Featured Stamper Rachel!!

My fearless leader, Rachel Hope, was the Featured Stamper last Sunday on Splitcoaststampers and the idea is to case one of the cards from her gallery, so I chose this one and used another The Greeting Farm stamp - Snuggle Stamp.

My card uses the Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses for my designer paper, and I use it a lot and LOVE it!



I also used The Greeting Farm sentiment from Keep Cozy and stamped it in Memento Tuxedo Black on a Spellbinders Ribbon tags trio die.

These white Zva flowers are so gorgeous!! and I love to use them, so I adhered one to the edge of the tag die and tied a bow with the Papertrey Ink ribbon.

Not feeling the greatest and I hope I am not coming down with the stupid virus - don't even want to say it.....

Hearts a Plenty....

Just playing with my Waltzingmouse Stamps again......just luvin' em......*sigh.....

The hearts from this stamp set, Seasons of Love, coordinate with the Spellbinders Hearts and Scalloped Hearts dies, along with the Spellbinder Star dies -how perfect!



I will be selling these tags at our church's craft bazaar in November - which is coming up too fast... eek!

With all the farming and harvesting it is getting increasing difficult to find time to craft.......*pulling hair out.....*grumble grumble.......I do believe that stamping is so much more important than silly old farm work.....I mean really!

Off I go...... out to the wild blue yonder.........o'er fields and plains......







Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Paper: Papertrey Ink, Prism Ink: Papertrey Ink, Versacolor Accessories: Spellbinder Hearts and Hearts scallops, Spellbinders Ovals, Zva Creative flowers, twine, Papertrey Ink buttons, glue dots

and the winner is.......!

Hey everyone! So sorry my winner announcement is late - we are in farming season (isn't every season??!) and some things (blogging, stamping - anything fun) have to take a back seat while I am the "go to" girl!

Go to Home Hardware, go to the bank, go to the mill, go to the field -haha....but I wouldn't change a thing.....

Okay - on with the show

The winner of the blog candy is....... JOLENE!!! Which is kind of weird because I think I may know her, if it is the same Jolene that I know - make much sense??

Could you e-mail me with your address Jolene, and I will send out your goodies PRONTO!!

Thank you so much everyone for coming to my blog - I LOVE blogging and love creating so even if you didn't visit I would still do it - but don't stop....hehe.....

Papertrey Ink October Blog Hop!

Hello and welcome to another Papertrey Ink Blog Hop and I LUV 'em!! This is the time of the month where we are inspired by other Papertrey Ink enthusiasts creations and we jump around to everyone's blog and see what we like and like what we see!

This month's theme was to "show us your best upcoming holiday plans for cards, gifts, wraps or whatever else you have up your sleeve!"

Well, I did use all Papertrey Ink cardstock and ink and some of the stamps and I did sneak in some Waltzingmouse Stamps as well, because I LOVE them so much and they go wonderfully well for Christmas!




Okay, so I made a little notebook with the new Take Note stamp set from Papertrey Ink, plus a matching Christmas card..........the designer paper is My Mind's Eye "Merry Days of Christmas" kit - a beautiful old fashioned paper which is very vintage-y and lovely......

Thanks for coming around and just a note that blogger is giving me fits so hopefully this works today.....ugh....

Oh and another shameless plug to enter my 100,000 hits blog candy if you would like some yummy stuff! You can find it in this post and I will be drawing in later tonight or tomorrow morning.....





Stamps: Take Note, Background Basics Text Style, Polka Dot Basics II (Papertrey Ink); Very Vintage Labels No.4, Very Vintage Christmas Stamp Set (Waltzingmouse Stamps) Cardstock: Papertrey Ink, My Mind's Eye Ink: Papertrey Ink Accessories: Spellbinders labels No. 4, Marvy Snowflake Punch, Papertrey Ink button, Stamping UP scallop punch, Cosmo Cricket ribbon

Cupcake Inspiration Challenge #30

Don't forget to enter my 100,000 hits blog candy in this post here! You can win some Basic Grey and Cosmo Cricket and more things as I find them in my scraproom - yes I am sadly disorganized - bad for me - good for you!!

Good Sunday morning to you and since it is Sunday that means another day of inspiration from a delici-o-so cupcake photo...... YUMMY!




Please play along with us by being inspired by our photo and make what every you want - you don't even have to use cupcake stamps!! - although this week I was kind of stumped and almost went the cupcake route!! When in doubt - use a cupcake - you can't go wrong!





After MUCH consideration, ie - asking everyone what they were using - I decided to use the Basic Grey Junebug paper since it has all these beautiful colours in it and make a notepad!

On the kraft paper I stamped the grid stamp from Off Beat Backgroundbackgrounds from Waltzingmouse Stamps in Vintage Cream ink, just to make a subtle background image.



Then I glued two of the June Bug designer papers on top. A few of the June Bug pages have some beautiful patterns that are pretty easy to cut around so I decided to go that route and trimmed around some of the flowers with my Cutterbee scissors and using my Tombow glue, glued the design on top of the designer paper.

Of course I used Papertrey Ink's Take Note stamp set for the sentiment and cut it out with the Spellbinders circle nestabilities and then trimmed it with Basic Grey June Bug buttons.

These little notepads are so simple to made and the 6 x 6 designer paper pads are all co-ordinated that it is pretty easy to make up a few note pads with a 6 x 6 Basic Grey pad!!

Thank you for the 100,000 hits!!

ETA: This contest is now closed! Please see this post to check out the winner!


This blog candy post is staying at the top of my blog until Monday morning!!

Good day everyone and I am so glad you stopped in today because I have some blog candy to share!! woohoo!!

I am celebrating 100,000 hits and thanking you for letting it happen!



I am giving away:

- a Papertrey Ink Everyday Classics stamp set - this is the 2009 anniversary set that is not available in the store so of course you want it!! - I had an extra one - who would have even thought it!!?!

- a 6 x 6 paper pack of Basic Grey Eskimos kisses

- a 6 x 6 paper pack of Cosmo Cricket Nutmeg

- a CC Designs Sugarplums Apple Emma rubber stamp

and knowing me I will probably find some other "stuff" along the way to send with this package!

So join in by leaving a comment on this post by Sunday October 25th when I will draw a name - somehow or other - don't forget to check back to see if you won!!

Wedding Ruffles!

I made this card this morning, as soon as I received my new Papertrey Ink order, for the Moxie Fab World Challenge - Not Your Regular Ruffles!

I saw the ruffle technique on Dawn McVey's blog (which I can't find now) and wanted to try it and this is the result, which I think turned out quite nice.



I stamped Damask Designs on vellum cardstock with Brilliance black ink, and when it was still damp I sprinkled on some clear glitter! Then I made my ruffles midway with True Black satin ribbon.

The Giga Guide Lines sentiment was used at the top of the card and then I tied more satin ribbon around the top of the damask, added a Fresh Snow satin ribbon bow and a Zva Creative rose to finish it off!

Please remember to enter my blog candy celebrating my 100,000 hits!

'Tis the Season.......

Nichole Heady has such a wonderful blog - not to mention stamps - and I am so hooked! I saw this post of Nichole's and immediately took a real liking to the fourth card down. I knew it would be a sweet card to mass produce.

Nichole had also shown us how to make our cards economical, leaving the possibilities open to adding a few embellishments here and there, which is what I did in my card today.

I punched a snowflake out of Basic Grey's Eskimo Kisses since the colours co-ordinate so well with Papertrey Ink Hibiscus Burst and added a big ol' Zva Creative crystal to the middle. I coloured the crystal first with my RV17 copic marker so that it would match. It was a light pink and I wanted it a closer colour to the paper and ink.




I also added some Zva Creative Double Flourishes, which I always trim down to my satisfaction, and it's all about being satisfied (or thrilled!) with your creation!

The top of the stocking and the tips of the snowflake are covered with Stickles Icicle Glitter just to jazz it up a titch........

Thanks for coming around today......I am so busy having fun making cards for our craft sale and I hardly have time to post anything!

I feel very bad about it, soooooo, since I hit 100,000 hits yesterday (woohoo!), I am going to be offering up some blog candy in my next post, so be sure to stop around and leave a comment and maybe you will win!

Stamps: Papertrey Ink Paper: Papertrey Ink Hibiscus Burst, Rustic Cream, Dark Chocolate, Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses Ink: Papertrey Ink Dark Chocolate, Hibiscus Burst Accessories: Zva Creative Double Flourishes, Martha Stewart Cornice Punch, Stickles glitter glue, Zva Creative Crystals, pop dots

Little Paper Shop Monday, Silent Night....

Well, good Monday morning to you and I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! I went to a craft sale in Grand Bend - buying not selling - and also went away for a couple of days to BenMiller Inn - a gorgeous retreat with the most awesomest food - I don't think I will ever eat again......haha!

I actually have pictures that I will share later this week.

It's another Little Paper Shop sketch challenge which you can enter and win!

This week if you enter and leave a comment on the Little Paper Shop blog with the link to your card, you will be entered into a draw to win {Merry and Bright}!

Check out the Little Paper Shop blog for the great sketch!



I used a ton of Zva Creative crystals on this card and I LOVe it! Lots of colour and fun - I stamped Katie Caroller with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and then coloured her with copics.

I also made my decorative embellishments (which I am peeved because you can't even tell how pretty they are!).

I punched out different sized circles from chipboard and Eskimo Kisses designer paper and and my Marvy punches and then glued them together. I punched two little holes in the circles so that they looked like buttons and with my crystal lacquer, I added a gorgeous shiny coating to them.

I also punched out some snowflakes and then added the "buttons" to them and real buttons and BLING!!! Love all the glittery fun!

Stamps: Little Paper Shop - Katie Caroler Paper: Papertrey Ink Hibiscus Burst, Stampers Select White, Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black Accessories: Marvy Snowflake punches, Marvy Circle punches, Zva Creative Crystals, Papertrey Ink buttons, Crystal Lacquer, pop dots

Cupcake Inspiration Challenge #29

Well, good Sunday morning to you and welcome to another Cupcake Inspiration Challenge! Everyone is invited to play along in the challenge and if you do, be sure to link your creation to Mr. Linky on the Hope Stamps Eternal blog.

Every week, Rachel picks the top 5 links and highlights them on the blog!! If you upload to SCS or PCP, be sure to use this week's keyword: CIC29.

Here is this week's cupcake picture - oh my aren't those witches just the cutest?? And since they are so cute, I had to use The Greeting Farm's Megan because she is so cute too!



I thought that Cosmo Cricket's Earth Love was the closest designer paper to those colours that I owned, so I cut some up, sewed it together and adhered it to my card base.



I stamped Megan with Memento Tuxedo Black ink, which is such a great ink to use when colouring with copics, which I did and NO smearing yay!! and then I used a sentiment from a My Favorite Things stamp set that I picked up in July (so long ago and so warm ago....) at the Craft and Hobby Supershow, although the set may be discontinued because I can't find it on the MFT site anywhere.....but I can just picture this little sassy girlie saying just that!!

I added a little punched border to the Earth Love paper with my Apron Lace punch and then sewed it onto the rest of the designer paper.

Thanks for coming around to the Cupcake Inspiration Challenge and why don't you take a peek at the other Sweeties' cards and how they were inspired by the sweet little witches!!

Carolina - Carolina's Creative Pad
Rachel - Hope Stamps Eternal
Colleen - Glitter Ink
Michelle - Stop and Stamp the roses
Tammy - Stamp Happy
Natalie - dougnat diaries
Jessica - Shamrocks and Seashells
Kelli - Yard Sale Kind of Luck

Seasons of Love

I LOVE this stamp set of Claire Brennan's from Waltzingmouse Stamps! It is called "Seasons of Love" and not only is it beautifully vintage-y but it is also nestability friendly. The heart image fits the Spellbinders second largest heart die perfectly!

On the inside of the heart, as you can see, there is a space large enough to fit one of the many sentiments that are included in this set. The sentiments are for every season - Valentine's, Christmas, just even every day.



On the right side of the card I stamped one of the background stamps from Offbeat Backgrounds in Ripe Avocado ink, and then stamped the snowflake image from Seasons of Love in Versamark and embossed it with clear embossing powder.

I added a few little pearls for show (and because I love them!), tilted the heart on it's side and popped it up onto the Spring Moss card base........ta da!

Oh yes, my refrigerator greeted me this morning with a HUGE puddle on the floor - ew....and yuck......Do you know what is behind a refrigerator that hasn't been moved for 10 years? Me neither - indescribably yuck.

When the repair man came I heard him mumble something about moving the refrigerator once in awhile. I chose to listen and nod - but my eyes kind of glazed over. I just want things to work......is that so wrong? LOL!

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps Cardstock: Papertrey Ink Ink: Gina K Designs Vivid Dye Ink, Papertrey Ink, Accessories: Spellbinders hearts nestabilities, Basic Grey Pearls, clear embossing powder, Versamark, Papertrey Ink ribbon and button, twine

Holiday Wishes.........

Well, I am absolutely stuffed from our wonderful Thanksgiving weekend! We took the easy route on Saturday night and went out to a wonderful restaurant with Ron's 2 brothers, their wives and his mom and her friend Frank. His other brother and his wife are out west visiting their son and there was a hole there for sure.




None of the nieces or nephews or grand kids were included this time, much to the dismay of some, but it made for a cozy gathering where we could actually visit with the old grown-ups lol! We LOVE having the whole family together but sometimes the brothers just want their mom to themselves for a good ol' visit!!



My mom had us for a wonderful Thanksgiving meal yesterday with her fabulous baked ham topped with rum and raisin sauce (oh my!) squash and of course the annual pumpkin squares, cherry pie and chocolate cookies.

Mom and I were able to escape for a refreshing after dinner (and MUCH needed) walk around the golf course, dodging the sand traps and water hazards and just having a fabulously fast paced, leg stretching visit.... Wonderful weekend!

I have a small menagerie of holiday cards for you using Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses with Papertrey Ink Tree Trimming Trio, Signature Christmas and Stocking Prints - all using the same layout, but just switching up the papers and sentiments.

I just love how this paper matches up perfectly with Aqua Mist, Scarlet Jewel, Spring Moss, Ripe Avocado, Raspberry Fizz and Hibiscus Burst ......ALL those beautiful colours together make for gorgeous Christmas creations!!

You can see in the last photo with the multiple cards that some have the sentiment stamped on the side and some have the sentiment on the Spellbinders Tags Trio. That is because I muffed up a couple of the sentiments when I stamped them so I just stamped a tag and glued it over top of the mistake error -spot. I LOVE cardmaking!!!

Oh Christmas Tree.......

Well, good morning and Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian counterparts! I hope you had so much turkey that you can't think straight this morning because that means you have alot to be thankful for and you are blessed, as am I!

It's Monday and that means another Little Paper Shop challenge which you can enter and win!

This week we have a sketch challenge and if you enter and leave a comment on the Little Paper Shop blog with the link to your card, you will be entered into a draw to win {Merry and Bright}!



Here is this week's sketch, LPSC37, issued to us by the fabulous Allison........

and here is how I made my card to follow the sketch.


I used the Christmas tree and the baubles from {Katie Christmas} for my main image.

The baubles were stamped and then punched out with the 1/2" circle punch and then I topped them with some Crystal Lacquer to make them shiny and to give a bit of texture to the card.

I stamped the sentiment "Oh Christmas Tree" on an angle and used that for my other panel.

I added two lines of Zva Crystals that were blue but then I swiped them with the BG13 copic maker to get them as close in colour as I could to the pretty baubles.

The designer paper background is from Basic Grey's Eskimo Kisses and all of the cardstock and ink is Papertrey Ink.

Thanks for coming around today and I hope you had a wonderful holiday!!

Cupcake Inspiration Challenge #28

It's Sunday and that means it is time for another delicious Cupcake Inspiration Challenge from Hope Stamps Eternal. Check out today's fabulous cupcakes!



I used Waltzingmouse Stamps "Say it with Style" stamp set again today since it is laying out and because I just happen to LOVE it!

I mentioned that there were tons of everyday and not so everyday sentiments and this is the not so everyday sentiment. I should probably make up a bunch of these with this saying and send it to every blogger out there because I am so awful at leaving comments and yet I expect everyone to leave one here.....


I honestly think I am going to put my requisition into God to give me another 3 hours in the day so that I can play with my grandchildren AND get my commenting done AND play Farmville AND play Bejewelled (new and improved!) ...I did put my grandchildren first but really, I suck sometimes......

Enough with beating myself up.....actually I began a yoga class last week and that is painful enough....sorry waaaay off track!!

This gorgeous Basic Grey paper, Indian Summer went perfectly with these cupcakes so I matched it up with Papertrey Ink's Scarlet Jewel.

I thought I was grabbing the doily lace punch but this one turned out okay also......I wrapped some May Arts ribbon around the card and tacked on the flower from "Say it with Style".

I love - and you know it!- the Zva Creative Crystals so I had to add them to underline the sentiment and one big one to the middle of the flower! The sentiment is stamped with Papertrey Ink's Fresh Snow and then embossed with clear embossing powder.

Everyone is invited to play along in the challenge!! If you do, be sure to link your creation to Mr. Linky on the HSE blog.

Every week, Rachel picks the top 5 and highlights them on the blog!! If you upload to SCS or PCP, be sure to use keyword: CIC28

Now please take a peek over at the other Sweeties blogs to see how they were totally inspired!! AND our Guest Sweetie Ida P. Krause is playing this month so pop on over to Ida's blog and give her a big hug!

Carolina - Carolina's Creative Pad
Rachel - Hope Stamps Eternal
Colleen - Glitter Ink
Michelle - Stop and Stamp the roses
Tammy - Stamp Happy
Natalie - dougnat diaries
Jessica - Shamrocks and Seashells
Kelli - Yard Sale Kind of Luck

Thank you again......

I guess I am not a very original title thinker upper haha!......but I do have another thank you card, since that is the list I am working on right now for the craft show.

Waltzingmouse Stamps set "Say it with Style" has a lot of everyday sayings (and some not so everyday) in this fabulously gorgeous font, along with border stamps and a frame that coordinates with the Spellbinders Labels Four Nestabilities - so what could be better!!??



For this card, I sprayed white cardstock with Tattered Angels Snow Angel Glimmer Mist to give the cardstock that beautiful pink shimmery glow - I love it and it is so difficult to be able to bring it to life in a photo, but in real life it is stunning!


I love the "blotches" of mist that happen so naturally and make it seem old fashioned! I ran it through the Cuttlebug Textile embossing folder to make it even more vintage looking.

I edged it with that new Double Edge Scallop Punch and then paired it up with Papertrey Ink's Bitty Dot Basics since I already had it out on the table ;)! . The sweet blush colour is one of my favorites so I stamped the Thank you along a strip of white card stock with it and then heat embossed it with clear embossing powder.

I finished it up with a bit of Sweet Blush ribbon and a white button!

We have Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend and my grandson's 3rd birthday tonight, so I have been getting ready for those things and not focusing on the old blogaroo too much!

Thank you very much!

Good morning! I would like to show you a wee bit from another one of the amazing stamp sets by Claire at Waltzingmouse Stamps.

Isn't this font just so elegant?! I just love it and this set, called Say it with Style, is stuffed full of gorgeous every day sentiments in this font.



It also has a nestie friendly frame that matches the Spellbinders Labels Four die, which I have used here.

I stamped the Spring Moss cardstock in Spring Moss ink (the old formula, which I kept just for this reason!)) with the Say it with Style border stamp and then punched the edge with my new Martha Stewart Double Scallop Edge punch - love it thank you very much......

I also edge punched some Bitty Dot Basics with the Threading water punch, which I also love - I think I am a punch-a-holic....honestly I love them all and would use every punch on each card if I didn't think it would look maybe a little red-neckish!

The "Thank You" and the frame is stamped with Sweet Blush (the new formual, which is kind of really juicy - but love the colour!) and then heat embossed with clear embossing powder to make it all shiny and pretty!

My daughter Marcie and I are in a couple of craft shows this fall, so Marcie, being the organizational whiz that she is, has given me a list of every kind of card and how many I need to make - I can follow a list..... it so easy!! lol! Now I have one "Thank You" card done.......only 24 more to go!!

Cupcake Inspiration Challenge #27

WHAT??!! We are on 27??! Yikes.....where does the year go?

In honour of World Card Making Day, Hope Stamps Eternal is having a 15% sale storewide!! Please enter the code WCMD when you checkout!

It's Sunday and that means it is time for another delicious Cupcake Inspiration Challenge from Hope Stamps Eternal. Check out today's yummylicious cupcake!




I took my inspiration from the colours and the pumpkins - love those cute little pumpkins and I had to use my new Halloween Party Stamp Set from Waltzingmouse Stamps!

I decided to make my own designer paper with some of the various stamps of this Halloween Party set to show you that you don't just need to use it for invites - you can also use it for a card!



I used my Martha Stewart oeey gooey drippy zippy edge punch and highlighted it with those luscious Jet Zva Crystals strung across the card.

I used more crystals at the top of the card and then left it sentiment-less because I just couldn't see where it should go!

Using Zva Adhesive Dots, I popped up the main panel just for a fun change!

Everyone is invited to play along in the challenge!! If you do, be sure to link your creation to Mr. Linky on the HSE blog.

Every week, Rachel picks the top 5 and highlights them on the blog!! If you upload to SCS or PCP, be sure to use keyword: CIC27

Now please take a boo!!! over to the other Sweeties blogs to see how they were totally inspired!! AND we have a Guest Sweetie this challenge!! -one of our faithful followers, Ida P. Krause is playing this week so pop on over to Ida's blog and give her a big hug!

Carolina - Carolina's Creative Pad
Rachel - Hope Stamps Eternal
Colleen - Glitter Ink
Michelle - Stop and Stamp the roses
Tammy - Stamp Happy
Natalie - dougnat diaries
Jessica - Shamrocks and Seashells
Kelli - Yard Sale Kind of Luck

Merry & Bright.......

ETA: I apologize for the unfinished post earlier.....I'm not sure what happened but I'm blaming gremlins......it is finished now.

Merry and Bright is being released today at Little Paper Shop along with the 3 other sets that we have been previewing this week! All 4 NEW SETS are 10% OFF today through next Friday, the 9th.

Now today's challenge is to use NON-Traditional Christmas colors and will remain open for you to play until Sunday, Oct 11th. The winner of that challenge will win ALL 4 releases !!!

Merry and Bright is also being offered up as a prize on the Little Paper Shop blog. Just leave a comment on the LPS blog and the winner will be announced on Monday!




I love using these colours for Christmas.

I just stamped my image and sentiment right on top of the K & Company designer paper and then sewed the panel onto Rustic Cream cardstock which was layered onto Dark Chocolate and then onto Aquamist which had been run through the Swiss Dot Cuttlebug embossing folder. whew.

I sewed around the edge of the designer paper kind of willy-nilly to add to the rustic look and then added a border across the top by punching Rustic Cream cardstock with the Martha Stewart punch, cutting it to the width I needed and popping it up with Zva Creative pop dots (Oh they make everything - haha!)

To finish I added some Zva Creative Crystals to the star and then again under the sentiment. The crystals were a gorgeous light blue colour but I coloured them with my copics to be able to achieve the colour I wanted - FUN!

We have an outdoor wedding to attend today and the weather is so iffy and rainy and cold.......I know that the wedding will be beautiful no matter what-- the mother of the groom is always out in her gardens doing her thing.....she really has the magic touch....she made sure to tell us to wear our winter coats and bring an umbrella lol!

Stamps: {Merry and Bright} (Little Paper Shop) Paper: Aquamist, Dark Chocolate, Rustic Cream (Papertrey Ink), K & Company designer paper Ink: Rich Cocoa (Memento), Accessories: Martha Stewart Punch, Zva Creative crystals, Zva Creative pop dots, sewing machine