Yummy Boxes!

Happy Tuesday! Hope you are doing well! I'm popping in to share a couple of sweet little gift boxes I made for a couple of friends who were having birthdays! What's inside? Some of my famous (modest, huh?!) sugar cookies! See below! Yummmmmy!

Would you like one?! I'm afraid the extras did not survive a night with me and dh! Sugar is my kryptonite! Make that sugar AND stamps! For the first box above, I used all Stampin' Up! supplies except for the black/white polka dot washi tape. I used the new Chalk Talk bundle (love getting stamps and dies together!) and embossed it in white. The "ticket" paper on the band was from last year's catalog (the old-fashioned circus set), and the ribbon from my hoarded, retired stash! I am loving those new Candy Dots and want to put them on everything! For that second box, I used some tissue paper I had saved, isn't it bright and fun?!

After two weeks of teacher inservice, I was thrilled to welcome the students back yesterday! It's absolutely the best feeling in the world! My campus is 3rd - 5th grade, so I'm determined to start learning the names of all 132 new 3rd graders. Wish me luck! As 50 draws closer and closer, the memory isn't what it used to be! haha!

I'm heading to Stamp Club tomorrow night, so I know I'll have some awesome Stampin' Up! projects to bring back and show you! I'm the hostess, too, so watch out wallet! Thanks so much for stopping by! Hugs and happy stamping!

Thanks So Much

Happy Sunday! I received a super nice comment from Nicole B. on Friday who is a dedicated SU customer and was looking forward to my Stampin' Up! Saturday posts, so I decided I needed to share a card! (This one is mostly SU!) I have been such a deadbeat stamper!! The last two weeks I got sucked into a seven book series, then a six book series, and I get a little obsessive-compulsive about finishing them, sigh. DH asked me, "Do you ever just read a one book?" haha! I need to look into that!

I'm half-way through the last book now, then I am determined to get back into my stamp room, yay! I have a load of new Stampin' Up! stuff just waiting to get inked up! In the meantime, here is a card I made on my last scrapbooking retreat in May for a swap. I used the Oh, Hello set and the Epic Day This and That designer series paper. I copied the layout of the card from one on page 21 of the new Stampin' Up! catalog. I loved the ribbon folded through the safety pin! The photo below shows the Heidi Swapp Gold Shine spray a little better.

I have one more week of teacher in-service then the students come back on August 26, yay! I cannot wait to see them! I've also been busy the last two weeks with this little guy we adopted from the SPCA, which you may have already seen if we're Facebook friends:

He's about the sweetest, most well behaved dog ever! We've gone back and forth on names, but we're thinking he's Scout now. We lost Nick almost two years ago, and DH has been waiting patiently on me to be ready for another dog, and I just woke up one Sunday and knew it was time. :)

I hope you're all doing well and I bet many of you are preparing for back to school as well! Thanks so much for stopping by! Hugs and happy stamping!

CAS-ual Fridays Stamps: July Sneak Peek #5

It's time for Sneak Peek #5 for the July release of CAS-ual Fridays Stamps! 

You are going to love this new holiday set called Christmas Carols!

For my card, I used one of the poinsettia stamps from the set stamped in Versamark, then heat embossed with Clear Embossing Powder and fussy cut. After attaching with glue dots, I added a drop of Stickles in the center. I also stamped the poinsettia border stamp below and the awesome sentiment stamp above, popping up the "Christmas" in glitter. The sentiments in this Christmas Carols set are so wonderful! For my glitter "spatters" I followed this tutorial from this Rahel Menig. She is amazing with splatters! This was my first try, and I used some 15 year old glue, hahaha, but I'm definitely hooked!

Now head over to the store blog and see the amazing inky creations from the rest of the Ink Squad team and leave a comment to win the new Christmas Carols set for yourself!

Tomorrow is the big day when all the new dies and stamp sets will go live for purchase, 

and Michele will announce the winners of all the Sneak Peek posts this week!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Hugs and happy stamping!

CAS-ual Fridays Stamps: July Sneak Peek #4

Today we're ready for the CAS-ual Fridays Stamps July Sneak Peek #4!

We've already seen 3 great new Fri-Dies this week, now it's time for some stamps!

Introducing: Naughty or Nice!

You are going to love this holiday set filled with awesome holiday greetings, polka dots and ovals! I used the polka dots, ovals, and one of the greeting stamps to make little flags, then added some Washi tape, chevron ribbon, and enamel dots for fun. I topped it off with the new CAS-ual Fridays Oval Tags Fri-Die stamped with "Naughty or Nice." Can't you think of some great ways to use this one for cards and gift packaging?! 

I hope you enjoyed this Sneak Peek! Don't forget to head to the store blog and leave a comment for a chance to win the new Naughty or Nice stamp set!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Come back tomorrow for the final Sneak Peek #5!

Hugs and happy stamping!

CAS-ual Fridays Stamps: July Sneak Peek #3

Are you ready for the CAS-ual Fridays Stamps Sneak Peek #3?!

It's a 3rd new die in the Fri-Dies collection, the Oval Tags Die!

It comes with two pieces, the large oval tag die plus a smaller oval and an offset oval ring.

Isn't it fun?! The possibilities for using this are endless.

Check out the store blog to see the super creative ways the rest of the designers used it 

and leave a comment for a chance to win it yourself!

For my Ovals Tag project, I made a little thank you gift pouch using the CAS-ual Fridays Stamps set Big Thanks. See that turquoise for the big tag? I used some of the tissue paper that Michele uses when shipping out CAS-ual Fridays Stamps! See, it pays to be a packrat and save everything! hehe! I glued the pink oval ring down on the tissue, then applied the "Big Thanks" oval with foam dots for a little extra dimension.

To make the pouch, I cut two pieces of clear Hambly overlay and one piece of white cardstock to  3 1/8" x 4 1/4", but you could do any size. I stamped the long "Thank You" sentiment on the white cardstock in different colors, then layered all three pieces and sewed it around three sides, leaving the top open. I don't think my little Janome Mini sewing machine *liked* it but it got through it okay!  Below is a picture of the back side. You could put all kinds of little gifts or treats in here.

Since my tag was made from tissue paper and I was using a wide grosgrain ribbon 

through the top of it, I did reinforce the opening with a little white cardstock ring, 

shown below. I used a 1/2" and a 3/4" circle punch, and it worked great!

I hope you enjoyed this Sneak Peek! 

Don't forget to go to the store blog and leave a comment 

for a chance to win this new Oval Tags Die! 

Thanks so much for stopping by! Come back tomorrow for Sneak Peek #4!

Hugs and happy stamping!

CAS-ual Fridays Stamps: July Sneak Peek #2

Happy Monday!

I'm back with Sneak Peek #2 for the July release of CAS-ual Fridays Stamps!

My card above uses the new Bubble Labels Die from the Fri-Dies collection!

I used the larger die of the two-die set. Isn't it a fun shape?!

Behind the die cut out space, I stamped a sentiment line from the Truth Is stamp set. I topped it off with the "you" Thickers letters, then created a pom pom from Baker's Twine. The pom poms are super easy and fun to make, just google "twine pom pom" and you'll find some great tutorials.

Head over the store blog and leave a comment for a chance to win this awesome new die! 

You'll also want to see the amazing Bubble Labels cards from the rest of the designers!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Come back tomorrow for Sneak Peek #3!

Hugs and happy stamping!

CAS-ual Fridays Stamps: July Sneak Peek #1

Have you heard the exciting news?!

CAS-ual Friday Stamps is now offering dies!

Oh, and I also left the CAS-ual Fridays challenge blog to join the Ink Squad team!

Squeal! I'm so excited to join the other amazing designers, I'm still pinching myself!

Today kicks off the Sneak Peeks for the new July CAS-ual Fridays Stamp and Fri-Dies!

Today's Sneak Peek shows off the new Loving Blooms Die 

that coordinates with the Loving Thoughts stamp set. 

I knew I wanted to make a baby card, so I started with some sweet fabrics to use with the Loving Blooms die. I used 3 of the 4 dies, then ran a small basting stitch on each one to sort of gather and scrunch up the flowers. After that, I layered the 3 flowers and sewed them together under a crystal button using some pink and white Baker's Twine. 

For my sentiment, I went with tone-on-tone ink to match the cardstock, then embossed it with Clear Embossing Powder so it would pop a little more. For the top pink flag under the word "little", I stamped the largest flower from Loving Thoughts with pink ink on pink cardstock, then cut the flag out of that. Lastly, I added a little dry embossing along the bottom, washi tape, ribbon, and twine, and voila! My baby card is ready!

Make sure you head over to the CAS-ual Fridays Stamps blog to check out the cards from the rest of the Ink Squad! You won't believe all the different looks the girls came up with using the new Loving Blooms Dies!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Come back tomorrow for Sneak Peek #2! 

Hugs and happy stamping!

CFC110: Count Me In

It's CAS-ual Fridays time!

This week we have CFC110: Count Me In...

Create a CAS project using a number or numbers!

For my card, I used a scrappy die cut card with some numbers then layered it with a wooden tag stamped with Bold Wishes from CAS-ual Fridays Stamps. I used the same set for the two sentiments,  even though they're kind of hidden behind the ribbon. 

This week's winner will receive a prize from our sponsor, CAS-ual Fridays Stamps! Woot! Woot!

I can't wait to see your projects with numbers! 

Thanks so much for stopping by! Hugs and happy stamping!

CFC109: Polka Dots

It's CAS-ual Fridays time!

I hope you'll play along with this week's challenge!

CFC109: Polka Dots!

Create a CAS project using polka dots!

This week's winner will receive a $25 gift certificate from our sponsor, Simon Says Stamp!

I can't wait to see your polka dot projects! 

Thanks so much for stopping by! Hugs and happy stamping!

CFC108: Material Girl

It's CAS-ual Fridays time! This week we have a super fun challenge! 

Come join us for CFC108: Material Girl...

create a CAS project using some type of material...fabric, felt, canvas, etc.

For my card, I used red polka dot fabric behind a star die cut out. I was feeling the July 4th spirit still! I used the CAS-ual Fridays stamp set Ka-Boom and heat embossed the sentiment in white. I stamped the 'bomb' on the back side of my some silver glitter paper, then cut it out.

Easy peasy! Hope you like it!

Ready to come play along! 

This week's winner will receive a $25 gift certificate from our sponsor, Ellen Hutson!

I can't wait to see your Material Girl projects! 

Thanks so much for stopping by! Hugs and happy stamping!

Recipe

Stamps: CAS-ual Fridays Ka-Boom

Cardstock: SU Bliss Blue, Glitter paper.

Ink: Versamark.

Accessories: Big Shot, Star Die, White Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Red/White Twine.