Merry Christmas!

Hello there blog friends!  Merry Christmas!!!  I didn't think it would be practically a whole month between my posts, but it's just been that sort of hectic, frenetic, busy time of year for me.  Hope you all are enjoying the holidays. I am now able to relax and spend some quality time with family. :)  We're in Vegas this year, spending Christmas with my in-laws.  It sure is chilly here (compared to California, that is).  I'm looking forward to having some down time to hang out and enjoying the holiday festivities.  Wish you all a Merry Christmas and a wonderful time with family and friends.

Thanks for stopping by today! xoxo

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello there, blog friends.  Are you all prepping for your Thanksgiving day festivities?  I know I still have a lot to do!  I did manage to create a Thanksgiving card for you all.  :)

As you can see, I'm enjoying my Circle Thinlets die!

 This time, I added a fold out panel so that you can write out a bit more on the inside:

 Flip open the card, and you'll see the Happy Thanksgiving greeting inside….isn't that fun?

Hope you like it!  

Here's the recipe for the card:

Happy Thanksgiving card:

*Cardstock: Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White
*Inks: Early Espresso
*Accessories: In Color DSP - Summer Starfruit, Circle Thinlits die, Scallop punch, Label bracket punch, dimensionals, Early Espresso Stitched Grosgrain ribbon
*Stamps: Tags 4 You, Thanksgiving stamp {retired!}

Hope you and your families have a very Happy Thanksgiving! I'm so thankful to you all for coming by to visit my corner of the world.  Blessings to you.

Enjoy your day!

Time for Stampin'Up!'s Holiday Sale

Hey there, blog friends!  Need the perfect gifts for your crafty friends, or better yet, stock up on your own stamping and paper crafting supplies?  Well, no need to wait til Black Friday or Cyber Monday!  Get your crafting fix starting today thru December 2nd and save BIG. You can check out the flyer here, or go straight to shopping at my online store.  Feel free to peruse the sale at your leisure.  There are lots of goodies to check out!  If you have any questions, you can always reach out to me, too!

Enjoy!

Birthday fun with the Circle Card Thinlit die

Hi all!  Have you seen how fun the thinlit die cut cards are?  Here's a birthday card I created for a dear friend of ours using the Circle card thinlits die.

Here's another view of the card:

And what's a card without a lined envelope?

I just love the envelope liner framelits! They come in 3 sizes - liners to fit the standard 4 1/4" x 5 1/2", 3" x 5", and 3" x 3" envelopes.  These dies are great to have in your crafting stash for coordinating your card projects.  LOVE them.

Hope you liked my quick share today.  I can't wait to make more with these framelits.  They are a delightful surprise to receive and are definitely a nice change-up to the traditional cards.  I encourage you to give it a whirl!

Thanks for stopping by!  Ciao for now.

Spoiler alert! November Paper Pumpkin project

Hi all!  I was so excited to get this month's My Paper Pumpkin package in the mail today and was even more pleasantly surprised at the super cute project I found inside!  Don't get me wrong, I love getting my orange box in the mail every month, but I have to say I absolutely love this adorably festive holiday card. For the November project, you get this card kit which contains supplies to create 4 of these Noel cards with envelopes along with 2 stamps {the star and the sentiment} + 1 Real Red Stamping Spot pad.  I think what I love most about the project is the star garland!  It adds that special touch of fancy to the card, don't you think?  I'm happy to say this card marks my first holiday card of the season. How about you guys?  Have you started?

I personally am so behind on the holidays in general this year. It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is already right around the corner! Time is definitely flying.  I'll need to go into high gear with my turkey day planning - I'll be sure to share my ideas with you soon!

Thanks for visiting me today.  Hope you have a great one!

And the winner is...

Hi all!  I wanted to announce the winner of my Halloween Trick or Treat who'll be the lucky recipient of the Merry Little Christmas Simply Created Card Kit giveaway.  It's newfiecrafter (Marilyn)!

And thanks to all 4 of you that left me a sweet message!  I'll be sending each of you guys a little something if you send me an email with your address :)

Have a great day!

Happy Halloween and a blog Trick or Treat!

Hello all!  Hope you are having a great day so far.  I have a little devil that wanted to pop in and wish you a Happy Halloween!  He's certainly the friendliest looking little devil, isn't he?  We'll be off to do some Trick-or-treating festivities shortly.

I made this cute digital card using MDS2.  It's so easy to use and love how quick I can put something together!

Now it wouldn't quite a complete Halloween experience if you didn't get to go trick or treating on this visit to my blog, right?  So for those of you that would like to leave me a message today, I'll be giving away a fun little treat to one lucky commenter.  How about getting you started on your holiday cards with the cute Merry Little Christmas Simply Created Card Kit from the Holiday Mini?

Just leave me a comment on this blog post by midnight Pacific Time on Sunday, November 3rd and I'll pick one lucky winner and announce on Monday, November 4th!  So, be sure to check back here to see who the winner is.

Good luck and have a fun time trick or treating! :)

Easy and quick Halloween banner!

Hi all!  How are you?  Thanks for popping by today.  With Halloween just around the corner, I wanted to whip up something quick and easy to put on my mantle, so I created this little banner!  Here's a bit of a closer view:

I used the Perfect Pennants Bigz L die for my banner and the festive designer series paper I used is the Witches' Brew DSP from the Holiday catalog.  I love the versatile Morning Post Alphabet - it's my new favorite! AND it happens to be on sale right now for $26.21.  A great bargain!

Stampin'Up! is having an awesome sale on 25 stamp sets at 25% off that you can check out - it's going on now until October 28th!

Hope you guys have a great day!  So glad you came by. :)

An awesome deal!

Hello all! Happy October!  I know we're already a week in - where does the time go?  But, I do have an awesome special to share with you.  In honor of Stampin'Up!'s 25th anniversary, starting today, you can join as a demonstrator for only $25!  So, if you've been waiting for just the right time to join, now is definitely the time.  This offer is available for only 2 weeks, so you have until the 21st.  I have been a demonstrator now for almost 13 years (wow - can you believe it?!), and I have to say one of the greatest things with being a demonstrator is the flexibility you can have with your business.  I'm a working mom, and I will confess that I became a demonstrator to support my crafting habit. Heehee!  Since then though, I've had the fulfilling experience of sharing my love of crafting with others through workshops, designing cards, and also doing this blog and other social media channels on the internet where I can share how much I do love the art of papercrafting.

I encourage you all to look into it, if it's something of interest to you. I am also happy to answer any questions - feel free to email me or leave me a comment!  Hope you have a wonderful Monday and a fantastic week!

Carved stamp - take 2

Hello blog friends.  I realize the pic I posted yesterday from my phone was not the sharpest available, so I thought I'd post a couple more so you can get a better look.  I'm still new to my Mac, so trying to figure out how best to crop and post my photos as sharp as I can.  Hope you bear with me as I get thru my learning curve!

I stamped my owls in Tangerine Tango and Melon Mambo.  I just love this bright and happy color combination.  What do you think?

As for the resolution, I think I need to work on it some more.  Not as sharp as I like.  I'm not sure if it's because of my retina display, but it looks fuzzy to me.  Anyway, til I figure it out, I hope that these pics at least give you a better perspective of the stamp carving!

My first carved stamp!

Hi all!  Hope you're enjoying the Labor Day weekend!  I am excited to share my new creation using the Undefined stamp carving kit - a little owl stamp. Wanna see?

What do you think?  It was fun making it. Can't wait to make more!  Would love to hear your comments! 

Have a great rest of your weekend. :)

A glimpse at Undefined

Hi all!  Are you curious about Stampin'Up!'s new Undefined card kit offering?  Sounds pretty broad, huh?  Well, that's because it really is WHATEVER you want it to be...or make it your very own to be! We got a preview of this at convention and am excited to try it!  Here's a quick look at this cool new kit where you can create your very own stamp from scratch!


I'm gonna give it a whirl this weekend and will definitely share my first creation with you soon!  In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this little peek!  :)

Teacher's {PET}!

Hi Friends!  Happy Labor day weekend {for those in the US}.  If you've followed along my last handful of posts, you'll know that I'm sharing this month's Craft Project Central projects.  Since today is the last day of the month, this also happens to be the last project as well as the Bonus project!

Back to school is great and all, but imagine being teacher's pet! :)  heehee.  Now, I will say that this project will probably get you well on your way there, if you {or, ahem, your child} isn't already.  This super cute Craft Central Project was created by Heidi King:

Want to make a great impression?  Here is the perfect gift for the teacher you love!  This ensemble has a can perfect for you to fill with cookies or candy.  A cute box to load up with goodies and a card to top it off!

I mean, how cool is the pencil, school bus AND the cute little chalkboard card with an APPLE on it?  Too stinkin' cute, if you ask me! :)  If you'd like the deets to create this fabulous project, feel free to hop on over to Craft Project Central!

Hope you guys have a fantastic Labor Day weekend!  Chat with you soon!

Back to school chic!

It's back to school time and for my neighborhood, that literally started this past Tuesday.  Are you all set?  Well, if you need more organization ideas, don't you fret!  Here's an awesome project at Craft Project Central designed by Jen Arkfeld:

It’s Back-to-School season and it’s time to show those teachers that we really appreciate them.  This decorated clipboard includes a corkboard to pin up important notes, along with an attached clothespin to clip up additional messages.  It’s an all in one message center! Also included are some note cards for the teacher to send home some cute messages on!

If you don't have a teacher to give to, how about a co-worker...or even better - YOURSELF? ;)  Get the details over at Craft Project Central!

Mosaic Madness!

I'm back with the next project from Craft Project Central!  This fancy little project was created by Michelle Surette:

Don’t you just love the new Wood Mount Cases?? They have so many uses! Here is a great desk set to give to anyone on your holiday or birthday gift list.  All the elements fit nicely in the case and go with a matching gift card.  Makes for a fun class or club project as well!

It's a great time to get hoppin' on those holiday gifts!  I can't believe it's already the end of August, so the holidays will be here before you know it!  Now's your chance to get a head start, so if you'd like to create this project, head on over to Craft Project Central and subscribe to August!

Pretty little bow and cards to boot!

Hello there friends!  If you've checked out my recent posts, you'll notice that I've got a common theme going - Craft Project Central!  Well, if you're wondering what that might be, it's a great site where you can get a 10 fantastic and fun Stampin'Up! crafting ideas when you subscribe for the month.  I am honored and thrilled to be a guest designer this month and the project I came up with is this Gingham Purse and Card Set:

This pretty little purse and monogram card set makes the perfect personalized gift for someone special.  The new school year is starting and teachers love having cards on hand.  How about that special co-worker or neighbor!  Make several to have on hand and customize the monogram when ready to give!  Makes a fun class or club project as well!

I was very excited to showcase the Bow Bigz die - so fun to use and a great die to have on hand for numerous occasions!  And, I have been intrigued with Monograms lately, so I decided to create a monogram set.  This particular one was inspired by my cousin's visit from New Zealand.  This is her first time to the United States, so I wanted to give her something hand crafted from me :)  If you'd like all the details of this project, I definitely encourage you to subscribe to the August projects over at Craft Project Central!  Enjoy!

Need some organization?

On my goodness! When I saw this project by Amanda Corbet, I couldn't help but think about how I would incorporate it at the office AND home!

Do you know someone who could use some more organization in their craft space? Or could you use some pretty organization yourself? This set will make your space a little more cheerful while helping you stay organized! You can corral all those wonderful ideas and inspirations on the pretty framed pin board complete with rose push pins. You can keep your notes from running away with the pretty clipboard. All your lovely completed cards will be nicely sorted in the hanging card pockets sorted by category making them easy to find.

Can't wait to make this?  You can check out the details over at Craft Project Central where you can subscribe to all the August projects and get your crafting itch satisfied :)

Welcome Home Topiary Gift!

Hello friends.  I'm back with another project from Craft Project Central!  This sweet project was created by Christy Faulk:

Welcome your houseguests with this vintage-style topiary welcome banner.  This would look great in any home’s entryway.  Make one as a gift and another one for yourself.  Colors can be customized to match your entryway’s color scheme.  This would also make a great home décor class.

Isn't this such an adorable idea?  I love the topiaries and the cute little banner!  This project would also be great for birthdays, events or seasonal decor in your home or office.  Hmm...are those creative juices flowing?  Well, if you can't wait to make this project, be sure to head over to Craft Project Central for all the details!

Fluttery cards and gift box

Hello there!  Are you ready for another project from Craft Project Central?  This fun project is from the amazing Monika Davis:

Make this beautiful greeting card set with a matching box to hold them. It is the perfect present for anyone. It’s easy to make and can be mass produced without any difficulties. The box can be re-used and filled with note cards or other stationery. Great for a stamp camp, or as a class project.

This is a great go-to present to have at the ready.  You never know when you'll need a quick gift...and better yet - a hand crafted one!  If you'd like to get all the details for this project, please visit Craft Project Central and subscribe to August!

Just the perfect blend!

Are you a coffee person?  I know I am, so when I saw this Craft Project Central project from Laurie Z, I definitely perked up!

Here’s the perfect project to make for your coffee-lover friends who love coffee and chocolate!  It would also be a fun class to offer your customers!

First of all, I love that the colors are Holiday looking - how cute is that for little gifts for the holidays?!  But, not only that,  I know a handful of friends that would appreciate this crafting nod to one of their daily habits. :)  I just got this stamp set and am excited to make these projects!  Hope on over to Craft Project Central for all the project deets.

Flowers, anyone?

Hi dear friends!  I'm back with the 3rd project of the month from Craft Project Central!  This pretty project was created by Sharon B:

Everyone loves having a supply of gifts ready to give to co-workers, friends or as a hostess gift.  This Flower Shop box and cards are a perfect addition to any gift stash and it would make a fun class too!  Project includes instructions for a pretty Vellum card box, two different card designs and a gift tag.

I personally love this stamp set and punch!  So pretty!  If you'd like the details of this project, be sure to check out Craft Project Central!

Marriage advice and some quips!

I've got a fun share with Craft Project Central's 2nd project from Regina A.

Every new bride could use some marital advice and some light-hearted quips about marriage.  This ensemble includes a shabby mini album made up of staggered pages, room for a few photos, and a couple of pockets to tuck notes . . . or more small photos.  When your mini album is complete, the coordinating gift box and greeting card will make for a perfect presentation of the gift, which is sure to become a keepsake.

How cute is this project?  I love me the card box and this color palette is one of my faves!  To get all the deets on this project, you can subscribe to the August projects at Craft Project Central!

Oh hello there!

Hi blog friends! How are you all?  I know it's been a long hiatus for me, but the summer definitely picked up its pace since I got back from convention.  Between family life and work, what's a girl to do when she runs out of time?  Here it is almost at the end of August and I'm gonna have to end this month with quite a splash. Why, you say?  Well, for one, I'm a guest designer at Craft Project Central for the month of August and I have so many projects to share with you that are long overdue.  I'm just trying to catch my breath and play blog catch up!  So, fasten your seatbelts - you're all in for a fast ride with lots of awesome projects!

Let's start with the first one, shall we?  This first project is from Julie B:

Do you have a high school graduate going off to college this Fall? How about just a distant friend or relative that you’d like to hear from more often? This little set will fit the bill! Create the cover and the detailed inside, complete with divided inserts to fit all the contents. Add the handmade cards and envelopes, with the two-sided Stampin’ Write Marker – one side for writing, and the other side for stamping the personalized return address stamp for the envelope. This sweet set will be sure to delight the recipient – and motivate them to Write Home!!

Hop on over to Craft Project Central and be sure to check out Julie B's blog!

A Qwiki Day 2 recap at Stampin'Up! Convention

Hi all! Here's just a quick look at what we've been up to at convention. It's been a lot of fun! Will post more pics later! Thanks for coming by! :)

Hello from Salt Lake City!

Hi all!  I just arrived in Salt Lake a little while ago for the Stampin'Up! Convention and am now sitting on the Trax headed to lunch.  Considering I had 2 hrs of sleep last night from finishing up trades and packing, I'm feeling pretty good so far!  Here's a quick look at the two trades I made.  Hope you like them!  I'll be back in a bit to share more from Stampin'up!'s 25th Anniversary Convention.  So excited to be here!

Bye for now! :)

Fun little video of my little guy

Hi all! I just wanted to share a fun little video I made using the Qwiki app! This is a mobile app that uses photos or videos from your iphone or android device to create these little video montages with music in the background.  The one I created below is of my little guy's visit to Daddy's office.  Hope you like it! I just see lots of possibilities using this Qwiki app at convention next week!

Let me know what you think! Stay tuned!

Looking for a new blog reader?

Hi all!  Well, today is July 1st, which means that if you were using Google reader to check out your fave blogs, you'll now have to move to a new reader, since it's now no longer available {RIP}.  If you haven't migrated your RSS feeds, don't you fret!  There are many options for you out there that you can check out on the interweb {heehee, just making jokes}.  The one I chose was Feedly, because they gave a quick and simple way to port over all the blogs I follow in one quick step!  Plus, I like that there's also a nice mobile app where I can keep up to date with my blogs there, too.

Here's a blog post from the Feedly blog that you can check out if you'd like to find out more about Feedly.

Ultimately, the choice is yours, but make sure you make one if you so you can catch up on all your blurfing all at once. :)  Good luck!  And of course, my dear bloggie friends, you can feel free to email me if you have any questions - my addy's in the side bar.

R2D2 birthday card!

Hi all!  Hope you guys had a great weekend!  I've got a quick post today - a fun birthday card I made for my Godson's birthday.  He had a Star Wars themed birthday, so I did some research on Pinterest and the web in general on some characters I could create that would be fun for a card and decided to create a version of R2D2.  Here's a full view of the card:

Here are the supplies I used:

*Word Window punch
*1 3/4" circle punch, for the gray semi-circle at the top.
*Circles from the Owl builder punch
*Hexagon punch to create the ends of my happy birthday banner
*Deco labels framelits
*Honeycomb embossing folder
*Cardstock: Basic Black, Midnight Muse, Basic Gray, Whisper White
*I Am Me DSP for the "Ethan" letters, which I die cut using the retired Timeless Type sizzlits

Hope you like it!  Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Father's Day!

Hi there, blog friends!  How are you?  I know I've been MIA for quite a while.  Everything is all good though...just very busy!  Today, I've got a couple Father's Day cards to share - just in the nick of time!

Here's a closer view of the card with my hubby and son. This pic was actually taken on our vacation last week to Mammoth.  We had quite a blast!

I even made a quick 12x12 page in MDS2:

My goal is to make an album of the trip, so I'll keep you posted on how that goes. :)

I also wanted to share that the new catalog is out!  I know I'm a bit late, but here's the link for you to check it out.  You won't be disappointed!! I've also updated the left rail of my blog with the new catty, too!

Hope you have a great day and will try and post again, soon!

New Stampin'Up! In Color Sneak Peek!

Hi all! Just popping in with a quick on-the-go mobile post from the handy dandy iPhone. I have a sneak peek for you from the Stampin'Up! new catty that showcases the new 2013-2015 In Color palette. I had an itch to craft once my goodies came in, so I was determined to squeeze in some stamping this past weekend. Don't these colors look so yummy? It was pretty hard to resist taking them out of the packaging! I love the pretty embossing folder, too. It definitely adds that extra little something that makes these cards look so fancy, yet so simple to put together. I had a lot of fun making this project! I also decorated some clothes pins using the new washi tape from the new catty as well. I made the little flowers in the same palette using the 3/4" scallop circle punch, the itty bitty punch for the flower center and topped it off with the basic pearls. So, what do you think? Excited to play with these new colors and pretty products? Just less than a month away and you'll be able to see it all!

Here's the list of colors for you:
Strawberry Slush
Brown Sugar
Coastal Cabana
Pistachio Pudding
Cantaloupe Crisp

Hope you have a great one!

Stampin'Up!'s retired list is here + a sneak peek for you

Hi all!  How are you?  Hope all is going well.  Can you believe it's already that time of year that Stampin'Up! has released it's retiring stamp sets and accessories?  They are available until June 3rd, so take a look and snap up your favorites before they're gone!  Here's the full list.  Remember, these products are only going to be available while supplies last.  You can shop on my online store anytime here.

Now, are you ready to see a sneak peek of the products that will be in the NEW catalog?  I have to say, it is a gorgeous new catalog and I think you'll LOVE it.  This will be coming in June.  I've ordered some sneak peek products and am so excited they'll be coming soon. In the meantime, here's a sneak project:

Doesn't that embossing folder look so FUN!?  Well, more to come when my goodies get here!  Hope you all have a great day!

Woot woot! It's Free Shipping time and a card share!

Yup!  You heard me right!  Starting on Sat, April 6 at 12:00 AM Mountain Time (MT), Stampin'Up! is offering free standard shipping on any order of any amount (for residents in the US)!  How cool is that!  So, if you've been saving up on an order, or have had your eye out on a cute stamp set, die cut or any of the super cute products in the catalogs, then now's the time to splurge and go for it since shipping is FREE!  This promotion lasts til 11:50 PM MT on Monday, April 8, so I'd definitely encourage you all to take advantage while you can!  You can shop anytime this weekend at my online store here.

Sorry for my long silence on the blog, dear friends.  I know it's been almost a month since I've posted.  All is going well so far in my neck of the woods, just busy as always with the day job and my little family :)  

I've been prepping some pics for a blog post for a couple of weeks now, but had not gotten around to it, so I suppose now is as good a time as any, right?  As you all know, I've been really into the dress form framelits, so I have yet another one to share.  This is a card I made for my Mom's birthday in March.  I had fun modifying the dresses and making my own outfit {hee!}.  

I made the cardi out of the short-sleeved dress and just cut the skirt off, then cut the blouse piece in half and added the pearl "buttons."  I love the dahlia flower in Primrose Petal that I had to incorporate it as an embellie for the card.  I also fell in love with the butterfly print paper from the Patio Party DSP.  Such a cute fluttery dress, no?  Here's the full picture below.  I even made a little balloon, too!  I cut a very narrow piece of DSP scrap using Stampin'Up!'s awesome new paper cutter and then I curled it using the paper snips.  Fun fun!

Hope you like it!  Here's some product info for you - enjoy!

Dress Up Framelits Dies 130101 Price: $24.95 Easily cut stamped dress images from the All Dressed Up Stamp Set. Largest design: 1-1/2" x 4-1/4". 3 dies. Cuts a single sheet of paper using your Big Shot, Standard Cutting Pads, and Multipurpose Platform. Designed by Karen Burniston

Patio Party Designer Series Paper 126916 Price: $10.95 12 sheets: 2 ea. of 6 double-sided designs. 12" x 12". Acid- and lignin- free. Coordinates with the Patio Party suite. Baja Breeze, Midnight Muse, Primrose Petals, Summer Starfruit, Whisper White.

In Color Dahlias 127556 Price: $7.95 Bright little wonders! Detailed petals add touches of dimension and texture. Adhere with Mini Glue Dots. 20 flowers: 4 ea. in five 2012–2014 In Colors; 3/8". Gumball Green, Midnight Muse, Primrose Petals, Raspberry Ripple, Summer Starfruit.

Basic Pearls Jewel Accents 119247 Price: $4.95 Jewels are just as magical in papercrafting as in fashion. Add a pearl here, a rhinestone there, and your projects take a subtle step up. With our pearl basic jewels, it’s easy to add a touch of class to your projects in an instant. • Small, self-adhesive pearls • 150 pearls per package; 50 each of 3 sizes (2 mm, 3 mm, and 5 mm) • Each package also includes three 2-5/8" strips of connected pearls perfect for borders

Apothecary Accents Framelits Dies 127003 Price: $24.95 See what you're cutting with Framelits dies. Use with the Big Shot, Standard Cutting Pads, and the Multipurpose Platform. Apothecary Accents Framelits Dies are designed to cut images from World Treasures Stamp Set and Layered Labels Stamp Set. 4 dies (largest: 4-7/8" x 2-3/4"). Cuts a single sheet of paper.