Inspiration Week #5

This week's picture comes from a Crate and Barrel outdoor collection that I LOVE.  Too bad I'm not rich ;)  To see it perhaps better (you should be able to click on my picture and see it larger) and to view the entire lovely collections, click HERE.  The picture above is the inspiration piece though.  Have fun with it!

Click HERE to see the specific details of how to play along.

This week's keyword is B2S05 for any online galleries you might upload to. 

Lastly, I'm sorry I've been such a slacker with my own challenges!!  I have had to squeeze in stamping on an as needed basis, and haven't had much extra time.  Lots going on.  I am sure many of you have your hands full too - I just seem to balance it all worse than most right now.  It will be interesting, I begin my first Master's class on March 1st, and I have no idea how that's going to fit in to my life.  I'll make it work though, somehow ;)

Check this out

Greetings blogging friends.  I am sorry to disappoint, but I have not been much of a stay-at-home mom this week.  I have not been home, and the few hours that I have, I have been watching someone else's child at my house.  Normally, I would risk my own life and that of my own children to dare to sit down and stamp while my children are awake and could burn the house down.  I will not, however, do that with someone else's child at my house ;)  LOL

I am hoping to stamp this weekend, and on Saturday I do have a new Inspiration Challenge for you.

In the meantime, check this fabulous site out.  Lydia from Understand Blue has created a fabulous way for those of you who would love to actually work in your dream job (something in the creative industry) a way to FIND that dream job.  See it HERE.

The Wand

I thought I would show you how I constructed my wand (other than how I put together the circles from the Circle 3-D Ornament Bigz Die) that was part of my showcase of projects on the Stampin' Addicts Birthday Blog Hop.  If you missed it, you can check it out here.

To put all of the ribbons on the wooden fruit skewer, I stacked them and used my trusty Crop-a-Dile to punch a hole through them all.

 

Next, I put the ribbons on the skewer just past the narrowest portion of the tip.

  

 The 3rd step involved wrapping tape around the ribbons to hold them down so that the pieces would hang downwards.

  

The last step with the ribbons involved moving them down where I would want them.  I figured this out by placing the "ball" I had constructed for the end over the top and making sure that they were just below it.  I had the skewer just touch the top of the inside of the ball so that it would be stable.

  

The final steps for putting the ball on involved putting mini glue dots (sorry, I forgot to take a photo of this!) around the skewer just above the ribbons) on the wood and then sliding the ball on, gluing it shut and adhereing it to the mini glue dots to keep it in place and from flying off of the end.

To hide the taped ribbons, I tied a bow out of the Whisper White 5/8" Satin ribbon.  Of course, your ribbon treatments could be entirely different.  You could even use some of the ribbon that you can curl that goes on presents for a nice look as well.

 

PS - there is glitter on all 3 "sides" of the circles on every circle, so it sparkles quite a bit in real life.  My girls love it!  :)

Stampin' Addicts Birthday Blog Hop

 Welcome to the Stampin' Addicts Birthday Blog Hop weekend!  

If you're following the Stampin' Addicts Birthday Blog Hop in order, then you just arrived from Melissa's fabulous blog, Stamping With Melissa where she had some really great cupcake themed projects to share with you and inspire you in your paper crafting.  I just loved her little cupcake treat holder - wasn't it adorable!?!?

My projects fall under the theme of a little girl's birthday.  I am trying to decide just how I want to do everything for my oldest daughter's seventh birthday which is coming up.  She doesn't really like pink, but every one of her little friends does, so I won't completely do her party without pink.  The Sweet Pea DSP paper stack came in really handy for making these projects.  I think that each little girl will have a different colored hat, door-hanger and wand, so these are just one version of them.  The door-hanger will be hanging on the back of each girl's chair to designate her seat at the table with her very own monogram on it, and then she can take it home and hang it on her bedroom door.

Without further ado, here are my projects:

 Birthday Party Hat

Paper:  Sweet Pea DSP, So Saffron and Old Olive CS, Taken with Teal Textured CS   Accessories:  Scallop Edge punch, Trio Flower Punch, Scallop Circle punch, 1-3/8" Circle punch, Big Shot, SU! Timeless Type medium Sizzlets die, "chipboard" from inside SU! Pennant Bigz die packaging, Circle Fire Rhinestone Brad, Pink Bead Duo beads, Crystal Effects, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, 1/4" Whisper White Grosgrain ribbon (shredded), Silver Elastic Cord, Silver string  

Door-Hanger

 

Paper:  Sweet Pea DSP, So Saffron, Old Olive and Rose Red CS   Accessories:  Scallop Edge punch, Trio Flower Punch, Scallop Circle punch, 1-3/8" Circle punch, Big Shot, SU! Timeless Type medium Sizzlets die, SU! Pennant Bigz die, "chipboard" from inside SU! Pennant Bigz die packaging, Circle Fire Rhinestone Brad, Pretty in Pink 5/8" Satin ribbon, thread, Crystal Effects, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, Fine Cosmo Glitter (green), 1/4" Whisper White Grosgrain ribbon

Wand

 

Paper:  Sweet Pea DSP   Accessories:  Big Shot, Circle 3-D Ornament Bigz die, Crystal Effects, Dazzling Diamonds glitter, 1/4" Whisper White, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, Pretty in Pink and Rose Red Grosgrain ribbon, Whisper White 5/8" Satin ribbon, wooden skewer


Now, on to the next stop of the Birthday Blog Hop.  That is Holly's blog, InkPaperStamps where you will get to see some great projects to inspire you with all of those masculine birthdays in your life.  Her card with the little punch art grill is a fantastic card to give to a special guy in your life! 

Enjoy the hop, and thanks for stopping by!!  I appreciate each and every one of you and the kind comments that you leave :)  Have a fabulous weekend!

My Boots to Stamps weekly Inspiration challenge will be skipped this week due to the blog hop.  Enjoy touring the 24 other stops instead ;)



FYI:  Stampin' Addicts is a free website dedicated to supporting Stampin' Up! stampers and demonstrators alike and it is the first birthday of this fantastic site. The Stampin' Addicts motto is "Positively Creative! Positively Stampin' Up!"  If you have not been to Stampin' Addicts, you should check them out as soon as you finish the Birthday Blog Hop!  My screen name there is mariemc and I happen to know that there will be a STAMP JAM going on this weekend at Stampin' Addicts with Challenges and Stampin' and lots of Inspiration!  If you're not already a member of this FABULOUS community dedicated to all things Stampin’ Up!, then click HERE to sign up (remember, it’s free!!) to get a username.  You can always visit as a guest without a username as well.  I hope to see you there! 

If you were in the SAB/Occasions Mini swap with me....

and you want to be surprised, well, then stop reading or delete this message!!!  ;)  Do whatever you need to do for however you are viewing it to NOT see the picture that I will try to put low enough in this post that it won't show when this first opens on your screen.  If you don't like surprises, or just plain don't care if it's a surprise or not, then continue on, by all means.  Of course, if you weren't in the swap with me I hope you will continue on as well ;)

Before I get into the details of the card, and then the actual picture, I thought I would remind you that this weekend, beginning at 12 pm EST on Saturday, February 20th, Stampin' Addicts will be having a blog hop with 25 fabulous stops to celebrate it's first birthday!!  The theme is birthdays, and you will be amazed to see everything from cards, to 3-D items, and all kinds of things created by My Digital Studio (MDS).  Paper crafters will not be disappointed after visiting all of the stops because there will be something for every style, and for many different paper crafting niches.  I hope to see you back here on Saturday!!! :)

Now, on to my card.  I'll post the recipe first.

Stamps:  Vintage Vogue (2010 Occasions Mini Catalog)   Paper:  Elegant Eggplant, Old Olive and Whisper White CS   Ink:  Elegant Eggplant and Old Olive Classic Ink and Stampin' Up! Markers   Accessories:  Old Olive 5/8" Grosgrain ribbon, Scallop Edge Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

***I used the Clear-Mount Vintage Vogue stamp set, and it GREATLY helped with getting the word "friends" stamped where I wanted it.  The leaves beneath the "F" are Old Olive stamped off once to make them a shade lighter.***

My Favorite Occasions Mini Catalog CASE

This is the last of four cards that I made based on cards in the Occasions Mini Catalog.  You will find this one on page 14 of the Mini.

I LOVED this card in the Mini, so I was excited to CASE it.  I used the Sweet Pea DSP as inspiration for the colors, and I think it turned out really cute!  I will say -  I had wanted to put the 3 hearts under the image panel on the right, but I couldn't fit them and two just didn't look right.  I had my Old Olive scalloped piece just a little too far to the right to allow the three hearts to fit.  Oh well...

The heart stamp set I used is the very same one that SU! has chosen to use in a campaign to raise money for Haiti. You can check out more about that here.

Stamps: I {Heart} Hearts, Whimsical Words   Paper: Taken with Teal, Rose Red, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip and Whisper White CS, So Saffron Textured CS   Ink: Chocolate Chip, So Saffron, Old Olive, Taken with Teal, Rose Red and Pretty in Pink classic ink   Accessories: Small Heart punch, Linen Thread, Pretty in Pink Corduroy brad, Scallop Edge punch, Piercing Tool, Template and Pad, Stampin' Dimensionals

♥ Happy Valentine's Day ♥

 

I don't normally post on Sundays, but I typed up this the day before and have it scheduled to post so that I can wish everyone a happy Valentine's Day!  I also thought I would share with you the three little note cards I made for my 3 wonderful children.

Valentine's is not a huge holiday in our family, but I do use it as an opportunity to give my kids some little "love" notes from their parents.  I try to give them little notes in their school lunches as often as possible, but they know it's Valentine's Day, and at their age, it seems to be very important to them that we all do little things for each other.  I saw them making little notes and pictures for my husband and me the other day, and then they hid them in the cupboard in the kitchen and I told them that since I make food for them every day, that might not be a good hiding place ;)  They are so excited to give them to us today :)

Well, the Valentine's I made my kids are very CAS (Clean-and-Simple), but I think they're really cute.  Also, more thought went into them than you would think.  I chose the colors and the hearts very specifically for each child.

I hope you enjoy them and that you had a lovely Valentine's Day in which you were able to show someone you care about just how much you do.  I say why does it have to only be on the 14th that we make certain to tell our loved ones how special they are?  Why is it only one day of the year is dedicated to love?  Make every day Valentine's Day!!!

First Card:  Stamps:  I {Heart} Hearts, Picture This   Paper:  Whisper White   Ink:  Real Red and Basic Black classic ink   Accessories:  Stampin' Dimensionals

Second Card:  Stamps:  I {Heart} Hearts, Picture This   Paper:  Whisper White   Ink:  Pink Passion and Basic Black classic ink   Accessories:  Stampin' Dimensionals

Third Card:  Stamps:  I {Heart} Hearts, Picture This   Paper:  Whisper White   Ink:  Melon Mambo and Basic Black classic ink   Accessories:  Stampin' Dimensionals    

Boots 2 Stamps Inspiration Week #4

This week's inspiration is nearly limitless!!  You have OVER 75,000 possibilities!!  I will share with you below a few of my favorites.

I was looking at a site that I like to visit to browse when looking for affordable art for my home (www.art.com), and I just loved so many of the botanical pieces.  HERE is the link to all of the botanical art, and your challenge for this week is to choose one from that category to use as your inspiration piece.  They're not all flowers, so no worries if you don't do flowers ;)

Please make sure to include in your own post or gallery upload not only the link to this challenge, but a link directly to the picture you chose as your inspiration piece.  If you're posting to your blog, you could post the picture itself if you would rather, but please make sure we can see what inspired you! 

Click HERE to see the specific details of how to play along.

This week's keyword is B2S04 for any online galleries you might upload to.

Here are a few that I liked (I tend to like photographs) and there are MANY styles from the contemporary to the classic on this site:

So – after you’ve stamped, go upload at Stampin’ Addicts and be sure to use the keyword “B2S04″ (no quotation marks needed) and include a link to this post, and then come back here and tell me that you’ve posted using Mr. Linky and include a link to your posted project so I can keep track of who has played along for the monthly drawing!!!  Easy peasy!!

Happy

So, I got this sweet award from Teresa Kline (AKA Va. Sunshine) over at Enjoy the VA Sunshine and I'm supposed to tell you 10 things that make me happy and pass the award on.  I always feel like I'm leaving people out when I choose, so if you are a reader of my blog please consider yourself on my list below even if you don't see your name.  I really mean that.

I'll try not to give you TMI (too much information) and my answers are in no particular order.  They are just the first 10 things I could think of.  It would have been easier if it was 10 things that drive me crazy since I've been shut off from the world for a week now with only my 3 lovely little angels, all under age 7, to keep me company ;)  I could have listed those in less than 10 seconds!!  LOL

1. Spending time with my family (immediate and extended)
2.  Having my husband at home with us
3.  Watching my children learn, grow and show concern and care for others
4.  Watching the birds at my bird feeders
5.  Setting goals and reaching them
6.  Being with friends
7.  Teaching and motivating people
8.  Being crafty
9.  Being in Kentucky
10.  Making new friends

Now, the gals I am passing this on to are friends I have made via stamping and the internet (at Stampin' Addicts).  If I had the time to name all of the SA girls, I would.  Also, just as Teresa said, I won't mind if you aren't into these little blog award things and don't pass it on.  It's totally up to you!  :)

Jennifer

Melissa

Terri

Yapha 

Rhonda

Cindy

UGLY, UGLY, UGLY!!!!

So, for a good laugh (and without going into detail because this card doesn't deserve it), here's my ugly card that I made for last week's inspiration challenge (you can see that HERE).  I started out thinking that Basic Black CS squares would be super neat and went downhill from there ;)

My Digital Studio...who said it's only for digital scrapbooking?

I sat down with my daughter Emma yesterday to make a "Weekly Chore Chart" using My Digital Studio for her and her sister.  I guess my cabin fever and lack of motivation to make them clean up all of their toys after 4 days of being stuck inside was my motivation for the chart.  Well, I HAVE to tell you this story about making the chart.

Emma was sitting next to me and telling me what colors to put where and what images.  I wasn't making it too complicated, but I took one of the Calendar Grid stamp images and rotated it onto it's side to create a chart - isn't that cool?!?!  I needed two charts though, one for each daughter, so I copied it and then pasted it and started to scoot it over to Sarah's side of the chart.  Well, I wanted them to line up exactly the same from top to bottom, so I turned on the grid that you can lay over your project temporarily to help line things up, and the poor child went from seeing 20 or so "chore boxes" to check off, to seeing hundreds.  She didn't know it was a grid, and she said in an upset tone, "I can't do THAT many!"  It was precious, and I laughed so hard.

Anyway, here is our little chart.  It is 8-1/2" x 11" in size and I wanted both girls on one sheet so that I only have one piece of paper on the refrigerator.  I will print it out once a week (as long as we all stay motivated) and they get a small reward at the end of each week.  They rotate some chores from week to week, and others are permanent (like make your bed, tidy your toy area, etc.).  Because the chores can change, I only put blank lines on the chart.  Each line will be filled with a chore, and since that's 7 things they're responsible for (only 5 are daily, 2 of each of their chores are "as needed" - ie. helping put away the clean dishes, dusting, etc.), one of the rewards they can choose is $2.50 each week that they do all of their chores. I figured by the end of the month they could have $10 - enough to buy a Barbie - and after 2 months of saving it would be enough to buy a "nice" Barbie.  That idea really motivated my middle daughter.  My eldest may save for something else, and that's perfectly fine.  I think our house has plenty of Barbies ;)  I think $10 a month in allowance is a lot for a 5 and 6-year old, but feel that earning an allowance and learning to save and even spend it is an important lesson, and a dollar a week wouldn't buy them much after a whole month of saving.  I think that since they're relatively young, their attention span requires a more quickly earned benefit for their actions.

So - if you thought that My Digital Studio was only helpful in creating scrapbook pages, it's not!  It can make cards, flyers, business cards, brochurse, calendars, posters (up to 12 x 12 in size), scrapbook pages, embellishments, blog headers, blog backgrounds, buttons and blinkies for blogs, and so much more!!  It can even be used to edit your photos and add watermarks to them for posting online!

If you live in or around the Dover (Delaware) area, let me know if you would like me to sit down with you and show you all that My Digital Studio can do.  You will be amazed!!!  Just e-mail me!!!

Page 15 CASE

So, in line with my previous CASE posts, I thought I would share this CAS card. You can find the original on page 15 of the Occasions Mini catalog, as the title of this post indicates. I was still using the Sweet Pea DSP for my color combo, because that is the color inks my Stamps in the Mail participants would have (I base each SIM kit around a pack of DSP). This is not my typical color combo, but I think it turned out pretty cute.

The heart stamp set I used is the very same one that SU! has chosen to use in a campaign to raise money for Haiti. You can check out more about that here.

My last card that I will be sharing in about 2 posts from now is my favorite though from my "CASE the Occasions Mini catalog" group of cards. :)

I hope you're having a fabulous day and if you haven't already, check out my inspiration challenge HERE!

Stamps: I {Heart} Hearts Paper: Sweet Pea DSP, Rose Red, So Saffron, Chocolate Chip and Whisper White CS Ink: Pretty in Pink classic ink Accessories: Pretty in Pink 5/8" Satin ribbon, Full Heart punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

Boots 2 Stamps Inspiration Challenge #3

This week's inspiration challenge comes from a favorite blog of mine to browse for eye candy.  It's called Spearmint Decor.  You can see the post I got the picture from HERE.  I just loved the colors in this photo, and there are so many interesting objects, patterns, textures and even items in this photo that I thought it would make a great inspiration piece.  I PROMISE I won't always do rooms, but I enjoy looking at photos of home decor because living in base housing, I don't ever really feel like I can truly decorate my home how I want since I never get to pick the floor plan or many other amenities that people who are buying or even renting take for granted. I can't wait until we are off base again!!!!!  Anyway....below are the details copied and pasted from previous challenges.  Please remember to use Mr. Linky to link to your project over on Stampin' Addicts (or wherever it might be).  If you post it multiple places, that's fine, but only link to one location where the project is uploaded and PRETTY PLEASE use the appropriate keyword for the challenge (see below).  Thanks!

For detailed instructions on how to play along in the challenge, please click HERE.

This week’s keyword is B2S03.

Please submit your links to your projects by midnight EST the Friday following the inspiration posting.

So – after you’ve stamped, go upload at Stampin’ Addicts and be sure to use the keyword “B2S03″ (no quotation marks needed) and include a link to this post, and then come back here and tell me that you’ve posted using Mr. Linky and include a link to your posted project so I can keep track of who has played along for the monthly drawing!!!  Easy peasy!!

Inspiration Challenge Reveal and Stamp Set WINNER!!

So - I had some fun making my card for this challenge.  That's because I got a good laugh at myself, and you will get to as well (on Thursday).  I made one card that turned out so ugly I couldn't bear for it to be the only one that I made for this inspiration challenge, even if it does get a good laugh out of everyone ;)  I will let you see it later this week, but for now, here's something that I don't think is ugly.  LOL

I ended up with this card, and am very pleased.  From the inspiration photo, which you can see HERE, I really drew from all of the white, the pop of color in the flowers on the table, and the squares/lines that are throughout the room.  I scored some criss-crossing lines on my card front, but kept it pretty CAS otherwise.  I inked my silhouette buds in Tempting Turqouise classic ink first, and then tapped it lightly into Lovely Lilac classic ink.

Stamps:  Pocket Silhouettes, Teeny Tiny Wishes   Paper:  Whisper White CS   Ink:  Tempting Turquoise and Lovely Lilac, Basic Black classic ink   Accessories:  Whisper White 1/4" Grosgrain ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals 
 
And now on to the winner of January's Stamp Set.  I decided that I would send the winner a brand new clear-mount I {Heart} Hearts stamp set.  This way, not only are you getting a free, brand new set, but together with this win, we will be giving $2 more to the Hatian relief funds that Stampin' Up! is donating with the sale of this stamp set.

Starting with the most recent challenge, B2S02, I numbered the participants beginning with #1 (you can see their submissions by clicking on each of their names). 

1.  Kris Sobolik
2.  Melissa Huie
3.  Trina Caraway
4.  Melissa Huie
5.  Chera Wiest
6.  Jen Guarino

There were 6 of you, and random.org drew the following number:

#2 was Melissa!!  So, Melissa, get in touch with me via e-mail or SA and we'll talk stamps since I know you have the one I was going to give away.  :)

Simple Card, Simple CASE

This card is from page 7 of the Occasions Mini catalog. I wish that I had had the little paper clips on hand to use to put the ribbon on in the same way, but I didn't. The things I did differently were that I changed the colors a tiny bit, used a different heart stamp from the I {Heart} Hearts stamp set, used the new Scallop Trim border punch, and used a little Chocolate Chip Epoxy brad as an accent.

The heart stamp set I used is the very same one that SU! has chosen to use in a campaign to raise money for Haiti. You can check out more about that here.

Stamps: I {Heart} Hearts Paper: So Saffron and Whisper White CS, Taken with Teal Textured CS Ink: Rose Red, Chocolate Chip and So Saffron classic ink Accessories: Scallop Trim border punch, Sending Love 1/4" Chocolate Chip Epoxy brad, 1/4" Whisper White Grosgrain ribbon, Stampin' dimensionals

PS - I would LOVE to have you join me on my Inspiration Challenge. You could win a free stamp set!!! Check it out here.

Page 35

If you check out page 35 in the Occasions Mini catalog, you will see where I got my inspiration for this card. The color combo is not one I would typically use, but I was trying to keep the color palette to the colors found in the Sweet Pea DSP pack because it is what my Stamps in the Mail customers were to use in their kits. This wasn't how I originally intended to make the card (the DSP/Chocolate base), but I found that I was having a hard time getting the DSP in the Sweet Pea DSP stack to match any of the SU! CS it was supposed to match. This Chocolate Chip sheet was still not an exact match, but it looked the least different. I LOVE this stack of paper, so I hope that everyone's isn't like this!!

I loved the ribbon treatment on the card so basically kept it the same, I just used a different ribbon and button.

The heart stamp set I used is the very same one that SU! has chosen to use in a campaign to raise money for Haiti. You can check out more about that here.

Don't forget to join me for this week's inspiration challenge. You can read about it here.

Stamps: I {Heart} Hearts, Well Scripted Paper: Chocolate Chips Textured CS, Old Olive, Rose Red and Whisper White CS Inks: Rose Red and Chocolate Chip classic ink Accessories: On Board Essentials chipboard frame, Latte Designer Button in Whisper White, Old Olive 5/8" Grosgrain ribbon, Linen Thread, Piercing Tool, Template and Pad, Scallop Edge punch, Stampin' Dimensionals