The Thinkin' Spot

A New Peachy Keen Challenge, and NEW STAMPS!!!!!

2012-01-27T11:34:00.001-06:00

Hello and HAPPY FRIDAY!!!! I have so many wonderful things to share with you today, and first up is that we have a new Peachy Keen Challenge today. This time we have an inspiration challenge to follow, and it has indeed inspired some amazing creations already. Just head over to The Peachy Keen Challenge Blog to see what our designers have come up with and to find out all the details about what you need to do to play along. There are prizes, and awards for the "Top Peach" and honorable mentions.

Here is the card I came up with using the adorable and totally wonderful PK-295 Cupid's Sting stamp set. I smile every time I look at this sweet image, and that sentiment absolutely cracks me up! It was so much fun choosing paper and embellishments to go with this set as well as the inspiration photo. I'm happy with the way this one turned out, and I hope you like it, too!

For this card, I chose to start with an embossed background using the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder from Stampin' Up!. The designer paper is from one of Stampin' Up's retired collections. The image was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and was colored with Copic markers. Stickles provided just the right amount of sparkle for the wings, and I added some additional bling with the pearl flourishes and Prima flowers. If you haven't picked up your own Cupid's Sting stamps set, then what on earth are you waitng for? It is a MUST have in my book!!!

I don't know if you've heard about it yet, but Peachy Keen Stamps has a couple of new clubs that are just getting started. The new Stamp of the Month program, as well as the Peachy Picks Club. The Stamp of the Month club includes an exclusive and perfectly coordinated stamp set that will have you looking forward to peachy happy mail on a regular monthly schedule, and the Peachy Picks Club contents are hand chosen and include enough paper in each kit to make at least 18 A2 cards, embellishments that coordinate with the papers and at least 3 yards of coordinating trim. Each new club is available as a 6 month subscription, and you can find ALL the details about both on the Peachy Keen Stamps website. Just click on the picture below, or the Peachy Keen Clubs link on the home page for all the info you need to get started. I can tell you from experience that BOTH are completely awesome!! Here is what February's Kit looks like, and I LOVE IT!!!

Here is a look at the NEW Stamps that were just released! This is the February Stamp of the Month Club set.

This cutie is PK-297 Kiss Me Leprechaun

A fabulous addition to our background stamps, PK-298 Grandpa's Pajamas (Don't you love that name?) Reminder - Our background stamps are large and will completely cover an A-2 size card, which is totall cool, and makes stamping with them so easy.

And in celebration of St. Paddy's Day, this is PK-299 Lucky Day Shamrock

(Large background stamp)

Whew! What a line up, AND if that wasn't enough, I haven't even touched on the amazing new die release. Available for preorder right now are some of your most favorite Peachy Keen spring images now in die form, complete with adorable faces to stamp right on the die cut! I'm running out of real estate here for posting pictures, but if you hop on over to the Peachy Keen Stamps Store, you can see what images have been chosen for the latest die release, and snag those up for all your Spring cards and scrapbook pages.

Thank you so very much for stopping by today! I'm having some happy stamping time with these new stamps, and I wish YOU some happy stamping time, too! Have a beautiful day my stampy friends!

Angelica's It's Your Birthday Blog Hop!

2012-01-22T00:00:00.010-06:00

Hello, happy morning, and welcome to The ThINKin' Spot! Today is a very special day, indeed, because we're celebrating the birthday of the very sweet, and talented Angelica Suarez with a birthday blog hop! If you arrived here from the very creative Heather Hoffman's House Built of Cards Blog, then you are hopping along in just the right order, but if you just happened along, then head back to the beginning of this hop at Kathy's blog so that you can start from the very beginning and not miss one wonderful creation along the way! Here's the card I made to celebrate Angelica's birthday, and it will soon be on it's way to her. I know, I know... It'll be late, but better late than never. At least that seems to be the way I roll, lately.

I created this card using the Celebrate Cake stamp set, which is one of Angelica's beautifully illustrated stamp sets from Market Street Stamps. I had so much fun paper piecing this cake, and adding shading with my Copic markers. It doesn't show up in the photo, but there's some pretty sparkle, which was added with my Spica glitter pens, and of course, the Nestabling and rhinestones added plenty more bling to this fun card.

The embossing folder that I used for the background, as well as the gingham ribbon are from Stampin' Up!, and the labels for the sentiment were made with Stampin' Up! punches. I hope you've enjoyed the hop so far, and your next stop to hop to is at super talented Stephanie Muzzulin's Blog. Don't forget that if you're beginning here, you're gonna want to go back to see what you've missed. You can do that by clicking the button below, which will take you directly to Kathy's Blog.

Should you happen to get lost along the way, below is a complete list of all the stops along this hop.

Kathy-http://www.peachykeenstamps-kathy.blogspot.com/

Amanda-http://amandascraftsandmore.blogspot.com/

Amy Crockett- http://www.scrappingmommy.com/

Cristina Garcia- http://www.craftingwithcristina.com/

Lauren Brewer http://www.laurenscreative.com/

DoBea Alberts- http://www.dobeaalberts.blogspot.com/

Raven Baca- http://www.Love4stamps.blogspot.com/

Jennie Garcia http://earthyscrap.blogspot.com/

Heather Hoffman - http://housesbuiltofcards.blogspot.com/

Lorie Souther- http://thethinkinspot.blogspot.com/

Stephanie Muzzulin- http://www.handmade75.blogspot.com/

Erin Schreiner - http://www.erinleecreative.com/

Brenda Weaver- http://www.sweetpapertreats.com/

Michelle Criswell- http://www.scrappinwithmybug.com

Michele Gross- http://studiomsg.blogspot.com/

Leanne Garner - http://www.createdbyleanne.blogspot.com/

Tifany DeGough - http://inkblotsbytrd.blogspot.com/

Samantha Casey- http://samanthacasey.blogspot.com/

Nikki Foraker- http://scrappinnavywife.blogspot.com/

Heidi Anne Giebel - http://gotscraps.blogspot.com

Glorajean Beardall - http://www.glorascrafts.blogspot.com

Vivienne Holden - http://www.craftinghaven.blogspot.com/

Janice Wilson http://stampingwithjanice.blogspot.com/

Saundra Rega http://luvscrappingtogether.blogspot.com/

Julie Day - www.daydesigns.blogspot.com

Lisa Buttafuoco - http://our2angelsinheaven.blogspot.com/

Kristi Bennett - www.littlepapersprinkles.blogspot.com

Mel Haas- http://doxiemeldesigns.blogspot.com/

Stephanie Washburn- http://sweetstephcardcreations.blogspot.com/

Kim Score -http://www.paperpunchaddiction.com/

Emma Aguilar -http://www.creativetimeforme.com/

Thanks so much for hopping along with us today. Have a blessed and beautiful SON-day! Happy stamping!!

Sending Eskimo Kisses

2012-01-17T03:27:00.000-06:00

Good morning! I hope you enjoyed a great weekend, and if you're lucky, you enjoyed an extra day this week with the holiday on Monday. That's an extra day for crafting, which sounds like a productive way to spend a day off. Even though it doesn't feel quite like it, believe it or not, we're still in the middle of winter. It was 53 degrees on Monday morning here in Missouri when I finished, this card. Nothing like the snowy scene you see here, in fact, but beautiful, sunny, and warm outside. Not our typical January weather, but very nice. Very, very, nice. Guess we'll just have to wait and see what mother nature has in store for us for the rest of the winter. In the mean time, it's fun to create cute winter scenes with my Cottage Cutz dies from The Scrapping Cottage.

This sweet little Eskimo with Igloo Cottage Cutz die is so much fun to paper piece using patterned paper, and that's exactly what I did with his clothes. I added some shading with Copic markers, and of course had to bling it up a bit with some glitter for sparkle. I sponged the edges of the fur on his clothing with some distress ink, and I sponged the igloo with blue ink to accentuate the blocks. The sentiment is from Peachy Keen Stamps, and I finished this card off with some waffle weave red ribbon. I can see this particular die being used on some adorable "Winter Fun" scrapbook pages, as well as cards.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope you have a wonderful day! Happy Stamping!

Some BIG Peachy News...

2012-01-13T14:09:00.003-06:00

Good morning! There's some BIG news brewing over at The Peachy Keen Challenge Blog, and just in case you haven't ventured over to see what it's all about, then I'm going to share it with you here. To begin with, this is my first chance to introduce you to our newest Peachy Keen Designers and welcome them to the Peachy Family. What a GREAT bunch of girls, and it's such a pleasure to be designing with them, and to have the opportunity to get to know them. There's lots of fun ahead for the next year. I just know it!!! Please join me in welcoming our 2012 Design Team!!

Amanda Bodine

http://amandascraftsandmore.blogspot.com

Amy Crockett

http://scrappingmommy.com

Cristina Garcia

http://www.craftingwithcristina.com

Glorajean Beardall

http://glorascrafts.blogspot.com

Heather Hoffman

http://housesbuiltofcards.blogpspot.com

Jennie Garcia

http://earthyscrap.blogspot.com/

Kristi Bennett

http://littlepapersprinkles.blogspot.com

Lauren Brewer

http://laurenscreative.com

Leanne Garner

http://www.createdbyLeanne.blogspot.com

Melissa Haas

http://doxiemeldesigns.blogspot.com/

Michelle Criswell

http://www.scrappinwithmybug.com

Raven Baca

http://love4stamps.blogspot.com

Saundra Rega

http://luvscrappingtogether.blogspot.com

And welcoming back the following

Peachy Keen Alumni as designers for 2012:

Heidi Anne Giebel
Senior Designer

http://gotscraps.blogspot.com

Senior Designer/Community Manager

http://thethinkinspot.blogspot.com

Senior Designer/Design Team Lead

http://scrappinnavywife.blogspot.com

Senior Designer/Tutorial Expert

http://www.paperpunchaddiction.com

Now, for the exciting news about the Peachy Keen Challenges!

HELLO Peachies!

I know, it's been awhile since we last met here but I wanted to let you know why -

our PK Challenges are new and improved for 2012!

More streamlined!

Same time each week!

New Challenge every Friday!

Inspiration from 4 first term designers + 1 Senior Designer each week!

Each week we'll challenge you with something different, but always inspiring!

Not only will there be a weekly challenge, but we're making it much easier for you to have fun when playing along!

Here are the details on our NEW PK Challenge:

Each new post will go live on Fridays at 12:01 EST {starting with next week on 1/20/12}
You will have until the following Wednesday at 11:59 pm EST to submit for that weeks' challenge
We'll pick a "Top Peach" for each challenge and 2 runner ups to receive a special badge you can snag right from our site when you win {no more waiting on emails!}
While our challenges are open for all to play along, to earn "Top Peach" you must use a Peachy Keen Stamp somewhere on your project. Prizes will be awarded based on design, theme, and challenge requirements.
We will still continue to offer giveaways on our Peachy Keen Connection with each new release, so there'll always be a chance to start your PKS Collection out for FREE! Just play along for a chance to win! {"like" us on Facebook for the most up-to-date details on giveaways and contests}

Today's announcement begins the fun with a Kick off Linky Party over on the Peachy Keen Challenge Blog. Head over there to see ALL the amazing things that our designers have created for you. Upload and link your peachy project for a chance to be one of the top three! Here's my inspiration for you.

This sweet little angel was loads of fun to color, and I even took the white pleated ribbon from the kit and colored it with Copics to make it more of an ivory color to match the paper. Everything was colored with Copic markers, and I even used the airbrush to color the heart, which is transparent. I like that I can still see the paper through the heart. After the heart dried, I stamped the "Love" sentiment with Versamark ink and sprinkled it with Heat and Stick Powder. A little heat from the embossing tool makes that stuff SUPER sticky and that allows my glitter to stick really well. Heat and Stick Powder = A good thing. ;-) There's some Dazzling Diamonds glitter on her wings and halo, and that pretty much does it for this little sweetie.

Here I have a 6x6 layout I did in memory of my grandma (Granny). The paper for this also comes from the Peachy Picks Kit this month, as does that wonderful kraft tag with the "Love" sentiment punched out. The angel and sentiment are from this month's Stamp of the Month Club.

I think I'll make a trip to the local Ben Franklin Store to pick up a shadow box for this one, because I want to keep it safe. The photo is actually a newspaper clipping from back in the day when she was honored as an employee of Bill & Bob's IGA in Marceline, MO. So many people knew Granny from there. She loved people, and nearly everyone who knew her called her Granny. She touched a lot of lives, and made this world a better place, just by being in in. Wouldn't this world be AWESOME if everyone left this life being able to say that? Oh what a wonderful world that would be!!

Both of my projects today were created with the new Stamp of the Month Club stamps, as well as the Peachy Picks Kit Club, which are both available at Peachy Keen Stamps, and are a brand new deal this month. Can I just have a WOW? Oh my goodness are these EVER some amazing things to work with, and both are some of my absolute favorites EVER. You can find all the details about joining one of both of the new clubs on the Peachy Keen Stamps website. Just click on the Peachy Keen Clubs link in the top left corner and sign up today! They're AWESOME!!!!!

Thank you so much for stopping by today and thank you for your kind comments and condolences for my Granny's passing. Your thoughts and prayers are most appreciated. Sending lots of love and big old hugs right back at ya!

Heaven Got An Angel Today...

2012-01-12T14:58:00.002-06:00

Hello, my stamping and blogging friends. It is with a very heavy heart that I make this post today. My Granny has had many struggles with her health in the past couple of years, and she gave up her fight at 5:15 this morning. I believe with all my heart that she is enjoying her special place in Heaven at this very moment. Those of us who were blessed to have this amazing woman in our lives were truly blessed with an angel here on earth. I scrolled back through my blog posts to find this entry I made in April of 2009, when I first started taking care of Granny after she came home from the hospital. This is such a comfort to read this and remember...

April 25, 2009

Hello, good morning, and welcome to The ThINKin' Spot! I'm happy to have ya here!! As many of you know, I've been staying with my grandparents for the past week, and plans are for me to continue that as long as they need me, although, I am enjoying a quiet weekend at home in my pajamas this weekend. My grandma (Granny) has some serious health issues, and with her failing health, she needs 24 hour/day care. About 15 years ago, she suffered a major heart attack, and only about 40-50% of her heart actively functions. In addition, she was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease about 2 years ago, and with Macular Degeneration, she is very nearly blind. She's 86 (soon to be 87) years old, and for the past 45 years, she has been MY Granny. I grew up with her literally a few steps away, and I have to admit that she spent many of her waking hours completely spoiling me. Truly, she spoils everyone who's had the priviledge to spend any time with her at all. She is one of the most loving, giving, patient and kind people I've known in my life, and I owe so much of who I am to her. It is both a pleasure and joy to take care of her. Yes, it is hard work, and I couldn't do it for just anyone, but for her, it's a pleasure. She has taken care of so many, and it seems only fitting that we now reciprocate by lovingly taking care of her needs, although it's still difficult for her to allow us to do so.

We enjoyed a beautiful day on the farm last Wednesday with warm temperatures and a gorgeous sunny day, and I decided to take her out on the deck to enjoy a part of the glorious Spring weather. We spent a little over an hour out there, and I had to look hard to find a hat to protect her fragile and fair skin from the sun, which felt so good to her. I finally stumbled upon Grandpa's old fishin' hat, which served the purpose, but I had to keep reminding her to not touch the hat, as there were flies (lures) stuck in the hat. I snapped this picture of her just about the time she instructed me "Little lady...you'd better not get a picture of me in this dorky hat". She cracks me up. It's so good to see her smile. Wednesday was a good day. She knew who we were, felt good, and we all enjoyed the day. Sometimes she does forget who I am, or she'll ask me to get a nurse for her. Thursday, she even woke up from a nap, and announced that she'd like for us to get her a monkey. She said, "Yep...that's just what I need. A monkey!" I thought I would fall off the couch laughing, and Grandpa just stared at her with this bewildered look on his face. It was truly priceless!! Lord, I LOVE her!

This is Granny. EVERYONE who knows her calls her Granny.

Thank you for stopping by today. I wish for you a blessed and beautiful day, and I encourage you to look around for the angel in your own life, and celebrate them today. Granny would love that!!!!

Bliss

2012-01-06T10:28:00.003-06:00

Good morning! I have a SUH-WEET little card to share with you today. I titled this one "Bliss", because cooking is something I LOVE to do, and the result, for this sweet little mouse, anyway is cupcakes. Now THAT'S what I'd call "bliss".

I cut this adorable Miss Chef Mouse out using white card stock, and she was colored with Copic markers. I added some Stickles to the frosting on the spoon and cupcake for added sparkle, and a little rhinestone bling was all this needed for embellishment. Isn't she a cutie, and even though she was a part of our Christmas release at The Scrapping Cottage, just by changing the colors I used, she would be perfect for any time of year, and any recipe or scrapbook page, too! I love it when I can get double duty out of my dies! I'm entering this card into the Die Cutting Challenge on the Moxie Fab World. You can check out that challenge here.

Thanks so much for spending some time here today. I wish you a very Happy New Year and a wonderful weekend!

Cream of the Crop

2012-01-02T13:21:00.002-06:00

I got some SWEET news yesterday when I found out that I was one of the Cream of the Crop winners over at Market Street Stamps, and I was totally happy with the shout out on their blog, but THEN, when I opened my email this morning I found a gift certificate and blog blinkie from the owner Angelica Suarez! Now THAT was an even SWEETER surprise!! Thanks so much, Angelica! Here's my card, which was created for Jeanette's Forest Swap over at Splitcoaststampers.

I DO love my Market Street Stamps, and if you've never worked with them, then what on earth are you waiting for? They've got an awesome stamps, great sales, and Market Fresh Kits coming soon, so head over there and shop till ya drop!!

Happy Winter!

2011-12-26T09:30:00.000-06:00

Good morning, and welcome to The ThINKin' Spot! I sincerely hope that you ALL have enjoyed a wonderful Christmas celebration. We've had gorgeous weather here in mid MO, for this time of year, with highs near 50 degrees, and lots of sunshine. Not so Christmas like, but nice just the same. My card today reflects the kind of mood I'm in, because I'm one that likes the change of seasons, and yes, I even like winter. I enjoy snow, and all the wonderful and fun things the first snowfall brings, like sledding, and bonfires, and snowmen. So, with that being said, here's my Happy Winter card for you! ;-)

This Winter Snowman Cottage Cutz die from The Scrapping Cottage is so perfect for ALL your winter cards and projects. I just left out a few of the accessories included with this cutie to make him more of a general winter character than a Christmas one. He's ready for some snowy fun, just like we are!!

Wishing you a bright and beautiful day and happy stamping!

What I've Been Up To...

2011-12-20T00:11:00.000-06:00

Good morning! I've been such a sporadic blogger lately, and while there's still LOTS to do before Christmas, I thought I'd share with you a little bit of what I've been up to.

Right after Thanksgiving, we had some welcome company from our Peachy Keen friends from Wisconsin. We sure enjoyed their visit, and can't wait for them to come back. Hopefully there will be a trip to Branson in the plan for some warm weather fun!

This little Wisconsin critter was very elusive when it came to the camera. Shy one, isn't she?

This one keeps me busy on a regular basis! He's all but ready to walk, and such a sweetie when he wants to be. Goodness, why can't I have eyelashes like that?

I finally got all of the ribbon and ornaments on the Christmas tree. It has been a work in progress this year. We now even have some wrapped presents under the tree. I'm tellin' ya that this old girl just doesn't get it all done as fast as she used to!! Sure have enjoyed the slow fade feature on the multifunctional lights this year. VERY pretty!

Heres a closer look at some of my favorite ornaments.

I've even worked on a few crafty things amidst all the busy-ness of the season. This card I made for Jeanette's Forest Swap on SCS. This stamp set from Market Street Stamps couldn't have been more perfect for Jeanette's swap, and I love this K&Co. Paper. PERFECT! Thanks so much for dropping by today. Have a blessed and beautiful day filled with abundant blessings and happy stamping!!!

Driving By With Merry Christmas Wishes

2011-12-16T10:06:00.000-06:00

Good morning! I'm just driving by this this cute little Santa to send you wishes for a VERY Merry Christmas! I was so happy when this Santa's Truck with Tree die arrived in my mailbox, because I though he was SO stinkin' cute!! I knew it would be loads (pun intended) of fun to work with, and I wasn't wrong!! Here's my card using this adorable Cottage Cutz die.

I cut nearly everything with white card stock and colored with Copic markers, with just a few exceptions. Now with this being Santa's ride, I just HAD to have a little bling, and glitter card stock fit that bill to a "T". If you haven't asked Santa for all those Cottage Cutz dies that are on your wish list, then you'd better get to it. Just eight more days, and the big day will be here!

Thank you so much for stopping by today. I hope all your preparing and planning for Christmas is going well, and that you're ready to sit back, relax, and enjoy the holidays. I'm getting there, too! Have a blessed day and happy stamping!

Love ya!

Lorie

Peachy Keen Challenge #67

2011-12-13T10:00:00.007-06:00

Good morning! It's Tuesday, and that means it's time for another Peachy Keen Challenge. This week it's designer's choice, and that gave me the chance to alter this little wood purse that I picked up at my local Ben Franklin store. I thought it was so cute, and I just knew it would be fun to alter. I was right! While I was shopping around for goodies in the scrapbooking and paper crafting section, I found this GORGEOUS Bo Bunny Snowfall paper, and a whole vintage theme started spinning around in this head of mine. Here's what I came up with, and I hope you like it as much as I do. I don't always "Love" everything I make, but this one ranks right up there. ;-) LOL!!!

This is the outside of the box. I simply covered it with a thick coat of glue stick, and I glued the back side of the paper as well. I always have good luck with paper sticking if I apply the glue to both the item I'm altering AND the paper. I used a sanding file to cut the edges of the paper to fit exactly. The remaining wood parts of the box are stained with Tim Holtz distress ink, as well as the edges of paper covered pieces of the box. I cut a snowflake from some of my scraps of paper using the snowflake Sizzix die from Stampin' Up!. I also punched a variety of snowflakes from scraps using my Martha Stewart punches, and both the die cut and all the punched snowflakes were distressed with some Tim Holtz ink. The face for the snowflake was stamped onto a scrap of the patterned paper and I colored it with Copic markers, and added some distress ink to that as well. The sweet snowman face is from the PK-483 Winter Wonderland 1 1/8" face assortment, and the sentiment is from the PK-859 Christmas Greeting Words. Both of those are of course from Peachy Keen Stamps. I finished this project off with a satin ribbon bow, the Tim Holtz hardware, some hand crocheted flowers, and brown and blue flat back pearls.

This is a look at the inside of the box, and the bracelet that I made to go inside. This was a project I had SO much fun with, and I can't wait to make more!!! Now, you've got to head over to the Peachy Keen Challenge Blog and see what the rest of our talented designers have made for you! They always have such wonderful things to share, and I know you're just going to love what they have created for you!! Please join me in welcoming our guest designer this week. Palali Biswas has some wonderful things to share with you on her Touch of Creation blog, as well as on the Peachy Keen Stamps Blog. Be sure to visit both this week to see all her amazing work, and possibly win some peachy awesomeness as well!!

I thank you so much for stopping by today, and I wish you a day filled with wonderful blessings and lots of happy stamping!

PSA Essentials/Cottage Cutz Holiday Card Blog Hop

2011-12-02T02:16:00.001-06:00

Hello and happy Friday! We've got some fun and inspirational hopping for you today, sponsored by PSA Essentials and Cottage Cutz. If you arrived here from Angie's Blog, then you're hopping along in perfect order, but should you have just happened along, then you'll need to go back to the beginning, to Kay's Blog, and hop along from there, so you don't miss a thing!

I used the Ornate Poinsettia Cottage Cutz die to make this card, and I cut it in both green and red glitter card stock, then layered the pieces for a dimensional effect. I love the contrast of the sparkly poinsettia with the rustic Basic Grey designer paper. The sentiment is from the Oh By Golly stamp set from peachy Keen Stamps.

There are some great ways for you to win prizes for this blog hop. Here's what you need to do to be entered to win a prize...

Hop to each of the blogs in this hop, comment at each, and be a follower of PSA Stamp Camp to be entered to win the “Holiday Card” prize. This prize contains 3 Peel & Stick stamp sets, 1 stamper, 1 black ink & 1-2 color ink from PSA Essentials. The winner will also receive a $50 gift certificate to The Scrapping Cottge for the grand prize. There are also 9 opportunities to win a 3 x 3 die from The Scrapping Cottage, and those will be awarded from the comments on each individual Scrapping Cottage Designer's blog.

Thank you so much for hopping along with us today. Your next stop is at the talented Kim Schofield's Blog Below, please find a list of all the stops on this hop, just in case you lose your way. Have a blessed and beautiful day and happy stamping!!

· www.kcreatedbykay.blogspot.com - Kay Norman

· http://www.thecountrychiccottage.net - Angie Holden

· www.thethinkinspot.blogspot.com - Lorie Souther

· http://paperiepetals.blogspot.com - Kim Schofield

· www.maisymary.blogspot.com - Pearl Liu

· www.lingshappyplace.blogspot.com - Vera Yates

· www.stampingwithjanice.blogspot.com - Janice Wilson

· www.simpleflourishes.com - Jennifer Holmes

· www.pinkcloudscrappers.blogspot.com - Lori Leng

· http://inkypaws.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/ - Jeanne Streiff

· www.ginicagle.blogspot.com - Gini Cagle

· www.livingthecircuslife.blogspot.com - Kim Moreno

· www.taylordconcepts.blogspot.com - Erika Taylor

· www.fantastink.blogspot.com - Meylssa Connolley

· www.handmadebyangelica.com - Angelica Suarez

· www.sweeetdesignsbycheryl.blogspot.com - Cheryl Walker

· http://maearmstrong.blogspot.com - Mae Armstrong

· http://scrappingcottage.blogspot.com/ - The Scrapping Cottage

· www.psastampcamp.blogspot.com – PSA Essentials

Peachy Keen Challenge #66

2011-11-29T10:22:00.000-06:00

Good morning! It's Tuesday and time for another Peachy Keen Challenge!! I've got some very special company here, so I'm going to make this post short and sweet, because we're headed to Kansas City in just a bit for some shopping, to visit Crown Center and see the Christmas lights in all their glory at the Plaza. I'm so lucky to have Kathy J. and her daughter Madeline here visiting from Green Bay. I've sure enjoyed having them visit, and I'm gonna be REALLY sad to see them go home. :-(

So, on to Challenge #66. I used one of the newest Country Bumpkin Stamps from Peachy Keen Stamps. This little Mooey Christmas cow is so easy to color, and I think she's just as cute as a button. Of course, I'm a wee bit biased! Teeheehee!!

I colored Miss Mooey Christmas with Copic markers and pulled out some of my stash of Basic Grey Christmas paper, thinking they would work so well with this wonderful sketch. I added a little bit of scalloped trim and a tag using my Stampin' Up! punches, and finished it off with red and black twine. Be sure to drop by The Peachy Keen Challenge Blog to check out all the details of this challenge, and to see what the rest of the peachy keen gals have created for your inspiration. You're also gonna want to drop by Julie's Crafty Spot, because Julie is our guest designer this week, and she's got all kinds of amazing things to share with you all week long.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Have a blessed and beautiful day, AND happy stamping!

Jingle, Jingle, Jingle!

2011-11-26T11:36:00.000-06:00

Good morning! The holiday season is now fully upon us, and that of course includes Christmas cards. I have a fun little card to share with you today that I made using the Christmas Fawn Cottage Cutz die from The Scrapping Cottage. I cut this out with white card stock and colored him with Copic markers. I love this sweet little guy, and I paired him with the Jingle, Jingle, Jingle sentiment from Peachy Keen Stamps, and added the jingle bells for embellishment.

Have you dropped by The Scrapping Cottage for their sales this weekend? Be sure to check them out, because there's savings everywhere you look, from merchandise, to shipping, and a special release just for Black Friday. AWESOME!!!! Have a blessed day, and a fabulous finish to your weekend, and Happy Holidays!!!

Peachy Keen Kut Out Blog Hop

2011-11-18T09:20:00.003-06:00

Good morning! How about starting this weekend with a party? For me, and so many Peachy Keen fans like me, that would be a party of blog hopping! Our Peachy Keen designers and friends have been busy, busy, busy creating cute cards and projects with their new Peachy Keen Kut Out dies and stamps, and we're ready to share, so let's get the party started!! If you arrived here from the wonderful and talented Viv's Blog, then you are hopping along in just the right order, but if you just happened along, then you've just got to go back to the beginning at The Peachy Keen Stamps Blog and start from there, so you don't miss one fabulous creation, OR a chance to win a terrific prize, and yes THERE WILL BE PRIZES!!

Today, I am showcasing these cute as can be dies and stamps: PKKO-09 Winter Character w/Stocking Hat Die, PKKO-07 Igloo Die, PKS-07 Penguin Girl, and PKS-11 Igloo.

I stamped this image with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored with Copic markers. By following the step-by-step directions included in each die package, it was a breeze to cut the image out after it was colored. The register holes on each die make lining everything up a cinch, and I LOVE that added feature to these dies!! As I said, just follow the directions, and it'll be a breeze for you, too! I used paper from Crate Paper's Snowy Day collection for this card, and added glitter for the hat, polka dotted grosgrain ribbon, and pink rhinestones for embellishment. The pattern on the scarf and hat, I added by hand with a Copic marker and white gel pen.

For this little cutie, I pulled out my stash of Secret Santa paper from K&Co, and used up some of my hoard of die cut snowflakes. The igloo got some sparkle with a two way glue pen and some dazzling diamonds glitter, and the sentiment for this card comes from the PKS-15 Oh By Golly stamp set. Some Liquid Applique gave her hat the furry and textured look, and again, I added some pattern to the scarf and hat with a white gel pen.

So happy you could hop along with us today, and your next stop will be at the sweet and very talented Janice's Blog. Should you get lost along the way, there's a complete hop order below.

PKS Blog - http://peachykeenstamps.blogspot.com
Kathy - http://peachykeenstamps-kathy.blogspot.com
Viv - http://craftinghaven.blogspot.com
Lorie - http://thethinkinspot.blogspot.com
Janice - http://stampingwithjanice.blogspot.com
Nikki - http://scrappinnavywife.blogspot.com
Emma - http://creativetimeforme.com
Samantha - http://samanthacasey.blogspot.com
Lisa - http://our2angelsinheaven.blogspot.com
Kim - http://paperpunchaddiction.com
Heidi - http://gotscraps.blogspot.com
Joanna - http://scrap-making.blogspot.com
Erin - http://erinleecreative.com
Ruthie - http://septemberninth.blogspot.com
Angelica - http://handmadebyangelica.com
Jeanne - http://www.thecricutcorner.com
Zeni - http://www.scrappyzeni.com/
Candace -www.scrappin2littleprincesses.blogspot.com
Michelle - http://www.scrappinwithmybug.com
PKS Blog - http://peachykeenstamps.blogspot.com

Oh, and I almost forgot about the prizes! Here's all the deets about what's going on with prizes and exclusive sales THIS WEEKEND ONLY!!

Be sure to leave your comments across ALL blogs in the hop, as each comment is a chance at winning ONE of THREE prize packages!
Each winner will receive their choice* of one new die and one new stamp set!
(*subject to availability)
And now through Sunday (11:59 PM CDT) Peachy Keen Stamps is offering an additional 5% off our already in place 10% off when you use PROMO CODE: KUTOUT5 at checkout!
Total savings of up to 15% OFF on {almost} everything in our shop!
PLUS, enjoy FREE SHIPPING* this weekend in addition to your discount! *free shipping available to Domestic USA addresses, only*

Well, now I think I've told you everything I know today. Thanks again, for stopping by today, and I wish you a blessed day and weekend filled with everything YOU love!!!

Peachy Keen Challenge #65

2011-11-15T10:00:00.003-06:00

Good morning! Wow! I've kinda been MIA for a few days, and I have no excuse other than being busy, busy, busy! There's so much excitement going on at Peachy Keen Stamps, with new products and stamps that have just been released, but... First things first, and that would be our current challenge. It's time for our Tuesday challenge over at the Peachy Keen Challenge Blog, and this challenge brings us yet another fantastic sketch, as well as a bit of a twist. The twist is that you will need to add some paper piecing on your image. Here's my card, using the newly released PKS-07 Penguin Girl stamp set, and the coordinating Winter Character with Stocking Hat Kut Out which is a die that can be used with the Penguin Girl (like mine) or Snow Girl stamp sets. Oh my goodness, if you haven't seen these new cuties (and there are many), then you REALLY must check them out! So fun and versatile!!!

For my card I used Stampin' Up! card stock and patterned paper from Cosmo Cricket's Mitten Weather collection. I paper pieced the hat and scarf with coordination paper from this 6x6 stack, and colored/shaded everything with Copic markers. The hat has a bit of liquid applique sprinkled with Champagne Glass Glitter from Stampin' Up!, and the fish were doused with some Icicle Stickles to give them a scaly/sparkly look. The Sentiment comes from PKS-11 Igloo stamp set. The background circle was done with circle Nestabilities and Lacey Circles Nestabilities. For added detail, I popped the fish up with foam dimensionals, and added the twine. I finished this card off with the plum colored grosgrain ribbon. This card was so much fun to color, and so easy to cut out with those Peachy Keen Kut Outs!

Head over the the Peachy Keen Challenge Blog to check out all the fine details of the sketch, and to see what our amazing design team has created for your inspiration. Please help me welcome Cathy Martin who is guest designing with us today! I LOVE the name of her blog Snip Tuck, as well as her work and does she ever have some amazing artwork to share!

I also want to share that there are some new Country Bumpkin Stamps now available at The Peachy Keen Stamps Store! Say hello to:

Deputy T.O. Snow

Miss Mooey Christmas

And sweet little Gracee Goose

These are all available at Peachy Keen Stamps RIGHT NOW, and please check back tomorrow, when I'll have some cute cards made with these very near and dear to my heart stamps.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. As always I wish you a day filled with blessings and happy stamping!

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Birthday Blog Hop

2011-11-07T07:16:00.008-06:00

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! I was very blessed to design for Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps as my first ever design team assignment, and after nearly two years of designing for Sweet 'n Sassy, I remain a fan and friend, AND always will!! 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 37 stops so the hop will take place over three days - feel free to take your time visiting each blog! You have until 11:59pm 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 & twine valued at $40!

If you have been following along already you should have come from the talented Tami Mayberry's blog. If you are only starting here, please head back to the SNSS blog and go from there. 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! :)

Here is what I created for this hop using the gorgeous Christmas Candle digital stamp.

I used some of the beautiful Wassail paper from Basic Grey, which I thought went so well with the vintage style of this image. I added a bit of stickles to the candle for dimension and sparkle, and I thought a bow with some of this gorgeous waffle weave ribbon from Stampin' Up! would be just the ticket. As I mentioned earlier, the image was printed digitally and then colored with Copic markers. For the finishing touch, I sponged the edges of the image with some Tim Holtz distress ink in vintage photo. I love that it actually looks like the edges are burnt.

I'm so glad you're hopping with us today, and your next stop on the hop is at the amazing Darsie Bruno's blog, but just in case there are any hiccups, here is the whole list of celebrants on this party train:

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
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

Thanks again for stopping by and hopping along with us today! Have a blessed and beautiful day, and happy stamping, too!!

Baby It's Cold Outside!

2011-11-06T09:51:00.002-06:00

Good morning! Yeah baby! It IS cold outside, and getting colder. I guess it's time, and after the long hot summer, I'm ready. It sure makes crafting winter and Christmas cards much easier. I've been playing with the dies from the latest Christmas release at The Scrapping Cottage, and this card was made with the Winter Bird with Ornament Cottage Cutz die. This one was really fun to color, and I love the bigger size. I can't help it, I just love to color bigger images and die cuts. This was cut with white card stock and colored with Copic markers.

I used some Basic Grey paper for this card, and I added plenty of stickles to the ornament, along with a rhinestone embellishment. NO ribbon on this one, and I gotta tell ya that it just doesn't feel right! I think I use ribbon on about every card I make, but it's good to change it up once in a while. ;-) I gave the bird some extra shimmer by going over it with a Saukura Gelly Roll pen in red, and smudging it with my fingers to spread the sparkle around.

Here's a closer look at the sparkle on the birdie. I'm so glad you could drop by today, and I hope you're enjoying a wonderful weekend. Have a blessed day, and happy crafting!

Easy Canvas Prints

2011-11-02T11:26:00.000-05:00

Hello and happy Wednesday!! I have something special to share with you today. Some time ago, I was contacted by the folks at Easy Canvas Prints, asking if I would like to review their product. I visited their website, and I have to say that I was very impressed with what they had to offer. They offered to provide me with an 8x10 canvas print using the photo of my choice, or, if I so chose, I could upgrade to a larger size at a discounted price (which I decided to do), and all I needed to do was write a review about their product. It took me some time to find a photo that was exactly what I wanted, and as you can imagine, my subject of choice would of course be little Max. Well, my husband just happened to snap this picture of Max at my niece's wedding a couple of weeks ago, and I knew right then that this is the picture I wanted on canvas. Allen was across the aisle from Max at the wedding, and the sun was coming in the window right behind Max, which I thought gave it a really neat effect. So here it is, in all it's 16x20 glory, and I LOVE IT!!!!

I used my photo editing software to retouch a few areas of the photo, and to make it sepia in color. The quality of this canvas is excellent, and I chose to have the edges mirrored and wrapped at 7/8", which looks really nice. Very finished and professional. It really doesn't need a frame at all, but at some point I may decide I'd like to frame it, and then again, maybe not.

The entire ordering process took maybe 5 minutes from start to finish, and my canvas arrived within a matter of just a few days, very carefully packaged and protected. This was such a wonderful experience and opportunity, and I want to thank Easy Canvas Prints for allowing me the chance to review and display their product proudly in my home.

Thank you so much for stopping by today! Have a blessed and beautiful day!!!!!!

Peachy Keen Challenge #64

2011-11-01T10:53:00.000-05:00

Good morning! Hope you're having a wonderful Tuesday! It's time for another Peachy Keen Challenge, and once again, we've got a terrific sketch for ya. There were so many wonderful entries in our last challenge, and I sure hope to see even MORE this time!!! For my card today, I used the new PK-648 Faceless Scarecrow Dolls stamps from Peachy Keen Stamps, as well as the PK-649 Scarecrow Accessories. WOW! What a great combination of sets to create with!! I just LOVE these stamps!! So, here's my card.

I was inspired to paper piece this scarecrow after I saw Kim Score's adorable creation that you can view here. I'm tellin' ya, that Kim is one creative lady, and I absolutely love everything she does!!!! Thanks so much for the inspiration, Kim!!!

The paper I used for this card is all from Stampin' Up! The card stock AND patterned paper can both be found there, as well as the waffle weave ribbon, the brads and buttons. I used lots of foam dimensionals for this card, and the background for the scarecrow girl was cut with the Nestabilities Labels 21 die. To get the matte layer, I simply traced around the edge of the die directly onto my card stock, and then cut it out by hand.

Here's a closer look at this cutie. The image was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored with Copic markers. I even colored the patterned paper to add some shading. That is a great trick, and really adds a lot of depth to the finished project. Below, you can find all the details about this challenge, and don't forget to drop by the Peachy Keen Challenge Blog to see what all the DT gals have created using this sketch. Great things await you!!!

Sketch Challenge #64 Details

SKETCH CHALLENGE
-----------------------------

Create a card OR layout based on the sketch provided

Peachy Keen Stamps are not required for this challenge,

but if you've got them, we looooove seeing how you create with them!

Project must include basic elements and layout from the sketch (feel free to flip anything!)

Project must be new, created for this challenge

Link up by November 14th {the collection closes at 11:59 p.m. Central on 11/14}

-----------------------------

This week, we are offering a chance to

win TWO different ways!

And we'll have a total of FOUR winners!!

As always, we will have our random winner

that is chosen from entries into our challenge.

That winner will receive our

PEACHY KEEN SANTA SET!

(I just love him.)

Thanks so much for stopping by The ThINKin' Spot today! It's always a pleasure to have you drop by, and I do enjoy your comments! Have a blessed day, and HAPPY STAMPING!!!

Simple Elegance

2011-10-26T11:10:00.001-05:00

Good morning, and welcome to The Scrapping Cottage Blog! I hope you're enjoying a beautiful day wherever you are. Have you seen the beautiful Cottage Cutz dies that have been released for Christmas? Oh my goodness, are they EVER fabulous!!!! Now, I am a big fan of coloring, and using many different mediums for coloring, from watercolor, to Copic markers, to paint, but once in a while, I like to create a card that is quick and easy, but looks like I spent a lot of time on it. Simple elegance is how I like to describe those creations. Here's what I came up with using the Snowflake Ornament Cottage Cutz die, and I've included a little picture tutorial so that you can see how I put it together. These little honeycomb type cards are so much fun, and the three dimensional effect is so showy.

To begin this project, you will need to cut 5 of the ornaments in your choice of card stock. I used a metallic silver. Place the cut ornaments on a scoreboard, and score right down the center. As you can see, scoring at one inch worked perfectly.

Once you've scored and folded all the pieces in half, the you can start gluing them together. Start by placing adhesive on the left under side of the first ornament, and gluing that to the right under side of the second ornament. Keep going until all 5 pieces have been glued. You should have the left under side of the first piece, and the right under side of the last piece free from adhesive. You will add adhesive to those when you're ready to put the ornament on your card.

Once the ornament has been secured and is dry, you can add some sparkle. I used a 2-way glue pen and some Martha Stewart white gold glitter. Kinda messy, but that's the way I roll! ;-)

The finished 3-D ornament. Gorgeous!! I did take a Zig Painty pen and color the top with a bit of gold.

Apply adhesive of your choice to the back side of the ornament and secure to card front. The embossing folder I used is a Cuttlebug embossing folder called Christmas Ornaments, and I do believe that it's discontinued now. I did work perfect for this card, which made me very happy!!

VOILA!!! One completed very simple and elegant card!! Wouldn't these make wonderful ornaments for a mini tree? You'd need to add a couple more cut ornaments to allow them to come full circle when you glue them all together, but that would work great.

Have a blessed and beautiful day!

Ginger Wreath and a WINNER!!!

2011-10-25T16:56:00.001-05:00

Good afternoon, and happy Tuesday!!!! I FINALLY got my project finished that I was working on while visiting Peachy Keen Headquarters in Green Bay, WI last week. Did I EVER have fun painting these little ginger people, BUT I wouldn't be honest if I didn't tell you that I really struggled with them, because I hadn't touched a paint brush since I was in Green Bay, and helped Kathy paint the larger set in July. I REALLY need to paint more, so it's a little easier for me!! ;-) With that being said, though, I really am happy with how they turned out, even though I constantly compare mine to Kathy's beautiful works of art. I can only aspire to be HALF as good a painter as she is, but it's good to have aspirations, right? She's such an awesome painter, and I could watch her work for hours!!!

These smaller chipboard versions of the gingers currently available at Peachy Keen Stamps will be available soon, if they aren't already listed, so be watching for those. They are so much fun to paper piece and the perfect size. One good thing about owning your own stamp company and manufacturing your own stamps is when you decide you want a stamp for something, you just have Dave make it. That's what we did with these. Kathy decided it would be easier to stamp the faces, and VOILA... one day later, stamps appeared out of know where! That place is magic, I'm tellin' ya!!!!! LOL!!! Now you'll have the option to purchase custom made (larger size) face stamps for your gingers. After a trip to Hobby Lobby for a wreath and filler, I was ready to start putting my creation together. This is so stinkin' cute, I don't know if I can stand to put it away until it's actually time to decorate for Christmas!!

Oh, and before I forget, I need to announce the winner from the PKS Mini Release/Country Bumpkin Blog Hop. The lucky winner of the $15 Gift Certificate to Peachy Keen Stamps is commenter

#28

2Lilprincesses!!!!!

Congratulations to you, and I'll be in touch to let you know how to claim your prize!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope you're having a wonderful day, and I sure hope happy stamping is in there somewhere!

Lots of Peachy Keen Fun!!!

2011-10-23T16:29:00.001-05:00

Hello and happy Sunday! Thought I'd take a minute to make a quick post and share one of the pictures from my week in the land of Peachy Keen. I sure had a great time painting, playing with paper, and chatting with some of my design team sisters, and I was sad to see it end.

From left to right we have on the front row: Kathy J., Vivienne Holden, and Lisa Buttafuoco. On the back row is: Janice Wilson, Lorie (that's me), and Kim Score.

Wow, I just can't say enough great things about this group of girls. Talented, hilarious, and so much fun to be around!!! It was a great week, and one I'll remember and cherish for a lifetime!

Hope you're having a great Sunday! Thanks so much for stopping by, and please check back tomorrow for the winner of the $15 gift certificate from the PKS Blog hop, as well as a peek at some of the crafty things I made while visiting Peachy Keen headquarters!!!

Oh, and before I forget, have you heard about the 1st anniversary celebration going on at Market Street Stamps? There's so many ways to play along and win fabulous prizes, and one of those is the Wishful Weekend contest. You can find all the details here.

I just created my list, so now I'll keep my fingers crossed and hope I win, but if not, then I feel a shopping spree coming on!! LOL!!!!!

Still Hoppin' with the Peachy Keen Mini Release and Country Bumpkins!

2011-10-19T08:28:00.004-05:00

Good morning!!! Well, it's Wednesday, we're halfway through the week, and still celebrating and hopping for the new Peachy Keen Stamps mini release/Country Bumpkin Stamps release. Today I have another cute little Max card to share with you.I kept things pretty plain and simple with this card, and I just love doing that once in a while. Would you believe that "simple" is very, very, difficult for me? It always seems like I keep looking for something else to do, or add, but that's not the case with this one. I colored Max with red hair this time, because I really like playing with the different color combos for hair, and it just gives each one you try a whole different look. I've found that nearly anyone can color this little guy up and say that he looks just like their son, or grandson, or nephew. LOL!! There's a lot of truth to that, too. Depending on what colors you use, you can make him look like just about any little adorable fella you know.

As is usually the case, I colored this Max with Copics, and boy, was it EVER a difficult thing to make his little face dirty with some distress ink!!!! I kept thinking I was going to mess it up and have to start all over. I think I managed to get him plenty dirty without overdoing it this time, and I love the way he turned out.

There's still time to get in on the great savings and giveaways for this blog hop. Just follow along with the blogs below for your chance to win one of the $15 gift certificates that each designer is giving away, and also check out the Peachy Keen Stamps Store for ll the wonderful savings that are going! There are great deals EVERY StoreWHERE, and you just shouldn't miss out on anything this good!!!!!

Thanks for stopping by today. I wish for you a very blessed and happy day, and of course LOTS of happy stamping!!

PKS Blog - http://peachykeenstamps.com

Angelica - http://handmadebyangelica.com

Viv - http://craftinghaven.blogspot.com

Lorie - http://thethinkinspot.blogspot.com

Janice - http://stampingwithjanice.blogspot.com

Nikki - http://scrappinnavywife.blogspot.com

Emma - http://creativetimeforme.com

Samantha - http://samanthacasey.blogspot.com

Lisa - http://our2angelsinheaven.blogspot.com

Kim - http://paperpunchaddiction.com

Heidi - http://gotscraps.blogspot.com

Joanna - http://scrap-making.blogspot.com

Erin - http://erinleecreative.com

Ruthie - http://septemberninth.blogspot.com

Kathy - http://peachykeenstamps-kathy.blogspot.com

Peachy Keen Challenge #63

2011-10-18T09:27:00.001-05:00

Good morning and happy hellos from Green Bay WI!!! I'm having a wonderful time with my peachy design sisters, Lisa and Viv, and we're adding Janice to the mix today, and I can't wait for that!!! Even with all the fun going on here, we've got to think about challenge day, (Let's face it... THAT'S one of our favorite things) and this is the day for another fabulous sketch and a new challenge with it. Boy, was this image from the new Fall Blessings Acorn stamp set PERFECT for this sketch!

I used some of my stash of PTI patterned paper for this card, and did a little bit of embossing on the horizontal panel behind the image. That is the striped embossing folder from Stampin' Up!. I love that thing, and use it a lot. The image was stamped with Memento tuxedo black in and colored with Copics. Divine twine in chocolate brown finished this card off, and added the final element for the sketch.

You can find this new stamp set and ALL of the new releases at the Peachy Keen Stamps Store, and there are some amazing deals going on the entire month of October. Here's the deal...

JOIN US ON OUR BLOG HOP save 10% automatically on any of the NEW RELEASES PLUS
another 10% off with a promo code of
MINIHOP
October 17th through October 19th!

WE ARE introducing a new line by

LORIE SOUTHER ! (Heehee! That's me!)

Don't forget to drop by the challenge blog to check out all the fine details of the sketch and of course the fantastic inspiration that our design team has created for you. The very talented Heather from House Built of Cards is guest designing with us this week, and she's sharing some creative and beautiful works on the home blog as well. Drop by and leave her some love, not only for the inspiration, but for a chance to win a great prize, too. SPEAKING of prizes, don't forget our blog hop (going on now), because there are a BUNCH of $15 gift certificates available to win. Just hop along and leave a comment for your chance to win. Below is a list of stops for the blog hop, so that you can find your way.

PKS Blog - http://peachykeenstamps.com
Angelica - http://handmadebyangelica.com
Viv - http://craftinghaven.blogspot.com
Lorie - http://thethinkinspot.blogspot.com
Janice - http://stampingwithjanice.blogspot.com
Nikki - http://scrappinnavywife.blogspot.com
Emma - http://creativetimeforme.com
Samantha - http://samanthacasey.blogspot.com
Lisa - http://our2angelsinheaven.blogspot.com
Kim - http://paperpunchaddiction.com
Heidi - http://gotscraps.blogspot.com
Joanna - http://scrap-making.blogspot.com
Erin - http://erinleecreative.com
Ruthie - http://septemberninth.blogspot.com
Kathy - http://peachykeenstamps-kathy.blogspot.com

Thanks for stopping by today! Have fun!! Have a blessed day and happy stamping!

Peachy Keen Mini Release and Country Bumpkin Stamps Blog Hop

2011-10-17T08:00:00.004-05:00

Good morning! Are ya ready for some blog hoppin'? I sure hope so, because we've got some wonderful things to share with you for this hop celebrating the Peachy Keen Stamps Fall mini release and the Country Bumpkin Stamps release. If you arrived here from my sweet friend Viv's Blog, then you're hopping along in perfect order, but if you just happened along, then you definitely want to go back to the beginning to the Peachy Keen Stamps Blog, and check out all the wonderful creations from there. Each design team member is giving away a $15.00 gift certificate! How cool is that? If I counted right, that's about 15 chances to win, so hopping could get you a pretty sweet deal, if you're one of the lucky winners!!

For this card, I used the Tanner Turkey Country Bumpkin stamp. I stamped Tanner Turkey with Memento Tuxedo Black in onto white card stock, and colored him with Copic markers. The patterned paper is all from Daisy D's, and the only embellishments are the buttons. I played along with the Deconstructed Sketch Challenge for this card. I do love those sketches!!!

Your next stop on this happy hop will be at the sweet and talented Janice's Blog Enjoy the hop, and good luck you ya! Just in case you happen to get lost along the way, below you will find a complete list of all the artists participating in this hop.

PKS Blog - http://peachykeenstamps.blogspot.com
Angelica - http://handmadebyangelica.com
Viv - http://craftinghaven.blogspot.com
Lorie - http://thethinkinspot.blogspot.com
Janice - http://stampingwithjanice.blogspot.com
Nikki - http://scrappinnavywife.blogspot.com
Emma - http://creativetimeforme.com
Samantha - http://samanthacasey.blogspot.com
Lisa - http://our2angelsinheaven.blogspot.com
Kim - http://paperpunchaddiction.com
Heidi - http://gotscraps.blogspot.com
Joanna - http://scrap-making.blogspot.com
Erin - http://erinleecreative.com
Ruthie - http://septemberninth.blogspot.com
Kathy - http://peachykeenstamps-kathy.blogspot.com

Don't forget that you have many, many chances to win, just by dropping by the above listed blogs and leaving a comment. There's also some more good news!!!!! In celebration of this three day blog hop, Peachy Keen Stamps is going to give you an extra 10 percent discount. Just use the couplon code MINIHOP, when checking out with your merchandise.

Thank you so much for hopping by today!! I hope you're enjoying a beautiful day and of course some happy stamping!

Halloween Greetings!

2011-10-16T10:20:00.000-05:00

Good morning and happy Sunday! I'm still loving my Halloween cards, so today I have yet one more to share with you. This one was made with the Spooky Sign Post Cottage Cutz die from The Scrapping Cottage. This was cut with white card stock and colored with Copic markers.

I added the sentiments by hand, giving each sign a different word. A few rhinestones for sparkle, and some wide grosgrain ribbon were what I used for embellishment, so this one was really quick and easy. I really think this would make a cute Halloween party invitation by just putting the words "You're Invited To A Party" on each little sign.

I hope you're enjoying a fabulous weekend, and I'm so glad you could stop by today. Have a blessed day and happy crafting!

No tricks... Just treats!

2011-10-12T12:07:00.001-05:00

Hello and happy Wednesday to ya! I have a card to share with you today that's made with the newly released Goblin Greetings stamp set from Country Bumpkins Stamps. I decided to play along with a couple of challenges this week. I haven't played many challenges for a while, and I just happen to know a sweetheart of a gal (my friend, Kadie) who is a designer with both the Deconstructed Sketch Challenge and The Pink Elephant Challenge, and I decided to tackle both of those with one creation. Both are hosting fabulous challenges this week, and there's tons of inspiration on those blogs, so you really should check them out if you haven't yet! You'll be glad you did!!

Mr. Goblin was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink, and colored with Copic markers. The patterned paper is from DCWV, and the grosgrain ribbon and card stock are both from Stampin' Up!. The pennant was cut with the Pennant Large Scallop die from The Scrapping Cottage. The Goblin Greetings stamp set can be purchased in the bundle with the entire Country Bumpkin Stamps release at 25% off, or individually with a 10% discount through the month of October. All Country Bumpkin Stamps are currently available exclusively in the Peachy Keen Stamps Store.

So glad you could stop by today! I wish you a blessed day and LOTS of happy stamping!!!!

Test Tube Treat Box

2011-10-06T08:20:00.000-05:00

Good morning! Today, I have a cute little Halloween treat gift giving idea to share with you. Last week I saw this project showcased on the Splitcoaststampers website, and thought it was the cutest thing, so when I was in the big city on Monday, I stopped by the craft store to pick up some of these test tube treat containers just for this post. I found them at Michael's, and they are made my Martha Stewart Crafts. When I saw the dimensions of this little box, I just knew it would be the perfect size for the Cottage Cutz mini dies, and I was right! They fit on this box beautifully, and I can't wait to make a whole bunch of these for my sweet trick or treaters. I don't get many Halloween visitors out here in the country, but those that make the trek will get something extra special!! You can find complete instructions on how this box was made HERE.

Here's a view of the finished box without the test tube, so that you can see the "Boo" that was cut from the Kara Ashley Alphabet die. (I didn't have room for an exclamation mark, or I would have added that.)

For this crafty project I used the Owl and Lantern mini Cottage Cutz dies, and I also used the Kara Ashley Alphabet die to make the word "Boo" on the top of the box. All of these fabulous dies and so much more can be found at The Scrapping Cottage. While at CHA last winter, I had the pleasure to meet my fellow DT member, Barry, and he taught me the handiest little trick. Barry says that most of the time he glues 2-3 layers of cut card stock together, almost making his pieces more like chipboard. Since most of the time, I color my cut pieces, that doesn't work for me, but I do find that especially when cutting letters, it's a wonderful technique. It gives them dimension without needing to use foam dots, and it also gives the pieces a more sturdy construction, making them much easier to work with. Thanks for that tip, Barry! When you see Barry's work in person, you can really tell that he takes that extra attention to detail and turns his projects into something so special. It's the little things, I'm tellin' ya!!! I tell people all the time that it's all about the details! ;-)

I hope you like my project today, and that you're happily preparing for those little ghots and goblins who will be visiting you! Have a wonderful day and happy crafting!!!

Peachy Keen Challenge #62

2011-10-04T10:19:00.000-05:00

Good morning! It's Tuesday and time for another fun Peachy Keen Challenge! You know I love me some sketches, and this sketch is a dandy!! I'm breaking away from my much loved Halloween/Fall stamps and I brought out the Christmas stamps. It'll be here before we know it, and this adorable little Skip character from the PK-334 Lauri Loves Skip Faceless Elves stamp set was really wanting to see some ink. He's a good size fella, which is spot on for me as far as coloring goes. I LOVE to color larger images.

Skip was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink, and colored with Copic markers. The patterned paper is from K&Co., and all card stock is from Stampin' Up!. My design team sisters have some awesome cards created for your inspiration, so if you hop over to the Peachy Keen Challenge Blog, you can check them all out. You'll sure be glad you did!! While you're there, you'll also see the amazing work of our talented guest designer, Jessica. The Creative Stamper's Spot is where you'll find all of Jessica's fabulous designs, so be sure and drop by there and leave her some love!! I always really enjoy visiting the blogs of our challenge participants and seeing what they've done with the challenge. I sure hope you can play along with us, so that I can see what wonderful work of art you'll come up with. As always, one lucky winner will receive a fabulous prize, just for playing along. Will it be YOU this time? I REALLY hope so!!!!

You can find the stamp set I used today, as well as MANY others, including the new Country Bumpkin Stamps, at the Peachy Keen Stamps Store. There's still a GREAT sale on all the newly released stamps, and that will continue through the month of October.

Thanks for visiting today! Have a blessed and beautiful day!! Happy Stampin!

WINNERS!!!!!

2011-10-03T09:17:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday morning, everyone!! I have winners to announce from the Country Bumpkin Stamps release, and I'm so happy to be able to give these sets to the following crafters and friends!! All name went into a basket, and names were drawn out by DH.

The winner of Max is April

The winner of Madisyn is Shar

The winner of Goblin Greetings is Brenda

The winner of Jack O Light is Mary Ann

The winner of You Whooooo Owl is Jeanette

The winner of Tanner Turkey is Kelly S.

Thank you all so very much for taking the time to drop by and make a comment, and leave such sweet and encouraging words!! I love y'all bunches for that!!! If you see your name here, please send me an email with your mailing info, so that I can get your stamps off to you. You can reach me at foreverstampin at gmail dot com.

I have a quick project to share with you today. This is what we made at the Copic class I taught a couple of weeks ago. We had so much fun stamping and learning to color black together using these cute Peachy Keen Stamps. This is a fun little wallet to gift tea, chocolate, or a gift card. It's my take on a larger version I posted some time back. Enjoy!!

Front of wallet.

Inside of wallet. I'm not including instructions, because I'm off in a few minutes to do some wedding shopping with my niece, but if you have any questions at all about how I made this, feel free to email me and I'll give you all the deets! Thanks so much for stopping by today! CONGRATULATIONS to our 6 winners, and have a day filled with happy stamping!

I leave you with this sweet face, and my inspiration!

Peachy Keen Mini Release and Debut of Country Bumpkin Stamps!

2011-09-30T10:05:00.021-05:00

Leave a comment below telling me what inspires you for a chance to win. I'll give away one of each Country Bumpkin Stamp sets on Monday morning!!

Good morning! Today is a BIG day around here, because Peachy Keen Stamps is having a mini release, and as a part of this awesome release, (they're ALL awesome, BTW ) the Country Bumpkin Stamps stamp line is debuting, and those just happen to be images that were drawn by none other than ME!! Yeah, you heard correctly, and I still can't even believe it!!! Country Bumpkin Stamps are inspired by people, places and things from right here smack dab in the middle of this country where I just happen to be blessed to live. You'll find cute and whimsical images to color from Little Max and Madisyn (both of whom I personally know) to Tanner Turkey (I happen to know this fella, as well) and everything in between. I hope you like them, and that they will inspire you to create wonderful works of art for you to share and enjoy! I have to send a HUGE thank you to Kathy J., for her help, encouragement, and inspiration. After spending some time with Kathy and her sketch books full of inspiration, and hearing her encouraging "You can do this!" words, I FINALLY had the courage and inspiration to try. There's no way to truly express here what that means to me, but Thank You from the bottom of my heart is a good place to start!!!!! So with all that being said, I give you my first creations from the first six sets of Country Bumpkin Stamps!! I sure hope you like 'em, because they're near and dear to me!!!

This Country Bumpkin Stamp set is entitled "Max", and inspired by the sweet little blonde bundle of energy that calls me... Well he doesn't talk much yet, but, Grandma, Nana, Mimi, or WHATEVER (within reason) he decides to call me will be just fine with me!! I drew this little guy up, and sent it to Kathy for approval, and she sent him back to me with more of those encouraging words, saying she loved him, but she thought he needed a frog, or snake, or something like that included. I set to work, and drew a pocket for his overalls, with that frog trying to get out, and we both decided that was just the ticket. Several days later, I stumbled upon this anonymous poem about a little boy, and I knew it HAD to be a part of this set!! It couldn't have been more perfect!!!

Little Madisyn is inspired by my niece Madisyn, whom we waited a long time for, but was she EVER worth the wait!!! She's as pretty and sweet as she can be, and pulls off lace and frills so very well, but is the happiest when she's wearing her overalls and boots, and doing anything outside, but she always looks adorable, no matter what her state of dress, AND her lip gloss is never far away!!

This Goblin guy evolved from... Well, I'm not exactly sure!! LOL!!! He's inspired by garden gnomes and Halloween, which is as many of you well know, my FAVORITE holiday. Not so much for trick-or-treating and all that, but more for the time of year. I LOVE this time of year!!

Along with our annual hay ride, carving pumpkins is a cherished tradition around here, and believe me when I tell you, we carve plenty of them. I definitely think it's true that "There's magic in the night, when pumpkins glow with candlelight."

You Whoooooo Owl is pretty self explanatory, because of course he's inspired by the things you don't see, but often hear at night when you live in the country. I hear lots of them, but seldom ever see an owl. On the rare occasions I have, I've considered it a gift. They're so BEAUTIFUL!!! This one can be used for more than just Halloween, and do I see an add on in the future? Hmmm...

And last, but certainly NOT least, we come to Tanner Turkey. Now this guy is inspired by my larger than life nephew Tanner, who always has a smile on his face, and can bring a smile to your face just by looking at him, but ESPECIALLY if he's telling one of his stories! Mission accomplished here, because every time I look at Tanner (either one), I can't help but smile.

If you'd like even more inspiration, please hop over to a few of my friend's blogs who have wonderful creations to share with you made with Country Bumpkin Stamps. They were so sweet to help me out by making something on very short notice, so please give them an extra special thank you and leave them LOTS OF LOVE!

April O'Connor

Jeanette Cloyd
Gael O'Brien
(Gael's having technical issues with her printer, but she's got a great blog post!)

So, here ends the debut of my Country Bumpkin Stamps creations. As is usually the case, all images were colored with Copic markers, and since this post is a long one, I'm not mentioning what specific supplies I used, but if you have a question, or would like to know specifics, please don't hesitate to drop me an email. I'd be happy to share that info!! In celebration of this release, I want to give away one of each of these Country Bumpkin Stamps sets to my readers, so if you'd like to win, just leave a comment here telling me what inspires YOU!! You'll have until Monday morning to enter, and although it's not a requirement, I'd love it if you would were a follower!!! I'll choose random numbers as winners for each set, and please don't forget to leave me some contact info so that I can let you know when you win!

I hope you don't think this post is over, because I've still got peachy goodness to share with you. Peachy Keen Stamps is releasing 4 adorable stamp sets today, and they're some of the cutest EVER! I haven't inked these babies up yet, but I'm fixin' to just as soon as they're in my inky little hands!!! I know you're going to LOVE each and every one of these!!!

Here we have the adorable Faceless Corn stamp set complete with adorable faces, and hilarious sentiments for all your Fall card making/scrapbooking needs. This set is a MUST HAVE!!

Now if this Fall Blessings stamp set doesn't have you laughing out loud, I don't know what would! Those acorns are just the cutest, and there's some very "punny" prases to go along with them! ANOTHER must have.

Finally, here we have the Uglies!!! Oh my goodness, do these EVER inspire me to get that Cricut humming, and I just got a new monster cartridge the other day, so that's EXACTLY what I'll be doing very soon!!! These adorably ugly faces will make some of the most wonderful cards and layouts EVER!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! It's always wonderful to have you, but it's especially wonderful to share this special day with you!!! Have a blessed day, a fantastic weekend, and I sure hope you get to do some happy stamping!!!

Wizard Wobble

2011-09-26T10:47:00.001-05:00

Good morning! It's a beautiful Monday morning, or at least I hope it's a beautiful Monday morning for you. I'm still in the Halloween spirit, playing with my Cottage Cutz Halloween dies. Today I bring you a card I made for Barry's challenge this month, which is to create a motion card. I used this cute Deuce the Wizard die, and I popped him onto an Action Wobble to create the movement. Old Deuce has the earth shaking with whatever potion he's got cooking up in that pot! LOL!!! I also used the Grass Border die from The Scrapping Cottage on this card, as well as the Ornate Circle Frame.

Deuce was cut with white card stock, and everything was colored with Copic markers, however, I did run the die through the Big Shot a second time, using patterned paper for the robe and hat. Below, is a short video I took, (trying out my new camera) to demonstrate the movement the Action Wobble gives.

It's not so easy to hold the camera and make the Action Wobble move, but at least you get the idea here. There's still plenty of time to play along with this months challenge, and there's a great prize being given away to one lucky player! What on earth are you waiting for? Get out those Cottage Cutz dies, and get movin' with those motion cards for Barry's challenge!!!! You can find the details here, or you can click on the blinkie in the top left side bar of the The Scrapping Cottage Blog.

It's great seeing you here today! Have a good one, Cottage Cutz fans!

Peachy Keen Challenge #61 With A Twist

2011-09-20T10:08:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone! It's a bright and beautiful almost Autumn day here, and I'm even more in the mood for Halloween than ever. Our Peachy Keen Challenge for today is a fabulous sketch with a twist to use twine, and of course I went Halloween with it! I love the size of this card (mine is 4x8), and this one is loaded with bling and sparkle. For this one, I used the PK-637 Lisa Jean Halloween stamp set from Peachy Keen Stamps, and paired it with some purple glitter card stock, and patterned paper from K&Co. The Square panels were cut with Nestabilities, and if there weren't enough sparkle with the glittery card stock, I went one further, and added some black rhinestones at the corners of the square panel, and some flourishes around it. You can find these gorgeous flourishes in the Peachy Keen Stamps Store, along with this adorable stamp set. I just love the flourishes, and find that I can cut them apart and get many uses/cards out of one set.

For full details about this sketch with a twist and the prize that you could win for joining us for this challenge, head over to the Peachy Keen Challenge Blog. While you're there, be sure to check out the AMAZING cards that the rest of the PKS designers have created. Oh my goodness, were they EVER creative with this sketch, and I know you're going to love what you see! Be sure to visit our guest designer, Jane at her Polka Dot Gypsy Blog. Does she ever have some CAH-UUTE scarecrow things for you to oogle! They are absolutely adorable!!!

Busy, busy day here, but I want to thank you for stopping by, and wish you a blessed day filled with more happy stamping than your heart can hold! ;-)

Quick Quotes/Peachy Keen Blog Hop

2011-09-17T07:00:00.008-05:00

Thank you so much for joining us for the Peachy Keen Stamps/Quick Quotes Blog Hop! If you've just come from Lisa's Blog ,then you are hopping along just fine. If not, make sure you start at the beginning over at Quick Quotes' blog so you don't miss a single chance to win one of two fun prizes up for grabs! You'll have until Sunday night to complete the hop.

Peachy Keen Stamps and Quick Quotes have partnered this weekend to bring you incredible creations from both Design Teams. You'll see how versatile our products truly are!

For my first card, I used the Mark and Sharen Love Frogs stamp set from Peachy Keen Stamps, and this beautiful French Quarter paper from Quick Quotes. The frog images were stamped on Express It Blending card with Memento tuxedo black ink, and colored with Copic markers. A little blue seam binding ribbon, rhinestones, and stickles frilled and sparkled this card in all the right places, and the "Once Upon A Time" sentiment is a beautiful vellum quote that was trimmed to fit my card. This quote went just beautifully with this image and the "Happily Ever After" stamped sentiment.

My second card also showcases some of the French Quarter double sided paper, and yet another of the vellum quotes from Quick Quotes. I have to say that this paper is wonderful to work with. It's excellent quality, and heavy weight make it just perfect for so many paper crafting projects. I REALLY love it!! When I saw this quote "Love is the dance of eternity", I thought immediately of this adorable Mistletoe Twist stamp set from Peachy Keen Stamps. These cute little gingers dancing are the perfect pairing with that sentiment.

For my final project, I went a bit more elegant with this free standing pop-up card. This view is when it's folded flat. I used the Faceless Flowers stamp sets from Peachy Keen for embellishments on this card. I stamped them with black Powder Puff Chalking Inks (available at Quick Quotes), and added black glitter for the centers. The edges of the flowers were sponged with Tim Holtz vintage photo distress ink.

Here is a photo of the card popped up. The sentiment is one of Quick Quotes Vintage Alphabet Quote cards, and also matches the French Quarter collection. Besides the flowers, ivory organza ribbon was all that was needed to finish this card.

Thanks again for stopping by! I hope you're inspired and ready to create! Don't forget to leave a comment on each designers' blog for a chance to win either a Quick Quotes prize package or two stamp sets from Peachy Keen!The deadline for commenting is 11:59pm EDT, Sunday, September 18th. Here's a look at what you could win.

Your next stop on the hop is Melin Beltran's Blog. Thanks so much for hopping along today. Have a wonderful weekend and happy stamping!!

If you'd like even more crafty inspiration, here's a list of Friday's blog hop participants. The inspiration goes on and on...

DAY ONE Hop List

Peachy Keen Stamps Blog - http://peachykeenstamps.blogspot.com

Angelica Suarez - http://handmadebyangelica.com

Lisa Giesbrecht - http://www.scrapaholic22.blogspot.com/

Adora Concepcion - http://adoraconcepcion.blogspot.com/

Emma Aguilar - http://www.creativetimeforme.com/

Erin Lee Schreiner - http://erinleecreative.com

Heidi Anne Giebel - http://gotscraps.blogspot.com/

Janice Wilson - http://stampingwithjanice.blogspot.com/

Jennifer Sodowsky - http://www.jensodowsky.typepad.com/

Samantha Casey - http://samanthacasey.blogspot.com

Julie Detlef - http://julieslife-lexea.blogspot.com/

Quick Quotes Blog -http://blogquickquotes.com

More Happy Halloween

2011-09-16T11:18:00.000-05:00

Good morning, happy Friday, and Welcome to The Thinkin' Spot! I swear that I never get tired of creating Halloween themed cards. It's my favorite holiday to decorate for, and today I have a card made with several Cottage Cutz dies from the recent Halloween release at The Scrapping Cottage.

For this card, I used the Haunted House Silhouette, Jack-O-Lantern w/Hat, Haunted Tree, and the Lollipop Alphabet Cottage Cutz dies. The beautiful patterned paper is from My Little Shoe box. This is the Trick or Treat Starry Night paper, and it's double sided. As you can see, I used both sides of this beautiful paper for this card. The pennant is from the My Little Shoebox Trick or Treat 3-D Roll Up Flower punch sheet. I just popped the pennants off of the sheet, punched some holes in them, and strung them on some twine. Everything was cut with colored card stock, except the Jack-0-Lantern, and he was cut with white card stock and colored with Copic markers. I sponged the tree with some Tim Holtz vintage photo ink, and the haunted house silhouette was sponged with white craft ink to make them both pop.

Thanks for dropping by today. As always it's wonderful to have you, and I wish you a blessed day and happy stamping!

Peachy Keen September Release Blog Hop

2011-09-09T09:00:00.022-05:00

Hello, happy Friday, and welcome to the Peachy Keen Stamps September Release Blog Hop!! Have you seen some amazing things on this hop, or what? I just LOVE this release, and have had so much crafty fun working with these new stamps, and by now, I'm sure you're loving them, too!!! If you have hopped here from my dear and talented friend Janice's blog, then you are on the right track, but if you just happened along, then PLEASE go back to the beginning at the Peachy Keen Stamps Blog and start from there, so you don't miss a thing.

When I saw the PK-647 Fall Fun Faceless stamp set I was assigned with the pumpkins and fence, The Five Little Pumpkins rhyme, which my kids loved when they were little immediately popped into my head, and I knew I wanted to make a little book for my grandson. At nine months old, he loves to be read to, and I get a kick out of him studying and looking at all the pictures in his books. This was so totally a labor of love, and labor it was!! I was elbow deep in little pumpkin cut outs and fence, and I began to wonder it I'd ever get them all cut and colored!! Persistence does pay off, though, and when I got down to the point of putting everything together, I was in hog heaven!!! I've got a lot of pictures here to show you, so I guess I'd better get to it!!

This is the front cover complete with title. The book itself is an acrylic album that I covered with this wonderful K&Co. paper. Did you know that you can find an assortment of acrylic and chip board albums in the Peachy Keen Stamps store?

For page 1, I added a ribbon embellishment on the center pumpkin and at the top of the page, and I used some dimensional stars throughout. All images are stamped on Express It Blending Card, and colored with Copic markers. The grass throughout was done with a Martha Stewart grass punch.

The leaf ribbon was gifted to me by a friend, and worked just perfect for this. It's times like these that I'm happy I'm a hoarder of such pretty things! ;-) Each page throughout the book is sponged with Tim Holtz Antique Walnut Distress Ink.

The little witch on this page is the PK-604 Bewitched stamp.

The fence here, and on each page was stamped with the fence stamp from this set, then hand cut... yes, each little piece!! Took me forever, but was so worth the effort!!

On this page, and some to follow, I added some orange velvet rick-rack.

All of the faces througout the book are stamped with the newly released PK-485 In Stitches assortment face stamps. I LOVE this polka dotted paper!!

Everything on this page was done in black card stock, and the eyes were heat embossed with Versamark, and white embossing powder. Once it was dry and cool, I colored the pupils of the eyes in with a black Copic marker. The edges of the page, and the pumpkin silhouettes were sponged with a sponge dauber and white craft ink from Stampin' Up!. I also sponged the fence and edges of the grass to make them pop.

And finally, they're all rolling away. I did use my Copics to darken up the fence just a little bit.

This is the finished book, once inside the page protectors and with the ribbon and fiber trim. I decided that it might be a good idea to protect the pages from tiny little fingers, and since this album was 6x6, the pages fit perfectly in 6x6 page protectors. I just trimmed off the edges of the pages, where they would normally have fit into a post bound album. As I mentioned earlier, this one was a labor of love, and I hope you like it!! I think baby Max will. Here's a look at that little rascal enjoying one of his favorite farm books.

I had to have just a wee bit more fun with this wonderful new stamp set, so I colored up this image and decided to put it onto a Fall card. Let me tell ya, that this one was finished in a flash compared to the last project!

For this card, I used some Papery Trey patterned paper that I had stashed away. I cut the image with my rectangle Nestabilities, and colored with Copics of course. I finished this card with some vintage brads, grosgrain ribbon, and the sentiment, which was stamped then punched with Stampin' Up! punches.

So ya wanna know how to win free stamps along this hop? It's very simple. Just follow along with the hop, and leave a comment on each blog along the way. Angelica will draw a random winner for each new stamp set from ALL the comments on each blog along the way! Would you like some more great news? ALL of the stamps being showcased today are available for sale now at the Peachy Keen Stamps Store, AND there's great savings offered for your orders. Beginning today, in celebration of the anniversary of PKS, you will receive the following discounts when placing your order.

PK Anniversary SALE
Spend $25 - $39.99 15%off
Spend $40 - $74.99 20%off
Spend $75+ get 25% off!

These discounts will be in place the entire weekend, so don't delay!! Place your orders before the time's up! The clock is ticking!!!!!

Whew!! What a long post, but we've made it to the end, and now it's time to hop along to my dear, sweet, and talented friend Viv's Blog. Please tell her I said HI when you get there, and I know you're going to REALLY enjoy what she's got to share with you. Have a wonderful day, a blessed weekend, and I wish you lots of happy stamping!!! Here's a look at the entire stamp set that I've worked with today.

Below, please find a complete list of stops along this blog hop, just in case you happen to get lost along the way.

PKS Blog - http://peachykeenstamps.blogspot.com

Kathy - http://www.peachykeenstamps-kathy.blogspot.com/

Ruthie - http://septemberninth.blogspot.com

Lisa - http://our2angelsinheaven.blogspot.com

Erin - http://www.erinleecreative.com

Samantha - http://samanthacasey.blogspot.com

Joanna - http://scrap-making.blogspot.com/

Emma - http://www.creativetimeforme.com/

Heidi - http://gotscraps.blogspot.com/

Nikki - http://scrappinnavywife.blogspot.com

Kim - http://www.paperpunchaddiction.com

Janice - http://stampingwithjanice.blogspot.com

Lorie - http://thethinkinspot.blogspot.com

Viv - http://craftinghaven.blogspot.com

Angelica - http://handmadebyangelica.com

Peachy Keen Challenge #60 Let It Snow!!

2011-09-06T10:00:00.000-05:00

Good morning, again! I have another post, and another card to share with you today, and this one is for the Peachy Keen Challenge #60. We have yet another fabulous sketch to follow for this challenge, and I decided I'd jump from doing Halloween cards right into winter! Let It Snow!! Really? Well, it will be here before we know it, and I've been wanting to ink up this stamp set for quite some time now.

Sorry for the crappy quality of this picture. I've been fighting some really bad lighting here, and I'm so disappointed that so many of the wonderful details about this card just don't show up in the photo. Like the acetate over the snowglobe, and the silver sparkles from my Gelly Roll pen around the scalloped border on the frame, the machine stitching around the top and sides of the card, and the Stickles glitter that secures the acetate to the paper, as well as the two sizes of pearls that flank the border on the bottom of this card. Oh well... trust me... it's ALL there! The image was colored with Copic markers, and I resisted the temptation to wrap ribbon around the top of this card and tie a knot or bow. I thought really hard about it, but decided I wanted to keep this adorable snow globe as the focus of this card, and I didn't want to distract from it one bit by adding anything else. The sketch was perfect to showcase this image, and I wanted to leave it at that.

The patterned paper is from Basic Grey's Jovial collection, and the scallops around the frame I made by punching a scalloped ribbon border with kraft card stock, using my new punch from Stampin' Up!. Once I had a good length of border, I cut it down the middle and framed the panel with it. The sentiment was stamped with Very Vanilla craft ink, and heat embossed with white embossing powder. The adorable image is from the PK-321 Snowmen and Greetings stamp set from Peachy Keen Stamps, and was colored with Copic markers.

Please stop by the Peachy Keen Challenge Blog for all the details about the newest challenge, and to check out all the amazing works of my fellow designers. Please, also, join me in welcoming Cristina from Crafting with Cristina as our guest designer this week. I visited Cristina's blog and found some of the most wonderful layouts I've ever seen!! She'll have wonderful pieces of inspiration for you all week on both her personal and the company blog, so be sure to drop by and leave her some love!!

Happy Halloween!

2011-09-06T08:15:00.002-05:00

Good morning!! Oh my goodness, has the weather ever taken a turn for the better!! Warm, beautiful, sunny days and cool crisp nights really have me in the mood for creating Fall cards, and that's exactly what I've been doing. The Halloween release at The Scrapping Cottage is one of my all time favorites, and my card today was made with one of the newest dies. This cute little Witch Samara die was wonderful to work with! I cut all the pieces with white card stock, then cut an extra dress out of patterned paper. I like to "base" all my pieces with color, then assemble them and add the shading and details after they are all in one piece. All the artwork on this card was colored with Copic markers.

I found this wonderful Happy Halloween paper in a DCWV Mattestack, and this cute little witch fit just perfectly around the Happy Halloween sentiment. Check out all the wonderful dies in this new Halloween collection. They're shipping now, and you're definitely going to want these for ALL your Halloween projcets and cards!!

Thanks for visiting today. I hope today brings you many, many blessings, including some happy stamping!!!

Tea and Chocolate

2011-08-31T08:46:00.002-05:00

Good morning! Happy Wednesday to ya!! I have a fun little project to share with you today that was inspired by one that Nancy, my Stampin' Up! demonstrator made, and she was kind enough to share the instructions she found for this project from Pink Buckaroo Designs. This was such a fun project, and I can't wait to make more of these!

Here's a look at the inside of the wallet. There are three envelopes for holding tea, chocolate, or even a gift card or cash. I did 6 of these with various sentiments, and left room for a hand written note. I think this would be the perfect little gift item to brighten someone's day.

The paper that I used for these was actually an old book. What a wonderful way to recycle!! I wrinkled it up really good, and gave it a good distressing with Tim Holtz Vintage Photo ink. The flaps of the envelope, and the envelope in the center also have distressed book pages on them. The sparkly die cut on the front is the Top Note die from Stampin' Up!, and the envelopes are the Scalloped Envelope die, which is also from Stampin' Up!. The Field Flowers stamp set that I used is another one of my Stampin' Up! goodies.

Thanks for stopping by today! I wish you many happy blessings and happy stamping, too!

Boo!

2011-08-26T11:21:00.000-05:00

Good Morning! Is anyone else glad it's Friday? Whew! What a week!!!!! I am so ready for the cool weather of Autumn,, and my favorite holiday, which is Halloween, so I've been breaking out the Halloween papers and crafting away. Did you know that there's a new Halloween release out at The Scrapping Cottage? There are some wonderful new designs for 2011, and we've got some fabulous dies from last year to play with, as well. That's what I've been playing with, and I've combined several dies from several of the releases this year for this card.

In creating this card, I used the following Cottage Cutz dies: Knickety knack Cat 3x3, Ghost and Bat 3x3 (both designed by Peachy Keen Stamps, and include stamps), Airplane with Banner & Sign (designed by My Little Shoebox), and Circle With Eyelets. I added some sparkle to this design with the glittery paper, and I shadowed/shaded the cat and moon with a little sponging. To give the cat a little more dimension, I cut two cats, one in black, and one in light gray and glued them together, offsetting the gray just a little bit. This gives an awesome shadow effect, and was a technique that was shared on The Scrapping Cottage blog, by my fellow designer Erika in this post a few days ago. The sentiment was stamped with the "Boo" stamp, which is included in the Ghosts & Bat die/stamp set.

I'm so glad you could spend some time here today! I wish you a very happy Friday, and a blessed and beautiful weekend!

Peachy Keen Challenge #59 With A Twist

2011-08-23T10:53:00.001-05:00

Hello my crafty friends!! It's Peachy Keen Challenge day once again, and for challenge #59, we're sketching and twisting. In addition to the fabulous sketch we have to follow, Angelica has challenged us to use buttons on our creations.

For my card, I used PK-289 Misty Sue and Colby Cheer up stamp set from Peachy Keen Stamps. The double sided patterned paper is from Comso Cricket. I colored Colby with my Copic markers, and added a little sparkle to his tear with some Stickles. Some assorted buttons from my stash and grosgrain ribbon finished this cutie patootie off. I'm so excited that this week I get to tell you that my sweet friend Glora is guest designing with us. Glora makes such beautiful things, and her work is always so inspirational! Please be sure to drop by Glora's Blog and leave her some love on her wonderful work. You'll be glad you did, because not only will you LOVE her creations, but she's giving away some Peachy Keen Goodness that you won't want to miss out on!!! Also, don't forget to drop by the Peachy Keen Challenge Blog to see what ALL of our wonderful, sweet and talented designers have put together for your crafty pleasure. Once again, if you play along with our challenge, you'll have the chance to win a fabulous prize! I truly enjoyed looking at all the creations for PKS Challenge #58, and can't wait to see what this challenge with a twist brings!!

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Have a blessed and beautiful day, and of course happy stamping!

No Clowning Around...Happy Birthday!!!

2011-08-16T12:30:00.002-05:00

Good morning!! I have a fun card to share with you. With all the fairs, festivals, and fun things going on as Summer winds down, it couldn't be a more perfect time for this carnival release. For my card today, I used the Clown Game die from the carnival release, as well as the Ornate Circle Frame from the My Little Shoebox release.

All of the pieces for this creation were cut with colored card stock, and shaded by sponging using the same tone ink as card stock. I did add some highlight to some of the pieces by sponging with white craft ink, and I added more stark highlights with a white gel pen.

When creating this card, I followed Angelica's new challenge for The Scrapping Cottage Blog. You can find all the details in her post, here. I sure hope you can play along, Angelica comes up with some of the best sketches I've ever worked with, and I DO so love sketches!! You have a full month to come up with a card, layout, or project using the sketch below, and there will be a random winner of a $25 gift certificate to The Scrapping Cottage drawn from all the entries.

Wishing you a blessed day and lots of happy stamping!

Peachy Keen Challenge #58

2011-08-09T11:28:00.001-05:00

Good morning! Welcome to a bright and beautiful Tuesday, and another fabulous sketch challenge from Peachy Keen Stamps. Did you know that there are newly released stamps at Peachy Keen? Oh my! If you haven't seen these Christmas cuties, they you'd better go check them out now!!! I made my card with the newly released PK-417 Faceless Gingerbread Dolls - Large. This set does come with faces, which you can use on these adorable gingers, or on any other project your heart desires.

Here's my card, following the sketch you'll find below. I did something that I haven't done in a looooong time with this card. I put down my Copics!!!!!! Gaaaahhhhhh!!!!! Can you believe it? Before I was so totally hooked on Copics as my coloring medium, I dabbled a bit with Prisma color pencils, and I decided I'd like to change things up a bit and play with those for this card. I'd forgotten just how much I love the vibrant colors, and how much I love blending with them. I used odorless mineral spirits to blend, which is much easier for me to find than Gamsol, but I've even heard of people using baby oil for blending with Prismas. I've not tried it, but I've read that it works. I wasn't sure about the colors for this Christmas card, but they matched the Christmas paper pack from K&Co.'s Secret Santa paper pad that I was using, so I went with it. Very unconventional, but I think I like it for a change.

The rest of the card is pretty self explanatory. I added a little hand stitching, a hand cut banner for the sentiment, and the sketch element at the top of the card was done with a Stampin' Up! top note die. The pink/purple pom-pom trim was in actuality pink, but I made it a little more the color I needed by grabbing an RV66 Copic marker and coloring it to match the project. I LOVE that about Copics. If you don't have the color you need, a little coloring with a marker and VOILA! You're good to go. I finished this little girl off with a 2-way glue pen and some glitter for her frosting, and that did it for this challenge card.

Please pop over to the Peachy Keen Challenge Blog and check out all the wonderful creations from my DT sisters! They are so awesome, as is our guest designer this week. The very talented Gaby, from Gaby Creates is designing with us for this challenge, and all this week over at the Peachy Keen Blog. While you're blog hopping, be sure to check out her blog, and the PKS blog and leave her some love, because she's giving away some wonderful PKS prizes. Speaking of prizes, how would you like to win one of the newly released stamp sets from Peachy Keen? All you need to do is play along with our challenge for a chance to win the Lauri Loves Skip Faceless Elves stamp set!! It's soooo cute, and I sure hope you can play along, so that we can see and enjoy your fabulous creations!!! Here's the sketch to follow.

Thanks for dropping by today! Have a blessed day, and happy stamping!

You're A Winner!!

2011-08-06T09:32:00.000-05:00

Good morning! I hope your weekend is going just beautifully. I have a card to share with you today that showcases more of these wonderful carnival release dies from The Scrapping Cottage. For my card, I used the Ring Toss/Fish Bowl game Cottage Cutz die. I'm tellin' ya, that these dies are waaaaay too much fun!! The possibilities for amazing layouts, fun cards, and home decor projects are endless, as you have seen all week from each one of our amazing designers who have shared their wonderful work with you. Good news is that I'm sure there's LOTS more to come!!! Here's my contribution to the mix this week. This idea has been in my head since I saw this release, and I thoroughly enjoyed making this one! Fun, fun, fun!!!!

Here's a little closer look. It's kind of hard to tell from the photo, but I coated the bottles with a layer of ultra thick embossing powder to make them look glassy.

There are so many wonderful dies in this carnival release. Check them all out below, and take in all the awesomeness!! Wishing you a glorious day and weekend, and oodles of happy crafting!!

Let's Face It Friday Challenge

2011-08-05T15:57:00.000-05:00

Hello! It's Friday, and I sure hope it's a happy one for ya. I actually found time to play along with the Let's Face It Friday Challenge over at the Peachy Keen Challenge Blog. This challenge is for shaped cards. Oh, how I struggle with making myself use my Cricut, but I tacked it with this card, and I'm pretty darned proud of myself!! Heeheehee!!! Now, my son tells me that he doesn't get where I was going with this card, so let me explain. My thought was this "ear" of corn "Heard you're sick." The whole "ear hearing" thing just went right over his head, but I thought it was a good idea at the time.

I used my Cricut AND Gypsy to design this card using the Smiley Cards cartridge. I made use of the hide feature on the Gypsy and hid the face that was supposed to be cut so that I could use my PK-450 Wide Eyed Kids Face Assortment from Peachy Keen Stamps. My wood grain background stamp from Stampin' Up! worked great for the pattern on the corn shucks, and I pulled out this houndstooth embossing folder to give the corn a texture as close to real kernels of corn as I could get. All of the card stock, which is from Stampin' Up!, was sponged with the same tone of ink (tone on tone), except for the yellow. I used barely banana card stock, but sponged with more mustard ink. The banner was hand cut, and the sentiment was computer generated. I added some paper raffia for even more texture around the bottom of the corn, and for the cute little bow. All of the coloring on the face was done with chalks, except for the white, which was done with a white gel pen.

The Let's Face It Friday Design Team has some absolutely stunning projects for you with this shaped card challenge, so head over to the PKS Challenge Blog and check them out!! Sure hope you have time to play along, because this challenge was REALLY fun, and it certainly was a challenge for me!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Have a beautiful day, a blessed weekend! Happy Stamping!

Sisterhood of the Traveling Cards - Christmas in July

2011-08-04T15:13:00.000-05:00

Hello and happy Thursday to you!! Today I have my card for the Sisterhood of the Traveling Cards Christmas in July swap. This month our lovely hostess, Linda challenged us to a Christmas in July theme, so on goes the Christmas music, and I happily created away in my craft room, when it was 110 degrees outside. I'm never complaining about winter again!!!!! It was fun "thinking" cool, and getting psyched up to work on Christmas cards, and here's what I came up with.

For this little cutie, I broke out the K&Co. Secret Santa paper pack, and colored this adorable little gingerbread guy to match. He is from the PK-412 Too Sweet To Eat stamp set from Peachy Keen Stamps. He was stamped with Memento tuxedo black in, and colored with Copic markers. I played along with the Christmas Challenges {with sketches} blog and followed their sketch for this card. I sure do LOVE those sketch challenges. I cut the panels for the ginger boy with my rectangles Nestabilities, and added a matte with the Scalloped Rectangles (Lg.), and the tag was also cut with Nestabilties. For that I used the Ribbon Tags Three die, and I colored the edge of the tag with a green Copic marker to match my little ginger's overalls. A little ribbon, and some pink pearls finished this one off, and these are winging their way to Linda's house as I type. Can't wait to see what amazing Christmas creations I get in return!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a wonderful day and happy stamping!

Flower Friend Card

2011-07-29T11:37:00.000-05:00

Good morning! Well at least it's still morning here for a little while. I'm babysitting my grandson, Max today, and he's kept me pretty busy this morning. Since he's enjoying a little tummy time, I've got time to get my post made for today. I'm back to the Flower Power release, mainly because I just can't stay away from all the wonderful flower dies. Especially at this time of year!! For my card today, I used the Plumeria & Leaves 4x4 die from The Scrapping Cottage. Those lacy looking cut out leaves are so pretty and add so much interest. I decided to do this card in shades of ivory and yellow. I think that's such a subtle, but striking and elegant color palette, and I sure love the way it turned out. I hope you do, too!!!

I started with a base layer of ivory, and embossed that card stock with a floral embossing folder. I then sponged the edges of the flowers, and the top of the embossing with ink in the same shades as the card stock. I added some pearls for embellishment, which I colored in a soft shade of yellow to match the rest of the card, and finished with an ivory organza bow. A relatively simple card, but one that looks like you spent hours fussing over it. Now THOSE are my kind of cards!!!!!

I'm so glad you could drop by today. Have a blessed day, and I hope you get to enjoy some crafty time today, too!

Peachy Keen Challenge #57

2011-07-26T21:14:00.000-05:00

Happy Tuesday, and welcome to The ThINKin' Spot. It's Tuesday, and it's Peachy Keen Challenge Tuesday at that. We've got a great sketch to follow for challenge #57, and it's a challenge with a twist of an awesome color combo.

Here's the card I created using PK-212 Happy Turtle from Peachy Keen Stamps. I colored him with my Copic markers, cut him out and popped him up on foam dots for dimension. The card stock for the circles was run through the Big Shot using a textured embossing folder, then punched with circle punches in sizes 1 3/8 inch, 1 1/4 inch, and 1 inch.

The patterned paper comes from Basic Grey's Sweet Threads paper pad, and the sentiment comes from Stampin' Up!'s Fabulous Phrases stamp set. I inked the edges of the circles with ink to match the color of the card stock, and finished this card off with rhinestone embellishments. Below is the sketch and color combo to follow, and I really hope you can play along with us. It's always fun to see each individual's interpretation of our challenges, and our design team has some wonderful inspiration for you. Just drop by the Peachy Keen Challenge Blog and check out what they've done with this challenge. You'll be happy you did. Be sure to stop by and welcome Cathryn, who is our guest designer this week. Oh my does she ever do some wonderful things with her Peachy Keen stamps!!!

Sorry my post is late today. Seems like I completely lost a week, because I totally forgot today was challenge day!! I guess I need a keeper! Thanks so much for stopping by. Have a blessed day, and happy, happy stamping!

Sew Great!

2011-07-20T08:39:00.000-05:00

Good morning!! How y'all doing on this beautiful, albeit HOT day? I'm making my post for The Scrapping Cottage today, because I'll be in Chicago at CHA come Friday. Hopefully seeing and buying all kinds of cool new things!! For this "sew great" card, I used one of the new Cottage Cutz dies from The Scrapping Cottage, designed by My Little Shoebox. These adorable dies are made to coordinate with the wonderful papers, stickers, and embellishments that are already favorites of so many. Adding dies to this already amazing line is a SUH-WEET deal!!

I used the Sewing Machine and Dress Form 4x4 die, and I cut everything except the dress form with white card stock and colored with my Copics. For the dress form, I used patterned paper, and just shaded with Copics and highlighted with a white gel pen. the sentiment is from a set of stickers that coordinated perfectly with this collection from My Little Shoebox. I actually wrapped the spool of thread with embroidery floss, and threaded it around the machine. I even added a little hand stitching for added texture and interest. I really like the way this turned out, and it was "SEW" much fun!!!! Does anyone else remember sewing machines that were colored similar? I remember that we had a pink on in my Home Ec. Class. It's so funny what we randomly remember.

Thanks for dropping by, have a blessed day, and happy crafting!!!

Ginger Painting & Kiss! Fun, Fun, Fun!!!

2011-07-19T20:59:00.000-05:00

Hello! We just got back from a trip to Green Bay, Wisconsin to visit Peachy Keen Headquarters, and we had such a wonderful visit with Kathy, Dave, and family!! Allen is still on cloud nine after spending three days at Rock USA in OshKosh, WI with Dave. They enjoyed some really awesome concerts, which included Daughtry, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Journey, and Cheap Trick, just to name a few. The highlight of Rock USA was the closing concert on Saturday night, which was of course, KISS!! Dave pulled out all the stops with his complete Gene Simmons costume, and he was a HUGE hit!! After nearly 400 pictures, and a meet and greet with none other than Gene Simmons himself (and the rest of the band), you can understand why neither Allen or Dave will be coming down off of cloud nine anytime soon!!! Here's a few photos:

Dave getting the finishing touches on his costume.

Wonder if there were any Gene Simmons sightings on the road to OshKosh on Saturday night?

Allen with the band. He looks so happy to be there! Those are autographs from the band around his neck.

But not as happy as Dave!!!!!!!

What a show!!!!

Now this is Allen's favorite band, and has been since the 1970's.

Sweet Home Alabama!

Okay, so I know this picture is REALLY tiny, but I had to snag it off of Kathy's FB page, because they weren't quite finished when I left Green Bay, so I didn't get a picture. Anywho, THIS is what Kathy and I did while Dave and Allen were rockin' out at Rock USA! These are soooo sweet and were so much fun to paint and paper piece. A dream come true, I'm tellin' ya! Painting with the Paint On A Happy Face author! I never in a million years would have thought THAT would EVER happen, and I guess you it could be said that I'm still on cloud nine, too! Oh well, Allen and I both like the view from here!!! ;-) Thank you, Dave, Kathy and family! It was a blast!!!!

Thanks for stopping by! Wishing you loads of love and happy stamping/painting!!

You're Just Ducky!!

2011-07-15T12:34:00.002-05:00

Good day, and greetings from Green Bay, WI! I'm here visiting with our friends at Peachy Keen Stamps, and enjoying the break from the HOT Missouri weather. It's a cool and comfortable 72 degrees here in Green Bay, and boy, am I loving it!!! I thought that since I'm making this post from Peachy Keen headquarters that it would be fitting to use one of the adorable Cottage Cutz dies designed by Kathy Jakopovich of Peachy Keen Stamps. These dies are available at both The Scrapping Cottage and Peachy Keen Stamps. You have a choice of 4 adorable face stamps that are included in the die package. For this card, I used the Duck with Egg, and Duck Accessories dies. (TOTAL CUTENESS!!!) The sentiment on this card comes from the PK-266 Duck Dolls stamp set. I cut the pieces with white card stock, and colored them with my Copic markers. All I needed to finish this card was some bling around the goggles and on the inner tube, some ribbon, and a few sparkles on the water. Now I've got a cute little card ready to go for someone whom I think is "Just Ducky". :-)

Don't know what we'll manage to get in to today, but it's looking like there's some coloring, and hopefully some painting in my very near future!!! Can't wait!!!!!!

Wishing you a beautiful day, a blessed weekend, and lots and lots of happy scrapping and stamping!

Peachy Keen Challenge #56

2011-07-12T12:07:00.000-05:00

Are ya ready for another challenge? It's time for another Peachy Keen Challenge, and we're up to challenge number 56. That is nearly impossible for me to fathom, but here we are, just the same. Angelica gave us another wonderful sketch, and included some fabulous elements for inspiration. You'll find the sketch below, and be sure to check out the Peachy Keen Stamps Blog for all the details about prize that you could win if you play along with us.

For my card, I used the adorable PK-279 Faceless Bugs stamp set. (the set does include faces) The first thing I did was stamp the bees in Memento Tuxedo Black ink, and masked them off to stamp the wings. I colored these cuties with my Copics, and as per my friend Viv's request, I WILL work on a video for coloring black. Don't have it for today, but in the very near future. For the bee hive, I used one of the new acrylic pieces from Peachy Keen Stamps, and I paper pieced it. It was a little bit tricky, but what I ended up doing, which worked well, was peeling off the precut pieces of paper one at a time, and I used them for a pattern for paper piecing the hive. The small gingham card stock is from A Muse, but the other DP I'm not exactly sure about, as it was in my scrap bin. The rest of the card stock is all from Stampin' Up!, and includes basic black, whisper white, kraft, and chocolate chip., with the exception of the glittery black card stock, which is from Doodlebug Designs. I finished this off with the white grosgrain ribbon, which was a design element for this sketch, as well as the flower button. The bee's antenna are black rhinestones, and there is a bit of stickles on the bee's wings. The sentiment comes from the PK-260 Sweetie Pie Peepers stamp set. Oh, and I almost forgot! The edges of everything are sponged with Tim Holtz distress ink in Tea Dye. I LOVE that stuff!!! ;-)

Here's the sketch for Challenge #56.

Please don't forget to stop by Scrapping Mommy's Blog and give Amy Crockett a warm welcome as our guest designer this week. Amy's blog is filled with inspirational creations, and she really rocks the Peachy Keen Stamps!! Our wonderful PKS design team has an amazing line up of cards to share with you using this sketch. I always look so forward to the day we post, because it just makes me so happy to see their work!! Head over to the Peachy Keen Challenge Blog and check it out!!

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I've got a busy day ahead, so I'd better get to it! Y'all take it easy in this heat, have a beautiful day, and happy stamping!

Market Street Stamps Challenge #4

2011-07-11T10:14:00.001-05:00

Oh, ya gotta love these challenges, and there's a new one over at the Market Street Stamps Blog. This month, a color challenge is what is on tap, and I honestly thought I might struggle a bit with this one. Once I opened my new Market Street Stamps, though, inspiration hit me, and I knew this color challenge was going to fall right into place. Isn't this little camper the cutest? I just love this Gone Campin' stamp set, and can't wait to play with the rest of the images!

Here's the Color Cue Challenge as shown on the Market Street Stamps Blog.

For this card, I used Poppy Parade, Tempting Turquoise, Old Olive, and Sahara Sand card stock, which is all from Stampin' Up! I chose to use some DCWV patterned paper from their Green Stack. The image was stamped on X-Press It Blending Card (recommended by Copic), which is THE BEST choice for Copic coloring. I just can't stress that enough. If you want great results with your Copic coloring, then you've gotta use excellent quality card stock, and this is THE BEST I've found. People ask me all the time, and my answer remains the same. It allows for beautiful blending, and it's well worth every penny. I colored this image with Copic markers and added a few highlights with a white gel pen. The grass is a new Cottage Cutz die released with the Flower Power designs at The Scrapping Cottage. I LOVE this new die!!! For the clouds, I used a cloud die from A Muse. I seriously entertained the idea of adding some button flowers behind the camper, but I cut myself off, and decided it looks good just the way it is.

I'm so glad you could drop by today! I hope your week is off to a fabulous start. Wishing you many happy blessings, and lots of happy stamping!

Scrapping Cottage Challenge Christmas in July

2011-07-09T10:49:00.001-05:00

Good morning! Happy Saturday and weekend to you!! I have a card to share with you today that I made for the latest challenge on The Scrapping Cottage Blog. I'm hosting the challenge this month and the theme I chose is Christmas in July. Might as well get started on those holiday themed pretties, since it IS only 168 days till Christmas!! Good grief! Can you believe that? Where on earth has this year gone????? Well, I do love decorating and making holiday cards, so here's what I came up with for this challenge.

I used SU Cherry Cobbler card stock for this card, and the patterned paper is from Crate Paper's Snowy Day collection. The inside of this card says "Sparkle". I added plenty of sparkle to the outside of this one with the rhinestones and glitter, so the inside of course had to have sparkle, too. The polka dotted stitched grosgrain ribbon is from Stampin Up!, the snowflakes punched with a Martha Stewart punch, and the image and pocket die are both from The Scrapping Cottage. The sentiment comes from Peachy Keen Stamps, and I think it's out of the PK-412 Too Sweet To Eat stamp set. Of course, my trusty Copics were what I reached for when it was time to color this cutie.

You can find all the details about this challenge here. Sure hope you can play along. That countdown to Christmas is ticking away! ;-)

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope you're having a fabulous weekend! Happy stamping!

Exciting News!!

2011-07-08T12:24:00.001-05:00

Hello and happy Friday!! I have some exciting news to share with you today. Our friends at The Scrapping Cottage have teamed up with our friends from My Little Shoebox to bring you the newest release of Cottage Cutz dies. These adorable designs are designed by My Little Shoebox and coordinate perfectly with their just released Summer 2011 paper and accessory collection. Be sure to head over to The Scrapping Cottage to place your preorder for the new dies. You can visit the My Little Shoebox website to see all of their wonderful collections and find information on retailers near you who carry all of the beautiful My Little Shoebox papers and accessories.

Check back soon to see some samples of cards and projects made with these beautiful designs! I'll be back tomorrow with a card to share with you for The Scrapping Cottage monthly challenge. It's my turn to host this month. See you tomorrow!!! Thanks for stopping by today. Have a blessed day and happy stamping!

Love 8x8 Layout

2011-07-01T12:07:00.000-05:00

Hello and happy Friday! It's a red hot Friday morning in Missouri, and I have a red hot scrapbook layout to share with you today. ;-) Red had become one of my favorite colors, and I find myself using this Cherry Cobbler card stock from Stampin' Up! more and more. For this creation, I pulled out some of my dies and stamps from the Valentine release and paired them up with one of the new dies (Bird with Flowers) from the new Flower Power release at The Scrapping Cottage to bring you this fun 8x8 layout. From the Valentine release, I used the Label 1 die, and the Frame 1 background stamp, as well as the Valentine sentiments stamps. I got the sketch from the current Scrapping Cottage challenge. There's still time for you to play along, as you have until the 8th to upload your creation for a chance to win a great prize!!

Here's the page map to follow for the current challenge, and you can find all the details here, to link up your work. We're sure looking forward to seeing your fabulous creations! Good luck, and thanks so much for stopping by today on this beautiful day. I wish you a safe and happy 4th of July weekend, and lots of happy stamping and scrapping!!!

Peachy Keen Challenge #55

2011-06-28T10:45:00.001-05:00

Good morning! It's Peachy Keen Challenge day, and we've got a fantastic sketch to share with you once again! Here's a look at the sketch to follow:

Now here's what I created using this sketch. As I told the girls, I'm in a home decor state of mind lately, constantly looking for things to alter and make into something I can display around the house or give for a gift. With that being said, I stumbled upon this cute little blackboard at my local craft store and thought I'd put my new wood burning tool to work on the frame. I tried to make the edge of the frame look like the blackboard in the Hillbilly Holler set 5, which is also where the chicken comes from. The kettle, I pulled from the PK-282 St. Patrick's Day stamp set, (both from Peachy Keen Stamps of course) and omitted ink from the gold in the pot, so that I could strategically put Mr. Chicken in there.

The paper is from October Afternoon's Modern Homemaker collection, and everything has a healthy sponging of Tim Holtz distress ink. I hope you've had some time to get crafty lately. I've sure been enjoying my new toys, and am off to see what I can find to craft today. Be sure to check out the Peachy Keen Challenge blog for all the wonderful DT submissions, and visit their blogs to leave them some love for their amazing work. In addition, be sure to check out our very talented guest designer this week. Please stop by and welcome Diane Campbell Payne and leave some love on her inspirational Capadia Designs Blog. You'll be happy you did when you see her work!!

Have a blessed day, and I'm so glad you could spend just a bit of it here. Happy stamping!

Storms,Storms Please Go Away!!!

2011-06-27T07:24:00.001-05:00

Hello and good morning!! I'm still going with it's a good morning, because I know that it could be so much worse. We've been through worse, but believe me when I tell you this is bad enough to wake up to. Heavy storms moved through last night, and with them were tremendous winds. Since midnight it's been storm after storm, and it looks like there's more to come. Here's what we woke up to:

Not too bad, really, considering. There's limbs everywhere, and that used to be my clothes line, where you see that bent pole. The kid's pool's still there. They'll be happy about that.

There's the rest of that clothes line, along with the lawn chairs and trash tote.

Venture a little further south, and you'll see the uprooted tree that took two sections of the fence with it. We've got shingles and limbs scattered throughout the yard, and a section of my dad's roof (just replaced this Spring) is gone. DS left for work at 5 a.m. only to come home a few minutes later. It seems there was a tree down in the road, and in the process of trying to move it enough to get by, he found himself on the ground covered with mud. Dad to the rescue with the truck and a chain!! We're very fortunate, and give thanks that it wasn't worse. Our poor little wrens who have nested with us this spring didn't fair so well. I found both of their houses down this morning, and mama wren is frantically looking for her babies. :-( This was just a little wind, and is absolutely nothing compared to what happened in Joplin only a few weeks ago. Things like this truly do put into perspective just how little control we have in our world. Looks like the worst is nearly behind us for today, and I'm holding out hope that this will be the last of the bad weather for this year! Storms, storms, please go away!!!!!

I hope you woke up to blue skies and sunshine today! Have a blessed day!!!!

What's Cookin'?

2011-06-24T09:38:00.001-05:00

Good morning! Well it's Friday, and I have a another. I made this card with the Antique Stove Cottage Cutz die from the In The Kitchen release. Don't you just love the charm of this adorable piece?

I found this pretty October Afternoon paper from their Modern Homemaker Cherry Pie collection, and I thought it went perfect with this entire In The Kitchen release. I colored the stove with my Copic markers, and added a little shading around the edges with some Tim Holtz distress ink in Vintage Photo. Thanks so much for stopping by today! Have a wonderful day and a fabulous weekend! Happy Stamping!!!

25th Anniversary Shadowbox

2011-06-20T12:53:00.000-05:00

Hello and happy Monday! A few weeks ago when we had our new Peachy Keen Stamps release, I mentioned that I had one other project that I was working on using the newest Hillbilly Holler stamps, but I couldn't show it then, because it would have obviously spoiled the surprise anniversary plans that were being planned, but now that the surprise is out of the bag, I can share my project. I made this shadowbox using the invitation that was prepared by my son's girlfriend Kallista. Kallista's parents are the ones who were celebrating their 25th anniversary, and she created this wonderful invitation. Kallista and I, together with my daughter-in-law, Cassidy stamped and assembled the inviations. We sure had a good time being so sneaky, and we definitely enjoyed the crafty time together.

I used my Cricut to cut the title letters, and the still image was colored with copics. I picked up some paper at my LSS, which matched the colors of the invitation, and added some embellishments, which I had on hand, and can be found at Peachy Keen Stamps in the accessory section. I hope they enjoy this little project as much as I enjoyed making it, and I hope it will bring back special memories of their surprise 25th anniversary party every time the look at it.

Thanks for stopping by today. Have a blessed day and happy stamping!

Recipe For Happiness

2011-06-17T13:04:00.000-05:00

Good afternoon, and happy Friday! I'm a bit late getting my post up today, because we've had some big thunder boomers go through this morning, and when that happens, I disconnect all my computers from the power, just to be on the safe side. They're all plugged in to surge protectors, but I don't completely trust those things. Anywho, between the storms, I've been cooking up a storm. I've got 140 hot rolls made, the last of which are in the oven as I type, and this house smells sooooo GOOD!! We've got a little 25th anniversary celebration to attend, and I volunteered to make the rolls and punch for the event. Such a wonderful thing to be celebrating, and I'm sure looking forward to it! So, that brings me to my project for today. When thinking about spending 25 years of wedded bliss together, one might think about what it takes to accomplish that, and I ran across this cute little poem one day that was entitled A Recipe For Happiness. You can click on the picture to get a closer look, and read the poem more clearly.

I thought these special, but simple words would make a great addition to kitchen decor, so I decided to scrap this page and frame it. I used the Recipe Box with Cards 4x6, and the Mixing Bowls Cottage Cutz dies, which are both from the In The Kitchen release at The Scrapping Cottage. I cut the bowls with scraps of paper to match the accent piece on the page. I decided I needed a table to set the bowls on, so I cut that from white card stock, and added an eyelet border with a punch. A little added bonus was the stitched ribbon, which really makes it look real. The paper is from the Nana's Kitchen collection from DCWV. For the finishing touch, I added a little spatula brad. I hope you like this as much as I do. I think it's going to look really cute in the kitchen!!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a wonderful day, a blessed weekend, and happy stamping!