Another Blog Award!

I have been honored with another blog award from Deb - how awesome! This blogging is kind of fun! Deb's blog - Itty Bitty Ink Spots - is filled with wonderful ideas - if you get a chance, check it out!!

The rules of this award:
1. Only 5 people allowed.
2. 4 have to be dedicated followers of your blog
3. One has to be someone new or recently new to your blog and live in another part of the world.
4. You must link back to whoever gave you the award, quite simple really. It is a way of saying thank you to those who take time out for wonderful comments to boost your day.

Most of my "dedicated followers" don't have their own blogs. So, for now, I will spotlight:
Harriet - she doesn't have her own blog, but her SCS gallery is hskelly, and she contributes to Natasha's blog
Jeanette - an awesome blog called "Lagniappe - (lan-yap) .....a little something extra!"
Anne - another awesome blog - called "Paper Ink~Pressions"

I would love to hear from ALL of you who read my blog. I know you're out there, because I have subscribers!!

How about this - maybe you could just leave me a comment and tell me where you're from. That would be awesome - I would really appreciate it!

Thanks for looking, and I hope you’ll come back and visit again soon!

New Cuttlebug Folders!!

Woo-hoo – my new Cuttlebug things from CropStop came yesterday! I only ordered three sets – “Forever Friends” folder and die combo, “Just My Type” borders and “With Love” borders.

After being camping all weekend with friends (and having a wonderful time) and getting to spend almost a whole day (and “sleepover!”) with a great friend (and having another wonderful time), I finally got to spend some time playing with my new things – and I had a wonderful time! LOL! I did get a card made yesterday, but I didn’t deem it “blog-worthy.”

So, without further ado, here is today’s card. I cut the textured green paper to 5 3/8 by 4 1/8 inches. I cut the white cardstock to 5 ¼ by 4 inches. The first thing I did was to emboss the three daisies from “With Love” on the left side. Then I used the buttons from “Just My Type” to emboss a strip slightly diagonally (accidental, but I like it) across the lower part of the card. I also used my Scor-Pal to score lines on both side of the buttons. I used some little yellow buttons (that I’ve had since I started stamping) for the daisy centers. The “Hi” is cut with the die from “Forever Friends.” That’s it, and wow, there is no stamping on this card!!

Thanks for looking, and I hope you’ll come back and visit again soon!

Fresh Cuts Thanks

For this card, I used a set from the new Stampin’ Up! catalog called “Fresh Cuts.” The catalog will be out on August 11.

I inked up the image with Sahara Sand, and then I used a Certainly Celery marker to color all of the leaves. It's rather amazing to me that I can hardly tell the difference between River Rock and Certainly Celery – I suppose because there was Sahara Sand underneath it. I sponged the edges of the cardstock with Sahara Sand, also. I tried to bring out the "tan-ness" of the Sahara Sand by mounting it on Close to Cocoa, since I have no Sahara Sand cardstock. I added three brads to that layer. Then I mounted it on Dimensionals and layered it onto River Rock cardstock. The sentiment is stamped with Sahara Sand.

Thanks for looking, and I hope you’ll come back and visit again soon!

Tangerine Butterfly

Here is a fun, simple little card!

I used some Tangerine Lasting Impressions paper, which is white on the back to make it easy to dry emboss on. I started with the Cuttlebug butterfly small embossing folder. Then I used my Scor-Pal to score two lines on either side of the butterfly. After that, I ran it through twice using a large Cuttlebug folder on each side. I needed to score the lines again, but I like to do the scoring first because it makes it easier for me to position the folder right where I want it. After all of the embossing and scoring was done, I used a sanding block on all of the raised part, allowing the white to show through.

Next, I used Tim Holtz Distress Ink – Tea Bag – to sponge around the edges. I liked the way it looked, so I sponged lightly over the whole card. The sentiment is from PaperTrey Ink’s “Mixed Messages” and I used the TH Distress Ink for that, too. Three Dew Drops, and the card was finished.

Thanks for looking, and I hope you’ll come back and visit again soon!

Mojo Monday Sketch

Another “Sketch Card” for today. This one is for Julee Tilman’s “Mojo Monday” sketch. You can see the sketch here. This one was really fun to do, too! Sketches are great for me, because they challenge me to use more layers.

I started with Very Vanilla cardstock from Stampin’ Up! I rounded the corners – as per the sketch! The patterned paper I used on this card is from Die Cuts With a View Nana’s Nursery – Boy stack. Gosh, those papers are so cool! The bottom is Buckaroo Blue, run through my BIGkick in a Dotted Swiss embossing folder. The ribbon is SU! Certainly Celery. I used a retired SU! set called “All Occasions” for the flowers and the sentiment. I stamped it on watercolor paper using Memories black ink, then colored it with SU! markers and ink pads. I cut the image and the scalloped mat (Certainly Celery) with oval Nestabilities. A couple little details that you could overlook – I colored the daisies with a white gel pen, I used seed beads for the daisy centers, and I used glitter on the blue flowers.

Thanks for looking, and I hope you’ll come back and visit again soon!

Sketch Card

The card I made this morning is based on Jen del Muro’s “Sketch For You To Try.” You can view her blog post by clicking HERE.

It was a fun sketch to work with. The image I used is one of the stamps I got at Oscar’s Door County Rubber Stamps when we were on vacation. I stamped it on Whisper White cardstock, and also on scrap pieces of green cardstock and printed paper. Both of these are from a pad by Sizzix. I cut out the image and the scalloped mat with rectangle Nestabilities. I cut out her dress and hat from the scraps and adhered them on to my image. Then I colored the image with Prismacolor Pencils and used Gamsol to blend. The flowers are colored with Stampin’ Up! markers. I popped it up with Pop Dots.

I used a Word Window punch for the strips on the left side and held them in place with white brads. The flower is punched with a Martha Stewart punch. Did you know you could emboss buttons? I didn’t! The button I had wasn’t quite the right color, so I colored it with a Stampin’ Up! marker. It didn’t seem to want to dry, so I thought I would dry it with my heat gun. Well, I thought since it didn’t want to dry, I should be able to use embossing powder on it. So, I inked it up again and sprinkled it with Iridescent Sparkle and heated it up. Voila! Worked like a charm! I sewed it on (yep, really – with a needle and thread) and used a pop dot to raise it from the main image. The "happy birthday to you!" sentiment is from a Studio G set.

Speaking of Studio G stamps, I had a fun project yesterday afternoon. I was reading in the SCS Weekly Inkling about suggestions on how to store acrylic stamps. Someone said they used ATC sleeve sheets. I thought, hmmm … I wonder if they will fit into something I got from CropStop. Sure enough, they fit into the same size that I had purchased for my small embossing folders! Very cool!! I had quite a few of those left over. The stamp sets are sooooo much easier to look through, now. If I had more sheets, I would only put one per slot, but they do fit two to a slot and that is how I have mine. A tad snug, but not bad at all.

Thanks for looking, and I hope you’ll come back and visit again soon!

A Sunny Hello!

This card turned out completely different from what I set out to do! I was going to make a card combining several Cuttlebug embossing folders, but it didn’t happen. I’ll do that another time.

So today, we have this Clean and Simple card. *~*~* By the way, did you know you can search for “CAS” on Splitcoaststampers and view the “Clean and Simple” gallery? If you like clean and simple, you’ll get a wonderful treat. *~*~* I used a small Cuttlebug embossing folder for the flower. I also embossed it on yellow and green so I could cut out the leaves and flower center. I colored the flower center with a Versamarker and embossed it with Iridescent Sparkle embossing powder. I added a couple lines with my Scor-Pal between the flower and the sentiment – which is stamped with yellow from a Petal Pad and embossed with clear embossing powder. I matted with yellow and green papers. The frame is embossed with a rectangle Nestability.

I’ll be sending this card off to a friend, along with a little surprise.

Thanks for looking, and I hope you’ll come back and visit again soon!

Red, White and Blue

In about twenty minutes I have to be out the door , but I thought I would share a card I made yesterday morning.

This card is for a color swap I’m in. This month the colors are red, white or cream, and blue. My intentions were to use cream. I started my card, and it just didn’t go anywhere. So, I completely changed directions and ended up with this one. (I was able to make a card with my other “beginning,” though.)

I used a brass stencil for this – embossing the entire design on Whisper White cardstock. Then I got out my very first Mat Stack from Die Cuts With a View. I embossed on the different colors, cut them out, and adhered them over the white. I matted the embossed image. The navy blue background is embossed with a Fiskars texture plate, and I added three red brads.

That’s really all there is to it. And I finished with time to spare!

Thanks for looking, and I hope you’ll come back and visit again soon

Penny Black - Critter Party

There is enough time to do a really quick post. I made this card yesterday, when I wasn’t so busy.

I got this Penny Black acrylic set over four weeks ago, and this was my first time using it. It’s called “Critter Party.” The sentiment is from the set, too. I stamped it with Memories black ink, and colored it partly with Stampin’ Up! markers, and partly with Prismacolor pencils blended with Gamsol. You can’t really tell in the photo, but I used Iridescent Sparkle embossing powder for the frosting, and put some Diamond Glaze on the candle flame. I embossed a frame around with a Nestability, and matted it with Tempting Turquoise (SU!) cardstock. The bottom layer is from My Mind’s Eye.

That’s about all there is to it! Thanks for looking, and I hope you’ll come back and visit again soon!

Thanks so much - with punches

How is this for the epitome of a Clean and Simple card!

The flower is punched using an EK Success Paper Shaper punch and paper I purchased at Anchor Paper. The center is punched with a circle punch, and the leaves are cut with a Sizzix die – both using SU! decorative paper. The stem is just cut with a paper cutter. The sentiment is from PaperTrey Ink’s Mixed Messages set. The ribbon is from Stampin' Up! and is Certainly Celery grosgrain.

I rounded all four corners of the card, and scored the left side three-fourths of an inch from the edge. Then I cut a strip of the pink patterned paper three-fourths inches wide and rounded the two corners on the left side and adhered it to the front of the card. I glued the front to the back on the left side between the edge and the scoring.

This card fits the challenge on Natasha Trupp’s blog “Clean&Simple Stamping” to “Embrace Punches.”

Don't forget to check out the special offer from CropStop on the previous post - 10% off if you use Coupon Code "MyStampingAddiction."

Thanks for looking, and I hope you’ll come back and visit again soon!

"Product Review" - Storage Sleeves - and a Special Offer!!

How about a “Product Review” today, for something different.

I ordered some “Storage Sleeves” from CropStop on Saturday night, and they arrived today. Awfully quick, I would say! I love my things to be organized, and they were, but it was kind of a pain to flip through a stack of Cuttlebug folders or dies. This is so much better! I got sleeves to fit my large CB folders, my CB dies, my Sizzlits, and my smaller CB folders. I even got sleeves to store my cards in! I have been looking for sleeves to store my cards in for a long time. Now I can store all of my dies and folders in one binder and store it upright on my shelves – very cool. (At least I can do that until I get too many more, then I’ll have to switch to TWO binders! LOL!) And I can have all of my cards that are available for sale in one binder, protected and easy to flip through, with another binder for cards that I have received.

Here are a few pictures of what I chose to order. She has many other storage sleeves, too, and you can get zippered binders.

*** ATTENTION *** I just got an email from Haylie Jo of CropStop. How's this for special? If you order from CropStop, just put "MyStampingAddiction" in the Coupon Code section, and you'll receive a 10% discount on any order over $15!! I guess that's telling her "Lynette sent you." Pretty cool! PS - she carries MANY other things, including Cuttlebug folders and dies, Nestabilities ... the list goes on. Check it out! (The NEW Cuttlebug items will be in VERY soon, and are available for pre-order.) One more thing - CropStop offers FREE SHIPPING on all dies and folders and several other things!!

Thanks for looking, and I hope you’ll come back and visit again soon!

TANKS!

This card is quite different from my “norm.” I hardly ever use such bright colors!!

I was digging through some of my “stuff” and came across some quilled pieces I had purchased when Crafts Direct left my area and was clearancing everything out. I have done some of my own quilling, and I like it, but boy-oh-boy – this was SO much easier! LOL! Anyway, I was thinking that if I mounted them on Tempting Turquoise, it might look like a fish tank. Hmmm, and if I used a Long Oval Nestability, it might look more like a fish tank. Hmmm, I’ve been trying to use more things – Fiskars texture plates were on that list. I bet I could use one of those for the Only Orange background. Yep – one called “Ocean” worked very well. (Be sure to mist your cardstock first, to get nice deep impressions.) OK, now I need a sentiment (I was thinking to myself) Hmmm (again!) … how about “TANK you so much?” Works for me. I really like when sentiments are done with a combination of fonts, so I went to the computer and played around a little bit until I was satisfied with it. I printed it on some Tempting Turquoise and cut it out with a small die from the Long Oval Nestabilities and added a couple eyelets. What do you think?

Thanks for looking, and I hope you’ll come back and visit again soon

Another Anniversary

Today’s card is an anniversary card for my sister and brother-in-law. (You don’t read my blog, do you Deb?)

I saw a card on Jeanne Streiff’s blog last week that I really loved and I finally got a chance to case it. My card can’t compare with hers, but I do like the way it turned out.

The background paper is from Lasting Impressions. I also used a textured black paper, and Stampin’ Up!’s Very Vanilla. Everything was stamped with Versafine Black Onyx ink. I used a stamp set that I bought at JoAnn’s from Inkadinkado called Wedding/Marriage for both the image and the sentiment. I stamped the image a second time on a scrap of Very Vanilla and cut out the birds and the heart, and then I popped them out with Pop Dots. Kind of hard to tell in the picture, but trust me, I did – even the little “curlies” at the tips of the wings! I stamped the sentiment on another scrap piece, used a Stampin’ Up! Word Window punch to punch through the LI paper, and adhered the sentiment underneath. I hand-doodled around the edges, added eyelets and ribbon, and poof – it was done! (Well, it really wasn’t all that “poof” – it actually took quite a while.)

The finished card measures 3 3/4 inches by 7 1/4 inches. As always, you can click on the image for an enlarged picture.

Thanks for looking, and I hope you’ll come back and visit again soon!

A Grand-baby!

I made this card today for a friend whose daughter just had a baby boy yesterday. I used this week’s sketch challenge, which can be found here. I’m a few days late, but I was on vacation, so what the heck – better late than never! It looked like a fun sketch, and I enjoyed using it.

The background paper is again from Die Cuts With a View Nana’s Nursery – Boys. That paper is so cute. The Girls paper is really sweet, too! The giraffe is stamped with a stamp from imaginisce. All of the other stamps are from a dollar Studio G set that I got at Michael’s. I used Stampin’ Up!’s Very Vanilla cardstock and Versafine Black Onyx ink to stamp the images. I colored them with SU! markers, and matted them on More Mustard and some blue that I got at Archiver’s. I added a couple snaps to the main image.

That’s about all there is to it! Clean and Simple!

Thanks for looking, and I hope you’ll come back and visit again soon!

"Take Joy in the Little Things"

OK – now I’m REALLY back! I guess I missed stamping more than I thought. When I got up this morning, the first thing I did was head down to my stamping area and not the computer. The computer is almost ALWAYS the first thing I do! LOL!

So, here is my card for today. When we were in Door County, Wisconsin, we stopped at Oscar's Door County Rubber Stamps. What a great place – boy does she have stamps! And most of them are made right there – how cool! The stamps all come mounted on wood, but since she makes them there, I asked if it would be possible to get them unmounted. Oscar (yes, Oscar is the owner and a "she") was so awesome. The ones I wanted were not made up yet, so she offered to make them for me to be picked up later that day!! I got a couple of sweet little girls. I was looking at the web site to find the name of the one I used today, but I can’t find it. The other one I got is called “Tracy’s Bouquet.”

I used Memories black dye ink to stamp the image. I used Prismacolor pencils for most of the coloring, and Gamsol and stumps to blend the color. For the flowers, however, I used Stampin’ Up! markers in Summer Sun, Cameo Coral, and Positively Pink. I used Rectangle Nestabilities for cutting out the image and the matting. The hole for the sentiment is made with Long Oval Nestabilities. I cut it out of the Lavender Lace cardstock. I stamped the sentiment (from Verve’s set called Petals and Stems) on a scrap of the background paper (Die Cuts With a View Nana’s Nursery – Boys) and placed it behind the Lavender cardstock, which I had already embossed with the Dotted Swiss embossing folder, then I added a couple lavender brads. The top background is the same DCWV paper as the sentiment.

I mounted the main image and matting on Pop Dots for extra dimension, and added some Certainly Celery grosgrain ribbon with a strip of the DCWV paper on top between the top and bottom.

I think I’ll add a picture of the stamp store, too. It’s very unique and charming!

Thanks for looking, and I hope you’ll come back and visit again soon!

A Blog Award!!

Wow - I got a blog award! Thank you so much, Deb, for bestowing this award upon me. How fun and exciting!

Deb is such an awesome stamper! I met her through a Scor-Pal Yahoo! group. Turns out she lives in the same town I used to, and we graduated a year apart - how cool is that! My husband's family all still live there. Deb has a great blog which you can view here.

I am supposed to nominate seven other bloggers, but since I just got back from vacation, I am rather behind and trying to get caught up. So, I will direct you to the list of "Blogs I Peruse" in the left column of this page. I read those blogs every day. Check them out - you will be impressed!

I started working on a card I am making with a stamp I got on vacation. Hopefully I will get it done today and uploaded.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you'll come back again soon!

Vacation Update and Our Grandson

Well, we are in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin – in Door County. It’s been a wonderful vacation so far. We are staying at the Stone Harbor Resort and Convention Center. We have a deck off of our room with a view of Sturgeon Bay. We haven’t done much here yet, since we just arrived yesterday about 5:00. Today we did our walk and ate breakfast at a little café on our way back. Soon we’re going to go for a drive up the peninsula. Should be beautiful, however there is a chance of rain.

I thought I’d share one of the pictures we got of our new grandson. He should arrive in about three months. This was so awesome to see! We could see him moving around and everything! There is a movie of the whole 3D/4D ultrasound, too. Amazing!! Here is the website, in case you missed it earlier.

This is short and sweet, but I don’t have a lot to say. Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you come back again soon!

This and That

How about another short little post, just for fun!

Our vacation is going well. We took the "scenic route" yesterday. It takes longer, but is so much more relaxing. It's on to Chicago today.

A couple miscellaneous things about my blog. The orchid picture (under the title) was taken by my husband at the Como Park Conservatory in St. Paul, Minnesota. There happened to be an orchid show the last time we were there, so we have lots of pictures of beautiful orchids. If you haven't checked out the "Slide Show" yet - it is of some of the cards I've made in the last few months, so it includes cards that are not on my blog.

Thanks for looking, and I hope you’ll come back and visit again soon!

Vacation!!

Greetings! I just wanted to do a short post to say that we are on vacation for about a week and a half. Nothing spectacular - just getting away for a little while. I might be able to share a post or two along the way, if I think I have something worthwhile to share.

We already visited our parents (they live close, but we just added it to the beginning our trip) and we will start heading down to Chicago today to visit our daughter and son-in-law. As I mentioned in a previous post, our daughter is expecting our first grandchild in early October. She scheduled a 4D Ultrasound and we get to go with them to watch. Here is a link to the site - it looks awesome: 4D Ultrasound. If I can, I will share a picture or two.

After Chicago, we will be heading to Door County, Wisconsin. We'll spend a few days there.

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer so far.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope to see you back again soon!