PDCC90

Hello there, my friends! How is your Monday? I'm tired - last week I was out of the office most of the week and while that normally sounds like a good thing, I was hiking pipeline right-of-ways (I work for a natural gas utility company). And while even that is normally a good thing, it was *hot*. And walking through chest high vegetation in long pants in 90 degrees is never much fun. So that caught up with me and I spent Saturday in a bit of a post-lots of sun, low hydration coma. I almost bailed on the Waltz, because despite what illusions I may have shared, I am never prepared ahead of time :)

Yesterday I was a bit more coherent and I put together this card for this week's Play Date Cafe Challenge. As soon as I saw the colors, the idea for this card started rattling around. I thought Halloween immediately!

And here is my card... ever feel like you're being watched?

I perched the owl from Halloween Party onto the tree from Asian Gardens. Without the leaves, I thought it looked like a pretty spooky old tree. A circle was die-cut with my nestabilities for a moon, and the stars are from Midnight Feast.

I was intrigued by the idea of the Half & Half stuff Papertrey just released, but knew I could make my own with any number of Spellbinders dies and Waltzingmouse label and background stamps. Here I used Labels 11 to cut the shape, then stamped it with Gingham & Co. (no lining up because the stamp is big enough) and then finished it off with a little flourish from Very Vintage Labels No. 5. There are tons of these little decorative designs throughout Claire's sets... I always enjoy perusing the sets to see what I can do with them.

Have you noticed my cards for the past few days have all been variations of this week's Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge sketch? I have been particularly inspired by this sketch! Maybe you will be too - you should play along with us!

I'm glad you stopped by today, I hope your day is great!

Anya

Recipe
STAMPS: Halloween Party, Asian Gardens, Midnight Feast, Gingham & Co., Flourishes - Scallops and Dots, Very Vintage Labels No. 5 - Waltzingmouse Stamps
CARDSTOCK: Summer Sunrise, Plum Pudding, Royal Velvet, True Black - Papertrey Ink
INK: Elegant Eggplant, Perfect Plum, Marigold Morning - Stampin' Up!; Jet Black Archival Ink, Black Soot Distress Ink - Ranger Industries
OTHER: Standard Circles Large, Labels 11 Nestabilities - Spellbinders Paper Arts

July Friends of WMS Waltz

Good morning, Waltzers! Welcome to the July Friends of WMS Blog Waltz. Today we're going with a birthday party theme.

Here are the details: if you want to waltz along with us and you haven't yet linked up your project, head to the link list thread in the WMS Forum to link up your creation and view the other participants. There is also a thread for chatting about what you've seen. This month a random waltz participant will be chosen to receive a prize.

I used Eat Cake and Frame It to create a birthday card.

I also cooked up some Cuppie Love with one of Claire's templates.

Glad you could stop in today, have fun waltzing!

Anya

Recipe
STAMPS: Eat Cake, Frame It, Around Christmastime, Very Vintage Circles Faux Fun, Faux Fun - Waltzingmouse Stamps
CARDSTOCK: Rustic Cream - Papertrey Ink; Certainly Celery - Stampin' Up!
INK: Crumb Cake, Melon Mambo, Certainly Celery, Daffodil Delight - Stampin' Up!; Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger Industries
OTHER: Cuppie Love Template - Waltzingmouse Stamps; Doily - Wilton; Adhesive rhinestone - Recollections

Sunshiny

It is Saturday again, and you know what that means: Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge day!

Today we have a sketch from my sweet friend Julia Aston. It is a great one!

Color inspiration for my card came from this month's Martha Stewart Living Magazine. The 'Our Finds' section shared an August color palette with a combination of yellow, cream, and tan.

And here is my card:

I used Off Beat Backgrounds, Say It Loud, and my favorite little flowers from Rescue Remedies.

We hope you'll play along with us this week - head to the Waltzingmouse Stamps Sketch Challenge Blog to link up your creation. In addition to the Top Mice awards, a free stamp set is awarded each week to a random player!

Have a great Saturday!

Anya

Recipe
STAMPS: Off Beat Backgrounds, Say It Loud, Rescue Remedies - Waltzingmouse Stamps
CARDSTOCK: Barely Banana - Stampin' Up!; Rustic White - Papertrey Ink
INK: Barely Banana, So Saffron, Sahara Sand - Stampin' Up!; Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger Industries
OTHER: Postage Stamp Edge Punch - Fiskars; Cappuccino Baker's Twine - The Twinery; Sewing machine

Trick or Treat

Yes, you read that right! I am thinking Halloween already! You don't mind, though, right?

After sharing the other tag I made earlier this week, I wanted to make another.

I used a large manila tag from Stampers Anonymous - I have a stash of these that I like to keep handy. I 'stamped' some Distress Inks onto my craft mat, spritzed them with water and Perfect Gold Perfect Pearls and then smooshed my tag onto the ink. Its like a swirly night sky.

Then I pulled out my WMS Halloween sets: Halloween Party, Wanda's Pantry, and Midnight Feast. I used bits and pieces from each to create my tag. The largest flourish from Flourishes - Scallops and Dots is also peeking out from behind.

I tried out my new French Pastry Doily Die from Cheery Lynn Designs (the only thing I picked up at our local stamp show this past weekend!) - looks great in black, doesn't it?

Some just-for-fun creating! Have a great day!

Anya

Recipe
STAMPS: Halloween Party, Wanda's Pantry, Midnight Feast, Flourishes - Scallops and Dots - Waltzingmouse Stamps
CARDSTOCK: True Black, Plum Pudding - Papertrey Ink; Going Gray - Stampin' Up!; Manila Tag - Stampers Anonymous
INK: Milled Lavender, Dusty Concord, Chipped Sapphire, Black Soot Distress Ink, Jet Black Archival Ink - Ranger Industries
OTHER: Perfect Gold Perfect Pearls - Ranger Industries; Labels Four Nestabilities - Spellbinders; French Pastry Doily Die - Cherry Lynn Designs; Mini Rolled Flower die - MFT; True Black Felt - Papertrey Ink

Au Revoir

Hello there, my dears.

A few weeks ago, Lizzie Anne Designs announced that they are closing their doors. It is always sad to see a stamp company shutting down, and I feel grateful that I had the opportunity to work with Tricia (Lizzie), Meridith (Anne) and the rest of the Design Team.

I wanted to take the time to share a LAD project with you today, one I had created for their newsletter, and a favorite of mine.

I used images from the Bonjour set.

I always forget how much fun I have making tags. I also love this glittery frame. I think I will challenge myself to make a tag with something glittery on it. I am starting to get in the mood (don't laugh!) for Halloween... I love Halloween, and there is some behind-the-scenes stuff happening that is making me want to break out my Halloween goodies!

Thanks for the visit today, Lizzie Anne is selling out quickly, so if you'd like to stop over and see what they have left, now is the time!

Have a fantastic Monday!

Anya

Thanking You - WMSC55

Morning, friends.

Thank *goodness* the weekend has arrived. Yesterday sure felt like Friday the 13th. Whew.

I'm here today to bring you this week's Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge. Our final sketch from Belinda, this is WMSC55:

And here is my card:

I thought I'd also take the opportunity to play along with this week's Play Date Cafe color challenge:

Such pretty colors!

I used images from Afternoon Tea Sentiments, Ovals Classic Frames, and Flourishes Scallops and Dots to create my card.

We hope you'll play along with us this week - head to the Waltzingmouse Stamps Sketch Challenge Blog to link up your creation. In addition to the Top Mice awards, a free stamp set is awarded each week to a random player!

Have a great day!

Anya

Recipe
Stamps: Afternoon Tea Sentiments, Ovals Classic Frames, Flourishes Scallops and Dots, Cameo to Go - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: Crumb Cake - Stampin' Up!; Rustic White - Papertrey Ink
Patterned Paper: The Thrift Store - October Afternoon
Ink: Sage Shadow, Crumb Cake - Stampin' Up!; Rich Cocoa Memento - Tsukineko; Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger Industries
Other: Classic Ovals Large Nestabilities - Spellbinders; Sewing machine

At the Seashore

Good morning! This week's Design Team challenge at Serendipity Stamps was to create a project using both the large and small versions of the same image. I chose to use the Shell Wreath Large and Small. This is one of my favorite images and I knew just what I would use it for.

Since it is the perfect time for a summer get-together, I thought I would create a party invitation using the large version of the shell wreath. I embossed the image in white and colored a few select items in with Copic markers. I was going for the weathered, white-washed look here so I wanted to keep things simple.

I purposely stamped my wreath off the cardstock a bit and then stitched up the right hand side for some visual interest. I chose to leave a sentiment off the front, instead including all the details on the inside. The image was just too pretty to busy it up too much.

I brought the small image into the mix by using it for place cards. I designed these the same way as the invitation, embossing the image in white, stitching up the side and adding some white acrylic paint. I used a white gel pel to add names to the place cards. I love the way these turned out - these will be great for my Mom who celebrates her birthday later this month.

Thanks for stopping by today. Please be sure to visit the other Design Team members to see their take on this challenge!

Jenny
Kathie
Lynda
Miriam

Have a great day!

Anya

Recipe
Stamps: Shell Wreath Large (1051K), Shell Wreath Small (1052E) - Serendipity Stamps
Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Soft Sky - Stampin' Up!
Ink: VersaMark - Tsukineko; Antique Linen, Pumice Stone Distress Ink - Ranger Industries
Other: Detail White Embossing Powder - Stampendous; Copic Markers - Imagination Interational; Snow Cap Acrylic Paint Dabber - Ranger Industries; Sewing machine

Classy Lady & Some Kitchen Pics

Raise your hand if you're struggling to be back at work after a long weekend! Yeah, me too!

I have lots to share today.. I have had a few requests to share photos of my kitchen redo, I snuck something in for this week's Play Date Cafe Challenge, and some other randomness. I'll start with the crafty stuff. Another fun and inspiring color story this week:

I used one of the new releases from Waltzingmouse, You're Lovely.

I stamped the dress form image three times onto Rustic White cardstock and cut them out. Then I stamped the image again once onto Dusty Durango, Crushed Curry, and Baja Breeze cardstock. I embossed the dresses with the Swiss Dots Embossing folder, cut them out and then swiped them with a white ink pad. The dresses are popped up on a piece of cardstock stamped with images from the Flourishes - Scallops and Dots set.

I paired the images with some patterned paper from K&Company (Que Sera Sera) that was a perfect match. It is a little busy, but I think it works.

I am a big fan of this set... I think Claire's take on this theme is fabulous.

Ok, so kitchen photos. I realize for most of you viewing these, before and after photos would have been ideal. I didn't take them - once I decided what I was doing, I dove in, so you'll just have to imagine the colors. I live in a Cape Cod style house, built in the late 1940s. I bought the house from the original owners, so only one family has lived in it before me (on a fun sidenote - I live in the same neighborhood I grew up in.. my grandparents were friends with the family that lived in my house and my mom used to play with the kids. I used to trick or treat here, and we always stopped in so Aunt Sue could see our costumes. Who knew, 20 years later I'd be living there?). This also means that very few things have been updated since the time the house was built, including the kitchen. I am still rockin' the Republic Steel metal cabinets, and until I hit the lottery, will continue to do so. A big kitchen remodel just isn't on the books for us, so I did what I could - which means paint and a little reorganization!

Excuse the poor lighting - we're talking about a 12 x 8 foot space here, not much to work with. The cabinets had been painted a lovely shade of pinky beige, to match the lovely pinky beige tiles on the kitchen wall. The project that started out as 'I'm painting the kitchen cabinets' turned into 'I'm repainting the entire kitchen'.

All paint is Behr, purchased from Home Depot. I'll list the paint colors below if you're interested, but I started with a more neutral brown on the tile... I needed something less pink. See that tiny scrap of counter space there, to the right of the stove? Yeah, that was all I was really working with, which *really* started to get on my nerves.

The curtain fabric is from Joann's and I really loved the design and color coordination. They match the blue and brown well and bring in yellow and red, which have been fun colors to use as accents around the kitchen. The sun is blasting through this window right now and makes them pretty difficult to see.

I installed a Lagan countertop and Akurum cabinet combination from Ikea - I spent a lot of time looking at free-standing kitchen islands, but finally decided to design the piece myself and saved a lot by doing so. I lost a microwave stand with storage and a small table in the shuffle, so this piece helped to provide some of that lost storage as well as needed work/eat space. It only makes sense to say that this is working out better!

One of my favorite new features are the wall shelves. Both of these are from the Stenstorp line. I love how cute they look with the canisters and bowls displayed, and that all that stuff is off the countertop.

I also invested in a new pantry in an effort to have enough storage in one unit for all the food in the kitchen. This is the Hemnes Glass-door cabinet and is perfect for this. I can easily find things, the shelves are shallow enough that things are visible, yet deep enough to really function as worthwhile storage. Very happy with this purchase, and should we someday move or remodel this piece could easily transition into the living or bedroom.

All in all, pretty exciting for me! I can show you the pictures, and while a change of color certainly has made things less boring, reorganizing the furniture has been the biggest help. It is much easier to move and work there, and that has made the all the difference!

While I was taking pictures, here's a shot of our completed patio.

Originating from storm damage, we had the flat roof removed and replaced with an extended, pitched version. The patio concrete was just finished at the end of May (after waiting through 6 months of awful weather). What a weight off my shoulders now that this project is done.

And my pitch for Sally Hansen Salon Effects. My girlfriends have been telling me about them, and I think they really are super fun (my husband had a conniption).

They are peel and stick nail polish strips that make your nails strong and can easily be removed with nailpolish remover. They aren't permanent, and a girl can have a little safe fun now and again, no?

That is enough for me. I'm sure you've quit reading 10 minutes ago! Thanks for stopping in my dears!

Anya

Recipe
Stamps: You're Lovely, Flourishes - Scallops and Dots - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Dusty Durango, Crushed Curry, Baja Breeze - Stampin' Up!; Rustic White - Papertrey Ink
Patterned Paper: Que Sera Sera - K&Company
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento - Tsukineko; Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger Industries
Other: Swiss Dots Embossing Folder - ProvoCraft; Edgers #1 Die - Papertrey Ink

Behr Paint Colors:
Walls: Glacial Tint (W-B-520)
Tile: Indulgent Mocha (PWN-70)
Cabinets: combination of Adriatic Mist (490C-2) and Balmy Seas (490C-3)

Happy Anniversary - WMSC54

Good morning everyone!

I am here today to bring you this week's Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge. Here is our sketch for this week:
And here is the card I made, using the new, just released Cameo to Go set.

This card reminds me of pictures hanging on a wall. This is a fun sketch, and I love how this card turned out.

We hope you'll play along with us this week - head to the Waltzingmouse Stamps Sketch Challenge Blog to link up your creation. In addition to the Top Mice awards, a free stamp set is awarded each week to a random player!

Now that we've finished up the July Release, I think I'm going to take the next few days to relax and recharge.. spend some time with my family and build up that creative energy again (I'm wiped out!). I hope that for those of you in the US, you enjoy your extended holiday weekend! I'll be thinking of you!

Anya

Recipe
Stamps: Cameo To Go - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: Rustic White - Papertrey Ink
Patterned Paper: Portrait Collection - Crate Paper
Ink: Jet Black Archival Ink - Ranger Industries
Other: Silk ribbon - Papertrey Ink; Copic markers - Imagination International; Detail White Embossing Powder - Stampendous; Sewing machine

WMS July Release Blog Waltz

Hi there! Happy release day! Today the eight new Waltzingmouse Stamps sets we've been previewing for the past three days will be available for purchase.

You should have arrived here from Laurie's blog. Claire's blog is the start of the waltz, so head back to her if you're just popping in! Sandie will be your next stop.

As usual, Blog Waltz prizes are up for grabs! One winner will be randomly chosen from the comments left on one of the Design Team blogs, so let us know what you think of the new release! The contest ends at 11:59 pm EST Saturday, July 2. Winners will be announced on the WMS Blog on the 3rd.

On we go!

To me, black and cream are one of those classic color combinations. I combined those colors with the swaggy border image from Eat Cake and a sentiment from Big Day Essentials to create an elegant thank you card. Sarah made mention yesterday of how much she likes the swag image and I agree with her - I think it might be finding its way onto my cards for the foreseeable future. It is just one of those designs that makes me happy, and as you can see, looks awesome front and center. I added some glitter to the circles, but they are itching for pearls and rhinestones, too!

I couldn't let the day pass without sharing another creation using You're Lovely. I think you guys are going to love this set.

This time I used the full dress image.. here as a wedding dress. I love how the other ladies added so many different colors and patterns to their dresses - always so much inspiration!

Anyway, I wanted a big poofy wedding dress, so I sandwiched some tulle in between layers of shimmery cardstock. Here is a better view.

Isn't that fun? I added some Flourishes to the background and a sentiment from Big Day Additions. Lovely shimmery wedding goodness!

I don't want to hold you up any longer, and I'm so grateful you stopped by to see me today. I hope you've been enjoying the previews over the past few days. I will be looking forward to seeing your creations popping up in the Gallery (and in the Big Cheese thread) soon!

Sandie is your next stop! Enjoy the rest of the waltz!

Anya

Recipe
Thank You Card
Stamps: Eat Cake, Big Day Essentials - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: Vintage Cream, True Black - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Jet Black Archival Ink, Antique Linen Distress Ink - Ranger Industries
Other: Smoky Quartz glitter - Martha Stewart Crafts; ScorPal; lace trim

Felicitations Card
Stamps: You're Lovely, Flourishes - Scallops and Dots; Big Day Additions - Waltzingmouse Stamps
Cardstock: White, Shimmer - Papertrey Ink
Ink: Pixie Dust VersaMagic, Old Rose VersaColor - Tsukineko; Jet Black Archival Ink - Ranger Industries
Other: Standard Circles Large, Lacey Circles Nestabilities - Spellbinders; Adhesive pearls; White tulle