Blog Archives

Sunday Potpourri

1/11/2015

OK, you really have to go check out the samples over at this week's Sunday Stamps Challenge #92! They are welcoming several new team members over there, and this is your chance to check out their new ideas!
So I still have a few lingering new sets to get inky, and wanted to knock some of them out! I have a little rule - new stamps sit in a stack on my desk until I have used them at least once, at which point they can move in with their sisters on the shelves. Whenever a new catty comes, real estate on my desk gets a little intense, lol! I'm so happy with the combo of TWO newbies on this card: Simply Wonderful from SAB 2015, a versatile sentiment collection, and Petal Potpourri from Occasions 2015, which also has a matching punch. A few other SAB goodies to round things out, and I am all set!
Something to love about Simply Wonderful: like most of our holiday sets this year, these sentiments are paired with an apropos "inside-the-fold" thought as well - perfect!
Simply Wonderful (SAB 2015) & Petal Potpourri (Occasions 2015) Stamp Sets; Best Year Ever DSP; Coastal Cabana, Sahara Sand & Whisper White CS; Coastal Cabana, Calypso Coral & Crushed Curry Inks; Best Year Ever Buttons & Ribbon; Banners Framelits; Flower Medallion Punch.

Perpetual Birthday Calendar Kit Class!
I'm so excited to announce our first class of the year - a super-fun version of the Perpetual Calendar Kit found on page 17 of your Occasions 2015 catalog!
This calendar features a custom decorated and lined sheet for each month, where you can pencil in all your birthday ticklers! I've added some simple goodies and tricks to make these kits shine even more, and you'll have lots of leftovers from the kit as well! Keep it for yourself, or box it up for a gift! A fun way to warm up for the year ahead!
So, class is announced for Thursday, January 15 at 6:30 pm, or Saturday, January 17 at 3:30 pm. $20 gets you all your supplies, including 1 complete kit, a special treat from me, and snacks and refreshments. RSVP now so I can make sure to have your kit waiting for you!

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Endless Merry Nachos

1/10/2015

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Ahh, time to get that Christmas Card box restocked again! Thank goodness we have Merry Monday #140 to get us off to a good start! I think I'll combine it with this week's Nacho Average #123!
I decided that inspiration pic from Merry Monday looked too tasty to let by, so I'm doing this card in Whisper White, Early Espresso and Pool Party - handy because I have some Pool Party embossing powder, too! I just decided to throw some chocolate snowflake abandon to the wind, lol! I almost added some glitter, too, but I didn't want to get too carried away. Sticking with the pearl overload, here...
Endless Wishes & Mingle All the Way Stamp Sets; Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Pool Party & Early Espresso CS; Early Espresso, Pool Party & Versamark Inks; Pool Party Embossing Powder; Basic Jewel Pearls & Jumbo Pearls (retired); Corner Rounder Punch.

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Mojo Bouquet

1/9/2015

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Lot's of lovely layers over at Mojo Monday #379 this week! I have to try and do them justice!
One of the new sets I have to play with from our Occasions catty is the Build A Bouquet set, that goes with the gorgeous Build A Bouquet kit. Since I also got the die for making additional flowers, I figured the stamp set was a good investment for this suite. Then I went back to look at the set more closely after a chance remark I saw by my pal Jean Fitch on our demo site, who reports that she got the stamp set ONLY, for its amazing possibilities. Really? OK, Jean, I'll have to check it out!
So this is what I ended up with, since I had so many layers to fill. I like it! What's also cool is that the stamps are a lot bigger than I really realized, since it's one of the ones in the catty printed at 50%. I can see using these backgrounds a LOT! Great call, Jean!
Build A Bouquet (Occasions 2015) Stamp Set; Whisper White, Pear Pizzazz, So Saffron, Crumb Cake & Calypso Coral CS; Crumb Cake, Calypso Coral & Pear Pizzazz Inks & Markers; Spring Flowers Embossing Folder; 5/8" Seam Binding Ribbon in Pear Pizzazz; Basic Jewels Jumbo Pearl (retired).

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Joyful Blessings

1/8/2015

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Yay! Another fun sketch over at Can You Case It #51! Looks like a clear call to bring in the embellies, too!
The very first thing I had to do was play with the shapes, of course. It's been a while since I visited with my Banner Blessings set - decided to try one I haven't inked up yet, and throw in some pretty Valentine-esque details, lol. The color combo in this new DSP Stack, Stacked With Love, is really starting to grow on me, though I did sneak in a heavy dose of Strawberry Slush... I think it works surprisingly well!
Banner Blessings Stamp Set; Stacked With Love DSP; Strawberry Slush, Crisp Cantaloupe, Basic Black & Whisper hite CS; Memento Tuxedo Black & Strawberry Slush Inks; Hearts Framelits; In Color Boutique Details Embellishments; Stretch Ruffle Trim in Strawberry Slush.

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Bermuda Pumpkin

1/7/2015

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Woo hoo! Time for another new Pumpkin Challenge! This month, we're all about stocking up and getting ready for the new year, with MPC0115 - Get Ready!
While I want to make sure and go back and use up some odds and ends from past kits for this month's challenge, I had to take this month's new kit out for a little spin, too, right? So I'm kicking off with this bright and cheery Hello, Friend card, featuring all the coordinating colors from this month's kit - Basic Gray, Strawberry Slush, Pistachio Pudding & Bermuda Bay. Delicious! The background was a snap with our photopolymer stamps on hand, but as a tip, make sure you leave plenty of room around the edges on your block, so you can see ALL sides of you stamp clearly...
Paper Pumpkin All Shook Up Stamp Set & Kit; plus, Strawberry Slush & Whisper White CS; Pistachio Pudding & Bermuda Bay Inks; Wide Oval Punch.

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Retro Bash

1/6/2015

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What a neat layout at this week's Retro Sketch #147! I love how they take a fresh look at shifting focus points!
This sketch gave me a chance to try a little bit of old with the new, lol. For some reason, I never really paid much attention to anything that was NOT Christmas-related in our now-exiting Holiday Mini. I just couldn't see past them, I guess! So, VERY late in that catty's season, I picked up a pack of the pretty Color Me Autumn DSP and washi tape. And there it sat. And sat, and sat. I figure, I need to at least open the pack before close of catty, right? Eek! Didn't quite make it! Fortunately for me, a lot of the sheets have a non-autumn pattern on one side, and that's where I headed for today's card. Throw in some happy sentiments from the new Balloon Bash, and I'm good to go! Yay! This is a nice guy card, too, I'm thinking...
Balloon Bash (Occasions 2015) Stamp Set; Color Me Autumn DSP; Crumb Cake, Blackberry Bliss, Cajun Craze & Whisper White CS; Cajun Craze & Blackberry Bliss Inks; Regals Buttons in Crushed Curry, Cajun Craze & Elegant Eggplant (shh... I so wish we had our buttons in IN Colors!); White Baker's Twine.

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SU-per Berry Baskets

1/5/2015

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I'm so excited to have another packaging challenge - this time at SU-per Challenge #70!
One of the new suites in the Occasions 2015 catalog that has most fascinated me is the From The Garden bundle (page 20, for those catty-watchers among us!) On the opposite page from THAT is the totally AWESOME new Berry Basket Bigz die. Don't tell hubby, but I seriously mobbed the UPS driver when he pulled up with this package, lol - he didn't even have to get out of the truck, I was RIGHT THERE at the curb waiting for him! It wasn't creepy, I swear!
The Handpicked framelit set that goes with this has so many more shapes than the stamp set, too - I'm a little hopeful that we might see additional gardening sets to go with, that would be so COOL! Yes, I still have high hopes for my gardens here, lol. I've even made it through two days in a row of frost - that what all those pool towels are really for, right??
ANYhow, I made up a quick trio of the baskets to have on hand for incidental gift-giving, with chummy flower-markers, too. (Hint: I did a backing in chipboard for those to make them a bit more substantial.) I envision adding a little token as I find them, and bagging the whole thing in a cello bag to keep it together. Hm, need a set of note cards to go with! Maybe tomorrow...
From the Garden (Occasions 2015) Stamp Set; Pear Pizzazz, Pool Party, Calypso Coral & Whisper White CS; Smoky Slate, Pear Pizzazz, Pool Party & Calypso Coral Inks; Berry Basket Bigz Die; Handpicked Framelits; Best Day Ever Ribbon Collection (SAB 2015).

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Create the Best Day Ever!

1/4/2015

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What a pretty color challenge at Create With Connie & Mary #336!
Now, I know I usually like to pair color challenges with other sketch challenges, but I decided to try and fly on my own this time. As a result, it's super simple, lol! But really, I like it more every time I look at it - the black is really bold against the white, I think, and goes great combined with one of my Sale-A-Bration sets, too. Doesn't look TOO much like a Valentine's card, either, another secret goal of mine... I'm not sure why I'm resisting the love cards this year - not ready to give up my Christmas spirit yet, I guess!
So, here's a little challenge back out you - can you think of three ways you would "step up" this card? Let's hear it! Everyone get their game face on for the New Year!
Best Day Ever (SAB 2015) Stamp Set; Calypso Coral, Basic Black & Whisper White CS; Memento Tuxedo Black, Calypso Coral & Real Inks; Hello You Thinlets (Occasions 2015); PL Corner Rounder Punch.

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Nacho New Year! (& Birthday Calendar Class!)

1/3/2015

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I'm liking the classic and festive New Year's Colors challenge at this weeks Nacho Average Challenge #122!
Another fabulous new set I've picked up is called Adventure Awaits - the phrases are just so appealing to me! It was explained during our launch preview that this set is meant to be stamped OVER photos, like an overlay layer, but I'm so NOT a picture-taking person, so I'll have to see about that, lol. Anyway, I decided that many of the phrases were just perfect for New Year's, too! So I threw this card together in our colors. It'll be fun to figure out how else I can use this set!
Adventure Awaits (Occasions 2015), Metro Type Alphabet & Making Spirits Bright Stamp Sets; Brushed Gold, Basic Black, Whisper White & Gold Glimmer CS; Versamark & Memento Tuxedo Black Inks; Gold & Black Embossing Powder; Gold Glitter; Merry Mini Star Punch; Lucky Stars Embossing Folder.

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You Mojo Me

1/2/2015

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Sa-WEET! I love banners! So I love this week's Mojo Monday #378, of course!
After a VERY brief attempt to resist, I broke down and inked up my new Valentines set, You Plus Me. I was going to try and hold off, but per usual, I have so many cute new toys to play with, I can't stop now! And I have to admit, the elements all seemed made for this sketch...
The color combo is so interesting to me on this one - Calypso Coral, Crisp Cantaloupe and Real Red - and it totally works!
You Plus Me (Occasions 2015_ Stamp Set; Stacked With Love DSP Stack; Calypso Coral, Crisp Cantaloupe, Real Red & Whisper White CS; Calypso Coral & Real Red Inks; Happy Heart Embossing Folder; Banners Collection & Circles Collection Framelits; Basic Jewel Rhinestones.