Kitchen Sink Goodies! - a public service announcement to multi step stampers

OMG, I just HAVE to share!  Kitchen Sink Stamps has come out w/ some VERY awesome stamp sets and a new way to store those awesome sets!!!!  You have to check them out HERE!!! Such fun sets that you cannot live without!  And the cases are perfect!  You can fit 4 small sets in one!  Or a large set, and two small sets.  Or 2 large sets.  Or, 2 medium size sets and a small set.  Or....... Think of all the possibilities and SPACE you'll save now!!!!  And your collection will be so nice and organized!
AND, if you go to one of the design team blogs, they have a code that you can use and get 10% off!!!!  Even MORE incentive to stop over at the 'sink and grab up some goodies!!!!

Have a great day!
Now back to your regularly scheduled program!


This is not a Kitchen Sink Stamps promotion.  This is purely my own doing, based on the enthusiasm that I hold for Kitchen Sink Stamps!

A VERY Belated Father's Day gift!

As you've probably guessed from recent posts of mine that I'm ALWAYS behind the 8 ball!  Well, just recently, as the summer picks up w/ stuff going on, trips to take, and the ever pressing swimming to do!  ;)  So, the crafting takes a back seat.

I had a shadow box in my hoard of alterables for quite a while now.  Just waiting to be used.  I looked at it one day and decided I was going to use it for my dad.  On Father's Day, we went over to my parents to swim, and before we left, I took a picture w/ him w/ each of my kids.  I FINALLY got the pictures developed and then they sat!  Finally, I had enough time to at least get started.  Just around that time, SVG Cuts came out w/ 3-D letters.  I'm ALL about 3-D anything, so this was totally up my alley!  And it was the perfect thing to add to this shadow box!

On a recent trip to OH for Stamping Around OH, my friend Wendy and I stopped at Archiver's and Hobby Lobby where I stocked up on Graphic45, Crate Paper, Bo Bunny, etc.  All vintage papers!  I was, and still am, in heaven!!!!  And I figured out that it's cheaper to get the individual sheets as opposed to the kits that you get.  Because I don't do stickers, and all the other stuff that they put in there.  I just want the paper to do w/ what I want.  I really did well that trip! Money wise!  I even had money in my pocket when I got home!  RARE!  Let me tell you! 

Anyway, so I used some of my new papers in here!  The calligraphy that you see at the top of the Time Book sheet and the ticket saying "Happy Father's Day" is my own.  I listed each one of my children, and then put a check mark under the appropriate number that reflects their ages as of May, 2011.  (In June, they all had a birthday!)  I did a little stenciling (never done before!) to add some graphics and spice it up a bit!  I'm not as good as the experts, but it's my first time!  And now I know I need to start looking at purchasing more stencils!  LOL!  The hardware is all from Tim Holtz.

And here's a closeup of the letters so you can see how they really POP!

I can't wait to give this to him!  He's going to love it!  (He's a huge fan of my work!)  My husband loves it so much that HE wants one for his office!  Better get to work now, or he won't get it til next summer!!!!  Hahahaha!  ;D

Sketch Challenge - MFT

Hi there!  Back again w/ 2 cards that I made for this week's sketch!  The first one is a birthday card, and the second is my anniversary card to my husband.

Here's the first one.  I was experimenting w/ some Graphic45 paper I received from my Swirlydoos kit this month!  The kit is Vintage Fae and there's lots of vintagey goodness in there!!!  You should definitely check it out HERE!  The sentiment on this card is actually from Clearly Sentimental About Happy.  Well, that's what I'm calling it.  I received it as a free gift when I purchased a couple (ok, a TON) of stamps from MFT when I was at CHA last summer!  Oh, and the flourish die on the bottom right is also from MFT, along w/ the scallop border in the middle!

This card was fun to make because it is for my sweetie!  We celebrated our 9 year anniversary on July 5th! 

I purchased this set only a few weeks ago, but even when it first came out, I knew I would use it for an anniversary card!  I got the idea from Jodi Collins' card here!  I, of course, had to change mine up to fit the sketch, but the basic idea is the same.  Thanks Jodi!
My faces are colored SO much better now that I know what I'm doing!  And what colors to use!  I watched Sherrie Siemens' video on skin and hair (still struggling w/ hair!  Don't judge too harshly!) that you can find here.

The reason the card ended up being pink and black is that those are our wedding colors! I know it's girly for a guy to get a pink card, but oh well!  What can you do?!

The set that I used is a Flapper Doodles set called I Love Us (appropriately named!).  I used several MFT Die-namics on here.  The open bracket die, the flourish die, and the flower in the middle.  W/ the open bracket, I cut as normal for the pink c/s.  For the black behind it, I wanted to create a background, so I just embossed it and then hand cut it around the edges.  For the ring around the couple, I drew lines w/ my Spica pen, and then in the spaces that I created, I stamped a heart (part of the set).

Have a wonderful day!

Happy 4th of July!

I'm sure you're wondering if I'm off my rocker!  I'm not!  I promise!  I misplaced my memory card USB, and I finally had a chance to do some uploading, therefore, I'm a little late!  But I hope you all had a nice 4th of July!  We did!  LOL!  We came home from Gettysburg on the 4th and went over to my parents' to swim and have ribs for dinner!  OMG!  YUM!!!!

Well, MFT had their monthly guest designer contest that ties in w/ their monthly (really bi-monthly!) release.  The challenge was to use texture!  I had to participate!  I LOVE adding texture to my cards and creations!  And layers and embellishments and ....  You get the picture!

So, this is what I created.  It's a pennant card and I gave it to my mom and dad for the 4th just because.  I normally don't give cards just for the heck of it, but I felt like this was a perfect opportunity!  And guess what?  They actually received it ON the 4th!  Imagine that!  ;D

Isn't Fred Bear SO cute?!  Ok, the texture parts are the stars (embossed) and the corregated Crumb Cake panel w/ white paint splotches.

Here are the details:
Paper: Night of Navy; White; Cherry Cobbler
Stamps: Fred Bear Well Done; Mini Banner Alpha.  (both My Favorite Things)
Ink: Copics (variety of colors); Cherry Cobbler, Memento Black, white paint
Embellishments: pennant die - SVG Cuts; Simply Scallops die-namics (MFT); stars - star punches (SU!); mini banner - Mini Banner Die (MFT); Stars Border- (MFT); Maraschino Twine - The Twinery, sold by MFT

I hope your 4th was a fun day!