BRI #Hashtag Stamps Blog Hop - #thestruggleisreal

Hello, friends! I am SUPER excited to be sharing this very fun stamp set! You see, two of my favorite people came together to make it happen and it is now exclusively available at Butterfly Reflections Ink! We are going a blog hop to show it off a bit today. My card design is a simple one, as per usual, but I LOVE IT! (Perhaps, also, as per usual?) I combined the new exclusive #hashtag stamp set with the absolutely gorgeous Christian Greetings stamp set to create my card. Ummm... yes, I may or may not have chosen Joscie's favorite color on purpose. I would have added a 77 for Vanessa, but, to be honest...I couldn't figure out how to make that happen. HA!



If you came from Gladys' blog, you are already having an awesome time! If you just stumbled on our little hop, I am actually the final stop, you so will want to head to the Butterfly Reflections Ink blog to start from the top!

What's in it for you, you ask? Well, how about some FREE STAMPS! To be eligible to win one of two prizes: The 4x6 #Hashtag stamp set OR the 3x4 #Hashtag Bossy Stamp Set simply leave a comment on each of the blogs by 26 December at noon Eastern time. Winners will be announced on 27 December on the Butterfly Reflections Ink Blog.

Happy Hopping!

Advent Calendar Extravaganza with Taheerah Atchia

Hello, friends! It has been a long time, I know! I took a bit of a break from blogging after stepping down from my design teams, but I am super excited to be participating in this exciting event! Taheerah does such a great job putting it together and the sponsors this year are AMAZING!!! TWENTY FIVE days of inspiration and prizes, people!!! For. Reals.

 

Advent Calendar Extravaganza is THE festive event of the season! This ‘hop with a twist’ was dreamed up by Taheerah Atchia and features surprise destinations each day! Joining in the fun with Taheerah are ONE HUNDRED special guests, each serving up some fantastic Christmas inspiration! Just like an Advent Calendar, you’ll never know where you’re going to be visiting next until you ‘open the door’!

And that’s not all! With 25 *amazing* sponsors taking part as guests as well, your crafty wish list is bound to get a boost with a chance to win a prize EVERY SINGLE DAY!!

Join in the fun every day at taheerah-atchia.com to see what special surprises await behind the door!

I created this super fun card using a slightly less traditional color scheme. I absolutely LOVE this Very Merry stamp set from Simon Says Stamp! I colored the image with Spectrum Noir markers and used a couple of washi tapes in black and gold to get a cool, modern vibe. Spectrum Noir's Glitter brush pens added the perfect sparkle to the ornaments and the stars!

It’s not a party without a prize - and with prizes every day there are several chances to win! Today’s prize is generously supplied by Simon Says Stamp so you’ll definitely want to win! Simply leave a comment on this post - then head back to taheerah-atchia.com and leave a comment there too! You must leave a comment on Taheerah’s blog as well as mine in order to be eligible to win! Don’t forget to grab the other surprise destinations from Taheerah’s blog and head over to them to leave comments there as well to improve your odds even more! You have until 23:59 EST on 31st December 2016 to enter.

Don’t forget Advent Calendar Extravaganza runs from 1st-25th December inclusive so make sure you visit taheerah-atchia.com every day for fabulous inspiration and amazing prizes every single time! 

Have a super Happy Christmas!!!!

It has been an Awesome Ride!

It has been an awesome ride, my friends. A truly incredible ride, honestly. However, today, that ride comes to an end. This is my final Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge post as a Design Team member. I am so thankful to Heidi, Steph, Lols, and the team for giving me the privilege to be a part of this awesome family! I have decided to step down from all of my design team commitments as life has moved my focus a bit. You will still see me creating, though! The best ways to keep up with me are on Instagram and Facebook. It has been an honor, my friends. It truly has.

And with that, I'd love to show you the fun project I put together for this week's ANYTHING GOES challenge using Lawn Fawn goodness!

Isn't it FUN?! I used the Lawn Fawn treat box die (thanks to an awesome friend hooking me up with some cuts!) along with the Lawn Fawn plaid papers to create the little box. The Simon Says Stamp STAMPtember exclusive Happy Howlidays stamp set finishes it off with some fun sequins! YAY!!!

Now it's YOUR turn! Link up your awesome project (make sure it's a new one!) to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge for your chance to win a $50 Gift Certificate to the Simon Says Stamp Store! WOOT!!! 

It's time to THINK PINK! Yes, we are thinking pink for the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge this week! The design team is using Pink & Main products (he he.... see what we did there?). You don't have to use them to play along, but if you have some, we'd love to see what you do with them! They have SUCH cute stuff!!!!

Naturally, I went for the unicorn. Because UNICORNS.

I combined the adorable Pink & Main Planner Peekers set with some paper from the Dear Lizzy Fine & Dandy paper pad to create this fun card. But seriously... no adulting today. K? K. 

Glad we had this talk.

INSTEAD... you should totally create an awesome card to participate in our challenge! Link it up to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog for your chance to win a $50 Gift Certificate to the Simon Says Stamp Store! WOOT! WOOT!

Any Hannibal Fans Out There?

We have a brand new challenge over on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge blog! This week we are irresistible! That's right! We want to see how you use resist techniques in your projects this week! For my card, I did some good old fashioned emboss resist to create a Hannibal inspired Halloween card. 

I stamped the Simon Says Stamp wide stripe background in VersaMark ink and embossed with Ranger Clear Fine Detail embossing powder. I then used Carved Pumpkin and Rusty Hinge Distress Inks, blended, to create the background. I love the just slightly spooky feel it offers. I then colored the deer head with a Spectrum Noir marker to make it a deep grey color before adhering it to my card. Finally, I die cut the Impression Obsession Trick or Treat sentiment and adhered that to my card, as well.

If you happen to be a Hannibal fan, this card is probably a little creepier for you than if you are not. LOL! Either way, I think it's a pretty cool looking Halloween card!

Now it's YOUR turn! Create something awesome using a resist technique of some kind. Don't forget to tell us how you did it! One lucky participant will win a $50 Gift Certificate to the Simon Says Stamp store! WOOT! WOOT!!!

Have a Happy!

Because sometimes there are goodbyes

In February of 2013, I decided to apply to be on the Design Team for a stamp company that I absolutely LOVED.

That company was CAS-ual Fridays Stamps. I have been so fortunate to have been a part of this team since that call and I have loved every single minute of it! Michele has truly unique designs that are simply wonderful! She also has a heart of gold and put up with me through all of my ups and downs through the last few years. This team has truly meant a lot to me. Which is why I am sad to say that I have decided to step down. This is my final post as a DT member for CAS-ual Fridays and that is really hard to type. Wow. 

When considering what to create for today, my mind went to one place very quickly. Thank you. I wanted to create a card that said thank you to Michele, thank you to those who have followed my CFS designs, and thank you to those with whom I have designed over the years. So...

Funny... My absolute favorite CFS sets happened to be perfect for my card! What a coincidence! LOL! But really and truly... Michele - It's been awesome. Thank you. For everything.

Jingle Out.

Simon Says Stamp Halloween Challenge!

Hello, friends! Today we have a brand new Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge and it is a good one! We have a Halloween color inspiration for you! If you aren't into Halloween, that's cool, you can just use the colors for a beautiful fall card! We are showcasing Simon Says Stamp exclusives today! YAY!!! If you have some we'd love to see how you rock them for this challenge! If not, use anything you have on hand!

I had a blast using this awesome these amazing Simon Says Stamp Sugar Skull stamps along with the Spectrum Noir Sparkle Brush pens to create my card. It looks so much like sugar in person!!! I added a popped up Trick or Treat die for a simple, but well matched sentiment.

Now it's YOUR turn! Create something fabulous inspired by this amazing color inspiration photo and link it up over on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge blog! 

We can't wait to see what you create! One lucky participant is going to win a $50 Gift Certificate to the Simon Says Stamp store!!!

Have a Happy!

Hello WORLD! - A Blog Hop for a Cause [Giveaway!]

Sometimes a message pops up in your inbox that you just aren't expecting. Sometimes, a message pops up in your inbox that brings tears to your eyes. Sometimes, a message pops up in your inbox that brings tears to the eyes of your husband.

One day, not too long ago, one of those messages popped up in my inbox.

Catherine Pooler and Chaitali Narla popped up in my inbox. They had seen me post a link to a GoFundMe that I had set up for my husband, Sean's, classroom. And they wanted to help. Today is the result of that message. This stamp set. This blog hop. And it still brings tears to my eyes. There is simply no way to express how thankful I am that this amazing group of talented designers have come together to help Sean's students get Chromebooks in their classroom.

Why Chromebooks? Because they are affordable and offer everything these kids need access to in the classroom. They are also durable and classroom ready, making them easier to set up, maintain, and use to share documents, classroom materials, and resources with the students. You can read Sean's thoughts here: https://www.donorschoose.org/project/chromebooks-for-urban-education/2208813/.

Why are they needed? Because the school can't buy them. They also haven't provided curriculum for Sean to use, so he has to create his own. Great teachers create their own curriculum often, and he is capable of doing this, but he does need his students to have access to resources. This is what these funds will be providing. They will allow Sean's students the opportunity to say, "Hello, World!"

All profits from the sale of the Hello World stamp set and the coordinating dies from Saturday October 1 - Friday, October 7 will purchase computers and other school supplies for Sean’s classroom in Boston.

I can’t wait to see how this week unfolds and how many computers we can provide for these kids!!!



I combined the Hello World stamp set and Hello World dies with the beautiful Lovely Flowers stamp set, also releasing today from Catherine Pooler! Isn't the Hello World set AMAZING?! Chaitali stunned me with her thoughtful creativity in the design of this set. It couldn't be more perfect for our purpose!  I love how well these worked together, and I simply HAD to use the Hello, World sentiment. As a woman who lives in the tech world... it's fun to combine girly things with computer things sometimes... totally throws the guys off. ;) LOL!

I want to take a moment to thank each and every person on this blog hop for participating and also for each and every one of you who has taken the time to hop today. It means a lot to me. The WORLD, actually. And it means a lot to Sean. And, while they don't know it yet, it means so very much to each and every one of his middle school students.

As a thank you, I'd like to offer a SURPRISE stamp set (okay, probably more than that) to one commenter on my blog. Simply leave a comment by 7 October 2016 and I will randomly select one winner. Be sure there is a way I can contact you.

If you are just finding the hop here on my blog, please take a moment to check out these amazing designers!

• Catherine Pooler  
• Maureen Merritt  
• Amy Kolling  
• Laurel Beard  
• Miriam Prantner 
• Kristie Goulet  
• Amy Sheffer 
• Heather North
• Donna Mikasa 
• Allison Cope  
• Amy Tsuruta 
• Lisa Harrolle 
• Kelly Griglione
• Kimberly Wiener 
• Chrissie Tobas 
• Ingrid Blackburn 
• Michele Kovack 
• Stephanie Klauck 
• Chaitali Narla
• Dana Joy 
• Jessica Frost-Ballas 
• Laura Bassen
• Jennifer Ingle  

Falling into a new Challenge!

It's time for another ANYTHING GOES challenge over on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge blog! This week we are playing with Spellbinders products. If you have some on hand, we'd love to see you use them, but you don't have to in order to play along! 

To create my leaf, I first blended a variety of Tim Holtz distress inks on smooth, white cardstock. I then die cut the leaf and embossed using the Spellbinders die. I added just a bit of the red-toned ink after cutting to highlight the embossed areas just a bit. I stamped the sentiment to mimic the fall of the leaf and added a few sequins dancing in the breeze!

Now it's YOUR turn! Create something awesome (it has to be NEW) and link it up to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog for your chance to win a $50 Gift Certificate to the Simon Says Stamp Store! WOOT! 

Happy Crafting, folks!

It's CHALLENGE DAY!

It's Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Day!!! Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, I was unable to create a new project for this week's challenge, but I still wanted to tell you about it because it is AWESOME! The Design Team is featuring Clearly Besotted stamps this week and the challenge is GIFT IT! That's right! We are creating giftable projects this week! Now is the time to get those holiday gifts started to avoid the holiday rush!

Be sure to head on over to the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge blog for LOTS of inspiration and for your chance to participate and win a $50 Gift Certificate to the Simon Says Stamp Store!

The Stamp of Approval Candy Cane Lane Collection is Live!

That's right! You can now purchase this fabulous collection, but be quick because these sucker sell out like you wouldn't believe!

Here is another fun card I created using the collection to inspire you just a little bit more...



I used the boughs to create a Christmas tree with a couple of different green tones and then used the berry stamp to add a pop of color! The sentiment makes for the perfect tree base!

Have a Happy!

Stamp of Approval - Candy Cane Lane Blog Hop

Hello, friends! I am excited to be guest designing for the Stamp of Approval Candy Cane Lane Collection. Stamp of Approval is a collection of products (stamps and dies) that work fabulously together but they’ll also work incredibly well with supplies you already own. They are released quarterly and sell out SUPER FAST. To be the first to know when they go for sale, make sure you are on the wait list.. You’ll get the link to purchase one day before it goes for sale publicly!

I have created some super fun projects using this kit! I had SO many ideas when it arrived, I cannot even TELL you!!!

Ummm... that deer head, though?! FOR REALS, right?! And I was so excited to have the added pattern stamps to add that unique touch to this classic design! I absolutely love this stamp set and will certainly be pulling it out often for my winter and holiday cards!

I super love these tag dies! Are they not PERFECT for gift topping?! And these holiday word dies are perfect over that fun, candy stripe stamped background! These came together fairly quickly, too, so they are great if you have lots of tagging to do!

This collection will be officially available to the public on 22 September, so GET READY!!!! HOWEVER, if you are on a StampNation member, you get the sale link on the morning of the 21st and if you are on the wait list, you get that sale link an hour after the StampNation members! So, GET ON THAT WAITLIST, folks!

I hope you will head on over to Catherine Pooler's blog to check out the entire hop and all of the amazing inspiration, along with the collection, itself! You will NOT be disappointed with this box of goodness! I am the last stop on the blog hop for today! Thank you for hopping with us!

Have a Happy!

Keeping it Cas-ual!

It's time for a new Wednesday Challenge over on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog! This week we are keeping it CAS-ual with CAS style cards! The Design Team is featuring CAS-ual Fridays Stamps! YAY!!!! I, naturally, pulled out one of my all time favorite CAS-ual Fridays Stamps sets!



I stamped my flowers in black on white for a fun background and then stamped, colored, and die cut one of them to make it pop before layering the die cut thanks over it! I used Chameleon pens to color my flower, giving a nice pop of reddish pink (technical term, obviously).



And now it's YOUR turn! Create a CAS card and link it up over on the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge blog for your chance to win a $50 Gift Certificate to the Simon Says Stamp Store!

Happy Crafting!