Thursday, December 25, 2014

A Holly Jolly Christmas to you all!



Hello there, blog friends! I just wanted to pop in and wish you all a very Merry Christmas from our family to yours.  May you enjoy the time with your loved ones this holiday season.  Virtual hugs to you all!



Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Oh Wondrous Wreath video and Weekly Deals for week of {Dec 9}

Hello there friends!  Have you seen the Wondrous Wreath and framelit and coordinating photopolymer stamp set?  Well today, I've got a video share that'll show you the cool features of this framelit and stamps and give you ideas of how you can incorporate it in your holiday season of crafting! I actually used it for my Thanksgiving napkin holders, so it's definitely versatile enough to use for a lot of occasions.

Without further adieu, here's the video!


And, since today is Tuesday, that means Stampin'Up!'s got new weekly deals for you! These deals are good thru next Monday, Dec 15th while supplies last.


I personally love the envelope liners!  You can quickly fancy up your envelopes with a pop of designer series paper! The modern mosaic embossing folder is pretty awesome, too!  Here's a sample of cute simple cards I made with these a little while ago:



Thanks for popping by today.  Have a great one!




Friday, December 5, 2014

Year End Closeouts!



Hey there friends! I hope you had a great week! If you happened to miss the Online Extravaganza that ended at the beginning of this week, well don't you fret!  The good news is Stampin'Up! is having a Year End Closeout sale from now until January 5th where you can get up to 80% off select merchandise.  Now, wouldn't you say that's a sale that's worth perusing?! I just took a peek and there are lots of great deals!  This closeout is while supplies last, so if you have your eye on something, you might want to get it before it runs out!

Hope you have a great weekend!  We've got a busy one coming up - it's tree trimming and home decorating time at our house and I am SO LOOKING FORWARD TO IT! I'd say it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

Thanks for visiting today and I'll check in with you guys soon!


Monday, December 1, 2014

Advent calendar!


Hello there! Hope you guys got your Cyber Monday fix in.  As for me, as soon as I got home from work, I knew I had to finish up my advent calendar since today is December 1st!  So here it is.  Mind you, the little guy technically did have his 1st candy earlier today before the completion of this calendar (which happened later this evening1), so we are covered for Day 1. :)

Here are most of the supplies I used.  I got the chalkboard frame online and while I used the 25 and Counting retired stamp set, SU! does carry the Stamp brush set that you can download for MDS!  Here are all the deets for you:
Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog



Hope you all have a great one!  I'll catch up with you guys soon.  Ciao for now!



November blog candy winners + SU! Doorbusters for Dec 1

Hi there blog friends and Happy December!  I'm excited to announce the winners of my 2 November blog candy promotions:

1) My November Stampin'Up! Anniversary giveaway...


goes to newfiecrafter (Marilyn)!  


2) My #blackfridayblogcandy....


goes to Carolee McCaslin!


Congratulations, ladies!  Please send me an email with your snail mail address ASAP and I will get your goodies out the door!

Now speaking of door...how about today's Online Extravaganza Door Busters?


These are available for 24 hrs only today, Dec 1st, while supplies last!

Here's a look at the deals:


The Blendabilities Bundle is an AWESOME savings and I'm pretty excited about the Project Life Bundle, too.  To check out all of the discounts available during this Online Extravaganza (which ends tomorrow, Dec 2) you can see them all here.

Thanks for popping by today!  Have a great Monday and I'll catch up with you all soon!


Friday, November 28, 2014

Simply Snowflake Gift Box Project and #blackfridayblogcandy giveaway!


Happy Black Friday! Thanks for coming by today. I know it's a busy day of shopping - either online or hitting the malls - so I appreciate you coming by to visit! I've got a fun share today...a project you can create with the November My Paper Pumpkin kit and a couple of sheets of DSP and card stock. But before we do that, I've got some blog candy to give away!  So, let's take a look at what you can win, shall we? All you need to do is leave me a comment on this post to be eligible to win! Here's a look at the goodies:


I'm giving away a Chevron embossing folder, Designer Brads, and a roll of Old Olive Scalloped Dots Ribbon. It's all packaged up and ready for one lucky winner!


I'll be making the announcement on Monday, Dec 1. All you need to do is leave me a comment on this post by midnight Pacific Time on Sunday, November 30th!

Now that we've got the blog candy covered, we can check out this alternative Simply Snowflake project!  I had fun putting this box together and am so pleased with the outcome that I will probably be making more of these as gifts for the holidays! Here's a closer look...


I used the Simply Snowflake card as a base and then scored it at 1" on either side of the original card score lines.  This makes for a finished box of 2"x 4 1/4/"x 3 1/2".


I used the All is Calm DSP to cover the sides of the box.


Here's a look at the top of the box, with the twine removed. 


And a peek at the inside.  Surprise! There's a set of cards and envelopes.  Aren't these so cute?!


Here's a look at the box filling, out of the box.


I made a set of these 3" x 4" cards using the stamps and washi tape from the Simply Snowflake kit from Paper Pumpkin and for the trim, I used a little All is Calm DSP.  I rounded the corners using the Envelop Punch Board.  There's a handy corner rounder punch right on the board!  You'll see that I used it on the envelope flap below as well.


Here are the envelopes I created using the Envelope Punch Board and the All is Calm DSP.  I'm such a fan of the Envelope Punch Board. LOVE these envies! They are such a cute size {though you can make so many different sizes on the punch board - so cool!}.  I'm smitten by the All is Calm paper, too - the prints are so FAB! The envelopes measure 3 1/4" x 4 1/4".


Here's a closer look at the set of cards and envelopes.  Whaddaya think?

Below is a list of supplies I used for the project.  Note that the Simply Snowflakes refill kit is available to order, though you need to be an existing Paper Pumpkin subscriber to get the refill.  If you're not one, I definitely encourage you to give it a try and subscribe! I think you'll really enjoy making the projects. You can click on the link below to purchase a 3 month subscription.

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog


Thanks so much for stopping by today! If you haven't taken a peek at Stampin'Up!'s Online Extavaganza, I definitely encourage you to do so.  There are lots of great deals on stamps and accessories that you don't want to miss!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend. Thanks so much for stopping in! If you'd like to check out more projects and #blackfridayblogcandy, hop over to Pink Bling Crafter!



Thursday, November 27, 2014

Happy Thanksgiving with a couple #tbt's

Happy Thanksgiving to you all, dear blog friends!  

As I'm sure many of you are in the midst of turkey day prep and/or festivities, I'll keep this short and sweet with a couple of flashbacks from Turkey Day's past...


Hard to believe that little man's first Thanksgiving was 3 years ago already!  


Here's a place setting from a few years back...


And our table.  

I'm now still in the midst of our turkey day prep myself, so I'll say bye for now and best wishes to you all for a very Happy Thanksgiving!!!


Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Black Friday Blog Candy!


Hi there friends! I know you're probably getting ready with Thanksgiving festivities, but I wanted to share that I'll be having a blog candy giveaway to kick-off Black Friday.  So, come and visit me anytime Friday thru Sunday and leave me a comment and you could be a winner of some calorie-free candy! :)

I'll also be posting an alternative project for the November Paper Pumpkin kit. Fun stuff, so stay tuned....

In the meantime, don't forget that Stampin'Up!'s Online Extravaganza is going on now, so be sure to check out the great deals! Bye for now!


Monday, November 24, 2014

Online Extravaganza starts {Today!}



Hi all!  How about Black Friday on Monday?  Here's the link to Stampin'UP!'s Online Extravaganza. I just took a peek and saw lots of awesome deals!  

Hope you enjoy the shopping! Have a great Monday and I'll catch up with you guys soon!


Sunday, November 23, 2014

Online Extravaganza Sale starts Monday, Nov 24!


Guess what, blog friends?!  Stampin'Up!'s Online Extravaganza starts this Monday, Nov 24 thru Tuesday Dec 2!  There are some fabulous deals you'll want to check out, especially the doorbuster specials on Monday, Nov 24 and Monday Dec 1.  The great news is, there's no waiting in line - you can shop at the comfort of your own computer by visiting my online store here!

I'm also giving away a set of 3 tags {pictured below} to every person that places an order in November:

There are lots of cool things on sale, so be sure to scoop up your faves while supplies last!

Don't forget! I have a November Blog Candy Giveaway to celebrate my 
Stampin'Up! Anniversary! 



Friday, November 21, 2014

Many Merry Stars!


Happy Friday, all!  With December just around the corner, I've been thinking a lot about holiday decor and what to make.  One of the things I'm really excited about is creating all these stars from the Many Merry Stars kit! Take a look at the video. You may be inspired to create these pretty stars yourself!

Here's a quick look at the products and supplies:


Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog



You can also visit my online store to check out all the products! Thanks for coming by today and enjoy your Friday! Ciao for now :)



Wednesday, November 19, 2014

A look at November's My Paper Pumpkin kit


Hello peeps! One of the things I look forward to getting in the mail each month is the My Paper Pumpkin kit and I have to say I just LOVE this month's project.  The snowflake cards and holiday tags are perfect for the holidays.  


The die cut snowflakes make the card look so fancy! 


I love the silver baker's twine around the card.  It makes it such a pretty little package.


And the tags - how cool and hip are those? The silver foil snowflake accent with a little rhinestone bling in the center will dress up any present!


And here's a look at the card slightly opened. The sentiment is stamped on a piece of white card stock and attached to the card by a piece of festive washi tape.  How cute is that!


Here's a pic of all the goodies that come in the box.  The kit comes with enough supplies to make 8 cards and 12 tags, plus there's always extra goodies and embellies left over, so you can really make the project your own.  It really is such a nice surprise to get each month!  And, with the holidays approaching, I think it would make a great gift to give to friends who love crafting or want to dabble with crafts.  They'll love that everything they need is in the box!


How fun would it be to give a friend this cute little package that they can look forward to getting each month?  To make things easy for gift-giving, there are prepaid subscription options for you to choose from:


Not only are they great for gifts, but a great treat for yourself, too! ;)  You can check out more details and purchase your prepaid subscriptions here or visit My Paper Pumpkin to sign yourself up for month-to-month subscriptions. Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Have a great one. :)

Don't forget! I have a November Blog Candy Giveaway to celebrate my Stampin'Up! Anniversary!  Leave me a comment here to play!





Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Sharing Tags + Stampin'Up!'s Weekly Deals {Nov 18}


Hello there, crafty friends!  Today, I've got some tags to share using the Tag Topper Scalloped Punch and the Tree Punch. As you can see above, I made some quick and easy tags as well as one that's a little more stepped up.  Either way, they will look adorable on your holiday gifts!


Here's the stepped up version.  I added "star ornaments" on my tree using the Confetti Star Punch on the Gumball Green card stock and layering that on top of a tree punched out of Real Red card stock.  For the snow, I used a smudge of Whisper White card stock that I embossed with the Decorative Dots embossing folder.  And then to dress up the tag, I tied the ribbons with a couple of tiny bells (I bought a small bag full of these from Michael's a few years ago) that I tied up with some twine.


Here's a look at the quick tags. They're nice and simple and come together quickly. These are great to mass produce!  All I did was punch the the scallop top, punch out a tree, add a button, and stamp a sentiment (I used the Festival of Trees photopolymer stamps set, which coordinates with the Tree Punch!).  And finally, I added this gorgeous Real Red Satin Woven Ribbon on the top.  Viola, you're done!

So, as a thank you to anyone that places a Stampin'Up! order from my Online Store, you'll get a set of 3 of the simple tags above from me!

Now, here's a look at this week's Stampin'Up! Weekly deals!  These specials are available Nov 18 thru Nov 24.


And, here's a link to the Holiday Catalog and the Holiday Supplement, too!  Enjoy browsing or better yet, getting started on your holiday shopping!



Friday, November 14, 2014

Clutter girl cleans her craft room

Hi all!  Happy Friday! Now, before I get started,  I have a question for you: Are you more of an organized crafter or a tornado-came-through-your-room kind of crafter?  Well, I would like to say I'm the former, but clearly from the title of this post, I'm the latter. :) As you can imagine, when you couple a crazy work schedule and busy family life, a craft room can quickly go into disrepair if unattended.  Creating a card here, a banner there, and before you know it, it's a hot mess.  So, slowly, I began the process of sorting, organizing and editing. It's still a work in progress, although much more presentable. Today, I'm going to take you behind the scenes of what is now the current view of my craft room. And, to my hubby's delight, you can now walk in it without the danger of stepping on something!


You may recognize the table - it's provided the background of many of my crafting projects! :)  Prior to the table, I was a "floor crafter".  I'm happy to say that not only does the table provide a more friendly work surface, but it also has a nice shelf beneath for storage and keeping things nice and tidy.


This piece of furniture is from Ikea - it's a workhorse and houses many of my supplies.  What I love is that the baskets are great for organization and storage and are a great way to keep things looking neat.


I got this from a big box store and love that it houses my buttons, ribbons and accessories.  You may recognize a few of these projects on display, too.  Time for me to update with this holiday season's crafts!


Here's a look at my work area.  When I need to sit and design something, this is where it happens.  On my desktop, you'll also see those 2 Ott lights on top.  These are great for taking pictures of projects when there's not enough daylight.  Hence, these are my go-to light sources since I often craft at night.


This is a view that you may have seen in this post.  I started my craft room cleanup and organization here. These cabinets used to have a hodgepodge of crafting supplies. Now, they house most of my clear mount stamps, card stock, and an assortment of Big Shot dies.  You wouldn't know that all this stuff was in there....


See?  My kitty Ollie loves to be the helper in my craft room and now makes sure I put everything back when I work on projects. :)

Thanks for stopping by today!  Now that I have a cleaner and more usable craft space, I'm inspired to craft more often and share with you all. Have a great day!

Don't forget! I have a November Blog Candy Giveaway to celebrate my Stampin'Up! Anniversary!  Leave me a comment here to play!




Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Weekly Deals {Nov 11} and a new photopolymer stamp set!


Hello blog friends and Happy Wednesday!  Just wanted to pop in and share Stampin'Up!'s Weekly Deals this week from Nov 11 to Nov 17.  And, I also wanted to share the new photopolymer stamp set called Banner Blessings.  It's such a sweet set of sentiments and I love the whimsical handwriting font:


What do you think?  Super cute set, right?  Well, dear blog friends, if photopolymer stamps are your cup of tea then you'll want to check out Stampin'Up!'s collection of photopolymer stamps here! I personally love the photopolymer stamps, too, for many of the same reasons you do, I'm sure.  It's great to be able to see exact placement of your stamp image, and I love how they adhere so nicely to the acrylic blocks.  Lots of reasons to love these!

Hope you all have a great day! 

Don't forget! I have a November Blog Candy Giveaway to celebrate my Stampin'Up! Anniversary!  Leave me a comment here to play!