Going North...

Hello all! I have lots to share, lots to show but I am heading out the door in 15 minutes for vacation. My husband and I are going to the UP, Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It is a break that is long overdue, and it happens to coincide with the SCS stampers UP gathering! And guess who will be there? Yupper, Sharon Johnson, aka Notimetostamp over on SCS along with many other great stampers! I am hoping some of that UP creativity rubs off on me, there are a couple of the most dynamic designers who reside there! So, I will return next Monday. I have some awards that have been given to me, birthday RAK's to share, a special Just Rite project, and some very very exciting news! Take good care! Don't know if I'll will have web access while away! I will try! HUGS, Barb

Let's Hang Out!

Melanie Muenchinger has done it again! In my humble opinion this is her most creative stamp set to date! And I am thrilled to be able share with you a few sneak peeks! The set is called Little Tees and has 37 coordinating images! This set will be released today, July 24 and you'll want to get in on all the fun at the GinaK Designs release party! I am sad to say I will not be at the release party, but am blessed to tell you I will be spending the evening with my family! July 24 happens to be my birthday!

This is going to be a long post! I have been working on not one, not two but have FIVE creations to share with you! I will not go into a lot of detail about each one but will be happy to answer any questions you may have! So sit back, relax, and Let's Hang Out for a while! Tees were paper pieced with basic grey euphoria DP. Natural hemp twine for the clothesline attached with basic grey brads. Grass is created with two different stamps from Mel's previous sets. Clouds are created with stencil, sponge and ink. Sentiment and butterfly image is included in Little Tees! A surf board? Yes, but also a picture board! I was in Hobby Lobby and they had all their kid summer craft kits priced half off. This surf board was one and I snatched it up! It is a very light balsa type wood. I painted it white with acrylic paint, outlined the board on card stock and cut out the blue outline, making it a touch smaller than the pencil line. Strips of card stock for the center of the board. All pieces were run through the xyron. So much easier than trying to use liner tape on curves! Paper pieced tee with bold colors to match board. The bling, ribbon and metal tags are from my fellow team member, Linsey! Just perfect for this project. The clips can easily be removed and clipped back on board to attach desired pictures or move around depending of size of photos! I created a card stock easel so the board would slant back a bit. With the original stand in the kit, it looked like the board was going to fall forward. Notice the cool shades? That is another image in Little Tees! Again, perfect for this creation! Thanks so much Linsey for all the cool embellishments! This would not be near as cute without them!

Hello Friend! Are you still with me? This is reminiscent of my younger years! Yes, I am that old! When Flower Power was cool! We used to doodle flowers like this all over the place, on our notebooks, assignments, tests, books, and hands! And, that's when you would get in trouble when you wrote on your skin! Oh my, yes I am old. SU markers to color shirt and flowers. Foam flower stickers with sugared brads from Linsey! Sentiment is from Rupa Shevde's new set, Whatever Floats Your Boat. The black card stock really makes the tee and flowers pop. A small button in the upper left hand corner adds subtle interest to the overall design. And speaking of doodling, the little smiley face was one that was so cool as well! With school around the corner, or for an end of summer activity, how about creating Little Tee pencils?

Tees are paper pieced and have an added front design. They are run through the xyron, with laminate on both sides for durability to withstand backpacks, lockers, etc. The mini eye screws are so easy to to twist on. I found an existing hole in the metal base of the eraser and had no problem securing them and making a sturdy mount for the mini paperclips. How fun would it be to add names to the tees? Ribbons? All sorts of bling? My favorite is the smiley face tee made to match the pencil! I wonder why! LOL What happens when you have been playing with Little Tees for a couple of days? Trimming off sleeves and neck bands to paper piece, stamping on different dp papers? The pieces are all over the desk and you glance down and what do you see? Of course! A simple summer dress. I LOVE this creation, it was so simple and easy to make. All dp is basic grey sultry, blush pearls from Flourishes in corners and on dress waist band, misc. silk flower, light pink button brad is Imaginisce, scallop edging done with threading water punch. There you have it! My sneak previews of Melanie's new set, Little Tees. Take a peek at Gina's blog to see what she has been up to and to link to the other design team members. They have been busy! I hope you have enjoyed hanging out here tonight! I appreciate you stopping by! Don't forget the release party and have FUN! HUGS,

With Gratitude

Take a look at this! WooHoo! My friend, Julie Koerber sent this gorgeous card and clear stamps! Yes that's right, I have a Julie Koerber original in the house. The colors are so rich in real life! I wish all of you could come on over to see! It has been a joy getting to know Julie and it is with gratitude, I am thankful and blessed to call her friend. Not only is Julie a special friend, she is an amazing designer and has made it into the top 15 over at the Paper Crafts Gallery Idol contest! You can vote! Click here or go to Julie's blog for more detailed information! Aren't these the cutest? I was in a GinaK secret swappers and received these awesome stamped recipe cards for Halftime Chili and Steak Fajitas! I can't wait to give these recipes a try! They sound so yummy! I bet she is a fantastic cook, don't you?Thanks so much, Emsmomthestamper! I so appreciate it. It was so much fun! You know when you meet one of the sweetest gals around! Linsey is that kind of gal! She is so positive and encouraging and it has been a blast getting to know her better! Linsey sent me this awesome gift! It also had a Starbucks gift card which has been put to good use already. "wink" In the precious tin there was ribbon, brads, dew drops, gems, and metal tags! I have used quite a few of the tin contents on my GinaK preview creations! So, come back on Thursday, July 24 to get a peek at those cool embellishments and a sneak preview of Melanie Muenchinger's newest set! Don't forget to check out GinaK's blog for all the release party info! You do not want to miss all the previews! The design team has been busy! You've heard it before, the cliche' that says, stamper papercrafters are the nicest people you will ever meet and get to know! Well, it is so true, in the last few months I have been blessed to meet many, and it is with gratitude that I say thank you, for stopping by, making a comment, sending rak's, and the encouragement you send my way! I am blessed. HUGS,

Friend

A Flourished Friend Card! I used my new Fiskars round circle decorative punch on Prism Nautical blue paper to adhere my bird and birdcage stamped image. The images are from Flourishes Love Nest set. All card stock papers are Prism with the exception of the white which is Papertreyink Stampers Select white cardstock.

The Friend sentiment is from Flourished Words. All images colored with Koh I Noor woodless pencils and blended with odorless turpenoid and stumps. After placing the color and blending, I went in with an art white eraser to highlight the face and belly. The ribbon matches this Prism paper perfectly. Adhesive gem is found here. The round scallop blue cardstock piece is mounted on foam pieces, raising it off the yellow cardstock to allow more see through of the edging.

Hope you are having a great weekend, friend! Thanks for stopping by!

BARB

Rock Star

Calling all rock collectors! This altoid tin is the perfect container for small rock finds! The background DP is an ancient piece I made years ago. But the colors and leaves are perfect for this idea and image. The leaves are watercolored with reinkers and the entire piece ran through the xyron, one side laminated, the other with permanent adhesive. The adorable stamped Exploring Nature image is from the GinaK Designs Kindred Kids Collection and is colored with Koh I Noor pencils and blended with odorless turpenoid and stumps. I cut the little guy out and adhered on two layers of Prism cardstock. I distressed the card stock quite a bit for a dirt effect! The Rock Star sentiment is computer generated, cut, distressed and adhered using the xyron.

The inside of the tin has the same DP. Laminated to withstand rocks and whatever else is placed in the tin! Kids love to write on the rocks to decorate and or to place a date and the location where the treasure was found, so a mini sharpie fits the tin perfectly for that task.

Notice the twill ends inside? Using a Cropadile, a hole at each end was punched. I measured and tied knots on the ends of the twill leaving a small amount of slack on the backside of the tin. This allows the user to thread tin on their belt, or back pack strap. The top opens and closes with a snug fit. So it can be upright without opening on its own.

The two stones you see were treasures my daughter found years ago on a family vacation to the northern lower peninsula of Michigan. We have dear friends who have a cottage and would visit every year! One is a Petoskey stone, the official Michigan state stone. Does every state have an official state stone?

Speaking of Michigan and its peninsulas, my husband and I will be traveling to Michigan's upper peninsula in two weeks! I am participating in the first Michigan UP SCS gathering! And guess who lives in the UP? Sharon Johnson, yep the one and only, known on SCS as Notimetostamp, former dirty dozen girl, and now one of the Flourishes stamp company owners! I look so forward to meeting her and all the other participants!

Looking ahead, Mark your calendars for July 24, GinaK Designs will be releasing 4 new stamp sets! You will not want to miss one of the most creative sets Melanie Muenchinger has designed to date! In my humble opinion! I am so excited using this set, I have lots to show you! I will posting some previews but will only be able to pop in at the tail end of the party, as it is my birthday on July 24 and I have been told I have dinner plans! Keep checking Gina's blog for all the details!

Take good care, and thanks so much for stopping by! Until next time,

HUGS,

Lace Heart Butterfly Love

Taylored Expressions Cupcake Challenge 24

Here is my take on Taylor's sketch challenge found here. I turned the sketch upside down and used the heart from FLOURISHES Lace Heart stamp set for the butterfly wings. The image was stamped with Versamark then heat embossed with clear embossing powder on one of the Basic Grey Euphoria designer papers. I folded the ends in and attached to card underneath the wings.

The middle body piece and antennas are from FLOURISHES Cake Decorating 101 and sentiment is from FLOURISHED Words and stamped with Palette Landscape ink. I covered those pieces with my melon Spica pen. Click on picture for a larger view and to see the sparkle! Edges of paper and butterfly edges are distressed with Ranger Distress Inks, shabby shutters and tattered rose respectively.

I love the basic grey paper with the matching brads used on the hardware! The pearls are perfect for the butterfly and upper right hand corner! May Arts Scalloped edged ink satin ribbon and all these products are found at FLOURISHES. Hope you had a great weekend! We had a house showing, which meant cleaning up the art studio! I hate that! I am a very messy stamper and like everything out in sight! But into the closet it went for a few hours!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I really appreciate it! Have a great Monday!

HUGS,

Thanks, my Friend

THANKS, MY FRIEND

This is a tiny image with mini leaves so it was perfect for the challenge over at SCS today! The inspiration for this card is from GinaK Designs set, Friendship Blooms. It her latest Buy 3, Get this set for FREE and can be found here! Gina has posted some wonderful tutorials on her blog about paper piecing, which is what I did for the basket. Paper Piecing is so popular right now, so go take a look! Here is a closer look at the basket and the added leaves. The black pearl embellishments can be found here. I used a Martha Stewart decorative edge punch and pierced along that edge of the black cardstock. Thanks, my friends for stopping by today! GinaK and her Design Team are gearing up for the next release scheduled for July 24th. Stay tuned for more details!

HUGS,

My first Taylored Expressions Cupcake Friday Challenge!

I decided to try Taylor VanBruggen's sketch challenge! This is #23 and she always posts them for her Friday Cupcake Challenge on her blog HERE. I know I did not use cupcakes in this creation, but that is OK! Not only is this good for me to improve my card designs, but it's fun to see what Taylor creates along with her Cupcake Friday Team. Taylor has branched out with her own online store, Taylored Expressions. Check it out, her creations and store items are to die for! I have been a long time admirer of Taylor, first seeing her work with Papertreyink. And you know, I love all things Papertrey!

Onto the card details, FLOURISHES Love Nest bird image was stamped twice and cut out. The Sultry designer papers are Basic Grey found at FLOURISHES. DREAM sentiment is found in FLOURISHES Floral Fantasy Garden stamp set. White brads are from local dollar store.

Close up view of the birds with the left one adhered on a less thick piece of foam than the right to add dimension. I love how they look like they are sitting on the branch. I am getting more brave with my Janome Sew Mini! I tried some wavy stitching on this card. White edged paper was created with a dauber and SU white craft ink. May Arts scalloped satin ribbon is from FLOURISHES. I love the little bit of edging that adds to the overall look of the card. Thanks so much for stopping in! I love that you come by, it means so much to me. Take good care! HUGS,

DREAM

CARD POSITIONING SYSTEMS challenge this week! The inspiration for the stamped images and sentiments, outer and inside are from FLOURISHES Fantasy Flower Garden. I have shown you two angles of card. This is an interactive card with a diamond shape paper clip holding it closed. Versamark and StazOn Jet Black inks along with Koh i Noor pencils blended with Turpenoid and stumps for color.

The red scallop is wool felt. I added white opal Liquid Pearls on it and on the dots for the outer card versamarked image. DP is American Crafts, black and grey is SU, and watercolor paper are the papers utilized. Silver circle is from SU Hodgepodge hardware, I added Kaiser Scrapbook self adhesive black pearl on the hardware and the inside dot on the sentiment word, friend. They are found at FLOURISHES. There are a ton of colors to choose from! Black ribbon is also from FLOURISHES.

Here is the open view! I am working on new lighting and photoing, so bear with me as I try to get this skill improved! Hope you had a safe and terrific Fourth of July celebration! Thanks so much for stopping by! I appreciate it so very much. Take good care, HUGS,

Clear Button Bracelets

Clear buttons are perfect for adding a stamped image! These are from SU. I chose to make two elastic button bracelets to show you how easy and cute it is! When our girls were little, they would take soft waistband elastic, found at any sewing fabric store and sew buttons from the button jar! Perfect for mastering a basic sewing skill while having fun creating a fashion piece for themselves and many friends! Now, they did not have all the embellishments that I now have in my studio! So, I think these have come a long way! I wish I had a picture of one that they did create to show you! But I did not have time to go through all the albums. A clear top hinged tin found at GinaK Designs makes the perfect container, with a raised piece of scored card stock to place the bracelets on for presentation. I used the coordinating SU designer card stock for the trimming the outer tin.

All CUDDLES and HUGS images from Melanie Muenchinger for GinaK Designs are stamped on Papertreyink Stampers Select white card stock and colored with Koh-i-noor pencils blended with odorless turpenoid and stumps. The stamped images were run through the xyron to stick onto the button. Martha Stewart bakers string is the sewing thread used to hold the clear buttons to the elastic. All other flowers, buttons, and elastic ends are sewn with regular thread. The lion and bear face are punched with a circle punch and adhered to the large HUGS stamped circle.

Heart shape buttons are from WalMart, I do not know where the flowers are from, sorry! The crystal brad is from GinaK Designs newest release. Wouldn't this be the cutest idea for a birthday party activity? What a great hands on activity to keep the kids happy and busy this summer!

Thanks so much for all the prayers and well wishes concerning our daughter in the previous post! I believe in the power of prayer and know that they have lifted her during this stressful time. I appreciate you stopping by! Take good care,

HUGS,