Blog Candy Winner!

I had a card to share with you today, but I can't get the image uploaded...
So... I'll get straight to what you are waiting for!
The winner of the blog candy from me is:

Nicole Brenna
"Pink Flamingo is so great! Goodbye, dear friend!"

Nicole... please email me your address within the next 24 hours so I can get your goodies sent out to you!

Thanks again to all of you for your sweet comments! You truly made my day!

Fond Farewell Blog Hop (with blog candy!)

Welcome to the Stampin' Pretty Pals June hop! This month, we're bidding a "Fond Farewell" to some of our old friends, the 30 retiring colors of Stampin' Up!'s Color Renovation!

If you've hopped over from Linda Callahan, Stampin' Seasons blog, I'm stop number 12 on the PALS HOP and I'm glad you hopped in! I'll help you "hop along" from blog to blog where you'll find inspirational ideas for papercrafted creations from Mary Fish's

Stampin' Pretty Pals! Should you hop off course, simply click on any of the links in the PALS HOP LINE-UP below and you'll be back on track!

In honor of the retiring colors, we're offering BLOG CANDY at each stop on the hop! Visit each of the 17 Stampin' Pretty Pals and leave a comment to their specific posted question (below). You'll have a not one, but 17 chances to WIN some great Stampin' Up! goodies!

FOND FAREWELL HOP LINE-UP

1. Liz Hughes diypapercreations.typepad.com

2. Gina Shaw www.cardsbyginashaw.com

3. Barbara Furlong www.theloveofstamping.com

4. Nina Dee deesignsbyninadee.blogspot.com

5. Debbie Pierce www.stampinsunshine.com

6. Ann Schach www.stampinchic.com

7. Melanie Collins www.oopsadaisy.typepad.com

8. Kim Lampone www.kjskorner.blogspot.com

9. Mike Funke www.stampin-style.typepad.com

10. Regina Mangum www.thestampinbean.blogspot.com

11. Linda Callahan www.stampinseasons.blogspot.com

12. Anne Eicher creativecardsbyanne.blogspot.com

13. Mary Fish www.stampinpretty.com

14. Carla Bazhenow www.carlas-scraps.com

15. Joanna Munster www.inspiredbystampin.com

16. Margaret Moody www.margaretmoody.typepad.com

17. Martha Stewart www.SeasonsOfStamping.com

I made this card for my father for Father's Day... (actually early this year!)... The branches are from the Embrace Life set that will be retiring the end of this month. We will also have to say good-bye to the Close to Cocoa and Bordering blue colors... so pretty together! Thankfully, Kraft (background of card front) will be returning as Crumb Cake in the color renovation. Also retiring are the corduroy buttons... I used Chocolate Chip on this card. The only "Father" stamp I had was from the already retired "Well Scripted" set (Occasions Mini).

Supplies:

Cardstock: Close to Cocoa, Bordering Blue, Kraft

Ink: Close to Cocoa

Stamps: Embrace Life (114958), Well Scripted (retired)

Other: Chocolate Chip corduroy buttons (114339), corner rounder (109047)

I used retiring colors Green Galore, Pink Passion, Only Orange, Lovely Lilac, and Yoyo yellow on this card. The Happy Everything stamp set and Flower trio punch is also retiring...

Supplies:

Cardstock: Green Galore, Gable Green, Pink Passion, Only Orange, Lovely Lilac, Yoyo yellow, Black

Stamp set: Happy Everything (115235)

Ink: Versamark

Other: Black embossing powder, Flower trio punch (109183), corner rounder (109047), 1/8" hole punch

AND NOW FOR THE BLOG CANDY...

For your chance to win all the above goodies, please leave me a comment at the end of this post by 3:00 PM CST, Friday, June 11th, at which time I'll choose a random winner. Shipping to US only.

Here's what the winner will receive:

1 clear mount Vintage Labels stamp set, 1 package Sweet Pea stitched felt, 12 6x6 sheets of Old Olive print patterns DSP (2 of each design), and 1 6x6 prints pack DSP (colors: pretty in pink, real red, so saffron, wild wasabi and bashful blue).

THE QUESTION:

What is your favorite Designer Series Paper offered in the current Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalog?

I'll go first: It's hard to say... I like so many of them! But I will say the one that caught my eye first and I still love is Cottage Wall DSP.

I'll announce the winner of my blog candy package here on my blog on Sunday, June 13th, 2010. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me after their name is announced.

More inspiring ideas and another great blog candy package awaits you Mary Fish's Stampin' Pretty blog, stop number 13 on the "Fond Farewell" PALS HOP! Hop over and see Mary's wonderfully creative ideas! Thanks for "hopping" by!

Inspired by PPA 41 and CAS 65

Time to play at PPA again! This week's challenge was to be inspired by this photo...

I was totally inspired with the stack of pitchers... Nothing complicated with this card! Not even any stamping. I just used my floral fusion and little leaves dies to cut out the flowers and leaves. Since it's so simple... I thought it would also qualify for the CAS challenge over at Splitcoast... May flowers! :) Can't beat that... two challenges in one!

Supplies:

Cardstock: White, So Saffron, Baja Breeze, Really Rust

Other: Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder (117335), Little Leaves die (114511), Floral Fusion die (115969), Half back pearls, Ribbon, Scallop Trim Border punch (available in July)

PPA 39 - K.I.S.S.

Keep it Simple, Sweetie! That's what it's all about over at Pals Paper Arts this week. Play along at PPA. The first card I made did not turn out like the picture I had in my mind so I made another one... which one do you like better? (For some crazy reason, the first card I made is pictured last... I don't know what I'm doing yet here!) These roses are super simple to make... I used cameo coral cardstock (retiring with the color renovation), stamped the Fifth Avenue Floral rose image with Versamark, and then embossed it with white embossing powder. I then took a Q-tip dabbed in cameo coral ink and highlighted the insides of the petals. The "Happy Birthday" sentiment is from the stamp set Well Scripted... only available until April 30th... ALSO - this beautiful rose from the Fifth Avenue Floral stamp set is on sale this month! Check out the Two Step into Spring promotion.

Supplies:

Card #1:

Cardstock: White, Cameo Coral (retiring), Old Olive

Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral (113734), Well Scripted (Occasions Mini - 118601)

Ink: Cameo Coral, Black Stazon

Other: White embossing powder (109132), 5/8" Old Olive Satin ribbon (117292), Little Leaves die (114511), Scor-Pal

Card #2:

Cardstock: Close to Cocoa (retiring), Ruby Red (retiring), Cameo Coral (retiring), Old Olive (not retiring :))

Ink: Cameo Coral

Stamps: Fifth Avenue Floral (113734)

Other: White embossing powder (109132), 5/8" Old Olive satin ribbon (Occasions Mini - 117292), Little Leaves die (114511), Scor-Pal

Sunshiny Day...

I made this card several weeks ago... it was inspired by a couple of Splitcoast challenges...

First of all, the sketch - SC272.

Secondly, the Ways to use it - WT262... You are supposed to use something that you've had on hand... and the card was supposed to be for encouragement. Well, the flower that I used I have had on hand for a loooong time! I had seen this cool tutorial by Stacey King (Rebel Inker) a long time ago and made up some of these flowers with the 5 petal flower punch (109041). I made one card with one of them at the time and the rest have been in my scraps ever since. So... this sketch inspired me to use them up. You can't really see it, but there is also a Baroque Motifs scroll in Barely Banana ink on the left side of the flower. I used the wings from the 2-step bird punch (117191 - Occasions Mini) and sponged around the edges with old olive ink for the leaves on the flower. This "encouragement" card was sent to a friend of mine who moved from sunny Florida to Canada... I thought maybe she could use some sunshine since it's lovely spring here and still winter there! :)

Supplies:

Stamps: Baroque Motifs (113490), Sentiment - Lizzie Anne Designs

Ink: Black, Barely Banana, and for the flower - Apricot Appeal, Cameo Coral, and Pretty in Pink, Old Olive

Cardstock: Barely Banana, white, black, and for the flower - Pretty in Pink, Barely Banana, Old Olive

Other: 5/8" Black Satin ribbon(117285 - Occasions Mini), Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder (117335 - Occasions Mini), 5-petal Flower punch (109041), 2-step Bird punch (117191 - Occasions Mini)

For My Sweet Little Monkey...

This sketch was a challenge a couple of weeks ago at Splitcoast Stampers... SC273.

I made this birthday card for my sweet little niece who just turned 6... I'm giving her the Fox & Friends stamp set (117020 - Occasions Mini) for her birthday, so I decided to make a card to give her an idea of how to use it. Include in her embellishments (see this post) are some green branches punched with the Two-Step Bird punch (117191 - Occasions Mini) so she can make her own monkey hanging from a branch. :) I punched a couple of little pink flowers with the Trio flower punch (109183) to tie the background paper to the rest of the card. Gotta love that flowered paper... it's from the Sending Love DSP pack (117153 - Occasions Mini), only available until April 30.

Supplies:

Stamps: Thankful Thinking (113786), Fox & Friends (118565 - Occasions Mini)

Paper: Sending Love DSP (117153 - Occasions Mini), Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, Old Olive, Real Red

Ink: Chocolate Chip

Other: 2-Step Bird punch (117153 - Occasions Mini), Trio Flower punch (109183), Nestabilities scalloped circles and rectangles dies

Two-Step Into Spring Promotion

Click here to view this promotional flyer... products are available April 1 - 30.

Check back often during this promotion for cards made using these stamp sets.

A Simple Wedding Card

A friend of mine asked me to make a wedding card for her to give... this was one of the options I made for her. This was a very simple card to make!

Check back tomorrow for a promotion including this stamp set...

Supplies:

Cardstock: White, Chocolate Chip, Bashful Blue

Stamp Sets: Fifth Avenue Floral (113734), Sincere Salutations (115068)

Ink: Bashful Blue, Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery, Chocolate Chip

Other: 5/8" Pretty in Pink Satin Ribbon (117289 - Occasions Mini)

Movers & Shapers Bags for PPA35...

Last week's challenge at Pals Paper Arts was "Anything but a card"... I don't take the time to create much besides cards so I felt like this was a "little" out of my comfort zone! I was trying to come up with something to make and suddenly had a brainstorm... why not make a little fabric bag with the Movers & Shapers die?! I decided to try it out... can't say that it turned out as cute as what I thought it would, but I'll post them anyway! The girly one is for my niece for her birthday... she loves making cards. The two cello bags full of embellies (a bunch of different Stampin' Up punches) will be stuffed into her bag. The star one is just to have on hand... it will probably eventually be filled with pencils or candy or something and given to one of my boys' friends for a birthday gift. The star one is my personal favorite... maybe because I'm used to all things boy! :) What do you think?

Supplies:

Heart bag: Movers & Shapers die (114506), Punch Windows die (115953), 5/8" Red Satin ribbon (117286 - Occasions Mini), fabric scraps from my stash!

Embellies bags: Small cello bags (103104), Top Note die (113463), various Stampin' Up punches and bold brights paper, "for you" sentiment - Thankful Thinking (113786)

Star bag: Movers & Shapers die (114506), Punch Windows die (115953), Chocolate Chip corduroy button (114339), twine, 5/8" Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon (109051)

Guest Stamper at Stampin' Pretty...

A couple of weeks ago I was fortunate enough to be the guest stamper on Mary Fish's Stampin' Pretty blog. This is the card that I made for the occasion...

I ran a square of old olive cardstock through my big shot with the little leaves die (114511)... then popped up the "negative" with dimensionals.

Supplies:

Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Very Vanilla

Ribbon: Old Olive grosgrain (111368)

Other: Little Leaves Die (114511), Vanilla Hodgepodge Hardware Ribbon Slide (112454), Polka Dots Impression Folder (117335- Occasions Mini Catalog), Scor-pal

PPA34

Have you ever played at PPA? Go here to check it out.
Margaret Moody's sketch for this week was perfect for the birthday card I needed to make for my Dad...
For the grass under the deer, I inked just the grass on the tree stamp... I used my trusty Stamp-a-majig to line it up just right!

Supplies:
Cardstock: Chocolate Chip, Sage Shadow, To The Nines DSP (114038)
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Stamps: Nature Silhouettes (111542), Well Scripted (118601 - Occasions Mini Catalog)
Other: Modern Label punch (116630), Punch Windows Movers & Shapers die (115593), brown brads

Chicken Alfredo... Yum!

You really need to try this recipe... it's delicious! I created the recipe card in My Digital Studio (MDS). Someday I'd like to make a recipe book with all of my favorite recipes... someday...
Supplies: My Digital Studio (how simple can you get?)

Welcome...

Hi! Welcome to my little corner of the world... I'm looking forward to sharing my projects with you. Stay tuned... coming up soon is a delicious recipe for you to try! (That is if I can figure out how to upload it here!) Please bear with me as I learn the ropes of uploading and posting! :)