Life gets in the way.....

I hate when life gets in the way of stamping!  *sigh*  It's been a crazy 3 or 4 weeks in my world.  I originally took a little break from blogging to work on some special projects for Michaels stores.  I can't tell you about them yet, but I can tell you that you are in for a real treat this fall!  Michaels has some serious fun planned for September....stay tuned!  Then I got involved in a project at the Preschool at which I serve on the Board of Directors (we published our first-ever yearbook - with all those adorable little faces how could it be anything but cute!?!)  Mixed in that time period, my Mom had hip replacement surgery and now I'm caught up in finishing end of year gifts for my boys' teachers.  *PHEW*

Anyway, today I have a sympathy card to share with you.  I've had this tree stamp for quite awhile, but I don't think it's ever seen ink!  (Unfortunately, I think I have many stamps that remain "ink-less" - I'll have to work on that this summer!)  I had seen some cards on Pinterest that inspired me to make this card.  I enjoyed playing with the Distress Inks and seeing the colors blend together.  I'll be making more cards like this.

Well friends, I better get going.  I need to get busy on those teachers' gifts - the last day of school is Friday! Hope all is well in your corner of the world.


Take time to get inky today!

recipe: Hero Arts Slanted Tree, Everyday Sayings; Tsukineko Tuxedo Black Ink; Distress Inks Tumbled Glass, Stormy Sky, Wild Honey, Bundled Sage, Peeled Paint

Dream-Pendous Blog Hop

Get ready to be inked, pasted, encrusted, stenciled and stamped!  This week, the Dreamweaver Stencils' Dream Team and the Stampendous Design Teams have had so much fun sharing "Dream-pendous" inspiration with you, and today we wrap things up with a terrific blog hop!  You'll see how to mix and mingle your creativity...if you are a stenciler, you will be fascinated at combining stamps with your first love. If you are a stamper, you will be wowed at how stencils can add to your impressions.

And since this hop falls on a Saturday,  some of the Stampendous team members are combining their amazing Dreamweaver Stencils projects with the monthly Stampendous challenge.  This month, in honor of Earth Day, we are challenging ourselves (and you) to make something that uses product(s) that are recycled, repurposed, or reused in some way.

Here's my card.  My recycled item is the ribbon.  It was on a gift I received from a friend and it was just too pretty to toss in the garbage....I KNEW I could use it someplace!

This was the first time I've used Pearlescent Embossing Paste.  I had been very intimidated by the thought of using it, and, to be honest, I procrastinated.  I was thrilled to find out that it was really easy to use and a lot of  fun!  I'll be using it again soon!  I love the pearlescent  sheen it gives to the stenciled image.  It looks so elegant!  The stencil I used today is LL599 Heart Whimsy.  I think it's such a versatile stencil that can be used for so many occasions...birthday, anniversary, wedding, thinking of you.  Today I chose to pair this stencil with the cute little butterflies from the  Stampendous Charm Collection stamp set.  I colored the butterflies with my Copic markers and cut them out.  Before adhering them to the stenciled panel, I bent the wings up a bit to give them a bit of "movement".  The sentiment is from the Stampendous Narcissus Perfectly Clear Stamp set.


Here's a close-up of one of the sweet little butterflies....

Okay, there you have all the deets on my card for today.  Now it's time for you to get busy.  First, be sure to leave a comment here on my blog with you email address for a chance to win one of these sets...

Then, sit back with a cup of coffee and prepared yourself to be wowed by all of the creative inspiration that is being shared with the combined Design Teams from Stampendous and Dreamweavers.  Be sure to leave a little love at each stop along the hop in order to have a chance to with the great prizes being offered.

Here's the entire Dreamweaver Stencils/Stampendous party train for the hop today:

Dream It Up! 

Stampendous Impressions! 

Kristine Reynolds 

Cherylynn Moser

Susie Moore  

Lynn Mercurio 

Laura Drahozal 

Pam Hornschu

Terrece Siddoway  

Wendy Price 

Liz Martin 

Taylor Usry 

Jessie Hurley 

Krissy Fossmeyer 

Cyndi Bundy 

Jennifer Ingle 

Georgia Sommers

Melinda Gleissner  

Kristi Van Doren 

Stephanie Lee 

Wendy Jordan 

Suzanne Czosek

Lee Kellogg 

Janelle Stollfus 

Louise Healy 

Jennifer Dove

Don't forget - we want YOU to play along in our monthly challenge!  You have until Thursday, May 3, 2012 at 11:59 PM EST to add your direct link to our collection at the end of this post (or on the Stampendous blog).  You do not have to use Stampendous products, but we sure love it when you do!  As an extra incentive for playing along, one lucky crafter (drawn at random) will receive this fabulous Mother's Love Perfectly Clear Stamp Set.  Available in stores now, it will be on the website for purchase soon!

Due to shipping restrictions, the winner must have a US address.  We hope you have a chance to play along with us (you an enter as many times as you'd like!) this month.

OK, I'm doing talking for now.  It's time for you to get hoppin!

Have a great day and take time to get inky today!

Dream-Pendous!

Get ready to be inked, pasted, encrusted, stenciled and stamped! All of this week the Dreamweaver Stencils' Dream Team and theStampendous Design Teams will be providing some "Dream-pendous" inspiration for you, with multiple opportunities to win some fabulous prizes from both companies. Each day this week, you will be directed from both the Stampendous Impressions' blog or theDream It Up! blog to the players du jour for your oohing and aaahing pleasure. Everyone will be playing on Saturday, the 14th with our final hop for the week. This is your opportunity to see how to mix and mingle your creativity...if you are a stenciler, you will be fascinated at combining stamps with your first love. If you are a stamper, you will be wowed at how stencils can add to your impressions.

This is the first time I've worked with stencils and really had a lot of fun!  I used the beautiful LJ899 Petals Background Stencil and ran it through my Cuttlebug, then before removing my stencil inked it up with Tsukineko Aloe Vera ink.  I then stamped one of my favorite  Stampendous stamps, Dragonfly Vine with VersaMark ink.  I love the wayEmerald PEARLustre, Amethyst PEARLustre and Detail Gold Embossing Powders look when used together on an image.  They almost look iridescent - LOVE IT!!!

To see all the beautiful stencils Dreamweavers offers, be sure to check them all out here.  

Be sure to leave comments as you tour the blogs (with your email addy!) for a chance to win these great prizes one of three combined sets of theseDreamweaver and Stampendous goodies:

OK, are you ready to see what everyone else has created for your sweet inspiration today?  Grab a cup of coffee and take a look at the following blogs, but before you leave don't forget to leave me some love!

Dream It Up! 
Stampendous Impressions! 
Terrece Siddoway 
Krissy Fossmeyer 
Stephanie Lee 
Cyndi Bundy 
Lee Kellogg 
Janelle Stollfus 
Pam Hornschu 

Well, it's time for me to go.  I'll be back on Saturday with another Dreamweavers/Stampendous project to share with you.  In the meantime, enjoy your week and take time to get inky!

Plume Portrait Giveaway

Today the gals on the Stampendous Design Teams and Paper Crafts magazine are featuring this beautiful stamp.  Plume Portrait is an elegant lady with a hat full of plumes.  It's a fun image to color - or for that matter, it would also be pretty left uncolored.  The image is so beautifully detailed that she's elegant no matter how you use her!  I decided to do a bit of the  Fran•táge technique, by adding  some Pirate Gold and Champagne PEARLustre Embossing Powders around her collar and in the top corner of this image and heating from the underside.  If you've never tried Fran's technique, check out the Fran-tage video on You Tube. 

For the background paper, I randomly stamped a few of the small images from the Charm Collection with VersaMark ink.  In the lower right corner, I stamped "Friend" from the Friendship Assortment and embossed it with Pirate Gold EP.

If you would like to win this beautiful stamp, be sure to leave a comment on the Paper Crafts Facebook page.  Don't forget to also visit the Stampendous Blog for links to the other Design Team blogs to see what all the other super-talented ladies created using this beautiful stamp.  

Hope all is well in your corner of the world and that you'll take time to get inky today!  Thanks for taking time to visit today, I hope you'll stop by again soon!

New Product Blog Hop!

This Saturday the Stampendous team has something extra special planned for you...we have combined our regular monthly challenge with a blog hop showcasing some of the great new products released at CHA last month!  Pull up a chair, grab a warm beverage and yummy snack, and get ready to be wowed!  Be sure to scroll through my whole post; links to other hoppers, prize pack photos, and details on how to win are included below!

When I saw this new Stampendous character, I couldn't wait to get him inky.  Meet Cowlik. Isn't he adorable???  I made this card for my Dad's birthday.  When he was a kid, he and his brother would spend summers up on the family farms in Northern Wisconsin.  They would take the train by themselves from Chicago to Ashland, WI and they weren't much older than boys now (ages 6 & 8).  I can't imagine putting my little boys on a train and telling them to get off at the last stop and Uncle would be there to get them.  I guess it was a different world back then.  Anyway, I think working hard every summer on the farms, instilled a strong work ethic in my Dad that he still carries with him.  My boys are really "into" tractors, and think it is so cool that Grampa got to drive a tractor when he was a boy.  So, as soon as I saw this Cowlik Birthday stamp set, I knew I had to make a card for him! 

recipe:  Stampendous Cowlik Birthday, Taupe Color Fragments, Powder Blue Color Fragments, Clear Bark Embossing Powder; Prismacolor Pencils; Darice Hemp cord; Tsukineko Tuxedo Black ink; DCWV Classic Pattern mat stack; Recollections Jewel Card Stock pack

I also played with the *NEW* Color Fragments on this card.  They are so much fun to work with and the possibilities are endless!  Here I used the Powder Blue Color Fragments as sprinkles on the cupcake and I mixed Taupe Color Fragments in with Clear Bark Embossing Powder for the dirt.  If you haven't played with Color Fragments, you have to give them a try - I'm sure you'll love them, too!

I also decided to decorate the inside of this card, which I don't do often.  It just seemed natural when I saw the sentiments included with this stamp set.  How fun!

If you have not checked out this month's great texture challenge, you can read all the details on the Stampendous blog.  Now, are you ready to be inspired?  Check out the whole list of fabulousness for today:

 

Stampendous Impressions

Wendy Price

Cyndi Bundy

Janelle Stollfus

Wendy Jordan

Jennie Lin Black

Taylor Usry

Jennifer Ingle

Suzanne Czosek

Krissy Fossmeyer

Stephanie Lee

Kristine Reynolds

Pam Hornschu

Melinda Gleissner

Jennifer Dove
Kathryn Krieger

As you hop from blog to blog, being wowed by all the amazing new goodies we are showing off, be sure to leave some love (and your contact email) for the designers, as well as on the Stampendous blog. The more you comment, the better your chances are to win one of these five fantastic prize packs.  Each one includes a brand new stamp set and bottle of color fragments from Stampendous:

Winners will be randomly selected from all comments left on blogs, so the more you comment the better your chances are to win one!!  You have until Sunday, February 12 th at 8:00 PM EST to leave a comment on each blog; winners will be announced on Monday, February 13th. Due to shipping restrictions, all winners must have a US/APO/FPO mailing address. 

And don't forget....We want YOU to play along with us in our monthly challenge!  Just add your direct link to your card (make sure you've loaded it up with tons of TEXTURE) to the linky tool below (or on the Stampendous blog) no later than March 1, 2012 at 11:00 PM EST.  You do not have to use Stampendous products to play along, but we sure love it when you do!  And as an extra incentive for playing, one lucky person (drawn at random from all the entries) will receive the gorgeous Corset Ladies Perfectly Clear Stamp Set.

Ok, now it's time for you to get hoppin'.  I hope you'll enjoy all the inspiration the girls have to share with you.  Then it's your turn to get inky - can't wait to see what you create!

Thanks for stopping by today!  I sure would love it if you would become a "follower" if you're not already!  Hope all is well in your corner of the world, take time to get inky today!

Color Fragments winner

Good morning!  Hope everyone has recovered from the Scrappy Bowl! Thanks so much to everyone for commenting on my blog and to those of you who have become followers!  I really appreciate you all taking the time to check me out!

And now for the winning comment....{{{ drumroll please }}}.... Debbie!!!  "following you on Pinterest thanks for this chance to win. watching the scrapbeach on ustream"
Debbie, email me with your name and address, and the wonderful Laura at Stampendous, will get a jar of Taupe Color Fragments on their way to you!  Have fun working with them!
 
Hope everyone enjoyed the Scrappy Bowl last night - I sure did, but boy, does it move quickly!  Thanks to Kathryn for letting me and the other Stampendous girls stop by!
 
Have a great day, take time to get inky!

Scrappy Bowl Sunday

Hi!  Happy Scrappy Bowl Sunday!  Or, as some people call it "Super Bowl Sunday".  It's a big day in our house, but I thought I'd take a quick break and share a card I made today.  I used the new Stampendous Taupe Color Fragments.  They are so much fun to work with!  If you haven't tried them, you are in for a real treat!  Ready to see my card?

recipe: Stampendous Taupe Color Fragments, Cling Bird Post, Clear Bark Embossing Powder, Pirate Gold Embossing Powder; Recollections Spice Market Card Stock; VersaMark Ink; Darice Hemp Cord; Tea Dye Distress Ink

Stampendous Color Fragments are just that. Bits of pure color you can glue on to any surface with any adhesvie. Sprinkle into melting embossing powders for an amazing Encrusted Jewel look. Crush for smaller particles.  For my card today, I stamped my image with VersaMark ink, sprinkled on Clear Bark EP and then added Taupe Color Fragments on top of the embossing powder.  To keep the Color Fragments from blowing around during heat setting, hold your heat gun on the underside of your cardstock and heat to melt the embossing powder.  As the EP melts, it will hold on to your color fragments.  They are so much fun to work with! (but hard to photograph sometimes *sigh*)

How would you like to give them a try?  I've got a jar of Taupe Color Fragments waiting for one of you!  All you need to do is become a follower of my blog and leave me a comment.  After the Super Bowl, I'll draw a winning comment and post it on my blog.  So, be sure to check back after the game!  Due to customs restrictions, US/APO/FPO winners only - sorry!

I also want to let you know that we hope you'll join us  on Saturday, February 11 for our Stampendous Blog Hop featuring all of our new products!  You won't want to miss it!

OK, time for me to get back to the game.  In our house we celebrate Super Bowl Sunday with what we call "Snacky Dinner" - popcorn chicken, egg roll, french fries, popcorn, chips & salsa, veges & dip....all SUPER healthy (oh well, it's a holiday, right?)

Thanks for popping in - I hope you'll be back to visit soon!  Take time to get inky today!