A Couple More....

A Hello! Me again! :) This is post #3 for today, so feel free to scroll down to see more!

Here is a card I made using My Cute Stamps' Little Forest Friends set. I used a layout based off of CPS's sketch last week. (One of those things that I wanted to get to a week ago and just couldn't find the time.) :) I decided to leave it without a sentiment so that I could customize it for any occasion. The paper is from Cosmo Cricket (Early Bird & Girl Friday lines).

This little card just makes me smile. :) The stamps are from My Cute Stamps' Cheer Up set. This set is SO cute & I love it because the expressions are separate images, so you can customize it to fit any mood. It has a Japanese Kawaii feel to it, I think. And... the set is only $7.99! I don't get commission off of anything I post on my blog --- I just want to pass on a good deal when I see one! :)

The cloudy paper is called 'Jet Lag' by Bella Blvd. & the yellow chipboard frame is from Sassafras (First Place Chipboard).

The Perfect Pear!

*This is Post #2 for the day... so please scroll through if you'd like to see more. :)

I know I've said it before, but I love a good sketch! :) I've been so busy lately that my mojo sort of left the building, and it helps to have a starting point to get the creative juices flowing again. This sketch is from Triple the Sketch. It was a little obscure to me at first, but once I started digging through my craft stash, I fell in love with it!

I started with this fun scrap of fabric that I've been hoarding. I love sewing, but only get around to it every once in awhile... so I thought it would be fun to put it to use on a paper crafted project instead. the chipboard pieces are all from Cosmo Cricket's Early Bird collection.


Thanks for visiting! I still have more crafty projects up my sleeve... so stay tuned! :)

Better Late Than Never!

I am playing catch-up and will have several posts for your viewing pleasure today. ;) I THOUGHT today was the 29th... and well... after getting to work yesterday, I realized that my mental calendar was a little wonky. :) So... even though all of the other girls posted their JiFFy post yesterday, I'm bringing in the caboose today. If you're new to my blog, a group of my stamping buddies & I get together once a month Just For Fun (hence the term 'JiFFy') and create a project using the same stamps & paper.

This month, Kim sent us a package of the CUTEST paper (Crate Paper's 'Little Sprout') & paired it with Carole's pick - MFT's Cuddle Up Carter. The Carter images are based off of Carole's son, who happens to have Cerebral Palsy. You can read Carole's wonderful blog entry to learn more about Carter and his diagnosis here. Kim, the owner of MFT, is generously donating $2 from the sale of each Cuddle Up Carter set to the Europed's organization !

Here is my little carter, all dressed in his jammies and slippers. I think keep this card on hand for when one of my little guys gets a frog in their throat. :) I traced the blanket image onto green felt and stitched it in place.

Make sure to check out the other Jiffy Girls' challenge cards (unless you already did that YESTERDAY). ;) I can't wait to take a look myself! (I didn't want to peek until my card was finished.) Have a good one!!!

Lori Craig, Alli Miles, Carole Burrage, Kim Hughes and Michele Boyer

...thought you could use a little PICK-me-UP

I just can't get enough of this little camper from the newest Whipper Snapper release! Today has been 'one of those days' and I thought I'd make a card to cheer myself up. :)

The sentiment is computer generated & the papers are from Jillibean Soup & Pink Paislee.

I don't have a lot to say today. I've got to hit the hay so that I can be up at 5:00 am for work. BUT.... it's a short week for me, so I'm hoping to be able to really dig into my craft room in the next few days. Thanks for taking a peek! :)

SUPPLIES:
Rubber Stamps:
- "Beware of Bears" & "Great Outdoors" sets (Whipper Snapper Designs)

Ink:
- Tuxedo Black Memento (Tsukineko)
- Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink (Ranger)

Cardstock:
- Pure Poppy (Papertrey Ink)

Patterned Paper:
- Spicy Pumpkin, Brown Sugar (Jillibean Soup)
- Charming, Fetching (Pink Paislee)

Accessories:
- White Inkssentials gel pen (Ranger)
- markers (Copic)
- colored pencils (Prismacolor)

Font:
- CK Primary (Creating Keepsakes)

....Five Golden Rings!!!

Four Calling Birds.

Three French Hens.

Two Turtle Doves.....

and a Partridge in a Pear Tree!

Now that I've got that song stuck in your head.... it's Christmas time at Unity! Yes. You heard me right! Today, all of the Unity girls will be Hip Hoppin' to the sound of Christmas music! It's never too early to start thinking about those holiday cards and gifts! After all, Christmas is only 6 months away!!! As always, start your blog hop at the Unity Blog and make your way through the links to see a lot of festive inspiration!

One of my favorite images from the June Kit of the Month (KOM) is this pear tree. The kit comes with a variety of sentiments, so it can be used any time of the year. I embossed the image in black and then colored in bits and pieces with Prismacolor pencils. The little ruffled edge was created by cutting a strip of patterned paper & lightly misting it with water. This makes the paper very pliable and much easier to manipulate. I just ran a strip of adhesive on the back edge and ruffled the paper, adhering it as I went along.



And... here is the inside of my card. The sheet music is a Jenni Bowlin rub-on & the sentiment is from the June KOM.

And... for those of you who just can't get into the Christmas spirit yet.... here are a couple other non-holiday cards I made:

I used stamps from the Confession set to create the card below. I stamped the circular image directly onto denim and cut out the center with my Cuttlebug.

And... this card uses images from the Folk Inspiration set. I stamped the quilt image onto more denim and cut out my butterfly using a Spellbinder's die. The background is also lightly stamped with the same quilt image. I stamped a little swirl coming from the butterfly onto an October Afternoon journaling card & the sentiment comes from the June KOM.


Whew! If you made it all the way through this post, then head over to see some great inspiration from:

***Christi***

The Great Outdoors Tea Towel

My sister-in-law just bought a cute little camper & strongly hinted that I should make a 'camper-themed' gift for her. LOL! So... hopefully this will do the trick!

I have several of these flour sack towels (found at Wal-Mart) and thought it would be cute to alter one with my new Whipper Snapper images (from the Great Outdoors set.) (if you'd like to see it better, just click on the picture to enlarge)

I stamped the truck and camper image using black Palette ink & carefully colored them in with Copic markers. The row of pines and sentiment were stamped with colored Palette inks & then I heat set everything. So... hopefully it will last through several washings. :)

Here's the little tag I made to coordinate. Isn't this little camper just the cutest thing?!? ... Makes me smile! ;)

Beware of Bears!!!

Today is the release day of THREE new Whipper Snapper sets by Anna Wight!!! These images are so fun and are perfect for creating a 'scene'. As soon as I saw this can of beans image... I knew what 'had' to be done. LOL!

I live in a house full of boys... so I'm sure they'll get a kick out of this one! I just hope that bear doesn't get any closer to that fire! That could be dangerous! ;)

The majority of the images used on this card are from the 'Beware of Bears' set. (The tiny cloud image comes from the 'Hooked on Fishing' set.) I stamped the images onto SU's watercolor paper and used a mixture of Ranger inks to color everything in. All of these sets are perfect to mix and match. If you like fishing, camping, or the great outdoors.... you've GOT to check out Anna's new stamps!!!!

Don't forget you can see all the Whipper Snapper Featured Designer creations in THIS gallery on Splitcoast Stampers.

Julie Campbell

SCS Gallery

Joanne Basile
SCS Gallery
Blog

Sandra MacLean
SCS Gallery
Blog

Shellie Daniel
SCS Gallery

Tab Robinson
Blog

Anna Wight
SCS Gallery
Blog

Hip Hop REWIND!

For today's Unity Hip Hop, we're rewinding a bit and featuring stamp kits that are Unity "classics". Make sure to start your blog hop on the Unity Blog to see all of the great specials of the day! :)

One of my favorite Unity kits is Floral Fantastical. It has the cutest whimsical images & I love the size of the sentiments!

This card is for a friend of mine who is trying to have a baby. After hearing about this story, a lot of people have asked me to pray for them. ;)

I used some more of Cosmo Cricket's Early Bird paper & added some Kaiser pearls to highlight the sentiment & one of the flowers.

Thanks for stopping by!

Your next stop on the blog hop is:
***Linsey***

For a 'Hip' Dad!

Today's Unity Hip Hop is all about 'Dads'!!! Father's Day is just around the corner, so get ready to be inspired! The Unity girls have some great ideas to celebrate the men in your life! Make sure you begin your blog hop at the Unity Blog!

Here are my 2 boys and their Daddy-O showing off their latest Lego creations. :)


I wanted to make something a little different this Father's Day and came across THIS tutorial that I thought would be fun to try out! I made a cardstock wallet out of dark gray CS & some cool Anna Griffin paper (from the Peyton Collection). Instead of gluing all of my parts and pieces together, I used my sewing machine to make it look a little more realistic.

The cute little embossed image on the front of my wallet is from Unity's Little Me set. As soon as I saw this image, I knew I HAD to have it! It really reminds me of my boys and their dad. :)
This wallet is pretty cool! It opens up in the back & can hold paper bills just like the real thing... and there are lots of little pockets perfect for pictures or gift cards.

I printed the sentiment onto cardstock and added bits of color with my Copic glitter pens. The sentiment reads, "A father carries pictures where his money use to be."

Are you ready for more fun Father's Day creations? Make your way over to see:

***Wendy***

Summery Fun

We live in a tiny little town... and a lot of the time it just frustrates me. I have to drive an hour each way to work. It takes me 15 minutes to get to a grocery store. There isn't a scrapbooking store anywhere close (gasp!). But... lately, I've been seeing things in a new light. Today, I took my youngest to the little movie theater in town. Each Wednesday morning, the owners of the theater open their doors to the community for a free movie! The place was packed with young families and we all had so much fun! You just don't see generosity and a sense of community like that in a big town very often. It makes me proud of the little town I live in. :)

In the spirit of Summer... I decided to make a quick 'summery' card. I used Anna Wight's Swimmin' By set from Whipper Snapper along with some Cosmo Cricket Snorkel paper.

Hope you all have a great one!!!

Perfect In Every Way

And no... I'm not talking about myself! ;) Unity's June KOM is called 'Perfect in Every Way'... & I do believe they were not exaggerating. I LOVE this kit! :) Here are a couple more projects I made with it:

This was a SUPER simple card to make! Just start with a 3" square piece of double sided paper. I scored the paper from corner to corner and then cut each score line ALMOST to the center of the square. (cut it too much and you'll end up with several triangles) :) Then, fold your corners and adhere to the center of your square with glue dots. I covered the center with a button and stitched it in place to secure my folds. The sentiment is from the KOM.

And... here is a 'vintage' card I made using the cherry border along with the cherry image. I stitched around the edges and sponged everything with 'Old Paper' Ranger Distress Ink.

And... here's a close up of my cherry, all glossy from Glossy Accents (Ranger) & perched on top of a Jenni Bowlin button. Fun stuff. :)

Thanks for taking a peek! I'll be back later with more! :)

Monday, Monday....

Good morning!!! It's 9:00 am where I am right now and I've had SUCH a productive morning so far! My bff & I decided.... after trying on swimsuits and summer clothes... that we were going to start an exercise routine. I haven't officially exercised since high school (Yes. I know that is terrible. Don't kill me!), so I'm a little rusty. But, this morning, we got up at 6 am (I should say I got up at 6. Her alarm clock didn't go off.) & walked for 2.5 miles. It felt so good to use these tired muscles! I've GOT to get myself in shape ASAP! Trying on swimwear is a GREAT motivational tool, I have to say! ;)

After that, I came home... made some oatmeal.... and cleaned out the fridge. I made a couple of cards that I've never photographed, so... here's some crafty goodness for you:

Here's a quick little card I made at the last minute for my friend's little boy using My Cute Stamps' Birthday Numbers set. The balloons are embossed in white & the birthday cake was colored with Copics. My 3 year old informed me that I HAD to use this paper (Cosmo Cricket's Snorkel line)... so that was my starting point for the design. I just zipped around the edges with some green thread to tie the colors in together.

And... here's a close-up of my cake, all shiny from adding Glossy Accents.

I just LOVE this little hedgehog from My Cute Stamps' Little Forest Friends! All of the images in this set are adorable. Hmm... maybe I should get this set a little more inky today???

I stamped the little critter on scrap paper and added ivory Flower Soft to her back. Then, I used my Copic Airbrush to magically turn it brown. (This technique is great when you don't have many colors of Flower Soft or Fun Flock!)

Papers are from MM Passport line, Pink Paislee's 'Enchanting' line, & Sassafras' Woodland Whimsy line.

Hip Hop!!!

Today is a super exciting day! It's my first official Hip Hop as a full-time Design Team member for Unity!!! I am in LOVE with this month's KOM (kit of the month) called "Perfect in Every Way". And... I do believe it IS perfect in every way! Take a look at this:

All of the DT will be showing off their new kits, so make sure to start at the Unity Blog to check it all out! Here are some things that I've been working on:

I really love the feel of this owl. It's so ornamental and beautiful!!! I thought it would be fun to perch her on the branch image... and added a sentiment from the kit as well. I LOVE the sentiments in this month's kit! They can be mixed and matched and can be used along with so many different images! (paper from the Early Bird line by Cosmo Cricket)

I couldn't resist getting this little teapot all inky! I just LOVE the little bird perched on top! The swirl coming from behind the journaling tag comes from the Folk Inspired set.


This is a card I made using the calendar image from the Confession: I {luv} Unity set. I think it is the most versatile stamp because you can customize it to fit any purpose! (ie: holidays, save the date, baby announcements, birthdays, etc.) I stamped "all my love" from the Folk set & added a tiny heart from the Little Me set.

And... finally - I wanted to show you a watercolored card using the Love is Everything stamp. I just fell in love with this image instantly because of it's cute, whimsical, retro feel. -- a perfect combo in my book!

Now... make your way over to the next stop on the Hop!
***AMBER***

A Cute Little Sewing Kit!

I had a fun, relaxing few hours at home tonight BY MYSELF because my hubby took the two boys to the in-laws house for the evening. :) I love these little rare occasions. It makes the long day at work not quite so painful. I kind of forget what it feels like to come home and actually rest. So... since I had this wonderfully quiet house, I decided to get crafty!

I love the Blackboard boxes from Cosmo Cricket & thought I'd make a cute little sewing kit. This adorable sewing machine rub-on has been calling my name!


I covered the box in strips of Cosmo's Early Bird paper. All of the edges were sewed and distressed, making it look like strips of vintage fabric. :)

And... here is the inside of my kit. These Memory Boxes come with an ugly white cardboard insert that I traced onto cardstock to make it cute-iful. I was super happy to find out that PTI's Nugget Boxes fit perfectly inside!


The 'tape measure' is a little paper strip from October Afternoon's Cherry Hill Shapes sheet.

I found the supplies for my kit at the Dollar Store. It came in it's own little box... but it wasn't nearly as cute. :) I added tiny magnets inside to keep my scissors and safety pin in place. The divider inside of my tin was made by trial and error... using mountain and valley folds. The "Sew Cool" badge is from American Craft's Craft Fair line too.

I just wanted to show you what the box looks like with the sewing kit removed. I used a couple of adhesive-backed magnets to hold the tin in place.

Here's a supply list if you want to try one for yourself:

Blackboard Memory Box (Cosmo Cricket); Early Bird "Sunrise" & "Brunch" patterned paper (Cosmo Cricket); Aqua Mist & Linen Vellum CS (Papertrey Ink); Craft Fair Rub-ons & Adhesive Badge (American Crafts); Cherry Hill Shapes (October Afternoon); Vintage Button (Papertrey Ink); cream twine (May Arts); "Tis the Season" pins (Fancy Pants); Nugget Tin (Papertrey Ink); magnets (craft & Basic Grey); sewing supplies; sewing machine, edge distressing tool (Heidi Swapp)