taking a break...

Hi, Peeps! I hope you and yours are ready to enjoy the holidays.. it's right around the corner! ;)

Just a quick post to say that I have stepped down from my DT position over at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog, and that I need to take a indefinite crafting/blogging hiatus. As life sometimes goes, things are just too hectic and stressful to be able to give anything even remotely 100% right now, so it's time to cut back and focus my attention on what's most important. :)

I can't tell you how much I've always appreciated your supportive comments. I wish you and your family nothing but the best this Christmas, and in 2014! Big hugs!

♥

simon says... make your own background

Hi, friends.. it's Wednesday! And this week's theme over at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog is Make Your Own Background!

So put away that patterned paper, and create your own! :) This week's product focus was stencils.. aaaaalll the rage right now. So here's my card, using a stencil, some ink, and a sponge to create my background:

I used Simon's Exclusive BLOCKED CIRCLES stencil with a couple Distress Inks (FESTIVE BERRIES and TUMBLED GLASS) and slightly shifted the stencil between color applications to get that great pattern. I accented it with a circle stamp from Simon's Exclusive LOTS OF DOTS set. The sentiment is from the Simon Exclusive HAPPY EVERY DAY set as well. I pretty much love how this came out.. it was SO quick to do. Plus, imagine the color combinations you could do with this! What do you think? :)

So now you're up! Link your custom-made background project HERE no later than 8am next Wednesday (the 11th), and you'll be included in the random drawing for a very generous prize voucher to spend at Simon!

And have you heard? Simon Says Stamp just introduced their very own line of inks and card stocks! Super quality, gorgeous colors... head HERE to check 'em out!

That's all from me.. thank you for peekin'. See you soon! :)

simon says... anything goes

That's right, friends! Time for another Wednesday challenge, and time for another chance at a very generous gift voucher to spend at Simon Says Stamp!

This week's theme is Anything Goes.. always popular. :) And the product line we all used was none other than the FAB Tim Holtz/Ranger! If you have Timmy/Ranger products in your stash, we'd love to see you use them along with us, but it's not a requirement.

So here's my card:

I used an image from the PSYCHEDELIC GRUNGE stamp set along with a sentiment from THE JOURNEY clear stamp set. I used BROKEN CHINA for the blue ink as well (the green is THIS one from Hero Arts), and spritzed the inked image with water before stamping to blend the inks together a little more. A Hero Arts NOTECARD, some fussy cutting, and some ENAMEL DOTS, and ta-da! :)

And now it's your turn! Upload your project HERE no later than 8am EDT next Wednesday (the 4th), and you'll be in the drawing for that awesome gift voucher! And head on over HERE to see the rest of the DT projects!

Thanks for reading today... I hope you and your family have an amazing Thanksgiving! See you soon. :)

awesome news - sweet stamp shop

Howdy, peeps! Do I have something to share with you today... I'm in the 'Designer Spotlight' over at Sweet Stamp Shop! :D

My wonderful friend, Judy Marino (who's on the Sweet Stamp Shop DT and whom I've known since the Hero Arts Flickr group first started) emailed me about it one day, and once the shock had worn off, of course I said "yes"! Looking at past spotlight designers, I don't feel I qualify... but I couldn't be more humbled and grateful. ♥ Nicole sent me some of the November releases to play with, and let me tell you, their stamps are So. Much. FUN!

Head on over HERE, to the Sweet Stamp Shop blog to see what stamp sets I used (this trendy alpha is a must, MUST-have). Judy also asked me a few stamping/cardmaking related questions, so you can read that little interview as well. AND, be sure to swing by Judy's blog HERE to see a card she created inspired by one of my recent designs... GORGEOUS  :)

Thanks for sharing in my excitement today! And thank you to Judy and Nicole for this incredible opportunity... I had a blast, and l LOVE your stamps! :) xxoo

simon says... sketch time

Hi, friends! Another Wednesday! :)

The product lines we all used on our creations this week was either Jane's Doodles or Authentique... both FAB companies! If you have either of these product lines in your stash, we'd love to see them used on your entry/ies was well, but it's not a requirement of the challenge. 

The theme this week is a sketch, provided by my amazing teammie, Heather! Isn't it awesome?!

So now, here's my card:

I used the gorgeous PRETTY PEONIES set from Jane's Doodles. The image was stamped on NEENAH SOLAR WHITE, tightly cropped, and the stem colored with Copics YG03 and YG63. Next, I stamped/cut the petals from the patterned paper, and adhered it over the stem with pop dots. Finally, the flower center was stamped on another piece of the white card stock, colored with Copic Y08, and cut/adhered on top of the patterned petals. This sketch calls for a few layers, which can be difficult for me, but I'm quite fond of how this came out! It's all a testament to Heather's amazing design! :)

By the way, Copics are on sale right now over at Simon Says... run! GO! :D

So now it's your turn: upload your project HERE by 8am EDT on the 27th, and you'll be entered into the weekly random drawing for another generous gift voucher to spend at Simon!

And check out what the rest of the team did for this challenge right HERE!

Thank you for stopping by today... see you real soon! xo

simon says... thanks/Thanksgiving

Hi friends!

As usual every Wednesday, the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog has a new challenge for ya!

This week's theme is Thanks/Thanksgiving. And the product line we all used was Hero Arts. If you have Hero Arts in your stash, we'd love to see it used, too! But it's not a requirement.

Here's my card:

I've had this SIMPLE LEAF BACKGROUND for a while now, and love how it looks using the emboss resist technique. After embossing with clear embossing powder on to their SNOW LAYERING PAPER, I generously sponged autumnal-colored inks all over. The sentiment is from Hero's THANKS A BUNCH set and stamped with CUP O' JOE ink. A few of their coordinating gemstones and a bit of corner rounding here-n-there finishes it off. :)

So now it's your turn! Upload your Thanks/Thanksgiving creation HERE before 8am the 20th, and you'll be entered in the random drawing for that amazing gift voucher to spend at Simon Says!

And head over to the challenge blog HERE to see what my amazing teamies did for this challenge as well!

Thanks for reading. I hope you and yours are doing well as we head into the holiday season.. can't believe it's almost the end of the year. Where did it all go?! :)

See you soon.....  ♥

simon says... KISS!

Hi friends! It's Wednesday! :)

Time for a new challenge, and another opportunity to win that amazing $50 gift voucher to spend at Simon Says Stamp! 

This week's theme is Clean & Simple. My fave. ;) And the product line we all worked with was from the FAB Kelly Purkey! If you have any KP Exclusives goodies in your stash, we'd love to see you use them as well! But it's not a challenge requirement.

As for my card:

I used the fun AUTUMN stamp set (the tag image was heat embossed on KRAFT and then fussy cut), along with THIS OCEAN INK from Hero Arts, and a sprinkling of enamel dots. To me, Clean & Simple means minimal layers, strong design, and white space... i luuuuuv the white space. :)

So, link up your Clean & Simple creation HERE, before 8am EDT next Wednesday (11-13-13), and you could be the randomly-drawn winner of that amazing voucher to Simon Says Stamp!

Only five entries per person, and no back-linking, please... only new projects will be accepted. And swing by HERE to see what the rest of the team did for this challenge... as always, simply amazing!

Thanks so much for stopping by... see you soon! :)

simon says... anything goes

Are you ready? :)

This week's theme over at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog is Anything Goes! And the product line we all used was none other than Simon's Exclusives! If you have any Simon Says Stamp goodies in your stash, we'd love it if you showed us, but it's not a requirement of the challenge.

So, on to my card for the week:

I like to stamp sentiments "collage style" and make them the focal point of my design. With clear stamps like these, it's easy to just stick them all over one large acrylic block and stamp all at once! I used words from several different sets here... mostly from the BABY and SO BEAUTIFUL sets, but also from HANDWRITTEN GREETINGS and the THANKS sets as well. Inks are all Hero Arts - SOFT POOL, FRESH PEACH, and CHARCOAL. The card base is Hero Arts, too.

So now you're up! Link your Anything Goes project HERE, by 8am EDT next Wednesday (the 6th), and you'll be entered into the random drawing for an amazing gift voucher to spend at Simon!

Also! Be sure to check out Simon's BRAND NEW BLOG, right HERE!

It's bigger and better than ever! :)

Thanks for reading today.. see you soon... xo

simon says... halloween (or halloween colors)

Back again, with a Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog post! :)

As always, your participation could win you (via random drawing) a very generous gift voucher to spend at Simon Says Stamp!

This week's theme is Halloween/ Halloween Colors (purple, orange, black). Here's a color inspiration board to get the mojo goin'...

..so even if Halloween cards aren't your thing, you can still play along using the colors shown as your inspiration... yay! :)

Here's my card:

I used the Hero Arts SCARY HOUSE cling stamp and heat embossed it on to a glossy paper, gradient background (sponged Dusty Concord, Worn Lipstick, and Spiced Marmalade - the moon was masked). The card base is Simon's WHITE WOODGRAIN CARD STOCK, liberally inked with Hero's Charcoal Mid-Tone ink (direct to paper technique). After using the Charcoal ink, I inked up my brayer with some BLACK INK and lightly rolled it over the paper a few times. The brayer ensures the black ink just sits on "top" of the woodgrain, and not get in the recessed areas.

It really helps emphasize the texture and give it a very weathered look (that center-left photo on the inspiration board is what really inspired this technique)! The sentiment was created using KELLY PURKEY WHITE ALPHA STICKERS, stacking several of each letter so they look like they're pop-dotted.

Now it's your turn! Upload your Halloween/Color Challenge project HERE, no later than 8am EDT next Wednesday (the 30th), and you'll be entered into the drawing for that amazing gift voucher!

And please go HERE to see the incredible projects created by the rest of my fab teamies, including our newest addition, Emily Leiphart! :)

Thanks for reading.. later, 'gators! xo

guess what? :)

Hi, guys! Just a quick post to let you know a card of mine was featured over at Paper Crafter's Library for their "Trendy Tuesday" article today! This week, the theme is cityscapes... can you guess which card of mine they included in the article? ;)

Head HERE to find out, and see some AMAZING cityscape cards from other crafters/stampers as well!

Thanks for reading... more soon! :)