A Thank You With a Bit of Zig and Zag

***This is my second post of the day!  Scroll Down or click the link above to see my The Alley Way blog hop post!***

Stamp Kissing.  Are you familiar with it?  Basically, you ink up one stamp, then ink up another, press the two together and then stamp one of the two onto your paper to get a sort of combined image.  It's fun.  No...really...it is.  And...the best part is the really neat designs that can come out of this wicked cool technique!

I have a new post up over on the Gourmet Rubber Stamps Blog showing off this very technique!




First of all, did you know that the Gourmet Rubber Stamps Coveralls are PERFECT for 6x6 cards?!  I love that about them!  I used two coverall background stamps for this card, the Thanks Squared is the fabulous subway art style thank you.  I love that I can cut each of these out to use individually, too, if I'd like!  I also used the fabulous Chevron Stripes!  I stamped the Thanks Squared image in London Fog (Momento) ink and then pressed the Chevron Stripes stamp into a bright pink Hero Arts ink.  I kissed the two together and then stamped the Thanks Squared onto my white paper being sure to apply even pressure to get a clean image.




I love the texture the zig zag adds without making the already full image too busy!  I embellished with just a small strip of washi tape and a few sparkly bits to give it a little extra and matted it on a black card base.  I had SO MUCH FUN creating this card!  It was one of those..."hmmmm....I wonder if this will work" kind of moments that actually DID work!  YAY for those!!!!

I hope you have a super fabulous Tuesday!!!!

Jingle out!

That's NUTS! It's Time for The Alley Way New Release Blog Hop!

It's blog hop time with TAWS..

Something NEW!! One person will win ALL 3 NEW SETS!! YEP!! So if you want that person to be you.. all you have to do is comment on the hop! 

Here is the card I have created for today's fun hop!  That's NUTS!

Here are ways you can win.. You can pick and choose which ones you want to do.. but the more you comment the more chances you have to win.. 

1-Comment on The Alley Way Stamps Blog

2-Comment on the DT girls blogs (below)

3-Post about it on facebook or your blog

4-Like us on Facebook
(leave a seperate comment for each that you do)

 You have until July 31st 9:30 PM (That means TODAY ONLY!) TAWS time to leave comments.

Here are the DT Blogs to visit

Alison
Arielle
Audrey
Barb
Danielle
Jingle
Kim
Lyndal
Tracy

So start hoppin' :) let us know what set you think is going to be your favorite.. Leave it on this post!

HUGS

Muffins, Owls, Flowers, and a WINNER! Yup. It's a full Monday. Just say'n.

Happy Monday, folks!  I have some fun Eyelet Outlet projects to share with you today!  I have WAY too much fun with my Eyelet Outlet brads! I really do! My first card is a pretty one using the beautiful smaller pearl brads in a couple of different colors. These make PERFECT flower centers!  The stamps are from Sweet N' Sassy Stamps and I colored the image with Prismacolor pencils.



My second card for today is a fun one using one of my favorite brad sets, the Eye Glass brads along with some SUPER cute owl stamps from Gourmet Rubber Stamps' Great Outdoors stamp set!  I used a really fun EK Success punch for the bottom border.  LOVE THAT!!!!!  Just say'n.



And finally, I have this fun clean and simple card using the super cute Coffee Cup brads and the SUPER CUTE In the Kitchen stamp set from Gourmet Rubber Stamps. Seriously.  Could those little muffins BE ANY CUTER???  For reals, though.  {heart}  Just say'n.



I hope you have a super stupendous kind of Monday.  I fully intend to include Jelly Beans in my day, therefore, automatically bumping it up to a good day status.  HA!  I know at least ONE of you is bound to have a good day because I am going to announce the winner of my Shaping Up! Cards Blog Hop post...

....Chris from Puppy Kisses and Paper Dreams YOU are the winner!  Please email me your address so I can get your prize out to you!  Congratulations and thanks for hopping with us!  I hope you stick around!

Scrapbook Circle - August Kit Sneak Peek!!!

I have an AWESOME sneak peek for you today!  The August Scrapbook Circle kit is ready to launch and it is FABULOUS!

I KNOW, right? And here is a card that I have created with this kit! I have had a BLAST with this kit, you guys! For reals.



Sadly, this is my last month as a DT member over at Scrapbook Circle! I am going to miss it so much! Such awesomeness and an amazing team! HUGE thanks to Lisa for having me this past term! I've loved every minute of it!

Jingle out.

Stampendous! New Release Blog Hop!

Yes.  There is stuff to be given away!  Just say'n.

The Stampendous! team has been showing off some of the new CHA releases all week and now we have an incredible blog hop for you full of inspiration and chances to win PRIZES, too! I have a fun Halloween card to share with you using the new and SUPER ADORABLE Halloween Cling Candy Kiddo stamp (also available in wood)! For the background, I used the Autumn Words stamp (also available in cling).



She is colored with colored pencils and the background is embossed with Stampendous! Detail Black embossing enamel. A little masking and some embellishing allowed me to keep the card fairly flat for easy mailing!



My teammates are showing off new products from Stampendous as well!  Not only do some of them have their own blog candy, Stampendous will be drawing a winner for these great prize packs.

How do you win it? It's easy! THREE of the bloggers today will be choosing a random commenter from their blog, and those lucky people will be announced on the Stampendous blog Tuesday, July 31 (please leave comments by Monday, July 30 at 11:59 PM PST). The more places you leave a comment, the better your chances are to win!   Below is the list of team members who are sharing inspiration today.  P.S.  Some of these girls have EXTRA prizes to give away so be sure to hit them all!  Just say'n


Stampendous Impressions

Kristine Reynolds

Lynn Mercurio

Jennifer Dove 

Taylor Usry

Jan Garber

Lea Kimmel 

Cyndi Bundy

Pam Hornschu

Rhea Weigand

Janelle Stollfus

Wendy Price

Tenia Nelson

Jennifer Ingle

Melinda Gleissner

Stephanie Lee

Susie Moore

Suzanne Czosek

Wendy Jordan

Graphic Hi! : Sneaks from The Alley Way! {Winner, too!}

Yes, I have a winner for the 150,000 visitors giveaway that I posted last week! I'll get to that at the end of this post, however...right now I have a super fun sneak peek using the August release from The Alley Way!



I. Love. These. Stamps. For reals, though, you guys. The small pattern stamps are SO fun and I have so many ideas on how to use them! This card is a super fun one using the zigzag and the dotted stamps along with a tiny little 4U sentiment that is just too cute!



The set I used here is called Cover-Ups and it is perfect for making adorable Hershey's Nuggets treat wraps for gifts, but MAN is it awesome for graphic card designs! I LOVE it!!! To see more (including samples of those treat bags!) be sure to check out The Alley Way Blog! You will want to leave your comments over there, too, because TAWS is giving away a FREE stamp set!

Now...something about a winner...Drumroll, PLEASE.....



The winner is Shannon Hart!!! Congratulations, Shannon! I will get these two stamp sets off to you early next week after I get your address from you! I have emailed you!

Thank you ALL for reading and generally being awesome. You guys know I love you, right? 'Cause I TOTALLY do. Just say'n.

Oh...and keep your fingers crossed! We are going to look at a potential apartment tonight. Dog friendly and free parking, so it's off to a good start. PLUS..it has a loft that would be my studio if all goes well! Totally cool! Here's hoping!

Jingle Out!

I am linking to The Little Red Wagon Challenge, and the Something New Challenge at Shopping Our Stash.

It's Time for a Stampendous! New Release party!

I am SO excited!!! Stampendous! released all kinds of amazing stuff at CHA last week and we finally get to show it all off this week! So many gorgeous stamps! We are talking adorable kiddos, fun and spooky Halloween, beautiful Christmas, Steampunk, and more! I'm telling you...it's an awesome sauce kind of release. Just say'n. Here is a card I created using the brand new and totally GORGEOUS Cling Jumbo Poinsettia set!



I heat embossed it with the super sparkly Red Dragon Embossing Enamel! I LOVE that embossing powder! It is so pretty!!!!



A few of my teammates are showing off new products from Stampendous as well! Not only do some of them have their own blog candy, Stampendous will be drawing a winner for this great prize pack.

How do you win it? It's easy! One of the featured bloggers today will be choosing a random commenter from her blog, and that lucky person will be announced on the Stampendous blog tomorrow. The more places you leave a comment, the better your chances are to win! Below is the list of team members who are sharing inspiration today:

Stampendous Impressions
Jennifer Ingle
Kristine Reynolds
Jennifer Dove 
Lynn Mercurio
Taylor Usry (has additional blog candy)
Jan Garber
Susie Moore
Lea Kimmel
Rhea Weigand
Wendy Price
Janelle Stollfus
Suzanne Czosek 
Tenia Nelson

The Alley Way Sneak Peeks!

Wow! August is just around the corner and we have some super fun new stamps coming at you from The Alley Way! I am excited about the versatility of the sets for this month! Just wait until you see all the fun stuff you can do with them! Here is my first sneak card for you today!



Yup. Totally loving the woodgrain panels! That trim is also brand new goodness from May Arts!!! HOLY POM POM LOVE!!!! The patterned paper is from Studio Calico.



To see more great peeks be sure to check out The Alley Way blog!

Simon Says DIE! Wait...what?

***Note...this is my third post today. Yup. That's a lot! LOL! Feel free to click on my blog banner and scroll down to see them all! There is some good stuff down there along with a bit about me and life right now. Just say'n. Kthnxbye.***

It's time for a brand new challenge over on the Simon Says Stamp Challenge blog and this week is an EASY one! ANYTHING GOES! The Design Team has pulled out the Simon Says EXCLUSIVE dies to use on our projects this week and boy are they FABULOUS!

I used the wicked fun Circle Border Craft Die for my card and I am in LOVE with this die! It's so fun!



I first used the K & Company Section Smash tape in strips on my card and then ran the card through the die cut machine with the die taped in place. I love the way it looks! My sentiment is from the Hero Arts/Studio Calico Heyday Sentiments set. I love this set! So useful! I embossed it on black using Stampendous! Embossing powder in white.



If you haven't checked out Simon's great dies yet, you totally should. Just say'n.

AND...you DEFINITELY should play along with the Anything Goes Challenge because one lucky winner will win a $50 Voucher to the Simon Says Stamp Store!

Jingle Out!

Of Course I have a Bike On My Wall! Don't You?

It's time for a brand new Design Team challenge over at Gourmet Rubber Stamps and this one is a fun one! The DT challenge was to be inspired by decor in your own home! Find something that inspires you, photograph it, and then create a card based on that piece. Well, I walked around for a bit trying to decide what to use and had a few ideas, but none that were really hitting me. And then I saw it. Right there hanging in our living room. The Hubbums' bike. Yup. It hangs in our living room because we're cool like that. HA! We have a small house and he needed a place to store it, we had a giant, empty wall in the living room, so...this is what I suggested!



And it has worked rather well, too, if I do say so myself. It's safe, easily accessible, and covers the big giant empty wall! Perfect 'us' decor! LOL! Here is the card I created inspired by the 'Bike on the Wall' piece in my home. HA!



*LOVE!* I used two different stamp sets for this one. The bicycle is from the Sealed With A Kiss Diners set and the sentiment is from the Swingin' Spring Diners set. They work perfectly together!



Now it's your turn! Find something that inspires you in YOUR home and use it!!! This is a super fun way to jump start your creativity! Have fun! And don't forget to head on over to the Gourmet Rubber Stamps blog to see what the other Design Team girls did with this super fun challenge!

Jingle Out!

Cards, Cards, and MORE CARDS! {WOYWW}

Well, let's see here...life has pretty much gone from normal-busy to HOLY HECK THERE IS SO MUCH TO DO I'M LOSING MY MIND kind of busy.  Ever felt like that?  Hmmm...K.  Glad it's not just me.  Just say'n.  You see, we have to move out of our house around the end of August.  We haven't exactly found a place to move TO, however.  Funny that.  HA!  Yes, we are working on it and yes, we are making some progress, just not the we-know-where-we-will-be-living-in-September kind of progress.  HA!  But, alas, I trust it will all work out.  AND...trusting that it will all work out means I am making some attempt to get a bit ahead.  I got a ton of work done over the weekend and then plowed through 12 cards on Monday night.  Turns out...stress makes me work well in the studio!  HA!  I am officially on target to start getting ahead now and plan on beginning all of my August work tonight!




Yup. Lots of cards!  And some fun ones, too!  This is a peek at the cards I created with the August Scrapbook Circle kit!  You are SO going to love this kit!  It is AMAZING!!!!  So many fun bits and bobs and papers and happy things!

You see, part of my reasoning for getting so much done in advance is that yes, we are moving and that takes time, however, it's not JUST that.  You see...I have to PURGE and PACK!  Yup.  I'm doing both.  Without question.  Purge first.  Pack second.  I'd like to get all of my assignments completed prior to starting that process (at least the packing part), as it will be a BIT insane after that begins.  Afterall, you guys have seen my workspace many times.  And the current state bears no difference.




Whew!  It's gonna be interesting!  I honestly hope to cut my stash down by 1/3.  As in...get rid of 1/3 of the stuff in that room.  We will see if that is truly possible, I suppose!  HA!  Have you done a major purge?  How did you decide what to let go?  Did you reach your goal?  Is there any chance of me doing this in one SOLID day of work?  I really want to make this happen.  How do I plan to get through it?  Well, that part is easy!




I'm just gonna keep on smiling!  Afterall, that is bound to make ANYTHING better!  And yes, this is one of those sneaks from the August Scrapbook Circle kit!!!!  *LOVE!*  Those pinwheels are too much fun!!!  They are from a My Mind's Eye Brad package!  LOVE THEM!

Well, that's all for now...I'll be back in a bit with my Simon Says Challenge card, but for now, Jingle Out, my friends.  Jingle.  Out.

Oh...and P.S. The goldfish crackers are for a project I'm planning. Not a random greasy snack on my desk! LOL! Just say'n.

Cupcakes and Christmas!

I have two fun cards to share with you today!  Let's start with some cupcakes.  Why?  Well, I can't really see why you WOULDN'T want to start your day with cupcakes, quite frankly.  Well, I suppose if ice cream was available, starting the day with that would be a bit nicer.  At least for me.  Soooo....now that you all want sweets for breakfast, I think I shall continue!  HA!




This one is made using the brand new inspiration challenge over at Skipping Stones Design!  It's such a fun inspiration!  The colors are just fantastic!  And...it had sweets in it.  Macarons, to be specific, but I don't have an SSD macaron stamp, so I went with CUPCAKES!!!!  I used the wonderfully adorable Cupcake Cutie.




You should totally play along!  It will help cure that sweet tooth I kindly gave you this morning!  HA!  Just say'n.

And...as for the Christmas portion of today's post... I have a new card up over on The Alley Way blog!




This fun little holiday card uses the Fa-la-la set.  I love those silly ornaments!  For reals.  Speaking of The Alley Way...we have some BRAND NEW STAMPS to show you next week!!!  It's going to be fun!!!!

So, my dear friends, that is all for today!  Cupcakes and Christmas!  Sounds pretty fun to me!  YAY!  Have a spectacular Tuesday!  Just say'n.

Jingle Out.

Shaping Up Blog Hop & Giveaway!

Welcome to the Shaping Up Blog Hop! If you have come from Joscie's blog, you are already on track! YAY! If not, feel free to see the list below to start from the beginning! Those of us who were in the Paper Crafts Gallery Idol Top 20 wanted to do just a little something to say thanks to Paper Crafts Magazine and to all those who supported us throughout the competition. That being the case, we have put together a blog hop for you today! We know that the Paper Crafts Gallery Challenge is super popular and many of you may already be participating, so we decided to jump in by making some shaped cards to both participate and encourage you to do so, as well!

We also have PRIZES!!! Each one of us along the hop has a prize to offer today, so be sure to hit every stop! Here is the card I created for today!






I have an unhealthy love for Ben & Jerry's ice cream and I certainly consider it to be a summer staple, SO...that is what inspired my fun card! It's an ice cream container! YAY!!!!






The stamps are from A Muse Studio (sunray) and Hero Arts (all others). I used inks from Hero Arts (pink and yellow) and CTMH (brown). I had a lot of fun putting this little card together! The lid actually lifts off and the message is inside!






I don't know why the Happy Birthday on the lid is not showing well in the photos, as it shows beautifully in real life, but trust me when I tell you it is there! LOL!

Don't forget to leave a comment to win the giveaway that I am offering! I will give one winner a set of Chick Chat Stamps from Skipping Stones Design and copy of Cool Tools for Paper Crafters! Also, I have another giveaway open right now too for more stamps, so check that out if you'd like, as well!

Your next stop on the hop is Amy! She's pretty much amazing, so you wont' want to miss that one, that's for sure!

JJ Bolton
Cheiron Brandon

Heather Campbell

Joscelyne Cutchens

Jennifer Ingle - That's me!

Amy Kolling

Agnieszka Malyszek

Wida Miller

Jocelyn Olson

Miriam Prantner

Anita Recksiedler

Elena Roussakis

Erin Lee Schreiner

Dana Warren

Laurie Willison

Tessa Wise

Nina Yang 

If you create a card for the Paper Crafts Gallery Challenge, we would LOVE to see it! Link it up below and we will stop by and say hello!  I am also linking mine to the Stamp It! Cards Birthday Card Challenge in the Moxie Fab World!

No Monkey Business Here!

That's right! Okay, so it's not even close to right. There is pretty much ALWAYS monkey business around here! HA! BUT...that means there is all the more reason to have created this super fun Monkey Business card! I used the Tropic Topic and the Alphabet Soup sets from The Alley Way Stamps to create this one and it is just too much fun!



I created the tree by stamping the segments of the trunk individually and then cutting out the entire thing at once. I stamped some leaves directly on the card, colored them, and then paper pieced several more and added them with foam tape for some dimension. The coconuts are also added with foam tape, as is the monkey!



For some more super cute The Alley Way inspiration, be sure to check out the blog today!

Jingle Out!

Except for When Milk Comes Out of My Nose. Just say'n.

For reals, though...that's pretty unpleasant. Just say'n. HOWEVER, this adorable Milk and Laughter sentiment stamp from Gourmet Rubber Stamps is NOT at all unpleasant, but rather, it is quite hilarious and super-de-duper-de CUTE!!!!



Yup. Totally flippin' adorable. HA! The cardstock here is all Stampin' Up. The ink is London Fog Momento and Smoothie CTMH and the twine is from the fabulous May Arts! LOVE!



And because some cards simply don't need a lot of explanation, I leave you on this fine Saturday with this! Enjoy! Tee-Hee!

Jingle Out!

Colorful Birthday Wishes with Gourmet Rubber Stamps

It's my turn to create the Weekly Recipe sketch this week over at Gourmet Rubber Stamps and I have a fun one for you today! Here is the sketch...

...And here is the fun card I created with it!



I used the absolutely gorgeous True Colors Appetizer set and the sentiment came from the super pretty Perfect Phrases set. I filled in the colors with glitter glue to make the card SPARKLE!!!



So...we would love to have you play along with the sketch and show us what you create! If you make a card based on the sketch provided, please upload it to the Gourmet Rubber Stamps Facebook page so we can see it!

Jingle Out!

You're FIVE!

***This is my second post of the day, scroll down to see my banana pinwheel card! YAY! Also, please see the links above for LOTS of fun and exciting things going on right now including giveaways!***

It's FRIDAY!!! YAY!!! And yes, my friends, there are jelly beans involved. Just say'n. We have a busy weekend ahead looking at apartments, as we will be moving in less than two months! YIKES! You can imagine how much fun it will be to pack my studio...you've seen my WOYWW pictures. I should probably start now. HA!

I have a fun card to share with you today from Friends with Flair Friday over at Unity!



I created this one with the super cute rainbow from the Sunny Happy Skies set heat embossed with snow embossing enamel from Stampendous! I then used markers over the enamel to add the color. LOVING this technique!



I masked out part of another sentiment from the Everyday Sayings set to get the 'you're' and then added a bit of wahshi tape and a 5 from the Amy Tangerine Thickers line. SUPER fun!

I hope you have an absolutely FABULOUS FRIDAY!!! I intend to do so, that, my friends, is for certain.

Jingle Out.

Smile and Be Inspired!

We have a brand new Be Inspired! challenge for you over at The Alley Way! I am particularly fond of the colors in this inspiration challenge! WAY FUN! Here is the card that I created based on the challenge. I used the Tropic Topic stamps and the Alphabet Soup stamps!



Yes. I made a pinwheel out of bananas! HA! It was too much fun to resist! I suppose if I had used something other than yellow on them, it may have been less obvious, but I wanted to use yellow because of the challenge! LOL! I simply drew the stick with a pen and colored the lines in with colored pencils. The pretty grosgrain is, of course, May Arts ribbon. Super fun and super happy card!



If you'd like to play along with the challenge, here is the inspiration photo! Just link up your card over on The Alley Way blog for a chance to win fun stuff!

I am also linking this up to the fabulous Casology Happy Challenge!