My Favorite Things

Annual Planting Weekend -- planting day

Hi there!

Time for part 2 in my 3-part series on our annual planting weekend (which happened a week ago).

Now first and foremost, I feel the need to throw a big fat disclaimer out there and tell you that my HUSBAND is the one that is the green thumb in our family.  Over the years, he has certainly taught me a lot about gardening, but all in all, it will be him that will keep these plants alive all summer long.  It will be him outside in the heat and humidity every night (or morning), diligently watering the plants while being eaten alive by mosquitoes!  

When it comes to planting day, I pretty much just do what he tells me to do.  Haha!!  My strengths are more in the planning phase.....selecting colors of plants that will work well together, etc.3  We work together at the nursery, to decide what plants might be able to thrive in various locations around our yard and then I select things based on a design esthetic.  But it is his blood, sweat and tears (well, mostly just sweat) that will keep these babies alive.  LOL.  On planting day, he does all of the major digging in the yard (we have hard clay soil here in Kansas), and I help plant all the pots.  We planted a total of 25 pots and/or flower boxes on the deck in back this year, as well as 5 pots out front plus plants the front flower bed and a few random additions around the yard (like vinca ground cover in a little muddy spot) and a gorgeous new hibiscus at the corner of the house.  Oh and a couple more little hostas to fill holes where a some didn't survive the winter.  And the tomatoes!!  We mustn't forget the tomatoes!!  But those will get a blog post all their own!

So all in all, we had a full day of planting on our annual planting weekend.  We shop on Friday night at the nursery and then plant all day Saturday.

These first shots are what we started out with.  I laid it all out on the driveway so I could take pictures before we got started.

Once everything was in pots, it was time to add the Miracle-Gro and then water everything in.  The watering is this little boy's favorite part!  Can you see that his head's all wet?  As soon as we turn on the hose, he tries to "bite" the water as it's coming out of the hose.  It's pretty hilarious to watch.  Silly puppy.  Haha!

The next morning when the light wasn't so harsh, I went around and snapped pictures of everything in their new homes.

I think these are two of the plants I'm most excited about -- a bougainvillea and a fuchsia!  I fell in love with bougainvillea years ago, when traveling.  They just get so huge and lush and COLORful!  I hope this one manages to do the same!

We had a fuchsia years ago, that didn't last long.  But we finally decided to give it another try in a new location.  Hoping this one thrives in our front flower bed.  We'll see!

This year, we pretty much rocked planting day and got done a lot earlier than normal!  But then, I think my pot planting skills are much improved and I was feeling a bit more confident and therefore, worked quicker.  Yay for confidence in the garden!

So all of these plants have been in the ground for one week, and then last night, we had severe thunderstorms blow through!  Grr.  You'd better believe, I was praying for all of our plants!  :)  Looks like everything came through just fine, thank the Lord!

Stay tuned for "the tomato post".....where I'll share all the varieties we planted this year.  It should be about 10 weeks till the first tomatoes are ready to eat.  1 week down, 9 to go!!  Can you tell I'm a little anxious for the tomatoes?!  :)

Hope you have a fabulous day, dear friends!

xo,

Ruby Rose

Hello there!

How about a little more Ruby Rose inspiration on this bright and shiny Saturday?  I've had this card idea in the back of my mind since the end of the Countdown and finally had a minute today to crank it out.  I love when the idea is already there....makes it so fast to put it all together.  I think this whole card took maybe 20 minutes tops!  

I was so inspired by my sweet friend Debbie Olson not long ago....she made the most gorgeous floral background with a background pattern stamp and flowers over the top.  I couldn't wait to try it myself, using Ruby Rose and this is the result.  I stamped Background Basics: Tin Types first using pure poppy ink on berry sorbet card stock and then stamped various Ruby Rose images over the top.  The Ruby Rose sentiment was stamped on a Fillable Frames #4 die cut and stitched in place.  Then, to the back side of that entire berry sorbet panel, I adhered some Ruby Rose leaves and a strip of vintage book print.  Lastly, I popped up the whole panel with foam adhesive on the cream card front.  I love how this turned out.....favorite stamps, favorite colors, favorite book print.....all things that make me happy!

Hope they made you happy today too!

Enjoy your Saturday, sweet friends.

xo,

 

Berry Sorbet card stock Rustic Cream card stock Background Basics: Tin Types stamp set Ruby Rose Stamp Set Ruby Rose Dies Fillable Frames #4 die Sizzix Solo Wafer Thin Die Adapter Vagabond Sizzix Machine by Tim Holtz Pure Poppy ink New Leaf ink Hawaiian Shores ink

InLinkz.com

Studio Calico's Roundabout Sneaks!

Hello there!  Happy weekend to you!  

Just popping in to share some Studio Calico sneaks.....this month, I'm working with the Roundabout card kit, the Coconut Grove card kit add-on and the Outer Banks scrapbook add-on.

Side note.....I adore this aqua dotty floral paper.  I used it a lot this month.  A lot.  :)

So what are you up to this weekend?  We've got a few fun things in store....might even involve a little antiquing, which I am quite looking forward to!  Don't worry....I'll take Laverne (the Nikon) along to document our adventures.  :)

Hope you have a fabulous weekend!!  

xoxo,

Annual Planting Weekend -- the trip to the nursery

Those of you that have been hanging around here for very long, know that the annual planting weekend here at the "McVey Ranch" is one of my favorite weekends of the year!  This year's annual planting weekend happened this past weekend!  And you probably also know by now that every annual planting weekend kicks off with the annual trip to the nursery!  I looooove the trip to the nursery where we plot and plan and choose with care, each and every plant that we'll bring home with us.  I decided this year, to break up our Annual Planting Weekend photos into three blog posts, as I took quite a few pictures to share.  So today, we'll start with pictures from the trip to the nursery and then in another post, I'll share the actual planting day (and show you what all we planted) and then lastly, we'll talk tomatoes in the annual tomato post!  I know you're super excited for that one, aren't you?  Haha!

Anyway, for now, you'd better buckle up and get ready for a lot of flower pictures.  ;)

This was one car full.  We took two cars.  Haha!

In other news, we got test results back from my biopsy/endoscopy last week.  Firstly, it is definitely not Celiac disease, so that's great news.  It could still be a gluten "sensitivity" though.

Also, they did find a sort of perferation on my esophagus just above where it connects to my stomach which is caused from excess acid in my stomach backing up into my esophagus and therefore damaging it.  So I'm on a med for 3 months to minimize the acid in my stomach to allow my esophagus to heal.  

For now, I'll continue to eat gluten, just in small doses, and to eat smaller portions in general which seems to help keep the worst symptoms at bay.  And in the meantime, I've been feeling decent most days, so I can't complain!  Definitely an improvement from feeling awful every day.  :)  Thank you so much for your continued prayers!!  I appreciate each and every one!

Before I go, I also wanted to give you a head's up that starting this morning, if you spend $10 on My Mind's Eye product, you get a gift of free MME paper while supplies last!  I've been so smitten with some of their new lines lately -- especially Cambridge Court and Up, Up & Away.  Pop over and check 'em out if you're in the mood to do a little shopping!  

ETA: Sorry -- the link was apparently not working, but should be fixed now!  

Papertrey Ink - May Release in Review

Hi there!  

Well, it's finally release day, so all of the new products you've been getting peeks at this week will be available for purchase at Papertrey Ink beginning tonight at 10pm EST.  I've got a few more cards to share with you today, using the rest of this month's new releases!  First up is Heather Nichols' Red, White & Blue.

And here is Heather's Wonderful Words: Baby.....I just love stamping the large word in these sets, multiple times.  It's such a fun way to get maximum impact out of those stamps and not only that but it's so quick & easy to create a really cute card!

Next up, is Nichole's Tiny Triangles with the Cover Plate: Triangles.  Confession time: this is the first time I've ever used a cover plate as an impression plate!!  I have no idea why I've waited so long.  I LOVE the deep impression I got with these triangles!  What a cool background!

And of course, I couldn't resist using one of the sentiments from Ruby Rose here.  :)

Last but certainly not least is Melissa Bickford's Polka Dot Parade #4, paired with some Background Basics: Herringbone.

All righty, Crew, that's it for me today, but the rest of the team has the remainder of their release projects to share with you so be sure to bop around and see them all.  

Betsy Veldman
Melissa Phillips
Jessica Witty
Danielle Flanders
Ashley Newell 
Erin Lincoln 
Heather Nichols
Maile Belles
Cristina Kowalczyk

 

What's topping your wish list this month?  

Happy shopping! 

 

 

{Happy 4th of July supplies -- click on thumbnails}

Rustic Cream card stock Pure Poppy card stock Raspberry Fizz card stock Pure Poppy ink Raspberry Fizz ink 1" Circle Punch Limitless Layers: 1 3/4" Circle dies Vagabond Sizzix Machine by Tim Holtz Sizzix Solo Wafer Thin Die Adapter

InLinkz.com

{Sweet Baby Boy supplies}

Rustic Cream card stock Hawaiian Shores card stock Limeade Ice Pattern Pack Simply Chartreuse pattern pack New Leaf pattern pack Hawaiian Shores Pattern Pack Limeade Ice ink Simply Chartreuse ink New Leaf ink Hawaiian Shores ink

InLinkz.com

{Very Happy Birthday supplies}

Rustic Cream card stock Summer Sunrise ink New Leaf ink Dark Chocolate Ink Hawaiian Shores ink Raspberry Fizz ink Vagabond Sizzix Machine by Tim Holtz Sizzix Solo Wafer Thin Die Adapter Embossing Pad Kit

InLinkz.com

{Welcome Little Baby supplies}

Rustic Cream card stock Kraft card stock Hawaiian Shores Pattern Pack Background Basics: Herringbone stamp set Spiral Notebook Page Die Vagabond Sizzix Machine by Tim Holtz Sizzix Solo Wafer Thin Die Adapter Aqua Mist ink Hawaiian Shores ink Kraft ink Dark Chocolate Ink Rustic Jute button twine

InLinkz.com

Ruby Rose + more Boutique Borders: Baby

Hi there!  

Welcome back for another fun Papertrey Group Post!  Today, the entire team is sharing Ruby Rose projects with you!!!  Eeee!  I can't wait to see them all myself!

All of the new products you're getting peeks at this week will be available for purchase at Papertrey Ink beginning on May 15 at 10pm EST.

{Photo Credit}

So, the challenge to the Design Team today, was to find an inspiration piece -- a photo or whatever else we were inspired by -- and create two cards.....one where elements from Ruby Rose were used to create a background and one where the flowers were the focal point.  I found the above photo on Pinterest and loved the colors.  I love that there is so much gorgeous white space.  I love that the leaves are bright green and that the center of the flower is darker than the petals on the outside.  I used bits of all that inspiration on these two cards I created for this challenge....

Before I get into how I made the cards, I did want to give you a little tip for using Ruby Rose with the dies.  Each of the petals on the flowers are slightly different to give them a bit more character.  To make it easier to line the flowers up with the die cuts each time, I die cut a flower once, rotated the stamp image around until I had it lined up with the die cut and then used a Sharpie to put a small black dot on the “top” flower petal, both on the stamp and on the die.  That way, when I pop the die cut out of the die, I know right away where the top is, and can easily line it up with the stamp.  It might take you a minute to figure out where the dot should go that first time, but after that, it’ll make it a cinch to line things up each time.  

 

So on this first card, I used elements from Ruby Rose to stamp a floral background pattern.  All of the flowers were stamped with sweet blush, berry sorbet and pure poppy inks, using the lightest color -- sweet blush -- on the largest part of the flowers, just like in the inspiration photo.  The leaves were stamped with new leaf ink.

 

For the focal point, I die cut some stamper’s select white card stock with the mat stack 3 die, and then stamped the birthday sentiment from Ruby Rose, using pure poppy ink.  Just above the sentiment, I added one more small die cut flower with some leaves, and topped the flower with a Prima crystal.

 

For the next card, the flowers are the focal point so I started, by stamping the sentiment in the lower right corner.  

 

Then I die cut several layers of flowers and leaves and stamped them with various images from Ruby Rose and topped the flowers with more Prima crystals.  Lastly, I stamped the little berry clusters from Ruby Rose, which serve as an accent just like if you were adding rhinestones or sequins as a finishing touch.

 

Next up, I have another fun little birthday card.  For this one, I started out by stamping Background Basics: Newsprint on a rustic cream card base with smokey shadow ink, that had been stamped off once on scratch paper before stamping it on the card stock.  Then, I splattered on some Mister Huey’s spray mist in Pinstripe.

 

A rustic cream strip was added that holds the sentiment -- from Boutique Borders: Birthday, stamped in hawaiian shores ink.  The flowers and leaves from Ruby Rose were die cut -- the largest flower from harvest gold card stock and all the other elements from rustic cream card stock.  The largest flower was stamped with harvest gold ink, and the smaller flowers were stamped with summer sunrise ink.  All of the leaves were stamped with hawaiian shores ink.  A couple of gray Studio Calico gems topped the flowers for a finishing touch.

 

Next up is a thank you card that pairs Boutique Borders: Baby with Ruby Rose and is a good reminder that the Boutique Borders frames can be used as a wonderful accent for images from lots of other stamp sets!

 

I stamped the Boutique Borders: Baby frame twice with the flourishes on the right side, and then rotated it around and stamped again with the flourishes on the left.  Next, I die cut and stamped Ruby Rose flowers and leaves with melon berry, dark chocolate and hawaiian shores inks and added them over the Boutique Borders frames.  A few of the small circles from Ruby Rose were stamped as a final accent around the flowers.

 

The “Thank you ever so much” sentiment from Ruby Rose was stamped with dark chocolate ink.

 

Next up is a fun little baby girl card!  I love this color scheme with the pop of kraft!  I’m a firm believer that baby cards need not always be pastel!!!  ;)

 

The flowers were stamped with hawaiian shores and limeade ice inks and the leaves were stamped with new leaf ink.  Notice how one of the leaves is stamped directly on the background while a die cut leaf cluster is adhered over the top.  That adds a bit more dimension to the card.

 

In the lower right corner, I stamped the Boutique Borders: Baby frame with limeade ice ink followed by the “Beautiful new baby” sentiment in hawaiian shores ink.  To add a bit more to the sentiment, I stamped the letters “G I R L” from the new Stitched Alphabet stamp set, using new leaf ink.

 

Lastly for today, how about a baby boy card?  This one has a fun little farm theme going! 

 

The kraft card base was run thru my vagabond with the chicken wire impression plate and then I inked the edges with vintage touch tea die ink.  Next, I took a panel of rustic cream card stock and stamped the grass and sun rays images from On The Farm, using aqua mist and new leaf inks.  Above the rays, I stamped the “Howdy”, also from On The Farm, using hawaiian shores ink.  The “pure country certified” image was stamped on separate card stock with summer sunrise ink and punched out with a 3/4” circle punch.

 

I used the Boutique Borders: Baby die to cut out the sentiment section, and stamped it with the frame and sentiments from Boutique Borders: Baby using hawaiian shores and dark chocolate inks.  Just below that is a row of chicks stamped with summer sunrise ink, followed by the “just hatched” sentiment -- both from On The Farm.  Lastly, I used Background Basics: Farm & Barn to stamp the barn board along the bottom of the card.

Whew!!  Are you still with me?  :)  If so, you’ll want to be sure to visit all of the other girls, to see their Ruby Rose projects!  You won’t want to miss a single one!

 

Nichole Heady 

Betsy Veldman
Melissa Phillips
Jessica Witty
Danielle Flanders
Ashley Newell 
Erin Lincoln 
Heather Nichols
Maile Belles
Cristina Kowalczyk

Plus, Melissa Bickford will have another peek or two at her newest stamp set!

Thanks so much for sharing a bit of your day with me!  Are you excited to play with Ruby Rose or Boutique Borders: Baby yourself?

I’ll be back tomorrow with the rest of this month’s release projects.  I hope to see you then!

 

 

{Birthday Flowers duo supplies -- click on thumbnails}

Stamper's Select White card stock Pure Poppy ink Sweet Blush ink Berry Sorbet ink New Leaf ink Mat Stack 3 die Vagabond Sizzix Machine by Tim Holtz Sizzix Solo Wafer Thin Die Adapter Prima Say It In Crystals - red/beige

InLinkz.com

{Birthday Wishes supplies}

Rustic Cream card stock Harvest Gold card stock Background Basics: Newsprint stamp set Vagabond Sizzix Machine by Tim Holtz Sizzix Solo Wafer Thin Die Adapter Harvest Gold ink Summer Sunrise ink Hawaiian Shores ink Mister Huey's - pinstripe Mister Huey's spray mist - pinstripe Darling Dear opaque gems - brights

InLinkz.com

{Thank You Ever So Much supplies}

Rustic Cream card stock Kraft card stock Dark Chocolate Ink Melon Berry ink Hawaiian Shores ink Vagabond Sizzix Machine by Tim Holtz Sizzix Solo Wafer Thin Die Adapter

InLinkz.com

{New Baby Girl supplies}

Rustic Cream card stock Kraft card stock Vagabond Sizzix Machine by Tim Holtz Sizzix Solo Wafer Thin Die Adapter Limeade Ice ink Hawaiian Shores ink New Leaf ink

InLinkz.com

{Howdy supplies}

Rustic Cream card stock Kraft card stock On the Farm stamp set Background Basics: Farm & Barn stamp set Chicken Wire impression plate Vagabond Sizzix Machine by Tim Holtz Sizzix Solo Wafer Thin Die Adapter Embossing Pad Kit Corner Chomper New Leaf ink Aqua Mist ink Hawaiian Shores ink Dark Chocolate Ink Summer Sunrise ink Vintage Touch Tea Dye Duo ink

InLinkz.com

Pedal Pusher + Ruby Rose & Boutique Borders: Baby - Day 4

Hi there!  

It's time for a fun Papertrey Group Post which means all the girls on the Design Team will have fun projects to share with you!  Today, we're highlighting a new stamp set designed by Nichole Heady with concepts from Erin Lincoln, called Pedal Pusher!  It's a darling bicycle set with coordinating dies (of course!) and some of those dies even allow you to assemble the bike so that the wheels on the bike turn!  How fun is that?!  

All of the new products you're getting peeks at this week will be available for purchase at Papertrey Ink beginning on May 15 at 10pm EST.

For my first project, I started with an aqua mist card base and ran it thru the Vagabond with my cane print impression plate.  I then die cut a couple of banners with the double-ended banner die and stamped the "thank you" from Pedal Pusher on one.  The ADORABLE bicycle was stamped with aqua mist ink, and the tires were stamped separately and adhered behind the bike with brads, so that the wheels actually turn!  Lastly, I die cut the basket and stamped it with the basket, flowers and leaves images and then, since I was adhering it over the bike, I cut out little notches on the left side of the basket, so the scrollwork on the bike shows from behind.  

Next up, is a card featuring the bike and sentiments from Pedal Pusher, this time with the bike stamped in raspberry fizz ink.  This particular die cut allows the bike and tires to all be stamped on the same die cut....it's all one piece.

On the kraft basket, I perched a couple of the little birds from my Love Birds stamp set!  I stamped them, cut them out with paper snips and popped them up with foam adhesive.  FUN!

Next up, how about a Ruby Rose card?  I have loved Background Basics: Rainbows ever since it first came out and couldn't wait to pair it with Ruby Rose!  They're just perfect for each other!  I started out by stamping the background pattern using Background Basics: Rainbows with hawaiian shores and new leaf inks.  Goodness, but that background makes me smile!!

Next, I used the wine bottle tag die to cut out the little sentiment banner.  The sentiment from Ruby Rose was stamped with new leaf ink.  Above the sentiment, I added Ruby Rose flowers and leaves that were die cut from hawaiian shores and new leaf card stocks and stamped with the matching inks.  The flowers were topped with threaded hawaiian shores buttons.  I love how the flowers really "pop" on the cream background!

One more for you today.....this one, a baby girl card featuring Boutique Borders: Baby.  This time, I wanted to pair Boutique Borders: Baby with another favorite background set -- Background Basics: Medallion.  Again, I love that this set allows me to create a multi-colored background by stamping two different strips that nest in and around each other.  I stamped this background with berry sorbet and pure poppy inks.

Next, I die cut some berry sorbet card stock with the mat stack 5 die and stamped it with a coordinating image from the mat stack 5 collection stamp set using pure poppy ink.  Just behind that layer is a wide strip of melon berry bitty dot paper and on top, is a Boutique Borders: Baby die cut that was stamped with the frame and a sentiment from Boutique Borders: Baby.  Just below the mat stack 5 die cut, is one more thin strip of rustic cream card stock that is stamped with yet another small sentiment from Boutique Borders: Baby -- "Can't wait to meet your new little bundle!"

Well that's it for me today, but you won't want to miss what all the other girls have to share!  Be sure to pay them each a visit!

Nichole Heady 

Betsy Veldman
Melissa Phillips
Jessica Witty
Danielle Flanders
Ashley Newell 
Erin Lincoln 
Heather Nichols
Maile Belles
Cristina Kowalczyk

Plus, Melissa Bickford will have another peek or two at her newest stamp set!

I hope you're having a fabulous day!  

See you again tomorrow for one more FUN group post!!

xo,

 

 

{Thank You supplies -- click on thumbnails}

Rustic Cream card stock Aqua Mist card stock Cane Print Impression Plate Embossing Pad Kit Double-Ended Banners dies Sizzix Solo Wafer Thin Die Adapter Vagabond Sizzix Machine by Tim Holtz Aqua Mist ink Smokey Shadow ink Kraft ink New Leaf ink Raspberry Fizz ink

InLinkz.com

{A Beautiful Ride supplies}

Rustic Cream card stock Raspberry Fizz Pattern Pack Pure Poppy pattern pack Vagabond Sizzix Machine by Tim Holtz Sizzix Solo Wafer Thin Die Adapter Pure Poppy ink Smokey Shadow ink Kraft ink Raspberry Fizz ink

InLinkz.com

{Very Happy Birthday supplies}

Rustic Cream card stock Hawaiian Shores card stock Wine Bottle Tag Die Vagabond Sizzix Machine by Tim Holtz Sizzix Solo Wafer Thin Die Adapter Hawaiian Shores ink New Leaf ink Hawaiian Shores buttons

InLinkz.com

{Can't Wait supplies}

Rustic Cream card stock Berry Sorbet card stock Melon Berry pattern pack Background Basics: Medallion stamp set Mat Stack 5 Collection stamp set Mat Stack 5 die Vagabond Sizzix Machine by Tim Holtz Sizzix Solo Wafer Thin Die Adapter Berry Sorbet ink Pure Poppy ink

InLinkz.com

Ruby Rose and Boutique Borders: Baby - Day 3

Hi!  I'm so glad you've popped back in for Day 3 of the Papertrey May Countdown!  I've got lots more Ruby Rose and Boutique Borders: Baby inspiration to share with you so sit back, relax and let's get right to today's projects!

All of the new products you're getting peeks at this week will be available for purchase at Papertrey Ink beginning on May 15 at 10pm EST.

For this first card, I pulled out the Garden Variety stamp set and coordinating seed packet frame die.  I die cut the frame from rustic cream card stock and stamped coordinating images (frame, header and footer text) from Garden Variety using melon berry, hawaiian shores and pure poppy inks.  Next, I die cut flowers and leaves from Ruby Rose and stacked them up inside the frame opening with foam adhesive.  I topped the flowers with some Prima crystals. 

The sentiment along the bottom of the card is one from Ruby Rose that was stamped in berry sorbet ink.

Next up, I decided to get a little watercolor-y.  :)  I started out with a page torn out of an old book.  I stamped images from Ruby Rose using winter wisteria, plum pudding, lavender moon and ripe avocado inks.

Next, I just added water with a paintbrush, dragging the brush over and around each image to create a simple watercolor effect.

I dried the entire page with my heat tool and then added some Mister Huey splatters in calico white.  

For the sentiment, I turned to Maile Belles' new Side By Side Sentiments stamp set, stamping on rustic cream card stock with winter wisteria ink.  Before adhering, I added a strip of winter wisteria bitty dot paper and then hand cut a notch out of the side of the panel.

Next up, how about a baby boy card?  I started out with an aqua mist card base here, and added a piece of vintage book print over the top.  Next, I used the new Cover Plate: Triangles (see Nichole's blog for lots more info!) to die cut the triangle panel and layered it right over the top of the book print!  I love the text-y, geometric look for this baby boy card!  It provides a really interesting background without it being too busy!

On the rustic cream strip, I stamped the frame from Boutique Borders: Baby using aqua mist ink followed by one of the sentiments (from the same set) using new leaf ink.  The wide sentiment panel helps to break up all the angles on the background.  To finish things off, I die cut and stamped the cute giraffe from Sweet Baby!

Well, I hope you've enjoyed today's projects!!  I've sure had fun sharing them with you!  I'll be back tomorrow with lots more to share.....I hope you'll join me!

For today, you'll want to be sure to visit Nichole Heady & Maile Belles for lots more sneak peeks.  Heather Nichols, Maile Belles and Melissa Bickford will have peeks at their new sets as well.

Thanks for spending a bit of your day with me!

 

{Thank You supplies -- click on thumbnails}

Rustic Cream card stock Melon Berry pattern pack Pure Poppy pattern pack Garden Variety stamp set Seed Packet Frame die Vagabond Sizzix Machine by Tim Holtz Sizzix Solo Wafer Thin Die Adapter Prima Say It In Crystals - red/beige Hawaiian Shores ink Melon Berry ink Pure Poppy ink Ripe Avocado ink

InLinkz.com

{From the Bottom of my Heart supplies}

Rustic Cream card stock Winter Wisteria card stock Winter Wisteria Pattern Pack Plum Pudding ink Winter Wisteria ink Lavender Moon ink Ripe Avocado ink Mister Huey's - calico white Mister Huey's Calico White spray mist

InLinkz.com

{Beautiful New Baby supplies}

Rustic Cream card stock Aqua Mist card stock Sweet Baby stamp set Sweet Baby die Vagabond Sizzix Machine by Tim Holtz Sizzix Solo Wafer Thin Die Adapter Hawaiian Shores ink New Leaf ink

InLinkz.com

Ruby Rose and Boutique Borders: Baby - Day 2

Hello there!  Welcome back for Day 2 of the Papertrey May Countdown!!  I'm excited to share some more sneak peeks with you today, so let's get right to it, shall we?

All of the new products you're getting peeks at this week will be available for purchase at Papertrey Ink beginning on May 15 at 10pm EST.

For this first card, I stamped some vintage book print with some Polka Dot Basics II along the bottom of the paper, using simply chartreuse ink.

I die cut some raspberry fizz card stock with a half & half die and stamped it with a small flourish and sentiment from the half & half stamp set, using raspberry fizz and dark chocolate inks.  On the half & half die cut, I added flowers and leaves that were created using the Ruby Rose stamp set and dies.  The flowers were stamped with pure poppy and raspberry fizz inks and the leaves were stamped with simply chartreuse ink to coordinate with the dots on the background paper.  I topped the flowers with some turquoise Studio Calico gems.

Next up, is another girly baby card, this one pairing Ruby Rose with Boutique Borders: Baby.

First off, notice the teeny stars in the aqua mist background?!!  Those were created with the new Star Spangled impression plate.  How sweet are they on this baby card?!

The Ruby Rose flowers were stamped with raspberry fizz and pure poppy inks.  Notice on the largest flower that this time, instead of popping another layer up, I simply stamped the center flower right on the large die cut layer creating a two-step stamped image.  The leaves were stamped with ripe avocado ink.

The Boutique Borders: Baby stamp set and die were used to create the sentiment panel.  I slid it over to the left this time, and trimmed a bit off the side for a slightly different look.

One more for you today......I'll tell you, we have babies popping up every where we turn these days....with several that have just been born and several more due in the next few months.  So Boutique Borders: Baby couldn't have come at a better time!  In fact, I whipped this card up for a dear friend's baby shower!

I loooooove how this turned out!  I paired Fly Away with Boutique Borders: Baby for the perfect baby boy card!!!

The card base is rustic cream card stock and I topped it with some hawaiian shores polka dot paper.  The clouds dies were used to cut out some stamper's select white clouds and then I inked the edges wtih vintage touch tea dye ink to make them a bit "fluffier".  Haha.  Next came the plane using the Fly Away stamps and dies!  

Along the bottom of the card, I stamped the frame from Boutique Borders: Baby using new leaf ink and then added a couple of sentiments (also from Boutique Borders: Baby).  These two sentiments are two pieces so that if you want to just stamp "Welcome to the world" you can simply mask off the comma.  However, if you want to put them together, they look like this!  I stamped them using dark chocolate and hawaiian shores inks and then added a thin strip of dark chocolate card stock to finish things off.

That's it for me for now, but I hope you've enjoyed today's projects!!

Be sure to visit Nichole Heady, Heather Nichols, & Cristina Kowalczyk for lots more sneak peeks today.  Maile Belles and Melissa Bickford will have peeks at their new sets as well.

{Grateful For You supplies -- click on thumbnails}

Rustic Cream card stock Polka Dot Basics II stamp set Half & Half stamp set Half & Half die Vagabond Sizzix Machine by Tim Holtz Sizzix Solo Wafer Thin Die Adapter Darling Dear opaque gems - brights Raspberry Fizz ink Dark Chocolate Ink Pure Poppy ink Simply Chartreuse ink

InLinkz.com

{Rejoicing With You supplies}

Aqua Mist card stock Rustic Cream card stock Vagabond Sizzix Machine by Tim Holtz Sizzix Solo Wafer Thin Die Adapter Embossing Pad Kit Ripe Avocado ink Pure Poppy ink Raspberry Fizz ink

InLinkz.com

{Welcome to the World, Little One supplies}

Rustic Cream card stock Dark Chocolate card stock Hawaiian Shores Pattern Pack Fly Away Mini Stamp Set Fly Away Die Cloud 1 & 2 die collection Vagabond Sizzix Machine by Tim Holtz Sizzix Solo Wafer Thin Die Adapter Dark Chocolate Ink Hawaiian Shores ink New Leaf ink Vintage Touch Tea Dye Duo ink

InLinkz.com

Introducing Ruby Rose and Boutique Borders: Baby

Hello there!  It's time for the Papertrey May Countdown and this month, I'm thrilled to be bringing you two new stamp sets as well as coordinating dies for each!  

All of the new products you're getting peeks at this week will be available for purchase at Papertrey Ink beginning on May 15 at 10pm EST.

To kick things off, allow me to introduce you to Ruby Rose!  I have to tell you that Ruby Rose is a set that's very near and dear to my heart.  It was inspired by the Victorian-era room decor in one of the bedrooms at the Biltmore Mansion in North Carolina!  Some of you may remember that we went there last year, and I fell in love with the entire estate.  In fact, we've already been trying to figure out when we can go back -- we love it there so much!  But one of the rooms in particular, just spoke to me.....the colors, the fabrics, the furniture.....it was so elegant and feminine and I just fell in love and knew right then, that I wanted to design a floral set inspired by that room.  And that, my friends, is how Ruby Rose was born.  Plus, don't you just love saying, "Ruby Rose"??  :)  It's the little things, I tell ya.  Haha!

On the rustic cream card base, I stamped some Background Basics: Sheet Music with smokey shadow ink (stamped off once on scratch paper before stamping on the card stock) and inked the edges with vintage touch tea dye ink.  I also stamped a small flower and cluster of three dots over the sheet music and then splattered on some Mister Huey's spray mist in Dewey.  Next, I die cut several layers of flowers and leaves using the new Ruby Rose dies and then stamped them with the coordinating images from Ruby Rose.  The fun thing about Ruby Rose is that you can mix and match the various flower elements in the set to create your own multi-step and/or multi-layer images.  I topped the flowers with a couple of gems from Studio Calico.

On the bottom of the card, I stamped one of the two sentiments from Ruby Rose....also a bit vintage-inspired!  The whole panel is layered on a hawaiian shores card base with a bit of hawaiian shores bitty dot paper peeking out on the right side.

Next up, I paired Ruby Rose with my new Boutique Borders: Baby as well as Heather Nichols' new Wonderful Words: Baby!  These three sets work beautifully together to create gorgeous baby girl cards!

As you can see, at the top of the card, I used the new Boutique Borders: Baby die to cut out some rustic cream card stock and then stamped the coordinating frame image using berry sorbet ink.  Next, I added one of the sentiments from Boutique Borders: Baby, however I masked off the word "baby" that finishes the actual stamped image, and instead die cut the word baby using the Wonderful Words: Baby die and stamped it with the coordinating image from the Wonderful Words: Baby stamp set, also using berry sorbet ink.  That way, the big word, "baby", finishes off my sentiment!

On the rustic cream layer, I stamped various flowers, leaves and dots from Ruby Rose, using pure poppy, berry sorbet and ripe avocado inks.

One more for today!  You may have seen on Nichole's blog that she's designed dies for the Baby Button Bits set and I couldn't resist pairing up the sweet peas with my Boutique Borders: Baby!

The card base is rustic cream and layered on top is some plum pudding bitty dot paper.  Along the bottom of the card is some new leaf damask paper that was cut with the heart border die and topped with a thin strip of rustic cream card stock.  The Boutique Borders: Baby die and stamp set were used to create the sentiment portion, stamping the words in new leaf and plum pudding inks.  Three little buttons top the Baby Button Bits die cut.

One thing to note about the Boutique Borders: Baby frame -- notice on this card, the flourished part of the border is oriented on the right, while on the previous card, the flourished portion was oriented on the left!  You can turn this frame around either direction, depending on which works best for your particular project!

In the upper right corner, I added a journal tabs die cut that was stamped with the "little sweet pea" sentiment from Baby Button Bits and it was topped with a Studio Calico gem.

Well that's it for me today, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on Ruby Rose and Boutique Borders: Baby!!  I'll be back tomorrow with lots more to share!   

Until then, you'll want to be sure to visit Nichole Heady, Betsy Veldman, & Ashley Cannon Newell for lots more sneak peeks.  Heather Nichols, Maile Belles and Melissa Bickford will have peeks at their new sets as well.

 

{A Very Happy Birthday supplies -- click on thumbnails}

Rustic Cream card stock Hawaiian Shores card stock Hawaiian Shores Pattern Pack Background Basics: Sheet Music stamp set Vagabond Sizzix Machine by Tim Holtz Sizzix Solo Wafer Thin Die Adapter New Leaf ink Hawaiian Shores ink Smokey Shadow ink Vintage Touch Tea Dye Duo ink Mister Huey's spray - dewey Mister Huey's spray mist - Dewey Darling Dear opaque gems - brights

InLinkz.com

{Baby supplies}

Rustic Cream card stock Berry Sorbet card stock Berry Sorbet ink Pure Poppy ink Ripe Avocado ink Vintage Touch Tea Dye Duo ink Vagabond Sizzix Machine by Tim Holtz Sizzix Solo Wafer Thin Die Adapter

InLinkz.com

{Little Sweet Pea supplies}

Rustic Cream card stock New Leaf pattern pack Baby Button Bits stamp set Journal Tabs dies Heart Border Die Vagabond Sizzix Machine by Tim Holtz Sizzix Solo Wafer Thin Die Adapter Plum Pudding ink New Leaf ink New Leaf buttons Darling Dear opaque gems - brights

InLinkz.com

Raspberry Suite Sneak Peek x 2!

Good morning, sweet friends!!  Well, I am SUPER excited about the TWO Raspberry Suite stamp sets I get to bring to you this month!!  The first is this FUN floral set inspired by vintage floral prints!  I have been waiting for months to get to show you this set and the time has finally come!!  You're going to love all the mix-and-match options with this set!

The second set in the Raspberry Suite line-up this month is, of course, the next in the Boutique Borders series -- this one, with a baby theme!  But as always, while the sentiments might be baby-focused, the border/frame image can be used on all sorts of different projects and the $5 price tag makes it an excellent value!  I can't wait for you to see this set in action!

The official Countdown starts on May 10th (tomorrow!) and you'll get to see sneak peeks at these and all the other new releases this month, and then of course, all of this month's new products will be available for purchase at Papertrey Ink beginning at 10pm EST on May 15!  

In other news, today is the day of my endoscopy/biopsy to hopefully determine whether or not I have a gluten intolerance.  My sweet hubby is off work and will be taking great care of me.  I don't think the test itself will be any big deal, but would so appreciate your prayers just the same, that we might get some clear answers on what's up with my stomach and that it'll be something easily "fixable".  Thanks so much, dearies!

I hope you'll join me tomorrow, for the first day of the Countdown!!

National Scrapbooking Day

Hey Crew!  Happy National Scrapbooking Day!  Just a head's up that Two Peas is having a huge celebration including a special sale today, so you might want to check that out!

And also, Studio Calico is having a ton of fun as well....chats with the creative team, challenges, etc.  You can see the full line-up of festivities here (including prize info)!  So if you're looking for something to do today, head over and join the fun!

Smooches!

You Float My Boat

Hey there!!  

Happy Friday!  Ahhh.....don't you just love Fridays with all that glorious hope of a wonderful weekend just waiting to happen, spread out in front of you???  Hahaha.  I kinda like Fridays.  Can you tell?  ;)

So in case you missed it over at the Studio Calico blog today, it is my pleasure to share this little video with you that I created, showing how I made this card start-to-finish, using Studio Calico's fun new Atlantic collection!

 

Um, how cute is that fabric bow?  And the cork circles?  And the woodgrain sequins?  You'll find links to all those fun goodies below.  They're cute though.  Don't say I didn't warn you!

In other news, it SNOWED here yesterday.  On May 2.  SNOW.  In fact, the last time we had snow in May in Kansas City, it was 1907.  Over 100 years ago!  Clearly we live in crazytown.  Thankfully, we didn't get much, but I'm sad for our plants.  The lilacs were just getting ready to pop.  I so hope this crazy snow didn't shock them all too badly.  I guess we'll see.  I'll keep you posted.

So what are you up to this weekend?  Big plans?  I'm off to a baby shower for a dear friend in the morning, and of course we'll go to church Sunday morning.  But beyond that, this weekend is wide open.  And you know what you can do with wide open weekends?  Anything you darn well please!!  Hooray!!

Hope you enjoy your weekend, wide open or otherwise!

xo, 

P.S.  While you're checking out those Atlantic goodies below, you can also get free shipping at Two Peas on orders over $50 in non-clearance sale items.  And, they're having a huge spring clearance sale on over 2,000 items up to 75% off.  You know, just in case you feel like shopping this weekend.  Smooches!  :)

 

{You Float My Boat supplies -- click on thumbnails}

Rockport 12X12 Atlantic Paper Scarborough 12X12 Atlantic Paper Portsmouth 12X12 Atlantic Paper Atlantic Vellum Diecut Shapes Atlantic Circles Cork Stickers Atlantic Fabric Bows Atlantic Sequins Pack Atlantic Anchor Punch Tiny Attacher Tiny Attacher Refills

InLinkz.com

Out To Sea Revisited

Hello there and happy May Day!!  I can't believe the first of May is already upon us but with it brings the Senior Design Team Challenge at Papertrey Ink and this month, we're focusing on the Out To Sea stamp set!  With all things nauticul being totally in fashion right now, it's the perfect time to pull out that set and give it some love!  And not only that, but you may be surprised at how many "new" sets can pair beautifully with it!  I was thrilled to find that this sentiment from Stylish Sentiments: Birthday works perfectly with Out To Sea!

To start off, I layered some pure poppy patterned paper on a kraft card base.  Next, I began stamping on a rustic cream card stock panel, stamping the compass and coordinating directions in pure poppy ink.  At the top of the card, I added a little kraft flag stamped with a sentiment from Out To Sea, using enchanted evening ink.

At the bottom of the cream panel, I stamped the sentiment from Stylish Sentiments: Birthday, using enchanted evening ink, followed by two of the small anchors from Out To Sea.  I also stamped one of the stars from Out To Sea, and cut it out with paper snips, before adhering it to the card front.  Lastly, some rustic jute button twine was tied around the bottom of the card, for one last nautical touch....it reminds me of rope!

Hope you've been inspired to get out your Out To Sea stamp set and give it some love today!  Or perhaps this oldie-but-goodie is now on your wish list?  :)

Either way, be sure to pop over and visit each of the other girls on the Senior Design Team to see their Out To Sea projects!

Betsy Veldman
Heather Nichols
Melissa Phillips
Maile Belles

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Have a great day!

 

{Trip Around the Sun supplies -- click on thumbnails}

Rustic Cream card stock Kraft card stock Pure Poppy pattern pack Stylish Sentiments: Birthday stamp set Pure Poppy ink Enchanted Evening ink Rustic Jute button twine Corner Chomper

InLinkz.com

Studio Calico's Planetarium Revealed

Hi-ya!

Today, I'm popping in to share lots of Studio Calico cards with you!  I made all of these with the Planetarium card kit, the North Star card kit add-on and the Orion scrapbook add-on.  And last I checked, there were still some Planetarium and North Star kits available so hopefully you can pop over and snag one if you'd like!!

These first two cards were made entirely with the Planetarium card kit ONLY.  All the other cards were created with a mix of the three kits.  I did use a Fiskars star punch on this first card, to add the patterned paper stars.

The flower was made by die-cutting woodgrain paper (It's actually a sheet of super thin, adhesive-backed wood!) with Papertrey's beautiful blooms II dies.

The scalloped strip on the right was cut out with the heart border die from Papertrey.

The same flower dies were used here, as well as the Rosie Posie leaf dies.

Papertrey's limitless layers: heart dies were used for both layers of the heart.

More flower dies from the beautiful blooms II collection were used here, as well as the wonderful words: hello die!  

The scalloped circle layer was cut out with a Love Lives Here die.

The scalloped border layer across the top was die cut with the heart border die and the longest flag was cut from that same woodgrain paper with the Get a Handle On It die and stamped with the sentiment right on the wood.

Hope you've enjoyed today's cards!  Back tomorrow with Papertrey's Senior Design Team Challenge!

Have a wonderful day, dearies!

{Planetarium cards supplies -- click on thumbnails}

Planetarium card kit North Star card add-on kit Orion add-on kit Heart Border Die Limitless Layers: 2 1/4" Hearts Die Collection Beautiful Blooms II #1 dies Beautiful Blooms II #3 dies Rosie Posie die collection Love Lives Here die Get A Handle On It Dies Vagabond Sizzix Machine by Tim Holtz Sizzix Solo Wafer Thin Die Adapter Mister Huey's spray mist - pinstripe Mister Huey's - calico white Mister Huey's - passport Mister Huey's spray mist - cameo

InLinkz.com

Make It Monday - Ink Blowing

 

Hello there!! 

So today, it's my turn to share the Make It Monday video with you (it's also over at Nichole Heady's blog) for Papertrey Ink.  I got quite a few comments about a card I made using this blown ink technique for the last Countdown, so I thought I'd show you just how easy it is to make your own!  I hope you'll play along with the challenge and give this a try for yourself.  It's pretty fun!  I'm looking forward to seeing your projects!

If you want to play along, be sure to leave a link to your project over at Nichole's blog!

Have a fabulous day, dear friends!

 

{Fabulous Birthday supplies -- click on thumbnails}

Stamper's Select White card stock Summer Sunrise card stock Tagged Sentiments stamp set Hibiscus Burst ink Limitless Layers: 1 3/4" Circle dies Vagabond Sizzix Machine by Tim Holtz Sizzix Solo Wafer Thin Die Adapter Sunrise Impressions 2 Impression Plate Embossing Pad Kit Hibiscus Burst - ink Refill Lemon Tart - Ink Refill Harvest Gold - Ink Refill Berry Sorbet - Ink Refill

InLinkz.com

 

Happy to be Happy

Hello, Dears.

Do you ever feel unhappy?  We all do at one time or another, don't we?  

One thing that I get a lot of comments on is that I "seem like such a happy person".  I was talking to a friend the other day about how misery loves company and I know there are people out there that generally, don't really trust a happy person.  There are a lot of people that think that if you seem like you're always happy, then you surely must be hiding something because no one can be happy all the time, right?  

Let me be the first to tell you that I am not always happy!  You can ask my husband.  Or my mother.  Or my best friends.  Or my sisters.  (Sisters will always tell it like it is!)  :)  There are always things that happen in my every day life that frustrate me or make me angry or hurt my feelings.  But it's in those moments that I can CHOOSE to be angry or frustrated or hurt or I can choose to be happy, and I try really hard to choose happy as often as possible.  I don't always succeed.  Sometimes in those moments, I just get mad or I throw a big fat fit and then realize that I could have handled that totally differently.  Perhaps even without the big fat fit.  ;)  

Happiness is a choice.  I choose to be happy because I want to FEEL happy.  I choose to be happy so that those around me don't have to spend time with a grump.  Haha!  I choose to write about happy things here at the blog-o because why would you want to hang around here otherwise?!  This is supposed to be a place where you can pop in for a visit and feel uplifted when you leave!  I would love it if you always left my home here on the internet, with a smile on your face.  When you leave your time with me, I hope that you feel happy too!

I'm happy to be happy!  What about you?

P.S.  The photo above, is one I snapped on my iPhone of one of our hyacinth blooms.  They didn't do so well this year....we had a hard winter and I think a lot of them must have frozen.  But how pretty is this one?!  :)

 

Studio Calico's Planetarium Sneaks

Hello and happy Fa-riiiiiiday!  (said in my best sing-songy voice!)

It's Friday and that means that it's practically the weekend which means that it's just gotta be a great day, right?  Because weekends are made for greatness!

To kick off this great weekend, I've got some Studio Calico sneaks to share with you.  I made these using the Planetarium card kit, the North Star card kit add-on and the Orion scrapbook kit add-on.  These kits will be available on April 27th (so, tomorrow!).

Um, who doesn't love a woodgrain flower?!  

And woodgrain die cut words?  Also swoon-worthy!  Studio Calico kits + Papertrey dies = match made in Heaven!

Hope you have a fabulous weekend!  I'm looking forward to spending some fun time with my hottie hubs and to singing at church on Sunday.  It's gonna be great!

Hope yours is great too!

xo,

Favorite Things

So, how about if I share a few of my Favorite Things with you today?  It's been awhile since I've done one of these posts too....much too long, in fact!  

So I shared this photo on Instagram and Twitter the other day, of some new polishes I'd picked up.  Of course, the one in the middle is my beloved Chinchilly -- I've told you about that one before, in a previous Favorite Things post.  It's a color that is practically perfect in every way, as Mary Poppins would say.  I've just about worn out my old bottle of it and had to get a new one.  It's just that good!

Side note: In case you want to follow me, you can find me HERE ON INSTAGRAM and HERE ON TWITTER.  You can also just search "dawnsing" in either place, and you'll find me.  I share lots of little photos and such in both places, that don't always make it here on the blog-o.  But you can keep up with my day-to-day bits of this and that in either place.  :)

Mint Candy Apple by Essie

So back to the polishes.....a new favorite is the one on the left, Mint Candy Apple.  I have it on as I type this, in fact.  It's fresh, fun, springy and cheery.  I'll let you know about the green (Mojito Madness)....I haven't actually worn it yet.  But goodness, isn't it pretty in the bottle?!

 

Hello Flawless custom powder cover-up by Benefit

This powder is so cool!  You can use it with the sponge applicator for more coverage, and on days when that's the ONLY foundation you're wearing.  I like it when I'm in a hurry and don't want to mess with liquid foundation too.  OR, you can use it with a brush for a lighter finish, over a liquid foundation.  In both cases, it gives a smooth, not super powdery finish that is really pretty.

Hello Flawless oxygen wow brightening make-up by Benefit

And of course, you can also get the liquid foundation of the same name, which I really like to use in conjunction with the powder on days when I want a bit more coverage.  And who doesn't love that name....Hello, Flawless?!  Haha. 

And of course, we couldn't talk about my Favorite Things without including a few crafty loves! Have you seen these gorgeous new lines by My Mind's Eye yet?!  

 

These are the covers of the 6x6 paper pads so that you get a feel for each collection's color scheme, but of course with each collection, there are all sorts of darling embellishments and such to coordinate!  I'll link to each collection below!

Cambridge Court collection

 

Oxford Lane collection

 

Up & Away collection -- this one's my favie-fave!  Just look at those dreamy colors!

 

Sky's the Limit collection

 

Another little crafty item I've fallen a bit in love with lately, is sequins.  Not just any sequins, mind you, but the really really pretty ones!  Like these I recently got from Ellen Hutson's store.  I LOVE them. They're super pretty in real life!  She has quite a few colors of sequins in stock.

I got Berry, Watermelon, Melon and Dill.  (Berry is the one on the bottom left, Watermelon is the darker of the two over on the right, Melon is the lightest -- bottom center, and of course Dill is the green)

I also got the paint palette from Ellen's store.  Very handy and only 2 bucks!

Oh, and for those of you wondering how to adhere sequins to your projects, I just use some glossy accents on the back.  Works like a charm!

All righty, that about wraps it up for today!  Hope you've enjoyed my favorite things!  Have you tried any of these?  What did you think?  Do you have a favorite thing that you'd like to share?  Feel free to tell me about it in the comments section!

I'm off to get my hair cut this afternoon -- it's gotten LONG.  And then it's small group night.  And the theme for dinner is Asian food so I'll be fixing my own version of Asian chicken and rice soup.  But you know me...I don't really follow recipes too much.  I like to wing it.  

Oh, and I'll also be making brownies.  Of course.  

Book Report

Time for another book report post!  I haven't shared any good books here in awhile and it's high time I did.  Here are a few I've read recently and enjoyed....

Grave Consequences by Lisa T. Bergren

This one is the second in a series of three and of course, book three isn't out yet and this one will kind of leave you hanging, while waiting on said book three.  Grrr.  :)  Don't say I didn't warn you.  

Side note: I've been reading Lisa's books for at least 15 years or so now.  She's always a favorite.  

The Icecutter's Daughter by Tracie Peterson

This one was good.  Really good.  It had twists and turns and drama and some mushy love (but totally clean -- no smut here!).....read it.  I think you'll like it.  :)

Side note: I've also been reading Tracie's books for some 15+ years now.  She's always a favorite too.  Always. 

The Tutor's Daughter by Julie Klassen

Another "so-and-so's daughter" book.  Haha.  

Now this one was really good.....this one had mystery and intrigue and what I imagine to be a spectacularly gorgeous localle.  Books set in Europe always have a certain appeal for me.  But this one had a great storyline too.  

Side note: I haven't been reading Julie's books for too long, but so far, I think I've really enjoyed everything I've ever read by her.  I think I've shared a few of her other titles with you in past Book Report posts.

A Promise to Love by Serena B. Miller

Oh, I absolutely adored this one mostly because I fell head over heels in love with the leading lady -- so strong and courageous, such a hard worker and with so much character and such a great heart.  I think I could be friends with her.  If she were real, of course.  Ha.  This was a really good one.  I've said that about them all, haven't I?  Well, it's true.  This one was really.....just......oh, read it!  Say you will!  And then let me know how you like it!

In other news, I know some of you have been wondering (and asking! thank you!) how I've been feeling since eating gluten again in preparation for a celiac/gluten test.  I've been feeling so much better than I thought I would at this point!  Thank you SO much for continuing to pray for me!  I can feel your prayers and am beyond grateful!  It seems as though, if I eat much smaller meals (whether gluten or not), I seem to be able to avoid the worst of the symptoms.  Of course I have to eat more often since I'm hungry more often, but at least I've been feeling somewhat decent and for that, I'm just so thankful.  Just two weeks to go till my test and then we'll go from there.  In the meantime, I had a donut for the first time in like 8 months - YUM!  And I've been enjoying lots of other favorites that I haven't had in ages.  Small portions but still so yummy!  :)

xo,

Little Miss Sawyer

So on Saturday, after we spent the morning at the marathon cheering on our friends, we got to spend part of the afternoon with this adorable family!  This is our niece, Raegen and her husband Andy -- you may remember me telling you about their wedding at the barn -- and this little peanut is their doll-baby, Sawyer!  Sawyer is our great-niece and she's just a week older than our nephew, Benjamin.  They live out of state (they're military) so we don't get to see them very often.

Seriously, aren't they such a cute little family?!

We went to a park and had a little photo shoot.  It was sunny and chilly and Little Miss Sawyer was not interested in smiling in the least.  ;)  In fact, we were lucky to get her to look up at all.

And then we went to Starbucks where it was warm and cozy and the sun wasn't in her eyes, and Little Miss smiled up a storm at Uncle Bart!  Sweet pea!

And then she fought her sleep.  And fought it.  And fought it.  But there's one thing she didn't know.  This is Auntie Dawn.  I have a bit of a reputation for being able to get babies to sleep.  No baby can resist the bounce and sway and booty-pat all at the same time.  It's the trifecta of putting babies to sleep. 

See?

Gah.  Those cheeks!!  It was a busy Saturday, but it was a full-of-happy sort of Saturday and those are the best kind, wouldn't you say?

Land of the Free, Home of the Brave

I'm in a Bible study with several girls from church and yesterday, a couple of those girls and some of their family members ran in a half marathon.  We went to cheer them on along the way, and then as we waited at the finish line, I looked to my left across a huge field and that gorgeous flag and firetruck that you see above, are what I saw.  I can't tell you how poignant it felt to realize that we'd gone to sleep Friday night with the news that they'd caught the second Boston marathon bomber and then to wake up the next morning and head out to cheer on our own marathoners.  It was a really special thing to be a part of and I felt so proud, as I looked over and saw that flag, that firetruck and that firefighter.  I felt proud of all of the first responders and law enforcement agencies that have worked together this week, as we've had a couple of pretty huge and devastating events around our country, both in Boston and in Texas.  I felt so proud of our flag and this country -- the land of the free, the home of the brave.  

And I felt proud of these two girls....my sweet friends, running with smiles on their faces.

I'm so glad we got to be a part of this special race on this particular morning.  So touching.

And I'm so glad we get to live in the land of the free, the home of the brave.

 

Because Sometimes...

....you just need to get out your great-grandmother's teapot, a favorite vintage table cloth, a cup of coffee, and just put on some soothing music and spend a little time reading God's Word and soaking up His promises.  I've discovered, after living here for 12 years, that one corner of the dining room has the most gorgeous morning light....the perfect little spot for some quiet time.  (How did I not know this before now?)

This was the scene in our dining room yesterday morning.  After getting sucked into CNN for way too long, watching live coverage of a manhunt, after walking Windsor and seeing someone sleeping in a neighborhood gazebo (and worrying for the elderly widow living nearby), and after making my own non-emergency call to the police just to check the situation out and calling said elderly neighbor to check on her, I felt a bit....unsettled.  So I pulled out my great-grandma's teapot for no other reason than it makes me happy to look at it and I treasure it so because my memories of her are few (she passed away when I was little).  I put on some worship music (songs we sing at our church)....that music always helps to ground me and bring my mind back around to what's most important and I spent time time reading my Bible and praying.  Just what I needed.  Ahhh.  

When the world feels a little bit topsy-turvy, I'm so glad there's HOPE.  There's goodness!  There's beauty!  There's even JOY.

Wishing you a beautiful Saturday, dearies!

xoxo,

Floral Cupcake Toppers

I don't know about you, but who doesn't love a cupcake, right?  I've got a darling gift idea for you today....pick up a cupcake from your favorite bakery (or make your own!), add some colorful cupcake toppers and tuck it all in a charming little ceramic berry basket for the perfect springtime gift!  Drop one off to a friend who could use a little pick-me-up, leave one on a co-worker's desk for a surprise birthday treat, or even take one as a thank you to a hostess!  These could also be used as adorable party favors.....you could simply get disposable berry baskets to make them a bit more affordable!  

To get started, you'll want to die cut and stamp your flowers (also die cut 2 flowers for the back sides) and leaves.  I used the Beautiful Blooms II dies and the new Happiness in Bloom stamp set here and stamped the largest flower using raspberry fizz, pure poppy and dark chocolate inks.  The smaller flower was stamped with summer sunrise, orange zest and dark chocolate inks and both layers of the leaves were stamped with simply chartreuse ink.

You'll also need some lollipop sticks.  I got these in the cake decorating/candy making section at Michael's.

Cover the backs of all the flowers (both the stamped "front" flowers and the plain "back side" flowers) with scor tape.

Next, simply put the front flower together with the back flower, sandwiching the stick and the leaves in between the two flowers.  Easy peasy!!  Having both of the flowers covered with adhesive, helps to ensure that everything is really securely held together.

All that's left is to pop them in the cupcake!  You could also easily add a little banner on a stick, with a "Happy birthday" or "Happy spring" sentiment, or the like.  

I'm fairly certain that a gift like this would brighten just about anyone's day!  Don't you think?

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Have a great day! 

{Floral Cupcake Toppers supplies -- click on thumbnails}

Rustic Cream card stock Happiness In Bloom Stamp Set Beautiful Blooms II #1 dies Vagabond Sizzix Machine by Tim Holtz Sizzix Solo Wafer Thin Die Adapter Summer Sunrise ink Orange Zest ink Raspberry Fizz ink Pure Poppy ink Simply Chartreuse ink Dark Chocolate Ink Summer Sunrise buttons Raspberry Fizz buttons Rustic Jute button twine Scor-Tape

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What a Week

Hello there, sweet friends....

What a week this has been.  With all that has taken place in Boston this week, my thoughts -- as I'm sure yours have too -- have turned to those hurting, those broken, those suffering in Boston and around the country.  My thoughts have turned from me to others.

Even before the awful bombing took place, we were at our small group last week and the same sort of thing was happening in my heart and mind even then.  

Side note: Does your church have small groups?  Maybe they're called community groups or life groups or Bible studies?  If they do and you haven't gotten involved yet, I would so encourage you to try it out.  I can't tell you how blessed we've been by getting together weekly with the same group of people -- people who have become really great friends -- and eating a meal together, chasing kiddos together, sharing our hearts together, and praying together.  It's been awesome.

So back to this week...or last week, really.  We were at small group.  One of the gals in the group has had a serious health issue for years now and doctors can't seem to figure out what's going on to cause the problem.  She seems healthy except for this one issue.  There was also a couple there that we hadn't met before.  Turns out, she's also been struggling with a serious health issue for a year now and going thru tests and doctor's appointments to try to figure out what is going on.  And I've told you all about my health issues lately, and the fact that I'm also going thru testing to figure out what is causing my symptoms.  So this felt pretty amazing to "end up" in a group with other girls that are also going thru some pretty huge things in their lives -- things that quite honestly, seem much worse than mine.  (And no, I don't think we all "ended up" in a group together by accident!)  And you know what my new friend said?  She said that lately, she'd really felt like God was speaking to her heart, encouraging her to focus on HIM rather than on the illness.  Rather than on the uncertainty.  And the thought occurred to me that in focusing on feeling cruddy all the time, I'm ultimately focusing on ME and that is just a tad bit selfish.  This last week, I've really felt challenged to focus less on ME and more on OTHERS and then I end up in a group with other girls who have serious issues that I can pray for.  And then this horrific bombing took place, and again, I could choose to focus less on ME and more on others.  I can pray for those in Boston.  I can pray for those all around this country that are directly or indirectly affected by what's taken place in Boston.  I can focus more on being kind to those around me.  On reaching out to a friend who's just had a baby and might need a meal dropped off.  On spending time investing in friendships.  

I don't know about you, but with all that has happened in the last week, it's just really reiterated to me, that it's not all about ME.  It never was!  And in spite of the struggles I myself might be facing, it feels SO much better to focus my heart and mind on God and on others, than to focus on me.  

Whatever your situation, whatever your struggles (because we ALL have struggles at one time or another), I encourage you to shift your focus off of you and your situation and to focus more on others.  Do a kind deed.  Pray for a friend.  Pray for those in Boston.  Reach out and lend a hand to someone in need.  Pick up the phone and call or send a quick text or even a card (remember actual mail?!) to encourage someone else...to brighten their day.  You'll be so glad you did.

I'm thinking of YOU today, dear friends...

much love,

P.S.  I snapped both of these pictures the other day on my iPhone, while out walking with Windsor.  There is such beauty all around us.  Sometimes you just have to get out and look for it.

Benja-boo

Benja-boo, Benjamin, Bugaboo, Baby Ben, Benny-benny-boo-boo-boo, Little Man, Sweetie-pie, Smiley Pants......I could go on.  This boy has quite the list of pet names and let me tell you, he's earned each and every one.  He also has quite the fan club and I think he's pretty happy about it.  He smiles ALL. THE. TIME.  All the time!  All you have to do is speak to him....heck sometimes, all you have to do is LOOK at him, and he smiles!  Cutest thing ever!

(Please pardon the slobber on his pants -- haha.)

He's 4 months old now and as you can see, is growing like a weed.  He's at that great squishy stage where he's chunked up and is completely and utterly squeezable and smooshy.  He also gets heavy quite quickly these days!  lol!

He and I had quite a lengthy discussion on Sunday, in which he told me all about his thoughts on life in general and it was so fun!  Ok, I made the part up about his thoughts on life in general.....but we did have quite a long talk, Baby Ben and I.  He smiled and squawked and cooed and almost laughed over and over.  It was dreamy.  :)  I love that boy!  

Here he is sitting on Grandma's lap (my mom).  He was looking at his mama (my sister) and getting ready to smile.  Again.  :)  

Can I just tell you how much I love that he's such a smiley baby?!  It's completely adorable!  I can't wait for that boy to come have a sleep over with Auntie Dawn and Uncle Bart.  We're gonna have all kinds of fun!  Until then, we'll just keep having chats about whatever he wants to chat about.  

Today is my parents' 40th Anniversary!!  Yes, 40 years!  Quite an accomplishment in this day and age.  I'm so proud of them!  

Happy anniversary, Mom & Dad!  Have fun on your hot date tonight!  Love you!  

And a very happy Tuesday, to the rest of you!

xo,

Papertrey Ink - April Release Wrap-Up

Hi there!  

Well it's finally here.....it's release day at Papertrey which means that tonight at 10pm EST, all of the new products we've been showcasing this week will finally be available for purchase!  To help you finalize your wish list, each of the design team girls have a few more projects to share, showcasing the rest of the new releases.  

First up is a card that makes me SO happy!  Gah.  It showcases Nichole Heady's gorgeous Happiness in Bloom stamp set as well as Maile Belles' new Sketched Shapes stamp set and dies.

Next up is a fun little birthday card for the handyman -- or woman! -- in your life!  It features Lizzie Jones' Handy Hardware stamp set as well as more of Mailes' Sketched Shapes.

One more for today.....this one focusing on Melissa Bickford's Polka Dot Parade #3.  That recliner makes me think of my husband's favorite chair, when we got married.  It was affectionately named "the big orange chair"!  Haha!  I'm sorry to tell you that we still own that chair.  ;)  Thankfully though, it's hidden away where almost no one ever sees it!  LOL!

Be sure to check out everyone else's release wrap-up posts! 

Nichole Heady 

Betsy Veldman
Melissa Phillips
Jessica Witty
Danielle Flanders
Ashley Newell 
Erin Lincoln 
Heather Nichols
Maile Belles
Cristina Kowalczyk

 

Have you made your wish list and checked it twice?  What's topping the charts for you this month?  

Happy shopping!

 

 

{Hello My Friend supplies -- click on thumbnails}

Rustic Cream card stock Aqua Mist card stock Simply Chartreuse card stock Beautiful Blooms II #1 dies Vagabond Sizzix Machine by Tim Holtz Sizzix Solo Wafer Thin Die Adapter Hawaiian Shores ink Pure Poppy ink Ripe Avocado ink Raspberry Fizz ink Darling Dear opaque gems - brights Mister Huey's spray mist - Dewey

InLinkz.com

{Happy Birthday supplies}

Rustic Cream card stock Aqua Mist card stock Vagabond Sizzix Machine by Tim Holtz Sizzix Solo Wafer Thin Die Adapter Smokey Shadow ink Aqua Mist ink Hawaiian Shores ink

InLinkz.com

{Relax supplies}

Rustic Cream card stock Kraft card stock Dark Chocolate card stock Dark Chocolate Pattern Pack Vagabond Sizzix Machine by Tim Holtz Sizzix Solo Wafer Thin Die Adapter Terracotta Tile ink Dark Chocolate Ink Vintage Touch Tea Dye Duo ink Basic Grey Brass Stars

InLinkz.com

Star Gazer + more Boutique Borders: Father

Hi-ya!  

So today we have another fun Papertrey Group Post for you and today, we're focusing on two new stamp sets designed by Nichole Heady, Star Gazer and Star Gazer additions and as you'll see, I paired them both up with my Boutique Borders: Father!  

 

On this first card, I stamped the vintage star chart from Star Gazer Additions using palette noir ink and then watercolored on some raspberry fizz ink.  To that, I stamped some stars (also from Star Gazer Additions) using pure poppy ink and then splattered on some Mister Huey's spray mist in pinstripe and calico white.  I also stamped one half of the frame from Boutique Borders: Father on the side and bottom of the star chart, using raspberry fizz ink.

Lastly, I stamped a lovey sentiment from Star Gazer Additions in pure poppy and added some die cut raspberry fizz stars that were cut out with one of the new Star Gazer dies!  Before adhering the entire panel to the raspberry fizz card base, I tucked a little pure poppy flag between the two layers.

 

So on this next card, I pulled out a couple of the new shimmer card stocks that Papertrey is introducing this month!  The blue shimmer card stock works so well with the starry night background!

I stamped several of the constellation images from Star Gazer on the Sapphire Shimmer card stock using fresh snow ink.  Then I die cut a moon using the new Star Gazer dies and some White Shimmer card stock.

For the sentiment, I die cut the Boutique Borders: Father frame from stamper's select white card stock and stamped the coordinating frame using blueberry sky ink.  On top of that, I layered a strip of White Shimmer card stock on which I stamped a sentiment from Star Gazer using pure poppy ink.  The red ink comes out sort of soft on the shimmer card stock.  Also, if you look closely, you can see the difference between the White Shimmer and Stamper's Select White card stocks.  The shimmer white is a bit softer white.

The card base is plum pudding and a strip of stamper's select white card stock was tucked in on the right side.

Before I go, how about a couple more Boutique Borders: Father cards, huh?  :)

This card is pretty simple but it makes me so happy!!  Check out the cool frame I was able to create with Boutique Borders: Father!  I showed you earlier in the week how you can line up the ends of the lines to create a larger frame, but by allowing the lines to overlap, you can create a more compact square.  I love how this turned out!  I tucked in a "thanks" sentiment from Mat Stack 4 Collection and then topped it with some Rosie Posie die cut flowers.  The leaves were stamped with simply chartreuse ink, the left flower was stamped with raspberry fizz and pure poppy inks and the right flower was stamped with summer sunrise and orange zest inks.

One more for today.  I know how often I hear that masculine cards are such a challenge for a lot of card makers, so hopefully you've gotten lots of inspiration this week on how to create cards for guys, with ease!

For this one, I started out by stamping Background Basics: Newsprint a couple of times, not worrying about lining them up.  They were stamped off on scratch paper first, to soften the smokey shadow color.  Next, I splattered on some Mister Huey's spray mist in pinstripe.  I love pinstripe, because it dries to an almost vintage-y looking gray.  Next, I stamped the sentiment from Boutique Borders: Father on the left using smokey shadow ink (at full strength).

1 1/2" squares of various patterned papers in green tones were cut and adhered in a strip and on the simply chartreuse bitty dot paper, I stamped the leaf image from Boutique Borders: Father a couple of times with simply chartreuse ink.  Lastly, to further accent the sentiment, I added a couple of gray Studio Calico gems.  

That's it for me today, but I'll be back tomorrow with a wrap up of the rest of my release projects!  Hope to see you then!  In the meantime, head over to see the rest of the DT Girls Star Gazer projects!

Nichole Heady 

Betsy Veldman
Melissa Phillips
Jessica Witty
Danielle Flanders
Ashley Newell 
Erin Lincoln 
Heather Nichols
Maile Belles
Cristina Kowalczyk

Plus, Melissa Bickford and Lizzie Jones will have another peek or two at their newest stamp sets!

I hope you've enjoyed all of the Boutique Borders: Father sneak peeks this week!  It's been fun!  See you tomorrow!  

 

 

{To the Stars & Back supplies -- click on thumbnails}

Rustic Cream card stock Raspberry Fizz card stock Pure Poppy card stock Palette Noir Black ink Raspberry Fizz ink Mister Huey's - calico white Mister Huey's spray mist - pinstripe

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{Moon & Stars supplies}

Stamper's Select White card stock Plum Pudding card stock Pure Poppy ink Blueberry Sky ink Fresh Snow ink Vagabond Sizzix Machine by Tim Holtz Sizzix Solo Wafer Thin Die Adapter

InLinkz.com

{Thanks supplies}

Rustic Cream card stock Kraft card stock Rosie Posie stamp set Rosie Posie Step 2 Stamp Set Rosie Posie die collection Vagabond Sizzix Machine by Tim Holtz Sizzix Solo Wafer Thin Die Adapter Summer Sunrise ink Orange Zest ink Raspberry Fizz ink Pure Poppy ink Simply Chartreuse ink Dark Chocolate Ink

InLinkz.com

{Love You, Dad supplies}

Rustic Cream card stock New Leaf pattern pack Ripe Avocado Pattern Pack Simply Chartreuse pattern pack Background Basics: Newsprint stamp set Smokey Shadow ink Simply Chartreuse ink Mister Huey's spray mist - pinstripe Darling Dear opaque gems - brights

InLinkz.com

Big Ticket Basics + more Boutique Borders: Father

Hi there!  

Welcome back!  Today, it's Group Post time at Papertrey so each of the Design Team members have projects to share with you!  This time, we're showcasing a fun new set designed by Nichole Heady called Big Ticket Basics!  There is, of course, a coordinating die that cuts out a strip of these jumbo tickets and then you can mix and match images from the stamp set to create really fun tickets in any color combos you can dream up!  

Each of us have created some sort of scrapbooking type project to share as well as a card.  I couldn't resist using the "You make me smile" ticket on a scrapbook page about our sweet, goofy Windsor.  However once I got to stamping, I decided to use bits from almost all of the tickets to create these fun strips!

On either side of Windsor's picture, I stamped the leaf image from Boutique Borders: Father a couple times as an accent.

To the right of his picture, I stamped the frame from Boutique Borders: Father as well as an arrow from Big Ticket Basics and then simply wrote in his name.

How fun are these ticket strips?  The fun part about the tickets is how many options there are for making them multi-colored by stamping two different images in different colors on the same ticket.  I love that!  So cleverly designed!  Makes them so much more fun and interesting!

I used the "Note to remember" ticket to serve as a place for a bit of journaling.  I also arranged the ticket strips so that the "Best Day Ever" ticket only really shows "best" and "ever", making it more appropriate for this particular page.  

You can also see the calendar ticket on the bottom....to that one, I wrote in the year the photo was taken and added a little stamped heart (also from Big Ticket Basics).

I stamped the "Remember this" from Big Ticket Basics a few times in the lower right corner, not reinking between stamping.  Lastly, I stitched a couple of rows with my sewing machine.

Next up, a card using the "You make me smile" ticket.  I simply die cut two strips, tore the tickets apart and stamped them mixing up my three colors of choice on each ticket -- new leaf, hawaiian shores and dark chocolate.  

Each are adhered flat to the card except for the dark chocolate ticket, which was adhered with foam adhesive.  Chocolate baker's twine wrapped around the green/brown portion of the card finished things off.

One more for you.....this one pairs the fun tickets from Big Ticket Basics with Boutique Borders: Father for a fun and potentially interactive Father's Day card!

I die cut and stamped several tickets with the "Hooray - It's your day!" image and then tucked them into a library pocket die cut.

On the library pocket, I stamped the frame and a sentiment from Boutique Borders: Father.  Simple and fun and to make it a bit more interactive, you can even write a bonus message for Dad on the back of the tickets!

All righty then, be sure to visit each of the Design Team girls to see their Big Ticket Basics projects!

Nichole Heady 

Betsy Veldman
Melissa Phillips
Jessica Witty
Danielle Flanders
Ashley Newell 
Erin Lincoln 
Heather Nichols
Maile Belles
Cristina Kowalczyk

Plus, Melissa Bickford and Lizzie Jones will have another peek or two at their newest stamp sets!

Thanks so much for visiting me today!  I appreciate you spending part of your day with me!

xo, 

 

 

{Windsor McVey supplies -- click on thumbnails}

Rustic Cream card stock Kraft card stock Dark Chocolate Ink New Leaf ink Hawaiian Shores ink Vagabond Sizzix Machine by Tim Holtz Sizzix Solo Wafer Thin Die Adapter

InLinkz.com

{You Make Me Smile supplies}

Rustic Cream card stock Dark Chocolate card stock Hawaiian Shores card stock New Leaf pattern pack Vagabond Sizzix Machine by Tim Holtz Sizzix Solo Wafer Thin Die Adapter New Leaf ink Hawaiian Shores ink Dark Chocolate Ink Chocolate Baker's Twine

InLinkz.com

{Love You, Dad supplies}

Rustic Cream card stock Kraft card stock Dark Chocolate card stock Hawaiian Shores card stock Library Pocket die Vagabond Sizzix Machine by Tim Holtz Sizzix Solo Wafer Thin Die Adapter Dark Chocolate Ink Hawaiian Shores ink Pure Poppy ink Corner Chomper

InLinkz.com

Boutique Borders: Father - Day 3

Hello there!  It's Day 3 of the Papertrey April Countdown and today I've got a few more peeks at my new Boutique Borders: Father stamp set to share with you!

All of the new products you're getting peeks at this week will be available for purchase at Papertrey Ink beginning on April 15 at 10pm EST.

For this first card, I paired up Boutique Borders: Father with a new stamp set by Lizzie Jones called Handy Hardware, that Nichole is showcasing on her blog today!  I started out by stamping one half of the Boutique Borders: Father frame four times, to create a frame.  I love doing this to create a completely different look with that stamp!  Plus, the straight lines on the frame image make it easy to line up.  Just use the ends of the lines as your guide!

Next, I die cut the tools and stamped them with the coordinating images from Handy Hardware, using a little masking with scotch tape, to stamp the different colored handles.  I also stamped off once each time before stamping on the die cut, when stamping the smokey shadow portion of each tool, to get a slightly lighter gray.

At the top of the card, I stamped a sentiment from Handy Hardware using smokey shadow ink (at full strength).

Along the bottom portion of the card, I stamped the nuts border image from Handy Hardware using (stamped off) smokey shadow ink and just above it, I stamped just part of a sentiment from Boutique Borders: Father using full strength smokey shadow ink.  I simply covered the other part of the sentiment with scotch tape while inking it up, removed the tape and stamped.  That way, I could get the "love you, dad" portion of the sentiment ONLY since I was making a birthday card, rather than a Father's Day card.  Again, another way to get more bang for your crafting buck!  ;)

Next up, I wanted to talk to you again, about the little leaf image from Boutique Borders: Father.  If you look at the photo above, you can see what it looks like when you stamp it twice, end to end.  I showed you a background pattern I'd created yesterday, doing this very thing.

However, if you turn the stamp 90* and do that same thing again, you can create this beautiful diamond shape!  You'll just overlap the bottom two leaves, which makes it easy to line up and also makes the center of the diamond a smidge darker than the rest, which gives it a really pretty added color detail!

And here is the whole background on a card.  I added a strip of rustic cream card stock over on the right side and adhered the whole panel with foam adhesive. 

Lastly, I die cut the Boutique Borders: Father frame from rustic cream card stock and stamped the coordinating frame with hawaiian shores ink.  Lastly, I pulled out a couple sentiments from my Glory Be stamp set and stamped them in dark chocolate ink.

One more for today.....this one couldn't be easier and it was so fun too!  I simply used reinkers to drop a couple drops of ink on the card and then blew at it thru a straw.  I just did one color at a time....you really have to 'let go' with this type of card.  You can't control exactly where that ink is going to go, which I think is part of the fun.  I think.  That is, of course, unless you have crafty control issues which I just might have.  Haha!!  Anyway, I think the end result is very fun and colorful!

I stamped the frame from Boutique Borders: Father in true black ink over the top of the splatters, after they were dry.  Then, I pulled out a sentiment from Boutique Borders: Birthday, to stamp in the frame.  Don't forget that you can mix and match the sentiments from some of these Boutique Borders sets!!  Very handy!

That about wraps it up for me today.  But you'll want to be sure to visit Nichole Heady, Maile Belles & Jessica Witty for lots more sneak peeks.  Heather Nichols, Lizzie Jones and Melissa Bickford will have peeks at their new sets as well.

Hope you have a great day, friends!

{Cut Above supplies -- click on thumbnails}

Rustic Cream card stock Kraft card stock Vagabond Sizzix Machine by Tim Holtz Sizzix Solo Wafer Thin Die Adapter Dark Chocolate Ink Smokey Shadow ink Pure Poppy ink

InLinkz.com

{Goodness Gracious supplies}

Rustic Cream card stock Aqua Mist card stock Hawaiian Shores card stock Glory Be stamp set Vagabond Sizzix Machine by Tim Holtz Sizzix Solo Wafer Thin Die Adapter Hawaiian Shores ink Dark Chocolate Ink

InLinkz.com

{Happy Birthday supplies}

Stamper's Select White card stock Summer Sunrise ink Pure Poppy ink New Leaf ink Hawaiian Shores ink True Black ink Raspberry Fizz ink

InLinkz.com