Monday, December 31, 2012

2012 Year in Review - Part One

Hi there stamping friends! Wowzers, it has been a while since I have posted, hasn't it? I didn't fall off the planet, things have been crazy busy around here with the holidays and all. As today marks the last day of 2012, I wanted to take a moment to share my favorite cards from the year with you. It is fun to look back on another year of crafty creations. With that, here are my favorites from January to June. 

This was a fun card to make! It was for an Our Creative Corner challenge called "Show Us Your Shape". We had to make anything OTHER then a standard fold card and I wanted to try something fun. I found the template for the dress on the web and went from there. 

This is one of my favorite color combo's EVER paired with one of my favorite stamp sets, Aviary. 

Ok, I'm totally cheating because I have two favorites for the month of February. I couldn't decide between the two so I thought I would just share them both. I guess I was really inspired by owls in February. Ha! Click HERE for the original post for this card.
This one was made for a color splash challenge over at  Our Creative Corner. I love that little glitzy owl  and the sentiment just worked so perfectly. 

I'm a huge fan of layers (no really?) on my cards. The more the merrier. I also love any card sketch that has repeated elements on it. I have no idea why, I am just drawn to them. 

Ahhh, the bunny card. This card made the list because it took over 3 hours to finish. Not kidding! I couldn't decide what I wanted to do with it and just kept adding little details to it. The color combo on this one makes me really happy, too. . 

I was really proud of this card because it took me WAY out of my comfort zone. Shabby chic is a style that I wish I could do well, maybe one day. This card took a while to put together and had a lot of little details but I really love the end result.

It goes without saying why this card made the favorites list. Pink and bling...yup, yup! I also fondly remember this card because I was so excited that the bow looked good on the first attempt to tie it. Any crafter knows, that is a small victory sometimes. :) 

I will be back soon with the cards from July through December. Stay tuned! 

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 
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Sunday, December 16, 2012

Sparkly Purple Snowflakes for {PP#126}

Hello there stampers! This week at the Paper Players the lovely and talented Ann Schach has a CAS (clean and simple) Theme Challenge for us: Snowflakes. Now, here in South Texas, we rarely see snow, so I am happy to enjoy it anyway I can get it.
My card is...ummmm..a little sparkly. Once the Glimmer Paper comes out, I am not responsible for my actions with it. Haha! I used the sketch at Freshly Made Sketches for inspiration, along with the purple & silver / Christmas challenge from the gals at Our Creative Corner.
As this was a CAS card, I kept it simple...well, except for the layers. I heat embossed the image from the Snow Swirled set and the sentiment from Petite Pairs, for added shine. Where there is Glimmer Paper, there must be rhinestones, so I topped off the snowflake with a few to finish things off. :)
Finally a quick shot of the inside of the card, held by "Nordstrom Santa". We have had this guy the entire time we have been married and look forward to his appearance every Christmas. Although this year, he sits on "higher ground" as our foster dog, Oscar, has developed an affection for chewing on his feet.
I hope you will join us over at the Paper Players this week. Be sure to stop by and see what the rest of the gals on the Design Team have whipped up for inspiration. This is our last challenge of 2012 as we take a holiday break...whoa, I can't believe I just typed that, where did this year go? So, you will have until Friday, December 28th at Noon (PST) to link up a card for the challenge. Happy Stamping! 
The Paper Players Design Team

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Sunday, December 9, 2012

Rain or Shine for {PP#125}

Hello stamping friends! I'm a little late posting my card for the Paper Players, as a certain kitten had "relocated" the memory card for my DSLR camera for me. I finally found it stashed away under her kitty bed, one of the last places I looked. Sneaky, sneaky girl!

This week at the Paper Players, the lovely and talented Nance is our hostess with a fun color combo to try out.
For my card, I used a *brand new* stamp set that is coming out in January called Rain or Shine. AS soon as I saw the fun sketch over at The Sweet Stop, I knew I wanted to use it for my card. 
Look at those fun embossed clouds! Swoon! I love, love, love that new embossing folder so much. Can you say CUTENESS? The embossed trim on the bottom of the card is also a new item in the upcoming catty. I heat embossed the umbrella and the sentiment with Cherry Cobbler Embossing Powder. I colored in the polka dots on the umbrella using a Pool Party Stampin' Write Marker. Since you can never have enough sparkle, I added some Glimmer Paper and rhinestone accents for fun. all of the supplies are listed at the end of this post.
I hope you will join us over at the Paper Players this week. The challenge closes December 14th at Noon (PST). The rest of the gals on the Design Team have whipped up some cool colorful creations. Stop by and say hello! 
Before I sign off, I just wanted to share a holiday photo with you of Santa's little Schnauzer helper in his festive elf hat. Such a sweet boy, my Emmitt! :)
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Stampin' Up! Supply List
Stamps: Rain or Shine (new sneak peek)
Paper: Festival of Prints DSP Stack (Holiday catty), Red Glimmer Paper, Cherry Cobbler, Pool Party and Very Vanilla card stock
Ink: VersaMark and Basic Black Classic ink
Punches: 1- 1/4" Square punch (for banner sentiment)
Accessories: Cherry Cobbler Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Cloudy Day Embossing Folder (new sneak peek), Needlepoint Border Embossing Folders (new sneak peek), Pool Party Stampin' Write Marker, Basic Rhinestones, Pool Party Ribbon (sneak peek from the upcoming Sale-A-Bration catty) and Stampin' Dimensionals
Non-SU! Accessories: circle and scallop circle die cuts

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Secret Garden Sneak Peek for {DD#32}

Hello there stamping friends! After a wee hiatus from Dynamic Duos, I'm finally back and ready to get to creating. This week, a HUGE box of brand spankin' new Stampin' Up goodies arrived on my doorstep, via the "man in brown". Whoot whoot! (Yes, I buy my UPS guy a Christmas gift. Don't you?) I am LOVING all of these new items that will be coming out in January. So exciting! 

This week at Dynamic Duos is Monochromatic week and it pretty much goes without saying that this color combo is right up my alley. Pretty in Pink and Rose Red? Yes, please! 
As soon as I saw the sketch over at Create with Connie and Mary, I knew I wanted to ink up the new Secret Garden stamp set. *sneak peek alert* This set also has coordinating dies. How awesome is THAT??
The center of the flower did not have a coordinating die though, so I embossed it and cut it out by hand. (Those of you who follow my blog, know how I LOVE "fussy cutting"...hee hee!) I added the embossed sentiment from the upcoming Bloomin' Marvelous stamp set and some bling to dress things up. See that hexagon embossing in the background? That is new, as well. I LOVE it!! 
I sure hope you will join us this week at Dynamic Duos. The fabulous gals on the Design Team have created some awesome projects for inspiration. Please stop by and say hello to them, won't you? 

Oh and before I go....I have BIG news to share. We made it official and finally adopted our sweet little Abby. We had to wait until she was old enough to be spayed before we could and the deed is done. She had her surgery Wednesday and first thing Thursday morning, I was at San Antonio Pets Alive, paperwork in hand. We just love this little girl and couldn't be happier that she found her fur-ever home with us! Welcome to the family, Princess Abby! :) 
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Stampin' Up! Supply List: 
Stamps: Secret Garden (sneak peek) and Bloomin' Marvelous (sneak peek) 
Paper: Subtles DSP in Pretty in Pink, Rose Red, Pretty in Pink and Basic Black card stock
Ink: Basic Black Craft ink pad
Accessories: Secret Garden Framelits Dies (sneak peek), Honeycomb Embossing Folder (sneak peek), Finishing Touches Edgelits dies, Black Embossng Powder, Heat Tool, Basic Rhinestones, Stampin' Dimensionals and 1- 1/4" Square Punch

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Snowbuddy Likes You and the Paper Players, Too!

Hi ya'll! Pardon me while I dust the cobwebs off my blog. It has been a while since I have posted and I do apologize. The past two weeks have been a blur for me and unfortunately I have not had a lot of time to spend in my stamp studio. I have not fallen off the planet, I promise. This week at the Paper Players, my dear friend Ann has a theme challenge for us. What can I say? I do love the snowmen! Probably because we don't see them very often here in South Texas. 
I have an affection for bright Christmas cards, so I went with my new favorite color combo of Primrose Petals and Gumball Green to get my card started. I have never inked up this chubby snowman image from the Snow Much Fun stamp set...I always seem to use the tall snowman in the set. So this cute chubbi-licious guy finally saw some ink (and some watercolor pencils). I colored his pearl buttons with a marker and added some Dazzling Details to the "ground" under him so he didn't look like he was floating in air. I listed all of the items I used to create the card at the end of my post. 
Please stop by and play along with us this week at The Paper Players! The super-awesome Design Team worked their magic once again to create some "snow-tastic" cards for inspiration. 
The Paper Players Design Team
Before I go, I wanted to share a photo of the sweetest kitten EVAH, Miss Abby! We put the big tree up today and she stopped in her tracks when she came downstairs to see it for the first time. I have a feeling we are in for a wild ride with her in the next couple of weeks....Fa-la-la-la-la! 
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Stampin' Up! Supply List
Stamps: Snow Much Fun
Paper: In Color DSP in Primrose Petals, Gumball Green , Primrose Petals and Crumb Cake card stock
Ink: Basic Black Classic ink
Punches: Modern Label punch
Accessories: Snowburst Embossing folder, Primrose Petals ribbon, Gumball Green Stampin' Write Marker, Basic Pearls, Heat Tool (to dry the ink on the pearls), Dazzling Details, Watercolor Pencils, Blender Pens and Stampin' Dimensionals
Non-SU Accessories: circle and scallop circle die cuts

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Silver and/or Gold for Paper Players #122

Hello stamping friends and happy Sunday to you! This week at the Paper Players, the lovely LeAnne has given us a glitzy CAS (Clean and Simple) Theme Challenge. Projects have to contain sliver or gold...or glam it up one step further and add silver AND gold. Pull out some shimmer and shine and play along with us this week, won't you?
This was a tough card to get a  photo of, sorry! I used Brushed Silver, Brushed Gold, Silver Glimmer Paper and Whisper White card stock. The ornament (from the Ornament Keepsakes stamp set) and the sentiment (from the Greetings of the Season stamp set) were both heat embossed for added shine. I used the coordinating Ornament Framelit Dies to cut out the ornament and pop it up. The center of the ornament was punched with a 1" circle punch. As a final touch, I popped on a jeweled button to the center of the ornament and then added some bling (not like THAT is shocking to anyone, right?). This is one super shiny card! 
Please join us this week at the Paper PlayersThe rest of the gals on the Design Team have created some gorgeous projects, so please stop by and say hello. The challenge closes on Friday November 23rd at Noon (PST). Have a HAPPY day! :) 

The Paper Players Design Team
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Saturday, November 17, 2012

Button Buddies Snowmen for {DD #29}

Hello stamping friends! It's Saturday and time for another fantastic challenge over at Dynamic Duos! This week is "Black Tie" week where we take our fab duo of colors and add a "dessert" option to the mix.  This week we mixed Marina Mist with Basic Black and added a snowman theme to the mix. "Dessert" is optional at Dynamic Duos, so if you want to play along with the colors without showcasing the snowmen, please do! 
I used the layout from the lovely and talented Jennifer Timko over at Freshly Made Sketches for inspiration. Upon further review, I suppose my card has a little extra somethin' somethin' going on at the top of the snowman panel. Shockingly, I got carried away with the Glimmer Paper. I hope it still qualifies, gals. 

I have probably mentioned my love of the Button Buddies stamp set before, so when I saw the snowman theme, I knew these dapper dudes were going to make an appearance. I heat embossed the snowmen and the sentiment for some added detail. After I added the buttons to their bellies, I felt like they needed just a wee bit more and added some rhinestones to their hats and under the (slightly crooked...sorry!) sentiment. The sentiment is from the Snow Much Fun stamp set.
Please stop by and see what the rest of the Design Team have whipped up this week over at Dynamic Duos. We hope you can join us and play along! The challenge closes on Thursday November 22, 2012 at Noon (PST). That is Thanksgiving Day here in the United States...gobble gobble! :) 
The Dynamic Duos Design Team

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Monday, November 12, 2012

Day of Gratitude for {PP #121}

Hello there stamping friends! Well, better late then never with this post. So sorry! This week at the Paper Players, I am the hostess and I have a fab fall color combo to try out. I love the richness of these colors together and I hope you do too. Please join us!
I also used the layout from Retro Sketches for inspiration on my card. 
This is such a fun sketch...I'm loving those scalloped edges. 

With a few (*wink, wink*) layers, some embossing and the Scallop Border Punch, I got to work. As soon as I decided on these colors, I knew I was going to use the Day of Gratitude stamp set. There is something about the fall season and that stamp set that just fit. Like peanut butter and jelly..like pink and glitter...well, you get the idea. My fussy-cut leaves probably should have been sponged around the edges but I was already late with my card, so I decided to press on. Finaly, I added a couple of pearls because...well, why NOT?!
I hope you will join us this week at the Paper Players! Please stop by and see what the rest of the awesome gals on the Design Team have whipped up with this color trio. 

The Paper Players Design Team
Because I have had a few emails about the shelter dogs, I wanted to post a few photos of some of the awesome pups that have been SAVED over the past week. Although it is tough to visit and photograph some of these babies that do not make it...the success stories make my heart smile! I am so blessed to have had this opportunity, thanks to my amazing friend, Kelly. She is one of the most wonderful people you will ever meet and her passion for these animals is amazing. 

This gorgeous Boxer girl was rescued and I am so happy. She recently had a litter of pups and desperately needed a break. 
 Here is Bruno! Look at those eyes! Such a loving boy! 
Finally, this is Reggie! I didn't post the photos that show how starved he is. They are pretty graphic. Let's just say this guy stands above my waist and is probably half of the weight he should be.  He is such an amazing boy, so full of love despite everything he has gone through. This dude had my heart and I wasn't going to be content until he was saved. Thankfully the S.A. Humane Society stepped up for him. I just love this pup! 


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