Not So Clean and Simple

I made this a couple of weeks ago for one of the CAS-tastic Wednesday challenges, and forgot to share it! The challenge was to use Kraft on your card. I used the vintage postmark stamp from Simply Sweet, the July 2010 monthly mix by Lizzie Anne Designs. I also used the long background stamp in the set to create the diamond pattern behind the image.

I dirtied up my card with lots of sponging and distressing. I am thrilled with the way it turned out!

Chloe in a Window

It's blog hop day over at InStyle Stamps! This month our theme is "Christmas in July", and with this heat wave we've been having here in Virginia I'm loving all things winter-y!! You should have com here from the lovely and talented Tina's blog -- if not you missed something totally fab!

For my Christmas project I used Ornamental Chloe, one of the new releases this month. I colored her with Copics and made a recessed window card to put her on. I was nervous about attempting this type of card, but it was super easy and I love the end result.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Your next stop is the marvelous Kimme. And if you missed a few stops along the way, head back over to the InStyle Stamps blog to get the complete list of Christmas in July hoppers. And after you check out everyone's project be sure to go back over there and vote for your favorite. You could win 4 free digi images just for voting and commenting!

It's also Midweek Throwdown time over at Operation Write Home, and their them is Christmas in July too! So I entered this card in that challenge as well :)

Brilliant Blooms

First, I apologize for the picture. I tried and tried, but I just couldn't get a good one! Ok, now that I'm done with that, lol! I made this card yesterday, for both the Color Throwdown and CPS Sketch challenges. I really like the color combo, and it isn't something I ever would have put together myself. The sketch didn't call for the small sentiment panel, so that's an addition of mine. Oops :)

I used the Lizzie Anne Designs sixlet set Brilliant Blooms. I love these flowers! There is a stem with the set, but I chose to draw mine on with a marker and then paper pierce and faux stitch them. I did add handstitching around the main image panel and the right side of the long panel. The scalloped border stamp and sentiment are both from Turn Toward the Sun, the August 2010 monthly mix from Lizzie Anne Designs.

Sorry again about the picture! I don't know what the deal was. I'll do better next time!

Bunny Love

This week Amber Ink is sponsoring Jen del Muro's Sketch For You To Try! Isn't that fun??? Jen came up with an awesome sketch (as always). For my sample, I used Bunny Hug, which is no joke the sweetest little bunny image I have EVAH seen!! All of the Love Bunny images are so adorable - they remind me of one of my favorite children's stories, Guess How Much I Love You.

Anyway....I colored the little sweeties with my Copics and gave the white one a pink nose (it was my daughter's idea!). The card's colors are pretty girlie and subdued. I was just in that kind of moos when I made it!! I actually love the soft feel it has to it, and I think the flowers were the perfect accent to the basic Grey dp.

Be sure to go over to Jen's blog to see what everyone else has created! While you are there, play along and leave a link to your card - you might win a $25 gift certificate to Amber Ink!! And that, my friends, is a marvelous thing to win!!!

Little Clara

Over at the Pixie Dust Studio Challenge blog, they have a new challenge going on this week. It's to make a giftcard holder to go along with their Christmas in July theme. How fun! The rules said we could make any kind of giftcard holder we wanted, so I made one that works just like a card - because at Christmastime I inevitably forget to get a gift for someone far away, and need something ready to send quickly!

I used the Clara image (well, her Pixie Dust name is Claire) from the newly released Nutcracker Pixie Suite. Isn't she adorable?!?!?


Inside the card, I made a small pocket to hold the giftcard. It was really easy to do! I may go back and add a circle with a sentiment on it, but for now I left it blank. I'm super pleased with this because my husband really liked it - and it is always nice when he likes crafty stuff!

A Birthday Sketch!

I have a very, very dear friend who recently celebrated a milestone birthday (I won't tell you what number -- her secret is safe with me! I am all about multi-tasking these days and since it is my turn to host the Lizzie Anne Designs sketch challenge this week I used that sketch to make her card.

My extra twist for the sketch was to use your Nestabilities in a creative way to make a frame for your main image panel. On my card, I used a scalloped rectangle, a classic rectangle , and a label to cutout out the center of the rectangle. I then popped the rectangle up on dimesnionals. Here is a closer look:

I used the Vintage Verses sixlet set on this card - I love this saying! I added lots of sponging with Tim Holtz inks. I had fun drawing this sketch and making her birthday card. I hope she likes it!

A Sweet Little Cupcake

I'm lucky enough to get to play along with the Sweeties over at the Cupcake Inspiration Challenge blog today! This week the sponsor is Fred She Said, and they provided this beautiful cupcake image, called Daisy Cupcake, for the Sweeties to play with! Head over to the Cupcake Inspirations blog to see what the inspiration for my card was, and to see what the other Sweeties came up with!

Thanks for letting me play along today :)

A Double Dose!

Did you know that I love all things Alice in Wonderland? Well, now you do!! I spotted this image by Pixie Dust Studio and it went straight to the top of my wishlist. His name? "Touch of Depp"!!! How great is that?? This card's sketch was inspired by this beauty that I saw on Deb's blog the other day - so gorgeous!


Although he was at the top of my list (tied with about ALL the other Pixie Dust images!), I have a serious, serious fondness for The Nutcracker. Is there a girl who doesn't? My daughter does too, so when the Nutcracker Pixie Pack was released I knew I had to get them first. Sadly, my Mad Hatter would have to wait....


But then I got an email from Kathy, the wonderfully sweet and friendly creative force behind Pixie Dust Studios. And what was in that email, you ask?? Not just my Nutcracker sweeties, but a Mad Hatter, too!!! I was SO excited, I had to color him immediately! Not once, but twice -- it was so fun!

I went wild and crazy with one outfit, and paired him with lots of white space (it's my friend these days - I am really embracing it!). And on the other card I left his suit subdued (but not the hair -- never the hair!) and went wild with color. I had such a great time making these two cards!

If you don't have any Pixie Dust Studio images, go now...quickly! They are beyond adorable!!

Vintage Lizzie

I am so in love with this card. The colors, the lace, the frills...the girliness of it! I started off with this week's Lizzie Anne Designs sketch challenge and then dug through my scrap dp stash. I came up with a tiny piece of Basic Grey's Lily Kate, and paired it with some larger pieces I've never used (I'm trying to use all of my dp!!!).

Little Lizzie just seemed like the perfect stamp to use with these papers and this sketch (well, I did flip the sketch on its side). I added a sentiment from Vintage Verses, also. It's hard to tell in the picture, but I left the scalloped layer inside its Nestie and sponged it, so that just a bit would peek through once it was underneath the main panel. Lizzie's dress is paper pieced with the smallest piece of dp I found.

I loved making this card. It's been a good crafty week!!

The Wolf Is Mine, E!!!

This week over at The Lounge (Our Craft Lounge's blog) they are celebrating silhouettes and showcasing all of the great silhouette stamps that they have. So I combined that fun event with their sketch challenge this week, and made this card. And I *love* it!! I used the For-Bitten crafty clear stamp set - how "fangtastic" is it??

Want to hear the story behind this card? My wonderful friend Elizabeth and I love all things Twilight. And she is most definitely Team Jacob. I'm pretty firmly in the Team Edward camp, until I watch New Moon. And every time I see it...well, Jacob is yummy! So she's constantly reminding me (and all of our other girlfriends) that the wolf "belongs to her". We see it posted everywhere: "The wolf is mine!", she writes - and I usually have to correct her, lol. So I HAD to make this card for her! It made me chuckle the entire time I was working on it, and I hope it brings a smile to her face when it shows up in her mailbox!

Total side note: I also love love love True Blood (and the Sookie Stackhouse novels). I'm 100% Team Eric (who wouldn't be?). But Alcide.....well he'd make me have second thoughts!! Bwahahahahaha! Thanks for the reminder, BB! Wolves are alright :)

I luvs ya, E!! And don't forget.....the wolf is mine!!

Cupcake Inspiration & A Winner

I played along with the Cupcake Inspiration Challenge this week - it's so fun! I loved the color scheme of these cupcakes. Soft and girlie :) I used the cupcake image and sentiment from Turn Towards the Sun, the August monthly mix from Lizzie Anne Designs. Cute, huh? I kept my layout simple and free of dp - I just loved the creaminess of the Prismatics cardstock. I sponged the edges, and used a Martha Stewart edge punch to help give the card that soft, girlie feel that reminded me of the cupcakes in the inspiration piece.

Now, for the winner of the Amber Ink Blog Frolic gift certificate! I used random.org to draw a number from all of the lovely comments I got yesterday. At 10:35 pm est, I had 28 comments. Random.org gave me the number 21, which was a comment left by Amanda B!!! Amanda, please pass along your contact info so I can get you your $5 gift certificate to Amber Ink!!

Today is THE DAY!!!

Welcome to the Amber Ink. Grand Opening Blog Frolic!

Today the Amber Ink. store officially opens its doors, and you are invited to hang out with us! We've also invited some special friends to participate, in addition to our Brilliant th(Ink)Tank Girls, so get ready to drool!

Here is my project today -- clean and simple, because white space is good for the soul! Let me tell you the story behind this card.....I made an ADORABLE underwater scene with images from the Make a Scene (Under the Sea) set and the Can I Keep Him? set. I mean adorable, y'all. I spent all afternoon coloring it with my Copics, only to make a mistake at the last possible second - a completely irreversible, uncorrectable mistake. It was SO sad!!! I'll admit - I had a moment. But I gathered myself, threw away the scene, and started again - in a whole 'nother direction. Instead of a big colorful scene I went clean and simple with a splash of color.


I used the Starfish from the Can I Keep Him? set, and made a Momma and a Baby. I colored them to match the Spin Pin Tiny iPaper (in full strength - not the Whisper or the Hint), and popped them up on dimensionals. I layered some of the iPaper both above and below the edge of my white card base. I added a sheer white ribbon, and walked away! I know it is simple, but the big colors make up for that. I just *love* the way it turned out. SIMPLE IS GOOD! I have to remind myself of that, especially after I make a big old mistake :) Eventually, when I figure out who is getting this card, I'll go back and add a sentiment to the left of the starfish, along the edge of the top layer of white.

Before you go rushing over to the store to buy all of the new goodies (you HAVE to see the new iPaper that came out today!!!), here is something fun, just for you: Not only do we have eye candy for you, but we're giving away some secret hidden prizes along the way. You won't know where they are hiding, so make sure to leave some love wherever you go. Winners will be chosen from the comments on the pre-selected blog posts.

Without further ado, here's the list of genius...go forth and comment!

Amber's Blog...she's da' boss!
Charmaine Ikach
Dawn Burnworth
Jodi Collins
Karin Martin...th(Ink) Tank Babe!
Michele Boyer
Nicole Anderson...th(Ink) Tank Babe!
Patricia (Pink) O'Hagan...th(Ink) Tank Babe!
Paula Williamson
Sankari Wegman
Shannan Teubner...fearless leader of the th(Ink) Tank Babes!
Suzie McKenzie...th(Ink) Tank Babe!

Now, GO SHOP!!!!! Oh, and one last side note about the iPaper (have you figured out how much I *LOVE* it???) - even my hubs thinks it is awesome. And if you can get the hubs interested in some crafty stuff...you KNOW it's good!

Happy Birthday, Virginia!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, VIRGINIA!!!!!

We're surprise birthday blog hopping today for Virginia, the wonderful owner of InStyle Stamps! You should have arrived from the letter "Y" ... if not go back to InStyle Stamps and start over again. You wouldn't want to miss a single bit of our fun, would you? We are spelling something for our dear friend, so you just have to see it all :) While we are hopping, we are taking Virginia on a world tour...each blog is sharing something unique!

Virginia, if you were here with me on your birthday, we'd to one of three things. Either we'd head up to the Blue Ridge Parkway for some beautiful scenery, or we'd head down south a bit and go visit Cyndi at her fab job. Doesn't that sound fun??? We could do some retail therapy! The third option is to head up north to DC, hook up with Simone and Kimme, and follow the retail therapy with a night out on the town in DC!

Since this is a Birthday Blog Hop, we can't leave you without a chance at a party prize! So here are the rules.
1. Start at the beginning of the blog hop with the letter "H"
2. Comment on each participant's blog because they need a little love and to increase your chances at the party prize.
3. Go to PaperYumness and wish Virginia a Happy Birthday.

The deadline to win a digital image is Sunday, July 18th at 8:00pm Pacific Time.

That's all you need to do! The prize???? Not one, but two! You might win either one just by commenting on a blog. Good luck and hope you have fun all along the way! Want to see what you might win? Well, here is a snippet of each of the two prizes. To see big pictures, head back to the beginning!


Your next stop along the hop is the letter "E" -- have fun!

Turn Toward the Sun

HOW wonderful is this saying?? I am so in love with it. I told you I loved the August Monthly Mix!! Today is Design Team challenge day at Lizzie Anne Designs, and this month our challenge was to use something unexpected on our cards - a random, found item. I tried a million times to come up with something clever (our inspiration piece had safety pins on it!). I got out a popsicle stick, twistie ties, bread tabs, pieces of old denim, a lollipop, a balloon, rubber bands....I did not love any of it.

And then I went rummaging through my earrings box, and discovered the collar tabs from one of DH's new dress shirts. WHY were they in my earring box, you ask?!? I have NO idea! But there they were, begging to be used. So I made this fairly CAS card, with an image that, although new, is most definitely one of my all time favs.

Be sure to head over to the Lizzie Anne Designs blog to see what the other designers came up with, or click on their links to the right. Have a great day!!

Hope, Popcorn, and (Most Importantly) WINE!!!

Here she is...my first official preview card for Amber Ink! These images are from the Hope, Popcorn, and Wine set. Isn't she lovely? I sure love her! I had another card made, and then I decided late last night that I was feeling all inspired by this new iPaper (more on that in a minute) so I made a new one. I *love* the way this turned out! Can't stop looking at it :) I used Photoshop to arrange the popcorn bowl, wine bottle, and sentiment from the set around my lovely lady, and printed it out a few times on the same piece of paper (one of the reasons I love digi stamps!). Then I colored everything twice, and cut one image out with Nesties and another with scissors. Everything is popped up on dimensionals at slightly different heights.

Now...the iPaper. Oooooh, the iPaper! What is iPaper you ask?? Well, it is Amber Ink's version of digi paper. And ohmystars it is FABULOUS!!! Each piece comes in three different "grades" -- regular, whisper, and hint. And if you guessed that each piece is a shade lighter than the last, you'd be right! On this card I used Spin Pin Deconstruct Milk White Whisper for my smaller panel matted with pink cardstock, and Spin Pin Deconstruct Hint for the large piece in the background. I have the regular Spin Pin Deconstruct too - it's gorgeous. In fact, I told Amber I wanted to wallpaper my house in it I love it so much - but my DH vetoed that idea. Anyway -- can you see the difference in shades? Is it not the *greatest* thing ever???? Not convinced? Here is yet another reason to love it: picture me, 9:00 pm - 30 minutes from movie night with hubby (who by the way has been watching both kids all day while I craft). I don't want to use the regular paper on this last minute card I've made ( I decided the coloring was bolder than I wanted for such a large piece, but I have other plans for it!). But I've already colored my image to match - what do I do? I hop online, head over to Amber Ink, treat myself to 2 pieces of iPaper (the Whisper and Hint - hey, they're only $1 each!!) and within 5 minutes I am happily printing them out! I got *exactly* what I needed with no fuss, no waiting, no trip to the store. Which would have been closed by the time I got there anyway. Are you getting what I'm saying here??? iPaper makes your life better!!!! I was finished in time for movie night, and happiness was restored in my house!

Go check out the iPaper available on the site. And then be very very very excited about iPaper that is coming soon...I have seen it, and it is scrumptious!

**ETA** I woke up this morning to a ridiculously sweet surprise from my four year old. Check it out:

When I printed the sheet of images, I didn't realize I used the wrong paper the first time. So I gave the sheet to her. She keeps everything, and apparently this bag that had something small I bought for her forever ago was no exception. She decided I needed a present, and filled it with all her favorite bits of costume jewelry. Because a girl can never have too much jewelry, she told me. *melt* She wrote her name on the bag, so I'd know who it was from (note the backwards "s" -- we're working on it!) -- as if I'd ever forget!

But here is what I REALLY love. Look at the creativity my girl showed. She gave her shoes straps. STRAPS!! Do you see that?!?!? And a multicolored popcorn bowl, because she thought it looked like more fun. OHMYHEAVENS there are no words to describe how much I love this darling daughter of mine. No words. She does a momma proud!

Guess What?!?!

Want to see my Lizzie Anne Designs Monthly Mix Preview?? Go here!

Oh man do I have some EXCITING news to tell you today!! I've been soooo good about being soooo quiet about this news for what feels like forever (really, it's only been a few weeks), and today I get to shout it from the rooftops!! I've been asked to be a Torchbearer for Amber Ink!! What does that mean? It means that I'm one of their inaugural Design Team members, and get to help them launch their brand new company! *YAY*

Want some details? Read on....

So, previews of new goodness start tomorrow! How's that for super-exciting?? I'm in some absolutely stunning company this month during my term as a torchbearer...go check them all out! Also, be sure to check out AmberInk(lings) - the blog!

Shannan Teubner (DT Coordinator Extraordinaire)

Nicole Anderson

Karin Martin

Suzie McKenzie

Pinky O'Hagan

Keep watching every day for sneek peeks, all the way up to the Grand Opening next week. You are going to LOVE everything, I promise!! And tonight at midnight there is a drawing to win a $15 gift certificate to Amber Ink. How do you get in on that fabulousness?? Well, you just need to be a Facebook fan! Go check out the deets, and how you can get an extra chance to win!!

Oh - I almost forgot! The darling girl on my card is from their Rainy Day set. There are 13 fab digi images in this one!!

Have an INKredible day!!!!

Sit Awhile, Friend

It's the 15th of the month, and that means it is monthly mix preview day over at Lizzie Anne Designs! This month's set, Turn Towards the Sun, is my favorite mix yet. I know I say that every month - but I mean it this time!! Every image is fantastic, the sentiments are great...it's just perfect! And how great is this Pink Paislee Bayberry Cottage dp with this stamp?? I literally *squealed* when I put them together :)

Head over to the Lizzie Anne Designs blog to see the whole set, and to see more samples of this fabulous mix! ANd while you are there, be sure to check out the blogs of everyone who is participating in the Mix Member Blog Hop. It's so fun!!!

InStyle InSpiration

This is my second post today. Want to see my Lizzie Anne Designs card? Click on the link!

It's time for the monthly InSpiration challenge over at InStyle Stamps!!! This month our inspiration is a them -- Halloween! How fun is that?? It's nice to take a break from the summer cards and summer heat to think about Halloween.

I used Witchy Chloe on my card. She'll be available for purchase in the store on Friday, July 16th. Did you see her debut post yesterday on the InStyle Stamps blog? In fact, have you seen all of the images we've released this week? Awesome stuff, I tell you! And it's not over yet...Christmas images are coming tomorrow and Friday!

We'd love to for you to play along in this month's InSpiration Challenge with us. Just make a Halloween themed card anytime before August 10th, and link your creation to the InStyle Stamps blog. We'll draw a random winner and announce it on August 11th, when we start next month's challenge. If you win and you've used an InStyle Image, you will receive FOUR digi images from the store. If you win and didn't use an InStyle Stamps image, you'll win TWO digi images. We'd love for you to play along - whether or not you use an InStyle image!