Yellow Umbrella Designs

SCRSC74 - Number challenge

2012-02-28T00:00:00.000-08:00

Hello hello! This week's Sparkle Creations challenge is to use a number.

Although the obvious way to do so would be for a birthday card, I chose to make an anniversary card for my brother and his wife. :).

Paper: Echo Park; Stamps: Sparkle Creations (image), Papertrey Ink (sentiment and frame); Glitter numbers: American Crafts; Ribbon, ticket corner punch: Stampin' Up!. Memento ink (image), SU! Classic ink (red frame), Versafine ink (sentiment), copic, gem, nesties, adhesive foam.

Be sure you stop by the SCRS blog to see all the samples from the DT and read the details on what you can win for participating. This week, the following designers have samples to share with you:

Alice Wertz
Danielle Lounds
Kim Yu
Pam Varnell {February Guest Designer}
Shaela Odd <--- that's me!

If you're ready to play along be sure to link it up to the challenge post on the SCRS Blog. You have until Sunday, March 11th at 9pm PST to enter.

Happy stamping!

A "sweet" birthday card

2012-02-26T00:00:00.000-08:00

Hi friends! Today Sparkle Creations is sponsoring the {Cupcake Inspirations} Challenge! Head over to the CI blog for the challenge details and info on what you can win.

I tend to be a literal inspiration-type girl, lol. So it was only natural for me to choose Cupcake Ruby for this challenge!

Paper: Echo Park; Stamp: Sparkle Creations; Ribbon: Stampin' Up!; Pins: Maya Road. Swiss dots embossing folder, memento ink, copics, nesties, liquid applique, Ranger stickles, baker's twine, adhesive foam, button.

Thanks for stopping by!

Hello again!

2012-02-25T14:56:00.004-08:00

Goodness, it seems like it's been forever since I posted! Thank you to everyone who left comments or sent emails wishing me well. I am doing much better now and have been removed from bedrest but with restrictions. So although I have been able to get up and craft a bit, I just haven't been doing anything that I can post about yet, lol! In preparation for the baby's arrival, I am trying to work as far ahead as I can with my design obligations. So while I will have intermittent blog posts and creations to share with you again, I don't know when I'll be able to get back into posting more often.

Thanks for your continual support and well wishes - I can't wait to be able to announce that Baby is HERE and share him/her with you all! :)

Bedrest. (ugh)

2012-02-14T10:24:00.000-08:00

Hello friends. As you can probably guess from the title of this post, I am currently on bedrest. Like, the real kind. I was in the hospital over the weekend for preterm labor symptoms and until my appointment tomorrow the doctor wants me in bed with no activity. Blech. I appreciate your patience with me during this time, and even though I can't make cards or sew or craft... I'm getting lots of coloring done! Hehe, it's kind of nice having children old enough to fetch and carry for me. :)

Anyways, I will update my blog with more posts and pictures as soon as I can, but until then, I hope you all have a good week!

SCRS February Release Day!!

2012-02-10T21:00:00.000-08:00

Hey friends!! Today is the final day of sneak peeks for Sparkle Creations, and it is also Release Day! All the new stamps are available in the SCRS store now. Today we are showing off the darling new stamp Easter Bunny Ruby!

Paper: October Afternoon; Stamp: Sparkle Creations; Paper doily: Wilton; Ribbon: Michaels. Copics, nesties, pearls, adhesive foam.

Sparkle Creations is also sponsoring the new Card Patterns challenge today, so be sure to check out the fabulous sketch on the CP Blog for another chance to win some SCRS rubber!

Be sure to visit the rest of the SCRS designers for more peeks of Easter Bunny Ruby. Sparkle will be giving away this new stamp to one lucky person. For a chance to win, you need to comment on all of the designers' blogs (listed below). Then head over to the SCRS Blog and comment on the Ruby post. You have until midnight EST tonight to comment. The lucky winner will be announced on Sunday on the SCRS blog!

Alice Wertz
Amber Hight
Danielle Lounds
Kerri Michaud
Kim Yu
Margie Cortina
Pam Varnell - February Guest Designer
Savannah O'Gwynn
Shaela Odd <---you are here
Simonne Clay
Sparkle Smith
Stephanie Kraft

Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Blog

SCRS February Sneak Peeks Day 2!

2012-02-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

Hello again!! Today is the second day of sneak peeks for Sparkle Creations , which means that we're showing off the new Karber Wizard of Oz stamp set!

Paper: Bo Bunny (green dot); Stamps: Sparkle Creations - Karber. Copics, nesties, embossing plate (SU!), black pearls, Ranger stickles, smooch accent ink, adhesive foam.

I had tons of fun making this card. I don't often create "scene" cards, but as soon as I saw this set I knew exactly what I wanted to do. The stamp set also comes with 2 sentiments, "There's no place like home" and "Somewhere over the rainbow".

Be sure to visit all rest of the SCRS designers for more peeks of Karber Wizard of Oz Set. Sparkle will be giving away Karber Wizard of Oz Set to one lucky person! For a chance to win, you need to comment on all of the designer's blogs (listed below). Then head on over to the SCRS blog and comment on the Karber post. You have until midnight EST tonight to comment. The lucky winner will be announced on Sunday on the SCRS blog!

Alice Wertz
Amy Young
Kim Yu
Shaela Odd <--- you are here
Simonne Clay
Sparkle Smith
Stephanie Kraft

Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Blog

SCRS February Sneak Peeks Day 1!!

2012-02-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

Hey peeps!! Today is the first day of sneak peeks for Sparkle Creations - are you ready for some super-cuteness? Introducing Leprechan Oliver!

Paper: My Mind's Eye (orange), Bo Bunny (green); Stamp: Sparkle Creations; Ribbon: May Arts. Memento ink, copics, nesties, ticket corner punch (SU!), black pearls, liquid applique, glossy accents, stardust gellyroll pen.

Isn't he darling?! Oliver is such a cutie and this new stamp is no exception. :)

Alright, now be sure to visit all the rest of the SCRS designers for more peeks of Leprechan Oliver. Sparkle will be giving away this new stamp (which includes a sentiment) to one lucky person. For a chance to win, you need to comment on all of the designers' blogs (listed below). Then head over to the SCRS Blog and comment on the Oliver post. You have until midnight EST tonight to comment. The lucky winner will be announced on Sunday on the SCRS blog!

Alice Wertz
Amber Hight
Danielle Lounds
Kerri Michaud
Kim Yu
Margie Cortina
Pam Varnell - February Guest Designer
Savannah O'Gwynn
Shaela Odd <---you are here
Simonne Clay
Sparkle Smith
Stephanie Kraft

Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Blog

I've got a CRUSH on you!! (+ a free printable)

2012-02-08T08:29:00.000-08:00

I'm so sorry it's been so quiet... does life ever slow down?! Anyways, yesterday was our anniversary and so we started celebrating A Week in Love. I gleaned the idea for my first day from Pinterest here, since it was just for my hubby. But today we started with the kids as well, so this is what I put together:

Super cute, right? I think I first saw this idea last year at eighteen25, so I hunted around town to find these soda bottles (do you realize how rare they are?? I finally found these at Albertson's) and made my own little tags. The kids (and my hubby, hehe) loved finding these on the breakfast table this morning. :)

Although you can make your own tag if you like, here is the one that I made - feel free to download and use it yourself! Just click on the image to bring it up in full resolution, then right click the image and select save as. The file is sized to 4"x6", so 2 will print on that standard sized photo.

That's it for me today - I'll be by tomorrow with the first SCRS preview so stay tuned! :)

Valentine scratch-card tutorial (and printable!)

2012-02-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! Over the weekend I put some finishing touches on a few more Week In Love projects, and I decided to make a tutorial for the scratch-cards I made my kiddos. I know that there are a few others floating around cyber space, but I decided to put one together using items I had on hand at home and it works just great!

Plan ahead - you will need to apply several coats of the scratch paint so give yourself ample time for each layer to dry!!

To make your scratch cards, you will need:

parchment paper
clear packing tape
dishsoap
metallic acrylic paint
small flat paintbrush
ballpoint pen
scissors
scratch cards (check the end of this post for a free printable!)
small container for scratch paint (not shown)

Step 1: Make the scratch paint

Begin by mixing up your scratch paint. Mix 2 parts paint with 1 part dishsoap and blend well. If you have a small covered container to mix it in, that works best, since you don't want the paint to dry out between coats.

Step 2: Paper and tape

Tear off a small piece of parchment paper. Now cut a strip of packing tape and adhere it to the parchment paper (it doesn't matter which side), like so:

Cut the excess paper off from around the packing tape.

Step 3: Trace the hearts

Flip the parchment paper over and lay it down over the scratch cards. Trace around the hearts with the pen. (I traced 6 hearts since I was making 2 cards)

Step 4: Paint the tape

Turn the paper over again so the tape side is facing up. Use the paintbrush to paint a thin layer of paint along the length of it. Let dry. Repeat this step until you have 4-6 coats of paint, alternating strokes (vertical vs. horizontal) with each coat. This helps so that the scratch paint will be opaque when applied to the card.

**I started this project in the morning. I painted a coat, left it to dry for about an hour, painted another coat, left it again, etc. I did a total of 5 coats over the course of the day and was able to finish these cards in the evening.

Step 5: Cut out the hearts

When you have enough coats of paint on the tape it is time to cut out the hearts. (Note: you can hold the parchement paper/tape up to the light to see how opaque it is) Flip it over again so that you can see the hearts you traced and carefully cut them out.

Step 6: Attach the hearts to the cards

Peel off the parchment paper backing from each heart (it will come off easily) and attach it carefully to the card. And that's it!

Fun, right? I also made a card like this for my hubby with various choices for evening entertainment. (massage, new movie, play a board game, etc.)

If you would like to make your own scratch cards, click the photo to pring it up in full resolution, then right-click and select "Save as". These cards are sized at 3.5x5" (which is a standard print size on most home printers), so once it's downloaded just select that size of print and the quantity you want and you'll be good to go! (I typed in my choices on the PSE template before printing, but you'll have to hand-write yours on the cards)

Thanks for stopping by! :)

Tea party treat bags

2012-02-03T00:00:00.000-08:00

I know, I know... I don't have my other Project Life pages done yet, *sigh*. I am still soooo worn out from being sick followed by a crazy week last week that I am just trying to recoup. I do, however, want to share with you the treat bags that I made for my daughter's birthday party. :)

Since we were having a "tea" party, I decided to use The Greeting Farm's HG-Classy digital image. I bought the treat bags (which are just those white paper crafting lunch sacks), measured them, and created a template in Photoshop that was the same size. I then resized the image to fit and added the guests' names to the top of each bag (allowing space for the top to be folded down) like so:

Originally I planned to run the bags through my printer and print directly onto them, but after a few trials I realized it wouldn't work as well as I hoped. So instead, I cut pieces of regular computer paper to fit the front of the bag and printed the image on those. Then I used spray adhesive to get a good, solid stick and placed them on the front of the bags.

I laid the gift bags out on the table with crayons so as the girls arrived they could color their gift bag. Then near the end of the party (after games and gifts and "tea" and everything) I was able to fill them, punch the tops and tie them closed with a ribbon.

(I collected teacups and saucers from thrift stores and let the girls take them home as party favors)

The girls loved having custom gift bags, and I was happy to have something cute and easy (and functional!) to use as well. :)

That's it for me today... and this week, haha. Hopefully I will recoup over the weekend, because I have {lots} to share with you next week! Take care-

Project Life 2012 - Week 3

2012-02-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

Since we were all so sick for the last 2 weeks, I didn't get a chance to put my pagestogether for week 3. So you'll get 2 days of Project Life this week: today's spread is from week 3 and tomorrow's spread will be from week 4 (last week).

I confess that I'm already starting to struggle with this. Not the taking pictures and making notes part, but the putting-it-all-together part. I didn't order a PL kit because I wanted to use up my horrendously huge stash of paper and supplies... but it's taking quite a bit longer than I anticipated. Plus, I don't like the way it is looking. :( So I think I might cave and get the Clementine core kit and see if that helps.

SCRSC72 - Superbowl challenge

2012-01-30T21:00:00.000-08:00

Hello hello! This week's Sparkle Creations challenge is a superbowl challenge. You can pick any football team you like, we just ask that you make a football-themed card. :).

I grew up in a football-loving household, but aside from lives high school and college games have never been much a fan of the sport. My hubby has never been interested in organized sports (baseball, basketball, football, etc.) so needless to say, I have no clue what teams are even in the superbowl this year, haha.

However, my younger brother has a birthday coming up so I decided to make a card for him, since he is a huge football fan. And although I don't know if they are still his favorite team, we are a Seahawks family through and through, so I used their colors on my card:

Paper: Scrap Within Reach; Stamps: Sparkle Creations (image), sentiment is computer generated; Brads: American Crafts; Border punch: Martha Stewart Crafts. Memento ink, copics.

I was in a CAS kind of mood when I made this card, and I confess that it's one of my favorites. Something about simple lines and all that white space just makes me happy. :)

Be sure you stop by the SCRS blog to see all the samples from the DT and read the details on what you can win for participating. This week, the following designers have samples to share with you:

Alice Wertz
Amber Hight
Danielle Lounds
Debbie Carriere - January Guest Designer
Kim Yu
Shaela Odd <--- that's me!

We are also using Inlinkz again for our challenges, so if you're ready to play along be sure to link it up to the challenge post on the SCRS Blog.

Happy stamping!

Valentine coupons - {free printable!}

2012-01-30T00:00:00.000-08:00

Holy cow, I am so worn out. I'm still struggling to fight off the tail end of this horrid cold, plus we had company over the weekend and celebrated my little girl's 6th bday. I don't think I've made a card or crafted anything in at least 2 weeks!! But since you've all been so patient with me, I'm going to share another one of my Week In Love projects with you today.

I love coupons. ♥ Saving money and getting freebies always make me smile, but my favorite kinds of coupons are the handmade ones - you know, the ones good for a free foot rub or a day to myself. :) Anyways, one of the things that I'll be giving my kiddos and hubby during our weeklong celebration is a little coupon book. I had so much fun designing these printables for them that I thought I'd share them with you, too!

Included in the download is an unwatermarked version of the above coupons and instructions for printing them, as well as how you can make them into little books, like this:

You can pick up your valentine coupons right here (link does not expire). I hope you enjoy them, and I hope your loved ones enjoy them as well!

Thanks for stopping by!

My scrapbooking method

2012-01-28T21:41:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! I am popping in real quick to let you know that I'm guest posting over here at Keeping Life Creative. Pam asked me to share my scrapbooking method and how I manage to stay caught up, so be sure to stop by and check it out!

Even if you're not a scrapbooker, Pam's blog has something for everyone. From couponing to scrapbooking, flea market finds to everyday life, her blog is one of my favorite reads (and not just because she's my SIL, lol) So go check it out!!

Mini fabric hearts

2012-01-25T16:27:00.000-08:00

John and I celebrate our anniversary on February 7th each year. Since Valentine's Day is on the 14th, I decided a few years back to celebrate A Week In Love with my husband. It's been a fun tradition of ours now - we do a little something special each day for one another. Nothing big or fancy, but it's nice having little daily reminders of how much we love each other. :)

With the advent of Pinterest this year, I've had a slew of new ideas, lol! (if you care to follow me on Pinterest, you can find me right here.) This was one that I found awhile ago:

source

I fell in love with those little fabric hearts, so I dug through my fabric scraps and pulled out some red and white pieces and made a whole bunch.

For now they reside in a couple glass vases on our bookshelf, but I plan to pin little messages to some of them and leave them scattered around for my husband to find one day during the week. :)

This year we'll be including the kids in our celebration, and it's been fun thinking up cute little things for them. I have some tutorials and printables in the works that I'll be sharing in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!

Tea party invitations

2012-01-24T00:00:00.000-08:00

Good grief... last week was a doozy! Sunday night (the 15th) my son got sick, and by Tuesday the entire household was laid up with an awful cold. I don't remember the last time we were all so sick. Needless to say, nothing was accomplished and I am only just now starting to feel human enough to tackle my massive to do list. Blech.

Thankfully, I managed to get my daughter's birthday party invites finished last Monday before the germs overtook me. Her party will be this Saturday and I'm {so} glad that we'll all be healthy for it!

Embossed cardstock: Stampin' Up!; Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie; Ribbon: Offray; Punches: Stampin' Up!; Fonts: Amelie (cursive), Occidental (type).

We decided to throw a "tea" party for Lina and her little friends (even though none of us drink tea) and she is very excited. I've been collecting teacups and matching saucers from thrift stores for awhile, and after the "tea" portion of the party I'm going to wash and wrap them up to give the girls as party favors. I always loved having real dishes and glasses and things as toys when I was little, so I think they'll like that. :)

I'm not sure if I'll have a Project Life layout to share this week... seriously, we were all so sick and did nothing but stay home in bed. I took a couple pictures (of the growing pile of tissues and the stack of oils and meds we were taking, haha) but it won't make much of a layout. I think I'll just put in a little insert next week about why a week is missing.

This week is going to be busy - I'm turning the big 3-0 on Thursday and my baby girl is turning 6 on Saturday... we have company coming in from out of town, a party to throw, and a massively filthy house to clean before all of that. Whew! Wish me luck... I may not survive it all, lol!

My first {SMASHBOOK} page

2012-01-20T00:00:00.000-08:00

Back when I first started scrapbooking there weren't cool tools and embellies... just cheezy dies cuts and ugly colored cardstock, lol. I didn't like those, but I did like to collect receipts, tags, notes from friends, magazine clippings, comics and pictures. I pasted them using plain elmer's glue into a huge old kraft-paper scrapbook that is still one of my favorite things to look at. Ahhh, good memeories. :)

A lot has changed since then. The scrapbook revolution took place and suddenly it was CUTE! Cool! {Fun!} to make scrapbooks, and almost overnight everything was different. While I embraced the changes and gladly said goodbye to the die cuts and cardstock mentioned earlier, I found myself drawn into the new trends and I pretty much lost my early "style".

Enter {SMASHBOOK}.

I know that some people don't get what all the hype is about, but seriously? This is how I started, so I {love} this style! I haven't made a traditional layout in about a year (since I decided to try a digital scrapbook last year) so it has been an adjustment trying to remember my roots, but it has been fun. Here is my first page:

While I don't plan to include photos in this, it will be very similar to my scrapbook from high school - odds and ends that catch my eye or that are special to me for whatever random reason - but with a twist. I plan to use this mostly as an idea book; a place to turn to for inspiration when my mojo takes a vacation. So I'll include some more artistic aspects as well. I'm looking forward to seeing how it evolves. :)

I don't have set plans to work on this on a regular basis, but I'll be sharing pages if and when the mood strikes and I put something together. So stay tuned for more! :) Oh, and btw... it would take me way too long to list out individual supplies used on my smash pages, but I'm happy to let you know what I use if there is a need. So if you're dying to know about a stamp or paper scrap or chipboard piece or whatever, just leave a comment and I'll let you know where it's from. :)

Vintage sewing card

2012-01-19T00:00:00.000-08:00

I have a good friend with a birthday coming up. She loves to sew, so as I was flipping through my Lost&Found Sunshine paper pack and saw this paper I knew I needed to use it.

Paper: My Mind's Eye and vintage dictionary. Pearls, vintage lace trim.

It was refreshing for me to make a simple, no coloring (or even stamping, *gasp!*) card. I've been hoarding this lace trim for ages, so it feels good to use it up as well. :)

Have a great day - it's almost Friday, yay! :)

Project Life 2012 - Week 2... and a FREEBIE!!

2012-01-18T00:00:00.000-08:00

Time to share my Week 2 page spread from my Project Life album! Last week was fairly uneventful so I didn't include a weekly synopsis card - just little snippets throughout the layout.

Here are a couple bigger pictures of each side:

It's not pictured here, but I added an insert of the page that my daughter and husband colored together. I think it's fun to see a picture of them coloring and then the actual page. :)

Now, did anyone notice this little journaling card?

That's right, it's another one of my custom journaling cards! Simple and sweet and easy for journaling. I designed 3 different ones: a fully-lined card and two partially-lined cards. You can flip the partially-lined cards to make the blank spot on the top or bottom or right or left.

On my card I added a bit of patterned paper, but you could also stamp or sketch or even put a sliver of a photo. I have a feeling I'll use these a lot. :) You can download the .pdf files for these cards right here. (link does not expire) And in case you missed them, you can check out my other 2 journaling card freebies HERE and HERE.

Have a great day!

SCRSC71 - Sketch Challenge

2012-01-17T00:00:00.000-08:00

Hello hello! So did y'all love the new release from last week? Such fun new images! :) This week's Sparkle Creations challenge is a sketch challenge. You can check out a closeup of the sketch on the SCRS blog if you like.

I like clean, symmetrical lines so this was a fun sketch for me and not hard at all, haha. Hopefully you'll enjoy it too!

Paper: We R Memory Keepers; Stamps: Sparkle Creations; Ribbon: Offray. Memento ink, copics, nesties, gem brads, Ranger stickles, vellum, StazOn ink (for sentiment), adhesive foam.

I paired Valentine Oliver with the sentiment that comes with Backpack Oliver to make a card for my son's teacher. I like the bright non-traditional Valentine colors - so perfect for an elementary teacher, don't you think? :)

Be sure you stop by the SCRS blog to see all the samples from the DT and read the details on what you can win for participating. This week, the following designers have samples to share with you:

Alice Wertz
Amber Hight
Danielle Lounds
Debbie Carriere - January Guest Designer
Kim Yu
Shaela Odd <--- that's me!

We are also going back to using Inlinkz for our challenges, so if you're ready to play along be sure to link it up to the challenge post on the SCRS Blog.

Happy stamping!

Love grows.

2012-01-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

The "Branch Out" stamp set by Stampin' Up! is one of my favorite non-coloring stamp sets because it is so versatile. Ever since I got it I have been wanting to make a Valentine's card with it by using hearts as leaves on the tree, but this is the first year that I actually DID! :) So here is my sweet and simply card using that technique:

Stamps: Stampin' Up! (french script background stamp, Branch Out, confetti); Paper: Echo Park; Ink: Stampin' Up!; Ribbon: Offray.

I'm so proud of myself: for the 3rd week in a row I have posts scheduled each day! :) So hopefully you'll stop by again. See ya!

SCRS January Release Day!!

2012-01-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

Paper: My Mind's Eye; Stamps: Sparkle Creations (image and sentiment); Border punch: Stampin' Up!. Memento ink, copics, clear spica pen, pearls, adhesive foam.

Be sure to visit the rest of the SCRS designers for more peeks of Tea Set Rin. Sparkle will be giving away this new stamp to one lucky person. For a chance to win, you need to comment on all of the designers' blogs (listed below). Then head over to the SCRS Blog and comment on the Rin post. You have until midnight EST tonight to comment. The lucky winner will be announced on Sunday on the SCRS blog!

Alice Wertz
Danielle Lounds
Debbie Carriere - January Guest Designer
Kerri Michaud
Kim Yu
Shaela Odd <---you are here
Simonne Clay
Sparkle Smith
Stephanie Kraft

Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Blog

SCRS January Sneak Peeks Day 1!!

2012-01-12T00:00:00.000-08:00

Hey peeps!! Today is the first day of sneak peeks for Sparkle Creations - yay!! I must confess that I am missing Christmas already... I only JUST took my tree and decorations down this week, lol. Anyways, Valentine's will be here soon and i am enjoying playing with some new crafty goodies... like this adorable new stamp from SCRS! Introducing Nurse Lucy:

Paper: My Mind's Eye; Stamp: Sparkle Creations; Ribbon: upcycled from a Carter's baby blanket packaging; Flowers: floral supply; Border punch: EK Success. Memento ink, copics, stitching, adhesive foam, smooch accent ink, white flocking, pearls.

Isn't she darling?! My SIL is a nurse and I'm always on the lookout for cute nurse stamps when making her cards, so I'm excited about this one. :) She also comes with the sentiment "get better soon" but I left it off of my card.

Alright, now be sure to visit all the rest of the SCRS designers for more peeks of Nurse Lucy. Sparkle will be giving away this new stamp (with the sentiment) to one lucky person. For a chance to win, you need to comment on all of the designers' blogs (listed below). Then head over to the SCRS Blog and comment on the Lucy post. You have until midnight EST tonight to comment. The lucky winner will be announced on Sunday on the SCRS blog!

Alice Wertz
Amber Hight
Debbie Carriere - January Guest Designer
Kim Yu
Margie Cortina
Savannah O'Gwynn
Shaela Odd <---you are here
Simonne Clay
Stephanie Kraft

Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Blog

Project Life 2012 - Week 1

2012-01-11T00:00:00.000-08:00

Woohoo! I've finished my first layout for Project Life this year. It feels good. :) I have an insert this week to include a few extra pictures, so here is a picture of my 2 page spread with the insert in normally...

...and then flipped over.

And here are some closeups:

This is the front and back of the insert:

The first thing I've realized is that I need to figure out how to take decent pictures of these layouts... the glare and miscolorization from these page protectors is horrible!! Anyone out there do Project Life? Tips? Suggestions?

Days of the week journaling cards FREEBIE!!

2012-01-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

I was hoping to have my Project Life title page to share with y'all, but I need to get a photo of me and John to put in there first. So instead, I'm going to share another style of the journaling cards I made!

I really like these ones. And since I couldn't decide on which color to make them, I made a set of each day in each different color. If I decide down the road that I want different colors (gray, purple, pink, etc.) I'll make some of those and have them available for download as well. :) For now, you can get a full set of these days of the week journaling cards right here. (link does not expire)

I'm working on my first week's spread today and so far I am {loving} this style of scrapbooking! We'll see how I feel in 51 weeks, lol.

Have a great day!

Sending you love

2012-01-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

Per one of my unofficial goals, I am trying to cut out more of my images to use on cards since I really like that look. (Which, I confess, is mostly because of Amy. Is anyone else in awe of her cutting skills?!) While I don't enjoy the tedium of cutting out some of my more detailed stamps (like Sparkle Creations and Kraftin Kimmie ones), Greeting Farm stamps are usually nice and easy to cut. :)

I liked the simple layout of Wilfreda's card for the Friday Spyday challenge so I decided to play along and make another Valentine's card. :)

Paper: Echo Park; Stamp: The Greeting Farm; Scallop border punch: Stampin' Up!. Memento ink, copics, nesties, smooch accent ink.

WS-Stella is one of my favorites. She works so great for Valentine cards - right up there with WS-Bree (which is discontinued - boooo!!).

Today marks the very last day of my second trimester... only 3 more months and this baby will be here, yay!! Hopefully it passes quickly - I want to get started on my baby announcements, lol.

A cozy Valentine's card

2012-01-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

I've had this image colored for awhile, and I was planning to use it with some non-traditional Christmas paper I have (think pink snowflakes, haha) but I never got around to it. So when I pulled out my Valentine paper and realized it matched, I decided to make another Vday card, hehe.

Paper: My Mind's Eye; Stamp: The Greeting Farm; Border punch: Fiskars; Ribbon: Stampin' Up!; Hat pin: bead supplies. Memento ink, copics, Ranger stickles, adhesive foam.

TGIF peeps - is anyone else celebrating the end of the week?! It's been a doozy for me, so I'm glad to have the weekend here so I can relax a bit. :) Have a great day everyone!

A few final digi layouts for 2011

2012-01-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

One of the things I have loved about digi scrapping this year is how quickly I can put layouts together. I finished the last of them all for 2011 last week, and it feels so {good} to be totally caught up for once!! I already ordered my photobook from Shutterfly and I am excited for it to arrive. :)

Some of my digi layouts were more detailed, but others I kept fairly simple. I tend to like clean lines more often than not, but every once in awhile it's fun to mix things up. :)

So far I'm having fun taking a picture a day for Project Life, and I am excited to get started on my first weekly spread. I actually did a whole page just for New Year's Day instead of the traditional PL cover page so I'll have that to share with you next week too. :)

Have a great day!

Mailing my heart

2012-01-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

I always feel a little funny mailing out Valentine's cards when I sent Christmas cards out only a few weeks earlier - does anyone else feel the same? But whether I send them out or not, I really love to make Vday cards so I've been having lots of fun lately. :)

One of my favorite Vday sets is one that I designed for Paper Makeup Stamps called "Sending you Love". PMS has decided to clear out their rubber inventory and only sell their stamps digitally, so while you can't get the rubber set, the digi version is still available here.

Paper: My Mind's Eye; Stamps: Paper Makeup (image/sentiment), Papertrey Ink (dotted frame); Ribbon: Offray. Memento ink, Stampin' Up! markers and inkpad (red), copics, nesties, adhesive foam.

I made this into a mini card (4.25" square) and I kept it simple and flat, so that if I do decide to mail it, I won't need to find a special envelope or pay more postage, hahaha. :) I'm thinking that I should have used some patterned ribbon instead of the plain satin, but oh well. The challenge over on The Ribbon Carousel Blog is anything goes, so I'm entering it over there today. :)

That's it for me - everyone have a great day!

SCRSC70 - something new

2012-01-03T00:00:00.000-08:00

Hello hello! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season, but now that the festivities are over, it's time to get things rolling again. :) This week's Sparkle Creations challenge is to use something new. So pull out those crafty Christmas presents and get busy, lol!

I recently got an order of new copic markers and reinkers, as well as a few new paper pads, so that's what I used on my card. I also combined it with the current Tuesday Morning Sketch, which Sparkle Creations is sponsoring this week. I tweaked the sketch just a bit, but I think you can still see it in there. ;)

Paper: Echo Park; Stamps: Sparkle Creations (image), Paper Makeup (sentiment); Scallop border punch: Stampin' Up!. Memento ink, copics, gems, adhesive foam.

We have some changes to the SCRS Design Team!!  

We said goodbye to some amazing designers last month but are happy to welcome some new (and returning) faces this month. A few of them have played along this week, and the rest will play along with the challenge next week, so stay tuned! 

Be sure you stop by the SCRS blog to see all the samples from the DT and read the details on what you can win for participating. This week, the following designers have samples to share with you:

Alice Wertz
Amber Hight
Danielle Lounds
Debbie Carriere
Kim Yu
Shaela Odd <--- that's me!

We are also going back to using Inlinkz for our challenges, so if you're ready to play along be sure to link it up to the challenge post on the SCRS Blog.

Happy stamping!

New things for 2012!! (and a freebie)

2012-01-02T00:00:00.000-08:00

So I spent all of last year saying "two thousand eleven", but this year I'm already starting out with "twenty twelve" so maybe it will stick, haha. Anyways, I'm back and I have some fun things to share! Please bear with me as I take care of some housekeeping.

First of all, I want to thank everyone for your comments and support during the last year. If it wasn't for you I wouldn't even have a blog, so thanks!! One of my goals for 2012 is to leave more comments for those that leave comments for me. :) I really love reading the little notes from friends and followers, so if you drop me a line and have a blog, I'll be sure to stop by and check you out as well. It's all about sharing the love. :) The only exception will be blog hops or special posts where I get too many comments to handle in my limited online time, but I promise to try my best!

Another goal I have this year is to get back in the habit of posting every weekday when possible. There may be a few occasions (in March/April, for example) when I'll be too busy with life to get much crafting done and thus my posts may be more sporadic. But I'm going to do my best to post as often as possible. I won't be adding much in the way of DT responsibilities, so be looking for more "just because" creations and cards and whatnot. Maybe even some freebies here and there. ;)

Lastly, I am {way} stoked to be starting on Project Life this year!! I have been a traditional scrapbooker for over a decade, but last year I switched to digital because I was getting more and more behind and I wanted to get my memories and photos documented, and digi scrapping was faster, cheaper and easier. I'm proud of myself for sticking it through for an entire year, and I now have a completely digital album for 2011. While there are still some aspects of digi scrapping that I enjoy, and while I may still make occasional layouts here and there (traditional as well as digital), since learning more about Project Life and following along with friends and frogs last year, I've decided to give it a whirl for 2012. I love far more aspects of traditional scrapbooking than digital, but it was taking soooooo much time, and I think that Project Life will be a good median for me: working with physical paper and pictures but staying simple and streamlined at the same time.

I will be participating in Project Life the 365 way; meaning, I will be taking (at least) one picture per day throughout the year. Sunday afternoons/evenings will be my photo-editing time, I will pick up prints on Mondays and put the prior week's spread together on Monday/Tuesday. So every Wednesday I should have my weekly spread to share with you. But not this week - I just started on Sunday so you'll have to wait until next Wednesday for my first spread, haha.

Now, I know that Project Life is designed to be simple and easy, and while I was sooooo tempted to purchase the Clementine album and core kit (LOVE!), I opted to get only the PL page protectors and use my massive stash of papers and embellies for everything else, haha. Over the past month I have cut up {so} many sheets of paper and scraps into 4x6" cards and 3x4" journaling cards to make it easier for me throughout the year. I have also been busy designing my own journaling cards - want to take a peek at some??

I've designed 4 different types of journaling cards so far and this is the first (and most simple) style. I'll be sharing samples and the files of the other ones over the next few weeks, so feel free to bookmark my blog and come back for the freebies when they're posted. :) You can download the printable .pdf files for these ones right here. (link does not expire)

Well, that's it for me today. Thanks again for your love and support - may this year be the best for all of us!! :)

Happy New Year!! (and a card, haha)

2012-01-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

First of all, {Happy New Year!!} No, I didn't stay up until midnight but that's because I'm getting older and have no life, hahaha. Just kidding. ;) But I hope a lot of you had fun ringing in 2012 and that it will be a fabulous year for us all! I have a post scheduled for tomorrow to explain some fun new things happening here on my blog this year, so please stop by again. :)

To kick start the year, Sparkle Creations is sponsoring the Sweet Sunday Sketch today! Here is the card that I made:

Paper: My Mind's Eye; Stamps: Sparkle Creations (image), Paper Makeup (sentiment), Papertrey Ink (frame); Ribbon: Offray. Memento ink, copics, Ranger stickles, smooch accent ink, gems, nesties, corener rounder, chalk ink (for edges), adhesive foam.

I am in full Valentines mode now so you'll be seeing a lot of "love" around here for awhile, hahaha. Anyways, be sure to stop by the SCRS Blog for more samples from the DT, as well as the Sweet Sunday Sketch on Karen's blog to play along and maybe win some rubber!

Have a great day!

Christmas thank you cards

2011-12-29T08:43:00.000-08:00

I don't normally send out thank you cards for Christmas gifts received when I open them with the giver. But since we spent a quiet Christmas alone this year, we received a number of gifts in the mail from friends and family members, and those require a thank you card.

I confess; I have felt so lazy of late that I {almost} bought some at the store - ack!! I don't remember the last time I bought a card or cards for anything, hahaha. Anyways, once I looked them over I thought, "I can make something simple like this..." So that's what I did. :)

Paper: DCWV; Stamps: Papertrey Ink (dotted circles), Paper Makeup (sentiment); Punches: Stampin' Up!; Ribbon: Offray. Adhesive foam.

I wasn't going for anything spectacular; just something simple and cute and flat to mail, haha. I have had this old Christmas paper in my stash for YEARS so it was nice to get some use out of it. I whipped up 10 of these cards in less than 30 minutes, so I was happy about that too. :)

As much as I love Christmas and I'm not quite ready to let the season go, I am excited to start a new year with some new things. And I promise, starting on Monday next week I have posts scheduled daily so you won't be bored when you stop by anymore, hahaha. See ya!

SCRS after Christmas sale :)

2011-12-26T20:21:00.000-08:00

Hey peeps!! I hope everyone had a {fabulous} Christmas!! I'm still on my mini-vacation, but wanted to pop in and let you all know that Sparkle Creations is having a sale!

Mistletoe ball

2011-12-21T00:00:00.000-08:00

I don't have many posts planned for this week, as I have slowed things down and am trying to enjoy these magical days around Christmas. I did, however, manage to take a picture of the mistletoe ball I put together a few weeks ago.

Greenery ball: JoAnn's; White berries: floral supply; Ribbon: Offray.

It was easy-peasy to make. I thought I would have to buy a styrofoam ball and glue a bunch of greenery to it for the base, but when I found this pre-made greenery ball at Joann's I knew it would be perfect. All I did then was glue some white faux berries in random places, add a ribbon and I was done. I love it when projects come together easier than expected! :)

Hoppin' into the Holiday with The Greeting Farm!!

2011-12-19T00:00:00.000-08:00

Hello hello! I bet most of you are here for the TGF Customer Blog Hop, hehehe. If you don't know what it's about, be sure to stop by The Greeting Farm Blog for the master list of all participants. :)

I confess: I'm about Christmas-carded out, hahaha. Don't get me wrong - I am {very} much still in the Christmas spirit and loving everything about the holidays, but I've been making Christmas cards all year long and I'm a bit tired of them for now. So I decided to make a little project for myself that is non-holiday related. :)

I have a pile of these fantastic little tins lying in my to-be-altered stash, so I pulled one out and made myself a little box to hold some notecards. My Miss Anya stamp collection hasn't seen much love lately, so I decided to pull out some favorites and go to town. Here is what my decorated tin looks like:

Tin: Stampin' Up!; Paper: Basic Grey (floral), Lasting Impressions (cream text); Stamps: The Greeting Farm; Die cut: Stampin' Up! (Top Note Bigz Die); Ribbon: Offray. Memento ink, copics, Ranger Stickles, pearls, adhesive foam, gems.

And here are the little notecards inside:

I found these miniature envelopes on clearance at Walmart years ago, and they fit a Top Note die cut perfectly, so I was super happy about making some cute and simple little cards to slip inside. :)

As many of you know, TGF is giving away some super fun prizes on today's hop! There will be two grand prize winners chosen from the participants, but for those of you hopping along, one random commenter will win the {entire} January release from The Greeting Farm - how amazing is that?! So fun. So be sure to leave some love as you hope around the blogosphere - yours might just be the winning comment! :)

Happy stamping!

Christmas candies

2011-12-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

My son's first grade class is having a party today, so he and I put together these little treats to take to all his friends. They were quick and easy and gosh, aren't they cute? ;)

Punches: Stampin' Up! (scallopped circle and 1 3/8" circle); Stamps: Papertrey Ink; Treat bags: Stampin' Up!. Mint M&Ms, ink, red Zig pen.

I stapled the scalloped circle to the top of the bag before adhering the white circle, so the staple is hidden from view (unless you turn it around). I have plenty of these little treat bags left, so I think we'll do the same sort of thing for my kids for their school Valentine parties. Yes, I was tempted to make them RIGHT NOW, but I figured the kids might like fresh candy, not 2-month old stale stuff, hahaha.

That's it for me for the week - have a good weekend! :)

LOVE. (another Valentine)

2011-12-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

So I've decided that I really like the look of cutout characters on cards. Although I rarely do it to my own, I {love} the way that Amy utilizes this technique. Although she seems a bit more patient than I am... there is no way I would cut out some of my detailed stamps like she does, lol.

I've had this image colored for months now, so I was happy to finally get her on a card! When I opened up my Love Me paper pad and saw this LOVE notebook paper, I knew I wanted to use it. Isn't Miss Anya looking so cute just sitting there?

Paper: My Mind's Eye; Stamp: The Greeting Farm; Scallop trim: Making Memories; Brads: Stampin' Up!. Memento ink, copics, Ranger stickles, chalk ink (for edges), adhesive foam.

The holiday baking is well under way at our house, and I must confess that I feel a bit strange... it's definitely Christmas in and around our home, but whenever I sit down to craft and color I'm dreaming of Valentine's Day and springtime, lol. Maybe it's because I'm eager for my little kicker to make his or her appearance. :)

That's all for me today - have a great day everyone!

A little Valentine's love :)

2011-12-13T00:00:00.000-08:00

Maybe it's because I'm feeling a bit burnt out on Christmas cards. Or maybe it's because I picked up the new My Mind's Eye "Love Me" paper pad last week. Or maybe it's a bit of {both}, hahaha. Whatever the reason, I've been in a Valentine card-making mood and made THREE V-day cards last week - how crazy is that? I don't think I make that many Valentine cards period, lol. Anyways, I was digging through my rubber trying to find a stamp that hasn't seen any ink yet, and decided to pull out this little she-devil.

Embossed cardstock: Stampin' Up!; Glittered laser die cut: KI Memories; Stamps: The Greeting Farm (image), Yellow Umbrella Designs (sentiment). Memento ink, copics, nesties, lace, black satin ribbon, flower (from floral supply), pearl, stitching, Ranger stickles, adhesive foam.

The sentiment is one of the custom stamps I had made for myself last year - love it! Obviously, this card will be going to my hubby, haha. But the other cards I made will be going to some friends... I just don't know who, haha. Come check another one out tomorrow! :)

"Sew suite" card set

2011-12-12T00:00:00.000-08:00

My dear Grandmother sends out notes and cards quite frequently, so I usually make her a set for her birthday and/or Christmas. Since she is a major quilter/seamstress, this year I decided to play up the sewing theme and make her a set of cards using my uninked SU! set, Sew Suite.

Paper: Stampin' Up!; Stamps: Stampin' Up! (dressfrom), Papertrey Ink (sentiment); Ribbon: Stampin' Up! (brown ruffle), Offray (pink dot). Stampin' Up! classic ink, chalk ink (for edges), kraft cardstock, mini pearls & gem.

I altered one of Taylored Expressions' card boxes to put them in, but forgot to take a picture before I wrapped it up and sent it off, whoops!! Just take my word for it that it was cute, haha. :)

I have a super busy week ahead of me, but I managed to get several projects done last week so I have lots to share. :) See you tomorrow!

Sparkle Creations December Release Day!!

2011-12-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

Hey friends!! Today is the final day of sneak peeks for Sparkle Creations, and it is also Release Day! All the new stamps are available in the SCRS store now. Today we have my new favorite stamp to show you... say hello to Ice Skating Chloe! (the darling little sentiment comes with Chloe, too!)

Paper: Echo Park; Stamps: Sparkle Creations (image and sentiment), Stampendous/Tim Holtz (snowflake); Border punch: Fiskars; Snowflake punch: EK Success. Memento ink, copics, Ranger stickles, Stampin' Up! ink (blue), nesties, bakers twine, gem brad, adhesive gems, adhesive foam.

Please forgive the bad picture of the inside - I have such horrible indoor lighting at night and can't figure out a better system!At least I was able to snap a better picture of the card front this morning. :)

Be sure to visit the rest of the SCRS designers for more peeks of Ice Skating Chloe. Sparkle will be giving away this new stamp to one lucky person. For a chance to win, you need to comment on all of the designers' blogs (listed below). Then head over to the SCRS Blog and comment on the Chloe post. You have until midnight EST tonight to comment. The lucky winner will be announced on Sunday on the SCRS blog!

Alice Wertz
Kim Yu
Shaela Odd <--- you are here
Simonne Clay
Sparkle Smith
Stephanie Kraft
Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Blog

And don't forget - we have another sale this month, too! The sale starts today, so be sure to stock up before Christmas!

Believe.

2011-12-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

Please tell me that I'm not the only one with a crafty to-do list that extends through and beyond each holiday... right?! This project has been in the making for 2 years now, so I am VERY excited to {finally} have it finished!

A couple years ago, I placed a big enough Stampin' Up! order to get a hostess set myself. Instead of getting a stamp set, I opted for this beautiful vinyl reindeer die cut. Since that time, it has been sitting in my craft stash unused, haha.

Last year I measured it and decided on the size of canvas (16"x20") I would need to create a home decor piece out of it. I bought the canvas, painted it, and actually attached the reindeer - that was the hard part, lol! But then I had to let it sit, because it didn't seem quite finished but I wasn't sure what else to do.

Earlier this year I purchased SCAL for my Cricut - I was lucky enough to snag it just before the big lawsuit with Provo Craft (yay for me, lol!). Once I started playing around with it, I realized that what I needed on my reindeer canvas was a Christmas word or phrase. I kept coming back to "Believe", so that's what I chose. :)

Canvas: Michaels; Vinyl die cut: Stampin' Up! (reindeer); Vinyl cutting machine: Cricut Expression; Software: Sure Cuts-A-Lot v. 2; Font: Porcelain; Vinyl: Provo Craft (red); Ribbon: Offray. Acrylic paint.

I used the free font Porcelain for the word and I really love how elegant and scrolly it is. Then I added some red ribbon around the sides of the canvas, tied it in a bow and hung it on the wall. Finally finished - and just in time for Christmas this year!

My current holiday project is a kissing ball of mistletoe... I bought the supplies last week, and it shouldn't be difficult, so I'm hoping I can get it finished this year instead of extending it another year. Wish me luck! :)

Sparkle Creations December Sneak Peeks Day 1!!

2011-12-08T00:00:00.000-08:00

Hey peeps!! Today is the first day of sneak peeks for Sparkle Creations - yay!! Is everyone in the Christmas spirit now? I know that around here it sure looks Christmas-y... inside at least, lol. While this month's stamps are not necessarily Christmas stamps, they can certainly be used to celebrate the winter season. Today's peek is featuring the new Hockey Oliver!

Paper: Echo Park; Stamp: Sparkle Creations; Ribbon, brads: American Crafts. Memento ink, copics, stitching, adhesive foam, smooch accent ink.

Fun, right?! I don't think I personally know any hockey fans, but this will be a cute masculine stamp for winter birthdays and Christmas cards. :)

Alright, now be sure to visit all the rest of the SCRS designers for more peeks of Hockey Oliver. Sparkle will be giving away this new stamp (which includes a sentiment) to one lucky person. For a chance to win, you need to comment on all of the designers' blogs (listed below). Then head over to the SCRS Blog and comment on the Oliver post. You have until midnight EST tonight to comment. The lucky winner will be announced on Sunday on the SCRS blog!

Alice Wertz
Kim Yu
Shaela Odd <--- you are here
Simonne Clay
Sparkle Smith
Stephanie Kraft
Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Blog

We're also having a sale this month, so be sure to stock up in case Santa forgets to fill your stocking this year! ;)

Christmas card display

2011-12-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

I have never really had a method for displaying our Christmas cards that I enjoy. I've tried a few different ways, but every year I change it to try something new. This year I really like the idea of a card tree, like this one:

...but I don't have anywhere to put it. Someday if we have a house with space I might do it though - I may even keep the "tree" up all year, and decorate it in various ways for different holidays. :)

This year, I decided to string them across my piano, like so:

I actually like the way it looks; so we'll see if it passes the test and I do it again next year, haha. Now if only I can get some Christmas cards in the mail to display instead of my own, lol! (there actually is one real one up there... thanks Holly! :)

What do you do to display your Christmas cards in December? I'd love some more ideas! :)

Another Riley card :)

2011-12-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

I put together another quick little Christmas card featuring Riley - I love all the fun things this moose does!

Paper: Echo Park; Stamps: Riley and Co. (image), Papertrey Ink (border); Ribbon: Offray. Memento ink, copics, nesties, stitching, adhesive foam, Ranger stickles.

This week is my "calm-before-the-storm" week. Not much going on except a few dr. appointments for me and baby. Next week, however, I have at least 2 engagements everyday... I think I may go crazy!! Thank goodness it will then be winter break and we can all just relax and veg at home. :)

Christmas gift tags and tin

2011-12-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

A few months ago Taylored Expressions released a new stamp set that I knew I absolutely {had} to have. Now, knowing myself and how caught-in-the-moment I can become, I didn't rush out and buy it, but I waited, to see if I kept thinking about it, kept wishing I had, kept wanting to create with it. After a few weeks I realized that yes, indeed, I really, REALLY needed the Totally Tags - Holiday stamp set, hahaha. So when Taylor had her awesome Black Friday sale, I made sure to snatch it up quick!

Christmas is my favorite time of the year. And Christmas cards are my favorite kind of cards to make. So it stands to reason that I should love to make Christmas tags too, right? {Wrong.} I hate making tags. Not actually making them, but I have never made tags that I really loved. They were either too big, too small, too cheesy, too simple, or too extravagant (and thus not easy to make many of... which I need to do with tags). Year after year, I would buy tag stamp sets and hope and wish and try to make lovely tags, only to be disappointed with the end result. I would then vow never to try it again and promptly sell the stamp set on ebay.

These tags, however, are perfect. I love them. And it's all thanks to that awesome stamp set. :)

Enough of my rambling - you want to see the tags, right? First let me show you the darling little tin I altered to put them in. :) I buy these $.99 gift card holder tins at the checkout stand at Michaels. I don't care what funky colors or patterns they use since I always spray paint the lids matte white. That way I can decorate them to coordinate with whatever I want. :)

Tin: Michaels; Paper: Making Memories (green polks dot), October Afternoon (sheet music and stripes); Glitter trim: My Mind's Eye; Alpha stickers: The Girl's Paperie (mini red), American Crafts Thickers (glitter chipboard). Nesties, R27 copic, corner rounder.

Super cute, right? And here are the individual tags; I made 2-3 of each.

Stamps: Taylored Expressions. Memento ink (black), Stampin' Up! Baja Breeze ink (blue), Ranger stickles, copics, white flocking, 1 3/4" circle punch, nesties, red baker's twine.

I had so much fun with these tags that I haven't stopped making them since, lol. They have just the right amount of cuteness and detail without taking too much work. I love them. I really do. :) There was only one tag stamp that I didn't use because I didn't really care for it, but only one stamp out of the whole set isn't bad, in my opinion. :)

That's it for me today - I have posts scheduled everyday this week (and most of them Christmas-y, yay!) so be sure to stop by again!

Krafty-Mocha-Christmas

2011-12-02T00:00:00.001-08:00

Lol, that's the phrase that comes to mind when I think of this color combo. :) I actually have all of my Christmas cards done already, so I'll add this one to my stash for next year, hehehe.

It has been {way} too long since I've played along with any TGF challenges, so I decided to combine this week's Monday Fun-day challenge (use 3 of something - I used 3 patterned papers) with the current Ribbon Carousel challenge, which The Greeting Farm is sponsoring, hehehe. I completely fell in love with this color combo when I saw it, so I'm sure I'll be using it in the future. :)

Paper:Echo Park; Stamp: The Greeting Farm; Ribbon: Stampin' Up!. Memento ink, copics, gems, pearl, adhesive foam, chalk ink (for edges).

My friend Aranne came over last night and we had lots of fun stamping and crafting and talking. And chatting; I'm surprised we got anything done, hahaha.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Happy Birthday Josh

2011-12-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

Today Sparkle Creations is sponsoring {three} challenges - wowzer!! That's a lot of chances to win some SCRS rubber! And yes, I managed to make another card that fulfilled multiple challenges. Shocking, I know, lol.

Paper: My Mind's Eye; Stamps: Sparkle Creations (image), Paper Makeup (sentiment); Border punch: Martha Stewart Crafts; Ribbon: Stampin' Up!; Glitter brads: Doodlebug Designs. Memento ink, copics, Ranger stickles, glossy accents, corner rounder, adhesive foam.

The challenges that SCRS is currently sponsoring are For Your Inspiration #19 (I used the wrong photo as inspiration, so this card doesn't count, haha), The Deconstructed Sketch #29, and Do You Stack Up #48. This is the first chance I've had to ink up Birthday Josh and I had lots of fun coloring him. My nephew is turning 4 next week so I think I'll send this card to him. :)

That's it for me today - I'll be back tomorrow with another Christmas card!

Happy stamping!

Noel card

2011-11-30T00:00:00.000-08:00

I feel like I've been a lazy stamper lately - I want to stamp and create something, but just haven't had the motivation or inspiration to do so. So as I was hopping around blogland over the weekend, I decided to play along in a few challenges. :)

Paper: Basic Grey; Stamp, ribbon: Stampin' Up!; Pearl brads: Making Memories; Border punch: Fiskars. memento ink, copics, smooch accent ink, stardust gelly roll pen.

This stamp comes from one of my all-time favorite stamp sets; "Big On Christmas" from Stampin' Up!. I don't have any Crafts Meow stamps yet, but since I'm entering their current sponsorship (Card Patterns Sketch #143) maybe I'll win some! :) I'm also entering this card in the Crafty Contagion Challenge (leftovers - my image was stamped on a scrap and the ribbon was in my scrap ribbon jar) and the current Ooh La La challenge (lots of sparkle). You can't see it in the photo at all, but each little crosspoint on the patterend paper has stardust on it, and the ornament is all shiny and shimmery too. :)

I hope you all have a good day - I'll be back tomorrow with another Christmas card! :)

SCRSC69 - Sketch Challenge

2011-11-28T21:00:00.000-08:00

Hey friends!! Did all you Americans have a nice Thanksgiving? I hope you did. :) This week's Sparkle Creations challenge is a sketch challenge. You can see a larger view of the sketch here on the SCRS blog if you like. :)

I tend to have a hard time with sketches, and this week was no exception. And although I'm not thrilled with my end result, at least I stayed true to the sketch!

Paper: Echo Park; Stamp: Sparkle Creations. Memento ink, copics, Ranger stickles, gems, stitching, stardust jelly roll pen.

I confess that since finishing this card, I have changed it a bit - I removed the ribbon strips and put the pearls in that corner. I like it much better now, lol. :)

Be sure you stop by the SCRS blog to see all the samples from the DT and read the details on what you can win for participating. This week, the following designers have samples to share with you:

Alice Wertz
Corinne Mercado
Kadie Ensley
Kim Yu
Shaela Odd <---that's me!

If you think you're ready to play along in our challenge, please upload a photo of your project to the SCRS gallery. Here is the direct link to entries for this week's challenge: Sparkle Creations Photo Gallery > SCRS Challenges > Challenge #69. If you haven't registered yet, it only takes a few seconds to create a login and upload your photo. Deadline for this week's challenge is Sunday, December 11th @ 9 PM PST.

Note: This is our last challenge for 2011, so be sure to play along!

Happy stamping!

Cyber Monday Sale at Sparkle Creations!

2011-11-28T12:49:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. :) If you missed out on Sparkle's Black Friday Sale, never fear - she's having a sale today too!

That's it for me today - I'll be back late tonight with my SCRS challenge card, and I have posts for the rest of the week too, yay!

Have a great day!

Black Friday at Sparkle Creations!!

2011-11-25T11:13:00.001-08:00

Just a friendly reminder that Sparkle Creations is having a sale today! Click here to go to the store and fill up your cart. Who says you can't shop for yourself for Christmas?! ;)

Have a great day!

A little Bella love

2011-11-23T00:00:00.000-08:00

My poor Bellas haven't seen any love in {quite} some time, so I decided to pull one out this week and play along with the current Deconstructed Sketch. It was a great one, and the perfect layout for this sweet little card:

Paper: My Mind's Eye (polka dot), Girl's Paperie (floral); Stamps: Stamping Bella (image), Amuse (sentiment); Scallop border punch: Stampin' Up!; Ribbon, pin: craft supply. Memento ink, copics, glossy accents, corner rounder, Stampin' Up! markers and Stampamajig (for sentiment), chalk ink for edges.

After I made the card I stopped by Bloggabella to see if it fit the current challenge, and wouldn't you know it, it's a free for all, woohoo! :) So I'm linking it up over there as well. :)

I have lots of rainy-day images and I love to pair them with this sentiment - together they make the perfect "just because" cards, don't you think? :)

That's it for me today - my inlaws will be here tonight and our house is officially bursting with all the good food we're going to eat. Yay for holiday calories that don't count, lol! ;)

Have a great day!

SCRS Black Friday Sale!!

2011-11-22T00:00:00.000-08:00

Hey peeps! So has everyone been working out and toning up to hit those killer deals around town on Black Friday? ;) Well, here's a sale that you can shop in your pjs:

If I didn't already own every SCRS stamp you can bet your booty I'd be stocking up this weekend, lol. I hope you can nab a few stamps on your list while they're such a good deal!

And just a friendly reminder, our current challenge is up and running! You have until Sunday, November 27th @ 9 PM PST to upload your card to the gallery for your chance to win. Check out all the details (and some new samples to get the mojo flowing!) on the SCRS blog.

Have a great day!

Just another Christmas card :)

2011-11-21T00:00:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! Today I'm showing off another simple little card I made for my Christmas stash featuring Riley. :)

Stamp: Riley and Co.; Paper: christmas stash (I think it's an old Bo Bunny print...??); Ribbon: Stampin' Up!; Snowflake punches: Paper Shapers. Memento ink, copics, nesties, Ranger stickles, adhesive foam.

I took inventory of all my Christmas cards yesterday and compared it to my list - and I'm only short by 4, woohoo!! This is the first year I'll have them all done by December, lol. That sure feels good. :)

That's it for me today - I have a few more posts scheduled this week, but I'm mostly going to be busy prepping for Thanksgiving and having my in-laws over for a visit. Such fun - I love this time of year! :)

Take care!!

A couple digital layouts

2011-11-18T00:00:00.000-08:00

I've been sick for the last week, and while I haven't felt up to stamping or crafting (despite the arrival of new goodies - oh, the horror!) I have been able to knock out a few more digital layouts.

Today I'm meeting up with Sparkle for lunch - I'm so excited! Technically she's in Vegas to celebrate her hubby's 30th bday with a bunch of their friends, but I'm glad she's making time for me as well. :)

That's it for me today - hopefully I can kick this cold over the weekend and feel well enough to do some creating on Monday. Take care!

SCRSC68 - Team Oliver vs. Team Josh

2011-11-14T21:00:00.000-08:00

Hey friends!! This week's Sparkle Creations challenge is a fun one - you Twilight fans can figure out what we're doing here! ;) This week the challenge is Team Oliver vs. Team Josh. So no real requirement other than choose your favorite boy (Oliver or Josh) and get inky! :)

Although I love Josh, Oliver is just so darn cute that I had to pick him. And since I've been in the holiday spirit since September, I decided to use Elf Oliver for my card. I tried to make it another "flat" card so it will only cost me a single stamp to mail next month. ;)

Paper: Echo Park; Stamp: Sparkle Creations. Memento ink, copics, Ranger stickles, gems, stitching, stardust jelly roll pen.

SCRS challenges are now biweekly!! So although the challenge starts today, you will have 2 weeks to complete it and add your photo to the gallery. Yay!

Be sure you stop by the SCRS blog to see all the samples from the DT and read the details on what you can win for participating. This week, the following designers have samples to share with you:

Alice Wertz
Corinne Mercado
Kadie Ensley
Kim Yu
Shaela Odd <---that's me!
Jen Shults, November Guest Designer

If you think you're ready to play along in our challenge, please upload a photo of your project to the SCRS gallery. Here is the direct link to entries for this week's challenge: Sparkle Creations Photo Gallery > SCRS Challenges > Challenge #68. If you haven't registered yet, it only takes a few seconds to create a login and upload your photo. Deadline for this week's challenge is Sunday, November 27th @ 9 PM PST. And don't forget about the current sale...

Happy stamping!

Sparkle Creations November Release Day!!

2011-11-12T00:00:00.000-08:00

Hey friends!! Today is the final day of sneak peeks for Sparkle Creations, and it is also Release Day, yay!! All the new stamps are available in the SCRS store now. And today we have a beautiful new stamp to show you, Snow Angel Ruby.

Paper: Bo Bunny; Stamps: Sparkle Creations (image), Paper Makeup (sentiment); Border punch: Fiskars; Ribbon: Offray. Stampin' Up ink and markers, pin (floral supply), bead supplies.

No sentiment comes with Ruby, but as soon as I saw her I thought of this stamp from my Snow Happy set available from Paper Makeup Stamps. I opted for a sweet, simple design and am really pleased with how the card turned out. :)

Now, be sure to visit all the rest of the SCRS designers for more peeks of Snow Angel Ruby. Sparkle will be giving away this new stamp to one lucky person. For a chance to win, you need to comment on all of the designers' blogs (listed below). Then head over to the SCRS Blog and comment on the Charlotte post. You have until midnight EST tonight to comment. The lucky winner will be announced on Sunday on the SCRS blog!

Alice Wertz
Jen Shults - November Guest Designer
Kim Yu
Shaela Odd <--- you are here
Simonne Clay
Sparkle Smith
Stephanie Kraft
Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Blog

And don't forget - we have another sale this month, too! The sale starts today, so be sure to stock up on any Rin stamps you've been eying!

Sparkle Creations November Sneak Peeks Day 1!

2011-11-09T21:00:00.000-08:00

Hello hello!! Today is the first day of sneak peeks for Sparkle Creations - yay!! If you're anything like me, once Halloween is over and done with you start thinking about Christmas and winter and all the fun of the holiday season. And while today's image is not necessarily a Christmas one, It can certainly help bring in the winter spirit - say hello to Snowbunny Lucy!

Paper: Bo Bunny; Stamps: Sparkle Creations; Ribbon: Offray; Border punch: Stampin' Up!; Snowflake embossing folder: Provo Craft. Memento ink, copics, white flocking, Ranger stickles.

Isn't she {so} cute?! This is my new favorite winter image, hahaha. The sentiment comes with the stamp, which is also perfect. :)

Alright, now be sure to visit all the rest of the SCRS designers for more peeks of Snowbunny Lucy. Sparkle will be giving away this new stamp to one lucky person. For a chance to win, you need to comment on all of the designers' blogs (listed below). Then head over to the SCRS Blog and comment on the Lucy post. You have until midnight EST tonight to comment. The lucky winner will be announced on Sunday on the SCRS blog!

Alice Wertz
Jen Shults - November Guest Designer
Kim Yu
Shaela Odd <--- you are here
Simonne Clay
Sparkle Smith
Stephanie Kraft
Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Blog

We're also having a sale this month, so if you've been wanting any Rin stamps, now is the time to get them! :)

"Just checking in..."

2011-11-08T00:00:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! Today Sparkle Creations is sponsoring Party Time Tuesday. The challenge this week is "bling"... and for me that's never really a challenge, lol! Here is what I put together:

Paper: Basic Grey; Stamps: Sparkle Creations (image), Yellow Umbrella Designs (sentiment); Ribbon, scallop border punch: Stampin' Up!. Memento ink, copics, Stampin' Up! markers (for sentiment), gems, pearls, glossy accents, Ranger stickles, stardust jelly roll pen, silver fox smooch accent ink, adhesive foam.

Once again, I wiped off the ink on Ruby's mouth before stamping the image and drew in a cute little smile instead. I think I may just shave the rubber off of her mouth completely, since I tend to change her mouth 99% of the time I use this stamp. The sentiment is one of the custom stamps that I had made earlier this year. :)

And don't forget - it's the second week of the current SCRS challenge, and the design team has more samples to get those juices flowing. The designers participating this week are:

Margie Cortina
Mary Johnson
Simonne Clay
Sparkle Smith
Stephanie Kraft

Check everything out on the SCRS blog for all the details on how to enter one of both of these challenges.

Happy stamping!

A couple layouts

2011-11-07T07:11:00.000-08:00

Saturday was International Digital Scrapbooking Day, so first thing in the morning I tied up our computer for a few hours, hopping around blogland and snatching all the gorgeous freebies available, hehehe. And after being immersed in all the wonderful digi layouts, I got the bug and decided to whip out a few layouts of my own. :)

I completed 5 layouts over the weekend (go me! lol) and am now finished with all my layouts through August, woohoo!! I just need to get September and October scrapped and I'll be all caught up. :)

That's it for me today - I have a busy week ahead of me and I'm starting it off with a migraine, so hopefully it will cease before life gets too crazy. Have a happy Monday y'all!

Mayday, mayday... PSE 9 help PLEASE!!!

2011-11-04T20:29:00.000-07:00

Okay... I am at my wit's end. I can get around PSE 9 just fine and do all the editing and everything I want to EXCEPT fix the character spacing in my fonts. Does anyone else have this problem?? It's like PSE automatically puts a gap between letters. This is most frustrating working with cursive fonts, which are supposed to flow into each other. But instead of a pretty cursive word I get spaced out, individual letters. GRRRR.

Anyways, if anyone out there is a PSE 9 guru and can help me out, please let me know. I've exhausted every possible means I can find on my search of the internet and PS help and need someone who KNOWS what to do.

Thank you!!

Merry Chrismoose

2011-11-03T10:13:00.000-07:00

So, this week hasn't been as productive, hahaha. Although I must say... with Halloween over, I feel completely justified in my giddiness to immerse myself in Christmas plans, hehe. So I decided to pull out my Riley stamps and make a few more cards to add to my stash. Here's the first one I made:

Paper: Echo Park; Stamps: Riley and Co. (image), Yellow Umbrella Designs (sentiment); Ribbon: Stampin' Up! (cream striped), Offray (red). Memento ink, copics, nesties, Ranger stickles, glossy accents, white flocking, adhesive foam, gems.

After spending over $70 just mailing out Christmas cards last year, I decided this year to try and make most of my cards flat enough to mail in a standard envelope with just one stamp. Since I'm not putting as many extra embellies on them, I try to make each image pop with more details. On this Riley, I put flocking on the white parts of the coat, glitter on the lights and belt buckle, and covered the boots with glossy accents to make them nice and shiny. I'm really pleased with how it turned out. :)

So is anyone else in the Christmas spirit already? It's not that I don't love Thanksgiving... I just love Christmas so much, I wish there weren't any other holidays surrounding it for 3 months so they wouldn't have to share my attentions, hahaha.

SCRSC67 - White on White

2011-11-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!! This week's Sparkle Creations challenge is white on white. If you're anything like me, this might stump you for a moment, but rest assured, your card doesn't have to be completely white. Just interpret "white on white" however you see fit. :)

When I was flipping through my SCRS images trying to decide which one to use, my eyes landed on Relaxing Charlotte and I knew at once that she would be perfect for this challenge. :) And I finally dug into my Basic Grey basics white pad for this one, so I'm entering it into the current Basic Grey challenge.

Paper: Basic Grey; Stamp: Sparkle Creations; Ribbon: craft supply; Border punch: EK Success. Memento ink, copics, Ranger stickles, nesties, swiss dots embossing folder, adhesive foam.

NOTE: SCRS challenges are now biweekly!! So although the challenge starts today, you will have 2 weeks to complete it and add your photo to the gallery. Yay!

Be sure you stop by the SCRS blog to see all the samples from the DT and read the details on what you can win this week. This week, the following designers have participated:

Alice Wertz
Corinne Mercado
Kadie Ensley
Kim Yu
Shaela Odd <---that's me!
Jen Shults, November Guest Designer

If you think you're ready to play along in our challenge, please upload a photo of your project to the SCRS gallery. Here is the direct link to entries for this week's challenge: Sparkle Creations Photo Gallery > SCRS Challenges > Challenge #67. If you haven't registered yet, it only takes a few seconds to create a login and upload your photo. Deadline for this week's challenge is Sunday, November 13th @ 9 PM PST.

Happy stamping!

Halloween sale at SCRS

2011-10-29T08:05:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Today I'm enjoying a little R&R since it was a fairly busy week, but I wanted to pop in and let you know about the sale going on at Sparkle Creations!

A sweet little card

2011-10-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year I designed a handful of cards to mass produce to sell in my esty shop and to give in packs as gifts. This was one of the most time consuming, but it has also been my most popular design.

Stamps: Stampin' Up! (french script background stamp), Stamping Bella (image), Paper Makeup (sentiment). Nesties, mini circle punch (for corners), memento ink, copics, Ranger stickles, gems.

(showing off all the sparkle)

I tried to make all of the cards I designed beautifully detailed, but also "thin", so that they would only take one stamp to mail. And although I chose to make this one in pink, I think I may use some more of my Kettos and do the same design in green and blue. :)

Have a great weekend everyone - it's finally fall weather here in Vegas and we are loving it!!

Crocheted edges

2011-10-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

I was very happy to be able to to visit my Grandmother in Washington earlier this month. As I was still under doctor's orders to be off my feet as much as possible, we spent most of our time sitting in the family room and chatting. It also gave me an opportunity to learn a few things from her that I've been wanting to for a long time. :)

My mother is not crafty in the least. She's a wonderful artist, but hasn't painted or drawn since I was a child and has never been into crafts like I have. My grandmother is the one who introduced me to sewing and crafting, and it's always been something special that we've shared together.

My grandmother sews clothing, dolls, and quilts, as well as doing beautiful crochet, tole painting, and various other crafts. She's not into beadwork or papercrafts, but she can do just about everything else. On my recent visit, she showed me the pile of receiving blankets and burp cloths she recently finished, and that was the project we tackled first: learning how to crochet the edges.

While the baby blankets are super cute, once I realized how incredibly time-consuming this can be, I decided that I'll stick to burp cloths, lol. I have tons of flannel scraps from quilts in my stash, and this is the perfect way to use them up. I'm constantly invited to baby showers and this will be a cute, inexpensive and practical gift for the baby. :)

my first finished edgework

Speaking of baby, I can feel him/her wiggling around in my belly now!! I'm 17 weeks along and feel movement several times throughout the day now, although nothing too big and nothing that can be felt on the outside yet. I'm trying to enjoy the last little bit of decent sleep for awhile... once baby gets cramped, I'm sure the kicks and pokes will be keeping me up at night!

Happy retirement card

2011-10-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

My father-in-law recently retired. It was a surprise to everyone (himself included) when he was offered an early retirement with a generous pension, so he decided to take it. I was in the midst of all my baby-belly drama when it happened, so I haven't been able to get a card put together for him until now.

Paper, ribbon, border punch: Stampin' Up!; Stamps: Unity (trees), Papertrey Ink (sentiment). Memento ink, copics, piercing tool and guide (Stampin' Up!), Stampin" Up! markers (for sentiment).

I realized as I was hunting for images that I REALLY need some more mature adult images for the men in my life, lol. Given my limited choices, I instigated a search on Splitcoast to see what was available as far as masculine retirement cards. I found this little gem and it was just the jumping off point I needed. :)

As much as I really love to add lots of texture and layers (like chunky ribbon, buttons and bling) I realized that I was spending nearly $20 a month just mailing cards, since they had to go in padded envelopes. Needless to say, I'm trying to create more cards that can be mailed with a one- or two- ounce stamp in a regular envelope instead, which equates to a little more simple (i.e. flat) cards. They're starting to grow on my though. ;)

Tomorrow I'll be showing off a project showcasing my new favorite evening past-time... and it has NOTHING to do with papercrafting, *gasp!* :) But I hope you'll like it anyway.

See ya!

SCRSC66 - No coloring

2011-10-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!! I'm back with another creation today, aren't you impressed?! ;) This week's Sparkle Creations challenge is no coloring.

There was a time when this challenge would have stumped me, haha. But I've played around with stamping lineart images in different colored ink a few times before, so I knew just what I wanted to do this week.

Paper: Daisy Bucket Designs; Stamps: Sparkle Creations (image), Amuse (sentiment); Ribbon: Stampin' Up!; Flowers: floral supply. Versafine ink, Ranger distress inks, nesties, pearls, adhesive foam.

Be sure you stop by the SCRS blog to see all the samples from the DT. If you think you're ready to play along in our challenge, please upload a photo of your project to the SCRS gallery. Here is the direct link to entries for this week's challenge: Sparkle Creations Photo Gallery > SCRS Challenges > Challenge #66. If you haven't registered yet, it only takes a few seconds to create a login and upload your photo. Deadline for this week's challenge is Sunday, October 30th @ 9 PM PST.

Happy stamping!

A little turkey love

2011-10-24T09:01:00.000-07:00

Hi all! I am finally caught up on my "must-get-done" list and feeling well enough again to get crafty - yay! So this weekend I decided to stamp for no reason at all but to play along with a few challenges and some virgin rubber, haha.

I bought this Kraftin' Kimmie stamp last Christmas and still haven't inked it up, *gasp!* But with Thanksgiving only a month away I decided it was high time. :)

Paper: Bo Bunny (orange and leaves), Stampin' Up! (grid); Stamps: Kraftin' Kimmie (image), Stampin' Up! (leaf silhouettes and speckles); Ribbon: Offray; Brads: American Crafts. Memento ink (for image outline), copics, Ranger distress ink, adhesive foam.

I wish I would have done some stitching on this card, but it's too late now. I decided to follow the sketch challenge over on the KK blog as well as the challenge from a new challenge blog, Crafty Contagion. Their challenge was "pumpkins" (however you want to interpret that) so I used pumpkin-colored paper. And hello, when you think of a turkey dinner don't you {always} think of pumpkin pie, too? ;)

That's it for me today - I'll be back with another SCRS challenge tomorrow, and can you believe it: I actually have crafty posts every day this week, lol! It feels good to be creating so much again. :)

Have a great day!

Independence Day Layout

2011-10-21T11:05:00.000-07:00

I was so proud of myself for getting caught up with my layouts, but now I'm behind again, *sigh*. Oh well - the scrapbooker's job is never finished! :)

I put this layout together a few weeks ago but I realized I never shared it here. Enjoy!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Spooky Halloween banner

2011-10-19T08:43:00.000-07:00

I've been seeing all those fun accordian pinwheels throughout the blogosphere for sometime, so I finally pulled up a YouTube video and figured out how to do it. Although it's time-consuming, I really like the look of it, so I decided to make a spooky banner to drape across my piano this month. :)

Paper: my Halloween paper scrap supply; Embossed cardstock: Stampin' Up!; Letters: "Plantin Schoolbook" Cricut cartridge. Martha Stewart scoring board, nesties.

So what do you think? I know it's fairly plain... I may dress it up a bit for next year but I'm already working on a different banner for Thanksgiving and I don't want to switch gears, haha.

What have you been up to? Have you been making any fun holiday crafts? I'd love to see what you've been creating so leave me a link and I'll be sure to stop by. :)

See ya!

SCRSC65 - Inspiration Challenge

2011-10-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!! Sorry I didn't have a challenge card for you last week - I've been having lots of issues with this pregnancy and needed a break for the week. But I'm back with another fun fall card today so I hope you'll forgive me. :) This week's Sparkle Creations challenge is an inspiration challenge. You can see a bigger picture of the sketch over on the SCRS blog.

I love the muted earth tones in this picture, so I tried to keep the same color palette on my card. And with those cute little pumpkins, I just had to use Fall Charlotte as my focal image. :) I stamped her in a pale brown ink before coloring her to soften the image too, and I was pleased with how it turned out.

Paper: Basic Grey; Stamps: Sparkle Creations (image), Paper Makeup Stamps (background vegetation); Ribbon: Stampin' Up!; Flowers: Maya Road. Memento ink, anger distress inks, copics, nesties, stitching, adhesive foam.

Be sure you stop by the SCRS blog to see all the samples from the DT. If you think you're ready to play along in our challenge, please upload a photo of your project to the SCRS gallery. Here is the direct link to entries for this week's challenge: Sparkle Creations Photo Gallery > SCRS Challenges > Challenge #65. If you haven't registered yet, it only takes a few seconds to create a login and upload your photo. Deadline for this week's challenge is Sunday, October 23rd @ 9 PM PST.

And don't forget to stock up on your Lucy stamps this month!!

I've been busy crafting and creating for the holidays so I'll have some fun pictures to share with you (finally!) later this week too. :)

Happy stamping!

Sparkle Creations October Release Day!!

2011-10-07T21:00:00.000-07:00

Paper: October Afternoon; Stamp: Sparkle Creations; Border punch: Stampin' Up!. Memento ink, copics, gems.

Sunflower Charlotte also comes with a darling little sentiment stamp that says "Autumn Blessings". :)

Be sure to visit all the rest of the SCRS designers for more peeks of Sunflower Charlotte. Sparkle will be giving away this new stamp to one lucky person. For a chance to win, you need to comment on all of the designers' blogs (listed below). Then head over to the SCRS Blog and comment on the Charlotte post. You have until midnight EST tonight to comment. The lucky winner will be announced on Sunday on the SCRS blog!

Alice Wertz
AmyTsuruta - October Guest Designer
Kim Yu
Shaela Odd <--- you are here
Simonne Clay
Sparkle Smith
Stephanie Kraft
Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Blog

And don't forget - we have another sale this month, too! The sale starts today, so be sure to stock up on any Lucy stamps you've been eying!

Sparkle Creations October Sneak Peek Day 1!

2011-10-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hello hello!! Today is the first day of sneak peeks for Sparkle Creations - yay!! I know that many of you are still planning and thinking of Halloween, but the stamps for this month's release will get you in the harvest spirit... starting with Autumn Rin!

Paper: October Afternoon; Stamps: Sparkle Creations; Flowers: 7 Gypsies (blue), Bazzill Basics (brown); Border punch, brads: Stampin' Up!. Memento ink, copics, mini gems.

Isn't she {so} cute?! The sentiment comes with the stamp. :)

Alright, now be sure to visit all the rest of the SCRS designers for more peeks of Autumn Rin. Sparkle will be giving away this new stamp to one lucky person. For a chance to win, you need to comment on all of the designers' blogs (listed below). Then head over to the SCRS Blog and comment on the Rin post. You have until midnight EST tonight to comment. The lucky winner will be announced on Sunday on the SCRS blog!

Alice Wertz
AmyTsuruta - October Guest Designer
Kim Yu
Shaela Odd <--- you are here
Simonne Clay
Sparkle Smith
Stephanie Kraft
Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Blog

And don't forget - we have another sale this month, too! The sale starts on release day, so be sure to stock up on any Lucy stamps you've been eying!

SCRSC63 - Color Challenge

2011-10-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

This week's Sparkle Creations challenge is a color challenge! And boy, is it a doozie, haha. We want you to use light blue, black and orange on your creations this week.

I confess... I was going to cheat and leave off the blue entirely, haha. I mean, blue and orange just DON'T work well for me!! One of the schools I attended as a teenager had those colors and I couldn't get anything but those awful uniforms out of my head, haha. In the end though, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and dig a little deeper, and I was pleasantly surprised with how my card turned out.

Paper: scraps; Cardstock: Stampin' Up! (black embossed), DCWV (blue glitter); Stamp: Sparkle Creations; Border punch: Martha Stewart Crafts; Ribbon: Stampin' Up!. Memento ink, copics, glitter brads.

Be sure you stop by the SCRS blog to see all the samples from the DT. If you think you're ready to play along in our challenge, please upload a photo of your project to the SCRS gallery. Here is the direct link to entries for this week's challenge: Sparkle Creations Photo Gallery > SCRS Challenges > Challenge #63. If you haven't registered yet, it only takes a few seconds to create a login and upload your photo. Deadline for this week's challenge is Sunday, October 9th @ 9 PM PST.

And don't forget - sneak peeks start on Thursday this week!

World Card Making Sale and an update

2011-10-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Today is one of my favorite days of the year... {World Card Making Day}! Yay!! I finally have a good, solid excuse to tell my husband that I really have to sit and stamp and color all day, hahaha.

In honor of WCMD, Sparkle Creations is having a sale - woohoo!

So go grab some rubber while they're in stock and cheap - the sale is for today only!

And now, on a more personal note...

Many of you caught my announcement on this post. Although Baby is still alive and kicking, I have been having complications and have landed in the hospital on a few occasions recently. At the moment I am on strict bedrest and am not able to be up and about much. Although I can sit and color to my heart's delight, putting together cards and such requires time on my feet and lots of bending and moving and lifting, none of which are advisable for me at this point. But my spirits are high and I am trying to train my sweet 7-year-old to fetch and carry for me, so hopefully I will still have projects to share with you occasionally, although perhaps not as many as I (or you) would like. I appreciate your patience and your prayers with me during this time.

I hope you all have a wonderful day - can you believe it's already October?! The holidays are right around the corner!

SCRSC62 - Sketch challenge

2011-09-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

This week's Sparkle Creations challenge is combined with our sponsorship of Inspirational Card Sketches. You can see a bigger picture of the sketch over on the ICS blog.

I confess that even though I {tried} to stick to the sketch, I just couldn't get the 4 large circles to my liking behind my focal image, so I decided to use smaller circles and add a few more. I also positioned my sentiment over the image instead of on a separate tag like the sketch shows.

Paper: Stampin' Up!; Stamps: Sparkle Creations (image), Stampin' Up! (sentiment). Ranger distress ink, Stampin' Up! markers (for sentiment), circle punch, brads, large corner rounder.

Be sure you stop by the SCRS blog to see all the samples from the DT. If you think you're ready to play along in our challenge, please upload a photo of your project to the SCRS gallery. Here is the direct link to entries for this week's challenge: Sparkle Creations Photo Gallery > SCRS Challenges > Challenge #62. If you haven't registered yet, it only takes a few seconds to create a login and upload your photo. Deadline for this week's challenge is Sunday, October 2nd @ 9 PM PST. Also be sure to link your creation on the ICS blog for another chance to win!

Happy stamping!

Sweet 'n sassy anniversary card

2011-09-21T11:04:00.000-07:00

So, now that the pointless chaos of last week is over, I have a bit more time to share some craftiness with you. September is actually my busiest card-sending month - I have almost a dozen birthdays and/or anniversaries to send cards for. And although I remember most of them, sometimes I forget, or send them out late. I think I may start sending everything out the first week of every month and just let them be days and weeks early, haha.

Anyways, John's oldest brother and his wife celebrated their 14th wedding anniversary earlier this month. CRAZY!! Since the two of them are kinda punky/bohemian (and I mean that in the very best sense - I love 'em to death!) I knew that The Greeting Farm Creepers would be perfect for their card. I paired it with one of those cute kid quotes and I like the way it turned out. The heart is from my Hugs and Kisses set available through Paper Makeup Stamps.

Paper: Bo Bunny; Stamps: The Greeting Farm (characters), Paper Makeup Stamps (heart), Inkadinkado (quote); Ribbon: Offray. Memento ink, copics, mini circle punch (corners), gems, adhesive foam.

I have another bday card and wedding card to make for this weekend, so I'll try to get them posted when they're finished. Thanks for stopping by -take care!

SCRSC61 - Your favorite song

2011-09-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

Goodness, am I glad that last week is OVER with!! I have been busting my behind to get things finished up for an expo I was participating in on Saturday... only to have it be a total flop. *sigh* Oh well - it's a new week and I'm back with a new SCRS challenge! This week's Sparkle Creations challenge was super fun to make a card for: we want you to make a project inspired by your favorite song. If you're anything like me, choosing a song will be the hardest part of the project, hahaha.

I have so many favorite songs that it was hard to narrow it down to just one. First I thought about Bubbly, by Colbie Caillat, but I couldn't think of an image to portray that. Then I thought of my life's theme song, which is (the original) Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves, so I pulled out Rainy Day Ruby, and just as I was stamping her up my phone rang. And wouldn't you know it... my ringtone is {another} favorite song: Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield. I realized that if I paired Ruby with some text-print paper, it would go perfectly with that song, so that's what I ended up doing. Whew! :)

Paper: October Afternoon; Stamp: Sparkle Creations; Ribbon, gem brads: craft supply. Memento ink, copics, smooch accent ink, chalk ink (for edges), adhesive foam.

Be sure you stop by the SCRS blog to see all the samples from the DT. But if you think you're ready to play along in our challenge, please upload a photo of your project to the SCRS gallery. Yes, we have a gallery now! :) Here is the direct link to entries for this week's challenge: Sparkle Creations Photo Gallery > SCRS Challenges > Challenge #61. If you haven't registered yet, it only takes a few seconds to create a login and upload your photo. Deadline for this week's challenge is Sunday, September 25th @ 9 PM PST.

And don't forget - all Emily stamps are still on sale this week!

Happy stamping!

SCRSC60 - CASE the DT

2011-09-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

This week's Sparkle Creations challenge is a fun one: we want you to CASE a dt card! You should select the card you want to CASE from one of the cards the Design Team made this week.

I know that Halloween is the next upcoming holiday, but as much as I really do love it... I am just so excited for Christmas, lol. So I decided to finally put together a card using this image of Ruby I colored months ago:

Paper: Girl's Paperie; Stamp: Sparkle Creations; Ribbon: Stampin' Up!. Memento ink, copics,nesties, gems, glitter cardstock, lace, adhesive foam.

Now, as much as I would love for all of you to CASE my card, you really should head over to the SCRS blog to see all the samples from the DT and to link up your creation for this week's challenge. There's another free stamp up for grabs this week, so be sure to play along!

And don't forget - all Emily stamps are still on sale!

Happy stamping!

Sparkle Creations September Release Day!!

2011-09-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

Today is the day!! Release day at Sparkle Creations, that is. :) We have our last sneak peek to show you today, but all the new stamps are available in the store now so feel free to grab them while they're hot!

So we have a witch and a mummy... can anyone guess which spooky creature is next to add to the Halloween collection? If you guessed Frankenstein, you're right: say hello to Franken Josh! (who comes with the sentiment shown)

Paper: My Mind's Eye; Stamps: Sparkle Creations; Brads: American Crafts (white), Eyelet Outlet (screw brads); Border punch: Martha Stewart crafts. Memento ink (image), copics, Stampin' Up! Whisper White craft ink and white embossing powder (sentiment).

Alright, now be sure to visit all the rest of the SCRS designers for more peeks of Mummy Oliver. Sparkle will be giving away this new stamp (including the sentiment) to one lucky person. For a chance to win, you need to comment on all of the designers' blogs (listed below). Then head over to the SCRS Blog and comment on the Oliver post. You have until midnight EST tonight to comment. The lucky winner will be announced on Sunday on the SCRS blog!

Jessica Diedrich, September Guest Designer

Alice Wertz
Kim Yu
Shaela Odd <--- you are here
Simonne Clay
Sparkle Smith
Stephanie Kraft

Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Blog

Sailing by with a birthday hi!

2011-09-09T16:47:00.000-07:00

My husband's nephew is turning 6 on Sunday, so instead of pulling out a card from my ever-growing stash, I decided to pull out my little TGF sailor and have some fun - isn't he darling?!

Paper: Papertrey Ink; Stamp: The Greeting Farm; Alphabet sticker: October Afternoon; Clip: Stampin' Up!; Border punch: Martha Stewart Crafts. Memento ink, copics, circle punches, adhesive foam.

Since it's a card for a child I didn't go all out but still tried to keep it cute. And because I used a metal clip I'm entering it in the WOW challenge on the TGF challenge blog, as well as the current challenge on the ATS blog, which is anything goes. I have a cute little sentiment stamped on the inside that says "Sailing by with a birthday hi!" from my Sailing By set available from Paper Makeup Stamps.

That's it for me today. The kids and I were in a minor accident yesterday so I am without a car for awhile - blech. Oh well... I am just so grateful that no one was injured!!

Sparkle Creations September Sneaks Day 2!!

2011-09-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hello hello!! Today I'm showing off my first sneak peek for Sparkle Creations. So if you didn't guess it with the challenge on Tuesday, we are gearing up for Halloween here at SCRS!! And today we have an adorable new stamp to add to your collection: Mummy Oliver!

Paper: My Mind's Eye; Stamp: Sparkle Creations; Mini clips, ribbon, embossed cardstock: Stampin' Up!. Memento ink, 1" circle punch, copics, adhesive foam.

Isn't he {so} cute?! There is also a sentiment that comes with the stamp, "Spooktacular Treats", but I didn't know quite how I wanted to put it on my card so I just left it off. I am entering this card in the current Ribbon Carousel Challenge, which is anything goes. :)

Alright, now be sure to visit all the rest of the SCRS designers for more peeks of Mummy Oliver. Sparkle will be giving away this new stamp (including the sentiment) to one lucky person. For a chance to win, you need to comment on all of the designers' blogs (listed below). Then head over to the SCRS Blog and comment on the Oliver post. You have until midnight EST tonight to comment. The lucky winner will be announced on Sunday on the SCRS blog!

Jessica Diedrich, September Guest Designer

Alice Wertz
Kim Yu
Shaela Odd <--- you are here
Simonne Clay
Sparkle Smith
Stephanie Kraft

Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Blog

And don't forget - we have another sale this month, too! The sale starts on release day, so be sure to stock up on any Emily stamps you've been eying!

SCRSC59 - Sketch challenge

2011-09-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

This week's Sparkle Creations challenge is a sketch challenge - you can see a larger image of the sketch on the SCRS blog if you need to.

The team was asked to use Broomstick Lucy for the challenge, and I was happy to oblige! Not only is it one of my favorite SCRS images, it is also my most {favorite} Halloween stamp in my collection. :)

Paper: scrap stash; Stamp: Sparkle Creations; Brads: Doodlebug Sugar Coated brads; Embossed cardstock: Stampin' Up!. Memento ink, copics,nesties, smooch accent ink.

You can hop over to the SCRS blog for more samples from the DT and to link up your creation for this week's challenge. There's another free stamp up for grabs this week, so be sure to play along!

And don't forget - Sparkle Creations previews start this week... we have some spooktacular images to share with you this month so you won't want to miss them! ;)

Happy stamping!

A shameless plug

2011-09-02T15:47:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I don't really advertise for sale my etsy or crafty things on this blog because seriously... most of the people who read blogs like this are crafty themselves, right? I guess I figured that anyone reading this would be able to make the things I sell themselves, so why bother advertising to people who wouldn't buy my stuff?? ANYWAYS, what I'm getting at is this:

I haven't had a sale on my etsy in months, and I'd really like to sell some of the things I've made so they aren't sitting in my closet taking up space anymore. So I am asking if any of you lovely readers out there is interested in purchasing something from my etsy store, and to tell you that now is the time to do it!! Not only because I want to clear out some space, but also because I'm offering you an incentive: 20% off your entire order! Just use the code "FALL20" at checkout and you'll be good to go! :)

Here are the items I have for sale right now: (most of the cards shown are packs of 5 or 10 in that design)

I also have a gorgeous pink/green/brown toddler quilt made of cozy flannel and backed in minkee for $75, but I don't have a decent picture yet. It is almost identical to this one I made for a friend - if you're interested, let me know and I'll get all the specs and some real pictures:

And also... I don't really list my single cards for sale, but I have BOXES of them, so if there is a card you've seen here on the blog that you would like, shoot me an email and let me know.

And that's it! Thanks for reading my ramble and I hope you all have a lovely day. :)

Pay It Forward - free SEPTEMBER stamps!!

2011-09-01T14:27:00.000-07:00

Hello hello everyone!! I'm sorry this is going up a bit late, but I hope that you'll forgive me. I have been so busy with a number of things: my little girl is going to Kindergarten at the school down the street, I'm homeschooling my older son, I've been busy with my church calling, trying to finish up projects and items to sell for an expo I'm participating in, planning my son's birthday party, AND...

I'm {expecting}!!

Yes, indeed - my long-awaited 3rd child is happily cooking in my tummy, but that means I have been exhausted and nauseous for the last 3 months, haha. Anyways, in honor of our happy news, I decided that for this month I would do something I hadn't planned on doing ever... and that is to giveaway my Expecting stamp for free. :)

I've put together a few fun little phrases to go along with the image, and I hope that you'll like them as much as I do. Here's what you'll get in your download:

Each set of digi stamps in my Pay It Forward series is like this; one image with a few accompanying sentiments. The stamps come in both .jpeg and .png file format (the .png files have no background). You can download the files for this month's stamp set right here (link has been disabled). The link will expire at 11:59pm PST on September 7th, 2011. Please remember that these are for your own personal use and do not share the files. If you wish to share them with your friends, please send them a link to my blog so they can download the stamps themselves.

That's it for me today, friends - I hope you have a great September!! :)

SCRSC58 - ABC challenge

2011-08-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

This week's Sparkle Creations challenge is a fun one: make Anything But a Card!

I decided to make a cute little cupcake box, so of course I chose Sweet Treats Emily to decorate the top:

Paper, ribbon: Stampin' Up!; Stamps: Sparkle Creations (image), Papertrey Ink (sentiment). Memento ink, copics, nesties, corner rounder. Box template created by myself.

I took the opportunity to pick up some cupcakes from The Cupcakery for the first time, and OMGosh... their Strawberry Lemonade cupcakes are to {die} for!! I could eat a whole dozen by myself, bwahahaha.

Alright, now hop over to the SCRS blog for more samples from the DT and to link up your creation for this week's challenge. There's another free stamp up for grabs this week, so be sure to play along!

Happy stamping!

SCRSC57 - Color Challenge

2011-08-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

This week's Sparkle Creations challenge is a color challenge - we want to see primary colors on your project!! You may use the colors red, yellow and blue + one neutral, and you can use one, two, or all three if you like!

I was going to use my favorite two colors (red and yellow), but since I've already done that a few times I decided to make a monochromatic card. I {almost} used Surfing Oliver in blues, but in the end I decided to make a sweet Valentine's card in red using Cupid Emily:

Paper: Making Memories; Stamps: Sparkle Creations (image), Paper Makeup (sentiment); Border punch: EK Success; Ribbon: Stampin' Up!. Memento ink, copics, gems, stitching, smooch accent ink, Ranger stickles

Even though I opted not to use Oliver, I want to remind everyone that all Oliver stamps are on {SALE} still!! Just a few more days left, so be sure to snag them before they go back to full price. :)

1000 sheets of paper giveaway!!

2011-08-20T12:36:00.000-07:00

Hey peeps!! I am hard at work on my sewing machine and have knocked out 1/3 of my projects for the expo, hurray! But I took a break this morning to hop around to some of my favorite blogs, and look at this fun giveaway I found:

Amy is just fantastic. She's an amazing illustrator and designer - I don't think I've ever found a card she's made that I haven't LOVED!! And to top it off, she has this fantastic giveaway going on right now - 1000 sheets of paper AND some fantastic stamps! How's that for awesome?! So stop by her blog and check it all out on this post - it's open 'til the 23rd of September so you've got no excuse not to join in the fun! :)

Taking a break

2011-08-17T19:06:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!! I just wanted to pop in and let you know that I'll be taking a break from my posts for a few weeks. I will have my SCRS post up every Tuesday of course, but I don't know how much time I'll have for posting anything else. I scored a table at a craft expo in ONE MONTH and I'm frantically trying to finish all my sewing projects to sell, eek! So wish me luck and I hope you'll all forgive - I promise I'll be back soon!

To make the parting sweeter, here's a layout I finished up last week:

See ya!

SCRSC56 - Sketch Challenge

2011-08-15T21:00:00.000-07:00

This week's Sparkle Creations challenge is a sketch challenge - you can see a larger photo on the SCRS Blog if you like.

I promise that I really did start out with the sketch, but I smooshed the sides in, stretched out the yellow layer and flipped it the other way. And embellished, hahaha. Oh well - it's a great jumping off point, anyhow!

Paper: Cosmo Cricket; Stamps: Sparkle Creations; Mini alpha stickers: The Girl's Paperie. Memento ink, copics, buttons, stitching, Stampin' Up! Markers (for sentiment).

Oliver is my favorite of the SCRS boys, and if he's your favorite too, then you're in luck: as the featured character this month, all Oliver stamps are on sale!

We also wanted to let everyone know that we're hosting a giveaway today on the Papercrafts Facebook page - woohoo! So be sure to stop by and check it out. :)

You can hop over to the SCRS blog for more samples from the DT and to link up your creation for this week's challenge. There's another free stamp up for grabs this week, so be sure to play along!

Queen for a day

2011-08-15T13:24:00.000-07:00

This is going to be a short post because I'm not feeling well today. :( Last week I decided to play along with the Wednesday Challenge on the ATS Blog which was to make your own paper buttons. I've never done that before, but it was super easy and I like the way it looks. :)

Paper: Webster's Pages, Making Memories (note paper); Stamps: Sweet November (image), Stampin' Up! (sentiment). Flowers from craft supply, pearls, gems, copics.

I finally inked up this image that I've had forever... she reminds me of Princess Amy in my favorite children's book, The Ordinary Princess. Although Amy didn't have blonde hair... and she had freckles, haha. Oh well - I'll try to color her properly next time!

SCRS August Release Day

2011-08-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hello hello!! Today is the final day of August sneak peeks AND release day for Sparkle Creations. Since we have a football image now, can you guess what today's stamp will be?? That's right: say hello to Cheerleader Emily!

Paper: DCWV; Stamps: Sparkle Creations (image), Paper Makeup (sentiment); Border Punch: Stampin' Up!. Copics, buttons, baker's twine, Ranger stickles, adhesive foam, nesties.

The sentiment I used is from another stamp company, but Emily DOES come with 2 cute phrases: I'm your #1 fan and Go, Fight, Win.:)

Be sure to visit all the rest of the SCRS designers for more peeks of Cheerleader Emily. Sparkle will be giving away this new stamp to one lucky person. For a chance to win, you need to comment on all of the designers' blogs (listed below). Then head over to the SCRS Blog and comment on the Emily post. You have until midnight EST tonight to comment. The lucky winner will be announced on Sunday on the SCRS blog!

Silvia Rodriguez, August Guest Designer

Alice Wertz
Kim Yu
Shaela Odd <---you are here
Simonne Clay
Sparkle Smith
Stephanie Kraft

Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Blog

All the stamps are now available in the SCRS Store, and don't forget - our featured character is on sale this month, too! So be sure to snatch up any Oliver stamps you've been eyeing before checking out.

SCRS August Sneak Peeks Day 2

2011-08-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hey hey hey!! Today I'm showing off my first August sneak peek for Sparkle Creations. Today's image is such a {fabulous} one for all the football fans out there - or for making cards for football fans, lol! Say hello to Football Josh!

Paper: Scrap Within Reach; Stamps: Sparkle Creations; Border Punch: Martha Stewart Crafts; Brads: American Crafts. Copics, adhesive foam.

The sentiment comes with the stamp, as well as another one that says "Touchdown" in the same font. Before coloring Josh, I added a few stripes to his jersey since it seemed a bit plain to me. And of course I had to color him in Seattle Seahawks color... I love my homeboys!! ;)

Alright, now be sure to visit all the rest of the SCRS designers for more peeks of Football Josh. Sparkle will be giving away this new stamp (including the sentiments) to one lucky person. For a chance to win, you need to comment on all of the designers' blogs (listed below). Then head over to the SCRS Blog and comment on the Josh post. You have until midnight EST tonight to comment. The lucky winner will be announced on Sunday on the SCRS blog!

Silvia Rodriguez, August Guest Designer

Alice Wertz
Kim Yu
Shaela Odd <--- you are here
Simonne Clay
Sparkle Smith
Stephanie Kraft

Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps Blog

A photo-heavy digital layout

2011-08-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

I'm so behind in my scrapbooking!! Granted, I haven't been taking nearly as many photos this summer as I usually do, so at least I don't have tons to scrap, haha. Anyways, I took the opportunity of trying to play catch up this week and managed to get these photos from April put together:

That's it for me today, but if you sneak over to the SCRS Blog you can catch a peek at a new Karber stamp being released this week... I'll be back tomorrow with my own first preview! :)

SCRSC55 - Inspiration Challenge

2011-08-09T00:00:00.000-07:00

This week's Sparkle Creations challenge is an inspiration challenge - you can see a larger photo on the SCRS Blog if you like.

I was trying to draw inspiration from the couch and "room" staging in the foreground, but once my card came together I realized that white, brown and orange (while pretty in the picture) do NOT go so well alone on a card, haha. Oh well! I also used Lantern Rin because of the lanterns hanging in the photo. :)

Paper: Stampion' Up!; Stamps: Sparkle Creations (image), Stampin' Up! (sentiment), misc. wood stamps (dots); Border punch: Martha Stewart Crafts; Flower: Bazzill Basics. Memento ink, copics, pearls, small circle punch (corners), chalk ink.

Be sure to stop by the SCRS blog for more samples from the DT and to link up your creation for this week's challenge. There's another free stamp up for grabs this week, so be sure to play along!

Have a great day!

Summer!!

2011-08-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

I know that for the rest of the country, summer is starting to wind down, but we've got 3 more solid months of heat so I'm nowhere {near} ready to hang up my swimsuit just yet, haha. In honor of that, I decided to pull out and use my Summer stamp from The Greeting Farm for a simple thank you card:

Paper: My Mind's Eye; Stamps: The Greeting Farm (image), Papertrey Ink (sentiment); Flowers: 7 Gypsies. Memento ink, copics, button, gems, Ranger stickles, swiss dots embossing folder.

I also used the previous Deconstructed Sketch for this - it was fabulous! I feel like I've been on a roll making stuff lately, it's been lots of fun. I'll be starting up school for the kiddos in a couple weeks though, so I might slow down a bit after that. :)

Have a Happy Monday y'all - we're going out for frozen yogurt, yummy!!

Sweetie Anya

2011-08-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe I had a post for every day this week, lol! This is a card I made for one of the Greeting Farm challenges last week but I forgot to post it.

Paper: My Mind's Eye; Border punch: Fiskars; Stamps: The Greeting Farm. Ribbon, pin, gems, flower and button from my stash. Memento ink, copics, nesties.

Okay, so although I think this stamp really is darling, I would much rather she only had one flower in her hair. I know I could mask them out, but I just don't want to draw in all that extra hair; I'm too lazy, haha.

Have a great weekend everyone!! Hubby works late tonight and tomorrow so if anyone wants to come over and play you're more than welcome to! ;)

Memory game tins

2011-08-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

I made out my Christmas gift list several months ago and have been trying to work on it as I can. I went over to a friend's house last week to stamp and chat and was able to finish up these stocking stuffers for my kiddos:

Paper: Cosmo Cricket (boy tin), My Mind's Eye (girl tin), Stampin' Up! (scallop pieces); Scallop border punch, stamps, punches: Stampin' Up!; Alpha stickers: The Girl's Paperie. Tins (Michaels), white spray paint, corner rounder.

My kids {love} to play games, so I thought these would be perfect for them. I have about a dozen of these little tins in my to-be-altered stash (these are the $.99 gift card holder tins you find at the checkstand at Michaels and other stores). I spray-paint all the lids white when I buy them so they are ready to be decorated when the time comes. :)

The other handcrafted gifts I hope to give my kiddos this year are a new quilt for Caleb (he's finally outgrown his toddler one, *sniff!*), a set of magnetic paper dolls and some frilly aprons for Lina, and personalized clipboards for each of them, since they love to draw in the car and are always asking for a book or "hard thing" to put their paper on.

So, am I the only crazy one or is anyone else working on Christmas gifts already?!