Giveaway #2--Hearts Flutter

It's time for giveaway #2...and of course, it's inspired by the upcoming salute to St. Valentine. So put your cupid wings on and enter for a chance to win this week's loot.






Up for grabs, a package that includes:

Fancy Pants "French Market" rub-ons

7 Gypsies "Zanzibar" rubbings

Prima Marketing Journaling Bloc-Notes & Storage Box (30 sheets, 4"x6")

Heidi Swapp "Crowns" Journaling Spots

K&Co. "Smitten" Holographic Puffed Heart Stickers

K&Co. "Smitten" Adhesive Chipboard Heart Collection

Pebbles Inc. Ribbon Sampler in "Chocolate Box"

Papertrey Ink 6" x 6" Patterned Paper Pad in "Pink Patterns" (36 sheets)

For a chance to win, leave a comment on this post telling us: "What makes your heart flutter?". The winner will be chosen by random draw. Entries accepted until 11:59 p.m. MST on February 3, 2010. The winner will be announced on February 4, 2010 on this blog. As always, consider officially "following" my weblog to stay abreast of giveaways and updates (see right sidebar).

Good Luck and have a terrific weekend ahead!

Happy Harvest

I have a confession to make. I've recently become totally enamored of a Stampin' Up! cardstock color that often gets short shrift--Kraft. You can purchase a forty (40) count package of 8 1/2" x 11" 80lb. weight cardstock for $ 7.50 (#102125). Many people accuse the color of Kraft paper as being bland and boring. But with Summer dying its slow death, Autumn is right around the corner...and Kraft is the perfect color either as a main focus or accent to your projects. There's something about Stampin' Up! Kraft cardstock that is at once vintage and freshly modern. Another interesting thing about the Kraft cardstock is how wonderfully in coordinates and compliments the currently line of fabulously popular In Colors selections. Try pairing up some Kraft cardstock with Soft Suede, Dusty Durango, Rich Razzleberry, or Crushed Curry. I think you'll be surprised at the palette it opens up for your imagination and creativity.

I just finished making a set of card fronts for a Stampin' Up! swap I participated in and I used the combination of Kraft cardstock, Soft Suede cardstock, Soft Suede ink and a new stamp set that will be debuting tomorrow (09.01.09--which is the official launch of the new 2009-2010 Holiday Mini Catalog from Stampin' Up!). The results (if I may say so myself) were striking. (I will share the project with you once my swap happens; Oh, and I'd be remiss if I didn't give the Philly Inkers a shout-out!)

Over the weekend, I tackled several more card projects using Kraft cardstock. The one I'll be sharing with you today is Autumnal in theme. I used a piece of 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" Kraft cardstock scored at 4 1/4" as my card base. I used a Martha Stewart corner rounder punch to lop off the four couners. The decorative mat paper is from 7 Gypsies. It is a slightly lighter shade of Kraft color base and has a very muted cranberry polka dot pattern to it. I thought the contrast in tones was intriguing. I rounded the corners of my decorative paper and then used a tea stain along the edges to draw the eye in. A strip of Stampin' Up! Close To Cocoa cardstock cut at 1 1/2" x 4" serves as a horizontal break in the design.

Using Stampin' Up! Whisper White cardstock to stamp my images and the Papertrey Ink stamp set entitled "Vintage Picnic", I used Tsukineko Memento Ink in Tuxedo Black to stamp my images. The basket and pumpkins were then hand-colored with Copic Sketch Markers. The sentiment was stamped on Whisper White and them punched out using the Stampin' Up! Modern Label Punch (#116630, $ 15.95). I then used a chamomille and chai blend tea dye to "age" the sentiment label and ink its edges. I adhered all of my elements with Stampin' Up! Two-Way Glue Pen and added a faux stitched accent with my Uniball Signo 1.0mm White Gel Pen.

I really love this particular Papertrey Ink stamp set--it is very versatile. I also like this project because it shows that you can mix-and-match your scraps and come up with a cohesive project. It's no secret I love using Stampin' Up! products. But, I love many different companies and lines and often mix products in projects and designs. Don't box yourself in to thinking that you need to be "matchy--matchy" in your crafting. Papers, stamps, ribbons, and embellishments from a host of different manufacturers often create stunning synergy.

So here's a look at the finished card. Whatever you are harvesting today, may you do it with a smile on your face and love in your heart. Keep Crafting!

S-H-O-P-P-I-N-G

Children, I'm not sure what to say in my defense. It seems as if the Spring Fever is spreading and along with the lovely pollen (not) and I've apparently succumbed to a major shopping bug! Okay, I know. I had to try and pretend that it was something out of the ordinary for me, but alas... He breathes. He shops.

I've just received an order of about (13) fantabulous sets of Stampin' Up! rubber stamps. I completed my three color families of Stampin' Up! Stampin' Pads (Bold Brights, Earth Elements, and Rich Regals), as well as the coordinating re-inkers. I have a couple of inks from the Soft Subtles family (and I'm sure eventually I'll get them all), but somehow there's just not much about me (or my crafting) that is soft or subtle.

I also caved in and placed my first order with Papertrey Ink. Which raises the imponderable question: Exactly how many stamps, inks, and papers does one man need to fully function in society? (Don't answer that! My shrink and I are currently hashing that one out, lol.)

Another little excursion saw me picking up the new 7 Gypsies Binderie Punch, and while I haven't had a lot of time to play with it as of yet--what I have done with it is very promising. It's a great little portable tool for those of you that like to make your own chipboard books, word books, and mini-albums. I'll hopefully have a feature next week using it.

I also bit the bullet on the ProvoCraft cartridge offer for Home Decor and Jubilee. Of course, I had to get in on the one payment option to get the Cricut Jukebox. It's something I've considered in the past but never decided that I "needed" it. This deal was just too good to pass up.

On a completely non-craft related purchase, I've discovered Scentsy and my wallet may never forgive me.

I've worked for the past two days on a set of cards for one of my Cricut Message Board Card Swaps--and I'm really pleased with the end results. I have another set of card fronts to work on this weekend and hopefully I'll share pictures of those two projects with you next week as well.

Whatever your plans for the upcoming weekend, I hope you find some time to shop, craft and spend a little quality time with yourself. Have a great weekend and Keep Crafting!

P.S. I would like to send a very special cyber shout-out to The Pink Stamper on the momentous occasion of her 100th video tutorial. ROBYN, you ROCK girlfriend and your provide so much information and assistance to crafters everywhere (and I for one, never miss an episode)! Big Hug!

Fabulous Friend

Hope you all had a lovely Easter weekend with family and friends. Mine was quiet, but I did have dinner with my Mom, my sister and her family on Sunday evening.

I worked on several card projects this weekend as well. I also started a new list of items I want to order on my next Stampin' Up! order. Apparently, the madness never ends.



Today's card project uses the following materials list:

--Stampin' Up! Oval All Stamp Set (#113790)
--Stampin' Up! Large Oval Punch (#107305)
--Stampin' Up! Scallop Oval Punch (#114889)
--Stampin' Up! Classic Stampin' Pad in Garden Green (#102272
--Stampin' Up! 8 1/2" x 11" Cardstock in Kiwi Kiss (#111353)
--Stampin' Up! 8 1/2" x 11" Cardstock in Whisper White (#100730)
--7 Gypsies Decorative Paper; Nottinghill Collection
--Stampin' Up! Simple Flower Embosslit Die (#114514)
--Stampin' Dimensionals (2)
--Stardream Mica Fuse Cardstock in Serpentine
--Prima Center Kiss Jewel in Deep Emerald
--Copic Atyou Spica Glitter Pen in Clear
--Scotch ATG714 Gold adhesive



For this card project, I tried out some new toys from the new Occasions mini-catalog from Stampin' Up! Specifically I used the stamp set called "Oval All" which was designed to work with the large oval punch and the new scallop oval punch. For the card base I chose a piece of Stampin' Up! cardstock in Kiwi Kiss and cut it down to a standard A2 size, 4 1/4" x 5 1/2". I chose the stamp that said "Fabulous Friend" on it and stamped it on Whisper White cardstock with Garden Green Ink. I then used the large oval punch to punch out the sentiment. For the backing scalloped oval, I used a small piece of mica cardstock in a light green color with an exquisite shimmer to it called Serpentine. As I have lamented in the past, this beautiful cardstock from Italy does NOT photograph well, but it is a must-see in person. I purchase my mica cardstock from California Paper Goods.




As a Cuttlebug fan, I've never really played with any Sizzix products. However, there is a set of exclusive to Stampin' Up! embosslits dies that are made for use in the Big Shot in the current catalog. I ordered a couple of them in hopes that they would work with my trusty Cuttlebug--and they do work beautifully. These dies are small hinged rounded squares that cut and emboss the design at the same time. I simply put the paper (in this case more Stardream mica cardstock in several colors) and placed the die between the two B plates and ran it through the Cuttlebug. I used both dies I have currently and numerous color shades and played way too much as evidenced by my virtual flower garden.




Needless to say, I'll save all my flowers for various projects. I chose to use one cut from the Simple Flower die in the Serpentine mica cardstock for this project. I also chose a piece of decorative paper from the 7 Gypsies Nottinghill Collection cut to 3" x 5 1/2". I adhered to decorative paper off center to my base cardstock with my ATG714 adhesive gun. I also adhered the oval sentiment to the scallop base. I adhered the scalloped sentiment to the card front using Stampin' Dimensionals to give it lift away from the cardbase and create more visual interest. For my flower embellishment, I adhered a small Prima Center Kiss blossom to the flower's center for just a pop of darker color. I then adhered the flower to the card. For a final touch, I used a clear Copic Atyou Spica Glitter Pen to outline the flower and the edges of the decorative paper (which again does not photograph well).





Well, I hope you get a bit of inspiration to surprise one of your fabulous friends with a card when they least expect it. Every now and again, we can all use a bit of pick-me-up when it's least expected.

Have a great Monday--and Keep Crafting!