Hello friends and happy Monday! I've got so much to share with you today:

• Happy 2nd Anniversary Unity
• Winner @Hero Arts
• Paper Posies May kit release
• My designs with the new kit
  
• Lily Bee design sketch challenge
• Moxie Fab sketch challenge
  

First I'd like to wish Angela and the Unity gang a Happy 2nd Anniversary!!

Come join the fun all week long at the Unity blog & visit the Splitcoast Stampers forum and make some great friends here!

Thursday I got a nice email from one of my scrappy pals directing me over to the Hero blog. Here's what I discovered

My card was picked as a winner for April's Hero Arts challenge

I've been dying to share my May kit creations from Paper Posies. Today is our reveal! Here's this month's kit:

Here's what's in the kit

12x12 Patterned Paper/Specialty Papers:

• American Crafts Dear Lizzy Garden Gala Fabric Paper
• American Crafts Dear Lizzy Cheerful Cherries Glitter
• American Crafts Dear Lizzy Picking Pansies, Double-sided
• American Crafts Dear Lizzy Humble Honeybee, Double-sided
• American Crafts Dear Lizzy Dragonfly Dance, Double-sided
• American Crafts Dear Lizzy Sweet Strawberry, Double-sided
• American Crafts Dear Lizzy Lazy Ladybug, Double-sided
• Lilly Bee Designs Splendid, Double-sided
• Lilly Bee Designs Parasol, Double-sided
  

Cardstocks:

• 2 Bazzill Blossom
• 2 Bazzill Pollen
• 2 Bazzill Jetstream
• 2 Bazzill Turqoise Mist
  

Embellishments:

• American Crafts Bliss Glitter Letter Stickers, Clover
• Pink Paislee Expressions Alphas, Coconut
• American Crafts Patterned Chipboard Shapes
• American Crafts Chirp Details
• 1/3 pkg. American Crafts Crocheted Flowers
• 4 Mini Wooden Clothespins

Ribbons:

• 1 yard American Crafts Botanique
• 1 yard American Crafts Abode
  

Altered Project:

Rectangular Paper Mache Box with Snap

WOW! That alot of yummy goodies to play with! If you're interested in signing up click over to Paper Posies here. We also have a Ning group that's tons of fun. Swing on by and say hi here!

Here's a few of my designs with this month's beautiful kit!

My altered project created with Glimmer Mist and a handmade paper rose

And in between all this scrapping I had time to create a few cards for some fun challenges I wanted to play along with.

This is a sketch challenge for Lily Bee designs



And Moxie Fab's got a sketch challenge I wanted to give a try. Here's the sketch from Go to Gal: Kim Kesti



Here's my take on the sketch with Lily Bee and Unity & Hero Arts stamps


I just love this pic of my kids, pure silliness and it makes for a great card!

Whew! How's that for creativity. Thanks so very much for stopping by today and checking out my designs. It's always a pleasure to have you!

Stamping with Imaginisce Snag 'em stamps

Hello friends! Today I'd like to post a little tutorial about stamping with the new Imaginisce Snag 'em stamps from the To Love & Cherish line. Before I started designing for Imaginisce I loved these little stamps because they were so inexpensive (MSRP 1.99) and they stamped beautiful images.
There are many of scrapbookers who are afraid to use stamps with their layouts or cards but if you take the leap, the result can be beautiful!

So let's start by showing you what you need to stamp with the Snag 'em stamps

A clear 2x2 acrylic block like this one from Close To My Heart works great or any acrylic block will hold your Imaginisce stamp from the To Love & Cherish collection.

Next I like to use Versafine Black Onyx ink from Versamark. It really picks up the fine details in the stamps you use.

When you first get a brand new acrylic stamp it's best to rub the stamp lightly with an eraser like the one on a regular pencil. This will ensure that when you stamp your images they don't leave a beaded look when you stamp them on the paper.

Next you just start stamping your image and just using the eye to spacing. I like to stamp on a thin foam pad. It ensures that the stamped image is evenly distributed on the paper. You can find this foam in any store that carries packing supplies.

One of the benefits of using the foam is that you can stamp your image

And then wipe it away with a baby wipe. When you use paper under paper then you waste a piece of good paper.

Now that you've created a wallpaper of flowers on your card stock, it's time to emboss the image. I use clear embossing powder but it you wanted to image to be really black you could use black embossing powder. I keep my embossing powder in a sandwich storage container and use a spoon to sprinkle it over my image and then tap the excess back into the container. This method is virtually mess free.

Now that your stamped images are covered in embossing powder it's time to get out your heat tool.

I made this embossing pad from tin foil and a piece of cardboard after I warped my 12x12 cutting mat that is not designed for heat. It's cheap and easy to make and I reinforced the edges with Japanese masking tape because it takes heat emboss too.

Now most important is that you clean your stamps after you are done stamping. If you do this your stamps will stay clear longer. I use baby wipes to clean my stamps but you must make sure you buy the wipes without lanolin in them.

Now that you've stamped your card stock layer it with some black and add some pearls to the center of your flowers and a sentiment and there you have it.

Thanks for stopping by today and if you have any questions about using stamps please leave a comment and I will be happy to answer them.

I love color!

Hello friends! This week's challenge at Jacksonbelle Embellishments is to use your favorite Jacksonbelle product. Well that wasn't too hard for me since I love the new Basic Grey Green at Heart line and I love love love their fabric brads!! This line is so beautiful and the color is just jumping off the papers in this collection.
Haven't gotten your hands on this line from Basic Grey yet? No worries, you can pre-order it at the store so run on over!
So here's this week's card with lots of color!

Supplies: My Favorite Things Pure Innocence stamp, Basic Grey Green at Heart pattern paper, fabric brad and sticker. Hero Arts rhinestones. Fiskers punches & Copic markers.
Now be sure and visit the other Design Team members blogs to see what their favorite Jacksonbelle projects are

Dawn Lusk

Julie Lacey

Heather Pulvirenti

Windy Robinson

Stephanie Severin

Amy Tsuruta

Pam Varnell

Lynda Benden

Tobi Crawford

Jill Dunn

Heather Lee-Reppen

Lindsey Botkin

Thanks for stopping by today!

Favors Anyone?

Shipping this week is To Love and Cherish from Imaginisce. We're posting some of the Design Team creations on the Imaginisce Blog all week so be sure and stop by for lots of inspiration. Since this is a wedding themed line I created the following wedding favors

Supplies: Imaginisce To Love & Cherish: Patterned paper, ribbon, rub-ons & flowers. Misc scalloped velvet ribbon. I used Love My Tapes adhesive to secure the ribbon on the lamp shade.

Supplies: To Love & Cherish patterned paper, misc ribbon, Martha Stewart doily, misc Thank You Stamp, embossing powder, Reflections black pearl accents. Adhesive: Love My Tapes Favor: note pad w/ pen and place for photo on the top of the pad. Can be found at Michaels in the $1 bin

Supplies: Imaginisce To Love & Cherish patterned paper, ribbon and flower. Misc hand made tissue paper flower, tulle. Box is re-purposed Maya Road tin. Adhesive: Love My Tapes.

These were some pretty easy projects so if you know someone planning a wedding they are some inexpensive ideas.
Thanks for stopping by today!

2 Sketches 4 You & the new To Love and Cherish line from Imaginisce

Happy Friday! So glad it's the weekend again of course I have a busy schedule but still glad to see the weekend come. My son goes back to school on Monday after a week off for Spring Break. He's been visiting his Dad so it will be good to have him home.
Hubby and I are gonna catch the movie Date Night tonight since my sister in law and her family are hanging out at our house overnight because she has to take her hubby to the airport at 4am for a 6 am flight...yikes!

So I mentioned I was crafting up a storm with the new Imaginisce line and I was determined to get a card done for this week's 2Sketches4You challenge. Here's this weeks very classy sketch from Kazan.

And here's my card

I wanted to pop some color into the black and white patterned paper and I used rub-ons from the new To Love & Cherish line from Imaginisce.

Here's a close up of my background stamping on the card with white and black ink. I need to buy another new pair of Cutterbee's since mine are dull already. Have I mentioned how hard I am on scissors...lol

I'm teaching my second Scrapbook Design & You class at JoAnn's on Saturday and really enjoyed my class last Sunday. The two hours went by so fast and half the class are beginning scrapbookers that were so excited to be there.
I'll also be teaching some technique classes in the coming months.

I'd also like to mention that Sarah Martina Parker joined us this week on the Love My Tapes blog and created some beautiful cards with our Japanese Masking Tapes. Be sure and stop by to check them out here.
Thanks so much for stopping by today! Have a great weekend!

Hello friends...it's been busy day for me today. I got this in the mail last week from Imaginisce

It's a beautiful new line called To Love and Cherish! So I got busy working on some projects today for next week's reveal party on the Imaginisce blog. The Design Team will be featuring our artwork on our blogs so make sure you stop by and see what we're creating. Until then here's a few sneaks...

Well this one's short and sweet tonight...I am really really tired tonight. I am usually the night owl around here but not tonight...have a great Friday!

Cleaning house and a vacation of sorts...

Happy Wednesday friends. I decided to clean a little house on my blog and put on a fresh face.
I found some fantastic finds at The Background Fairy and my new found knowledge of PSE helped me make the banner my own.
I've also been working on finding a functional scrapbooking space in our small home. We moved last September to get my son into a better school and out of LA Unified because frankly the entire system is a mess right now.
It was a great decision of course but I had to give up my super cool scrap space also known as our hall that had built cupboards on the top and bottom and the most awesome counter top ever...So the problem of moving my space into Lily's closet is that I do most of my scrapbooking in the evenings...I can't exactly retreat in there before Lily goes to be because there is way too much going on and I get called back and forth to deal with whatever she seems to be getting into so there's not really a better time than after the kids are in bed.
Now when we do put Lily to bed (at around 10p.m.) she doesn't fall asleep right away. No this girl must be nocturnal I swear so by the time I can sneak in there it's almost 11 p.m.!
So since September I have had to scrap too fast or wait til the last minute for deadlines and such (oh I get them done on time) but I have lost the relaxing part that scrapbooking used to give me.
So I told my hubby how I was feeling and he agreed that we had no choice other than to turn the dining room into my space.

I've been trying to work in my supplies because I can't bring everything into that area but I'm getting a little more comfortable. Of course if there was an award for the messiest scrap space right now I think I'd win...I'm getting creative with storing my supplies too! Hopefully in time I'll find a way to make it my own again.
Yesterday Lily was playing dress up with a few things I picked up for her recently. She loved the lei's and looked adorable! So I snapped a few pics of her cuteness

The slight blue in the background of this pic really makes it look like these photos were taken in Hawaii doesn't it!
Here's a few more








Well that's it for today...thanks for sticking with me on this post. I know it was a long one.

It's almost Tax time so this week at Jacksonbelle...

It’s almost the most TAXING day of the year so in “celebration” of tax day our challenge this week is to make a card using taxes as your inspiration. For example ~ money, green, numbers…anything that represents your view of taxes.
Here's my take

Supplies: Cosmo Cricket Material Girl, Prima flower, MFT stamps sentiment Other: misc tag, Glimmer Mist.
Yes this year tax time for us was a blessing. We got a nice refund! It's helped see us thru while Mat's been looking for a new job and for that we are extremely thankful! We'd love to see your take on this challenge so be sure and link up your creations to the the blog here.

**We've also got new Stampavie in the store so stop by and check them out here.**

Also be sure and check out the other DT member's blogs to see their takes on this fun challenge!

Dawn Lusk

Julie Lacey

Heather Pulvirenti

Windy Robinson

Stephanie Severin

Amy Tsuruta

Pam Varnell

Lynda Benden

Tobi Crawford

Jill Dunn

Heather Lee-Reppen

Lindsey Botkin

Thanks for stopping by!

I proudly use Love My Tapes adhesive on all my projects