads

Now, for some really EXCITING NEWS!! OH WAIT!! I can't tell you!!! I have something REALLY COOL to share with you, but I have to wait 'til some time on SATURDAY, JUNE 28 (which would be TOMORROW) to tell you!!! You'd better come back if you want to know what it is!

Warning . . . Genius at Work!

Well, well, well . . . I have been chatting over the last several days on a thread on PTI's website about "creative spaces." I just HAD to post a link to my blog where I showed off my own lovely space. Here's a link to that entry for those of ya who missed it:

My Little Slice of Heaven

You can see the how BAD it gets when I am using my creative "genius" from this photo, though!! To be fair, I took this after I had spent HOURS creating projects for submission when I was trying to get on Spellbinders' Design Team last fall (thank the lucky stars that I made it!!)! Sad to say, it looks nearly this bad when I have created just ONE card . . .

Having said that, here is the card I made yesterday for SC182. I LOVE creating cards with a sort of "quilt block" background. This officially completes card #44 on my "Follow the Butterflies" challenge (there is a link and a slideshow on the sidebar for more details). I am seriously wondering how my son feels about getting all these "pretty" butterflies? I warned him back at the beginning of this little project that most of the cards were going to be pretty "girlie" since it has hard to make a "buff" butterfly card! Actually, he has told me more than once how much he enjoys getting them, so I don't worry too much about the "loveliness" of the cards any more!!

Stamps: Fluttering By, Petals & Stems (both by Verve Visual), Out on a Limb Sentiments (Papertrey)
Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, Groovy Guava, Purely Pomegranate
Ink: Purely Pomegranate, Groovy Guava, Soft Sky, Basic Black
Accessories: 1 3/8" square punch, paper piercing tool, photo corners punch, purely pomegrante double stitch ribbon, dimensionals

Baby, Oh Baby!

Man, is it great to be home! I love that I am getting back on a more regular schedule. I had a great time being out of town, but sometimes it is just nice to be back in your own bed!

CC172 - when I read the color combo for this I thought, "They're kidding, right???" The colors are Wild Wasabi, Taken with Teal and Whisper White. It sounded sooo odd to me, but when I looked at the samples I found that I actually LIKED them together! I've had the same package of teal cardstock for over three years! With this combo, I may just start using it some more.

I love the little boat image in this set. I thought it was a perfect companion for my Nestabilities (used the large scallop and classic circles). They are becoming a staples in my card diet . . . I use them so much that I don't know what I ever did without 'em!

Stamps: Nursery Necessities
Paper: Taken with Teal, Wild Wasabi, Whisper White
Ink: Taken with Teal, Wild Wasabi
Accessories: Circle Nestabilities (Large - classic and scallop), Wild Wasabi double-stitched ribbon, ticket corner punch, rectangle punch

Who Was I Kidding???

Good grief!! Last week was SUCH a whirlwind!! On top of traveling all over the DC with my daughter and friends, I had the stomach flu! Add to that the fact that the internet was VERY sketchy just about everywhere we went!! I had totally planned to post at least two more times, but it just wasn't in the "cards," so to speak! (Am I punny, or what???)

So . . . here ya go! I got inspiration to make this card from an awesome tutorial by Debbie Olsen. That girl is a GENIUS!! ALL THE TIME (it really is unfair!)!! Here is a link to her awesome honeybee card. I used the idea to make card #43 for my "Follow the Butterflies" challenge - see link to the right for more info! The Scor-Pal just had sooo many applications. I really like (okay, LOVE) how you can score a "pattern" into the paper. Awesome!

I also used my rectangle Nestabilities. I swear that the possibilities are ENDLESS with those little gems!! So glad I have all the shapes!! Helpful hint: you MUST tape the die (Nestability) to the cardstock before you cut it out, so that it will stay in place!!

I left myself a HUGE mess in my craft room before I left town, so I'm going to have to dig it out before I can create anything new! (fun, fun, fun!)

On a side note: my daughter took 9th place in the NATION for her National History Day project/performance on Rosie the Riveter! AND she got "Best of State" - state of Utah - for best overall project in the junior division - so we are totally stoked!!

Stamps: Designer Butterfly by Hero Arts
Paper: Garden Green, Certainly Celery, Regal Rose, Barely Banana, Whisper White
Ink: Rose Red, So Saffron
Accessories: Small Rectangle Nestabilities (scallop and classic), Wild Wasabi striped ribbon, Scor-Pal, dimensionals

Oh my GOODNESS!!

I am still out of town with my daughter for National History Fair competition (we are SOOOO proud of her as she made finals with her performance on Rosie the Riveter . . . she was awesome!! The final round was last night, so we won't know winners 'til tomorrow morning, but I digress . . .)

I didn't get a chance to check Nichole Heady's blog yesterday, as we were all running crazy and I was exhausted when we got back to the hotel. Imagine my excitement when I got a message from one of my friends that the card I posted here the night before last was picked as an honorable mention in Papertrey Ink's June Guest Star Stamper Contest!! I am SOOOOOOO stoked!! I can't stand it!!

Here is another card I made with Papertrey stamps last week before we left town. It was for my oldest son's birthday. i used craft ink on the "icing", then embossed it with clear embossing powder, so it looks kinda yummy!!

Stamps: Piece of Cake (Papertrey)
Ink: Chocolate Chip (classic and craft), Creamy Caramel, Cool Caribbean, Summer Sun
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel, Cool Caribbean, Whisper White
Accessories: Happy Birthday and Traffic Jam Cuttlebug embossing folders, paper piercing tools, May Arts brown polka dot organza, clear embossing powder, dimensional

Butterflies in the Mail!

Here is the butterfly card I did LAST week. I had submitted it for consideration for Guest Star Stamper on Papertrey's website (didn't get picked), but I liked it nonetheless!! I think this puts me up to card #42 on my "Follow the Butterflies" challenge (see link on the sidebar for more info).

I think Papertrey makes some really awesome stamps!! This little "Mailbox Greetings" set is no exception!! Why are mailboxes so darn cute, anyway? I think it all makes us feel the excitement we get when we get a piece of mail that is NOT a bill!!

I also really like to combine background sets. This card inspired me to pair "Print Pattern" with "Polka Dots" . . . I think they make a great combo, don't you??? (I don't care if they get retired by SU or not . . . I'm still gonna use 'em!!)

I am currently with my daughter at National History Day competition. We just found out earlier this evening that she made runoffs for her individual performance on Rosie the Riveter!!! I will try to post again at least twice this week, but we are running crazy, so I will do my very best!!

Stamps: Mailbox Greetings (Papertrey Ink), Print Pattern and Polka Dots (SU)
Ink: Pitch Black Adirondack, Versamark, Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel, Various Copic Markers
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Real Red, Old Olive; Kraft from Papertrey
Accessories: Brown gingham ribbon by Offray (again!), ticket corner punch, butterfly punches by Martha Stewart, Liquid Pearls, dimensionals

Froggy Dad!!

Who doesn't love a frog??? (Okay, well maybe some people are weirded out by reptiles, but I DO love frog images!!)

I made this card for my husband for Father's Day. I feel badly, as my daughter and I will be out of town on Sunday, so it will just be dad and my middle son, Garrett (since my oldest son is the one who is in Austria and getting all the cards from my "Follow the Butterflies" challenge).

I seem to have been stuck on a color scheme for this Father's Day. I have often told people that chocolate chip cardstock is my absolute favorite. I also use my brown gingham ribbon ALL the time!! Seems I couldn't get away from them this Father's Day. I forgot that I haven't done a card for my husband's 98-year-old grandfather yet, either, so I have a lot to do before I go to bed tonight!!!

Since I will be out of town all week with Amelia at NHD (National History Day) in Washington, DC, where she is competing after winning first place in the state (you go, girl!), I have done a few cards that I haven't posted anywhere yet. I'll dish them out to you as I get a moment here and there starting on Monday.

Have a great weekend and a wonderful Father's Day!!

Hugs to all!!

Stamps: Pond Life by Papertrey
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel, Garden Green, Very Vanilla
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel, Garden Green
Accessories: Large and Small tag punches, horizontal slot punch, brown gingham ribbon (Offray), dimensional

Apples for Dad

Another Father's Day card (and I have one more to share . . . but not 'til tomorrow!!)

I knew as soon as I saw this stamp set that I HAD to have it!! Our family has a tradition of picking/juicing apples in the fall . . . huge family affair. Everyone loves it. This stamp just seemed to speak to me!!

LSC172 - this was a challenge to get "knotty" - to tie a knot or two in some ribbon and use it on your card. I also incorporated one of my favorite old sketch challenges - SC94 - plus a BUNCH of Copic markers!! Add in some hardware and Cuttlebuggin', and there ya go!!

It's hard to see how this opens from the photograph, but the layers kind of open up . . . the card that you write in is actually the ruby red layer . . .

Stamps: For Father, Sanded
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Ruby Red, Bordering Blue, Barely Banana
Ink: Black Adirondack by Ranger, Various Copic Markers, Creamy Caramel
Accessories: Cuttlebug Mesh ef, hardware (can't remember who makes it), brown gingham ribbon, paper distressing tool

Face Lift and Father's Day!

Do you like the "makeover" I had done on my blog??? I'm loving it!! Thanks so much to Michelle at Shabby Creations for hooking me up!! I've been meaning to do this myself for quite some time, but finally broke down and let someone else do it so it would actually get done!! Leave me a comment and let me know what you think . . .

I did this card for my Dad for Father's Day. I LOVE the Pond Life set from Papertrey. I've been trying to think of something good to do with it since I got it, and SC180 on SCS gave me the perfect inspiration!!

This is pretty straight forward, so it's not going to require a lot of yacking on my part (which I have been known to do!)! I now only have one more Father's Day card to go (I have one other that I will be sharing with you soon, in addition to whatever else I come up with today!).

Stamps: Pond Life (Papertrey)
Paper: Chocolate Chip. Close to Cocoa, Creamy Caramel, Very Vanilla, Bordering Blue, Linen Prints DSP
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel, Old Olive, Bordering Blue
Accessories: Cuttlebug Tiny Mosaic ef, Hodgepodge Hardware (antique brass), brown gingham ribbon

How'd You DO That???

Here is a card I made for the Spellbinders gallery in April. As a design team, we were given the challenge to use a die in a "non-traditional" way. The idea for this came to me almost immediately (which is kinda weird 'cause I usually stew over things like this).

After many passes through the Wizard, the "lights" die from the "Holly & Lights" set was soon transformed from a string of Christmas lights into this very LARGE flower. It's kind a chrysanthemum-sorta thing. I had a TON of fun making it, and it didn't take nearly as long as it looks like it did! I had all these leftover "strings" after cutting the lights off, so I decided to use them. I lumped three of them together to make the "wave" behind and to the side of the flower. Pretty cool, eh?

Here is a picture of what the die actually looks like. (I used the light string, NOT the holly . . . I would have been MAGICALLY tricky if I could have done it with THAT!!) It is always fun to see if you can use any diecut you purchase for a use OTHER than what it was originally intended! I am definitely getting some mileage out of this one!!!

I also incorporated this little pocket fold card. I have used it A LOT!! It's fun to do something a little unexpected with the fold as well. You start with the same size piece of paper as a standard card, you just make a "flap" by folding down the longest iscaled down a bit so that it will it in the pocket once the pocket has been taped or glued shut. The base for the insert is 5" x 4".

AND I didn't use a single stamp (which is an accomplishment in and of itself for me!)!! I typed the sentiment on my computer and printed it out. Gotta love that Wizard and those diecuts!!

Paper: WorldWin Doublemates Perfect Plum, WorldWin Colormates Light, Deep & Dark Perfect Plum, Rob & Bob Designer Paper by Provo Craft, Shimmery White by SU
Spellbinders Dies: S3103 Spirellabilities Petal (for flower center), S3139 Holly & Lights, S3147 Labels Trio
Accessories: Shimmery Brad by Creative Impressions, Pop-Up Glue Dots, 3/16" corner rounder (SU) and 1/2" circle punch (SU)

Copics & Butterflies

You can always tell when life has been too busy for me when the only cards I post around here are for my "Follow the Butterflies" challenge!! I do NOT want to repeat the past two weeks for anything!! I feel like I've been running around with my pants on FIRE . . . but, enough about ME!!

I got this wonderful Rubbernecker stamp a little while back (Hi-ya Dave!!) and have DYING to drag out my Copics and color it!! I think I used about a zillion different colors on this baby, but I had a good time with it.

I also used my Scor-Pal to create a scored line close to the right-hand side (outside edge). It's kind of hard to see in this photo. I have really enjoyed using my Scor-Pal to create scores as an accent or embellishment (instead of just using it to fold things). It really adds a nice touch.

Stickles are also among my favorite accent embellishments. I used some Crystal Ice Stickles to outline the entire image along all the black lines. It helps to give it that added "pop"!

So, I think this puts me up to card #41 on my "Follow the Butterflies" challenge (see sidebar at right for more info). I'm behind, too, as we are entering week #42 and I haven't even thought of a card for that . . . YET!!

I have a few fun Spellbinders projects that I am going to be uploading over the next few days, so stay tuned . . .

Stamps: Rubbernecker Stained Glass Butterfly, Small Script (SU)
Ink: MANY assorted Copics, Ranger Adirondack Pitch Black dye ink
Paper: Summer Sun, Basic Black, Shimmery White
Accessories: Crystal Ice Stickles, Pop-Up Glue Dots, 1/4" black grosgrain ribbon, large and small oval punches, Scor-Pal