Window Shopping with Kristy

I'm having a bittersweet day today. I worked Monday on the holiday because it was the first day of school so I'm taking today off which is great! But my dear friends, Lynn and Molly, are off to Stamp Vermont today and I so wish I was going with them. :( With moving to Florida next month, I made the adult decision to save my money but I'm there with them in spirit. But then they're going to stop by a new stamping and scrapping store so I'm so sorry to be missing that with them. So I went shopping on my own!



Me, I love me some Rubber Romance and I have had Kristy in my mind for the longest time. I get all my Rubber Romance stamps from my sweet and patient friend, Susana, at Susana's Custom Art and Card Design. She's been so great with me this summer in not being able to make commitments or being late because of Nichole's wedding and then getting ready for the opening of school and then next month with my move to Florida. I think about you all the time and promise to be better with calling and keeping in touch. I love you lots, my dear friend! This Rubber Romance babe is for you!

It's been a while since I've done a semi-sassy card so I wanted to work with her. I have had her done several ways but the Glossy Accents kept running when I tried to cover the windows so I decided to highlight a few of the items instead. I colored her with copics and highlighted the windows with my Spica Glitter pen. I used my new nestabilities on her and colored the ribbon with my copics (something I learned at Stamp New England in March with Lynn, Molly and I went! :)) I used my new MS edge punch to give it just a touch of elegance and added a couple of Bella Baubles in the corner. I was pretty pleased with her!



And just because I didn't used any stickles, I sprayed some Baby's Breath Shimmerz Spritz on her. Since I don't get to shop with Lynn and Molly, I felt like I should do a bit of window shopping for myself! Lynn and Molly, have a blast and come back and tell me everything you learn and do!

Card Ingredients:

Kristy by Rubber Romance, Bella Baubles, Shimmerz Spritz, Atyou Spica Glitter Pen, nestabilities, copics, ribbon, MS arch lattice punch.

Try It Out Tuesday #34 - No DP!

Well, Suzanne did it to us again! She threw down the challenge to our design team for Susana's Custom Art and Card Design to use no design paper on our card that we didn't create ourselves! I didn't think I'd enjoy this challenge but I had a great time just letting sweet Milla take front and center! I loved this cutie and I was in the mood to color her up with lavenders. Milla is one of the sweet images from the new Hearts and Hugs Collection 2 from Victoria Case for Susana's Custom Art and Card Design. I love how she came out!

I stamped her with Memento Tuxedo Black and colored her with copics. I used some Glossy Accents on her hair ribbon and dress ribbon and added just a touch to her eyes. My camera is acting up a bit and she's much prettier in person than on print. My paper is from Coredination and the ribbon is from my stash. I touched up her dress and ruffle just a bit with Stickles and then sprayed the entire card with Shimmerz Spritz. I added a Blue Moon Heart charm to the ribbon and finished her with a Bella Bauble in each corner.



Don't these cuties have the sweetest faces on them? I could color them forever! Make sure to visit my other Design Team sister's Blog to see all of their great creations! I know you won't be disappointed! So Happy Tuesday and try creating a card from just card stock. I'd love to see what you come up with!

Card Ingredients:

Milla from Victoria Case for Susana's Custom Art and Card Design, Shimmerz Spritz, Bella Baubles, Stickles, Glossy Accents, Kaisercraft Pearls, copics, SU ticket punchy, nestabilities, ribbon

Susan by Elisabeth Bell for SCACD (Susana's Custom Art and Card Design)

It's blog hop and sneak peek time for this fabulously fantastic Susana's Custom Art and Card Design (SCACD) release of Elisabeth Bell for SCACD! If you came here by any other way than from Danni's, please make sure you go back to Suzanne's blog and start at the beginning so you're not missing anything, especially the opportunity for the Kick Butt Blog Candy Susana's offering.

Other than your children, have you ever held something in your hand and just know that it was going to be one of your most treasured possessions, that it was something that was just for you? That's how I felt when I opened my stamps for this exciting and wonderful release! You can laugh if you want and think I'm off my rocker, but when your all time favorite designer illustrates a stamp and your dear, dear friend tells you that for her, it captures what she thought you'd have been like when you were younger and names that sweet likeness after you, well, I don't know about you, but I cried. Real tears! I shook, laughed, screamed really loud and jumped up and down (both dogs thought I'd lost my marbles) and then thanked God for the blessings He's brought to me this year.

I get to design for two of the most giving, caring and inspiring people I've met in such a long time, Susana and Summer, have the pleasure of serving with some of the most talented stampers out there, have the privilege of having Suzanne Dean for a design team leader who inspires and challenges me every week and is so generous with her knowledge, talent and heart, and get to design with two very special people - Anki, who I get to design on two teams with and Danni, who I met right before I made my first blog post. Susana, you mean the world to me and I thank God every day for you and the fact that you took a chance on me. I'll never let you down. Ever. And my friend, Deb, you know how much this stamp means to me. Yes, I am truly humbled and blessed.

Now on to the release! I just want to give you a sneak peek at, well, Me! I have an Elisabeth Bell stamp named after me!!!!! If you know me, you know she's my all time favorite stamp illustrator and it's been so hard for me to keep my excitement at an acceptable level at presenting these sweet, fresh and gorgeous stamps to you. And then to find out one has my name! Well, I've been on Cloud 9 since I held these sweet things in my hands!



I'm colored with copics and have Smooch on my hair tie, heart, buttons and my toe nails! I'm carrying a bouquet of yellow and red Flower Soft with just a touch of violet in it. I adore this BasicGrey Junebug paper, and I colored the Bella Baubles and my ribbon with my bright yellow copic and added a hatpin that I love to make so much. All in all, I think I look pretty good!



In case you've missed it, here's the order for the blog hop:

Suzanne
Lorelie
Aud
Jennifer
Maria
Jami (Who has some pretty fabulous new of her own, Miss Dirty Dozen!)
Teri
Danni
Me
Anki
Back to Suzanne


So make sure that you head back to Suzanne's blog for the final step in our blog hop and then to Follow Your Heart for the great Kick Butt Blog Candy! You have until 3:00 today to get in on that! Get ready to open up those wallets and get some cuteness coming your way!

Card Ingredients:

Susan by Elisabeth Bell for Susana's Custom Art and Card Design (SCACD), Flower Soft, Smooch, copics, nestabilities, Junebug Paper by BasicGrey, Bella Baubles, ribbon, hatpin

Try It Out Tuesday - Sketch and birthday card

What is it about cheerleaders that make you either love them or hate them? I adore them and this cutie, Cheerleader Julia from Anki's Sweethearts 2 Collection from Susana's Custom Art and Card Design just makes me smile! Birthday cards should make you smile so I thought these two would be a perfect combination for our Design Team Challenge this week for our sketch and challenge from our fearless leader, Suzanne Dean!

I colored this cutie with my copics and highlighted her sweet pom poms with some Smooch and Sparkly Fluff. I love this saying from Susanaments! Aren't they just the greatest?! The paper is from the Euphoria collection from BasicGrey which is my favorite paper and the buttons are from my stash. I added some Scrapper's Floss and Bella Baubles and think she's just perfect to make someone a cheerful birthday card!

Don't forget to stop over at the store blog, Follow Your Heart, and catch up on the latest news for our new release of Elisabeth Bell for Susana's Custom Art and Card Design (SCACD). We're going to have a blog hop on Thursday and these new sweeties are going to be available for purchase on Friday, July 17th! I can hardly wait!

Hope everyone has a "cheerful" day!

Card Ingredients:

Julia from Anki's Sweethearts 2 for SCACD, Susanaments by SCACD, Sparkly Fluff, Ephoria paper Collection from BasicGrey, Bella Baubles, Scrapper's Floss, buttons and ribbon from stash, SU ticket punch

Anki's Sweethearts 2 - Sneak Peek and Blog Candy!

I'm playing catch up with my Design Team projects for Susana's Custom Art and Card Design and having so much fun in presenting our very own Anki's Sweethears 2! I'd love to introduce you to Emilia who is inviting you on a yummy, fun filled picnic and Fluffy, who is here to welcome a new little one into our world! These new stamps are just too adorable and versatile and I just taken with them all! These sweeties, along with the rest of the collection and for a real treat, another set of Susanaments! These are such great sayings that go along with just about any occasios.

Emilia is colored with copics and has Flower Soft all over her! I love the yellow daisies she's carrying and the gorgeous lush purple flowers in her hair. And don't you love her basket? I added a bit of Glossy Accents to the bottle to make it shine and some Smooch on her dress and her shoes. Isn't this Susanament perfect for any party invite? Love it! I used this weeks Splitcoaststampers sketch and I think she's perfect of it! And I love my Retro paper from Dovecraft, also an exclusive for Susana's store!



Don't you just want to scoop up Fluffy and take this sweetie home? I colored this baby with distressed inks and this sweet paper is from the Baby pack from Dovecroft. I put some Velvet Flock from Doodlebug in the center for a bit of dimension and a bit of glossy accents on the pad of this sweetie's feet. Add a couple of Bella Baubles and some beautiful ribbon and it's done! And another great sentiment from Susana makes it perfect! Simple and just so sweet!

Don't forget to check out the great blog candy today over at Follow Your Heart, our Design Team blog for the store. I hope you love these gorgeous stamps as much as I do. They're just precious and so much fun to color and present! Make sure you take a look at my fellow Design Team member's blogs to get a look at the entire collection. What a treat they are! Just yummy!

Card Ingredients:

Emilia by Anki's Sweethearts 2 for SCACD, Susasnaments, Retro Paper from Dovecraft, Kaisercraft Pearls, copics, Flower Soft, Smooch, nestabilities, ribbon, cuttlebug folder.

Fluffy by Anki's Sweethearts 2 for SCACD, Susanaments, Baby Paper from Dovecraft, Bella Baubles, cuttlebug, distressed inks, ribbon

Try It Out Tuesday #17 - Mother's Day

I don't know of a day that goes by that us mothers don't need our own little bit of whimsy to get us through the day. That and every now and then, a margarita!

With it being Tuesday, that means Try It Out Tuesday over at Follow Your Heart, Susana of Susana's Custom Art and Card Design, blog for me and my designing sisters! Suzanne, our ever talented lead designing guru, challenged us with creating a Mother's Day card and a gift packet. I thought about my Tiffany and Jennifer since this is their first Mother's Day, thanks so much to Allie and Emma!

Fairy Kids with Birds from IBFS was perfect because it had two sweeties on it and they are playing with a hummingbird, my favorite of all feathered creatures! I stamped it with Memento Tuxedo Black and colored them with copics. I highlighted them with Shimmerz and I may have gone a bit overboard, but to me, there's never too much shimmer or glitz! I used some Kaisercraft Pearls in the corners and Prima flowers with what else - stickles! I ran the background paper through my cuttlebug and love the added texture I got from them. The ribbon is from my stash.



This circular tin is actually Pomegranate flavor salt for margaritas and I loved the tin so much that I had to cover it! I love Sassafras and think she's perfect for the outside! I used nestabilities to cut her out and colored her with Prisma color pencils and OMS. I used stickles and Shimmerz on her and love the delicate tone it set for her. I added some Bella Baubles to break up the circles going on and added a ribbon. I love how she came out.

Make sure you stop over at Follow Your Heart and take a look at the gorgeous cards and gift packs my designing sisters came up with. I work with some of the most talented crafters out there and am proud every week to present Susana's works for you.

I'll be back to wish everyone a Happy Mother's Day before Sunday, but don't forget to make something for a mother. Let's honor them this one day out of the year.

Card Ingredients:

Fairy Kids with Birds by IBFS, Kaisercraft Pearls, Copics, Shimmerz, Stickles, Prima Flowers, ribon, Cuttlebug dotted swiss and folage embossing folders, Sassafras by Faerie Song Art, Bella Baubles, Prisma color pencils, OMS, ribbon, nestabilities, Memento Ink in Tuxedo Black

Try It Out Tuesday on Wednesday #14 - Cake Shy Bear

I'm so sorry with being so late in getting my Try It Out Tuesday up. I've been travelling over the Easter holiday and couldn't get to an internet connection. I hope you'll enjoy my sweet little Cake Shy Bear! When our ever challenging Leader, Suzanne, tasked us with using Neapolitan ice cream colors, cream, pink and brown (to me that translates to vanilla, strawberry and chocolate!), I knew what stamp I wanted to work with. I love the sketch she gave us and I'll be using this one over and over!

This sweetie is stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black and colored with Prismacolor pencils and OMS. I highlighted the baby with shimmerz and I used some stickles to give the icing a sugary look. Glossy Accents gives the plate a glassy look and I used Bella Baubles for the pearls. The gorgeous paper is from Heidi Grace and I love it!



Here's a close up of the cake. Maybe it's because I've been working at the bowling alley, but that cake looks good enough to take a bite out of!

I'll be back with some pictures of the weekend and my beautiful family. I'm so anxious to share them with you. Tons of fun was had and the more I spend time with them, the more time I want! I've missed spending time with all of you though. I hope everyone had a great Easter holiday. Oh, I can feel the spring just around the corner!

Card Ingredients:

Cake Shy Bear by IBFS, Bella Baubles, Memento Tuxedo Black Ink, Shimmerz in Cocoa, Pink Poinsettia and Pixie Dust, Stickles, Heidi Grace paper, Kaisercraft Pearls, Prismacolor pencils, Sansodor,

Sophia and Tilda

It's amazing to me how much creativity I get by cleaning out my stamps. I've been sorting through some of my stamps I don't use very much anymore and would like someone else to love. When I send them out in the mail, I get this shot of creativity and so many ideas pop into my head about what to do with some stamps that I've been holding onto for a special occasion. These two cards are the result of a couple of Bellas being sent on to new homes.

Speaking of creativity, what better way to get your creative juices going than with the yummy blog candy Susana at Susana's Custom Art and Card Design has going on at her store blog! It's fabulous and involves Elisabeth Bell! Something like a signed print of one of our new stamps that will be released. Make sure you stop over and find out all about it! It runs from April 6th through April 13th.

Sophia of Paper Pretties has been at my house for over a month and inked up but I couldn't bring myself to color her up. I could so get addicted to these sweeties and go hog wild over them and way overspend! I joined up for their Stamp of The Month Club and this beauty, Hippity Hoppity, was my first Paper Pretties and I couldn't be happier! I was sorting thorough my papers and voila, I found my Nana's Nursery Baby Girl stack and Sophia came to life for me! She reminded me of pink lemonade and she just kind of put herself together. She's stamped on GinaK's Luxury White paper and colored with copics. All I did was add some Dew Drops, a bit of Glossy Accents to make her ribbons look satiny and used my cuttlebug to add a bit or texture to her. I adore this stamp and believe me, she's staying with me forever!



Tilda with Lamb is so beautiful and innocent sitting with her lamb. The Easter Collection from Magnolia that Summer at Roses on Paper is carrying is by far, my favorite collection. It's the first collection that I want every single stamp from! I've got to tell you that I had a hard time having Tilda sit on the Bible! I think it's the Baptist in me but I hope I've not been disrespectful. Once I saw the card in my head, it just happened. I've wanted to stitch on my cards for a long time and between Catherine Scanlon's encouragement (one of the most talented paper artist I've ever seen and get the pleasure of stamping with every month!) and Danni's tutorial, I just took the plunge! So glad I did! I had so much fun stitching that you'll be seeing it a lot more on my cards. I colored and the Bible with copics and used some Souffle Pens to highlight some of the flowers and Sophia's eggs. I used Glossy Accents on the satin book mark for the bible and my glitter pens on the swirls. I also added some Glossy Accents to Tilda's blouse becauseTilda what little girl doesn't have satin in some sort for Easter? She's got stickles on her socks and I used Dew Drops on the corners and just love how she came out.

I hope you enjoy these two cuties. I had such fun creating them to share with you all.

Don't forget to stop by the Follow Your Heart blog for some great blog candy! My gosh, a signed print by Elisabeth Bell is too good to pass up!

Card Ingredients:

Tilda With Lamb, The Bible, Dew Drops, Glossy Accents, Glitter pen, Souffle pens, ribbon, The Glitter Stack and Nana's Nursery Baby Girl's stack from DCWV, GinaK Luxury White paper, copics.

The Bride

There's nothing more beautiful than a bride. A spring or summer bride makes all things seem so fresh and clean and like the possibilities in life are endless. The Bride from Rubber Romance from Susana's store at Susana's Custom Art and Card Design, caught my eye and every time I passed by a Brides magazine on a rack, she kept popping back in my mind. I had to have her and as soon as she arrived, I had to stamp her up and get her ready! I tried to keep her simple and elegant, yet beautiful.

This beauty was stamped with memento Tuxedo Black and colored with copics. I highlighted her dress and veill with Bella Baubles Angel Wings Shimmerz and used my clear glitter pen to outline the dress and veil in a couple of places. The paper is from the Luxury Stack from DCWV and I put on the corners. I used a heart charm from Blue Moon and the ribbon is from my stash. Isn't the Flower Soft perfect for her bouquet? I love it!

Everyone loves a bride and I hope you love this one. I sure do!

Card Ingredients:

The Bride by Rubber Romance, Flower Soft, Bella Baubles, Angel Wing Shimmerz, copics, Blue Moon heart charms, ribbon, SU ticket punch, Atyou Spica Glitter Pen

Miss Bryony and Miss Willow

This will be a bit quick, but I wanted to get these sweeties up. I've had Bryony since before Thanksgiving and have just had the guts to attempt to present her. I saw her sweet little face and fell in love! She's just sitting there, sweet as can be, keeping watch over her domain. I see a sweet, strong, silent nature to her and she so reminds me of my great niece, Madeline. She's quiet because she can't get a word in edgewise with our Paige, but she's very strong in her will and personality. I wouldn't try and take one of Madeline's toys no more than I would try with one of Bryony's mushrooms!

She's stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black and colored with my copics. I used this gorgeous paper from the Fantasy Paper pack from Dovecraft (Exclusively sold at Susana's Custom Art and Card Design!), outlined a bit of it with my Spica Glitter pen and used some Bella Baubles on the corners. I wanted to give her a softness so I rounded a couple of Bryony's corners. The ribbon is of my own making - using my copics on white satin ribbon! Suzanne, you'd be proud of me! I made my own ribbon when I was working with Cindy Lawrence at Stamp New England and loved the effect it had. Plus I get whatever color I want that way! And Christine, I popped her wings up!



Miss Willow kept calling out to me and I found this paper and knew it had found it's place on this card! I love the red and yellow on the blue background. So soft and delicate, but not fragile colors. Willow Kneeling is from the Spring Whiff of Joy Collection and her face so reminds me of one of the kids here at school. I love this kid and she's the sweetest thing. I'm thinking about giving her this card just because every time I look at it, I think of her. I colored her with my copics and cut her out with my oval nestibilities. I used my dotted swiss cuttlebug embossing folder and SU ticket punch for the corners and added some baubles in the corner and some ribbon and a hatpin. I adore her!

Hope you enjoy these two as much as I enjoyed presenting them. I'm off to finish up some scheduling and then to work for a while at the bowling alley. I'm off to get a new cell phone, a Blackberry so I can text. My kids say my old Razor has to go! Hope everyone has a great weekend and I'll be back tomorrow with another card. . I think I feel a Bella or Hanna or Shy Bear coming on!
Card Ingredients:

Bryony from Faerie Song Art, Bella Baubles, Fantasy Paper from Dovecraft, copics, nestibilities, ribbon, hatpin, Atyou Spica Glitter pen in clear, stickles, SU ticket punch.

Willow With Sunhat

I've been in a soft color mood lately. I think it's all the wishing for spring weather that's doing that to me. When I received my Spring Collection from Whiff of Joy, I fell in love with Willow With Sunhat. She looks so pretty with her hat with the fresh spring flowers on top and her satin bow. I so wish I could wear hats but if it's not a baseball hat, I can't carry it off.

I stamped Willow with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored her with my copics. I added some Bella Baubles to the corners and to the middle of the Prima flowers and spacers. This background paper is one of my favorite pieces and I must have 5 or 6 sheets of it. I'm stingy when I use it and it only goes on my favorite cards! The ribbon is from my stash. For the ribbon on her hat, I used some Glossy Accents to make it look smooth and shiny. Her flowers are highlighted with my clear glitter pen. I think she looks very fresh and springy.

This Willow image is so beautiful on it's own that it doesn't take a lot of doctoring to make her stand out. Sometimes I think less is more and this is one of those cases. I so wish for spring weather and that's what I had in mind when I was putting Willow together. Yep, less is more and I want warmer weather!

Card Ingredients:

Willow with Sunhat from Whiff of Joy, Bella Baubles, copics, Prima flowers, spacers, ribbon, Memento Tuxedo Black Ink, Atyou Spica Glitter Pen

Try It Out Tuesday 12 - Gift Pack Set

This is going to be quick until tomorrow morning. Suzanne, our super talented Design Team Leader for gave us the challenge of creating a carSusana's Custom Art and Card Design (SCACD), d and a gift set. The first thing that popped into my mind was a candle and bookmark! We've lost power here twice for a significant amount of time and so I thought it would be great to receive a candle and book mark and a great book. That way I've a bit of warmth, light and entertainment!



I picked out Daphne in her Floaty Bear from Eat Cake Graphics from Susana's shop and she just yelled to be put to paper! I colored her with copics, cut her out using my nestabilities and used Glossy Accents to make the floatie look like plastic and stickles for the water. The Retro paper from Dovecraft is perfect for this cutie!



I thought I'd snaz up a plastic container that holds Crystal Light Packets because it's the best thing in the world to drink on a hot day! I accented the top with a few Bella Baubles and ran some ribbon around the side. As for the book mark, I glued Daphne to a coated paper clip. Nothing like a good book and cold drink on a hot day. I'm reading the Harry Potter series right now, but I can feel a few romances coming on! Sorry these last two pictures are so blurry. I'll try and retake them tomorrow after I get new batteries.



Make sure you stop by our Follow Your Heart blog and take a look at all my other Design Team Buddies projects. I just know they'll be fabulous! And I'd like to say "Good-bye", to Lynn who's been so fun to work with this past month and welcome Karolyn who has decided to stay a month longer with us! Lynn, it's been so great creating with you!

Card Ingredients:

Daphne in her Floaty Bear by Eat Cake Graphics, Stickles, Copics, Nestabilities, Bella Baubles, Retro Paper Pack from Dovecraft.

Out of This World and some Whiff of Joy!

I love a man in a uniform! Can't resist them. But the thought of an astronaut sends me over the edge! When I was little, I remember sitting outside with my dad at night and I would lay at the edge of our small porch and gaze up at the sky and try and count the stars. Every child has done that. But I was lucky to be born in a time when the space program was just formulating and I was so excited about the possibility of space travel. How exciting to be off of earth and out in the vast outer space! I went as far as to write to my congressman and ask how I got into the space program. He wrote back and I'm the proud owner of some of the original NASA promotional information that was sent to those inquiring minds who wanted to know about getting into the space program. Well, actually my mom still has it. That and my Chatty Cathy doll, but that's another story! I wanted to go up so badly and still would love it. Every space movie that comes out, I see. Love it!

Space Ian from Summer's great store, Roses on Paper, is from The Greeting Farm line (gosh, I adore this line of stamps!) and I had to make him up! I used a glitter pen around his shield and used Glossy Accents to cover his face and I love how it turned out. Looks like you could knock on his shield and never touch his face! I added a moon and embossed the star background to give it a bit of dimension. I colored him with my copics and love how he came out!


And then there's Spring, on of my favorite seasons! I love when everything goes from white, grey and brown to green, pink, lilac, and yellow! Here is Willow with Flower Basket from the new Spring Collection of Whiff of Joy. I've had her done but haven't had the opportunity to put her together yet. I was organizing my craft things and found the small pack of paper from Making Memories called Sabrina and it was perfect. I colored Willow with copics and used Glossy Accents on her band and isn't the Flower Soft just perfect for her basket? I used Bella Baubles on the corners and some ribbon from my stash. I wanted to keep her as non fussy as possible and just show her off!

It feels good to be back and I hope everyone has a great day, be in dreaming of space or of the new spring season we're trying to get to!

Card Ingredients:

Space Ian from The Greeting Farm, Willow with Flower Basket from Whiff of Joy, Glossy Accents, Jelly Roll Clear Glitter Pen, Center Kisses Round, Spots and Dots Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, nestabilities, Bella Baubles, ribbon, Flower Soft,

Roses on Paper Challenge with Picnic Time and Ally

What a beautiful weekend we had here in Maine, but with the exception of about 7 hours of it, my time was devoted out to others. I worked or slept! But I should be thankful that I'm healthy enough to work as much as I do and that I have two jobs. That's not normal for this time with our economy the way it is. But I'm not getting on a soapbox. I've got two great cards from my two favorite stores that I want to share with you.

Isn't Ally and her sweet little dog just too stinkin cute? She's another gorgeous Rubber Romance stamp from Susana's Custom Art and Card Design (SCACD). This little pup is a lot like my Hagrid, but believe me, I look nothing like Ally except that my hair's straight! I followed the sketch over at the SCACD PCP group and used that beautiful Laura Ashley paper from Dovecraft that you can only get at Susana's. Take a look at it because it's luscious!


Picnic Time is another one of those sweet Sarah Kay stamps from Summer at Roses on Paper and Jodi, such a talented and sweet fellow Design Team Gal, gave us the challenge this time to use quilting on our cards. Now I quilt but there's one pattern I'll never attempt because of the curves and that's a Dresden Plate. Well, thank God for nestabilities because that scalloped circle gives you an instant Dresden Plate! I love the soft colors on her and I think the Porcelain paper from BasicGrey is perfect for this sweetie. Make sure you stop by our Design Team Challenge blog and take a look at the other gorgeous cards created by my other Design Team family.

Card Ingredients:
Ally by Rubber Romance, Picnic Time by Sarah Kay, Prima Flowers, Porcelain Paper and brads from BasicGrey, Kaisercraft pearls, Laura Ashley Connamara paper from Dovecraft, Bella Baubles, ribbon, nestabilities, copics, ribbon, spacers, hatpin.

Wishing for Spring!

Spring time is one of my favorite times of the year. The snow is all gone, most of the time, the grass goes from brown to green and East comes. Along with Easter comes girls in beautiful dresses and little chicks. Everyone loves to be outside and breathing in all that fresh air and it's just cold enough to need just a scarf on your head to let the ears adjust to the crisp, fresh air. Children gathering chicks just means spring to me!

Tilda with Chicks is from the new Easter line of Magnolias that should be available shortly from Summer at Roses on Paper. I did her with the beautiful Porcelain pack and brads and some prima flowers and a touch of stickles. I adore this line of Magnolias so make sure you keep checking in. Summer will have a limited supply of them and you want to make sure you're ready for the glorious Easter holiday! I was trying how to present this cutie and I thought the sketch from Sketch Saturday was perfect! You guys rock over there and I love all the DT cards!


One thing that stays with me all year long is coffee and Lattebella is all dressed up in her new spring colors! Doesn't she just look fabulous? I love the mint greens and aquas in the paper pack Euphoria from Basic Grey. Gosh, I love their papers! The sketch is our first sketch at Stamping Bellalicious! Come on over and have a look around. We'd love to have you join us!

I hope everyone is having a great weekend. I'm off to babysit for a friend of mine. He's on his way to Iraq and I want to give him some time out with his wife before he goes. Be back to chat with you tomorrow!

Card Ingredients:
Tilda with Chicks from Magnolia, Porcelain paper pack and brads from Basic Grey, Distressed Inks, Prima flowers, Dew Drops, Stickles, Euphoria paper pack from Basic Grey, copics, cuttlebug Divine Swirls folder, Martha Stewart Lace border and branch punch, Kaisercraft pearls, Bella Baubles.

Try It Out Tuesday #8 - Just Because

I love being able to give things "Just Because". I don't get the chance very often, but when I can, it makes me feel like a million bucks. This is a card that I would have great fun giving to someone. The inside can hold a gift card, money, tickets, just a little something to make some one's day a bit brighter.

Suzanne, our fearless Design Team Leader for Susana's Custom Art and Card Design team, challenges us every week! This week she challenged us to use stamps from our own Susana's, and make them into charms and to use as many embellishments as we could. Well, I packed mine as full as I could without it being gaudy!

I used three of my favorite shoes from Susana's line (remember, she's not only a great store owner, but a talented illustrator in her own right!) and colored them with copics and then highlighted each of them in different Shimmerz, Mint, Pink Poinsettia, and Iced Lavender. The mint shoes I added some Mermaid Stickles for the jewels around the ankle strap. Each of these shoes remind me of shoes my girls work to their proms and homecomings. I miss those days. Well, back to the card, the background paper is from the Dovecraft Galmour Prints collection, the flowers from Bazzill (I highlighted them with my Pink Shimmerz) and added Pink Rhinestones from Kaisercraft to the middle and on the sentiment. Scrapper's Floss adds a bit of dimension to the flowers and I finished it off with some Oyster Bella Baubles in the corners. Oh, and I used a couple of Crystal Petals above a couple of the charms and Jump Rings to dangle the shoe charms from the Scrapper's Floss.



The inside is just a strip of the leftover paper from the front and the pocket is one of my favorite corner shapers. The Border's Reward card was the only gift type card I had at the house, so please forgive me for just showing it off. The only gift card I had is my Harry Potter from the last book and somehow, it just didn't seem to fit!

Make sure you stop over at Follow Your Heart, our Design Team Blog and take a look at the other great cards from my fellow Design Team Sisters! They'll be sure not to disappoint you!

Hey, Loverboy!

I love romance and all the things that go into it. To me there's nothing sassier than hanging out on a big, comfy bed, looking fabulous and yakking away to your loved ones. Lillette is such a diva sitting there, all curled up and I can only imagine the conversation she's having! I do remember those days and they were good!

Susana from Susana's Custom Art and Card Design is having a promotion over at our PCP group featuring a signed Rubber Romance card from Robyn, the Owner/Illustrator of Rubber Romance! Make sure you stop over and get in on the fun! Also, Susana is going to be bringing in a new Illustrator and stamp line next week! These stamps are so much fun and so fresh. I can't wait to start giving you a sneak peek at them bit by bit! Don't miss out on this excitement! You could win a $25 gift card to store & a handcolored image too. The winner will be picked randomly.

Lillette is from Rubber Romance and you can pick her and most of the embellishments on this card from Susana at Susana's Custom Art and Card Design. I paper-pieced the comforter and pillows with double sided mulberry paper from The Paper Company and colored her with copics. Her brass bed was colored with my spica glitter pen and the babules add a bit of class to her sass.

I loved her since I saw her and thought she was perfect for Rubber Romance and Valentine's Day! I hope you all put a little sass in your life!

Card Ingredients: Lillette by Rubber Romance, Bella Baubles in Oyster, Ruby Slippers Glitter Dots, Heirloom Glitter Hearts by Dress It Up, Gold Atyou Spica Glitter Pen, paper doilies, beaded paper from The Paper Company, double sided mulberry paper, copics,

We'll Always Have Paris

I've always wanted to see Paris. I'd love to sit along one of the cafes and sip really strong coffee, wear a beret and watch all the people walk by. I've always loved the flavor of fashion, cosmetics and glamour. Since I have no idea as to when I might make it there, I visit every chance a I get in my mind.

Our Design Team challenge for Susana's Custom Art and Card Design store blog this week was to create a Valentine's Day card without using a card specifically designed for Valentine's Day. I reached for my Weekend Poster from Rubber Romance. She has such an elegant, beautiful line to her. She's all dressed up and I think it's to go and celebrate with her someone special. The paper is from The Sweet Collection from DCWV and she's colored with copics and I used Bella Baubles in Oyster and a Blue Moon Charm on her to add that last finishing touch to her. I adore her!

Stop by Follow Your Heart, the store's blog, and take a look at what my talented Design Team Sisters came up with. You'll not be disappointed! Also make sure you stop by PCP and take advantage of some great Web candy that Susana is offering. Who can pass up the opportunity to win a great Rubber Romance stamp signed by Robyn, the Owner/Illustrator? Good luck!

Card Ingredients Weekend Poster by Rubber Romance, Bella Baubles in Oyster, Blue Moon Ribbon Heart Charms,

Hey Cupcake and WOJ Challenge

Cupcakes, Tilda, pink, greens, browns, glimmer, glitz, flowers. It just doesn't get much better than this! I love this Tilda and even though this is from one of the Winter Collections, she's perfect for Valentine's Day sitting on this big, adorable cupcake! Who can resist a big, chocolate cupcake with pink frosting? I can just taste the sweet, creamy frosting and that soft, melt in your mouth chocolate cake. And Valentine's Day wouldn't be complete without the candy hearts instead of sprikles! You can get everything for this card from Summer at Roses on Paper. She's got a great selection of Tilda's and such fun supplies and embellishments!


Another of my favorite things is reading and Melinda from Whiff of Joy. What's the perfect story for the big V Day? Love Story, of course! I'm going to date myself, but I remember getting this book when it first came out from my book club and I've lost count of how many times I've read it and don't ask about how many times I've seen the movie. It's criminal! The Whiff of Joy Challenge blog thsi week is to create a valentine and I went with the most romantic story I could think of!

While you're looking around, stop over at PCP at Susana's Custom Art and Card Design and take a look at her great giveaway. She's got a $25 gift certificate for her sore and some fun, sassy Rubber Romance stamps signed by the owner and illustrator, Robyn Ireland. You have to stop by and check out all the details! I hope you enjoy both of these. I've had such fun working on them.

Card Ingredients: Magnolia Stamps, Hey Cupcake by Alota Rubber Stamps, Melinda Reading Book by Whiff of Joy, Bittersweet by Basic Grey, Prisma Flowers, Iced Stickles, Dew Drops, Distressed Inks, Copics, Sweet paper from DCWV, Pearls by Kaiser, spacers, beads, ribbon, nestabilities, Glitter Stack by DCWV, Glimmer Mist, Heart charms by Blue Moon.

Candle Making

One good thing about a snow day is that I get to stay home and stamp! One thing I love to do with my stamping is to create beautiful candles. When Susana's Design Team started doing tutorials for the store's blog, Follow Your Heart, I knew what I wanted to do mine on! When I saw these lovely candles on other people's sites and blogs, I was intimidated about doing them. Jacqui from the PCP Whiff of Joy group put up a tutorial that made it look so easy, I had to try it for myself. It was so much easier than it looked and I fell in love with my new technique. I want everyone to try them! They're so much fun and who doesn't love candles?



The supplies I used were:
White Pillar Candle
White Tissue paper (like what you wrap shirts or blouses inside boxes in)
Stamp
Ink
Color Medium (I used copics and Prismacolor markers)
scissors
Cut-Rite or kitchen wax paper
Embossing or Heating Tool
Embellishments like ribbon, Shimmerz, Stickles, Glitter Hearts, Bella Baubles, whatever you want to decorate your candle with.



1. Stamp your image onto the tissue paper and color with your favorite medium. Make sure that you have something behind your image because your inks will bleed through a bit.



2. Cut the excess tissue paper off. You don't have to trim it just to the outline because the tissue paper will blend into the candle with heating.



3. Center and place your colored image on your candle.



4. Place your wax paper for your image and pull it tight so that the entire image is flat against the candle.



5. Using your embossing tool, heat over your stamped image. Just like heat embossing, you'll be able to see the image as it melts into the candle. That's just so cool! After you've heated the entire image, carefully pull the wax paper off.



6. Here's what your candle looks like before you've added some finishing touches to it.



I colored her with some Pink Poinsettia Shimmerz, added some stickles, a glitter dot, Bella Baubles and some ribbon. I think she's just adorable!



I hope you will give it a try! You can made any type of candles you want for any occasion. Add whatever embellishments you'd like and make it your own. Personalize it. Everyone loves something that was made just for them.

Give it a try! After you do, leave us a link of direct us to where you've posted your candle. We'd love to see your work!

Candle Ingredients: Hearts and Hugs, Ruby Slippers, Tiara, and Grape Stickles, Pink Poinsettia Shimmers, Glitter Hearts, Bella Baubles, Ribbon, Pillar Candle, Rite-Cut Wax Paper, scissors, glue.