Sweet Strawberries

I'm not sure how I got on a fruit kick, but a couple of weeks ago, I found a few cute cards with a fruit theme and then made it my mission to find all the other cute fruit cards out there!! As crazy as that sounds, I'm so glad I did it, because I found this adorable card by Mercedes Weber and I couldn't wait to CASE it! Hers is much more polished than mine, but I think I managed fairly well with the supplies I have. I believe she used some of Stampin' Up!'s new In Colors and, since I don't have any of those yet, I used my old faves: Tempting Turquoise and Real Red along with black & white. Thanks for stopping by on this hot Sunday! Have a great week!!

Simple Sunflowers

Everyone who made a purchase of $100 or more at Stamp-A-Faire received a little freebie, Simple Sunflowers. I didn't purchase that much on my own, but together with two of my stamping buddies, we were able to get it and I'm taking the first "shift" using it!! It's not posted on the PTI website yet, but I took lots of pictures at the event including some using this sweet little set. This is one of them . . . sort of! As per usual, I didn't have everything I needed to make the PTI sample, but I think I improvised fairly well. I inked one of my Cuttlebug embossing plates and ran it through the Cuttlebug to create an inked embossed look (thanks for that idea, Cele!!). I've got some more ideas in the hopper so check back often!!

Papertrey Ink Stamp-A-Faire 2011 (part 3)

Here are the rest of the cards we made at Stamp-A-Faire. Hope you enjoy!

Iconic Images from SAF

One of the best part of Stamp-A-Faire was getting an exclusive PTI stamp set before it's available to the general public! When I first saw Iconic Images, I'll admit I wasn't especially impressed, however, the first stamp I noticed was the lady's silhouette, which is only one, small part of this beautiful set. After using it at SAF and now at home, I really like it and can see it's potential!! The blue & yellow card is the one we made at SAF and it was one of my favorites. After doing a little I found the blue & red card on-line and I love it, too!! I simply cannot pass up a blue & red card! I took pictures of several other projects made by the PTI Design Team using Iconic Images and I'm planning to CASE or at least post my pictures here over the next few days. Check back often for much more inspiration! Have a great day!!

Papertrey Ink Stamp-A-Faire 2011 (part 2)

So, as I mentioned in yesterday's post, we got to meet some of our PTI heroes over the weekend and it was so amazing! My favorite card was the one Michelle Wooderson presented at the morning session. We used Friendship Jar and Daydreamer stamp sets to make the card and I just love the fresh crisp look of the blue and yellow. We used a simple circle stamp to create a scalloped border - isn't that neat, and super simple! We also met Nichole Heady, Dawn McVey, Betsy Veldman, Heather Nichols, and Lisa Johnson. It was so neat to see in person all of the Design Team Members whose blogs we stalk religiously! We got a beautiful green and Kraft burlap goodie bag filled with stamp sets (3!!), paper, note pads, and embellishments.


Michelle Wooderson (Mish Mash) was so sweet; Dawn McVey looked totally different in person than on her blog; Heather Nichols is very tall; Nichole Heady is really pretty with super-cute hair; and Lisa Johnson is a tiny, little spitfire who talks a mile a minute!!

Papertrey Ink Stamp-A-Faire 2011 (part 1)

I had such a fantastic time in Cincinnati over the weekend!! I went with several of my stamping friends to Papertrey Ink's First Annual Stamp-A-Faire. We spent all of Saturday stamping, laughing, meeting all of our Papertrey heroes, and generally having a wonderful time. We ate at some of Cincy's most notable restaurants, including Skyline, Montgomery Inn-Boat House, and Graeter's, and stayed at the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza Hotel, who was absolutely gorgeous! Our room was gigantic with a tiny bathroom, but that was fine with me - the bed was very comfortable and I slept better than I have ever slept in a hotel bed! After a yummy dinner of Cincinnati chili over spaghetti topped with a mountain of shredded cheddar cheese, we had ice cream at Graeter's. Now, I have never been to a Graeter's, but the Food Network named it one of the top 5 ice cream shops in the country so I couldn't pass up a chance to sample their deliciousness! I tried Buckeye Blitz (chocolate ice cream with a peanut butter swirl) that night and Mocha Chip on our way home (after a second trip to Skyline!). So good! We had ribs at the Montgomery Inn-Boat House that were to-die-for! I'm not typically a ribs person, but they are known for their ribs so, once again, I had to try them, and they were amazing! Tender and juicy and messy - I even wore a bib! Embarrassingly necessary! Since this food post is running so long, I will wait and post our stamped projects later this week. Thanks for stopping by!!

Papertrey Ink July Blog Hop

I typically don't do Papertrey's blog hops because, sadly, I never have time!! But after a fun-filled weekend in Cincinnati at Stamp-A-Faire (more on that later!), I was inspired to give it a go! Isn't this an amazing inspiration picture! I adore the colors and couldn't wait to see what I could do with them! My fingers are crossed that I will be randomly selected to win the PTI stamp set of my choice. Which one would I choose . . . On My Couch, Daydreamer, Friendship Jar . . . there are just too many wonderful choices!! Have a great evening!!

Cincinnati Bound

Today I am leaving for Cincinnati for Papertrey Ink's First Stamp-A-Faire!! I am so excited to be going on a girls' weekend with my stamping friends!! Plus this is my first getaway since Miss Morgan was born 10 months ago so I am super psyched!! I know I will have tons and tons of pictures and ideas to share with you all when I return so start getting excited! Have a great weekend!!

Polka Dot Buds

In my quest for more and MORE cards using Bud Basics, I found this card by Nancy Riley that I just loved!! Bashful Blue and Real Red with white is a fantastic color combo that always looks fresh. This card went together quickly and would be a great one to mass produce for an invitation or other occasion. Nancy also has a blog so check her out here. See you soon!!

SU! Catalog CASE

If you haven't seen the new Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalog, you really must get your hands on a copy. It is filled with so many beautiful projects - it even feels beautiful! One of my favorite new projects is on the front cover - the seed packet. Not surprisingly, I didn't have any of the supplies used to make this project, but I'm getting so much better at improvising! I used Serene Sunflowers, another older but goodie, and Groovy Guava ink & paper, a color I have been drawn to more and more lately. Thanks for stopping by - have a great weekend!

Bud Basics Beauty!

The Bud Basics stamp set that I bought on ebay finally arrived and I broke it out yesterday to make this card that I found on . . . {wait for it} . . . Splitcoast Stampers!! The original is made using Almost Amethyst, but I prefer Bashful Blue. I love the combo of pale blue and black, and Bud Basics is nearly a no-fail set that is so much fun to experiment with. I can't wait to make more beautiful cards using this classic set!

Pick-A-Petal

Continuing with my obsession with older SU! stamp sets, I give you this card that I made using Pick-A-Petal! This set came out at the same time as two of my all-time favorite SU! colors - Purely Pomegranate and Wild Wasabi - and it holds a special place in my heart, but I haven't used it in a long time. So, after once again consulting SCS, I found this card by Jill Coleman. Instead of her color scheme, I used Poppy Parade (LOVE this color!!), Groovy Guava, and Daffodil Delight with Sunny Garden DSP (another fave!). I just love how it turned out! I'm sending this card to my Bunko Buddy, Sally, who just had kidney stone surgery unlike any kidney stone surgery I have EVER heard of!! She definitely needs some lovin'!! Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful holiday weekend!!