Ready for the Holiday Mini?

Hi bloggie friends! Hope you're having a great week! It's been quite an eventful one for me, so apologies for the lack of blog posts. In a nutshell, I went back to work full time this past Tuesday, so that in itself was quite an adjustment. It's amazing how much of an impact the past 12 weeks has had on my life.  LBD {Life before Denver} seems like a lifetime ago and now it's hard to imagine LWD{Life without Denver!}.  There's definitely a lot of juggling to be learned (by me, of course), but it's all good. 

My card share today is a card I created for a Demo Swap we had this past weekend for the WooHoo stamper's demo meeting.  I had fun making this card because it's predominantly made using goodies from the Holiday Mini that will be available tomorrow, September 1st in the US!  It's my first Christmas card this year...can you believe it?  Now that I've broken the seal on the Christmas stuff, you'll definitely see a lot more holiday cards in September!  Wanna see the full card?  Here it is for you:

What do you think?  The card sketch is actually a CASE of one of the Christmas cards I created last year that you can check out on this post.  I used some old current favorites - like the Top Note die, the Contempo Christmas stamp set, Real Red Baker's Twine, and the Decorative Label punch.  And the NEW goodies I used are the Holly Berry Bouquet Specialty DSP (#124004, $12.95), the coordinating Holly Berry Designer Buttons (#125636, $8.95), and the new Stocking Accents Originals Die (#124099, $17.95).  Lots of fun stuff!  I just LOVE the specialty DSP - the picture doesn't do it justice because those fun polka dots really pop with those embossed glittery red circles!  Hope you like it.  Remember, the Holiday Mini products will be available for purchase on my Online Stampin'Up! website on September 1st!

Thanks for visiting today.  Stay tuned for September's Final Friday giveaway post...it's coming soon :)

Bye for now!

August Final Friday Winner!!

Happy Friday, all!  How are you guys?  Hope all is well!  In know it's been a little quiet on the blog front over here, so thanks to all of you that have continued to peek in on me these last couple of weeks!  I truly underestimated how busy I'd be with a little baby...and on top of it all, I've been trying to mentally prepare going back to work next week! YIKES!  Well, that can be a whole 'nother post, so let's get on with the task at hand, shall we?  :)

It's the last Friday of the month, so that means it's time to announce this month's Final Friday Winner. Thank you so much for the warm Anniversary wishes!  We had a good one...we actually went on our first date post baby!  We had a nice dinner and we were able to survive being away from the wee one for two and a half hrs.  Can you believe it?  Anyway, here I go again digressing....  So now, let's get ready to find out who the lucky winner of the Pennant Parade Stamp Set is.  The August Final Friday winner goes to...

lucky number 71, who is

littlebitoftoto  {aka tlfletcher}

Congratulations to you!!!

Thank you all for playing this month!  I really do love reading all the comments :)  Stay tuned for next month's Final Friday Giveaway.  In the meantime, hope you have a fabulous weekend, my dear bloggie friends!  I'll catch up with you guys soon.  Toodles for now.

Flirtatious Christmas Stocking {sneak peek!}

Good morning all!  Happy Monday to you.  I've got a quick post today, but a fun one!  I had a chance to play with the new Christmas Stocking die cut that'll be available in the Holiday Mini starting on Sep 1.  I decided I'd go with a non-traditional Christmas stocking, so I used the Flirtatious Specialty DSP and LOVE this girly look! :)  Hope you like it too!  Here's the full picture for you:

The stocking is a Bigz L die and measures 5 1/2" x 4 3/4".  The heel, toe and top band are separate die cut pieces, so you can create a variety of looks and stocking styles!  I embossed these pieces on Whisper White cardstock using the new Snow Burst embossing folder, which is also a new favorite of mine because it's such a versatile pattern!  I die cut 2 pieces of the stocking and glued them together using the Multipurpose liquid glue.  The little lace trim peaking out at the bottom of the band is a smidge of the pretty Lace Ribbon Border punch.  To give my stocking a bit of a vintage-y look, I sponged the edges with Crumb Cake using a sponge dauber.  I love this new die and think I'll be using it quite a bit for the holidays!  It makes for a perfect size to stuff a gift card or small gift!  I embellished my stocking with a little bit of Pink Pirouette Taffeta Ribbon, buttons and white twine.  Oh yes - and the fun little Snowflake punch to give my stocking just an added bit of interest! Hope you liked this little sneak peek!  Stay tuned for more projects using this adorable stocking die :)  Have a great day!

Simple Posy Punch Thanks

Hi all!  Happy Saturday!  I've still got a case of the challenge bug, so today I'm sharing a quick card I made for the Pals Paper Arts challenge - where you need to use 1 piece of DSP 1 punch and 1 sentiment.  Plus, the inspiration photo reminded me so much of my kitty when we got him that I was inspired to play along!  Here's the inspiration photo:

How cute is that little kitty cat?  It soo reminds me of my Ollie when he was super little!  Well, anyway, here's a look at my full card:

This card was super easy to put together and I think it packs a lot of punch, considering how simple it is!  I love the Posy Punch Hostess stamp set and if you're curious as to what DSP I used, it's actually a Hostess DSP as well called Cheerful Treat, and what a treat it definitely is!  I punched out the Fancy Flower punch from the DSP, then I stamped the Posy Punch image {the flowers from this set actually coordinate perfectly with the Fancy Flower punch!} on a piece of Whisper White cardstock and lined it up with the punched DSP.  I then used dimensionals to adhere my DSP to the stamped cardstock.  Viola!  All I did after that was add the cute little pom pom trim at the top and then the button at the bottom of my pennant.  I hand cut the little "V" at the bottom, which was easy peasy!  Lastly, I stamped the Thank You from the "Thank You Kindly Stamp Set and I was done!  I think I'll be making a few more thank yous in this design cuz I think it's a fun and easy one to mass produce!  Plus, love the DSP!!  Hope you like it!  Here's the recipe for you.

{Simple Posy Punch Thank Yous}

*Stamp Set: Posy Punch, Thank You Kindly

*Cardstock: Pink Pirouette, Whisper White, Cheerful Treat DSP

*Inks: Melon Mambo

*Accessories: Melon Mambo Pom Pom Trim {retired}, Subtles Buttons, White Twine, Fancy Flower Punch

Hope you guys have a great weekend!  Thanks for stopping by today ;)

11 years ago today...

I married this handsome man, who also happens to be the love of my life.  This was our engagement photo, which was taken on a beach in Malibu, not too far from where we actually got engaged.  It feels like it was just yesterday.  My, how time does fly when you're having fun!

Happy Anniversary, dear husband.

Thanks, dear blog friends, for visiting today.  If you're reading this, in the spirit of our anniversary, tell someone that's important to you how much you love them :)  Let's pay it forward.

Have a fabulous day! :)

Inkspirations and Embellish challenge fun!

Hello there bloggie friends!  I'm back with another anniversary card, which was inspired by the Embellish color challenge and the Inkspirations sketch challenge:

For me, I think challenges give me the kick start I need sometimes to get the creative juices flowing.  I have been itching to use the Up, Up & Away stamp set, so I incorporated it with my little hillside scene, which I created using the Tasteful Trim Bigz XL die.  I also really love the new Snowburst Embossing folder, which will be available in soon in the Holiday Mini {Sep 1!}.  Here's a look at the full card for you:

I really do like the nice muted color scheme. It's definitely a new one for me, but a good one to keep in mind!  Hope you like it.  Here's the recipe for you:

{Hot Air Balloon Anniversary}

*Stamps: Up, Up & Away, Teeny Tiny Wishes

*Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Wild Wasabi, So Saffron, Regal Rose, Pocketful of Posies DSP

*Inks: Crumb Cake, Chocolate Chip, So Saffron, Wild Wasabi

*Accessories: Crumb Cake Seam Binding Ribbon, Modern Label Punch, Itty Bitty Shapes Punch, Scallop Square Duo Bigz die, Tasteful Trim Bigz XL die, Snowburst Embossing Folder, Stripes Embossing Folder, Basic Pearls

Thanks for coming by!  Toodles for now :)

Fun flowers for the ColourQ #97 challenge

Hello there blog peeps!  It appears that I've been bitten by the challenge bug!  This time, I was caught by ColourQ's challenge #97 as soon as I saw this fun color combo: Melon Mambo, Tangerine Tango, Pool Party and Basic Black.  Here's a look at the inspiration photo:

How fun are those flip flops!  I thought they were such a happy and cheery color palette that I decided to give it a whirl.  I made an anniversary card as you can see in my sneaky peeky photo above, but believe it or not, it's not for my hubby for our anniversary on Friday.   August is a big month for anniversaries on my hubby's side - his two sisters also have August anniversaries, too!  So, needless to say, this is one of the cards that I'll be sending off soon. :)

What do you think?  As I was putting the card together, I really liked how the Melon Mambo and Tangerine Tango flowers looked against the Pool Party background.  And how about the Basic Black accents?  I think it makes the colors even bolder, don't you think? I gave the black stems some texture by dusting off my crimper and running the cardstock through.  Such a fun little touch!  This card has minimal stamping, too...just the sentiment from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set.  How do you like that embossed Top Note die?  Isn't that pattern yummy?  It's a little sneak peek for you of a new embossing folder that will be available in the Holiday Mini catty called Snowburst.  It's a goodie for sure!  I popped up the embossed cardstock with dimensionals just to add a smidge of depth.  Overall, I think the card has a clean and simple look to it and it was super easy to put together!  Hope you like it! Here's the recipe for you.

{Fun Flowers Anniversary}

*Stamp Sets: Teeny Tiny Wishes

*Inks: Basic Black

*Cardstock: Melon Mambo, Tangerine Tango, Pool Party, Whisper White and Basic Black

*Accessories: Fun Flowers Bigz L die, Top Note Bigz die, Snowburst Embossing folder, Boho Blossoms punch, Basic Black Polka Dot Scallop Ribbon, Neutrals Buttons, Vintage Trinkets

Thanks so much for popping by and paying me a visit!  Have a fabbie day :)

{Make a Wish!} August Paper Crafters Sampler Issue!!

Hello there blog friends!  This month's issue of the Paper Crafters Sampler features all things Birthday, so if you'd like to check out the ideas, it's a great one to subscribe to!  After a brief hiatus, I'm getting back in the saddle with some fun crafting.  Here's a sneak peek of the project I submitted this month...

Hop on over to the Paper Crafter's Sampler to check out other sneak peeks or to order the issue! Hope you enjoy!! :)

Toodles for now!

Buy 3 get 1 FREE! Designer Series Paper Promo for August

Hi all!  Just wanted to pop in real quick and tell you about the August Stampin'Up! Promo!! Are you just loving the new Stampin'Up! Designer Series Papers?  Well, for the month of August, when you buy 3 DSPs, you get one FREE!  It's a great time to stock up on your faves :) 

**Please note that the Specialty DSPs are not included in this promotion.**

Here are a few of my faves:

Berry Blossom DSP

Beau Chateau

Big Top Birthday

Domestic Goddess

There are lots of others to choose from, so hop on over to my Online Store if you'd like to check them out! This promotion runs until August 31st!

Have a great day!

Mojo 203 - {take 2!}

Hi all!  I'm back with another variation of the Mojo Monday Sketch 203 challenge - I still used the Beau Chateau paper, but this time I decided to have a flower focal point and add some more ribbon! 

I LOVE the Fun Flowers die and I think it really looks so pretty with this DSP!  For the center of the flower, I used the Boho Blossom punch and an Antique Brad as a finishing touch - love me the embellies!  I also like that the Crumb Cake Seam Binding makes such a pretty little ribbon accent.  I created the ribbon by creating 2 loops and then cinching the center with the twine and then knotting the button on top. Easy peasy!

This also fits into the So Shelli's Creative Challenge of a Thinking of You type of card, so I'm throwing this card into that hat as well.  Hope you like this version!  I still did the buttons at the top, too, but used the Early Espresso twine and kind of looped the buttons loosely. I also went with a little pennant sentiment, which I just hand cut and added a little twine and button at the top, then adhered to the card using a dimensional.

Here's the recipe for you:

{Mojo Take 2 - Beau Chateau}

*Stamps: You're a Gem

*Cardstock: Textured Soft Suede, Marina Mist, Beau Chateau DSP, Very Vanilla

*Inks: Soft Suede

*Accessories: Tasteful Trim Bigz XL die, Fun Flowers Bigz L die, Neutrals Buttons, Early Espresso Twine, Crumb Cake Seam Binding, Basic Pearls, Antique Brad, Boho Blossoms punch

Thanks so much for popping by!  Ciao for now :)

Playing along in the Mojo 203 Sketch Challenge!

Hi there bloggie friends!  How are you?  I can't believe we're already into the 2nd week of August.  It's been busy here on the home front with the little man and all, but I got to eek out a card for this week's Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge 203 in between fussy bouts and naps from my dear baby.  Here's a look at this week's sketch:

It looked too fun to pass up!  I wanted to use the Beau Chateau paper that I just got, so here's a look at the full card I came up with!

What do you think?  I'm still practicing my hand at the vintage look...I admire so many cards made in that style, but I feel like for me, I still need to work at it.  I was pleased at my attempt though.  Just need to practice some more!!  At least I had fun playing with all the elements and putting them together.  Don't you just love that doily background?  It's from the Flirtatious Specialty DSP.  What I like about it is that it's got color on one side and white on the back, so it's totally versatile!  The other side is Melon Mambo, but for this particular card, I chose to use the white side for a more muted look.  Here's a closer look at the Beautiful Butterfly die on the doily:

Hope you like it!  Here's the recipe for you:

{Mojo Beau Chateau}
*Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes
*Inks: Soft Suede
*Cardstock: Textured Soft Suede, Marina Mist, Pink Pirouette, Beau Chateau, Flirtatious Specialty DSP
*Accessories: Neutrals Buttons, Early Espresso Twine, White Twine, Very Vanilla Seam Binding Ribbon, Tasteful Trim Bigz XL die, Beautiful Butterflies Bigz die, Decorative Label punch, Basic Pearls, Sponge dauber, Dimensionals, Glue Dots, Big Shot

Thanks for looking!  Hope you have a fab day! :)

Happy August!..ready to see this month's giveaway?

Hi all!  I can't believe I am actually posting this month's giveaway on the first day of the month!  That's quite a first {at least in a very very long while!}!!  I personally LOVE this Pennant Parade stamp set, and I hope you do, too.  It coordinates perfectly with the new punch called Petite Pennants Builder - soo cute and so easy to make those darling pennant cards!

Anyway, all you have to do to play is follow these simple rules {only enforced by the "Honor System"}:

1. Leave me a comment on this post by midnight Pacific Time, Wed, August 24, 2011. 

2. On your comment, please make sure to include a valid email address or a blog URL (where I can leave a comment or have a way of contacting you). For those of you that are uncomfortable with leaving an email in a post, you can write your info like this: yourname at emailaccount dot com. 

3. One comment per person please. :) 

4. Anyone can play - international visitors welcome!

Your comment can be about anything, or if you'd like to share some fun tidbit about yourself, I would love to here it!  Some fun August facts about me - my dear hubby and I will be celebrating our 11th anniversary on August 12th!  Woo Hoo!!  I am such a lucky girl to have the best hubby :)  And as for my dear son, Denver will be 2 months old on August 7th!  Time is flying by and I don't know how he does it, but he gets more precious by the day.  I'll post some pics of him soon... :)

As for this month's winner, I'll be drawing the person at random using Random.org and then posting the lucky winner on the bloggie blog on Friday, August 26th!  Good luck to you!

Bye for now :)