Hello friends! It's Hip Hop and you know that means a day full of fun inspiration starting at the Unity blog. If you've found your way to my blog during the Hip Hop then you're ready to see what I created. This week I created with the February SMAK kit. I love how versatile this kit is and how there are so many amazing images to create with. Here's look at February's SMAK kit.

And here's a fun layout I scrapped up about my hubby and daughter and their silly adventures.

 Here's a close look at some of the images included in the kit.

I used this month's Paper Posies kit to create these projects. You can see more of my work with that kit by clicking here. 

Here's a card I made as well with Unity's Stamp of the Week

 Now it's time to move onto to Stephanie's blog! Have a great day!

New from Ella Publishing, Stamping Secrets eBook Now Available!

Stamping Secrets: 7 sensational stamp sets used 21 ways 

Stamping Secrets By stamping experts Nichol Magouirk, Ashley Cannon Newell, Lea Lawson, Nancy Burke, Robyn Werlich, Shari Carroll, and Shemaine Smith 

Ready to make the most of your favorite stamps, and learn new tips and tricks along the way? In 28 packed pages, you'll enjoy 21 gorgeous projects, 35 expert stamping tips, 6 step-by-step written tutorials, and 20 minutes of exclusive video instruction—all for just $9.99. 

 However, I have a special rates to share with you:

Special introductory price $7.80 (29% off) through Leap Day only! **TODAY ONLY**

Then it’s $8.79 (20% off) through March 7, 2012. 

Regularly $10.99.

Ella hand-picked seven sensational stampers (including me) and asked us to:

● choose a favorite stamp set from a favorite stamp company 

● create three versatile projects using that set (scrapbook layouts, cards, and more)

● share their expert stamping tips, tricks, and tutorials with you! 

I chose to work with Unity's January SMAK kit because I really enjoy working with these versatile kits. I love that the images can work for not just cards, but scrapbook pages and mixed media projects too!

With stamps from Stampin' Up!, Hero Arts, Technique Tuesday, PaperTrey Ink, Lawn Fawn, BasicGrey, and Unity, this eBook truly offers the best of the best. No matter your skill level, Stamping Secrets will put you on the path to stamping success!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

 

March Paper Posies kit reveal

Hello friends! It's time for March's kit reveal over at Paper Posies! This month's kit is sooooo adorable. Well why don't I just show you!

March 2012 Paper Posies kit Contents

Just like all our Paper Posies kits, this month's kit is loaded with yummy products from Dear Lizzy and My Mind's Eye. Click the link above for a complete list. Here's a look at what I created for this month's Design Team Gallery.

Beach Park

I cut out my photos and placed them in the pattern of Polaroids here.

Here's a fun card I made with one of the pinwheel embellies that I put on a stick. 

And here's a look at this month's altered project, a wooden butterfly I added a little pizazz to

This month's kit has SO much. If you're shopping for a new kit club, I highly recommend Paper Posies. Click this link to find out how you can subscribe.

Now I have a couple more projects to share with you for this week's Unity Hip Hop so I'll see you again Thursday!

 

Some News and a Giveaway!

Hello friends! I'm really excited to share that the newest eBook from Ella Publishing: Stamping Secrets: 7 sensational stamp sets used 21 ways, which includes four exclusive how-to videos from Nichol Magouirk and Ashley Cannon Newell is set to release Wednesday! 

The eBook also features the work of Lea Lawson, Nancy Burke, Robyn Werlich, Shari Carroll, and me...Shemaine Smith! Yep, it's true, I'm so honored to be featured with these very talented designers! I'm so excited I can hardly stand it! You are going to love this eBook!

Now for the Giveaway part...you can win all 7 of the stamp sets featured in the new Stamping Secrets eBook! All you have to do is head on over to the Ella Publishing blog and leave a comment telling us which of the 7 sets is your favorite! And...

ONE additional lucky winner randomly drawn from the comments will receive the February SMAK Kit by Unity Stamp (value of $45).

  

**Deadline for comments is Wednesday, February 29. Winners announced March 1.

Good Luck friends!

Did you hear the news?

My Little Shoebox Design Team Call My Little Shoebox is looking for talented, motivated, responsible designers who have time to commit to design layouts and projects each month with our products and promote our products online and at their local stores. We haven't set a specific number of designers for our team. 

We welcome international submissions. 

We are looking for: 

1. Enthusiastic, creative people that love My Little Shoebox and are able to do monthly assignments such as  layouts, projects, and cards with our products.  

2. You must post your work on 2 different galleries plus the MLS galleries 

3. You must be able to commit to a 12 months term, which will be from April 1, 2012 through March 31, 2013. 

4. You must be at least 18 years of age. 

5. You agree to release the rights of your designs to My Little Shoebox for display on the company website, blog, and in company publications. 

6. If needed, your designs may also be needed for display at trade shows. 

 7. In addition, as a design team member, you will be contributing twice per term to our company newsletter and be required quarterly to make a photo or video highlighting a technique for the blog. 

8. People that can take great pictures of their work in natural light, with a few close-ups. Because we will be posting your work on our company blog, we want your work to shine. Dark photos, shadows and flash spots don’t show your work well. 

9. International submissions welcome. 

In return you will receive: 

1. A quarterly package with plenty of MLS products to design with. 

2. Your picture and bio on the My Little Shoebox website 

3. Your own personal gallery on the My Little Shoebox website. 

 To apply please send the following to dtcall@mylittleshoebox.com (please use your full name as the subject): 

1. Full name, address, phone number and email address 

2. 1 layout, 1 card and 1 project representing your best work using MLS products (jpeg files no larger than 500 kb) 

3. A link to your personal blog and to the online galleries or message boards that you post on. 

4. Design teams that you currently are on. 5. Write a paragraph about yourself telling us why you'd like to be a part of the MLS team. 

6. If you've been published. 

7. If you teach classes. Submission deadline is March 9, 2012 Our design team members will be announced on April 13, 2012 

We thank you in advance for all of your work and appreciate your entry! 

www.mylittleshoebox.com 

www.mylittleshoebox.typepad.com 

 

It's another Unity Hip Hop Thursday!

Hello friends! It's time for another Hip Hop Thursday at Unity. Make sure you start your Hip Hop at the Unity blog to find out all the news for this week's happenings here. There's been lots of new releases since CHA so make sure you visit the Unity Website to see the latest and greatest from Unity and the Unity Co-brands.

Today I am creating with the new images from the Unity Authentique Co Brands.

First I am sharing a layout I created using the following images:

Everyday, Everywhere

Love is the Tie that binds

Family

Supplies: Patterned paper (Authentique Blissful collection) Tags: cream (Unity) beautiful, phrase (Authentique), Stamped images: (Unity/Authentique Co Brand), Buttons: gold and cream (Love to Create online store) Chipboard: (Anna Griffin Fido&FiFi collection) Dies: flowers (Papertray Ink)

Everyday, Everywhere card

Supplies: rose brad (Dear Lizzy) pearl brads (Imaginisce) Fibers: yellow ribbon (Offray)

I love how this card turned out. Isn't it funny how sometimes you make something and you just say "wow I really like that".

A friend loveth at all times

Supplies: doily (creating is fun online store) Fibers: ribbon (celebrate it!) Button: (Papertray Ink) Tools: scallop border punch (Martha Stewart)

And since I was on a roll, I used this set below to make this card.

A friend loveth

That's all I got for today friends. I hope you have been inspired to get out your stamps and incorporate them in a layout or card today.

Now I get to send you on your way to the talented Stephanie!

Have a creative day!

Creating is fun Valentine hop

Happy Valentine's Day friends. I hope you are showed with love all day long. Today I am excited to celebrate with The Creating is Fun crew by celebrating with a fun blog hop and lots of chances to win some prizes from the Creating is Fun Zibbit store. Before we get started here is the order of today's hop in case you get lost.

• Martha Pineda 
• Angie Ibbott Blom 
• Carrie Corbin 
• Bonita Rose K 
• Rachel A. Bogner 
• Rebekah Santiago 
• Shemaine Smith     
• Carisa Zglobicki
• Ashley Nguyen Newell 
• Maria Levine 
• Andrea Reese

**If you did not come here on the Hop then you want to start at our store owner, Martha's blog so you don't miss a chance to leave a comment on each blog to be entered to win the $25.00 store gift certificate grand prize.

Here's my Valentine creation

Supplies: Pink lace trim, gold with white center button, 

We R Memory Keepers Love Struck patterned paper and sentiment stamp, Dear Lizzy felt embellishment, Offray turquoise ribbon, Martha Stewart deep edge punch.

Now leave me a comment telling me what your favorite Valentine color is and you'll get an entry to win my pick from the store below.

3 yards of light tan stretch lace trim.

And if you like our Creating is Fun Facebook fan page and leave a message on the wall that I sent you, you'll get an extra entry! You have until Saturday at midnight to comment.

 Good Luck!

Now I am going to send you over to 

Carisa Zglobicki

 

It's February 12th!

It's February 12th! Did you take your 12 photos for February? If you have no idea what I am talking about, it's the Ella Take 12 Photo Challenge that started Jan 12, 2012. Don't worry if you're just hearing about it you can click over here to my post from January to find out all the details and catch up for March!  Oh and did you know you have a Take Twelve Flickr group? We do! So head over there after you visit Ella for this month's giveaway and get inspired by other Take Twelvers over here.

Here's my 12 photos for February 12, 2012.

Oh and don't forget there is a free Super Sampler from Ella that you've got to download here.

Have a great week friends!

February is Stamping Month At Ella!

Happy Friday friends. I just wanted to let you all know that it's Stamping Month at Ella Publishing and I am really excited about all the fun we have planned for you this month! 

All month long Ella Publishing will be celebrating with free eZine articles, dozens of blog posts, great giveaways, freebies, and more.

Make sure you visit the Ella blog for inspiration and great tips and techniques on how you can get the most out of your stamps.

The first eZine for Stamping month is up by Ella friend Ashley Cannon Newell titled Stamp your Heart Out! Ashley show you how to use your favorite stamps to design custom background patterns for Valentine cards that everyone will love.

I also want to share that we have three fabulous eBooks on sale this month:

And since it is Stamping Month after all, how about a hand stamped Valentine card that I created in honor of Ella's mascot.

Patterned paper and sentiment stamp from the Love Struck collection by We R Memory Keepers, Stamp (elephant image) clear dollar stamps courtesy of my sweet friend Nancy Grant.(inkcicles.com) Misc: blue satin ribbon and buttons

Have a great weekend!

What's what Wednesday

Hey friends! It's the middle of the week already and I've been busy finishing up some fun things in my studio.

 I love my little slice of heaven in our dining room. Having my space here makes it really easy to keep an eye on my busy 4 year old and 14 months old baby I care for during the week. The girls play really well together so I can get my scrap on.

So what's what today? I'm working on an assignment for We R Memory Keepers with the new Sew Stamper tool.

It's a really fun and easy tool to use. Check out the video that Scrapbook.com made showing you just how it works.

And today is Unity is revealing sneaks on their Facebook page of the new Phyllis Harris Stamps.

Here's a first look for you...

And I have a sample that I created to share with the brand new America Crafts Amy Tangerine Sketchbook collection which I think is absolutely beautiful. A big thanks to Amy herself for getting some in my hands to create with.

If you're feeling crafty we have a little Sweetheart sketch challenge going on over at the My Little Shoebox blog. Designer Melinda Spinks has created this fun sketch exclusively for MLS. Click on over to find out how you can win a fun prize for creating with us!

So that's "What's what" for Wednesday! Thanks for stopping by today. Have a creative day!

We R sample work for CHA

I'm still decompressing from CHA but looking forward to sharing some fun things I did and people I got to hang out with in the coming days here on my blog but I am most excited to share some work I created for the We R booth at the show. Get ready for lots of pics!

First a layout with Down the Boardwalk

We R liked it so much they put it in their catalog. How fun for my sweet daughter! Yes I have a copy to put away and share with her when she is older.

Here are a few cards

Another card from Baby Mine

I was also asked to create something fun with We R's new Embossed die cut frames

I really like these frames because they are really fun to use for making photos stand out on your layouts.

And finally, my favorite of the collections...

Anthologie

The Sew Ribbon tool is really easy and fun to create with. I used it to create a corner on the right side of this photo using the Sew Ribbon tool & Aqua ribbon.

This was a Down the Boardwalk Sew ribbon project as well.

I had so much fun creating these projects and I had a great time at CHA seeing so many friends and designers I have been inspired by for so long. It really felt like a whirlwind of a week. I am definitely looking forward to a little weekend down time and some crafting for the Stamp it call. Are you creating for this call as well? Read all about it on the Papercrafts Connection blog.