Friends of SNSS Blog Hop!

Welcome to Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps 5th Birthday Blog Hop! I am so honored to have been invited to participate with lots of amazingly talented Friends of SNSS!

Here's what you need to know about today's hop:

• There will be 4 random participants from whom one commenter will be chosen to receive a $15 store credit. 
• To be included in the drawings, comments must be left by midnight EST Friday, November 30th.
• Winners will be announced on the SNSS Blog on December 1st at 8 a.m. EST

Celebrating this birthday with Korin is particularly special to me, since one of the very first teams I had the privilege of being part of was the then barely one year old SNSS.  I have such special memories of those early months of stamping, and such wonderful friendships were formed as Korin and the rest of the team showed me the ropes.  This amazing hobby and the world of blogging gave us common ground in the beginning, but our relationships grew to be so much more than paper-crafting!  We shared our creative struggles and real life challenges too, praying for each other and offering encouragement as well as companionship.  Even though our journeys are no longer so tightly intertwined, I know where to run to find a serious prayer warrior when I need one!

I have a sweet friend Bethany in my Bible study...maybe she's one of the reasons I so adore Bethany Bunny!  I chose the Baking Bethany digital stamp for today's card...it's colored with Copics, blinged up with Stickles, a gingham ribbon with a button and bow, and a few pearls.  The layout is this week's Sweet Stop Sketch! I love having a sketch or other challenge as a starting point...Korin's Sweet Stop and SNSS Digi Challenge blogs provide a great resource for stampers!

CPS #261

These soft, shimmery coneflowers are a digital stamp from Sweet 'n Sassy that I colored with Copic markers, sprayed with Smooch Spritz and inked with Tim Holtz distress ink before removing the image from the oval die used to cut the shape.  I love how these muted shades work so well together, and how elegant a simple card can be!  

Visit the CPS blog to see more ideas using this sketch and Sweet 'n Sassy stamps!

Notes:

Coneflowers and Butterfly Sweet 'n Sassy digital stamp

Gina K kraft card stock

My Mind's Eye designer paper

May Arts ribbon

Zva Pearls

I've a Song in My Heart...

...and it's the Birthday song!  I'm actually a day early but it's already time to celebrate!  Tomorrow is my sweet friend Korin Sutherland's birthday! We're partying early since tomorrow is the fantastic April Release Blog Hop for Korin's company, Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps, and we didn't want to take the spotlight away from that. After all, every birthday girl deserves her OWN day in the spotlight, so please join us as we celebrate Korin's birthday a little early!  I'm sure you will agree...it's nice to spend an extra day celebrating!

Sweet and Sassy Stamps was one of my very first design teams...that in itself gives it and Korin a special place in my heart, but that team was about so much more than stamping!  We all were so close, not just in our love of this hobby, but because we shared our lives with each other and prayed for each other on a regular basis.  Being part of that team was such an amazing experience!  I love Korin and am so honored to be invited to her virtual birthday party!

The stamp set that I chose for Korin's card is called Melody of Love.  It is a beautiful image that celebrates music and the love of friends, so I thought it was perfect for today's birthday blog party!  I found some beautiful Kaiser Craft foil designer paper in my stash, with rich browns, soft blues and lovely corals (I wish the camera would've caught its amazing copper lustre!) that work very well with this image, which I colored with Copic markers.  A delicate fleur de lis border, some girlie tulle, pearls and swirls make what could be considered a masculine color combo very feminine indeed.  Some Sweet Pea Flower Soft adds some soft color and texture to the flower centers...Korin's card will be my entry for this week's Flower Soft challenge, "anything goes!"

Below is the whole birthday party train....prepare yourself for some fantastic cupcakes and ice cream from these talented ladies!!

• Taylor Usry 
• Beate Johns
• Bridget Finlay
• Holly McMillen
• Lydia Fiedler
• Chrissy Dickinson
• Dina Kowal
• Leslie Hanna
• Lisa Hjulberg
• Kim Schofield
• Jessica Fick
• Julie Ranae
• Monika Davis
• Jessica Diedrich
• Cathy McCauley
• Makiko Jones
• Kim Singdahlsen
• Mary Faus
• Deb Felts--you're here
• Lori Craig
• Giovana Smith
• Kim O'Connell
• Wendy Jordan
• Julie Smith
• Michele Single
• Jeanne Streiff
• Lee Murphy

Feel free to leave Korin some early birthday love, either on her blog, her Facebook page, or the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Facebook page!

Happy Birthday, Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps!

Hello and welcome to the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Birthday Blog Hop! Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps is so excited to be celebrating four wonderful years!

If you have been following along already you should have come from Katlyn's.  If this is your first stop, please head back to the SNSS blog and start from the beginning. You won't want to miss any stops along the way! Also, don't forget to comment on as many stops as you can....the more comments the better your chance of winning one of the fabulous prize packs! :)

SNSS was one of my very first design teams, and it holds a very special place in my heart!  The friendships and faith of that group were strong and powerful then...while we don't necessarily chat on such a frequent basis, those ties hold firm, and we know where to go when we need prayer and encouragement!  I cherish my SNSS friends!

A fantastic group of Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps design team members past and present, along with some special friends, have put together this fabulous Birthday Blog Hop to kick off a whole month of fun. We have 36 stops so the hop will take place over three days - feel free to take your time visiting each blog! You have until 11:59 pm EST November 9th to leave comments on as many blogs as you can. On Saturday, November 12th Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps will announce FOUR winners (chosen at random from comments on random stops along the hop); each lucky winner will receive a prize pack including stamps, dies, paper and twine valued at $40!

The digital image that graces my card for today was illustrated by my sweet, amazing friend, Dina Kowal.  I printed it twice on Copic blending paper, colored it with traditional Christmas reds and greens, and trimmed around the entire image with paper snips on one, and around the leaves only on the second.  I printed it a third time on a scrap of Basic Grey Jovial designer paper which was cut and embossed with a nesties rectangle.  The embossing provided the perfect guideline for outlining the focal image with a multi-liner, and some warm gray Copics and additional sponging with distress ink brought more depth, adding to the illusion of the warm glow of candlelight.

The flame of the candle was glued to the designer paper with a quickie glue pen; the candle and "brass" holder were popped up on dimensional adhesive dots.  The entire piece was given a liberal spray with gold Shimmer spritz.  The poinsettia designer paper background for the card front got a lighter dusting of gold as well. The simple yet elegant card was finished with a few dark red rhinestones, and an iridescent gold organza bow.  The holly leaves were gently curled and adhered to the bow with a glue dot.

Your next stop on the hop is Stephanie's, but just in case there are any hiccups, here is the whole list of celebrants on this party train. Don't panic!  Remember, you've got several days to make it through!

• Korin Sutherland
• Holly McMillen
• Taylor Usry
• Kim Schofield
• Monika Davis
• Lydia Fiedler
• Harriet Skelly
• Makiko Jones
• Jerusha Borden
• Mary Marsh
• Lori Craig
• Kim O'Connell
• Chris Dickinson
• Stephanie Wright
• Shannon White
• Janette Olen
• Katlyn Traxler
• Deb Felts <-----you are here!
• Stephanie Serrano
• Jessica Fick
• Kim Singdahlsen
• Mary Faus
• Sandy Domelle
• Bridget Finlay
• Ceal Pritchett
• Dina Kowal
• Margo Smith
• Shelby Goolsby
• Tami Mayberry
• Lorie Souther
• Darsie Bruno
• Cathy McCauley
• Beate Johns
• Janice Melton
• Jacquie Peifer
• Lisa Hjulberg

SNSS Winner!

The winner of this darling Sweet Cocoa image is Peggy!  Congratulations to you!  I know you're gonna have a lot of fun making Cocoa cards for Christmas!  

Happy 3rd Birthday, SNSS!

Welcome to the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Birthday Blog Hop!  Thanks for hopping along with us today!

You should have arrived here from Christi's.  If you didn't start at the beginning, you'll want to hop back to the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Blog.  We have over 30 amazingly talented ladies participating in today's hop plus a prize at every stop so you really don't want to miss a single blog!

Three years ago today Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps "opened for business" with just four clear stamp sets being sold on a simple blog.  Since then SNSS has grown to over 100 clear stamp sets and hundreds of digital stamps!  God has been so good!

I had the pleasure of joining the SNSS design team in January '09, and loved every second of my six month term.  That team had a special camaraderie that still exists today!  In our alumni group, we share so much more of our lives than just stamping...we celebrate our victories, reveal our weaknesses, and depend on each other for prayer and godly wisdom.  I'm so grateful for the friendships made then that continue to endure and deepen!  I'm also glad that Korin was sweet 'n sassy enough to let me return as a guest designer in December of 2009, and that she invites me to play along as an alumnus every chance I get!  Love that!

Korin's images, sentiments and scripture stamps are sweet 'n sassy and everything in between.  You're certain to find something you will love.  We hope you enjoy hopping along to see all the fun things we've created for your viewing pleasure.  May you be inspired to create something truly amazing...something from your heart!

My card for today features adorable Sweet Cocoa.  I could not resist pairing this adorable digi (also available in a clear set) with a sentiment from one of my all-time favorite SNSS sets, Warm Up.  I thought Korin and Sandy would get a kick out of that!  I used scraps of retired SU and Cosmo Cricket designer paper, Copic markers, distress ink, and this week's Sweet Stop sketch for a nice hot cup 'o "Joe" that is sure to bring a holiday smile!

Your next stop on the hop is Korin's.  I'm sure she's got something fabulous to show you!  Hope you've enjoyed the hop!

What a Friend!

I love it when things just *come together* (are you singin' Beatles/John Lennon right now? LOL)! That is what happened while I was making this card!

I love music, so anytime I see music paper that I like, I buy it and stash it for future use. When Korin invited me to design using Melody of Love from Sweet 'n Sassy's January release, I knew there were plenty of designer paper choices already available to go with it. When I got ready to stamp, I just went to the file and pulled the one that best matched the other designer print I wanted to use. Love these vintage, golden colors!

As I was poised to cut, I looked down at the papers and stamps in my hand...a beautiful bird on the vintage print, the notes to What a Friend We Have in Jesus, and the sentiment, "Sing unto the Lord, all the earth!" I couldn't have chosen it better if I had done it deliberately and with much forethought. It was as if God had placed these particular design elements lovingly into my hands. I love those little "God Things" when they happen, and if you watch for them, you'll notice that they actually happen quite frequently! I do believe that God must smile down on us as we are happily creative, in His image.

Hope you're having a blessed day! My friend Latisha and I are enjoying our last day in California before making our way back home tomorrow, exhausted and happy after a week at CHA! Can't wait to share all the excitement with you, so I hope you'll come back soon!

Reflecting on 2009

The last day of 2009...always, the closing of the year brings the desire to reflect upon all the things that those 365 days of life brought...some experiences were wonderful, others painful, but what an amazing year 2009 has been! I am amazed as I look back on the friendships that stamping has brought to me in this one year, and I'm so grateful.

I hope that as you look forward to 2010, that you will be filled with hope and enthusiasm. Each day brings its own unique opportunity. None of us know what the future may bring, but we can know that as we walk along the journey of life, God is with us, and His love is everlasting.

May you be blessed! In His Love,

Deb

Notes: Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Trees of the Field, Basic Grey designer paper, Stampin' Up rick rack, border punch, SEI and Basic Grey buttons, PTI jute thread, Nestabilities rectangles, Sweet Stop Sketch (minus the pocket!)

The First Day of Christmas...

...and it is so nice to have a really relaxed pj day! We said this morning that we'd go to the movie this afternoon, but after staying up half the night Christmas Eve (I think I finally went to sleep at 3:15) we are truly not motivated to do much of anything!

I finally finished a little Christmas thank-you card. That was a feat within itself because my craft room is in total chaos. I had brought quite a bit of stuff down to the dining room so that I could stamp but still be sorta on the fringe of Christmas movies, and even stamp with a friend, during the last week or so. Of course, all that had to be hauled back upstairs to clear the table for Christmas dinner last night, and it was done in a hurry and not put back into its proper places (not that any of it really has a proper place...we're still working on furnishing this room!).

This little cutie is Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps' Birthday Party Emma. My friend Julie's Christmas Day birthday was the inspiration for the papers and colors...this week's Sweet Stop sketch provided a starting point for the layout, which is constructed of CutCardStock's textured card stocks and Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses designer paper in both 12 x 12 and 6 x 6 inch sized prints. I love the smaller scale of the 6 x 6 for card-making, especially when using it for paper-piecing as I did for her dress, here. The thank-you sentiment from another SNS set, I'd Pick You. The frayed giant rick-rack reminded me of the fringe of a scarf, so I added some snowflakes and buttons...Emma appears to be better at braving winter than I am because she must've been willing to part with her sweater when she arrived at the party! ;)

I hope you're enjoying all of your Christmas goodies and some yummy Christmas dinner left-overs! Wonder when we'll finally venture out to the movies! Doesn't look like today's the day!

Go Out with Joy!

This morning was a foggy morning in Florida, and the trees were veiled in a lovely mist...the view from our window provided the inspiration for this card.

I love the muted colors of this Basic Gray Indian Summer paper and thought it would make a lovely feminine card to showcase this awesome scripture. I have to laugh...I don't believe in coincidence, and the week that I received this set, Trees of the Field, in the mail, Pastor Cory preached on this very verse. I think God must have a God-sized sense of humor and He uses all kinds of *little things* to get His BIG points across!

I used a pair of nestabilities ovals to cut windows into the patterned paper and some burgundy card stock (courtesy of CutCardStock.com), then stamped the tree in some stamped-off Memento Rich Cocoa ink on ivory card stock centered inside the window. I sponged lightly it with pink and with Tim Holtz tea dye distress ink. The sentiment was stamped directly onto the patterned paper. The layers were adhered with dimensionals to create depth within the window. I used some Kaiser Pearls, BoBunny flowers, and a scrap of burgundy ribbon to frame it and lead the eye from one element to another.

I hope your holidays are filled with joy, peace, and singing...Christmas blessings!

Hey Sweet Pea!

Hello stampers! I hope you're having a great weekend! Can't believe that we're half-way through December on our way to Christmas! Just two more weeks and it'll be here! I hope you are more prepared than I! I still have lots to do, but I love every minute of it!

I don't know about you, but too much of one thing stifles my creativity, so I like taking a little break from Christmas cards every once in a while to do something a bit different! For today's card, I actually used a Christmas-y gift I received LAST Christmas! My mom sent me this cute Christmas polka-dot paper (the flip side is a dark Christmas red) and it has been sitting on a shelf all year just waiting for the perfect inspiration. The minute I saw the sweet pea in Punny Fruits and Veggies, I knew it was time to use it!

I stamped the image with Memento ink, then colored it in with Prismas and Gamsol (while I was in the orthodontist's waiting room and Matthew was getting his braces off! Yeah! My boy looks so handsome! LOL). I used my nesties squares to cut and emboss a couple of squares of the designer paper, and a rectangle for the focal image. I kept the layout very clean and simple, adding a little machine zig-zag to frame the corners. A Zva flower and button dress it up just enough!

Wouldn't this card be fun to give to an expectant mother who's just found out she's pregnant? I love that this card will work for either a boy or a girl...it would be easy to add just a hint of pink or blue if you already know the sex of the baby!

Enjoy your December! It's busy here with choir and gift-planning, card-making, decorating, baking, etc., but I am keeping my heart set on remembering Christ in Christmas! Blessings to you and yours!

A Different Tree for Henry

Today's card is for my friend Amy whose son Jacob was killed in a motor vehicle accident as he was returning home for Thanksgiving from Penn State University. I cannot imagine the pain of losing a child...I think there must be no greater pain in life, and I hope you'll join me in praying for Amy, Sarah (Henry's mom), Diena (Somer's mom), and all the parents who've lost children recently.

My card uses the Sweet 'n Sassy set Trees of the Field. This is a special set because $5 of its purchase price goes toward a memorial fund for Sarah's son Henry. I know that the lovely images and wonderful scriptures of this set will give comfort and strength to those who mourn, but it is beautiful for any occasion. (More at the SNS Blog).

We make...

...the perfect pair! I thought that this would be the perfect sentiment to express my delight that Korin and Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps have invited me back for a month of guest designing! What a wonderful affirmation! It is such a blessing to me to get to spend time with SNS again!

My card for today uses the adorable Punny Fruits and Veggies, one of today's new releases. I colored the images with Copic markers, paired them with Basic Grey Nook and Pantry paper, used Nestabilities squares and Ribbon Tag Trio 2 to cut out the image and sentiment, and then warmed everything up with some Tim Holtz distress ink. A couple of Basic Grey buttons, some cording, and a few little dots with a white pen provided the finishing touches for this layout, Sweet Stop Sketch 32!

Thanks so much for inviting me back! I am *so* looking forward to this month! I know it is going to be special!

Sweet 'n Sassy Farewell Blog Hop

Today SNS says farewell to several members of its current team--Cindy, Faith, Lorie, Sarah and me. {{hugs}} girlfriends! I've been so honored to serve with you! I'm excited to congratulate several team members who will move on to Sr Designer positions, and to welcome the stampers who are just joining the team!

As I think back over the last six months, I am overwhelmed with feelings of gratitude! I cannot believe how quickly time has passed and how dramatically life has changed in such a short period of time! It seems like it was only yesterday that I was squealing with delight because Korin had invited me to be a member of her Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps design team! I was SO thrilled! Now it's already time to say goodbye! How fun it has been, and how much I've learned! What a fantastic experience! It has been such a privilege to be part of this amazing group...it is much more like family than a design team, and it is very bittersweet to move on! Ecclesiastes says...to everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under Heaven. I pray that I can gracefully transition! I am such a sentimental, sensitive person that it isn't something I enjoy doing! I think my experiences as a Navy wife have made me that much more reluctant because I know firsthand how hard it is to maintain friendships after moving. Even with all of our good intentions, the hectic reality of life makes it very difficult.

Hehehe...isn't it appropriate then that my card for today is a little caterpillar inching his way along! I stamped him using Memento Rich Cocoa, then colored him with prismas and Gamsol. My card is constructed using Basic Grey 6 x 6 papers from the Boxer collection and this week's Sweet Stop sketch. All of the papers were distressed with Tim Holtz distress ink. I framed the sentiment with a couple of button-trimmed flowers and several sprigs of greenery punched with a MS fern punch...reminds me of the frilly parsley that the caterpillars devoured COMPLETELY several years ago! They didn't leave us even one tiny sprig!

Thank you Korin, and all of the rest of the Sweet 'n Sassy team, for welcoming me with open arms, for sharing your expertise and your love of stamping, and for your faithful witness of Christ. I have been so blessed by you! I sincerely hope that the bonds we've made during this time together will hold firm as we enter these new seasons of our lives. Blessings to you and yours, my friends!

God Bless the USA!

Today's card is a combo card for SCS's Limited Supplies Challenge, "Chinese Take-out," and The Sweet Stop's sketch with a spin (red, white and blue) for this week. I was thrilled that they worked together! I used a Sweet 'n Sassy digital stamp, Celebrate America, resizing and flipping the image to fit the sketch (there's still one more day for you to play! There will be a new sketch tomorrow!) The rocket was colored with prismas and Gamsol, then shaded along one edge with a Copic blender pen and cool gray marker. I used a microliner to frame the image with a fine line and a few dot-dot-dots. The rest of my supplies are things that have been in my stash for ages...I think both prints came from a big stack of designer papers that my mom sent me forever ago, probably from Michael's or Hobby Lobby. I printed the sentiment, God Bless America, on some white cardstock, then matted it with red for the inside. Relatively clean and simple.

SNSS Design Team Round-up!

Isn't this the cutest little *bug* ever?! Don't you just love the expression on his sweet face? He is sure to bring a smile to someone suffering from a bug of any sort! He is from Gone Buggy, a Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps set that is going to be released TONIGHT! I found this bright and fun buggy/froggy paper at the LSS when I was in Louisiana and couldn't wait to combine it with this set! This was previously a digital stamp but will be available for the upcoming release in acrylic only.

I have been trying to get more practice with my Copics, so I used Memento ink and Copic markers to color this image. I went over the wings with a clear At-You Spica pen to get some sparkle and shine. The layout is from a previous Sweet Stop sketch that I didn't get to play...I reversed the sentiment and bling accents so that the words would be legible and not lost in the designer print. I couldn't resist some bling antennae and sparkly ribbon!

Save the date for Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps' release party tonight at 8 EST on the SNSS Forum! It's gonna be such a great time! Hope to see you there!

Sweet 'n Sassy Sweet Stop Sketch

I really love sketch challenges, and this week's sketch at the Sweet 'n Sassy Sweet Stop is a fun one! This colorful little frog from Pond Pals was the perfect fit! I stamped him with Memento ink, colored him with Copic markers, cut and embossed the panels out with square nestabilities, and ended up with this! I love it! I used some Stampin' Up designer paper...the Cuttlebugged polkadot texture of the orange mat mimics the frogs' polkadot skin, and the white dots on the black scallops balance the white across the top. A bold, quick card with a punny sentiment and just enough bling!

Sweet 'n Sassy Blog Hop!

Welcome, Sweet 'n Sassy blog hoppers! (If you're here for Joy's www.surprise birthday party, scroll down to the next post!) I am sure you've been having a marvelous time and that you've gotten lots of inspiration! I am always amazed at all of the gorgeous creations our SNS girls come up with! If you are starting here, you'll want to check out the blog schedule on the sidebar so you can go back to the beginning and not miss a thing!

Owl Occasions is such a cute set! I knew immediately that I wanted to pair this image with Basic Grey's Porcelain designer paper, one of my favorites! (Pink is one of my favorite colors, especially when paired with brown!) I love the tea-stained appearance of this paper and its vintage appeal...it looks great as it is, but it is still fun to age the edges a bit more with some Tim Holtz distress ink. I stamped Olivia twice, once on ivory cardstock and again on the print so I could paper-piece her belly. I colored her with prismas and gamsol, then stamped her a third time on brown card stock so that I could give her a pair of false eyelashes...I curled them with my fingers and then gave them a coating of At-You Spica gold *mascara* to give them a bit of sparkle. I used my nesties to cut and emboss the center panel, along with a brown polkadot mat, arranging layers according to our Sweet Stop sketch for this week. A few pearls and a little ribbon complete my card. My mom loves owls...I bet she is gonna think this one is really adorable!

From here, you'll be heading over to Deedee's. I hope you will visit my blog again soon! Have fun!

More Stampin' Out Alzheimer's

Have you already checked out the Stampin' Out Alzheimer's website? The website is active now and there's a lot going on!

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps is offering a free digital stamp in honor of the event, and issuing a sketch challenge to go along with it.



Before coloring my forget-me-nots, I needed to look up an image online. Here's what I found...so delicate and beautiful!

I colored my image with Copic markers, using two shades of yellow and two of blue. I went back with the blender pen to achieve a paler blue on the petals, then added the stems with two shades of green. I colored over only the flowers with an embossing pen, then added a half-and-half mixture of clear embossing powder and dazzling diamonds to make them glisten.

My card is made using Stampin' Up designer paper, cardstock and ribbon. The little primas started out white...I soaked them in blender solution, tapped them with color, then added some little gold beads to the centers.

I would like to encourage you to visit the Stampin' Out Alzheimer's site and participate in as many challenges as you can! Help get the word out that there is something that can be done to help the cause...you might even win a prize in the process!

Did you know that 5.3 MILLION people die of Alzheimer’s disease each year in the US?

Beginning May 25th and running through the 31st, PCP will be hosting a fast-paced, fun-filled week with amazing giveaways and a chance to reach out and make a difference for a very worthwhile cause. At the end of this event, 100% of the funds raised will be donated directly to the Alzheimer's Association to help with their efforts to provide and enhance care and support for all those affected by this heartbreaking disease.

Please click on the widget to donate...just $5 will give you exclusive access to the SOA event. This amazing papercrafting extravaganza includes over 40 generous sponsors, challenges for just about any type of papercrafter, hundreds of dollars in prizes, and a beautiful online community.

I'll be posting challenges from i {heart} papers and Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps next week, so be sure to visit again for your chance to win some fabulous prizes. Let's all help make a difference!