Gifts Galore!!

Happy Monday to you all!  Have you all recovered from your turkey-pie-stuffing-dessert-meal barrage, hee hee?  I know I ATE WAY too much that's for sure and I gotta run some extra miles this week me thinks.  I'm putting up all my Xmas decorations this week and I hope to be done by Friday so on Saturday we can go and "hunt" our real trees (2) at Snicker's Gap Tree Farm here in Virginia.  I'm praying for good weather on Saturday as well cuz' its not as fun when it's freezing cold and/or raining KWIM!  I went to Target yesterday evening to get some replacement Xmas lights and can I just say that place was "GUTTED", LOL!  It looks like the Friday shoppers took ahold of the store and emptied it I tell ya---I couldn't find much of anything so I'm hoping our Lowes has lights in stock or I'll be in TROUBLE--yikes!  Every year I struggle to find lights and why the heck the stores don't get more in boggles my mind I tell ya---when you start putting out Xmas stuff in August I guess the shelves get bare.  BUT RETAILERS HEAR ME NOW---I DO NOT shop for Xmas stuff in Aug/Sept! NO WAY!! LOL!  I also don't shop for Halloween items in July--it's just bizarre I tell you!  I don't get it at all and it drives me insane---looney, hee hee!  Does it bother you too?!!

NewsBitz:

-I am loading up over 50+ of my paper projects to my Etsy site--I have loaded a bunch up but more will be loaded this evening!  So if you are interested in purchasing any of them you can visit my Etsy Store HERE!  But remember I will have more up tonight after 10 pm EST, so check back!  I want to clear out my shelves, lol!

-Remember to check out my Copic Classroom CMC Holiday Special going on thru Jan. 4th--a great way to gift yourself or a friend to copic classes!  See below post or on the main page of my classroom HERE for all the details!!

-Teri of Spunky & Tadpole was my Gina K winner (see below post) but I haven't heard from ya yet!  I'll give you a week and then I'll have to choose another winner, so if anyone knows Teri please give her a holler :)

-I've got a FABULOUS blog post coming later this week (crossing fingers) that NONE of you will want to miss!  It's exciting, fun for you and fun for me, hee hee!  Just you wait :)

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Wine Lovers Celebrate!!

This gift set was made by me early in March for the magazine that I publish with my pal Marti, "Through the Craftroom Door".  But since it's gift giving time I thought it was the perfect time to share it on my blog with you all!  I created it with my mom in mind because she loves wine and has a glass at dinner a few nights a week (and no she's not a wine-o I swear, lol, she'll shoot me for saying that, hee hee)!  But she is a bit of a wine connoisseur and I thought this would be a wonderful gift to recreate for a wine-lover in your life!  The set includes a wine towel (to wipe up drips or wrap around wine bottle), wine glass charms, wine glasses and matching card!  The stamps are all by Paper Trey Ink's "Damask Designs" which is a timeless and traditional set to add to your collection (I loveee it)!!  This set was for Mother's Day but it's super easy to change/add any sentiment for any holiday or occasion you need it for!
 

 I bought a set of 4 wine glasses from Target that were of nice quality but inexpensive!  I cleaned them good on the outside and let them dry completely and then I've stamped directly onto the glasses with my PTI stamp using alcohol ink and a Palette Ink refill mixed together.  Instead of putting the acrylic stamp on a block I held it in my hand & dipped it into my ink mixture, then carefully wrapped the stamp onto the wine glass gently and lifted off quickly.  I love the watery look of the stamp on the glass.  Then I took a crystal clear Viva Decor Glass Gel Pen and added dimensional beads to my design on the glasses--gives it an extra sparkle!
 

I created my card base out of a transparency to echo the look of the wineglasses and it just looks COOL! LOL!  I used the PTI stamp set (Damask Designs) to create the background on the blue cs to make my own patterned paper to match.  The beautiful sentiment is from the PTI set "Mother" --you could easily change out the sentiment for any holiday/occasion that you need!  The pearl accents were made with my Viva Decor Pearl Pen in ice white (on sale 15% off now)---easy & fun to use!

Wine glass charms are so much fun to make and so easy too!  For these I bought all my supplies at my local craft store.  The ring bases are actually round metal earrings (bought in packs) that I added coordinating beads and charms to.  They easily hook on and off of your glasses and you can make them to match for any holiday or home decor!  You can buy these pre-made in stores in sets of 6 for upwards of $25---I made 6 of them for under $6!!  Great gift idea! And I loved that the charms matched the damask of my stamp set too!

The wine towel I bought plain and then I've embellished it with washable products.  The images were stamped on with Palette Ink which is perfect for fabric and washable!  Then I added some more pearl trim with the same Viva Decor Pearl Pen (that I used on the card)--these pearls are heavy duty and will NOT wash off!  So it makes a pretty addition to the set and is quick & easy to make too!

See ya back here tomorrow!!

Under the Sea!!

Good Thursday Evening to you all!  YAY-the weekend is almost here and a early Happy Mother's Day to you all that are mom's, grandma's and great-grandmas!  I told hubby I only wanted my side garden finished and my fridge's icemaker fixed--THAT WILL MAKE me super HAPPY!  I don't need anything else, I just like the house to-do list to be shortened a bit :o)

Tonight I have some special projects to share with you all using the fabulous Gina K set "Quite a Catch"--the DT's are having a fun BLOG HOP for you this evening, so make sure to hop around.  I did quite a few projects so this post will be a little long, hee hee--but I had lots to include!

If you are looking for the new QuikBitz Copic Video--you can see it on the post below or click on my Tutorials/Templates tab at the top of my blog!

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Under the Sea Baby Gifts

For my gift set I created a tent-card, a baby bib and a baby onesie using the "Quite a Catch" stamp set from Gina K.   I LOVE stamping & coloring on fabric--it's such a fun way to personalize you gifts and another great way to use your Copics.  If you take Class 4 in my Color Me Creative Classroom you will learn to create/color this entire set--it's really fun to do!  Remember Copics are permanent markers so you can color on fabric and wash them :0)  I also have 2 quick tutorials on coloring on fabric with copics on my Tutorials/Template page (tab at top of blog) if you are interested in getting started with this--it's really FUN!

I love making these tent cards--you can find a tutorial on them HERE--they are super easy to make!  I colored the crab, fish and starfish along with some of the seagrasses and then cut them each out after coloring with copics.  That sand stuff is so fun--it's by Mudd Puddles and it dries hard and you can apply it to any paper surface! It makes the perfect addition to this under the sea card.  I embossed the background with a fun wave-like CB embossing folder called D'vine Swirls.  The starfish hangs down from the top on a piece of Scrappers Floss which is a little sturdier than floss.

I did my tent card a little differently--from the side you can see the accordion fold on the bottom, for my card I flipped it so it makes an "M".  On the tutorials you will see they tell you to do it the other way to make a "W" fold.  I like it better this way because it will still fold flat but it gives more depth between the front & back of the card which I like.  I also created a top tent for the card (a pc of cs folded in half) then embellished with some more embossed cs, a scroll punch and a bow made with my Bow Easy.

Aren't they a cute cast of characters?  Love them!  They all got some stickles for sparkle on them and then all of their eyes got diamond glaze (Crystal Accents does the same thing--see here at Gina's) on them for shine.  I also added some bubbles above the fish and crab with my Viva Decor Gloss pen in transparent--you know they're talking underwater to each other, LOL!

I love to buy blank fabric items--I'm always searching them out in my craft and fabric stores and online--these cotton bibs I bought online in bulk (I like to have lots of extra on hand at all times, yes it is a sickness I have with all craft supplies, lol)!  I stamped the images with Versacraft Ink in black, green & yellow (these inks are made for fabric and are washable & non-toxic, great colors and copics will not make them bleed). You can use Memento but it fades quickly when washed--DON'T USE STAZ-ON!!

Then I colored the starfish just like I did on the card (YR23,YR21,YR20,Y11,Y00,R20)--the concept is the same as on paper as far as your shading and coloring but the technique is different (it's more of a quick dabbing when you use copics on fabric).  Then I used my Viva Decor Glitter Liner in holographic to color in the grasses and the circle that is around the sentiment--the glitter liner can be used on any surface, non-toxic and can be washed!  What baby wouldn't like to look at this cute bib and mess it up, hee hee?!

Then I had to create a little matching baby onesie--again I buy these all cotton onesies in bulk by Gerber to stamp on.  I had to use the cute crab again cuz' he's just my favorite from the set. I colored him with the same colors as the card (E08,R02,R00,C1) and then lightly stamped the seaweed/grass in the Versacraft Ink in spring green.  Again I used the Viva Decor Glitter Liner pen to highlight those grasses and stamped a cute sentiment. 

Isn't he a cutie?  Remember these tips when coloring on fabric--heat set your fabric first (I iron them real quick or you can toss them in a hot dryer for 5 mins).  This gets any moisture out of the fabric, then stamp and color and embellish.  Then you want to heat set them again to set the colors--I put a light towel on top and then iron over it a few times and then it's ready to go.  Also remember that your copic colors will be darker on fabric then on paper so keep that in mind when you get ready to do this.

Hope you liked these projects--I sure do and I had so much FUN creating them--that's the best part!

Now you need to hop around all the fabulous designer's blogs below for more great inspiration!

Visit these designer's blogs tonight for even more samples with the Quite a Catch stamp set

• Jessica Fick
• Bev Gerard
• Colleen Schaan
• Suzanne Dean
• Valerie Stangle
• Cathy Tidwell
• Lee Murphy
• Theresa Momber
• Geri Utterback
• Tina Gilliland
• Sharri Seffens
• Vicki Dutcher
• Jennie Harper
• Melissa Shultz
• Brenda Turner
• Joy Hadden
• Linda Payne
• Jen Charboneau
• Cheri Weston 

To see the adorable samples in the StampTV gallery, check out this link: quiteacatch   

Lemonade & Sunshine!

Happy Wednesday to you all and Happy 1/2 way thru the week already!!  How is the weather treating you lately?  It's been beautiful here but supposed to cool off a bit this weekend--bummer, I like it HOT!  I know some of you have been in the path of terrible storms, tornadoes and flooding so sending out cyber hugz to you all if you are struggling with the after effects of those!  The weather lately in the past 2 years has just been crazy--me thinks "global warming" is a real thing after all, how 'bout you?

I have a slide-show of our Disney pictures and some birthday gifts I received at the end of this post if you are interested (if you get this in your email you have to come to the actual blog site to see the pics)!  I don't have many of hubby & I together in Disney yet--I ordered a few from Disney that they took (love that Photopass you can get there) so I'll share those next week when they come in.  The weather was very humid and the hotel water very SOFT so my hair was limpy-loo the whole time, lol--it was crazy!  My hubby is always subjected to "posing" in goofy poses for me, but he's always a good sport--so hope you get some laughs.  Also make sure and see his HUGE DINNER he ate one night, lol!  And we have been to Disney 5 times together so we knew what we wanted to do and see while there and were able to hit all the Disney parks in a leisurely way--having lots of fun along the way!

NewsBitz:

-I am crazy working on some new You-Tube Copic Videos and the Color Me Creative Class 4 this week, so my posts this week and next will be sporadic so I can get them all completed for you!  As soon as everything is done, I will announce it here!

-Bday Blog Candy Post below (from Tues)--you have to search for it within the post and enter by Friday! LOL!

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Lemonade & Sunshine

Today I have a fun project to share with you all that is filled with sunshine!  I have had this beautiful new Lockhart Stamp for a bit--it was just waiting for me to use it, hee hee!  I'm not really an apron kinda girl when I cook, but I probably should be cuz' I can be kinda messy, lol! But I love the look of them and always remember my mom wearing them when I was younger--so vintage & cool!  This stamp is called "Daisy Apron" and it would look fabulous paper pieced as well.  I created one of these awesome desk caddies (see a tutorial here) that I have been seeing around the web lately.  I thought this would be a fabulous gift set for Mother's Day, a Wedding Shower or just for a friend--you could fill the caddy up with fun gifts or leave it empty. I envision this sitting on a desk in the kitchen holding some paper & fun pens and recipe cards :o)  The papers I used are from Basic Grey's "Nook & Pantry" collection.

Don't these colors just emit summertime fun? Crisp lettuce green, lemon yellow and apple red are just FUN!  I colored the apron to match these sweet papers (Y15,Y11,Y000/R27,R22,R20/YG25,YG03,YG000).  The pretty red trimming was done with my Martha Stewart border punch (a new one) and the green background was embossed with the swiss dots CB folder.  And that yellow panel is a new SB's nestability die "Labels 11"--I just got a few new ones and I love this set--then I ran it thru another CB embossing folder.  A bow made with my Bow Easy finishes it off nicely--oh, the edges of the dp were distressed with my new (fabulous I must say) Zutter Distress Tool HERE (great price of $32 too--amended from the $27, oopsie that was with my discount, sorry).

Aren't these desk caddies the coolest?  And you make it with just one sheet of 12x12" cs, some adhesive (I used Scor-Tape), hole punch and patterned paper--very easy to make.  The tutorial I found is HERE, but there are a lot out there so who the original inventor is I haven't a clue, lol (but I think it was a guy if I remember reading correctly)!  Kudos to him!  Again I used more of my BG "Nook & Pantry" papers to decorate the outside of my caddy, made some more paper trimming with my MS punch and then topped it off with some large daisies and bow!

I know I'll be making more of these soon--for many different occasions! So fun and easy to do and perfect for anyone!  If you use a double-sided cs then the inside can be decorative too!  Hope you enjoyed these projects today and maybe are inspired to create one for yourself or someone special!

Disney 2010 Slideshow: (click to make larger)


Have a fabulous day!

Bathin' Beauties!!

Hiya Friends!  I think I jinxed the weather yesterday by talkin' smack, LOL--cuz it was COLD & RAINY all day yesterday!!  But back to the 60's and sunny tomorrow so all is good on the homefront.  I am happy to say that I am catching up on my deadlines slowly but surely, so I can breathe just a bit now!  I've got a fun & elegant project to share with you today that features something I'm totally addicted to (and no it's not Cherry Coke, which we all know I'm a big fan of, lol)!  I found these soaps last fall on Etsy and have bought many for myself and as gifts--they're all natural, beautiful and come in so many yummy scents!  You can find them at Bare Bumm Bath HERE on Etsy!  I have a different one each month in my shower that is ONLY MINE--I don't share soap--EWWWW!  Do you have that fetish too?  I keep liquid soap everywhere including the shower because I don't like to touch bars of soap that others have wiped their cooties on, LOL--yes I AM anal like that!  Hubby just laughs, but he knows better than to touch my soap that I keep in a special container, hee hee!  Oh well we've all got our things that we're weird about right, LOL!

NewsBitz:

-The Dirty Dozen DT reveals the new fan club gallery tomorrow on SCS--it's all about vintage!  Some of the projects I made are my MOST FAVE I've ever done, I'm really proud of them :o)

-I get a lot of questions about photographing my projects (how, why, with what) so I created a pdf file with pics and info for you on how I get this all done and it's on my Color Me Creative Main Site HERE in the Resource Section!  Not that I'm a master by any means, but I can do the basics, lol!

-Class 4 is almost done for my Online Copic Classroom and it's up now for pre-registration (discounted pricing) if you're interested HERE (click Classroom Tab and page down) for a class description, pricing & supply list!  For the first 3 weeks I'm taking $3 from each Class 4 registration plus $100 of my own money and donating it to a great cause--this time it will go to UNICEF which I think is a brilliant & wonderful charity that serves this great big world we live in!  They educate, rescue, feed, give medical aid and help to those in need around the WORLD and you know your money is being used wisely.  I think it's so important to give back and if you've followed me regularly you know I pick different charities every now & then to support (past ones have been women's shelters, children's charities and animal rescue groups).  Once monies are collected I'll post the receipt/invoice to Unicef here on the blog for all to see--hoping for a good tally!!  There is a lot of need here in our country and around the world!  And if you don't buy a class but would like to donate some $$ email me and we will add you to the group funds!!

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Bathing Beauty

So today I have my day-late Try It Out Tuesday project for Susana's Custom Art & Card Design--the challenge was to use embossing (dry or wet)!  I pulled out a NEW Lockhart stamp that I have been anxious to use from this last collection called "Phalaenopsis" which is a kind of orchid.  I'm not real good at growing somewhat tempermental houseplants, so while I love them I do not own any, lol!  I created a pretty little gift set that includes a pretty-soap box.  The papers are from GCD (a new fave of mine) called "Paris Nights"--love it so much I went & ordered more for my stash!!

For the card I distressed some of the paper edges for a slighty romantic, vintage look.  The flowers are stacked Primas and then I added pearls I made with my Viva Decor Pearl Pens (black & cream) to the centers and along the oval frame of the image, and on the orchid a bit.  The fun black swirls were made with my Slice Machine (Vintage Findings cartridge)--gosh I love that lil' machine, and highly recommend it if you're Cricut challenged (or space challenged) like myself.  Oh and for my embossing I embossed the pale pink cardstock on the front with my Cuttlebug "Asian Folder".  The border trim was done with a new MS border punch!

I LOVE great smelling soaps that make your skin soft and organic is even bettah!  I found these fabulous soaps that are handmade, all natural by Bare Bumm Bath on the Etsy site and they are wonderful for you and for gifts.  I measured out the soap (this one is White Tea & Ginger) to create a custom gift box for the soap.  The top was created with these cool new EK Success punches that punch out tags and swirls at the same time (this is journal plate & flourish) ---LOVE THEM (I'm singing can you hear me, lol)!  The sentiment is from a PTI set and then I used my Viva Decor Pearl pens to accent the lid and used my MS border punch to create the trim around the lid.  (if you want the dimensions of the gift box let me know--but some of the soaps are different sizes just so you know)

This is a close up of the soap from Bare Bumm Bath at Etsy--this is White Tea & Ginger which is a fave of mine (love rain kissed leaves too)!  They come in different shapes and sizes and are really yummy!  I wrapped the bottom and sides of the soap in wax paper for cleanliness (they come packaged in cute glassine bags tied with ribbon).

The image was colored with Copics, the pot got a coat of diamond glaze and then I've sprinkled stickles all over for some sparkle.  I created a soft background with W00 & R00 around the plant.

Hope you all enjoyed this project I made today & I'll see ya later!

Saturday Fun!

Happy Saturday to ya!  It's a busy day for me so I'll keep most of my chitter-chatter to a minimum for ya, hee hee!  The ghost in my house has been back--last night I went to bed and woke up to hear a weird noise and the dogs growling, so I smacked my hubby real good (u have to understand that FIRST I'm a scaredy cat big time and SECOND he's a very DEEP sleeper), LOL!  So I made HIM go and investigate in all his grogginess and ALL of my craft room lights were on, all my cupboard doors were wide open and all my punches were on the floor out of their pockets!  Can you say CREEPY???  IT SCARED THE crappola outta me--I never did go back to sleep--I'm really not quite sure what's going on, but as skeptical as I am I'm just not sure, although hubby asked ME if I might have done it, err no I don't sleepwalk, you big silly-head!!  Even my very serious & practical hubby was a lil' thrown off by it all especially since everyone was asleep and the house was quiet.  And the cats will NOT go in my craft room at all now---they usually come and sleep in the chair or whine at me to feed them, but they're steering clear---WEIRDY I tell ya!  WEIRD!!

NewsBitz:

-I will announce when the classroom site for the Copic Classes is live.  It will hopefully be the middle of next month, but I will let you all know, you won't miss the announcement, I promise!!

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New Products, New Projects!

So today I'm just sharing a few projects that I did for the Viva Decor Release yesterday for my friend Susana's Store.  If you haven't checked out these products yet, you really should--I wouldn't recommend them if I didn't LOVE them myself.  They are easy to use, fun to use and so many ways to use them it will BLOW your mind (and they're economical to boot)!!  You can see my videos below which show you how I did these projects and how to use them all:

-Glass Effects Gel and Glitter Liner Video HERE

-Pearl Pens Video HERE

-Paper Pens Video HERE

This is a vase that I decorated with Staz-On ink, stamps, glass effects gel, pearl pen in silver and glitter liner (find all of these products HERE).  I had recieved this vase w/ flowers, washed it real good and then decorated it!  It was soooooooooo easy to do and took me maybe 20 mins--lickety split.  Can you imagine all the fun things you can make for gifts and for yourself!  The glass effects gel dries semi-transparent and leaves a stained glass look--it's so darn pretty!

Up close you can see the dimension from the silver chrome pearl pen that I used and then the glitter liner (in holo irridescent) on the swirls that I had stamped.  I just love the way it turned out!

These are square glass votives that I picked up at Michaels for $1.50 each (how's that for cheap) and then I used a Viva Decor stencil to make the pattern on the votive and the Glass Gel Pens in blue and transparent.  I then went back after that had dried and used my Holo-Irridescent Glitter Liner to create some glitter pearls for accents!  This took me all of 5 minutes to do and they can be hand washed (NO DISHWASHER) or put outside on your patio table--COOL!  Can you imagine the gifts you'll make---I sure can!

Here it is lit with a battery tea light I had on hand--this set of votives has been claimed for my daughter's beach themed bedroom LOL!

This is a little notebook (from Target) that I stamped and then decorated with my Paper Pens and Pearl Pens (in lilac and silver chrome)!  There are so many possibilities with these products, I promise you will love them all!  And you can find them all HERE!

See ya back here tomorrow!

Bzzzz...Buzzzy!!

Hi all my wonderful crafty friends!  Thank you all so much for your input and comments about my "top secret project" that I'm putting together with my friend Marti!  It's exciting to get it started, but stressful and nerve-wracking at the same time, LOL!  I have been disappointed with alot of the crafting magazines out there and have been wanting to do this for awhile and Marti agreed :o)  We will start off small for the first year, but after that who knows where we can go! Sky's the limit!  I'm a buzzzzy girl I tell ya!

Some more info for ya to get ya excited about the new publication AND On-Line Copic Classes:

-You will be able to purchase a subscription in pdf format only or a paper AND pdf subscription.  The cost will be $20 and under for a year (not firm on pricing yet) with special intro pricing.  The first issue will go live April 1st and there after be May/June, July/Aug, etc plus a special Winter Holiday edition.  So you have an option to recieve it online and print it yourself OR you can get the glossy mag mailed to you AND have access to it as a pdf file (pricing will differ of course for both options).  And with both you have access to the special website!  (INTERNATIONAL Customers--pdf file subscription offered only right now)

-It will feature EVERYTHING!  Reader input is important to us!  We will have guests who specialize in different craft areas in one section (our main focus is paper crafting though), we will feature craft rooms, there will be techniques & tutorials galore (w/ videos to match them on the website to further the teaching experience), we will feature ALL stamp/digi companies, ALL craft products and tools, and lots of photos.  There will NOT be a bias on what we use---we want you to know about everything out there that there is to know!  We will feature all readers and their abilities!  We will not have a DT, because we want different people doing their thing for each edition, so there will be great variety but we will ask for submissions and ideas.  Cricut, Slice, Big Shot, Cuttlebug projects will be featured, Copics, Prismas and watercoloring will be featured and most of all it will be FUN!  And yeah, there will be contests too :o)

-And my Online Copic Classes are SOON COMING!  I have the site set up and am working on the "meat" of the classes right now.  Tentative date to open is March 15th!  There will be 4 classes you can sign up for---Basics Beginner 1, Beginner/Intermediate Level 2, Advanced Level 3, and a Copic Fun Class!  There will be ALOT of focused instruction, class assignments with input from me to help you along the way and LIVE CHAT with me to answer your questions every week!  Supply lists are available with each class description as well!

-Each class will have special pdf files that match up with each video chapter I do, so you have a printable page for each section of the class at your fingertips!

-There will be a TON of videos for each class, more specialized & focused on sections of an image and/or the technique.  Each part of the class will be broken up into different videos so you can watch a section over & over w/o having to forward it thru parts you might not need to review again.  You will have continual access to your class for as long as you need---there is no end date, so you can take your time or go as fast as you like :o)

-These are not Certification Classes---unless you want to work for Copic you do NOT need to be certified!  If you take all 4 classes you will know ALL there is to know about Copics and you will be able to color like a PRO!  I do not leave anything untouched, I will cover everything you want to know and more!  Are you ready? Are you interested?

Whewwwww....enuff info for ya?  LOL!

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Buzz Worthy Release from Pink Cat Studio

Today Pink Cat Studio has a double release--both digi and rubber stamps for ya and you can access them all HERE!  I love the lil' fairy girls that Melissa has designed (there is a bee, a butterfly, & a ladybug fairy)!  I chose to use "Lily Bee" for my projects today.  And of course I had to use the black, white and yellow theme!  The papers I used are from  and the cs and polka-dots are from PTI.  I created a fun card and matching boxy/bag favor.

"Lily Bee" is colored with Copics (of course) and I used Y15,Y13,Y11,Y00/C7,C5,C3,C1 for her.  Her wings, flower wand, headband and antennae have diamond glaze on them and some stickles on her ruffles.  I used some of my fave Nestie shapes (ovals, scalloped ovals and Labels 1) to create my layers.  The bee charm got some yellow stripes painted on it with my Smooch paint and the bow was created with my Bow Easy.  Isn't she a cutie-patootie!

This boxy bag is called a 2-5-7-10 Box and you can find the instructions for this HERE (created by the fab Jenn Balcer).  It's super easy to make and can hold so many nice lil' gifts!  I used the same papers, added some trims with my MS border punches and used my ribbon to tie shut.

Now make sure and hop over to the Pink Cat Studio Blog HERE to see all the dt projects for more inspiration!

These are all available as rubber AND digi stamps!

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Daisy Love

Since I had my papers out I figured I'd make another project because I love this color scheme--so fresh & fun!  This time I used a Lockhart Stamp called "Cupcake Daisy" which I colored with Copics.  I also added some Polar White Flower Soft to the image for texture and then stickles on the cupcake paper.  I traced a circle around the image with my black Spica pen and then added white pearls around it to bling it up a bit :o)

The white cs got the CB embossing treatment with my "swiss dots" folder and that fabulous bow was made with my Bow Easy!

Alrighty I'm outta here but I'll see ya back here tomorrow!

Cheer Ya Up!!

Hello & Happy Tuesday to you all!  It was so nice having a 3-day weekend, even if I did work on 2 of those days getting projects done, LOL!  Did anyone watch the Golden Globes--always my guilty pleasure every year although I mostly watch to see the fashion, hee hee--one day I'll wear a dress like that (yeah right) but a gal can dream!  My daughter is OBSESSED with that show "Glee"--I don't much care for it, but what do I know--she was happy to see them win & my son was grossed out when Meryl Streep & Sandra Bullock smooched (I just laughed)!  Love Sandra Bullock!  No big shockers though--so that was disappointing, I love to see someone make a boo-boo with their speech or fashion choice, makes it all the more interesting ya know.  I may not dress like a movie star but I love to see what they wear, and of course when they dress bad I think "How?" cuz' they have $$$, stylists and they pick out the ugliest stuff sometimes, LOL!  I don't want a stylist but the clothing budget would be nice me thinks :o) !!!

NewsBitz:

- 7 Kids College Fund has lots of new Stampavie Stamps on Pre-Order right now & they are CUTE!  I ordered a few myself cuz' I couldn't help myself, hee hee!  Check out the *NEW Sarah Kay Stamps HERE, *New Penny Johnson HERE, *NEW Gillian Roberts HERE and the rest of them HERE!  You'll love 'em!

- If you missed the "Pretty In Pink" Blog Hop by the Magnolia-licious DT make sure & scroll down to yesterday's post to see my projects and to start the hop! It's all Pink-a-licious Fabulous-ness!

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A Vintage Valentine

I'm just pleased as punch with how this card turned out I tell ya, LOL!  I used some fabulous new Collage Hearts from I Brake For Stamps HERE (I used Large Camelia Heart & Small Primrose Heart)--I got the whole sheet actually & can't wait to use the Paris collage stamps too!  (If you order, make sure & use the coupon code "SAVE10SUZANNE" to get 10% off your whole order)  I used some more of my K&Co "Life's Journey" dp, love the vintage paper along with some more cream, pink & kraft cs.  The border was made with a MS border punch and the sentiment is from Flourishes.  I stamped the hearts in SU pink ink and then added some stickles for sparkle after I distressed them a bit with my Inkssentials Blending Tool (a must have tool imo and I use SU's creamy caramel to distress).  Some PTI buttons, ribbon and Prima Pearl flourishes to finish it off!

Perfect for Valentine's Day or just a sweet card for a loved one!!  Don't forget to stop by I Brake For Stamps & see all the fabulous new stamp HERE!!

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Try It Out Tuesday Challenge #51

This bright and cheery set is for today's "Try It Out Tuesday Challenge #51" which was to use a stamp from the fabulous, new Victoria Case for SCACD "Aurora Collection" and to make an altered item of some sort!  Well I've had a few of these cute, mini baskets hanging around my craft room for awhile so I grabbed one up to alter to match my card.  I used "Aurora with Bird" for my card--I think that bird is sooo cute and I had to make him a lil' red bird to match, lol!  These stamps are exclusively at Susana's Custom Art & Card Design!

My card uses some new dp by DCWV called "Mariposa" and I love the fresh, cheery colors and butterfly images!  My image was colored with Copics, then I added some stickles and diamond glaze (to the nuts and eyes) and some fun polka dots with my white pen.  My butterfly is from a MS punch--(TIP: to make it more decorative & matchy, I used a hole punch & then snipped the lil circle punches in half & attached the the butterfly's wings).  I used my Bow Easy for my bow and added some Prima rose & flowers. (IF you want a great deal on Prima Roses, Susana has all the colors in stock and you get 24 of them for only $3--a deal I tell ya)

To decorate my basket I cut strips of my red cs and attached it around the basket & on the handle, then I added some more dp and a flower to match the card.  The tag was cut with my Nestabilities Labels 4 and the sentiment is from PTI's "Spring Tags" set.  This would perfectly hold some fun little treats or even a gift card, maybe some special bird seed for a bird-loving friend would be cute too!

View from the top-LOL!

Now make sure & hop over to the Follow Your Heart Blog to see all of the DT's lovely projects for you today--you won't be sorry you did :o)

See ya back here tomorrow--only 3 more days till I leave for CALI (ackkk, I'm not ready yet, LOL)!!

Peppermint Twist!!

Hello friends & Happy Wednesday to ya! Oh my it's dreary & rainy here in VA today--guess that's the payback for the beautiful warm fall weather we've had the past few days (even had my windows open)! My wrist is still swollen & sore but I'm managing okay--the world does not stop, hee hee! And this is a busy, busy week for me--there are 2 new stamp releases this week, a blog hop, I'm teaching 2 private Copic Classes and then this weekend hubby & I are going to a wine & cheese cocktail party! Whew---Sunday is blissfully free though :o) Possibly another trip to the new, huge Wegmans Grocery Store--if you have one near you, you know what I mean when I say it's the HUGEST GROCERY STORE in the country--fabulous! Seafood bar, fresh bread, gourmet cheeses, wine selection, prepared foods, cafe and the prices are SUPER--love it! It's like a field trip to get groceries---even the kids love it, LOL (and that says alot for me cuz' I HATE grocery shopping)! Oh don't get me started on their yummy breads, pies and fresh sushi---YUMMO Good!! Now, dang it I'm hungry--LOL--gotta go get a snack!

NewsBitz:

-I will continue to keep this up everyday, but I am having a Holiday Crafter's Open House on Saturday, December 5th from noon til' 5 pm (come for an hour or three, but drop by if you can) I will have my 10 (yes 10 this year) Xmas trees up, house decorated, mulled cider brewing & lots of sweets to eat along with lots of fun chatting & meeting other crafters from this area! (I live in Leesburg, VA right off of Rte. 7 in the Lansdowne on the Potomac neighborhood) Make it a trip for ya too--the Leesburg Outlets are 5 mins away, Dulles Towne Center Mall 10 mins away, Tyson's Corner Mall 25 mins away!! (and a big Joann's & Michaels too)

-Tomorrow Susana's Custom Art & Card Design celebrates a NEW RELEASE from Elisabeth Bell and the DT will have a fun BLOG HOP to show off the new stamps! If you haven't entered for the BLOG CANDY HERE, you have until 10:30 PM EST tonite to do so!

-Another fabulous Etsy Site for ya today is Jennifer Magnesi Designs! She makes the cutest flower rings and jewelry! I ordered a couple rings for myself and some for my daughter to give to her friends this holiday season (very affordable at $6-7 each, and customizable colors)! The flower ring & earrings are so IN this season & this is a great way to get in on the trend w/o breaking the bank! Go HERE to check her designs out!!

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Peppermint Twist Gift Set

So I spent yesterday making this fun Peppermint Twist Gift Set using some fabulous Magnolia stamps from Magnolia-licious!! I found the box/basket in the back at my Target $1 Spot and it led to the colors, dp and feel of the entire set! The fun dp is by KI Memories paired with some Coredinations cs (mint green) and PTI cs. This set includes the basket full of Peppermint Bath/Body Products and tag, a gift card holder, and a Envelope Pocket Card!!

First up is a fun Envelope Pocket Card! I got this idea from my pal Maria Bell's blog here--and knew I had to try it out. I used "Tilda with Candy Cane" for my main image & colored her w/ Copics. I layered cs & dp, the border & corners were made with a MS border punch. I used my nestabilities "Mega Labels 8" to back my image, the sentiment is from PTI's "Holiday Treats" set tied to a button & bow with Scrappers Floss! I haven't made a long card in awhile so this was a fun way to change it up a bit! She of course has some bling on her sparkly tights, wings & candy cane too!

This is the envelope that the card pulls out of--I used a long envelope and covered it with the same elements I used above. I used a circle punch to make a small cutout in the envelope so the card can easily be pulled up--and the top of the envelope pulls off easily. A fun way to present a card to someone & super easy to do!

Next up is a gift card holder (instructions for this HERE)--I have made TONS of these and they are so easy to whip up & make such a pretty presentation for a gift card! I used "Lazy Summer Tilda"--she's perfect for any season or occasion I think & I propped her up in oval layers made with my nesties. I added some snowflake punch-outs and then added mint pearls to the snowflakes & dp for some extra bling (along w/ stickles on her wings)!

This is what the inside looks like--the gift card goes right in the center panel. And you decorate the inside however you like--I used some more PTI polka-dotted dp for my outer panels and then the sentiment is from PTI's "Stocking Prints" set and some more fun snowflakes! It ties closed with a ribbon bow!

And here is the gift box--isn't it cute! I added a tag I made with my PTI stamps, a button, and some Scrapper's Floss & ribbon! Inside it holds Peppermint scented lotion, body spray, hand sanitizer, lipgloss and bubble bath! Perfect gift for someone sweet in your life (this set is for sale in my Etsy shop HERE)!! Hope these projects added some sweetness to your day!

I'll see ya back here with a fun Blog Hop & new Pink Cat Studio Digi Releases too!