Kristina's Color Inspiration #50

More Scattered Showers coming your way! I just love this set so much! The colors in Kristina's Color Challenge this week are simply beautiful - so bright and cheery, even with the umbrellas, you can help but think of warm, summer days. So, here you go - enjoy the rest of your weekend and have a great week, too!

Forecast: Scattered Showers

I was staring at my paper stash, lamenting the fact that I didn't have the Raspberry Fizz patterned paper that Dawn McVey used in this card, when I found this paper from Hobby Lobby. I knew from the first time I saw the new Scattered Showers stamp set from PTI that I would love it and I DO!! I especially love the umbrella outline - I can make all kinds of designer umbrellas that I didn't even know I wanted to make!! I have found at least a dozen designs that I can't wait to CASE. Gotta get busy . . .

Wishing You . . .

I'm still on a mad quest to find projects using my new Papertrey Ink stamps, since I am new to their addictiveness. Since Dawn McVey is a PTI designer, she creates amazingly beautiful projects with their sets, so who better to CASE!! I found this card using last month's new release set, Wishing You. This is the first time I've used the set and I think I'm really going to like it! The background paper is PTI's Aqua Mist stamped with Polka Dot Basics in SU!'s Soft Sky. The flowers are stamped in So Saffron ink on SS cardstock and popped up on Dimensionals. The stems are stamped in PTI's New Leaf ink - the prettiest green ever! The buttons are from a bag I bought at Archviers with about 500 buttons of different colors. I smudged some ink on the white panel, so I cleverly covered up my mistake with another little button. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your day!!

Cheers to You!!

I found the inspiration for this cute card on-line some time ago and just now got around to making it. Isn't it perfect for my Bunko friend! We typically drink Margaritas, but the olive is so cute I had to make these martinis. It's a very simple card, as you can see, but so fun! Thanks for stopping by and have a great afternoon!!

Clearly Amazing!!

I just got Papertrey's new Clear Cardstock, and it is really cool!! I am on their mailing list and had gotten an e-mail with a picture of this exact card and thought it was beautiful! I have been a little lax about sending cards to my buddy in South Dakota, so I sent her this extra-special card - I hope she likes it! The Clear Cardstock cuts and scores very easily. I used my bone folder to score it, but next time I'll use my Scor-Pal and I think that will make it even easier! Thanks for stopping by - have a great weekend!

(I deleted my signature by mistake and couldn't get it back, but it's still me!!)

And the winner is . . .

*PAM DAVIS*

Congratulations, Pam! Please leave your address info on this post and I will send you your Dark Chocolate Buttons as soon as I get them!

Thanks, everyone, for your nice comments! Have a great day!!

THIS IS MY 200th POST!! DO I HEAR BLOG CANDY?!?

I can't believe this is my 200th post!! Since my 10,000th hit came and went without any fanfare, I'm going to give away a little *BLOG CANDY* now! Since my new love is Papertrey Ink stamps and supplies, I want to hear what YOUR favorite PTI item is and why you can't live without it. In return, I will randomly select a name on the 17th to receive some of Papertrey's BEAUTIFUL new Dark Chocolate Buttons that are being released tonight!! Add your comment to this post before Friday for your chance to win.

Here are a few of the things I've created with my new PTI stamping stuff! I just love all of them!! Of course, they are all CASEd, so I can say that :) My new stamps arrived today (ordered them on Thursday - WOW!!) and I can't wait to use them. I ordered Friends 'til the End and Teacher's Apple, plus some pretty New Leaf stuff and the super-new Clear Cardstock. Cool, huh? I've already started another order since the newest stamp sets are announced at midnight on Tuesday. I know I'm going to get Scattered Showers and some ribbon - not sure what else. Maybe a couple of Lauren Meader's Timeless Templates - they are way cool! Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!! Good luck - hope you win my blog candy!!

Teacher Appreciation Idea

OK, so it should come as no surprise that I should be cleaning my nasty bathroom instead of blogging but here I am! I recently got PTI's Teacher's Apple stamp set and it is fabulous!! I CASEd this design from the PTI website and it was surprisingly simple. There is a bit of a learning curve with their stamps, but it's totally worth the effort. Because the stamps are mounted to clear blocks, they are super simple to line up for custom patterned paper! I used SU! Real Red, Basic Gray, and Baja Breeze, which I might not have normally put together, but I love how it looks on crisp white paper. Bailey is going to give this little treat to her teacher tomorrow and I know she'll love it. Oh, did I forget to mention that that's a GIANT CADBURY CARAMELLO BAR beside the card? We're so good! :) Have a blessed day!! Tomorrow's the last day to register for my blog candy so don't forget to leave a comment for me on that post!

Pick Me, Annie B.!!

Well, this was supposed to be my entry for Kristina Werner's latest Color Challenge, but I just got it finished, so it's going to be for Annie B.'s blog candy!! I used my new PTI set, Guildelines II, that I am finally getting the hang of using. I like it a lot more than I thought I would. The sentiment is from the PTI stamp set, Life, that I totally love!! Easy peasy! Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!!

Papertrey Ink - my new love!

Well, it appears I have jumped the proverbial ship! I am now a tremendous fan of Papertrey Ink!! I have loved using the stamps and ribbon and ink and paper I won last month, and I have more stuff on the way! My friend, Annie B., and I got together last week in her wonderful craft room and I got to use some of her PTI collection. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Friends 'til the End stamp set (which I just ordered) and I think the dots stamped over the background images look great (that was Annie B.'s idea!). I used Hibiscus Burst, Raspberry Fizz, and Landscape ink for the flowers and leaves, and SU! Basic Grey for the dots. I also won a bag of Hibiscus Burst buttons as part of my amazingly awesome prize package and I have been using them like crazy. I added a few to the flower centers for a little more dimension. Fun, fun, fun!! Thanks for stopping by on this blessed Easter day!!

Easter Napkin Rings

I am so excited that my sweet parents are coming over for dinner tonight and then we're going to church together. I found all kinds of pretty Easter decorations and just love how my table looks, but it needed an extra punch of color, so I made these super-easy napkin rings using Papertrey Ink's Friends 'til the End paper and Tags for Spring stamp set. The ink is PTI's new Hibiscus Burst (the perfect pink!) and SU!'s Basic Gray. What a fun and simple way to decorate plain napkins! Thanks for stopping by!

Hoppy Easter!!

I LOVE the SU! set, Trendy Trees, and while looking for ideas on SCS, I found this card and flipped!! Isn't it the cutest thing?! The carrots are made using Trendy Trees and they are so cleverly done! I never would've thought to use the set in that way. I made a few of these to send to friends, including my buddy, Cele, who loaned me the set and who may never get it back (sorry, Cele!!)!! I hope you all have a wonderfully blessed Easter weekend!!

Chocolate Cupcake Pops

My talented friend, Jenny, made the most delicious and adorable treats for our Circle's bake sale, and I couldn't wait to make them for the teachers at my daughter's school. They're called Cupcake Pops and they are super easy to make. Here are the directions:

CUPCAKE POPS

Bake a cake of any flavor (I used Devil's Food) according to package directions in a 9x13 pan and cool - break up cake into small pieces and put into a large mixing bowl - add a can of frosting (I used Milk Chocolate) to the cake pieces and mix thoroughly - scoop out using a small ice cream scoop and paper on wax paper-lined baking sheet - insert sticks into balls and freeze till firm - melt Wilton candy melts in the microwave and carefully dip frozen balls until completely covered - place back on wax paper-lined tray and allow to harden.

The colorful sticks I used are from Wilton and so are the tiny plastic bags I wrapped the pops in. The Wilton candy melts come in a variety of colors, so you could make these for any occasion or holiday. Jenny has made them using smaller wooden sticks and they look like rattles for a baby shower!! How cute is that?!?!? Thanks for stopping by and have a great week!!

It Came! It Came! It FINALLY Came!!

Those of you who know me won't be surprised to hear that I am not the most patient person in the world!! Oh, it's gotten better as I've gotten older and especially since I had Bailey, but still, there are those lingering feelings of AAAARGH on a regular basis!! Anyway, when I found out I'd won Papertrey Ink's prize package in March, I just assumed they had the box all packed just waiting to slap on a sticker with my name and address on it!! So when I hadn't received my package in 2 days (ah, patience), I was wondering what the heck was going on! I e-mailed PTI and found out that it can take as long as 6 WEEKS to receive a prize package - seriously? Are they trying to kill me?!?!? Well, IT FINALLY CAME yesterday!! I spent all night organizing my 5 NEW STAMP SETS (oh, yeah!) and I'm going to start stamping as soon as I finish this entry. But, to whet your little appetites, I'm posting a picture of part of my haul! LOOK AT THOSE BUTTONS!! Seriously, I have never wanted to EAT buttons, but these look good enough to do just that!! And that ribbon - 6 NEW ROLLS OF HIBISCUS RIBBON!! I am the luckiest girl in the world!! Have a great day and check back to see all of the cool projects I'll be creating (or, in this case, copying!!)