Embellish Magazine Blog Hop

Hello!

I'm so glad you're joining me today for the first Embellish Magazine blog hop! We have tons of creativity, tips, inspiration, and prizes for you! I am honored to be able to participate with such talented ladies. If you're hopping along with us, you should have come here from Tiffany Johnson's blog. Your next stop is Leigh Ann Baird. If you haven't yet seen Embellish Magazine's premiere issue - what are you waiting for?? :) At $3 for a digital subscription, it is an incredible value and full of inspiration!

Embellish is offering four prizes for 10 lucky winners. The winners will be randomly selected from each of the blog hop participant blogs - so make sure to leave a comment on each participating blog! A comment left on each of the blog hop participant's web site will give you an entry to win one of the prizes, which include Lawn Fawn stamps, May Arts twine, a subscription to Embellish Magazine, and A New Design crinkly stained ribbon. Exciting, huh?

Here is what I created, using the magazine's premiere issue challenge: to use twine along with the colors red, brown, kraft, and turquoise.

I used the Roses In Bloom set from Waltzingmouse Stamps. I stamped the flower twice, cutting out the inner petals and layering them with foam dimensionals.

I added some knotted twine to the center of the rose and then swirled some pieces out from the flower. These were adhered in place with a small dab of liquid glue. Fun, huh?

Thank you for stopping by! Leigh Ann Baird is your next stop. Here is a list of the other blog hop participants - don't forget to leave a comment to increase your chances of winning a prize!

Embellish Blog
Ryann Salamon
Tessa Wise
Charlene Austin
Renee Van Stralen
Lori Roop
Julie Campbell
Sara Martina Parker
Tammy Fite
Heather Pulvirenti
Regan D'Agostino
Emily Niehaus
Maile Belles
Tiffany Johnson
Anya Schrier - me! :)
Leigh Ann Baird
Amy Rohl
Mariana Grigsby
Kelly Marie Alvarez
Michelle Woerner
Tina Fussell
Maureen Plut
Brenda Weaver
Julie Lacey
Ashley Cannon Newell
Embellish Blog

Have a great day!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Roses In Bloom - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: Dark Chocolate, Kraft, Vintage Cream - Papertrey Ink; Riding Hood Red - Stampin' Up!
Patterned Paper: Girl Friday Collection - Cosmo Cricket
Ink: Dark Chocolate - Papertrey Ink; Riding Hood Red, Sahara Sand - Stampin' Up!; Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: Linen twine - Stampin' Up!; Deco Scallop edge punch - EK Success

All My Love..

Hi! Have you seen this yet? :)

This is Card Creations Vol. 8 and now that it is on sale, I can share my first print-published card with you!

This sweet little one was made with Seasons of Love - Tags from Waltzingmouse Stamps. I stamped the decorative heart and then cut it out with the coordinating heart Nestabilities. I also used the scalloped hearts to create the card base.

I was excited this morning to see that Cath Edvalson featured my card on the Moxie Fab World Blog today, too. Eee!

The issue is overflowing with wonderful cards (273 of them!) and tons of inspiration. And speaking of publications, tomorrow I will be participating in the first Embellish Magazine Blog Hop! Trust me, you will want to stop back!!! Have a great night!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Seasons of Love - Tags - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: Vintage Cream - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Cardinal VersaColor - Tsukineko; Jet Black Archival Ink, Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: Classic and Scalloped Heart Nestabilities - Spellbinders; Gold elastic cord - Stampin' Up!; Vintage Cream twill - Papertrey Ink; vintage button

Thank You Kindly

Hello, my dears! How are you today?

It is heating up here in Pittsburgh! But the sun is shining and the sky is blue, so who can complain about that?

I needed a quick thank you card, so I decided to CASE myself - I really loved this card that I made for last month's WMS release and I thought it would be lovely in different colors.

I switched things up a bit, and used the polka dot image from Off Beat Backgrounds. I wanted to use green ink to tie the pattern into the green card base but didn't want it to overpower the card. So, I inked up the stamp and then stamped it off onto a piece of scrap paper so that the image would not be too dark. It gives it a bit of a vintage feel too, I think.

The flowers are from Big Blooms - Chrysanthemums. I thought in yellow they might look a little like sunflowers. I added some Antique Bronze Distress Stickles for the flower centers. The sentiment is from Fancy Phrases. Have I mentioned that I love that font? ;)

Hope you have a wonderful evening! We are going to grill out for dinner and then I have big plans for being crafty! Thanks for your visit!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Off Beat Backgrounds, Big Blooms - Chrysanthemums, Fancy Phrases
Cardstock: Wild Wasabi - Stampin' Up!; Rustic White - Papertrey Ink
Ink: So Saffron, Wild Wasabi - Stampin' Up!; Summer Sunrise, Dark Chocolate - Papertrey Ink; Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: Antique Bronze Distress Stickles - Ranger; Labels Small Nestabilities - Spellbinders; sewing machine

Happy Day!

Hi everyone!

I hope you had a great weekend - I did! Yesterday, I took the Copic Certification class taught by the very talented Sally Lynn Macdonald. It was a great time!

Today I want to share a card I made using some new (to me) goodies. Raspberry and chocolate - yum!

I used this week's Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge for this card. I really missed those sketches! I've been writing them down every Tuesday, but just haven't had much time to use them. But, hopefully I can get back into participating regularly.

I needed to make a birthday card, so I picked out an appropriate Embellie from Volume 1 of the Color Couture collection from PTI. These are *fun*. Honestly, when they were first released I didn't think I would get much use from them. But there are so many possibilities! And I love the color combination suggestions.

I matted my Embellie with some Raspberry Fizz felt that was cut with my Petite Scalloped Oval Nestabilities. I love the texture the felt adds - its just fun! The Kraft base was stamped with Background Basics: Woodgrain and the Raspberry Fizz base was stamped with Background Basics: Diamonds.

Just a fun little card for a dear friend on her birthday! It will soon be on its way to her.


Thank you all for participating in Prickley Pear's Blog Hop last week. I hope you enjoyed seeing the new clear stamps and coordinating dies. All the contest winners have been chosen, so please be sure to head over to Prickley Pear's blog to see if you were one of the lucky ones!

Have a great night my friends!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Background Basics: Diamonds, Background Basics: Woodgrain - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Kraft, Raspberry Fizz, Vintage Cream - Papertrey Ink
Patterned Paper: Dark Chocolate from the 2008 Bitty Box Basics Collection - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Versamark - Tsukineko; Melon Mambo - Stampin' Up!
Other: Embellie from Color Couture Volume 1, Raspberry Fizz felt, Ric Rac die - Papertrey Ink; Petite Scalloped Oval Nestabilities - Spellbinders

Hey There!

Hey there, girlies!

Happy Friday to you! Do you have any big plans for the weekend? I am going on a little road trip with my hubs to take a Copic Certification class. I am looking forward to it.

Today I wanted to share another card I made inspired by Jessica Witty's phone book challenge. I've been wanting to make these flowers a la Betsy Veldman for a while now and thought it would be fun to combine both.

Here's what I came up with.

More orange goodness, too! The background was stamped with one of the patterns from Background Basics: Retro. Then I made my little plaid pennant using Distressed Stripes and lots of different colors. My phone book flowers were matted with the Mat Stack 1 die and a strip of Berry Sorbet cardstock. Isn't it cute? I think so - I sure love those flowers.

Hope you have a fantastic weekend! I'm so glad you took the time to stop by today - thank you!!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Background Basics: Retro, Distressed Stripes, Say It With Style - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Rustic White, Berry Sorbet, Orange Zest - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Orange Zest, Berry Sorbet, Raspberry Fizz, Spring Moss, Lemon Tart - Papertrey Ink; Jet Black Archival Ink - Ranger
Other: Mat Stack 1 Die, Melon Berry Vintage buttons - Papertrey Ink; Scalloped circle punch - Stampin' Up!; Flower cuttlebug die - ProvoCraft; phone book

Prickley Pear Blog Hop

Welcome to the Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps Blog Hop! Today it is my pleasure to introduce a new line of clear stamps and coordinating dies.

Visit the Design Team’s daily releases and the Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps Blog from May 18 until May 21 to have the chance to win one of four prize packages worth $50 in PPRS products. Each of the prize packages will feature one of the new release sets: Build a Bird, Hibiscus, Build an Owl, and Butterfly.

Today, I am featuring the Build an Owl set and coordinating die.

For this first card, I used one of the stamps from the set to create a patterned background. Then I added my three owls - these make me giggle. It makes me think of three girlfriends gossiping and laughing. I die cut the owl parts and then stamped them - with the clear stamps it is a snap to line them up.

My second card is a Halloween one. I created the background using different colored Distress Inks. I perched my spooky little owl on its own branch. Cute!

So here are the blog hop details: each day you have more than one chance to win! The hop starts at the Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps Blog. Leave a comment on the blog for one chance to win. Then hop on over to the day’s release blogs and leave comments there for more chances to win. So easy! AND you will get to see some fabulous paper projects featuring the new sets.

For each release, you will have until midnight the night AFTER the release day to enter comments (that is two days!). Only comment per blog, please.

Here is the release schedule:

May 18th Build a Bird Clear Stamps and Die Cut featured on PPRS Blog, Frillions by Eli and Tesa's Scrap by Tesa

May 19th Hibiscus Clear Stamps and Die Cut featured on PPRS Blog and One Krafty Cat by Jenny and Paper Talk by Leslie

May 20th Build an Owl Clear Stamps and Die Cut featured on PPRS Blog, (here!), and Random Vintage Finds by Jennifer

May 21st Butterfly Clear Stamps and Die Cut featured on PPRS Blog and Frillions by Eli

Good luck! Thanks for stopping by!!

#Anya

Recipe:
What a Hoot Card
Stamps: Build an Owl - PPRS
Cardstock: Rustic Cream, Hibiscus Burst - Papertrey Ink; Pretty in Pink - Stampin' Up!
Ink: Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, Close to Cocoa - Stampin' Up!; Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: Build an Owl die - PPRS; Apron Lace edge punch - Fiskars; Brown satin ribbon; sewing machine

Woo Hoo Halloween Card
Stamps: Build an Owl - PPRS
Cardstock: True Black, White - Papertrey Ink; Going Gray - Stampin' Up!
Ink: Peeled Paint, Chipped Sapphire, Milled Lavender, Dusty Concord Distress Ink, Jet Black Archival Ink - Ranger
Other: Build an Owl die - PPRS; Spiderweb edge punch - Martha Stewart Crafts; Spica glitter pens

Serendipity Stamps Memo Pad Challenge

Good morning!

It is Serendipity Stamps challenge day here. This week the Design Team was challenged to decorate a notepad.

I found this notepad at Michaels and liked it immediately because of its fun, bright colors and large size (6 3/4" square). It is labeled a 'mousepad notepad' and was in the $1 bin.

I took inspiration from the design of the notepad - the bold images on the left side, the olive and pink combination, and a flower and butterfly image. Here is how I decorated the cover using one of the new sets released by Serendipity, the Sweet Pea Cling Set.

Remember, you can always click the picture for a larger view.

I love to use Serendipity's stamps to create a collage image - I stamped some of the other sentiments and images I have all over the paper. I usually ink up the stamp and stamp it off once or twice on scrap paper before I actually stamp it on my project. If it is uneven or crooked I think it just adds to the overall vintage feel to it :) After I had most of the background stamped, I stamped the Sweet Pea image a few times. I masked the butterfly so that I only stamped that image once. I highlighted the sweet peas with Copic markers, not really going for a perfectly colored image but more of a color wash type look. I stamped the butterfly on a piece of scrap, colored it, cut it out, and added it to the notebook with foam dimensionals. I tied a piece of silk ribbon around the front and added the sentiment.

Isn't it pretty? I was really pleased with the way it turned out - Serendipity's stamps are so elegant and perfect for this look. I hope you like it!

I am so glad you could stop by today, check out the other DT members, too!

Amy
Jennifer
Kathie
Lynda

Have a great day!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Sweet Pea Cling Set - Serendipity Stamps
Cardstock: Ripe Avocado, Sweet Blush, Rustic White - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento - Tsukineko; Victorian Velvet, Antique Linen, Vintage Photo Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: Silk ribbon - Papertrey Ink; Pinking blade for rotary paper trimmer - Fiskars; Notebook - Michaels; Copic markers; sewing machine

WMS May Blog Waltz

Good morning, friends! It is a dreary Monday morning here - perfect for a little blog waltzing!

This is my second post for the day, please scroll down to see a little sneak peek of some new stuff coming from PPRS.

In honor of Waltzingmouse Stamps' first birthday, we're having a birthday-themed waltz this month. 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 teacup images 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 - don't forget to look for the teacups. You can always click the photo for a larger version.

I stamped a few different backgrounds from Off Beat Backgounds and Picnic Patterns onto my cardstock and then punched them out with a large and small star punch. The background was stamped with the 'Happy Birthday' and 'Its Your Day' phrases from Free Spirit - Sentiments. I adhered my stars using foam dimensionals - I was going for a cascading stars look - and I really like how it turned out. I used Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge as my starting point. It has been ages since I've been able to participate and I hope to get back to joining in regularly! This card is 3.5 by 6.5 inches and would be great for a girl or guy. I love the bright, fun color combination.

Have fun waltzing, I know I've seen lots of posts already! It is so great to see all of you joining us! Don't forget to head back to the WMS Forum to chat and join the contest.

Thanks for visiting, my dears!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Free Spirit Sentiments, Off Beat Backgrounds, Picnic Patterns - Waltzingmouse Stamps Cardstock: Aqua Mist, Hawaiian Shores, White - Papertrey Ink; Wild Wasabi - Stampin' Up!
Ink: Wild Wasabi, Cool Caribbean - Stampin' Up!; Aqua Mist - Papertrey Ink
Other: Small and Large Star punch - Stampin' Up!; Corner Chomper - We R Memory Keepers

PPRS Sneak Peek

This month Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps is releasing four sets of clear stamps with coordinating dies. The four sets, which include Build a Bird, Butterflies, Hibiscus, and Build an Owl, will be available for purchase on May 18th. Sold separately, these sets coordinate beautifully to create stamped images that can be die cut perfectly around the shape. How cool is that?

It’s so cool, in fact, that they want to give some away. So they’re hosting a Blog Hop, May 18th-21st. You’ll have the chance to share what you think of the new products and of course, the chance to win!

Here's a little sneaky peek of one of the cards I made using the Build an Owl set.

Be sure to come back on Thursday, May 20th to see the cards I've made featuring this stamp set and coordinating die. You won’t want to miss it!

Hope to see you back here later today for the WMS Blog Waltz!

#Anya

Butterfly Cutie

Thank *goodness* it is Friday. I need a happy, sunny, stress-free, relaxing weekend (do you hear me, universe??)

I was totally inspired by Jessica Witty's post on the Paper Crafts Connection blog the other day about using phone books in your paper crafting. I thought it was a great idea seeing as 1) I love the light, tissue-paper texture of the pages, 2) I have yet to have luck finding an old book to cut up to get that vintage print look and 3) Three of them were just delivered to my porch. So I was all over the idea of using a phone book.

Here's my first project. I've only got 1,638 pages left to use.

I cut a stack of pages with the Butterfly Die from Papertrey Ink. I think I wish I would have used pages from the phone numbers, but I do like the look of these. I stapled my stacks together and then mussed them up a bit, scrunching and folding the wings. I inked the edges with Hawaiian Shores, Raspberry Fizz, and Orange Zest ink.

The patterned paper is from a few different Cosmo Cricket collections, seeing the colors together made me happy.

I stitched them to a card base of Orange Zest - I feel an orange kick coming on, totally loved Carly's orange card here - and added the sentiment using K&Company stickers. Happy, happy.

I hope your weekend is great! I'm so glad you stopped in today!

Don't forget that Monday is the May Blog Waltz for WMS! I will also be sharing a sneak peek of a new product line from Prickley Pear - you won't want to miss it!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Little Lady - Papertrey Ink
Cardstock: Orange Zest - Papertrey Ink
Patterned Paper: From the Material Girl, Early Bird, and Nutmeg Collections - Cosmo Cricket
Ink: Hawaiian Shores, Raspberry Fizz, Orange Zest, True Black - Papertrey Ink
Other: Handmade Mini Alpha Embossed Stickers - K&Company; Butterfly Die - Papertrey Ink; sewing machine; stapler; phone book

Happy Graduation Gift Card Holder

Hi everyone!

Graduation season is approaching, and here's a quick gift card holder that you can make for your graduate.

The stamps are all from Prickley Pear's most recent release. I stamped the Graduate Text stamp repeatedly onto some More Mustard cardstock and then punched out some star shapes. I tried to center at least one word when punching each star - this stamp is full of great graduation type words: congratulations, acheivement, degree, diploma, future... would be great to stamp a background and then highlight a few!

The Happy Graduation circle was stamped and punched and then I stamped the Small Graduate and cut it out, mounting it in the center of the circle. These are my brother-in-law's school colors, as he's the graduate in our family this year!

I first found the pattern for this gift card holder on Jen del Muro's blog here. I love this design.

The details have been posted for the next Waltzingmouse Stamps Monthly Blog Waltz, which will be held Monday, May 17th. You can find the details here on the WMS blog. I hope you can waltz along with us!

That's all for me for today, have a great night! GO PENS!!

Recipe:
Stamps: Graduate Text, Happy Graduation, Small Graduate – Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps
Cardstock: Vintage Cream – Papertrey Ink; Handsome Hunter, More Mustard – Stampin’ Up!
Ink: More Mustard, Handsome Hunter – Stampin’ Up!
Other: Large and Small Star punch – Stampin’ Up!; Super Jumbo Circle punch – Marvy; Rectangle Nestabilities; gold ribbon

Get Well Wishes

Or, 'Thinking Outside the Background Stamp Box' :)

You know how much I love to stamp my own backgrounds, and I can't say enough about the background stamps that Waltzingmouse carries. But how about those other stamps? They can be backgrounds, too! This is one of my favorite techniques - I hope with a little inspiration you will love it, too.

Pull out some of your favorite sets and take a look at them - are there similar images (or words) that you could group together? Or what about one image that would look great repeated? I used the birdcage image from the Asian Gardens set to create a fun, trendy background for my card.

I stamped the image repeatedly right onto some patterned paper (Monday from Cosmo Cricket's Girl Friday collection) for a one-of-a-kind look. The sentiment and frame is from Fancy Phrases. A big tissue paper rose, spritzed with Antique Linen reinker and Perfect Pearls adds some vintage glam.

Isn't that fun?!? What a way to add more mileage to your stamps!

Here are some other cards I've made using this same technique for an extra oomph of inspiration!

For My Valentine

It's Your Day

Birthday Wishes

So, how about it? Inspired to create some of your own backgrounds? I hope so! And I hope you'll share, too!

Have a fantastic evening!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Asian Gardens, Fancy Phrases - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: Kraft, Rustic Cream, Raspberry Fizz - Papertrey Ink
Patterned Paper: Monday from the Girl Friday collection - Cosmo Cricket
Ink: Sweet Blush, Raspberry Fizz - Papertrey Ink; Antique Linen, Vintage Photo Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: Vintage Cream Grosgrain ribbon - Papertrey Ink; Blossom Nestabilities - Spellbinders; Antique Linen reinkers and Perfect Pearls - Ranger; Pinking blade for rotary paper trimmer - Fiskars; pink tissue paper; sewing machine

Mother's Day Teacup

Hi everyone!

I hope you had a wonderful weekend. I was busy with Mother's Day festivities, visiting with my in-laws on Saturday and then brunch with my family at my house on Sunday.

I thought a perfect little something for my Nana for Mother's Day would be to try one of Claire's newest additions to the Template Temptations: A Nice Cup of Tea. I have to admit, I am intimidated by templates but Claire's are so fantastic and the results are simply outstanding, so I need to conquer these fears.



I printed my template pattern onto Vintage Cream cardstock and cut it out. I planned out a pattern and stamped before assembling, doing a little browsing of vintage tea cup patterns online.

I used one of the flourishes from Very Vintage Labels No. 10 and the rosebud from Roses In Bloom. I colored the roses with copics and highlighted them with a Spica glitter pen. Then I inked everything with a little Antique Linen Distress Ink and rimmed the edges of the cup and saucer with a silver paint pen.

I filled the cup with a big, fat bath bomb from Lush, which is just the tip of the iceberg. I can't even imagine how adorable cookies or little petit fours would be!

Hope you have a great night, thanks for the visit!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Very Vintage Labels No. 10, Roses in Bloom, Spring Baskets - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: Vintage Cream - Papertrey Ink
Ink: London Fog Memento - Tsukineko; Perfect Plum - Stampin' Up!; Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: A Nice Cup of Tea Template - Waltzingmouse Stamps; Copic markers and Spica glitter pen; silver paint pen

On Your Christening

Happy Friday, my dears! I am so glad the weekend is upon us. I have an appointment for a hair cut tonight that I am really looking forward to. When my short hair gets too long it starts to get a little unruly.

So! Another little one has recently been added to the family, and I needed a card for her Christening. In instances like this, I like to have a stamp specific to the occasion (so not necessary, I know) and I was looking through my folder of images and I found exactly what I was looking for in the Celtic Heritage set from WMS. Lovely.

The cross was embossed and cut out, just to add a little extra dimension. This piece is matted onto pearlescent cardstock, which is a beautiful match, but didn't photograph well. The background was stamped with the celtic lunette outline image to bring a little of the pink in, yet keep it elegant (and satisfy my background stamping quota). I liked the ability to build my own sentiment, but you already know that Claire's sets are perfect for that!

Moms, I hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day weekend! It will be full of family for us. Take care!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Celtic Heritage - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: Pink Pirouette - Stampin' Up!; White - Papertrey Ink
Patterned Paper: The Luxury Stack - DCWV
Ink: Pink Pirouette - Stampin' Up!; Jet Black Archival Ink - Ranger
Other: Sweet Blush satin ribbon - Papertrey Ink; Silver embossing powder; clear adhesive rhinestones

Woodgrain Thank You

Hello friends :) I am so glad to see you!

I need to send a thank you card to my cousin and his wife for their hospitality while we were in England. (I know, its been a month - inexcusable!!) I wanted to keep it a little on the masculine side and easy on the embellishments. I kept putting it off because every time I sat down I had a hard time getting the gears going. Sometimes when this happens, I find an easy way to create is to CASE myself. I really liked the design of my WMS Birthday card, and took the main concept and ended up with this.

Huh? Kinda funky in a western sort of way... perfect for my British relatives.. haha!

I am quite fond of it, though - I created the background using Background Basics: Woodgrain in Hawaiian Shores ink. I stamped up a diagonal plaid pattern using the Distressed Stripes set and used the Thank You from Say it with Style. I wanted my sentiment on two lines, so I just masked the words when stamping.

The label is from Very Vintage Labels No. 10, stamped and then cut out. See? Its ok if you don't have the coordinating Nesties yet :) I added a strip of cardstock behind the label to ground it and called it done.

Fun! I like the color combination, and am digging framing all my sentiments with these labels.

I hope you are having a fantastic day, I'll see you tomorrow!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Background Basics: Woodgrain, Distressed Stripes, Say it with Style - Papertrey Ink; Very Vintage Labels No. 10 - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: Hawaiian Shores, Vintage Cream - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Hawaiian Shores, Chamomile and Chai Tea Dye Duo - Papertrey Ink; Riding Hood Red - Stampin' Up!; Jet Black Archival Ink, Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger

Serendipity Stamps Masculine Card Challenge

Good morning!

It is Serendipity Stamps challenge day here. This week the Design Team was challenged to make a masculine card.

I thought immediately of this Buck and Doe stamp that I have from Serendipity. It is large, so I wanted to make it the focal point and build the rest of the card around it.

I first stamped the buck and doe onto a piece of Rustic White cardstock, cut them out, and set them aside. Then I took another piece of Rustic White cardstock and some Distress Ink (Crushed Olive, Forest Moss, and Stormy Sky) and created my scene. I used a foam applicator and my non-stick craft mat to apply the ink to the card and blend it together. I stamped the image again onto my inked up piece so that the other details (the branch and grass) would be there.

I inked up my buck and doe with some Pumice Stone Distress Ink so they weren't so bright white, and adhered them to my card with foam tape. I decided to go with a sort of generic sentiment (Enjoy!) that could be used for a number of occasions - birthday, Father's Day, the first day of deer hunting season, whatever. :)

I tied hemp cord around the top to add some rustic texture. Simple style, no frills, and an interesting subject are a perfect mix for masculine!

Glad you could stop by today, check out the other DT members, too!

Amy
Jennifer
Kathie
Lynda

Have a great day!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Buck and Doe, Enjoy! - Serendipity Stamps
Cardstock: Ripe Avocado, Rustic Cream - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Close to Cocoa - Stampin' Up!; Stormy Sky, Forest Moss, Crushed Olive, Pumice Stone Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: Hemp cord

Do Your Own Growing

Some more new release stuff from WMS today. I'm short on time, so I'll be quick.

I put this one together using Words of Wisdom, Picnic Patterns, and Fancy Phrases (dotted oval) - all NOW available!!

I used my favorite, go-to layout and rotated it. I think this would make a great graduation card, I really love this saying.

Thank you for your visit today - hope the sun is shining!!

#Anya

Recipe:
Stamps: Words of Wisdom, Picnic Patterns, Fancy Phrases - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: Spring Rain, Summer Sunrise, Lemon Tart, White - Papertrey Ink; Brocade Blue - Stampin' Up!
Ink: Bashful Blue, Marigold Morning - Stampin' Up!
Other: Scallop edge border punch - Stampin' Up!; blue button

PPRS May Sketch Challenge

Good Sunday morning to you!

Today, the PPRS Design Team is participating in a sketch challenge.

Here is our sketch:

And here is the card that I made:

I started with a piece of patterned paper cut to the size of the ATC transparency. I covered it with Sugar Dust, which is sort of like microbeads. I was going for the glitter look without it being too glittery - definitely a neat effect in person. I stitched the transparency to this piece of beaded paper. This transparency is from the Vintage Boys ATC Transparencies from PPRS.

The patterned paper strip was spritzed with Sheer Shimmer Spritz in Gold, which adds a beautiful shimmer (you'll have to take my word for it - the shimmer never shows up in my photos!). I thought this would make a great vintage Mother's Day card! I love the aqua and orange together.

Have a great day!

#Anya

Recipe:
Cardstock: Sage Shadow - Stampin' Up!
Patterned Paper: Everafter Collection - Cosmo Cricket
Ink: Vintage Photo Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: Vintage Boys ATC Transparencies - PPRS; Sheer Shimmer Spritz Gold - Tsukineko; Labels Four Nestabilities - Spellbinders; Sugar Dust - Stamp La Jolla; Cameo Roses White - Prima; Adhesive pearls - Recollections; sewing machine

WMS Birthday Blog Waltz

Happy First Birthday Waltzingmouse Stamps, and welcome to the May new release Blog Waltz!! Eight new stamp sets are being released today in honor of the occasion!

If you're waltzing along with us, you should have come here by way of Julia's blog. If you just happened to stop in, the fun starts with Claire on the Waltzingmouse Stamps Blog. Lynn will be the next stop after me, I have linked her blog up again below.

Prizes are also up for grabs for two lucky commenters! One winner will be randomly chosen from the comments left on one of the Design Team Members' blogs, the other will be chosen from the comments left on the Waltzingmouse Stamps Blog. So let us know what you think of the new release! The contest ends at 11:59 pm EST on Monday, May 3rd. Winners will be announced on the WMS Blog on Tuesday.

Today we are celebrating the first birthday of WMS with a little cake! Click on the picture for a larger version.

Yum! This is a new addition to the Template Temptations - A Piece of Cake! The template includes the pattern for the bottom, top, and inside of the cake. They are all separate pieces, so it is up to you to decide how you want to decorate it! I used some of my favorite background stamps (Picnic Patterns and Off Beat Backgrounds) to make a delectable raspberry filled cake, with lots of icing!! ;)

Wouldn't these be beautiful favors for a small bridal shower or even for Mother's Day? I used a scallop border punch, a strip of pink glitter, and a tissue paper rose to jazz it up some!

For my card, I used some of the words from Fancy Phrases to create my background. Perfect for wishing Claire a big congratulations on the WMS first birthday. The polka dot frame is from the newly released Vintage Labels 10. The tissue paper roses were cut out of pink tissue paper using the Blooms Nestabilities. I stamped some of them with the flower from Big Blooms Chrysanthemum before scrunching them up. I used Claire's sketch for this one - I hope you had a chance to enter the contest!

I hope you enjoyed the previews of the new releases (all eight of them!) and the other birthday festivities. Lynn is your next stop along the waltz. Thank you for visiting, and have a great day!

#Anya

Recipe:
Cake Slice made using A Piece of Cake Template Temptations - WMS
Stamps: Off Beat Backgrounds, Picnic Patterns, Big Blooms Chrysanthemums - WMS
Cardstock: Vintage Cream - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Melon Mambo, Pink Pirouette, Kiwi Kiss - Stampin' Up!; Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: Tourmaline Glitter - Martha Stewart Crafts; Scalloped Scallop Border Punch - EK Success; Super Jumbo Scalloped Circle punch - Marvy; Pink tissue paper

Card:
Stamps: Fancy Phrases, Vintage Labels No. 10, Big Blooms Chrysanthemums, Off Beat Backgrounds - WMS
Cardstock: Raspberry Fizz, Vintage Cream - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Pink Pirouette, Melon Mambo, Kiwi Kiss - Stampin' Up!; Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger
Other: Pink tissue paper; Adhesive rhinestone - Recollections; 3-in-1 Classic Butterfly Punch, Tourmaline Glitter - Martha Stewart Crafts; Blooms Nestabilities - Spellbinders