It's BLOG HOP Time! Let the Summer Begin!

Want to win some Blog Candy?!?! Make sure you read the entire post to find out how;)



Make sure you scroll down to see both posts for the STAMPTACULAR SUNDAY CHALLENGE

Welcome to my blog today. If you arrived from Paula's blog you are on the right track. If not, please head back over to check out Paula's creations and leave her a little love. We have some summer inspiration and fun challenges along the way with PRIZES. How does that sound?!

First let me tell you some of the things my family enjoys doing over the summer. I'd love to hear what you like to do too!

We love to go camping every year with my ENTIRE family for a week. It is a great week full of love and laughs as we catch up with family from all over the US.







We love to spend time at our local pool or any lake we can find and go swimming. My kids become fish while I get to indulge in some long awaited reading.



We also love to head out for ice cream. My favorite is the Coffee Lover's special from Cold Stone Creamery. Yummo! My kids' palates are finally surpassing the "Superman" ice cream flavor...blek! We really just love spending time together relaxing. I can't wait for the "official" summer break:)



I have a SPECIAL CHALLENGE for you with some BLOG CANDY if you complete this challenge today. (If you can't play today then I will have some separate blog candy that I will post tomorrow so you have a chance to play too)

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:

Do you ever think about why you love making cards and gifts? I love giving people something that I hope will make them smile. Is this why you love to make cards? Well then this is a great challenge for you. Please go to the website MAKE A CHILD SMILE . Please choose a child that you would like to make a card for and send the link for your finished project to Priscilla at misscill@yahoo.com BY MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. Make sure you don't forget to send the card to that child, ok? Please read THIS SECTION, especially the Do's and Don't part before making your card. All cards need to be cheery and fun!

I know sometimes because of time restraints you can't finish your card in one day. SOOOO, I will be posting the same challenge tomorrow with some different blog candy that you could win. The details will be posted tomorrow for that. You can participate in both by making 2 cards...one for today and one for tomorrow. Let's fill these kids' mailboxes with some smiles, ok!

Now head on over to Line's Blog to see what she has to show you:) Have fun!

Something Old, Something New.....

....that's the challenge today on the Stamptacular Sunday Challenge. This was a great challenge. I took my inspiration colors from an invitation we received in the mail a few weeks ago. I have had the idea to try "making my own cake," so to speak, for a while now. This was the perfect opportunity.

Here are a few specifics about this card. The card is made by layering 3 different strips of white cardstock. Mine measured from the bottom to top: 3 3/4" x 1 7/8", 3 1/8" X 1 7/8" and
2 1/2" X 1 7/8". I rounded the top corners of each layer and then stamped. I always do a "dry run" when placing my layers before adding adhesive. Those little flowers were created using directions HERE. This is such a cool way of using up scraps.

Hope you can join in on this great challenge. Check out the DT's great creations and join us for a BLOG HOP TOO! It's sure to be fun!

Basic Recipe:
Stamps: Baroque Motifs, Fancy Flexible Phrases
Ink: Versamark, Versafine Black
Paper: Baja Breeze, Basic Black, Whisper White
Other: Birds and Swirl EF, Cuttlebug, Iridescent Ice EP, Embossing Buddy, Chipboard heart, white paint, Shimmerz, MS Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds, Pearls

Blog Hop Tomorrow!

I had really hoped to have a card to show you today along with this announcement. I guess my Mojo has taken a vacation though. I've got NADA as far as anything papercrafty. I DO have a big announcement.

Tomorrow Stamptacular Sunday Challenge will be hosting it's first BLOG HOP. So what do you have to do? Just check out the Stamptacular Blog tomorrow morning and it will direct you to all the fun.

We will have a few giveaways and challenges in addition to our regular challenge. You will collect some inspiration along the way. Hope you can join us for some fun.


I'm off to see the movie UP with my family. Maybe my creativity will kick in from all the Disney inspiration. See you tomorrow:)

A Challenge and a Bit of Family Bragging

I am so excited that I got to participate in another Raspberry Suite Challenge! Look at those beautiful peonies. I had to bring in a few of my own last night. They smell amazing too!

I've been using that little butterfly from Essence of Love a lot lately. It just works perfectly to add a final touch. It was embossed with Iridescent Ice EP and I added Taylor's Twinkles for some bling. I also added those twinkles on the ends of my white embossed sentiment. The colors I chose are SU's Always Artichoke and Pink Passion. I had a hard time getting the Moss color to fit with my layout. I was only able to add it with the flower button. I used the set Because of You by Verve again too. It is such a beautiful stamp set.

Stamps: Essence of Love, Heard from the Heart, Because of You
Ink: Always Artichoke, Pink Passion, Versamark
Paper: White, Kraft, DCWV text green
Other: White and Iridescent Ice EP, scalloped edge punch, ribbon, button, fibers, Taylor's twinkles, stickles,


Ok, now for my bragging! My mom called yesterday morning to tell me that my brother is in the June issue of REDBOOK magazine! He is on page 131 in the featured article about Giada. My brother dates her sister and he had told me they were doing a photo shoot. He didn't think he'd be in the magazine. It was just for fun he said. Well, he made it in. He and Eloisa are really laughing in the picture and that is the true essence of my brother...always laughing. I'm sure to him it isn't that big of a deal, but we think it's pretty cool! My son can't wait to take that in for Show and Tell:) So, go check it out ok. I'm am so making those shrimp cocktail and lemon cookies too. Yummo! Oh wait, isn't that something that Rachel Ray says? Oh well, my husband will just be happy I'm cooking.

Have a great day!

Flower Filled Day!

Happy Tuesday Afternoon. Hope you all had a wonderful, long weekend. I am happy to say that my week is starting off with a little time to stamp. I made this card using some digital paper that I downloaded here. You can check out their sale link and find several really inexpensive mini kits for $1. I absolutely fell in love with this sky paper and the flowers. It has a very vintage feel. This is for a sketch on Julee's blog to qualify for Guest Designer status for the June release of Verve Stamps. I used my favorite set of Julee's called Because of You. It is just so pretty and it's on sale right now. The sentiment is from one of her Plain Janes though.

Stamps: Because of You, plain jane (Verve)
Ink: Soft Sky, Close to Cocoa
Paper: Digital, Vanilla
Other: Sponge, Janome Sew Mini, Ribbon ( HL), buttons (the Paper Studio), twine

Well, I'm off to finish some laundry and try to get one more project going before I get the kids.
Thanks for checking in today:)

Picnic Basket Tutorial and Happy Memorial Day

Thanks for checking back for the tutorial on how I made my picnic basket. Now the original idea was not mine. I found it on Splitcoast under the New Technique Challenge. It was called a Round Top Box and you can find the original template for it on THIS LINK.

Later I saw Julie Buhler make two of these boxes and put them together in this really cute project HERE. I decided to take this a little further to create the picnic basket.

Here is what you will need:

2 8 1/2 x 11 pieces Choc Chip card stock

2 3 x 3 3/8" pieces of Riding Hood Red Cardstock

2 2 1/4 x 3 3/8" pieces of RHR cardstock

1 2 x 12 piece Bella Rose DP Sticky Tape...oops that's Dora speaking. I mean Sticky Strip:) THIS IS A MUST!

Scalloped Edge Punch

Corner Rounder

Crimper

Do each step twice since we are making 2 boxes and then adhering them together.

YOU CAN CLICK ON ANY PICTURE TO SEE IT UP CLOSE

This is what the basic components of each box look like (except for the inside of the lid) Let me show you how we get to this point.

Step 1

Print out Template on Chocolate Chip Cardstock and cut out. (Remember to do two) I altered my template at the top because it was too tall for my liking. So I just cut the rounded top down a bit. May sure that both boxes are the same though.

Step 2

At this point you can stamp your box and then make sure you score each line and assemble.

I also cut a small piece of chocolate chip cardstock to place inside my box on the bottom once it was assembled because I knew my cherries would be heavy. I think the piece was about 3 x 1 5/8" give or take.
I recommend doing this to help keep that bottom section intact.

This is what you need to create the "lid" or flaps.

Step 3

Using the Scalloped Edge punch, punch the Bella Rose Dp on both sides. You could use another punch too. Play around a bit:)



Step 4

Cut down the center to create 2 strips. THIS STEP DOES NOT NEED TO BE REPEATED TWICE




Step 5

Using a crimper, crimp both scalloped sections. This is not a step that I recommend skipping or you will have problems later in creating your ruffled edge.




Step 6

Take the 3 x 3 3/8 piece of RHR cardstock and score in 3/4" on the 3" side. This is the section that will get adhered to your box to create the flaps.




Step 7

Next round the outer corners and snip in about 1/8" on each side of the scored end. The amount you snip may need to be adjusted in order to fit in your box. I also ran mine through my cuttlebug for some texture.



Steps 8 and 9

Line the edge of the lid with the sticky tape and begin to wrap your Designer Paper around.. Try to make sure it is even on the outside.




You should end up with very little DP left over when you reach the other side. Make sure to overlap just a bit to make it look ruffled. This is a technique I learned from Jan Tink HERE.
( this picture does not show the tape because I forgot to take a picture originally. You need the tape silly)



Step 10

It should look like this when you are done. That piece at the top is the inside of the lid to hide the rough edges. Adhere that with glue and sticky strip.


Almost done......


Step 11

Put some sticky strip on the back side of the scored flap and insert into the box. This is where you may have to snip a bit off if it doesn't fit. DO A TEST RUN BEFORE REMOVING THE RED FILM FROM THE TAPE:)





Here is a picture of the inside:




You will see that I have these red half circles on the edge. Well, after full assembly I couldn't get those flaps to lay flat. I realized they needed something to temporarily hold them in place. I punched out a 3/4" circle and folded it in half. I then glued in it place and used my 2 way glue pen to add some glue on top of the half circle and let it dry. This allows it to be sticky, but not glue it completely shut. This works. However, I am going to invest in the little magnetic snaps by Basic Gray. I think this project is something that people will hold onto and reuse. So, to me, it's worth the investment.

FINAL STEP

Punch a handle if you like using a Large Oval Punch for each box and adhere boxes together with the Sticky Strip. Decorate to your liking:)

I hope you enjoyed this VERY LONG tuorial. Let me know how I could improve. I'm not very experienced with doing tutorials so any tips would be great. My picture quality will probably never improve since I'm in a basement with fluorescent lights though.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a blessed day!

Hey Boo Boo...we need a Picinic Basket for our CHOCOLATE:)

Did you love to watch Yogi Bear when you were a little girl? I did. It was my favorite show. When I decided to make this picnic basket I immediately thought of Yogi Bear. I think a PICINIC basket filled with chocolate covered cherries is the ultimate in summer fun. That's right... FOR THE LOVE OF CHOCOLATE is the challenge today at Stamptacular's Sunday Challenge. You can use it anyway you want. I used it several ways First, I used a stamp set called Sweet Chocolate by My Cute Stamps. Second, I used both Choc Chip ink and paper. Third, I filled my basket with homemade chocolate covered cherries. You can find the recipe for these fabulous things HERE

PLEASE NOTE THAT I WILL BE POSTING A TUTORIAL ON HOW I MADE THIS BASKET ON MONDAY. PLEASE CHECK BACK:)

Here is a what the basket looks like on the front and back. My chocolate covered cherries (not the real ones;) have been stamped twice, cut out and popped up with dimensionals. I also coated the chocolate part with Crystal Effects.



Here is the inside with the cherries nestled inside some parchment paper. So, who am I giving this too? It will probably never go farther than my kitchen. My family is taking care of eating the cherries and my daughter has asked for the basket. How can I refuse:)?

Make sure you check out all the other really awesome things my fellow design team members made. Such a fun challenge. I hope you can play this week. Our sponsor this week is Die Cut Dreams. Check out the fun things on their website HERE.

Don't forget to check in tomorrow for a complete tutorial on making your own picnic basket.

Basic Recipe:
Stamps:Sweet Chocolate
Ink: Choc Chip, Garden Green, RHR and Real Red
Paper: Bella Rose (SU DP), Pink Pirouette, RHR
Other: Sticky Strip, Crimper, Scalloped Edge Punch, nesties, RHR taffetta Ribbon, dollar spot flowers, bold bright brads, crystal effects, walmart satin pink ribbon. paper piercer, embossing folder. dimensionals

Citrus Fun!

Ok...so my card isn't very "citrus-y",but I used the colors offered up for the Moxie Fab challenge this week. I LOVED the inspiration photo...so beautiful. Go have a try at this fun color challenge. It's always amazing to me the process my cards go through to get to COMPLETION. Sometimes it's exhausting really. This is not at all how I envisioned this card. I'm very happy with how it turned out though. I was really just happy to be able to spend yesterday stamping. AAHHHHH! My therapy:)

Today is a beautiful day and this card reminds me of how much I love spring and summer. So many beautiful flowers sprouting up everywhere. This image is from a Stamptacular Sunday Challenge posted HERE. A big thanks to Sketching Stamper for the image. I love experimenting with the digital stuff. I still have a ton of learning to do with it. It's just fun to use a different medium and have it stored in my computer and not on my overstuffed shelves. I have several more things I hope to work on and share using digital paper that I got for really CHEAP:) So...stay tuned for that.



Several things to note on this card. I used some embossed paper by DCWV called, oddly enough, Green Embossed Dots. I added stickles to my image for some sparkle and embossed the butterflies from Essence of Love with Iridescent Ice. The added sparkle is Tiny Twinkles from Taylored Expressions. LOVE THOSE! I also added some pearl details to the scallop at the bottom. My ribbon at the top has the added feature of a Hodge Podge kit element with a glued half pearl from the Pretties Kit (all SU). On a whim I decided to add some SU rub ons along the top. My image is colored with the Gamsol Magic technique.

Here are the details:
Stamps: Tulip Bowl digital stamp, Essence of Love, All About You (verve)
Ink: River Rock, Versamark Paper: Barely Banana, White, DCVW
Other: Labels 4 nesties, Curly Label Punch, Tiny Twinkles, Kaiser Pearls, MS punch, Hodgepodge kit, Pretties Kit, Stardust Stickles, SU retired rub ons, primsacolor pencils, baby oil


I also wanted to let you know that the challenge for Sunday's STAMPTACULAR SUNDAY CHALLENGE is AWESOME! I can't wait for you to see my project and ALL the DT member's stuff. What an amazing amount of talent. So make sure you check in this weekend. I'm tellin' ya, you won't be disappointed. I will also have a tutorial on Monday to go with my project. So make sure you check your computer a few times this weekend while you are out celebrating, ok?:)

Last thing I wanted to share...my BEAUTIFUL daughter. She was Shirley Temple in a play on Monday and she did a fabulous job. It was her last acting class and now she can go on to audition for some plays. Very exciting. Here is a picture of her and some of the props. Yeah, that scary "dummy" is hers. Freaks the whole family out, but she has fun with it. Her play was called "Pinocchio in Equal Opportunity Land." A revised version where Gepetto must choose between a boy and a girl. It was so cute!



Have a fabulous weekend!

Raspberry Suite Wednesday

This is my first try at Dawn's Color Challenge. I have worked a few minutes here and there to finish this card. It didn't turn out at all like I thought. Still it was fun. I used SU's Regal Rose and Soft Sky for my colors. I found that fun pom pom trim at Joann's on clearance. I also stitched some grosrain ribbon in a wonky way:)

I really have not slowed down this week. It's just too crazy here. Gotta go get ready for the next thing on my list this am. I have lots to share about my week, but no time to do it. Tomorrow I think I have a day off and can actually stamp. I have deadlines to meet. So not matter what I will be stamping. Hopefully I will have something I can share too. Have a goodie!

Stamps: My Cute Stamps, Bundle of Bouquets (MFT)
Ink: Tempt. Turq., Rose Romance, Pixie Pink, Soft Sky, Creamy caramel, Memento Brown, Choc Chip
Paper: Soft Sky, Regal Rose, White,
Other: cuttlebug, swiss dots EF, Scalloped Oval punch, oval punch, trim, ribbon, Janome Sew Mini, stickles, Aqua Painter, Inkssential white gel pen, scallop edge punch

Pink, Brown and Green Day!

That's the challenge today over at Stamptacular Sunday Challenge. Our sponsor this week is our own design team member Donna. She has some really cool printable papers that I used on my card today. You can purchase her CD HERE. I had so much fun with them. These were printed on an inexpensive matte photo paper. It has been fun to experiment with printing on different types of paper. Stamping on matte photo paper makes your ink look a little dry. I kind of liked the look for this card so I just went with it. I used a set from My Favorite Things called Build a Bouquet. I love the shabby chic feel of this card. I have some of my OWN favorite things all on one card....that chocolate ric ric, the new grommets from SU, faux stitching, and shimmerz on the petals.

I hope you get a chance to play over the next week so that you have a chance to win some papers. Check out the design team's creations located on the side of my blog.

Here is the recipe:
Stamps: Build a Bouquet, Bundle of Bouquets (MFT)
Paper: Bearly Mine printed on Printworks Matte Photo, White, Close to Cocoa
Ink: Cert Celery, Choc Chip, Pixie Pink Craft, Sahara sand
Other:Paper Piercer, Soft Subtles brads, dimensionals, Grommet (SU), MS lace doily punch, Close to Cocoa marker, Shimmerz, Ribbon from Joann's and Walmart

Hope you have a fabulous Sunday!

Mojo 86

Today is my mom's birthday. This was a card I put together for her. It didn't quite turn out the way I envisioned, but I still like it. Again, it's one of those cards that I think looks better IRL. I found that really cool background paper on clearance at Joann's. It's called Corduroy by Sandylion. That was the foundation for this card. I made this using the Mojo Monday Sketch. However, I realized that I missed a layer. Oops:) I created the panels behind the flowers with the Nesties Label 4. I love that die! I stamped the background from Wishful Elegance in River Rock and then sponged with distress ink, choc chip and cameo coral. That's the part that I'm not so sure I love on this card. I think vanilla scalloped circles would have been better. But, no time to change it. I also added Shimmerz to the flowers. Everything else is pretty self explanatory.

Here's the recipe:
Stamps: Wishful Elegance (verve), Fancy Flexible Phrases (retired SU)
Ink: Choc chip craft, Choc Chip, River Rock, Tim Holtz distress ink, Cameo Coral
Paper: Sandylion Corduroy, River Rock, Vanilla,
Other: Cuttlebug, Nesties Labels 4, clear EP, Aqua Painter, Shimmerz, Vanilla taffetta ribbon, heart brads (MM), dimensionals, Lace punch (MS), Decorative brads( Spare Parts)

I'm off to make chocolate cake with homemade peanut butter frosting. Is there anything better. Then I'm going to do some Pilates...all this cake is not doing anything good for my derriere.

Happy Stamping!

Hugs and Kisses....Love You

Again, a quick post. I am extremely busy with volunteer work and have less and less time to stamp. Fortunately I was able to finish this card this morning before the kids got up. My posting will be very sporadic over the next few weeks. We have a giant fundraiser this weekend to get through. I hope to have more crafting time next week. Cross your finger for me ok?

This is for a sketch by Card Positioning Systems. They have some cute samples to spark your imagination. Also a cool giveaway. The sketch was really fun! I used some free downloadable paper by The Hybrid Chick. I am slowly venturing into the digital paper. Still figuring out the most frugal way of doing this;) I am also trying to figure out my new Janome Sew Mini. I keep thinking I may send it back. It doesn't have a light source and it isn't the smoothest with stitching. Therefore, I have very crooked stitches. But, it may be something that I keep and then pass on to my daughter to use as she starts to sew....thinking out loud...sorry. Moving on!

Here are the deets:

Stamps: Short and Sweet SU
Ink: Cranberry Crisp
Paper:Free Paper Pack (Hybrid Chick), Whisper White
Other: Janome Sew Mini, white ric rac, Making Memories Epoxy Stickers, Sizzlet Tag (SU), Ribbons (pink organdy, pink gingham, walmart satin, white taffetta), distress tool

Here are the pictures of our camping weekend. We had fun, but it was cold. Our campsite was tucked back in the woods and it was pretty shaded and chilly. Our fire pit had about 3 inches of water that we had to try and drain. Then we ordered wood from the campgrounds and it arrived wet. So, no fire the first night. My mission was to get that fire going the next day because our dinner was to be cooked over the open fire. I personally have never seen wood steam water out of the top and drip or heard it sizzle, but this wood did all of that. We had a lot of smoke and eventually a fire. Dinner was fabulous.

We spent most of Saturday fishing.

This is the look I got for leaving the worms back at the campsite:)

The kids learn to take their fish off the hook by themselves

Look at that concentration.

Both kids caught quite a few fish. My daughter even got one without a worm on her hook. She had a lucky day! Thanks for sharing in my family fun!

Stamptacular Sunday Sketch

The challenge this week over at Stamptacular Sunday Challenge is a sketch. I love sketches. So much of the thinking is done for you. I have altered it just a bit. My image was so big that I couldn't put a sentiment at the top. I was so happy to finally use my hodgepodge hardware too. I used a combination of prismacolor pencils, baby oil, blender pens and ink for my coloring. I also added some crystal stickles to those flowers. They just needed something.

Please check out all the Design Team blogs to see how one sketch can produce so many different cards. That's so fun to see. Leave them a little love on their blogs too. You can find them on the left sidebar of my blog.

I'll be checking in this week to see all the creations you guys come up with. Oh Yeah! I'm the sponsor this week. So good luck on winning some free stuff:).

As you read this I am returning from our first camping trip of the year. I may have pictures to show.

Basic Recipe:
Stamps: Echoes of Kindness, It's Your Birthday SU
Paper: Groovy Guava, Choc Chip, Vanilla, K&C Co.
Ink: Choc Chip, Groovy Guava, TH Distress ink
Other: Kaiser Mocha Pearls, SU Vanilla Hodgepodge, MS punch, Ribbon (michaels), blender pen, stickles, prismacolor pencils, baby oil