Melanie's Blogaversary Celebration: Day 4

I really should have shared this other calendar project I made myself last night since Melanie shared the other one I donated to give away (Laurie in MN won, btw and as soon as Melanie sends me your address I will mail it) I really love having these planners - they only cost $1 and you can change out your cover to suit your tastes, seasons or stamps you are currently enamored with.  I used Melanie's set A Year of Flowers  to customize my planner to match my new Vera Bradley tote my sister & bil gave me for Christmas!  Above is the little brush bag that came with it.  I actually picked this out during my trip to CA in November so I knew I was getting it!  It is the Mod Floral Pink design.  

Here is a picture of the tote {so you can see how roomy it is}, brush bag & planner.  I loved the fact that I was able to use the flourish punch to recreate the swirls on the purse and the white leaves were perfectly matched!

Here is a card I made as a personalized note (it will be a Thank You card) that I used my JustRite Curlz & Times New Roman font & Harmony rectangle stamper.  See that pretty brad on the lower right corner?  It is fabric covered, embroidered with tiny pearls on it and it came from my friend Vanessa, I couldn't wait to use it on a card and thought this would be perfect for it!  

Be sure to check out Melanie's celebration of a year of blogging and stamp designing over at her blog “Hands, Head and Heart”. Prizes every day & today the Sponsor is Scor-Pal,  a Scor-Mat and three rolls Scor-Tape!!

Here is a list of designer's projects to check out today: Carolina , Barb, Jessica , Jessie,  Julie , Lee, Rose Ann

Personalized Girly Gifts & Crazy Copic Sale!!

Here is a gift I made for our 13 yr-old niece in Austin (John's step-sister's daughter) Taylor. She is really into the dramatics in more ways that one *if you know what I mean* and loves High School Musical so I picked her up little things at Wal-Mart -necklace) and pen, lip balm & file from Avon and decorated my last mini canvas bag for her. I went with the red & yellow theme of HSM and made a little post-it holder. I used the Flight of the Butterfly by SU!

And here is a little personalized tote & notecards I made for Taylor's 5 yr-old sister Emma (it was a suggestion by her mom to make them since she is teaching her to write thank you cards). I used All in the Family SU! set as well as JustRite stampers Times New Roman & Curlz font with border from self-inking monogram kit I kept the layout simple & all the paper used is My Mind's Eye Magnolia slab (such fun colors & patterns in there). I made 2 of each card for a total of 8 and just love how cute the tote is! I used a clear envelope case & sliced off the top to slip in the dp and finished off the ribbon/handles with my 50 cent satin turquoise ribbon from Hobby Lobby.

P.S. Interested in taking advantage of a CRAZY Copic Sale at Gina K Designs? Dec 23-25 only

all sets of Copic Ciao markers are $99.95 while supplies last! AND there's a bonus special too!

If you purchase BOX C, you get "Rectangle Greetings" free!
If you purchase BOX D, you get "Heartfelt Hits 1" free!
If you purchase them both, you get both sets free!

"Heartfelt Hits 1" was one of last year's Valentine's releases. Gina has talked a lot about how music is such a huge part of her life; she plays keyboards and sings so last year she came up with the idea of creating a stamp set using song titles with images to match. This set is being featured this month in Scrap and Stamp Arts "All Star" edition and here is a card sample for you that uses both "Heartfelt Hits 1" and "Rectangle Greetings." (Last week I picked up a copy and I'm so proud to say that I represent a stamping All Star, serving on her Sr. Design Team!

Lastly, if you have not yet signed up for the Gina K newsletter - scroll down to the lower right & enter your email address) or sign up for updates on her blog because next week she is going to be counting down the new year with fantastic blog candy (and anyone who is familiar with Gina K knows she is so generous - be sure to get in on the goods!)

Cookie Tree Sprinkles

Here is a card I made for Papercraft Planet's sketch yesterday, hosted by Melanie (click to seethe sketch & her adorable card!) 

I haven't used the little tree in her Have a Cookie set (actually there are still a LOT of images I haven't used because there are 53 in the set - so many stamps, so little time)! I thought it would be fun to have a row of cookies with icing (liquid pearls) & sprinkles (1/8" hole punches).  I struggled with finding the perfect sentiment to go along with it, so I pulled my JustRite Times New Roman font set & Harmony rectangle stamps so I could make my own sentiment real easily {however remembered later that for some reason real red ink on real red c/s does not show up well so I went over the letters with my Copic Atyou Spica pen but it's still pretty faint in the picture.  The ribbon is Pure Luxury Holiday by Gina K (LOVE it & hope she gets MORE colors!) 

Hook 'em Horns!!

I realize I am a week late posting this card (or rather SEVERAL weeks) since this card was made for a sketch challenge by Carolyn at the release in August but also because I should have posted it last week in celebration of the Longhorns whipping the pants off the Boomer Sooners! HA~actually I am not really that much of a college football fan - but John is and he usually watches all the games but since I do live in the area I can pretend that I care.  It was real fun making this card, though!  I love the spellbinders die that Ellen Hutson sent me with an order last year, it was perfect for this sketch!  The reason I never uploaded it was because I missed the deadline to be entered in the contest and then forgot about posting it altogether!  Since UT won again yesterday and remain undefeated - here you go!!!

I made my own patterned paper by stamping Big Fan from the Just so Sporty set by Gina K Designs and looked on-line for UT jerseys & paper-pieced it to look like a real one (tried to find it, but can't).  I used my small alpha set by JustRite Stampers for the 'TEXAS' stamped in craft white on the really rust shirt.   

Don't forget the Land-Cruise Party in the Gina K Forum on Weds Oct 22 7:00-10:00 p.m. CST!! It will be loads of fun with a land-cruise specials, challenges & contests!

Miss You Giants Lover

My Godson, Avery (and his dad) are avid San Francisco Giants fans so I thought of making him a personalized jersey using Melanie's Just So Sporty set by Gina K Designs. Combined with JustRite stampers 2xstampers - this card is sure to let him know I am thinking of him & miss him.

Here is a picture of us taken on our trip to CA in May - we celebrated his 13th birthday a week later since we were going to be in town. It seems like yesterday his mom & dad asked me to be his Godmother and now he's a teenager - wow! I found myself way too busy this summer and didn't take the time to call him & now I find myself unable to get in touch with him - I am regretful. I sent this card earlier in the week and look forward to hearing from him - I wait with bated breath for his phone call and pray that they did not move.

Kisses Free - Hugs $1.00

I haven't played in 2 Sketches 4 You challenge in weeks & sure have missed it! With so many challenges out there, how can one possibly do them ALL? I like to try & rotate them out as much as I can & usually base them on being truly inspired. Well the bonus card & sketch by DT member Ashlid did just that for me this week!

I thumbed through my pictures of my niece Gabby the other day to do a few scrapbook pages (may as well take a few with me on my trip next month for her album!) and remembered this one - thinking it would be perfect to use with Melanie's Little Tees & JustRite small letters set

I decided to play up the hugs & kisses aspect of the page theme & used the solid heart from Little Tees and a big hug from Cuddles and Hugs to make my cardstock patterned. The XOXO is JustRite Curlz Alphabet.

The journaling on the pull tab says, "One day when Gabby gave her Nino Micky a kiss good-bye, he said, 'Can I have a hug too?' and Gabby said, 'Yea $1.00'. It made everyone laugh! So when Nino Micky & Nina Andrea saw this shirt at Target, they just had to get it for her!!"

JustRite Champion Finalist Project

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE! (click to vote)

voting ends Friday 8:00 p.m. CST

**I plan to keep this post at the top of my blog through Friday.
Please scroll down for NEW POSTS! Thanks!**

Again, thanks to everyone who voted for me in Round 3 because
I made it to the final round in the contest! Woohoo! Now it's time to share my Finalist Project for the JustRite Champion contest with you! It's surreal to think I made it it was a distant glimmer in my stamping eyes 4 weeks ago when it was posted on their blog.

My final project uses Taylored Expressions A Sweet Celebreation set which includes a sweet birthday card & clear pail full of handmade chocolate lollipops. Yes - I made all those (and a few more that did not quite turn out that well!) They are made from a mold where you melt the colored candy melts and refrigerate in the mold until set. Wonder how the coloring of the lollipops got on there? Well, it sure helps to read directions when you venture into the unknown. You need to 'paint' the colored melts into the mold {here, the pink & brown) and set them. Then, you place the rest of the lollipop in the mold and it adheres real nicely! What you don't do (and I did to get the yellow flicker on the candles is make the whole mold & attempt to use gel coloring in the melted candy - doesn't really blend well) but I thought it could pass well enough for my project! I think I could use a little more practice! *smile*

Here is a close-up of my card. I used my JustRite wooden stamp with small alpha for 'THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE SWEET' YUM ** YUM! Isn't that the truth?! Taylor's sweet cupcake stamp fits perfectly in the center, like it was made for it! The designer paper used is Stampin' Up! Bella Rose which coordinated nicely with the colors on the lollipops.

Here are close-ups of the lollipops (cupcake & cake), which each have tags using the same JustRite personalized circle but with the different sentiments in the set.

Close-up of the balloon lollipops.

Close-up of the Party Hats lollipops

Just So Sporty & JustRite for the men in your life!!!

The best of both worlds for the Sports Fans in your life are merging when you have Gina K Designs' Just so Sporty & JustRite Stampers small letter set! One of the first things I thought of (and the first 2 cards I made when I got Melanie's new set) are for my 2 brother-in-laws who live in the Bay Area & are huge Raiders fans!! I just had to pair them with my DCWV All Dressed Up mat stack Melanie gave me for my birthday in June - with the silver & black & glitterness it's just a match made in sports heaven! I chose the sketch for these cards from the Mother's & Daughters challenge blog because it causes the hoodie & jersey to be the main attractions!! Then, my finishing touch was my Copic silver glitter pen - they are so awesome! I'm about to get the complete set of colors (right now I use the clear, silver, gold and I have green)!

Funny/cute Gabby story now:

I called her on Monday night when the Raiders were playing the Broncos (boo they lost 14 to 41) and when she got on the phone & said hi in the cutest voice ever I asked her how she was doing and she FINALLY caught on and said, "GOOD" very emphatically-it was so cute! My sisters and I have been trying to be consistent in teaching her responses and usually she would not understand how to respond to that question. Well, she does now!!

Then I asked her what she was doing (another standard question she may grow to be annoyed by some day) she responded, 'brushing my teeth', 'mommy's brushing her teeth too' and when I asked what daddy was doing she said, 'he's taking pictures at the Raiders game' HELLO!? she is 2 1/2! she responded to me like a BIG GIRL! She wasn't making that up. He does take pictures down on the field with his brother (my BIL is a professional photographer) so if you're in the Oakland area, let me know if you need a referral! I thought that was so cute! These conversations are getting so stinkin' fun!

Stamp a Sweet Impression - Exciting News!!

Imagine my delight when the sweet, very humble & talented Taylor VanBruggen contacted me over a month ago to be a part of history; the launch of her new stamp line called 'Stamp a Sweet Impression'. I was grinning from ear to ear for DAYS - no WEEKS! Of course it has been a hard secret to keep, I will not lie!

Any stamper out there knows what popularity cupcakes have taken on this past year and many have enjoyed participating in Taylor's Friday Cupcake Challenge for months - well she's ready to take the cupcake community by storm along with her illustrator Jessie Oleson [Cakespy] and I am so happy to be a part of this new venture with them & the rest of the Baker's Dozen Design Team! I've enjoyed all the sweet eye candy on her blog since Taylor revealed her to the team.

I'm having a ton of fun stamping with her stamps - wait till you see it all - the packaging, convenience, storage-wow! Three sets will be released tomorrow available for purchase exclusively at Taylored Expressions. They are deeply etched pink rubber already die cut & cling mounted ready for you to open your package & stamp to your heart's content the minute they arrive in your mailbox. That is exactly what I did for DAYS (because I cleared my commitment calendar) once my design team box arrived!

Taylor will also have available for purchase "Key Ingredients" for each stamp set which will include a selection of 6x6 patterned papers, 8 1/2" x 11" Prism cardstock, and coordinating embellishments (brads, ribbon, glitter). I used the Halloween Key Ingredients on these fun Halloween games I made. Be sure to see Taylor's blog for more info.


So onto my first sneak peek because I'm sure that's what you're here for. If you read my blog on a regular basis, you may recall my announcement last week that I'm going to CA to visit my sisters, BILS and niece & nephew for Halloween! My niece Gabby is 2 1/2 years old so I made her these 2 games we can play with while I'm there. A matching game and a tic tac toe game (I hope that won't be too hard for her, I remember teaching the game (on paper) to my friend's daughter when she was about 4 but Gabby is so smart she just may get it.

The Tic Tac Toe game is made on a Target $1 spot magnetic frame (so glad I got extras last year) which I covered with the Halloween key ingredients designer paper. The game pieces all have magnets on the back (I wonder if Gabby will still be calling them maggots when I give them to her like she did in May-HA).



The matching game has all the images in the 'Trick or Sweet' set, 2 of each all colored and stamped on the back with 'Gabby's Halloween Cupcake Matching Game' which I used my JustRite Stampers small alphabet set on wooden stamper for. I stamped the small black cat from the 'Frightful Night' set in the centers. You can get the monogram stamper at Taylored Expressions when you shop for your new stuff! All of the game pieces fit in the tin and below, you can see easy storage behind the frame because I put a magnet on the back of it too.

Today the Rotating Design Team are revealed & have sneaks peeks to share!!

All the sets & key ingredients will be available for purchase Midnight (EST) Friday, Sept. 5th.

Taylor Van Bruggen

Rotating Design Team
Carol Halvorson
ME!
Jen del Muro
Laurie Schmidlin
Sharon Harnist
Terri Dodd

Check out Taylor's post with the sneak peeks from the Senior Design Team yesterday:
Ana Wohlfahrt
Charmaine Ikach
Denise Marzec
Jami Sibley
Monika Davis
Stephanie Hargis

Thanks for sticking with me as this was a LONG post! Happy Stamping to You!!

Family Stationery

I just love making personalized gifts and JustRite Stampers allows me to do just that with their monogram stamper. We all know that it's the wife/mom that does the card sending, but why not have it from the whole family? I got the idea for this the other day after I made my nephew's birth announcements and kept the one with the whole family and thought why not turn it into family stationery for my sister to have on hand? I made the simple bag to hold it in with my scor-pal making sure it would be big enough to hold all 8 cards & envelopes. I used my Cutie Pie (retired) SU! designer paper since those are the colors I used on the 'family'. The set used is SU! All in the Family with many options to make the family look just right (my bil wears glasses, isn't that the cutest?) I used my circle nestabilities for the personalization. I can't wait to give this to my sister {she just went back to work today since having Joseph, I know it was real hard for her - so I emailed her a few pics of the kids to make her smile}

I'm sure they missed her!!

Pictures of more of the cards.

Gabby is a Big Girl Now

When my niece Gabby [28 months] and I talked on the phone last week she had some big news to tell me - she had been going potty in the big potty for 7 DAYS! She even said that - 7 DAYS [and with just one accident]!! Now I'm sure for all you mommys out there, you realize how big of a deal it is. Well even though I'm not a mommy, this Auntie sure can recognize this as a big deal so I needed to commemorate this occasion with a surprise. Here is a card I am going to send her along with $1.00. The girl loves $ - when you ask her what she is saving her money for, she says college {since before she was 2 yrs old! Isn't that hilarious?}

I am reminded of a funny potty-training story, mine. My sisters are 4 and 5 yrs older than me and they wanted to take a more active role in teaching me how to go potty (giving our mom a break). Well in our bathroom (we only had 1), my sisters would sit on the edge of the bathtub encouraging me to potty. My mom said it was real cute, when I was done they would clap & be excited for me. Gabby's reward is chocolate, in addition to $ that's what she likes. She gets 3 chocolate chips when she goes #1 and 5 when she goes #2. So funny!

I used my All in the Family little girl as well as my JustRite Stampers small letters on wood stamp that you can get at Taylored Expressions. Since I was going to punch the sentiment, I decided to leave off the border stamp. I love the fact that I could make my own custom words for my card and it didn't take more than a few minutes to line up the letters.

Edited to Add:

Check out the Great contest going on for the next 4 weeks JustRite Stampin' Champion Contest if you have any of the JustRite products come play along - great prizes (I won a $5 gift certificte on Tuesday - woohoo)

SU! Cutie Pie Stationary set

A co-worker requested some personalized stationary to send her mom, and before I got my JustRite monogram stamper was limited to printing the personalization on the computer and sometimes the printer would skew the paper! Well, with the monogram stamper-your options are limitless! I used the SU! Cutie Pie & Summer Picnic DP and made a matching folder. I ended up making a small tag for her to attach a little note but did not take a picture of it. She really liked it and I hope her mom does too! I was inspired by Mish Mash - she always comes up with the greatest ideas for stationary!