Lucky You!

This card uses a sketch Julee created for the Verve Visual Honored Guest Card Contest that starts today. For a chance to win, all you need to do is submit a link to a card using the sketch provided. If chosen, you could be the next Verve Honored Guest and will get to play with the March release sets right along with the Verve Visual Design Team. There will be some random prize drawings throughout the contest, so be sure to get your entries submitted. For all the details and to see the sketch, check out the Verve Blog. Everyone on the design team has created a card with this sketch, so be sure to check out their creations, too!

For this card, I used the Heart to Heart set. I stamped and cut out three of the hearts and put them together to make a clover. I was going to add a fourth on the bottom, but it just didn't look right, so I stuck with three. You can't see it very well in the photo, but there's paper piercing along the bottom of the card that sort of "mimics" the swirls in the hearts. For the sentiment, I used the Starlight Starbright set and just inked up "lucky" and "you" from one of the sentiments in the set. To finish, I added the rhinestone brad in the middle of the clover. So, head on over to the Verve Blog to check out the sketch and the details for the contest! Thanks for stopping by! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Heart to Heart, Starlight Starbright (Verve Visual); Paper- Georgia Pacific, Basic Black, Wild Wasabi; Ink- Wild Wasabi, Basic Black; Accessories- Ornare piercing template, white organdy ribbon (Darice), horizontal slot punch (SU), paper piercer

Finally!

So many of you have been asking how the baby is and asking me to post pictures. I am so sorry it's taken me so long to do so! I really appreciate that you all check in to see how we're doing with Isaac! We are all doing VERY well. He's such a good baby. As you can see from the pictures, he is eating VERY well! LOL At his 2 month check up he was 16 pounds! They told me he's the average weight and height of a 5 month old! Needless to say, my milk supply is well established. His sisters just LOVE him. Arwen has to sit in the chair with us anytime I nurse Isaac, and she rubs my face and pats his head. It's just too cute. I hope that doesn't change, because I was really worried about her having a life crisis once Isaac came along. . .she's very attached to mommy! The last picture is from Christmas. It was the most recent picture I had of ALL of the kids. Daddy wasn't in the picture, of course, because he's taking it! Again, thank you ALL for your inquiries and the hugs and kisses you always send to Isaac! I really appreciate them! Big hugs!

Prettie Wednesday

Prettie Wednesdays are back! Two weeks ago, Christie issued a Color Challenge, to use Light Yellow, Light Blue and Apricot. This is the card I made for the challenge. Okay, so the blue isn't ALL light blue, but I couldn't find a blue ink the same shade as the paper and VersaMagic Ocean Depth worked! We're supposed to mail our card to another Prettie Girl and it rotates each week. Well, remember that HUGE box they all sent me for Isaac almost two months ago? I am embarrassed to say that I only NOW sent them thank yous! I used Christie's Color Challenge as an excuse to GET THEM DONE! I knew I wanted to use the Rubber Soul Baby set that came in my box. . .so here it is! Thanks again, girls! I look at the gorgeous gifts you sent every day! Be sure and check out the other Prettie Girl blogs to see what they came up with for the Color Challenge. You can find them on my blog to the right under the Paper Pretties logo! Last week, Julie issued a Valentine Challenge. . .to make a Valentine for a girlfriend. I hope you'll play along! If you do, be sure and post a link for me to see what you've come up with!

BLOG CANDY ALERT! Joanne, is giving away a little blog candy! Be sure and check it out HERE! Thanks for stopping by! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Baby (Rubber Soul); Ink- Onyx Black (Versafine), Ocean Depth (VersaMagic), Apricot Appeal (SU); Paper- Whisper White (SU), Nana's Nursery Stack, Baby Boy (DCWV); Accessories- grograin ribbon, Nestabilities rectangle die (Spellbinders)

Only Have Eyes

Here's a quick card I made using one of the newest releases from Paper Pretties, Sealed With a Kiss. I LOVE the different sentiments that come in the set. I thought this one would be perfect since I only used the faces in the circle. I thought it kind of gave the feel of them staring into each other's eyes (even though their eyes are closed!) :) The papers are from Nana's Nursery Stack by Die Cut With a View (DCWV). Have you seen those stacks? There is one for Baby Girl, which is this one, and there's a Baby Boy one as well. The papers are just gorgeous and even have some glitter on them! Thanks for stopping by. Hope you have a great day! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Sealed With a Kiss (Paper Pretties); Paper- Whisper White, Regal Rose, Certainly Celery (SU), patterned paper (Nana's Nursery Stack, DCWV); Ink- Burnt Umber (Palette), Apricot Appeal, Chocolate Chip, Certainly Celery, Regal Rose, Blush Blossom (SU); Accessories- paper piercer, Nestabilities plain circle and scallop circle dies (Spellbinders).

Be My Lovebug!

Here's another card I made for last week's Color Challenge on SCS, Real Soft Bayou. . .to use Real Red, Soft Sky and Bayou Blue. What a fun color combo, and it worked really well for these Lovebugs! This is one of the newest releases from Paper Pretties, Wade E. Bug's Love. As a matter of fact, they are available for sale TONIGHT at 8pm CST. Please join us in the forum's for the release party! Hope to see you there! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Wade E. Bug's Love (Paper Pretties); Paper- Blue Bayou, Whisper White, Soft Sky (SU), red (DCWV); Ink- Onyx Black (Versafine), Blue Bayou, Basic Gray (SU); Accessories- paper piercer, polka dot organdy ribbon (Doodliedoo), corner rounder, Red Spica Glitter pen (Copic), Aquapainter, blender pen.

Show Off!

Tonight's the night! Paper Pretties releases THREE new stamp sets tonight at 8pm CST!!! Please come and join us for the release party. In order to get to the "party" thread, you'll have to sign in with a username and password (which only takes a minute). So come a little early to sign up if you haven't already! As you can probably guess, I was jumping up and down when I saw this stamp! A ladybug! (Well, actually, it's Wade E. Bug). Can you believe it? I swear I had nothing to do with it! Instead of making the classic colored ladybug, I decided to go with a Broadway star theme! LOL The sentiment was perfect for that. Wade is colored with Copic Spica Glitter pens in Silver and Black, and his pants are covered in Black Diamond Stickles. . .so he's EXTRA sparkly! :) I have quite a few theater friends who would really enjoy this card. Check out the other Prettie Girl blogs to see what else is in store for tonight! :)You still have a chance to win some Prettie Candy. Browse the Pretties Boutique and email your 3 favorite items to paperprettiesprizes@yahoo.com. You could win 40% off any one regularly priced item in the store!! Hope to see you there! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Wade E. Bug (Paper Pretties); Paper- Whisper white (SU), Silver and patterned paper (DCWV Metallic and All Dressed Up Stacks); Ink- Onyx Black (Versafine); Accessories- Copic Spica Glitter pens, Nestabilities classic circle and scallop circle dies (Spellbinders), ribbon (May Arts), Black Diamond Stickles, Prismacolor markers, silver brads (Making Memories), ticket corner punch.

Real Soft Bayou

This was for last week's Color Challenge on SCS, Real Soft Bayou, to use Real Red, Soft Sky and Bayou Blue. When I first read that color combo, I didn't think it was going to work very well. Boy, was I surprised! I really like this combo! It's very different. I used the Sophia snow angel from the Snowflake Kisses set by Paper Pretties. This is my FAVORITE stamp in the set. I'll bet you couldn't tell by how much I use it, huh? I colored her in using ink pads and a blender pen.

Don't forget that Paper Pretties' next release party is tomorrow night, Monday, at 8pm CST! We're also giving away some Prettie Candy! To enter this contest, go surf around the Paper Pretties Boutique and send your top three favorite items to paperprettiesprizes@yahoo.com. One lucky winner will be picked at random and will receive a gift certificate for 40% off one regularly priced item! I hope you'll join us for the party! After all those sneak peeks last week, you'll be able to see a full card tomorrow, so check back! Thanks for stopping by! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Snowflake Kisses (Paper Pretties); Paper- Soft Sky, Blue Bayou, Whisper White (SU), red (DCWV); Ink- Onyx Black, (Versafine), Real Red, Soft Sky, Blue Bayou (SU); Accessories- double stitched ribbon in Soft Sky, Nestabilities rectangle die (Spellbinders), white gel pen, blender pen, horizontal slot punch, ticket corner punch.

Pixie Pouch

This was for last week's Try a New Technique Challenge on SCS, to make a Pixie Pouch. This is the first time I've ever made one of these. They are so simple and so cute. I can't believe I've never seen them before this challenge. I used the Serenity Now set by My Favorite Things that I got in my Paper Pretties subscription box. Instead of filling this pouch with candy, I opted for some soothing tea to go along with the theme. I used the Word Window punch for the sentiment, but I had to "extend" it a little because the sentiment was a little longer than the window. I just slid the punch over a little and punched more off the end so the sentiment would fit. I hope that makes sense. I colored using my Prismacolor markers. Thanks for stopping by today! Hope you're having a wonderful weekend! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Serenity Now (My Favorite Things); Paper-Glee Collection (Bo Bunny Press), Whisper White (SU); Ink- Onyx Black (Versafine); Accessories- Word Window punch, horizontal slot punch, grosgrain ribbon, Prismacolor markers, corner rounder.

Beate Weekend Sketch Challenge #32

Here's my take on Beate's latest Weekend Sketch Challenge. I got this "Alene's Glitter Snow" a little while ago and have never used it. I thought it would work with this penguin making a snow angel (from the Snowflake Kisses set from Paper Pretties). I'm not sure how well you can see in the picture, but I put around the penguin as well as around the sentiment. The sentiment is actually part of the patterned paper, which is from the DCWV Christmas Glitter Stack. I framed the "snow angel" with a book plate covered in glitter. I'm not so sure I like how that turned out. It doesn't have the "frosted window with snow in the corners" look I was going for, but I didn't want to cover the sentiment. Hopefully you get the picture! :) I had a piece of this "boa" material that I thought I'd use instead of ribbon just for something different. Be sure and check out what Beate, Cambria, Jenn, Laurie, Lori, Mary Jo and Sharon have in store for us! I can't wait! Thanks for stopping by! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Snowflake Kisses (Paper Pretties); Paper- Whisper White (SU), patterned paper (DCWV Christmas Glitter Stack); Ink- Basic Black, Basic Grey, Bordering Blue, Bashful Blue, Real Red, Pumpkin Pie (SU); Accessories- boa, bookplate die (Sizzix), brads (Making Memories), Glitter snow (Alene's), paper piercer, white gel pen.

Sneak Peek Day 3

Here's a third sneak peek of what's coming on Monday at Paper Pretties! Isn't this an adorable little face? This character is from one of the THREE sets that's being released at 8pm CST. Some of you have already taken guesses on what one of the images is! LOL Does this image change your guess? We're also giving away some Prettie Candy! To enter this contest, go surf around the Paper Pretties Boutique and send your top three favorite items to paperprettiesprizes@yahoo.com One lucky winner will be picked at random and will receive a gift certificate for 40% off one regularly priced item! There's LOTS of new Valentine ribbon in the Boutique under Ribbon/Seasonal!! There are some ADORABLE ones! Remember to check out the Paper Clip for the Cutie Pie contest. It is open until the 27th for this new release and our winner will get all 3 stamp sets for FREE!!! Check out the other Prettie Girl blogs for more sneak peek images! :) I can't wait until Monday!

Have you been checking out the Verve Visual blog? The Design Team has been posting some new projects with the latest Verve Visual release. Today was my turn and I made this "Night With the Stars" set to give to some friends. The set includes popcorn, flavoring for the popcorn, a gift card to Hollywood Video to rent some movies and a card that says we'll take their kids so they can enjoy an uninterrupted movie or two complete with popcorn! I know I would LOVE a gift like this! (hint hint to any friends or family who are reading!) LOL I can't remember the last time my husband and I have watched a movie without having to pause it to tend to a child or two. . .or three! :) SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Swirly Stars, Seeing Stars (Verve Visual); Paper- Basic Black (SU), mirror gold; Ink- Versamark; Accessories- gold embossing powder, staple

Sneak Peek Day 2

Here's a second sneak peek of what's coming on Monday at Paper Pretties! This is a sentiment from one of the THREE sets that's being released at 8pm CST. We're also giving away some Prettie Candy! To enter this contest, go surf around the Paper Pretties Boutique and send your top three favorite items to paperprettiesprizes@yahoo.com One lucky winner will be picked at random and will receive a gift certificate for 40% off one regularly priced item! There's LOTS of new Valentine ribbon in the Boutique under Ribbon/Seasonal!! Remember to check out the Paper Clip for the Cutie Pie contest. It is open until the 27th for this new release and our winner will get all 3 stamp sets for FREE!!! Check out the other Prettie Girl blogs for more sneak peeks! :)



In the meantime, here's a card I made for this week's Featured Stamper Challenge on SCS. It was to CASE Kathyc. She had so many wonderful cards in her gallery, but I chose this card. I LOVED how fun and bright it was! I changed the colors and made a scallop on the matte instead of a wavy line since my scissors weren't handy. Thanks for stopping by! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Beautiful Blooms (Papertrey Ink); Paper- green, argyle (Glitter Stack, DCWV), Whisper White, Regal Rose (SU); Ink- Basic Black, Lovely Lilac, Pink Passion (SU); Accessories- prima flower, clear button, small and large oval punches.

Sneak Peek

Do you know what happens on Monday? Paper Pretties is releasing THREE new stamp sets! This is a sneak peek of one of the sets. You can visit the other Prettie Girl blogs to see more sneak peeks. . .there are links in my sidebar on the right. The new sets will be available for sale on Monday, January 28 at 8pm CST. Be sure to join us for the "Launch Party" in the Paper Prettie forums under "Parties". If you're not already registered, you'll need to create a username & password to join us. Check back tomorrow for more sneak peeks and a blog candy announcement! Thanks for stopping by!

Snowflakes are Kisses

I LOVE this sentiment. . .especially on a day like today when it is snowing! I made this card for last week's Sketch Challenge on SCS. I used the Snowflake Kisses set from Paper Pretties. The paper is from one of my Paper Pretties subscription boxes. Even though it's not really the same color, I thought the satin Purely Pomegranate ribbon matched pretty well. I colored in the snowflakes with Rose Red ink and a blender pen, then added Stardust Stickles on top. The largest snowflake has "bling" in the center. Hope you like it!

The other thing I'd like to share with you today is a card I got from my upline, Kathy. Well, actually the card was for Savannah as well. See, my husband and I got Savannah a CuttleKid for Christmas. For those of you who don't know, that's a junior version of the Cuttlebug. Savannah LOVES it! She loves it so much that anytime anyone comes to the house, she has to bring it out and show them how it works! Kathy and her husband came for a visit and sure enough, Savannah had to make Kathy some flowers. I was so surprised to get this card in the mail. Kathy took some of the flowers that Savannah made her and some patterned paper that I gave her and made this card to send as a thank you. I thought it was incredibly creative. . .and it just tickled Savannah to see the flowers she made on a card from Kathy! Thank you, Kathy! We absolutely LOVE the card! Savannah can't wait for your next die-cutting session! LOL

SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Snowflake Kisses (Paper Pretties); Paper- Cloud Nine, Whisper White; Ink- Bravo Burgundy, Rose Red, Regal Rose (SU); Accessories- Stardust Stickles, satin Purely Pomegranate ribbon, bling.

Take a Deep Breath

Ever have one of these days? I seem to be having them a little more frequently since baby #3. LOL I made this with the Serenity Now set from My Favorite Things, which isn't available quite yet. I got mine in my Paper Pretties subscription box. These colors are not my normal choice of colors, but I really like how they compliment this set! Great choices, Christie! I added the Pumpkin Pie piece of cardstock as a matte, then I cut all along the edges to make it look like fringe. I ruffled the fringe a bit to give the effect that "stress" was on it's way out. Did it work? I hope so. Hope you're staying warm where you are because we're really trying. Running around picking things up all day helps! LOL Well, thanks for stopping by! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Serenity Now (My Favorite Things); Paper- Glee Collection (Bo Bunny Press), Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White (SU); Ink- Onyx Black (Versafine), Green Galore, Pink Passion, Brillian Blue, Only Orange (SU); Accessories- blender pen

Out of the Box

Here's a card I made with one of Papertrey Ink's last releases, My Punny Valentine. If you haven't seen this set, you probably don't know why this post is labeled "Out of the Box." The focal image was made with the pie images in the stamp set. I turned both pieces of the pie (the crust and the plate) upside down to create this "terra cotta" dish garden, then filled it with grass. In order to give the terra cotta some depth, I inked up the stamps with some VersaMagic Pumpkin Spice and then inked just the edges with Gingerbread. To ground the image, I used my Aquapainter and Bordering Blue ink. I wish I would have had a sentiment like "Let's Dish" or some other pun using the word "dish", but I stuck with Happy Birthday. . .especially since the card ended up being a little more elegant with the embossed square around the focal image. This is a card my grandma would like being she lives in her garden! I was lucky enough (and extremely honored) to get an Honorable Mention for this card on Nichole's blog! I was so excited! Thanks for stopping by and I hope you're staying warm today! It's awfully cold here. SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- My Punny Valentine (Papertrey Ink); Paper- Stamper's Select, Kraft; Ink- Gingerbread, Pumpkin Spice (VersaMagic), Burnt Umber (Palette), Bordering Blue, Wild Wasabi (SU); Accessories- ticket corner punch, Aquapainter (SU), Nestabilities square die (Spellbinders)

FS49 I'm Veronica

This was for last week's Featured Stamper Challenge on SCS, to CASE something from I'mVeronica's gallery. I'm embarrassed to say that I've never been to Veronica's gallery until this challenge. I have been missing A LOT! I chose this beautiful card to CASE. I changed the color scheme by using the Bali Breeze Designer paper, and changed the stamp set since I didn't have what Veronica used. The centers of the flowers are pearl brads that I found at my local craft store. This is the first I've used them, and I love them. Thanks for giving me the excuse to use them, Veronica! You can see even more of Veronica's beautiful creations on her blog, Veronica's Kreations!

Paper Pretties is having an Out With the Old, In With the New Sale and putting lots of items on sale in preparation for CHA and all the new goodies that will be arriving!! Head over and check out the Sale category - there are things being added every day! Also, don't forget about the Cutie Pie Contest! If you've bought some of the newest Verve Visual stamps and are looking for ideas, check out the Verve Visual blog for some projects from the Design Team! Thanks for stopping by! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Stem Silhouettes (SU); Paper- Bali Breeze DS, Whisper White (SU); Ink- Old Olive (SU); Accessories- pearl brads (Darice), prima flowers.

Beate Weekend Sketch Challenge #31

Another Friday already! Boy does time fly. Here's my take on Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge. I used my Friendship Blooms Sale-a-bration set and the Love and Happiness rub-ons that I just got in my preorder. The rub-ons coordinate perfectly with this set. If you're wondering why the sentiment isn't where it's supposed to be in the sketch, it's because I really messed up that bottom right corner of the focal piece, so I needed to cover it up. . .and the sentiment worked! LOL So, I used the rub-ons where the sentiment should have been. The flower was stamped on three different pieces of paper and different pieces were cut out to paper piece. I really love this Ginger Blossom Designer Paper. I love the colors and the overall look of it.

Be sure and check out what Beate, Cambria, Jenn, Laurie, Lori, Mary Jo and Sharon have come up with for this sketch. I'm sure they'll all be gorgeous!

Paper Pretties is having an Out With the Old, In With the New Sale and putting lots of items on sale in preparation for CHA and all the new goodies that will be arriving!! Head over and check out the Sale category - there are things being added every day! Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful Friday! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Friendship Blooms (SU); Paper- Ginger Blossom DS, Groovy Guava, Whisper White (SU) Ink- Basic Black, Groovy Guava, Rose Red (SU); Accessories- paper piercer, Basic Black marker, corner rounder, rhinestone brads, small circle punch.

You Make My Day!

Cassandra Larson of For the Art of It tagged me yesterday with the "You Make My Day" Award. Wow, you really made MY day, Cassandra! Thank you! So many of you make my every day when you stop by! Since having Isaac, my time for blog reading is very short. It's getting better, and each day I try to find more time. Someone asked me recently if I visit and leave comments on blogs of people who have left comments for me. The answer is yes, I do! I used to do it more before baby #3, but lately I haven't been able to do it as much as I would like. This particular person didn't leave a link or an email address to contact them, so hopefully they will see this post or perhaps I have recently visited their blog as I have been trying to visit some new blogs each day. I just want you all to know how much I appreciate you! I'm supposed to tag a couple of people and "Make Their Day". I choose Deborah and Lorie. So, go make somebody's day girls! Hugs!

Amy Butler Inspiration

This was for last week's Inspiration Challenge on SCS, Amy Butler fabrics. There was one fabric with a large polka dot pattern. It reminded me of this ribbon I had. It wasn't the same color, but you all know about my ladybug obsession! LOL I used the Cuddle Me Sophia stamp set from Paper Pretties. I paper pieced her dress after adding some ladybug dots. The layout is one that Beate got me hooked on! I think it's one of her favorites, and it's definitely become a "go to" layout for me. Hope you like it!

I forgot to mention yesterday that the Prettie Wednesday Challenges are back! Each week a different Prettie Girl issues a challenge and then we mail them to each other by the next challenge. They're a lot of fun and we'd LOVE for you to play along! The first challenge was issued by Christie, and it's a color challenge. The colors are Light Yellow, Light Blue and Apricot. So, if you feel like playing along, please do! Be sure and post a link to your card so I can see what you've come up with! Don't forget about Paper Pretties contest! You can win all the sets from the next release! Check out all the details in the Paper Clip. Thanks for stopping by and have a great day! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Cuddle Me Sophia (Paper Pretties); Paper- red, black (DCWV) Whisper White (SU) Ink- Basic Black, Going Grey, Barely Banana; Accessories- word window punch, ticket corner punch, brads (Making Memories), polka dot ribbon (Darice), paper piercer, blender pen.

Mwah!

Here is a little "winter treat" I made with "Snowflake" from the Snowflake Kisses set by Paper Pretties. Isn't he just the cutest? I just LOVE this little penguin. The box was made with a template I have. Actually, it's a set of templates I bought from Oriental Trading. I think there are 10 templates in the set. This is the first time I've used it, but I'll definitely be using it again. I colored Snowflake using my ink pads and blender pen. Hope you like it! Don't forget to stop by Paper Pretties to find out how to be a Cutie Pie! Thanks for stopping by! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Snowflake Kisses (Paper Pretties); Ink- Real Red, Bordering Blue, Basic Gray (SU); Accessories- box template (Oriental Trading), red grosgrain, cello bag (SU), blender pen.

Happy Mail!

I have been MAJORLY behind in posting RAKs that I've received since Christmas! I apologize to those of you who have sent these. I hope you don't think I didn't appreciate them because I REALLY REALLY appreciate them. I've finally taken pictures and uploaded them, so thank you all AGAIN for your thoughtfulness!


The first card is from Lila Holgate, one of my amazing Verve Visual teammates! Isn't this card gorgeous! I love the shading on that bird and the speckled ink everywhere! Thank you so much, Lila!

The next card is from Kristine Reynolds. Look at how sweet this card is! I LOVE that sentiment too! Thank you so much, Kristine! You are always so thoughtful and MUCH better than I am at sending out RAKs!

This beauty is from Christie Ortman, my Prettie Girl Momma! LOL I LOVE the colors and the layout is just awesome! How you have time to stamp is beyond me. You're incredible! Thanks so much, Christie!

This adorable snowflake card is from Tara Simmons. Isn't it just darling?! Tara LOVES snowflakes. This card is so beautiful it would make anyone LOVE snowflakes. Thank you, Tara!


Next is from my good friend Denise Dudik. I just LOVE the matchbook design of the card! What great colors and I love the stamps! Thanks, Denise! I always love your cards!


These next two cards are from THE Allison Fillo! I don't know how she has time to make these wonderful cards with all of the information she keeps us posted of daily! You are amazing, Allison! Thank you so much for these two beautiful cards! I just love them. Thank you so much for thinking of me!


The next two gorgeous cards are from the amazing Julee Tilman, my Verve Momma! LOL I just LOVE Julee's style which I cannot even begin to recreate! Thank you, Julee, for these gorgeous cards! You are awesome!

The last two are from my newest blogging friend, Julie Desper. Julie is such a sweetheart! If you haven't visited her blog, go check it out. She comes up with the cutest cards. . .and I'm lucky enough to receive some of them! Thanks, Julie. . .I just LOVE these cards! You are so thoughtful and I really appreciate it!!

Regal Mittens

This is another card I made for last week's Limited Supplies Challenge, All in the Family. . .to use two colors within the same color family. I chose to use Regal Rose and Bravo Burgundy within the Rich Regals family. The images are from the new release from Paper Pretties, Snowflake Kisses.

Want to be named "Cutie Pie"? You're invited to submit your original artwork using Paper Pretties stamps! We’ll select one winner as our first ever “Cutie Pie!” The winner will receive all of the stamp sets from the next release and will have a Spotlight on the Paper Pretties website.
Entries should be submitted to Christie@paperpretties.net by January 26th! We also hope you’ll join us for our next Prettie Party on Tuesday, January 29th when we’ll release 2 more stamp sets that we hope you’ll love as much as we do! Thanks for stopping by today! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Snowflake Kisses (Paper Pretties); Paper- Bravo Burgundy, Regal Rose, Whisper White (SU); Ink- Basic Black, Regal Rose, Bravo Burgundy, Bordering Blue; Accessories- paper piercer, brads (Making Memories), large oval punch, ticket corner punch, wide grosgrain ribbon (SU), Icicle Stickles.

Ooh La La

This was for this week's Sketch Challenge on SCS, to make a "kick-stand" card. This is the first time I've made one of these cards! Kirsten DuBosque or KED came up with this cool kind of card. It adds a different flair which I love! I decided to get out my Ginger Blossom paper from the new Spring-Summer Collection. I just LOVE this paper. The image is by Rubber Romance, another favorite of mine. I'm not sure how well you can see in the picture, but the bathtub is on dimensionals and the bubbles all have Icicle Stickles on them. It's nice and sparkly in real life. . .you can almost smell the Calgon! LOL The sentiment is from the My Favorite Things Meet Me at the Cafe set. Thanks for stopping by and have a great day! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Babs (Rubber Romance), sentiment (My Favorite Things); Paper- Ginger Blossom DS, Whisper White (SU); Ink- Bordering Blue, Really Rust, Basic Black (SU); Accessories- double stitched grosgrain in River Rock, Icicle Stickles, dimensionals, blender pen.

More Wild Bananas

Here is another card I made for this week's Color Challenge on SCS, Wild Bananas. . .to use Wild Wasabi, Blue Bayou and Barely Banana. I couldn't share this card with you, though, until now. Why you ask? Because this is a stamp from Paper Pretties very own line of stamps and they were finally released last night! This stamp is from the Snowflake Kisses set. Isn't she adorable? She even has a little penguin friend to make a snow angel with her! If you missed the party last night or haven't yet seen these stamps, head on over to the Pretties Boutique! You're bound to fall in love just like I did! Hope you're having a great day! Thanks for stopping by. SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Snowflake Kisses (Paper Pretties); Paper- Barely Banana, Blue Bayou, Wild Wasabi, Whisper White (SU); Ink-Onyx Black (Versafine), Blue Bayou, Wild Wasabi, Barely Banana, Blush Blossom (SU); Accessories- blender pen, grosgrain ribbon (Darice)

The Prettie Secret I've Been Keeping. . .

The big day is finally here! The secret I've been keeping for so long is now out! Paper Pretties now has their very own line of stamps!!

Two new stamp sets are being released tonight and they're already available for sale in the Pretties Boutique.

You can read all the details about the new arrival on the front page of Paper Pretties.

I hope you'll pop on over to the forum to join us for the launch party going on right now! Hope to see you there! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Cuddle Me Sophia (Paper Pretties); Paper- Urban Window Collection (We R Memory Keepers), Whisper White (SU); Ink- Onyx Black (Versafine), Bordering Blue (SU); Accessories- celery grosgrain, large oval punch, ticket corner punch, slit punch (SU), Burnt Sienna, Yellow Ochre and Skin White markers(Copic), coasters, Bind It All.

Beate Weekend Sketch #30

I can't believe it's Friday already! This week went so fast! Have you checked out Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge today? It's different, but I like it! Why not give it a try? I used one of Verve Visual's new releases, Wild Thing. It was one of 5 new sets that Verve Visual released yesterday! You can't really tell in the photo, but the hearts and the sentiment are all embossed. The embossing powder has a metallic look to it, so it's nice and shiny in real life! I can't wait to see what Beate, Cambria, Jenn, Laurie, Lori, Mary Jo and Sharon have come up with for this sketch. . .how about you? Thanks for stopping by today! As I said in my previous post, be sure to stop by Paper Pretties tonight at 7pm CST for the first ever Prettie Party! It's sure to be a blast! Hope to see you there! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Wild Thing (Verve Visual); Paper- All Dressed Up Stack, pink (DCWV), Basic Black, Purely Pomegranate (SU); Ink- Versamark; Accessories- metallic pink and black embossing powders, heart eyelets (Oriental Trading).

You're Invited!

The final clue is posted by Christie. All other Prettie Girls Julie, Jana, Joanne, Jillian and myself have posted clues this week. Be sure to collect ALL the clues to register for the grand prize! Unscramble each of the clues, and rearrange them to provide a complete sentence. Your final answer is due by 5pm CST to paperprettiesprizes@yahoo.com. The winner of yesterday's My Favorite Things It's Elemental set was Linda Peterson! Yay Linda!

Stop by Paper Pretties at 7pm CST to see what it is that we've been searching for all week, and to see if you've won the grand prize!! Join us in the new forums for a party following the grand prize draw!!

You’re Invited to Our First Ever “Prettie Party”

When: TONIGHT, Friday, January 11, 2008
Where: in the forum of our new website. (http://www.paperpretties.net/)
Who: Everybody who loves to stamp!
Why: To celebrate our big announcement!!!! There will be games, prizes, we’ll announce a customer submission contest, and LOTS of fun!!

You'll need to register as a user to the site, so please stop by a little early to make your way into the Forum. All you need to do is click on “register” below the member’s login. If you’ve already registered, then just log in and head to the Forum! Once in the Forum, look for “Parties” and we’ll all be meeting there at 7pm CST. Hope to see you there!

Also, don't forget about the sale that's going on in the the Pretties' Boutique. You can get 25% off of all regular priced merchandise until midnight tonight when you enter the coupon code nwss25!

Got Verve?

They're here! Verve Visual has released 5 brand new sets! What's even better is that you can get all five sets for a special price by ordering the Hearts & Stars Launch Pack. Now through January 24 (while supplies last), you can order the Launch Pack for $60, which is an $18 savings over the list price! So, if you can't decide and want them all, Julee has made it even more enticing for you! Head on over to Verve and check out the gallery. . .there's 5 guest designers who have created incredible projects! In addition to the new stamps, there's also some NEW PRODUCTS in the store! I actually think I'm gonna scoop up some of that Basic Grey and Daisy Bucket paper! Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Seeing Stars (Verve Visual); Paper- All Dressed Up Stack (DCWV), mirror gold cardstock (unknown), large star punch (SU), Versamark, gold embossing powder.

Search for Snowflake Day 4

If you've been with us the last few days, you know by now that we're searching for Snowflake. If you're just joining us, be sure to check back on Julie, Joanne and Jillian's blogs because they've each received a clue this week. You'll need all of the clues to register for the grand prize. Yesterday's winner of the Bella trio was Cassandra Crossfield! Congratulations, Cassandra!

So, as I was cleaning up around here this morning, I found a note inside an empty box that read "A P P R E". Can you help me figure out what this means? If you know, please be sure to send the answer to paperprettiesprizes@yahoo.com for your chance at today's prize. Our newest Prettie Girl, Jana, also received a clue today. You'll need both of our clues to register for today's prize! Today's prize is the My Favorite Things It's Elemental set.

Please be sure to stop by Paper Pretties on the 11th at 7pm CST to see what it is that we've been searching for all week, and to see if you're the winner of the grand prize!!

Don't forget to check out the sale in the Pretties' Boutique. You can get 25% off of all regular priced merchandise when you enter the coupon code nwss25!

Wild Bananas

This was for yesterday's Color Challenge on SCS, Wild Bananas. . .to use Wild Wasabi, Blue Bayou and Barely Banana. What a fresh color combo! I really like it and will have to use it more often! I used my new Cause For Celebration set from Stampin' Up. It's a Level 2 Hostess Set in the Spring-Summer Collection. I just LOVE this butterfly from the set. It's filled with "friend" words. I stamped the butterfly on Blue Bayou cardstock with Whisper White Craft ink and sprinkled it with clear embossing powder, then heat set it. I put some Stardust Stickles on the body of the butterfly. I didn't get the "look" that I wanted on the butterfly, but I think I kind of like what I DID get, a little better! The words on the wings took on a "shimmery" look. I was expecting the words to be very clear in white since I used the white craft ink, but I think I needed to also use white embossing powder for them to be REALLY white. The clear embossing powder made the words look shimmery. I can deal with that! :) I added a trail from the sentiment to the butterfly with Stardust Stickles. I did make another card using this color combo, but I can't show you that yet! :) SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Cause For Celebration ,Stem Sayings (SU); Paper- Blue Bayou, Wild Wasabi, Barely Banana, Whisper White (SU); Ink: Blue Bayou, Whisper White Craft (SU); Accessories- double stitched ribbon in Blue Bayou, paper piercer, ticket corner punch (SU), Giga oval scallop punch, Mega oval punch, Stardust Stickles.

I've received a GREAT response from a lot of you regarding the Valentines for my niece's kindergarten class. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I can't tell you how much I appreciate you putting a card in the mail to them! :) Some of you from Canada have asked if they wanted cards from there. My understanding is that they just have a map of the United States, and they'll color in the states from which they receive cards, BUT I'm sure they won't turn down a card from anywhere! Actually, I think they'd think it was pretty cool to get a card from outside the country! So, if you'd like to send a card, I say go ahead! You guys are the BEST!

Search for Snowflake Day 3

Thanks for joining us for Day Three of our Search for Snowflake! Today's clue is posted by Julie. Joanne and Jillian have also posted clues this week. Be sure to collect ALL of the clues to register for the grand prize which will be drawn on Friday! Today’s prize is a Bella trio: Snowbunnybella, Veggiebella, and Pompomabella! Congratulations to Carolina Dyer, who won yesterday's prize! Yay Carolina!

If you were trying to shop over at Paper Pretties, you were probably scared away by the high shipping rates! Well, the shipping issues have been resolved. The site was showing very high shipping rates which weren't actually being charged. . . another one of those "new website glitches". Everything is fixed now and we'd love to have you visit again! Happy Shopping!

Want to Send a Valentine?

I wanted to ask for your help with my niece's Kindergarten Class Project. They are participating in a project called Hearts Across America. They would like to get a Valentine from each of the fifty states. They will have a map of all the states and as they get a Valentine from each state, they will color that individual state in on the map.

Their project centers on one of their social studies standards of learning where the students will use simple maps, globes, and other three-dimensional models to become aware of the physical shapes of states. They feel that receiving Valentines from each state will reinforce this concept.

In order for this project to be successful, they need your help. Please send Becca's class a Valentine from your state. They will be looking forward to receiving your Valentines, and I would be VERY appreciative if you could help them out! Please make sure that they receive them before February 14.

The address is:
Ruckersville Elementary School
Ms. Hawkins' Kindergarten Class
105 Progress Place, P.O. Box 230
Ruckersville, VA 22968

Thanks so much for your help with this project! I know I can count on you guys! Big Hugs!

Light

Have I mentioned that Verve Visual is releasing 5 new stamp sets on January 10th? Yep, FIVE! If you haven't checked out the Verve Visual Blog, you've missed some sneak peeks from the very talented Design Team!



The first sneak peek I'm going to share with you uses the Polka Stars set. It's a set of 7 with the uplifting sentiment "You Light Up My Life". Since the 4th of July is my favorite holiday (and because this YUMMY paper was in my DT packet), I thought the "firecracker" theme would go well with the "light up". I thought this would be a cute little card to let someone know what they mean to me. . .without getting too "sappy". We all have those people we know that we can't get too affectionate or sappy with. For a lot of you, it may be a TEENAGER. I mean, how embarrassing for mom to tell you "You light up my life"! LOL This card uses the Rockstar Collection from Daisy Bucket.



The second sneak peek uses the Swirly Stars set. I've been meaning to use some coasters I picked up a while ago, and I thought they'd make a great candle cover using this stamp set. I punched a star out of the front and then put a window sheet over it. I stamped "Let Your Light" on the window sheet, and stamped the last word of the sentiment, "Shine", on the candle cover. It really is pretty when the light shines through the punched star. I added the punched stars over the top of the candle cover to add some "motion". Hope you like these sneak peeks and that you'll visit the Verve Visual blog for more! Don't forget about January 10th either! Thanks for stopping by! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Swirly Stars, Polka Stars (Verve Visual); Paper- Rock Star Collection, Star Kissed Collection (Daisy Bucket); Ink- Red Brick, Night Sky, Thatched Straw, Wheat, Jumbo Java (VersaMagic); Accessories- rust satin ribbon (May Arts), Bind It All, large star punch, paper piercer, photo corner punch, key tag punch (SU), grosgrain ribbon, star brad.