So Thankful!

In case you're one of those who stops by my blog from time-to-time, you might be wondering what has happened to me. Well, let me tell you...Tropical Storm Hermine took the cover and railing off my deck upstairs. Now, ordinarily this wouldn't really have much of an impact on anything except my pocketbook, but my internet antenna was attached to that railing and it took weeks to get the weather to cooperate so that my broadband provider could come out and reinstall all the equipment. To make matters worse, without the cover providing some shade, it is incredibly HOT in my craft room. South Texas is not getting the cool weather that many in the rest of the country are enjoying.
My husband and I have decided not to fix the deck. Instead we are going to enclose the entire 2nd story and turn it into a master bedroom. That means my craft room will have to be dismantled and mostly stored for several months. With that in mind and with all the time demands of my college courses, I have decided to step down from my design teams.
This will be my last post as part of the Lindsay's Stamp Stuff design team. I really have enjoyed working with Lindsay's digis and svgs, and I have just loved all the members of the team, so it is with great regret that I step down at this time, but I just feel that I don't have the time necessary right now to devote to showcasing the products from LSS.
So for my final project as part of the team, I wanted to create a thank you card to express my appreciation to Lindsay and the rest of the team!

I used the Leaf Prints Digital Stamp set and colored the leaf with my copics. I kept the design simple by embossing one layer, adding a little sponging, and then put my focal image and sentiment in the middle with just a little raffia as embellishment.
Be sure to visit the rest of the design team because they continue to create amazing projects week after week. You won't want to miss a single site! Then, don't forget to head over to LSS to grab all the products you need to create your own amazing projects.
Thank you, all!
Cheers!

40% off Sale and a Freebie!

Hey folks, just a quick post to let you know that there is a one day 40% off EVERYTHING sale at Lindsay's Stamp Stuff starting midnight tonight (All day Thursday) and ending Thursday night at midnight. There are brand new sets in the shop as well as old faves, you can check it out here.

Don't forget to stop by Lindsay's Blog and grab your Thursday Freebie, I hear it's "Wicked" cute!

Tamara's Virtual Baby Shower

This is going to be super short because just as I was getting ready to post, my broadband went out on me.Don't ya hate that! I'm using an air card and have really slow connectivity.
Fellow LSS design team member Tamara Bennet is having her baby boy today! I'm not sure what time the big event will occur but it's possible that while you are reading this, she's in delivery! Anyway, the design team are giving her a virtual shower today by presenting her with a shower of baby cards! Here's mine using the LSS Babies and Bows set.

Don't forget to check out the rest of the design team blogs and maybe even stop by Tamara's blog and congratulate her family on their new addition.
Cheers!
(My broadband service better be operational before this weekend!)

Sweet N Sassy Blog Hop

Hurray! It's finally here! The September Release of clear stamps at Sweet N Sassy!!! We've been teasing you with little peeks all week, so hopefully you've had a chance to choose some favorites and get your shopping list ready. Today is the day to make your purchases.
If you need a little more inspiration, how about a project that would be perfect as a hostess gift:

I used the brand new Bread of Life set for my focal image on this bread bag. Then, I used one of the sentiments from the set for my tag. There are several inspirational sentiments in this set. Be sure you head over to the shop to see the set in its entirety. The image would also be great to include on a bread basket set out on your Thanksgiving (or any holiday) dinner table. Here's a close look at some of the stamps in the set:

Now, I need to get you off to the next stop on the HOP. You should be heading over to the very talented Lorie Souther's blog but in case you missed a stop, here's the whole list. You will definitely not want to miss a single stop!

SNSS Blog

Ceal Pritchett

Darsie Bruno

Janette Olen

Korin Sutherland 

Kim Schofield

Leah Cornelius

Lisa Jurecek

Lorie Souther

Nancy Brown

Tricia Traxler

Chris Dickinson 

Don't forget to try out the challenges, too, for a chance to win some of these great new stamps!
Cheers!

Monday with Mom

I challenged Mom this week to create a sentiment card. I had this beautiful Mariposa paper from DCWV and it just didn't need much to make it spectacular. It also gives me a chance to sneak peek another of the new releases from Sweet N Sassy. This beautiful sentiment is from the new clear stamp set called Blessings and Thanks which will be released September 1. You are definitely going to want this one. I say you can't have enough sentiment stamps when you are looking for just the right thing to say!
Don't forget about the Sweet N Sassy September Release Blog Hop on Wednesday. Until then, catch all the sneak peeks on the SNS blog and the Design Diva's blogs.
Mom really rose to the challenge. She created this stunning card with black and white and blue. Very classy!

The embossing and distressing look great but I really love how the black makes everything "pop" on this card.
Cheers!

Joyful News

Well, I did it! I cranked up the air conditioner, surrounded myself with red and green, and created a Christmas card.

I wanted to give you another tempting look at the new Sweet N Sassy September clear stamp release. This sentiment stamp is from the new SNS The Greatest Gift clear stamp set that will be released September 1st. The set comes with five sentiments and one very special image just perfect for celebrating the Christmas season.
Be sure to stay tuned to the SNS blog and the design team blogs as we peek more images from all the new releases! And, don't forget the September Release Blog Hop on Wednesday for a chance to see all the great things you can create with these stamps and a chance to join some challenges and WIN some new stamps!

School box

First of all, let me say that this is NOT a Halloween project! This is a back-to-school project, but guess who's school colors are orange and black! Yep, I have so many orange and black clothes, it's almost not fun! So, when I decided to use the new LSS Teacher's Helper for a gift project for some student helpers, I had to use the ole school colors. By the way, this set is awesome for teacher gifts or student rewards and IT-IS-ON-SALE! You can shop Lindsay's Stamp Stuff for the next three days and grab a bag of bargains. Everything, and I mean everything, in the LSS MyGrafico shop is 30% off through August 28, so be sure to stop by and see for yourself all the great goodies.
Both the great little pencil topper and the pencil box are SVG files I cut with my Cricut and Sure Cuts Alot software. If you don't have these, the set also comes with a PDF file so you can print these out and hand cut them, too. There are also some bonus digital stamps that make this set extra special!
You will want to see all the great projects created with Lindsay's sale items, so be sure to go through all the design team blogs including our newest team member Laurel. Leave some special love on her blog to welcome her to the creative team. Also, Lindsay has a freebie for you today, so don't forget to stop there and grab that little goodie.
And whatever you do, don't miss out on the sale!

Cheers!

Thankful Favor

I just love sentiment stamps! I can't ever get enough of them because I always want something really special to put on my card or gift. Sweet N Sassy has some beautiful sentiments--beautiful messages and beautiful script. But hold your breath because you are just going to have to have the sentiments in the new clear stamp releases coming out September 1. Usually, I put the sentiment on the inside of the card and then never take a picture of that, but I created a special sneak peak of a new set called Blessings and Thanks with one of the sentiments from this set clearly visible.

Isn't that an awesome message? I told you you were going to have to have this set, but you have to wait a few more days to see the whole set. Take my word for it, they are all so special.
I think these little favor bags with this sentiment would be perfect for a Thanksgiving table setting, but also what a way to lift someone up. I wanted to create some texture so instead of using regular cardstock for the sentiment, I used some watercolor paper. This provided great texture with the added sponging around the edges. In weak imitation of the fabulous Darsie Bruno, queen of pearls, I added a few copic-colored pearls around the stamped sentiment. I colored some seam binding to create a custom-colored ribbon treatment and added the flower which my dear friend Jana gave me for my birthday. Inside I used some tulle to wrap up a few Hershey's nuggets.
Just a little FYI for all of you: Be sure to check out the blogs of the design team as well as the SNS blog to see more sneak peeks of the September SNS release. Also, there will be a big blog hop on August 31 and along the way you find some fun challenges which could lead to your winning one of the new clear stamp releases.  Don't ya just love the suspense!!!
Cheers!

Monday with Mom

This week's technique on Stamptv was to use water-based markers to add specific colors to a stamp. So, the copics got a rest this weekend. I used these butterflies from a Stampin Up set. After inking the stamp, I used a Stampin Write marker to add a little dash of color to the center of the butterflies. That's it! Super easy technique. I used the Stampin Up butterfly punch to punch them out and an EK Success punch for my leaf which I colored with a sponge and some inks. I used one of the new Sizzix Tim Holtz embossing folders on the background paper to get some distressing and added more distressing to the edges with my Distrezz-it-all.
Mom created this stunning card using the stamp and marker technique.

I love those brads added to the center of the flowers. What pretty colors and background papers, too. This is really a great technique for creating something special very quickly. It was kind of nice to let the copics sit on the shelf for the day. Though, I'm sure they'll be back in action before the week is over. Have a great day!
Cheers!

A Witchy Brew For You

Talk about a fast and super easy project, this one is all that and more! I recycled a pretty bottle and just poured in some grape soda. You could certainly add some other kind of beverage to this but the grape soda was fast and easy to acquire. I created a "label" for my witch's brew by tracing along the bottle's indentation and cutting out some Basic Grey Eerie paper. Then, using a scrap of the same paper, I printed out this label from the LSS Vintage Halloween set. This set is designed to match with your Spellbinders Labels Nestabilities. You don't have to use the Spellbinder's dies as it is very easy to cut out the label by hand. But I did create a mat for my label with one of the Labels Two  dies. The only thing I did to this image was add some stickles for a little shimmer.
More Basic Grey paper and a paper crimper created the band around the bottle. I added a flower that I custom-colored with my copics. I tied a bow around the top and added the circular label also printed from the LSS Vintage Halloween set and cut and matted using the Spellbinders Classic Circles Nestabilities dies. I really love this set, but I don't have all the Spellbinders Labels dies used and even though I don't "NEED" them for these images, this set sure makes me "WANT" them!
So, how's that for a fast, easy Halloween project. This set would make awesome labels for bottles of soda pop at a Halloween party! And, you are in luck because today only, there is a 40% off sale at LSS, so be sure to head over there and grab this set up! It is only $2.70, no tax and no shipping and you can have it instantly! Can't beat that with a stick (even a witch's broomstick!) Also, don't forget to check out the design team this week where I'm sure you'll find lots of inspiration and great ideas, and stop by Lindsay's blog for inspiration and a freebie!
Cheers!

Monday with Mom

Oh, my! Mom made the most adorable card using the Sweet N Sassy Woof You clear stamp set. I really love how she colored this little guy. On top of the great coloring, she used the tutorial over at Stamptv to create a flocked background on the card. It turned out just fabulous, but see for yourself.

The striped background paper was made using flock and score tape. I haven't tried this technique yet but Mom said it was really fun and I do need to use up some of my flock supply. This is a great little stamp set to work with. Hmmm! May need to get this one back from Mom.
Okay, I've really wanted to try the flocking technique but I've been trying to get some projects done and I didn't want to experiment just in case it turned into a disaster. So... let me show you what I did create. One of my coworkers had a birthday on Friday the 13th and I overlooked it (talk about bad luck). To make up for my oversight, I created a cake in a can for her complete with some icing in a baggie and a candle.

I've had few questions about how I create these and though I've shared this before on my blog, I thought it might be time to repeat it. First of all, I got my recipe for this from Jackie Gannaway. I discovered Jackie years ago at a Country Peddler show and have been a huge fan ever since. I still have the very first cookbook I ever bought from her, signed and everything. You can find Jackie's cookbooks and gift ideas here. This recipe is found in the Crafty Cans from the Kitchen book. Jackie doesn't actually cook up the cakes for the recipient. Her recipes call for creating and giving the mix in the decorated can. My way of thinking is that I don't want to cook up anything on my birthday, so I go ahead and bake the cake for the recipient in one can and while it's baking, I decorate a clean can. That way I can put the cooled cake in the decorated can with a little bit of glaze mix or icing in a zippered baggie.
Basically, you mix a small pudding mix with a store bought cake mix. You use 3/4 of a cup of the mixture per can. For each can, you'll add one egg, 1 T of water, and 1 T oil. Mix that together and pour into a buttered (not sprayed) can and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.  The cookbook will give you lots of ideas for different combinations for cakes, but there are other recipes in there including several bread recipes, too.
I just think this makes a nice, simple gift to give a coworker or neighbor without creating a whole cake.
Did you see those flowers on my can?

 I spent a large part of yesterday playing with flowers. I watched some videos and then got busy converting some primas and punching some patterned paper to create these gorgeous flowers. First, I stopped here and got the original inspiration. Then, went here to watch the video.
If you managed to get through this whole post, you've had quite a read. I'm not normally this chatty on a Monday morning, but I had lots of ground to cover today. Hope you found it enjoyable, helpful, or inspirational.
Cheers!

Happy Birthday, Jana

Happy birthday to you! My dear friend Jana is having a birthday today and besides wishing her a very special day, I'd like to show you part of her birthday present that I made with my own two hands. The lovely thing about making this for Jana is that she's a papercrafter herself, so she really appreciates the time and effort that went into this!
First, I'll show you the envelope that holds the present. I created this with Lauren Meader's My Time Made Easy Simple Seedling cut file and my Cricut and Sure Cuts Alot software.

I created a band to go around the envelope and then used this great sentiment from the SNS Sew Happy Cocoa clear stamp set. You'll see why this is such an appropriate sentiment for this project in just a minute. I added a bow made from some custom-colored seam binding and some faux stitches. Now look what's inside!

The image and sentiment on the front is also from the Sew Happy Cocoa set! I colored Cocoa with my copics. I did some real stitching around the edges of this project. A few buttons and some more seam binding ribbon finish this off. Now, Jana has a little notebook to put all her crafty ideas in, notes, lists of books she wants to read (wink!), or anything she wants.
I hope she has a great day and I wish that for all of you! Get your craft on today!
Cheers!

Fall Preview

I've got a little bit of a fall preview for today. Our weather is giving no inkling that fall is on the way, but in the craft room with the air conditioner at full blast, I can almost imagine a crisp, cool fall day!!! Anyway, here's some fall inspiration for you courtesy of Sweet N Sassy. Be sure to check out their line-up of new clear stamps and new digis. If you're ready for it, there's even some Christmas stamps.

Pumpkins are the perfect fall companion, and these make for an elegant look. This is the new Pumpkin Patch digi stamp from SNS, super easy to color. The sentiment is from the Autumn Lovin Cocoa clear stamp set, and here's another card using that set.

On both of these cards, I got happy with my cuttlebug and some embossing folders. The top one uses the Sizzix Tim Holtz Woodgrain embossing folder and this second one uses my favorite Provocraft Pumpkins embossing folder. I just love the fall colors and interesting textures on both of these, and the images are so much fun to work with.

Looking for a sale today without having to hit the stores? Lindsay's Stamp Stuff  and MyGrafico are having a back to school sale. Be sure and stop by to check out the great fall/holiday/back-to-school images there at a great price!

Strawberry Jam

I made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich a couple of days ago and used up the last of my strawberry jelly. I started to toss the empty jar of Smuckers in the trash, but I got to thinking about my friends who make homemade jellies. Now, no! I didn't get inspired to whip up a batch of homemade preserves of any kind. I realized the only jam I know how to make is to "jam" a bunch of strawberry candies in a jar! That's about as homemade as it gets around here. And, yes, we're talking store-bought candies. So here's my version of strawberry jam!

Granted, you can't spread this stuff on a sandwich, but it's still looks pretty yummy. The beautiful strawberry image is from the LSS Strawberries and Watermelon Digital Stamp set. I had to use this set one more time to eke out the last juices of summer! I colored the image with my copics, and cut it out using my cuttlebug and Nestabilities Label 10 dies. The ribbon is from a gift set that I salvaged. That's a prima flower on top of the bow. The sentiment is from the PTI Tags for Spring set.
Go ahead...slap some jam on some bread and head on over to the LSS design team blogs to check out all the eye candy for this week...ya know you want to! Be sure to stop over and Lindsay's blog to see what pretties she has "cooked up" and check out her freebie for the week!
Cheers!

Goodnight Moon

I rarely make cards for new arrivals because I just don't have much need for them, but a good friend of mine says she's always in need of one to give to her circle of friends and relatives that are expecting. Well, it took very little encouragement to get me going on that since I think baby cards are so adorably fun to make. This sweet image is a new digi stamp from Sweet N Sassy. This one is called Sweet Dreams. The sentiment is from the SNS Little One clear stamp set that will be released the middle of this month. Be looking for it as I will be giving you another sneak peek soon! You can also go to the store and preorder it today!
I love gingham papers so it was just a matter of choosing the color I wanted for this. I wanted something both soft and rich so I combined the soft aqua with the rich purple. I created my ribbons with some ink and seam binding and used my Cuttlebug stars embossing folder on the new SU Concord Grape CS. The aqua papers are from a Paper Studio package I got from Hobby Lobby. I punched out the stars with a couple of SU star punches in two sizes and glazed the yellow ones with some Glassy Accents. The image is colored with my copics.
Cheers!

Monday with Mom

We went masculine for this Monday's edition. Mom used blues and grays and strong score lines to create a masculine feel for a friend's birthday. She colored this image called SNS Camper with her copic markers and scored around the edges with her Martha Stewart Score board. the ribbon glide also adds another masculine touch!
I created a birthday present for our district's business manager. He seemed a little down in the dumps thinking about his 60th birthday, so I'm hoping this will cheer him up! I haven't made a cake in a can in a long time. I used to make them all the time for my coworkers but this last year I started giving cookies in a box. Since I'm not on any one campus any more, I thought I could bring this out for a new group of recipients.

Yep, that's a chocolate cake in an old green bean can. I actually cook the cake in a different can and transfer the cooled cake over to a decorated can. The cupcake image is from the LSS Sweet Treats 2. The sentiment is from the SU Whimsical Words set. The paper is K&Co's Life's Journey PP. Hope this is a sweet treat for my friend.
Cheers!

Juicy Summer Treats

I have maybe two days left to finish off this semester and I am sooo ready to get all my assignments finished and turned in. I can almost taste all that extra crafting time I'll have on my hands. You would not believe what a disaster my craft loft is in. I have some new goodies to  play with (and a Stampin' Up order due Friday!), but first I've got FIND my craft table and computer desk. I think they are there somewhere under all the scraps and remnants and half done projects! Keep your fingers crossed that Saturday will be homework-free and craft happy!
One of my most favoritest sets from LSS is this delicious Strawberries and Watermelon set, and with temperatures almost hitting the triple digit mark, I thought this little card might help someone feel a little cooler.

Watermelons make me think of old-fashioned summer picnics or get-togethers and I really wanted this card to convey that feeling. I colored the image with my copics. The papers are by Cosmo Cricket and I did a little distressing on them. I added some black Stickles to the watermelon seeds in the image and then added some adhesive gemstones from the Paper Studio to the bottom of the card because they reminded me of the watermelon seeds.
Don't forget to check out Lindsay's blog to see what creative genius she's been up to, and also hop the blogs of her uber talented design team. These ladies have been smokin up the challenge blogs lately. Their stuff is everywhere winning all kinds of challenges and awards! Yes, they're that good! When you are all done, head over to the store and grab some fabulous digi stamps. You know you need a reason to stay in the air conditioning!!!

Sew Thoughtful

I still have a couple of thank you notes to send out from my birthday, so I created this vintage style thank you card for one of my crafting buddies who admires copic coloring. This is a classic little image from LSS called Sewing Stuff. You can grab it for less than $2 and there's also a great companion set in the shop called Sew Pretty. There are lots of very pretty options between these two stamp sets.
I played along with the Shabby Tea Room challenge this week which was a one, two, three challenge (one ribbon, two button, and three punches/dies). I colored some white seam binding to create my ribbon and make the bow, grabbed a couple of buttons from the jar (I don't even know any more where these buttons came from), and used two deckled rectangle dies from spellbinders and a SU border punch. I had to, of course, add some sewing to this and a little distressing.
Don't forget to head over to Lindsay's blog today to see what all she has for you. There's usually a digital freebie involved, and you definitely want to check out what the rest of the design team has created! Be sure to see all the gorgeousness over at the The Shabby Tea Room, too.
Cheers!

Need a Lift

My dear, sweet friend Melissa at Tuesday Morning Sketches is celebrating her first birthday. Her challenge blog is one year old! Happy birthday, Melissa. Lindsay's Stamp Stuff is helping her celebrate this week by grabbing one of her sketches from the past year and giving it a go. If you play along this week, you have a chance to win a digital stamp set from Lindsay's Stamp Stuff like the Steampunk set I used to make this card.

I used TMS #35 and flipped and tweaked it a little for this card. I loved the vintage look of the DCWV Mariposa matstack paper combined with the antique bicycle and the paper flowers. The sentiment is from a PTI set called Everyday Buttons and it works perfectly with the image in the LSS stamp set.
Be sure to visit the other members of the design team to see what sketch they used. Then, stop by Tuesday Morning Sketches and grab a sketch of your own to play with after a quick visit to LSS for a cool digital stamp set to use on your card (LSS image not required but it would  be great to see what you do with them). Also, if this has put you in the mood for vintage, be sure to stop over at Lindsay's blog for a digital freebie. I believe you could "walk" away with a vintage car image.
Cheers!

Monday With Mom 11

What a great weekend! Saturday was my birthday and I spent the whole day doing the things I love the most: reading, crafting, and hanging out with friends and family. I had a stack of homework that needed doing but I set it aside to enjoy my day! I got some wonderful gifts including the Martha Stewart score board and a $50 Stampin' Up gift card! (lots of other great non-craft related items, too!) My husband and my father cooked a bunch of fish and shrimp for me and about 15 guests. It was totally yummy. Not a bad way to turn 44!
I received several hand-made cards from my crafting buddies, but I had to showcase this little cutie that my mom made for me! She used a Sweet n Sassy digital image called Milton Mouse. She colored Milton and his bouquet with copics. Isn't she getting sooo good with her copics! I love the grey and purple color scheme, too!

So, I grabbed a Sweet n Sassy digital stamp, too, and created a furry little cutey! This is a recently released digi called Praying Fuzzy.

I used some old Making Memories paper flowers to create the little roses in the corner. And, isn't the little paw prints punch cute! That was kind of a birthday present to myself. It's a newer EK Success border punch.The sentiment on the bow is from the SNS Poppies and Greetings clear stamp set. It is certainly perfect for this image.
I better get busy on my homework that I neglected this weekend!
Cheers!