Friday, April 30, 2010

Thinking About You

Happy Friday! Welcome to the last day of previews for the Waltzingmouse Stamps May release! Eight new sets will be released tomorrow!

WMS is also celebrating its first birthday, and there are *lots* of things going on! But first, I want to show you my card for today. I have a secret: this card is my favorite. I just love it. Is that ok to share? :)


I used elements from three new sets on this card: Big Blooms Chrysanthemums, Picnic Patterns, and Fancy Phrases. If you've been following the previews, you've seen more of Fancy Phrases elsewhere, but let me add my two cents. You will want this set. You will see it and fall in love. There are over 25 unique sentiments in a mixture of delicious fonts and 8 decorative elements (Claire shared some of these here). It it certainly the type of unique set we've come to love from WMS! :)

So back to the card. I stamped and cut and distressed and layered. The floral background pattern was stamped onto a piece of cardstock and then cut using one of the Small Labels Nestabilities. The flowers are the small and medium solid chrysanthemums and are easier to cut out than they might seem. I think they would be beautiful in red and gold at Christmas. Yummy!
So, some things you need to know:

- Claire is having a ginormous sketch challenge contest where you could win all eight of the sets being released this month! More details are here on the WMS blog.

- Claire is running a shipping promotion on May 1st and May 2nd – just in time for the new release! Orders that exceed £50 will receive free shipping. That is about $77 at today’s exchange rate. All store purchases will count, even digi products! That is a fantastic deal.

- Tomorrow (Saturday) we will be having our monthly new release Blog Waltz. The Waltz will start on Claire's blog at 2:00 pm Eastern. We will have the usual contests, so make sure you stop in!

- And finally, check out Bonnie, Lisa, Laurie, Jennifer, Julia, and Claire's blogs today for their previews.

Thanks for bearing with me and thanks for stopping in! I hope your Friday is fantastic!!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Big Blooms Chrysanthemum, Picnic Patterns, Fancy Phrases (to be released May 1) - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: Groovy Guava - Stampin' Up!; Rustic White - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Purely Pomegranate, Rich Razzleberry, Wild Wasabi, Groovy Guava - Stampin' Up!; Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger; True Black - Papertrey Ink
Other: Picket Fence Distress Stickles - Ranger; Labels Small Nestabilities - Spellbinders; sewing machine

Thursday, April 29, 2010

With Love

Today is day three of the Waltzingmouse Stamps May release preview. Eight new sets will be released on May 1.

Today I am featuring Asian Gardens again - I couldn't help it! There are so many stamps packed into this set and this card certainly has a different feel than the first one I made.

I started by stamping the branch image from the set. Then, on a separate piece of cardstock, I stamped the cherry blossoms. I used the rock 'n roll technique, edging the flowers in a darker shade of pink ink. I cut out the cherry blossoms (I was in a fussy cutting mood when I made my last few cards) and added them to the branch - popping some up with foam tape and adhering others flat to the cardstock. I did the same with the bird cage. I *love* the bird cages in this set.

The sentiment is a combination of two phrases from the set .. this would make a great Mother's Day card! I added some stitching around the main panel and then decided it needed a little something else. It is hard to see in the photo, but I lightly stamped the background image from this set in the upper left and lower right corners. The same stamp was used again on the card base.

So there's a different look at Asian Gardens for you today. I haven't even scratched the surface of this set! Please make sure to also stop and visit
Julia, Bonnie, Lisa, Belinda, Lynn, Laurie, and of course, Claire who are also sharing previews!

Let me know what you think so far!!

Have a great day, I'm so glad that you stopped in!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Asian Gardens (to be released May 1) - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip - Stampin' Up!; Rustic Cream - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip - Stampin' Up!; Pixie Dust, Pink Grapefruit VersaMagic - Tsukineko; Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: Sewing machine, Clear Spica glitter pen

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Flowers of Tomorrow

Hello sweeties! Did you *love* yesterday's previews? I did! I am so blessed to work with the wonderful ladies on the WMS Design Team.

Here is my card for today. This uses Picnic Patterns, a new background stamp set (yay!) and Big Blooms Chrysanthemums, a new floral set. Doesn't Claire do something magical with flowers? I know - she needs to draw more! :)

I used one of the fat plaid (oh yeah, that's what I said!) patterns from the Picnic Patterns set to create my plaid background. I wanted subtle and soft, and stamped the plaid in Antique Linen Distress Ink. I stamped the solid flower and leaves in red, orange, and yellow and then followed up with the outline in a darker color. I cut them out and adhered them to the card with foam tape. I added some stitching, inked my card edges, and adhered some rhinestones to the flower centers. The sentiment is from the Earth Angel set. Sooo pretty - I love it!

Today, Julia, Belinda, Bonnie, Laurie, Jennifer, Lynn, and Claire are sharing their previews. They wowed me yesterday, and I can't wait to see what they have made for today.

Have a lovely day!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Big Blooms Chrysanthemums and Picnic Patterns (to be released May 1), Earth Angel - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: Vintage Cream - Papertrey Ink; Mellow Moss - Stampin' Up!
Ink: Ruby Red, Cranberry Crisp, Pumpkin Pie, Really Rust, So Saffron, More Mustard, Mellow Moss, Always Artichoke, Close to Cocoa - Stampin' Up!; Antique Linen, Frayed Burlap Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: Adhesive rhinestones; Sewing machine

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Good Luck

Hey there!

I am so excited! Today starts the huge, exciting, May Release for Waltzingmouse Stamps. WMS is celebrating its first birthday this month and are having a whopper of a release! Eight new fantastic sets will be available for sale on May 1.

Today, I am going to preview the new Asian Garden set.

This set is amazing! The images are unique and versatile, and so lovely.

I started with three strips of Sahara Sand cardstock that had been stamped with the large background stamp included in the set. The black strip was stamped with the same image, this time using metallic ink. I stamped the tree trunk and leaves (these are separate stamps) and cut them out. I stamped the leaves a second time and cut out select portions, adhering them to the original tree with foam tape. I like to think of this as a ginkgo tree :)

Then I stamped and cut out the bird and sentiment, also adhering it with foam tape. Isn't that bird just gorgeous? Oh, I love it - I can't wait to color its feathers and add some shimmer.

I hope you like this set so far! Belinda, Jennifer, Lynn, Laurie, and Claire are also sharing previews today, so please be sure to stop by their blogs, too. I'll be back with more tomorrow. Thank you for stopping by - have a great day!!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Asian Garden (to be released May 1) - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: True Black, Pure Poppy, White - Papertrey Ink; Sahara Sand - Stampin' Up!
Ink: Real Red, Sahara Sand - Stampin' Up!; Spring Moss - Papertrey Ink; Starlite Black Brilliance - Tsukineko

Monday, April 26, 2010

Forever My Friend

Happy Monday!

I had major stamp time this weekend and it was wonderful. Lots of fun stuff coming up!

Today's card is for Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps. This uses some new release stuff for Mother's Day. There are loads of other new things for upcoming holidays/celebrations - you can check them out here.

For this card, I used the Daffodil and Forever My Friend stamps to make a card for mom.

I stamped the sentiment onto Pale Plum cardstock and cut it out with an Oval Nestability. Then I added the daffodils around it to create a frame. I stamped just the daffodil bloom and cut it out, alternating the colors for the centers. The patterned paper is in the Pretty Pastels collection from Papertrey Ink. I really like the way it turned out.

Tomorrow starts the sneak previews for the Waltzingmouse Stamps May Release! There will be four days of previews, and I will be sharing something each day! There will also be a blog waltz on Saturday as a part of the new release festivities. This month, Claire is celebrating the one year anniversary of WMS and we've got lots of great things to share.

Claire has been sharing sneak peeks of the new sets on the WMS Blog, she has announced a shipping promotion for May, and is holding a contest! What are you waiting for? Make sure you head over there to check it all out! See you back here tomorrow! I can't wait to share the stuff I've made with you - I really love the new sets!! :)

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Daffodil, Forever My Friend - Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps
Cardstock: Vintage Cream, Lemon Tart - Papertrey Ink; Pale Plum, Apricot Appeal - Stampin' Up!
Patterned Paper: Pretty Pastels - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Barely Banana, Apricot Appeal, Marigold Morning - Stampin' Up!; Rich Cocoa Memento - Tsukineko
Other: Pearl stickers - Recollections; Petite Oval Nestabilities - Spellbinders

Friday, April 23, 2010

Life's Garden

I did it! Last night, I sat down and made something! (Well, two things, but you can't see the one - yet!! Let's just say you are going to *love* the May WMS release).

Just something easy with some of my favorites: a background stamped with the knitted pattern from Faux Fun, and a big juicy rose from Roses In Bloom. I stamped and cut the flower directly from cardstock - an easy alternative if coloring isn't your thing. I love this look.

I hope you have a fantastic weekend - we have some errands and some family stuff to do. The weather is supposed to be yucky - for about 3 weeks now, the weeks have been gorgeous but the weekends have been cold and rainy. What's up with that? Hope yours is great! The countdown to the May WMS release starts next week!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Roses in Bloom, Faux Fun - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: Plum Pudding, Rustic White, Ripe Avocado - Papertrey Ink; Barely Banana, So Saffron - Stampin' Up!
Ink: Pale Plum, Perfect Plum, So Saffron - Stampin' Up!; Ripe Avocado - Papertrey Ink; Pumice Stone Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: Sewing machine

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Happy Birthday Butterfly

Still digging in the archives. Its getting ridiculous, I tell ya :)

Simple layout on this one - keeps the patterned paper front and center.

The patterned paper is from Cosmo Cricket's Early Bird collection. I pulled the rest of the colors for the card from that. The butterflies are punches from Martha Stewart Crafts.

This morning the company I work for held a big Earth Day meeting, and I was the keynote speaker. I never would have thought someone would have been so excited to hear me talk about what I do, but everyone seemed interested (or at least not visibly asleep) ;) I've had public speaking experience before, but I can't say its something I would volunteer for on a regular basis. Anyway, it went well and now I'm enjoying that relaxed feeling you get after you've done something you were worked up about :)

I have a stack of stamps on my desk at home - the new WMS release!! - that are calling my name. So, really, I am going to try and stamp some tonight.

Have a good one!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps:
Vintage Labels - Papertrey Ink; Say It With Style - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: Spring Moss, Vintage Cream - Papertrey Ink; Baja Breeze - Stampin' Up!
Patterned Paper: Brunch from Early Bird Collection - Cosmo Cricket
Ink: Not Quite Navy, Baja Breeze - Stampin' Up!; Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: Labels One Nestabilities - Spellbinders; Classic Butterfly, 3-in-1 Classic Butterfly punches - Martha Stewart Crafts

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Serendipity Bookmark Challenge

Good morning, friends!

Today is challenge day for the Serendipity Stamps Design Team. This week we were challenged to make a bookmark. I have been loving my dear friend Julia Aston's magnetic bookmarks, so I knew that was what I wanted to make. I also did something unheard of - I made the bookmark for myself! :)

I used the letter A from the Floral Alphabet. I stamped it in Rich Cocoa Memento Ink and colored it with Copic markers and Spica glitter pens. The patterned paper is from the Garden Variety and Material Girl collections from Cosmo Cricket. I knew I wanted to use these reds together, so I colored my stamped image to coordinate. I stitched the patterned papers together and inked the edges.

Here's a shot of the inside - I lined the front with another piece of patterned paper to cover up my (messy) stitching.

The magnets stick together through the book page and help save your spot. Doesn't it look great? And so easy - make one for yourself today! I have really been loving these Serendipity challenges! It is good help to ease me back into stamping - I've been having such a hard time lately.

Thank you for stopping in today, you won't want to miss what the other Design Team members have come up with!

Amy
Jennifer
Kathie
Lynda



Have a great day!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: A from Floral Alphabet - Serendipity Stamps
Cardstock: Rustic White - Papertrey Ink; Ruby Red - Stampin' Up!
Patterned Paper: Tossed Salad, Sunday Picnic from the Garden Variety Collection,
Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento Ink - Tsukineko; Vintage Touch Tea Dye Duo - Papertrey Ink
Other: Copic markers and Spica glitter pens; Pinking blade for rotary paper trimmer - Fiskars; sewing machine; adhesive magnets

Saturday, April 17, 2010

April Blog Waltz

Good morning friends, and welcome to the Waltzingmouse Stamps April Blog Waltz. To get started, head to the WMS Forum to link up your creation and hop along with the other participants. There is also a thread for chatting about what you've seen and participating in our little contest! The DT members are each hiding little flowers - a sneak peek of something new, no less - on their cards. Keep track of their count and a correct guess could win you a stamp set of your choice!

Here is my card:

The striped Kraft background was created using the long wave stamp from Free Spirit - Boy. I inked it up and stamped just the straight part repeatedly. This technique works great when your cardstock is skinnier than your stamp. Make sense? I have a background stamp blog post brewing, and that is something I will be sure to talk more about.

The flower was created using one of the frames from Vintage Circles, Small for the center and Nestie Eggs for the leaves. I used the scalloped circle nestabilities to add some petals. The sentiment is from Roses In Bloom. I love to lay all my sets out and look and see what bits and pieces I can use to create something fun!

I hope you all have a great time waltzing - I will join you later. We had a huge storm last night and our power has been out since 4 pm yesterday. After eventually having to break into our own house to get back in, now we're going to need to venture out for food at some point! I will catch up with you all later! Have a great day!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Free Spirit - Boy, Vintage Circles, Small, Nestie Eggs, Roses In Bloom - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: Cool Caribbean, Regal Rose - Stampin' Up!; Kraft - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Aquatic Splash, Aloe Vera VersaMagic chalk ink - Tsukineko; Vintage Cream, Dark Chocolate - Papertrey Ink; Pumice Stone Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: Classic Circle, Scalloped Circle Nestabilities - Spellbinders; Berry Sorbet Satin Ribbon - Papertrey Ink; sewing machine

Friday, April 16, 2010

Cracking Up

Hi friends!

I snuck this little cutie in my husband's lunch today. Yesterday was a rough day, and I was glad to have him around.


This was the first time that I have used L'il Buddies! Crazy, I know! It was just what I wanted for this little note.

I stamped the heart circle for the background and then stamped the chick in the middle. I stamped it again on a scrap piece of cardstock and colored it with my Copics. I cut it out and adhered it to my card with foam dimensionals. I used my Copics again to color in some of the hearts in the background. The sentiment was stamped on a strip of cardstock, and I let it hang over both sides. This card is a little one, 3-5/8-inch square. Cute!

I hope you'll stop by tomorrow for the Waltzingmouse Blog Waltz! Things will kick off at 10 am Eastern time in the Waltzingmouse House Forum. If you need more information, please head to the Waltzingmouse Blog. Lisa and Claire are taking care of the details there! I hope to see you tomorrow!

Have a great night!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: L'il Buddies - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: Rustic White - Papertrey Ink; Cool Caribbean - Stampin' Up!
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento Ink - Tsukineko; Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: Copic markers

Thursday, April 15, 2010

One of Those Days

I was so excited that I stamped last night and that I would be able to share something new with you today. And then I came into work and things started to fall apart. You know those days when one thing happens that just seems to set the tone for everything else? I don't have a very high opinion of the world right now and it really just makes me feel like crying, know what I mean?

Big *hugs* to all of you - I needed that!

Take care, girls, I will be back with more tomorrow.

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps:
Celtic Heritage, Irish Blessings, Say It With Style - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: Pink Pirouette, Purely Pomegranate - Stampin' Up!; Rustic White - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Pink Pirouette, Purely Pomegranate, Sahara Sand - Stampin' Up!; Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: Linen thread - Stampin' Up!; Vintage buttons; Sewing machine; Pink adhesive rhinestones

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Whoo Hoo!

Hello, my dears. I am so excited because after work today, I get to go straight home and stay there all night! I got some goodies in the mail from Waltzingmouse Stamps and I haven't stamped in so long. I know you know how I feel! :)

Today I want to share another card I made for Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps. This one was fun to make.

And here's a shot of the opened card, its a bit easier to see the owls.

I started with a Kraft card base and cut an oval with my Nestabilities. Then I went back in and stitched some random lines to resemble wood grain. I stamped the little owls and cut them out, arranging them so they'd peek through the hole. I used a white gel pen to outline their eyes. I thought it would be fun to stamp directly onto some patterned paper - I particularly like the look when the card is closed. If you haven't tried a window card recently, give it a shot!

The last stop on our trip was Brussels. We were there for only a short time - really just a day with all the other traveling. I have to be honest: by the time we reached this point of the trip, I wanted to go home. I was tired and just getting sick and it was freezing in Brussels! I tried to make the most of our last day, throwing myself into the tourist-y stuff, but I was really looking forward to heading back home to Bill and our puppies.

One thing we relied heavily on during our travels was Rick Steves. If you haven't heard of Rick Steves, he has a travel show on PBS and also publishes travel guide books. We used a few different ones while traveling, and they are really helpful. They offer honest, sensible advice about traveling in Europe and truly made me feel comfortable about all aspects of the trip: what I packed, what the best way was to pay for things, and what to see. I felt like I knew what I was doing and definitely know that if I can get through 2 weeks in Europe just with one carry on bag, that I can do pretty much anything! ;)

Anyway, what I was getting to with that was we followed some of the walking tours that Rick has in his Amsterdam, Bruges, & Brussels book. Easy to follow, and a great way to get a quick overview of the city. On to the pictures!








If you're interested, the rest of my pictures are here on our Gallery website.

Enjoy your evening! See you tomorrow!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Large Flourished Owl, Branches with Berries, Whoo Hoo! Sentiment, Swirly Birds half sheet - PPRS
Cardstock: Kraft, Dark Chocolate - Papertrey Ink
Patterned Paper: Brown & Green Polka Dots – K&Company
Ink: Dark Chocolate – Papertrey Ink
Other: Oval Nestabilities – Spellbinders; white gel pen; sewing machine

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

On the Mend and Bruges

Hi everyone!

How is your week going? There is lots going on here! I told you yesterday about the WMS Blog Waltz for April, I hope you can participate!

The Pens have also made the playoffs again, with the games starting tomorrow night. We are big hockey fans at my house and this is a great time of year.

AND if you haven't heard.. the premier issue of Embellish Magazine has been released! It is an electronic publication, and it only costs $3! It is *full* of inspiration, great articles, and a little feature about each designer! I have two cards in this issue! Check it out, and be sure to also check out the current publication call. You could be published, too!

Now on to the good stuff.


A fun little get well card using Quilter's Sampler and Background Basics: Tin Types. Each of the quilt blocks was stamped onto a different pattern from the Pretty Pastels paper pack and cut out. I love using the pinking blade on my cutter for cards like this. Really love this one.. easy layout that could easily be interchanged with so many other designs.

Today I want to share some photos of our time in Bruges. This was the highlight of the trip for me - it was truly beautiful. Of all the places I visited, I would return to Bruges in a heartbeat, and would recommend a visit should you have the opportunity!

I'll keep the chatter to a minimum and let you enjoy the pictures :)











I hope you enjoyed those - I can't wait to go back! Have a great night!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Quilter's Sampler, Background Basics: Tin Types - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Sweet Blush, Rustic White - Papertrey Ink
Patterned Paper: Pretty Pastels Collection - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Dark Chocolate - Papertrey Ink; Blush Blossom - Stampin' Up!; Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: Pinking blade for rotary paper cutter - Fiskars; sewing machine

Monday, April 12, 2010

Bloom

Super quick today - I have been so busy! I thought when I first got back from my trip that I hardly had anything to do. But all these things keep popping up and I haven't yet had time to make it to my studio. Don't give up on me yet!

Here's another from the archives..

The tree and birds are from the Season of Friendship set from Stampin' Up! The little flowers were punched with the trio flower punch and I added a little white bit to the center. The chipboard alphabet stickers are from K&Company. I tucked my little tree into a hillside created with patterned paper from the Cosmo Cricket Earth Love collection.

The Waltzingmouse Stamps April Blog Waltz has been announced - it will be held on Saturday, April 17th. The theme is Mother's Day! Visit the WMS Blog for more details. I'm off - enjoy your night!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Season of Friendship - Stampin' Up!
Cardstock: Lemon Tart, Melon Berry, White - Papertrey Ink
Patterned Paper: Relive from the Earth Love Collection - Cosmo Cricket
Ink: Creamy Caramel, Baja Breeze - Stampin' Up!
Other: Chipboard sticker alphabet - K&Company

Friday, April 9, 2010

A Notebook and Amsterdam

Happy Friday everyone! I am looking forward to some much-needed rest over the weekend. How about you? Any big plans?

Today I want to share a project I made for Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps. I found this little notebook and pen set at Michaels. I liked that it had the little spot for the pen incorporated right into the notebook. (It was in the $1 bin!)

I covered the front with patterned paper and then stamped the Flourished Bird Cage image. I stamped it again onto coordinating patterned paper and just cut out the bird cage. I added lots of Stickles, a big rhinestone, and some paper piercing. The Just a Note stamp was stamped across the bottom. Fun, huh? Prickley Pear will be releasing new stamps for graduation, Mother's Day, and other upcoming special occasions on April 15. More info is on the Prickley Pear blog!

And now a little more about my trip!

We took a ferry from England to the Netherlands and traveled by train to Amsterdam. Our only snafu along the whole trip was a little bit of confusion with the trains heading to Amsterdam, but we quickly figured it out and were on our way. Amsterdam was a bit of a whirlwind. We were there for three days, with travel incorporated into the first and last days. So we really only had one full day there. And boy, was it full.

We visited the Anne Frank House, the Amsterdam Tulip Museum (the only tulips we saw on the trip!), the Van Gogh Museum, and the Rijksmuseum. It was in Amsterdam that we began our love affair with waffles, making them a daily part of our trip (when in Rome, right?).

One of my favorite parts of Amsterdam was meandering through a market on Saturday morning. There were fresh fruits and vegetables, bread and cheese, meats and fish.. and flowers. Lots of flowers.

This gentleman was selling hyacinths,

and daffodils,

and tulips (ok, I lied - we saw tulips here, too).

From there we wandered past a canal or two...

And my spidey senses led me to - where else? - a stamp store!

This is de Posthumus winkel and I was so excited to wander inside and see that they carry Serendipity Stamps! It was certainly a photo-worthy moment. :) I did pick up a clear stamp set - it is a Sampler Alphabet. I don't remember the manufacturer, though, and don't see it on their website. I'll have to break it out and share with you!

Some final thoughts about Amsterdam: the steps inside the houses are steep - ridiculously steep. Like climbing a ladder steep. Each house has a hook attached to the dormer outside so the furniture can be taken in through the windows. I'm not quite sure how I feel about savory pancakes. I think Julie and I were the only two people wearing tennis shoes in the whole city. And thank goodness we were - we racked up the miles here. Bruges is next! Yesterday was England if you care to re-cap!

I hope your weekend is wonderful!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Flourished Bird Cage, Just a Note – PPRS
Patterned Paper: Spice, Bunches from the Delight Collection – Fancy Pants Designs
Ink: Dark Chocolate – Papertrey Ink; Dusty Durango – Stampin’ Up!
Other: Fruit Punch, Orange Peel, Diamond Stickles – Ranger; Adhesive rhinestone – K&Company; Mini notebook and pen – Michaels

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Happy Anniversary

I'm digging into my photo archives today as I haven't visited my stamp room since Monday. I am having a hard time feeling motivated, but tonight I need to carve out some time as I need a card and baby shower gift for the weekend. Its just like riding a bike, right? As soon as I get in my room I'm sure (I hope) I will remember what do to :)

This was made for a publication call a while back.

All Waltzingmouse Stamps goodies on this one. The frame is from Very Vintage Labels No. 4 stamped in Taken With Teal ink and cut out with the coordinating Spellbinders die. The hearts and sentiments are from the Sweethearts set. A row of polka dots adds a little horizontal balance. I really love layering the same color cardstock - it is a fun way to add some depth and texture without trying to find coordinating colors or patterns.

So I took about 450 photos on my trip. That is a lot of photos to wade through! But I thought I would start with our first few days and pick a few of my favorites to share with you.

We started our trip in England - my cousin lives in Northampton, which is approximately 70 minutes or so north of London. We spent the first two days there exploring London (I could have spent weeks in London alone). We knew we wouldn't be able to see everything, so we did what we could. Westminster Abbey was my favorite.

I can't even begin to wrap my brain around the history of just that particular place. The original abbey was founded in 960 AD, and since 1060 has been the site of every royal coronation. Henry VIII, Elizabeth I... just amazing. Many members of the royal family are buried there as well in fantastic monuments. There are memorials to Geoffrey Chaucer, William Shakespeare, Edmund Spenser, Jane Austen, George Frederic Handel.. the list goes on. It was truly mind-blowing.

We saw Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, and London Bridge by starlight (not really, it was raining - big surprise - but it was after dark).

The next day we traveled to some countryside locales: Warwick, Stratford-Upon-Avon, and the Cotswolds. We saw Warwick Castle,

Shakespeare's birthplace,

and had afternoon tea (scones and clotted cream.. mmmm) at the Bantam.

We finished out our last day in the UK in Cambridge, visiting the amazing King's College Chapel. Another place that was just overflowing with history. Much of the finishing work on the Chapel was done during Henry VIII's reign including the glazing of the stained glass windows and a majority of the intricately carved woodwork. The organ screen, which is enormous and separates the antechapel from the choir, has the intertwined carved initials of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Isn't that the coolest? Truly surreal.

So that was our time in England in a nutshell. Hope you enjoyed the photos!

I'll be back tomorrow with more - have a great night!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Very Vintage Labels No. 4, Off Beat Backgrounds, Sweethearts - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: Taken With Teal - Stampin' Up!; Raspberry Fizz, White - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Taken With Teal, Melon Mambo - Stampin' Up!; Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: Scallop edge punch - Stampin' Up!; Labels Four Nestabilities - Spellbinders