Freebie Friday Winner Time

Hi there. Hope you all had a good weekend! I was happy to wake up to a nice and cool morning - yay! Hopefully this is a sign of cooling down for us. Well, guess what? It's time to announce the lucky winner of the cute Build-a-Bear Notepad! Thanks to all of you that commented :) I have to admit that when I first saw these Build-a-Bear dies in the Holiday Mini, I wasn't that excited about them. For some reason, I was thinking - "Well, what the heck would I do with those bears? They're too cutesy for me." And since convention, seeing them live and in person, they are just absolutely adorable and I have fallen in love with them! Ok...enough of my little sidebar - I digress. It's time to find out who the winner is! Drumroll....the winner is:
Comment #1 who happens to be Gayle! Congratulations to you, Gayle! I'll post a comment to your blog to let you know you won, too ;)

Well friends, today is also the last day of August, which means a couple things in the Stampin'Up! world:

* It's the last day to take advantage of the $85 Demo Kit
* It's the day before you can order from the awesome Holiday Mini Catalog! If you haven't seen it, you can check it out on my Demo Website tomorrow!

If you want to take advantage of the $85 kit, let me know today!!!

Have a fantastic week and I'll catch up with you guys on my next post. Bye for now!

{Keeping cool...}

Remember the other day when I said we have no AC and only have a fan? Well, here's the solution we usually come up with during the summer months: This is the beach we go to, and the peninsula in the background is the hill where we live. As you can see, lots of people had the same solution. Hanging out at the beach and going into the water was definitely the fun and relaxing way to cool down this weekend! We usually go to the beach pretty regularly on the weekends during the summer months, however, this has only been our second trip this season. We've had lots of marine layer and fog this year, so our summer beach trips are starting late. But, it sure is kicking up the temps in a big hurry - hotter than usual! As for the fire situation in Southern CA, the fire in Palos Verdes has been contained, however, if you look in the distance in the picture below, looking north from the beach is a different scenario: Those thick plumes of smoke you see in the background are about 50 miles away, so you can just imagine how big this fire is. Thankfully, the winds have been nominal, so hopefully, those conditions will help the fire fighters control this blaze. Let's hope for cooler weather soon! Just a smidge cooler...like in the 70s :)

Twick or Tweet for challenges

It's been a while now since I've gotten to participate in a Taylored Expressions challenge, so I decided to play today. In my blurfing this morning , I also saw that the Pals Paper Arts had a Halloween challenge this week, so I was determined to figure out a way to combine them. I think it's time to start thinking about Halloween anyway, since it's the next holiday around the corner! Plus, I wanted to play with some more of the fun things I pre-ordered from Stampin'Up!'s upcoming Holiday Mini (you can order from this starting on Sep 1st!) - I got the stamp set {aptly named "Twick or Tweet"} and the DSP paper called Night and Day, which is where the herringbone paper and the polka dot acetate sheet is from. Here's a full view of my card: Oh, and of course, here's a pic of the sketch, too: Hope you like it! Are you wondering how I made the diagonal color blocks? I just cut the cardstock corner to corner, then on one of the triangles, I lined up the corner and the midpoint of the long side on my paper trimmer and cut along those lines. Tip: I cut 2 colors at a time so that I would have them lined up for sure ;) Then I put the polka dot acetate sheet on top, which I just adhered by applying a strip of the white Tombo glue across the top. It ends up nice and neat and the glue part is covered up by the ribbon! Here's the recipe:

{Twick or Tweet card}
All Supplies Stampin'Up!
*Stamp Set: Twick or Tweet
*Cardsock: Basic Black, Rich Razzleberry Old Olive, Dusty Durango, Night and Day Specialty DSP
*Inks: Basic Black Classic Ink Pad; Rich Razzleberry, Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango, Going Gray Markers
*Accessories: Signo White Gel Pen, Playground button, Black Striped Ribbon, Linen Thread, Scallop Border punch, 1 3/4" punch, Cutter kit (distressing tool to rough up the punched circle piece on my card)

Thanks for coming by today and have a great weekend!

Wanna Freebie Build-a-Bear Notepad?

Hi there - welcome to Freebie Friday! I stayed up late last night watching the news on the wildfires, since the Rancho Palos Verdes fire is just a few miles away from my house. Luckily, this morning, the news is reporting that it is now about 35% contained and that it has died down considerably since yesterday. Thank goodness!

Now let's move on to the Freebie Friday giveaway, shall we? I finally busted out my new exclusive Stampin'Up! Build-a-Bear Big Shot dies the other day and I feel like a little girl again. These bears are just too darn cute! It was lots of fun trying to come up with the little outfit for my girlie bear. I decided to go with pants instead of the skirt for her. Here she is: This notepad is the same style as last week's Medallion Notepad giveaway - I just changed up the front with this cute little girl bear. Here's a close up shot: I sponge daubered the clouds in the background using a combination of the scallop circle and scallop oval punches to create my subtle cloud shapes. I used the Tall Tales DSP to create my hilly foreground, and the trio flower punch to make my little field of flowers. How do you like the Build-a-Bear dies? These will be available starting September 1st! I used 2 of the dies - the Stampin'Up! Bear Bigz die and the Stampin'Up! Beary Essentials Bigz die for the clothes. Here's a sneak peek of what the dies look like:

{Build-a-Bear Notepad Recipe}
All Supplies Stampin'Up!
*Bigz dies: SU Bear and SU Beary Essentials
*Cardstock: Soft Suede, Kraft, Chocolate Chip, Real Red, Very Vanilla; Textured Rich Razzleberry and Melon Mambo; Tall Tales and Razzleberry Lemonade DSP
*Inks: Bashful Blue classic pad
*Accessories: Rich Razzleberry grosgrain ribbon, Scallop border punch, Signo Gel pen, Trio flowers punch,Sponge daubers and Scallop circle and scallop oval (for the clouds)

All you need to do is leave me a comment along with your blog website or email address on this post by midnight on Sunday, August 30th! You can comment about anything or answer this question: How do you stay cool in the heat? We've got quite the heat wave going on in Southern CA (hence the fires) and we don't have air condition in our house, so we've got a teenie fan to keep us cool. It's not the best method, but it's all we got right now to battle the high 90's - low 100's temps we're having. Hopefully, it will cool down and the fires will be completely put out soon!

Come back on Monday to find out the winner of this Freebie. If you win, I'll try to contact you directly with the info you leave me. Have a great Friday!
PS - One more thing I wanted to remind you all is that the $85 Demo Starter Kit offer ends on Aug 31st, so if you're interested in signing up - you can do that directly on my Demonstrator Website! You can read more on this post. Contact me if you'd like to know more - would love to have you on my team :)

Ciao for now!

Confessions of a craft blogger...

I came across a blog post today that made me laugh. Out loud even. Maybe because it struck a nerve with me, but I think the scenarios she described in her post have happened at least once, if not more often, to the the everyday paper crafts blogger. What am I talking about? First, you need to check out this post on Paperlicious's site. Did you read it? Well, before you continue reading, you should, cuz then the rest of my blog post will probably make more sense ;)

She frames the post as a "Dear Abby" sort of post where the blogger writes in frustration about why people arent' leaving her (or him) comments on their blog. This part is what I thought was funny - she gives a conventional feel good answer, as well as a more thought provoking kind of answer that I think rings true at least at one point or another to the craft blogger - she cites lots of examples of potential blog pitfalls. And, in the final analysis, she tells us...they just might not be that into you! Which, I thought was hilarious, because I am defintely one to admit, every now and then, I think..."Hmmm..why didn't people comment (or visit)?" And then my brain goes through every scenario: is my card just flat out ugly?...did I say something offensive?...did I commit some crafting faux pas...etc., etc., etc. And the self doubt begins to sink in. Well, it's at that point in time that I remind myself that:

{I'm doing this for fun...}
{I like sharing what I make..}
{Not everything will appeal to everyone all the time}
{And....IT'S OK!}

So I continue to push on. Another day, another post. Yay - comments. 1 or 2; none or lots. Ultimately, the fact of the matter is, I enjoy blogging and look forward to creating and sharing. So for all you fellow bloggers and dear readers, thanks for visiting, even if you don't comment. But if you like what you see, and you've never commented before, I challenge you to give it a try. Especially if you have your own blog! That way, I can come and visit you, too. No pressure, though. You can be a silent visitor...I'm ok with that.

I've enjoyed making friends with a lot of you out there, and it would have never happened if I never started this little blog. I appreciate you coming to see me at my "virtual home." Feel free to pop in for a quick sec or stay awhile - your choice :)

Have a good one. And THANKS, Paperlicious, for putting it all in perspective :)

Inspired by Travelingmama

Inspiration can come from so many different things. I'm inspired daily by people's creativity, innovations, intelligence, wit, kindness, humor... This list could go on and on. Today, I want to recognize Travelingmama for the incredible inspiration she provides and gives wholeheartedly. You've got to read her story - she is doing amazing things in Morocco to help out a local school there. Not only is she creatively talented, but she's got quite the gumption to use her existing resources to make a difference in her community. She and her husband are quite amazing, and their actions demonstrate that sort of inspiration that makes you think about what you can do to make a difference where you are. She's started an etsy shop where all the profits go to help out this school in Morocco. Go and visit - you won't be sorry!

Charming Mojo mingles with the Raspberry Challenge

Good morning! Between my unpacking from the weekend and doing laundry last night, I managed to eek out a card for 2 challenges. I love it when that happens! That kind of creative efficiency is something I strive for :) If only that were the case all the time, huh?! I think that seems to happen more frequently when the color palette is one that I'm familiar with, so Dawn's colors for the Raspberry Suite15 Challenge were definitely just that - my comfort colors! Here are the Mojo 101 Sketch Challenge and Raspberry Suite 15 colors for you to check out:
I love both the colors and the sketch for these 2 challenges! The colors I used are all SU colors, as are all my supplies. I used Groovy Guava, Pixie Pink, Certainly Celery, and Very Vanilla. Here's my full card: If you don't recognize the stamp set, it's because it's a sneak peek from the Holiday Mini (available Sep 1)! Isn't it gorgeous? All the stamps (except for the Thank You sentiment) are from the set called "Charming." If you take a close look at my pink birdie, you'll see that it's got some shimmer to it. That's also from a new product in the mini called Shimmer Paint - so pretty! It gives the cardstock a pearly, shimmery sheen. I applied it with a sponge dauber and it dries quick! I also made the Certainly Celery cardstock look a little aged by using another sponge dauber to burnish on some Certainly Celery ink all over the cardstock surface. Here's the full recipe.

{Charming Mojo}
All Supplies Stampin'Up!
* Cardstock: Groovy Guava, Pixie Pink, Very Vanilla, and Certainly Celery
* Stamp Sets: Charming, Thank You Kindly
* Inks: Pixie Pink and Certainly Celery Classic Ink Pads
* Accessories: Bird with Leaves and Flower Bigz die, Very Vanilla Grosgrain Ribbon, Brad, Pretties half pearl, corner rounder, Frost White Shimmers Paint

Hope you like it! Thanks for popping in!

Announcing the Freebie Friday Winner

As promised, I'm back to announce the winner of the Aug 21st Freebie Friday giveaway. This lucky winner gets the Medallion Notepad! So without further adieu, the winner is... Number 8, who happens to Cyndy! Congratulations!! Here's what Cyndy said: Cyndy - please email me and let me know where to send your goodie! Thank you all for playing on Freebie Friday! I enjoyed reading all your comments. It made me think of how awesome blogging and internet technology has become in such a short time. Who would have ever thought that I would be able to connect with so many great folks from all over and get their thoughts and perspectives on the seasons. Isn't that truly amazing? Thank you for visiting my corner of the world. Hope you come back and visit often. Ciao for now!

Back from Martha's Vineyard

Hi all! We had a nice long weekend in Martha's Vineyard for a weddding of a good friend of ours. But, boy! Am I exhausted today! I just wanted to make a quick post to let you all know I will be doing the Freebie Friday drawing later today...so stay tuned. The time just seemed to escape me. Here's a quick glimpse of Martha's Vineyard - this is a picture from Edgartown. I'll post more pictures later. Have a good one and see you in a bit!

A Freebie Friday Medallion for ya

So glad it's Friday! Are you? Well, I've got a medallion for you today - a Medallion Notepad, as a matter of fact! Here's the full view: And here's a look at the inside, too.
I was inspired to make this after I made those 2 notebooks for my co-workers! This is such a fun and easy project! This notepad holder measures 5 3/4" x 4 3/8" and is about 1/2" thick. It's a fun project and they make great little gifts for teachers, hostesses, friends, or anyone for that matter. The Stampin'Up! Notepad is from convention a few years back and I just rediscovered them in my stamp room. That's always fun to find some oldies but goodies, huh? Here's the recipe, in case you want to re-create this folder.

{Medallion Recipe}
All Stampin'Up! supplies
* Stamp Set: Medallion
* Cardstock: 5 3/4" x 9 1/4" bermuda bay textured cs, scored at 4 3/8" from either side, crushed curry textured cs, shimmery white cs
* 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" notepad
* Accessories: Crushed curry polka dot grosgrain ribbon, scallop border punch

So are you guys ready to play for today's Freebie? All you need to do is leave me a comment along with your blog website or email address on this post by midnight on Sunday, August 23rd! You can comment about anything or answer this question: What do you look forward to the most about the Fall season? I know it's coming upon us pretty quick.. One thing I will say is, I wish we had a more dramatic season change in California with the leaves turning color, like they do in the East coast. One day, I would like to be able to see that metamorphosis! Anyways, I look forward to reading about your Fall season favorites. Hope you have a great weekend!

Ciao for now!

gifts from convention

I bet you all thought I was done with my convention sharing. Nope! I've got a few more that I'll probably scatter through my posts in the next few weeks. Today, I wanted to share a few snapshots of some of the gifts I got from my sweet demo friends! Seriously, creativity abounds when you're among a bunch of crafters. I was happy as a clam to be the recipient of these awesome gifts. I've got 3 to share today:

Desktop Post-it Holder from Aimee



Top Note Alligator Clutch Bag from Robin


Post-it Mini Folder from Whitney

Aren't these awesome? I'll share some more next week.

oh where oh where...

is my Freebie Friday winner from Friday August 14? SamieVT, if you happen to be reading this post, please send me an email (or if someone that knows her happens to be reading - let her know too..)! If I don't hear back by Friday, August 21st, I'll do another drawing on Monday from all the comments for the Friday, August 14 giveaway. Sound good? Now, who doesn't want another chance at that grocery bag!! ;)

Thanks all!

Shelli's SIP Challenge

Hey there blog buddies! As you all know, I LOVE me the challenges. For me, I'd say that card challenges help me to dig deep and find my inner creativity. Does that sound a little corny? I think it's true though. Soo, before I get into a long philosophical tangent about creative inspiration, let me say that the creative challenge I participated in tonight is Shelli Gardner's SIP challenge. What is SIP? Well, it stands for Stamps, Ink, Paper and she says that we can create anything that only uses those elements. The key is to keep it simple.

I decided to go with some distressed edges, embossing, free-hand cutting and a modified punch to create my card today. The color scheme I went with was a simple 3 color combo of Rich Razzleberry, Going Gray, and Shimmery White. My inspiration came from the CB2 catalog - they had a lot of gray color schemes with a pop of one other color and white, so I used the Rich Razzleberry to add that extra color element. I've been drawn to that color lately! It's got a nice fall feel to it. Here's a look at the full card. It's sentiment free, currently, because at the time I took the picture, I couldn't decide on what sentiment to use! The beauty of it though, is that it could be anything, so this versatility makes for a great all purpose type of card! I got to use the Elegant Bouquet embossing folder for the first time today and I really love how it looks. It dresses up the card instantly, but in a really nice, subtle way. I also got to use the new Ornament punch that will be available in the upcoming Holiday Mini. It makes for a great contemporary vase! I created the two-tone look by first stamping the polka dots from the For All You Do stamp set onto the Shimmery White paper, then I punched about 2/3rds the way on the punch. I then punched about 3/4 of the punch on solid textured Rich Razzleberry paper. Next, I layered these 2 pieces together and ~Viola!

{Razzleberry Flowers Card Recipe}:
All supplies Stampin'Up!
* Cardstock: Rich Razzleberry, Shimmery White, Going Gray
* Stamp Set: For All You Do
* Inks: Rich Razzleberry, Going Gray
* Accessories: distressing tool, Ornament Punch, Elegant Bouquet Embossing folder, sponge dauber (for the Rich Razzleberry distressed edge)

Hope you like it. Thanks for taking a peek and visiting me today!

Little Notebook gifts for my co-workers

Hello there! I thought I'd share a couple notebooks I made for my co-workers. I've wanted to make these gals a little something now since June, believe it or not! They took me out on my birthday and made it a fun day at the office. I know, I know...that was a couple months ago. I admit, I'm slow, but I've had the thought of making them something ever since they took me out. It just sometimes takes me a while to take action! So here are the little notebooks I made them: Arent' these notebooks cute? Inside, they have a 5"x8" pad of paper. Are you wondering what stamp set I used? It's the gorgeous PTI stamp set "In Bloom." As you can probably tell, I have a new found love for PTI stamps! They have a lot of gorgeous contemporary images, which I've been drawn to and I just LOVE. This set in particular has caught my eye for the last couple of months. I love that flower design and have seen so many beautiful cards with it, that I had to get it. Here's a closer look at each individual notebook and a peek inside.

Here's a complete list of the supplies I used:

{Recipe}:
* Cardstock: {All SU!} - Very Vanilla, Basic Black, and Textured Melon Mambo
* Inks: {All SU!}: Melon Mambo
* Stamps: {PTI}: In Bloom
* Accessories: Melon Mambo Polka Dot grosgrain ribbon; Scallop #2 and Serif Alphabet Bigz dies; SU corner rounder; Fiskars Border punch
* Pack of 5" x 8" pad of paper from Staples

Thanks for visiting today - hope you have a great one!

French Razzleberry Merci

Oh how I love the Chic Boutique stamp set! I'd say all the images are fabulous! Today's share brings a little bit of Paris to you, with this fun image of the Eiffel Tower. Here's the full card:I also got to use the gorgeous exclusive Stampin'Up! Finial Press Sizzix embossing folder. Isn't that such a pretty background? This was a super easy and quick card to put together! Here's the recipe - all supplies are Stampin'Up!:

{French Razzleberry Card Recipe}:
* Cardstock: Kraft, Basic Black, Whisper White, Textured Rich Razzleberry
* Stamp Set: Chic Boutique
* Inks: Basic Black Classic Ink Pad, Rich Razzleberry Marker
* Accessories: Scallop Circle punch, Rich Razzleberry Polka Dot grosgrain ribbon, Scallop Border, 1 3/8" Circle punch, Corner rounder punch, Finial Press Sizzix embossing folder

These colors remind me of a cool and brisk morning in Paris...whaddya think? Here's a peek of all the stamps in the Chic Boutique stamp set (which I think is my current favorite!)Thanks for taking the time to visit me today!

Is it already Monday? Time for the Freebie Friday winner.

Hi there - I don't understand how time seems to be shorter on the weekends, but here we are already on Monday morning! Well, the exciting part of my morning is finding out the Freebie Friday winner. It seems to me that these Stampin'Up! Grocery bags are quite the rage :) The winner will have fun sporting this cute little bag.

Let's see who it is...ready? This week's Freebie Friday winner is: Lucky #16, who happens to be SammieVt! Congratulations! Thanks for playing, everyone :)

As far as online shopping goes, I'd have to say the top 2 sites I buy from are Stampin'Up! and Amazon ;) Although, during the holiday season, I've definitely gotten a lot of shopping done on various sites...it beats driving to the mall and making my way through the holiday crowds! Anyway, I hope you all have a great Monday and a great week ahead!

Wanna make some extra cash AND get a discount on your crafting stuff?

Hello again, dear blog peeps! I know a lot of you are fellow demonstrators already, but for those of you that aren't, I am talking to YOU directly!! If you live in the United States and you've been on the fence about signing up to be a Stampin'Up! demonstrator, now's a fantastic time to take the plunge. Why? Because it's only $85 to sign up right now until August 31st. Not only that, but this $85 Starter Kit contains all these fantastic NEW PRODUCTS and business tools:

*For All You Do stamp set
*In Color Classic Stampin' Pads (6)
*Whisper White card stock (8-1/2" x 11")
*In Color assorted card stock (8-1/2" x 11")
*Business forms and tools

{Learn about the Stampin' Up! career plan}
The Stampin’ Up! Career Plan is a generous offering of ways demonstrators can earn income. Learn more about the Stampin' Up! Career Plan below.

*As a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, keep 20 percent of the personal net sales you earn through workshop and customer direct sales!
*Earn an extra 10 percent instant income on your first order of $150 or more when you place your order in the first 45 days of being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator. That means you’ll earn up to 30 percent!
*Earn additional income (which we call volume rebate) on your monthly net sales of $400 or more. Together, your instant income and volume rebate can reach up to 40 percent of your personal sales a month!
*Earn free stamps within the first six months you’re a demonstrator through our Stampin’ Start program—a program that helps you establish a thriving career.
*Keep your personal monthly sales at $300 or more, recruit other demonstrators, and you’ll be eligible to earn commission on your recruits’ sales! (We call this downline overrides.) You’ll earn even higher commission as you achieve higher titles and as your sales increase. The Compensation Plan Table below illustrates how much you can earn through the Stampin' Up! Career Plan.
*Earn cash bonuses, product bonuses, incentive trips, and other awards as you achieve success through our awards and recognition program.

Isn't that a worthwhile deal? I think so! Plus, for anyone that signs up under me by August 31st, I'm offering the Medallion stamp as my gift to you, dear recruit!For more info, you can watch a little video on my Demonstrator Website.

Ready to sign up? Contact me today!

Convention Life and Blogging Buddy Sightings!

Good Morning! So glad it's Saturday. I finally got a chance to sit and go through the rest of my convention pics and put together a sampling of convention life activities. But first, I wanted to share a few pictures of the blogging buddies I saw.Here's a picture of Maureen on the left and Aimee on the right. They're also both Freebie Friday winners! ;)
In this picture, we've got Sharon on the left and Lee on the right. They're both so sweet! I walked up to them and introduced myself - it was great to meet them in real life! Here I am with Liz. All these ladies are super talented, so I encourage you to visit their blogs if you haven't yet :)

Now, up next is my compilation of Convention Life. I've got the pictures numbered and if you take a look below the picture, you can read the corresponding captions. Like my other convention vignettes, if you click on the picture below, it will open in a bigger window, so you don't need a magnifying glass :) Hope you enjoy! 1. In line for Momento Mall – can you believe we stood there for 4 hrs? That’s as long as a trip to Vegas!
2. Here’s a pic of Robin and I in line – clearly it hadn’t been that long yet…we’re still smiling!
3. Ahhh – at last Momento Mall.
4. Thought I’d share a panoramic view of the morning crowd as we all wait for General Session to begin….there were about 3,000 demonstrators there!
5. Lunch time! We all got boxed lunches each day. The sandwiches weren’t bad ;) Around the table {L-R}, we have Sheila, Gabriella, Whitney, Katy, Debbie, Aimee, Robin
6. Lucky girl! This is Karin, who won a signed charm from Shelli from her new Simply adorned line coming out in the Holiday Mini (September 1st!)
7. Here I am with my fearless upline, Michelle.
8. Out to dinner at Bucca di Beppo – these gals are from our Idaho contingency: {L-R} - Beth, Karin, Crystal, and Jessica
9. Here we are standing (and sitting) in line for the morning session. Yep – you gotta get there early to get a good seat!
10. Check out all the bears – they made it to the general session. These bears were available in Momento Mall on the 2nd day of convention.
11. This is Dirk, the photographer – it’s plain to see he’s got a crush on this little Build-a-Bear demo!
12. Do you recognize Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Smell No Evil?
13. Shelli’s Angels made an appearance (heehee – me and my roommates acting goofy)
14. Here's a group of us at the mall – we actually caught a movie!
15. Of course, we had to check out the local Build-a-Bear store to do some product research ;)
16. Here’s Michelle’s bag at the airport (though this probably is a good example of most demonstrators’ carry ons) – filled with fun convention goodies to take home!

Doesn't convention look fun? It's a great time and one of the highlights of being a demonstrator that I really enjoy!

Freebie Friday! 2nd Chance at the Grocery Bag

Hello there! This week just flew by and I feel like I am all over the place! But, I have not forgotten about Freebie Friday - in fact, I'm gonna give away another one of the Stampin'Up! Shopping bags - same as last week. Here's a picture again:
This week though, you're playing for the bag in the front! I love that bag :)

In order to play for this week's giveaway, all you need to do is leave me a comment along with your blog website or email address on this post by midnight on Sunday, August 16th! You can comment about anything or answer this question: Do you do any shopping online? If so, what is your favorite online shopping site? As always, I'm looking forward to reading up on the sites you visit!

For my last 2 Freebie Friday winners....I haven't forgotten about you - your goodies are gonna get dropped off in the mail today! Hope you all have a great day! Ciao for now.

Raspberry Suite 14 Color Challenge!

Morning all, and Happy Friday! My Freebie Friday post is still to come, but in the meantime, I'm posting the card I created for Dawn McVey's Raspberry Suite 14 Challenge. You all know how I can't seem to resist these challenges! The colors were pretty tough (for me, anyway!), so it took me a while to think of something to put together. I tell you, when I'm out of my color comfort zone, visualizing a design is hard! Luckily, my desire to use my new PTI stamps helped me overcome my creativity block. Today's card uses Dawn's PTI stamps - Damask Designs and Scattered Showers. Check it out: Aren't those umbrellas fun? Here are the supplies I used to create this card.

{Recipe}
*Stamps: (PTI) - Scattered Showers and Damask Designs
*Cardstock: (All SU!) Lavender Lace, Purely Pomegranate (retired), Melon Mambo, Very Vanilla
*Ink: (All SU!) Lavender Lace, Purely Pomegranate (retired), Melon Mambo Classic Ink Pads
*Accessories: Scallop Circle Bigz die, SU! Scallop Oval, Wide Oval, and corner rounder punches, Fiskars Border punch, SU Very Vanilla Grosgrain ribbon

Hope you like it. Thanks for looking! Check back in a bit for my Freebie Friday giveaway!

Married to my best friend

Today is our 9th Wedding anniversary. Yay! I feel so lucky to be married to my wonderful husband who makes me laugh and is the bestest friend I could ever wish for! Happy Anniversary, dear hubby ;)
Here we are - 9 years younger - isn't my hubby such a cutie? The pictures are taken in Santa Monica, CA, overlooking the pier and ferris wheel (though they are hard to see in the photo). Our wedding day was awesome! I have the fondest memories of that day...

I meant to share more convention photos today, but that may have to wait til a little later (today or tomorrow). Have a great day and thanks for popping by!

Segment 2 of Convention Eye Candy

Hi all. Going through all my pictures has been a lot of fun, but it's been tough to narrow down what to share! Today, I've got more samples and ideas to show you and tomorrow, I'll share pictures of all the cool peeps I hung out with and give you more of a day by day breakdown! I know that probably sounds backwards, huh? Oh well. Here's the second batch of convention pics (you can click on it to make it bigger):

Hope you all have a great day!

Quick Share - Chic Boutique

Since it's been a while since I posted a card, I thought I'd share a version of one of my convention swaps. I used the bird cage image from the Chic Boutique stamp set and got to use the new Latice Big Shot die, too. Thanks for peeking ;) I'll be posting more convention highlights later...bye for now!