Stamp Happy

Stamp Simply #90 - Gone to Pot!

Sharon Johnson has come up with another fun Stamp Simply challenge for you this week!  Sharon was planting flowers in a pot recently, and came up with the idea of a challenge using pots!  So just make sure to incorporate some kind of pot into your project (wherever your mind leads you, LOL!) whether it's a flower pot, or a coffee pot or a teapot, a cooking pot, whatever.... be creative and have fun!

I immediately thought of yet another cute Whipper Snapper image that Danielle recently sent me to use for this challenge!  Tomorrow, I am finally going to finish my Whipper Snapper order so I can get more of my own WSD stamps, as I'm running out of the ones Danielle sent me!  So, here's my pot... with a kitty popping out of it!

Sharon has used another beautiful Crafty Secrets image for her challenge card today, and you can check out the fabulous, creative designs from the rest of the team by clicking on their blog links below!

Julie Koerber
Jennifer Buck
Janine Orchard
AJ Otto
Deb Saaranen

Sabrina Jackson, June Guest Designer

Remember, if you upload to an online gallery, use ssnotime90 for your tag, and leave a link to your creation on Sharon's blog!

I have not been so glad to say TGIF in a long time... what a long week I've had and I'm still not caught up!!!  But I hope your Friday is fabulous!

Stamps:  Potted Kitty (Whipper Snapper Designs), sentiment (Gina K Designs)
Cardstock:  Cool Caribbean, Taken with Teal, So Saffron, designer paper (Stampin' Up!), white (Neenah Classic Crest Solar White)
Inks:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black (Tsukineko)
Accessories:  ribbon (Stampin' Up!).

Bellarific Friday and Stamp Simply #89

Emily posted another fabulous Bellarific challenge this week with a fabulous card sketch.  I didn't get my card completed in time to send to her for her blog post, but I've got it here for you to see!  I was showing one of the girls at the store today how to color with Copics and she chose Matilda Muffinbread for me to demonstrate with, so here she is!  After Mary left for the day, I finished my card up while I was working behind the register this evening.  I wish so much that I could take photographs that show the sparkle on cards, but I just can't ever seem to get it right.  I used my clear Spica glitter pen on her wings and cupcake frosting but it's not showing up in my picture.  :(

While I still had some of the cardstock, flowers and paper scraps laying around, I quickly whipped out this card for Sharon Johnson's Stamp Simply challenge today, too!  Sharon's challenge for today is to show that Spring has sprung by filling cyberspace with the fragrance of beautiful flowers!  That's all... just incorporate some of your favorite flowers into your creation!  I just love using flowers on my projects, although I never feel like I have just the right one sometimes.  This flower is actually from Hero Arts Summer Art Flowers, and I just LOVE the vibrant colors this pack comes with!

Check out Sharon's fabulous creation on her blog, and stop by the blogs of the other Stamp Simply designers for more inspiration!

Julie Koerber
Jennifer Buck
Janine Orchard
Becky Oehlers
AJ Otto

Deb Saaranen

Barbara Anders, May Guest Designer

It's going to be an exciting weekend at Toyrifix, so you most likely won't hear from me again until Monday with my card for Kitchen Sink Monday, and the Copic Creations challenge!  Sally Lynn MacDonald flies in tonight, and will be at the store bright and early tomorrow to teach classes for my customers!  She's teaching two Copic 101 classes, and a Prima Card Buffet class!  I can't wait to see what she does in the Prima class, as a lot of the supplies I ordered that she uses in the class are not things I am highly familiar with, so I'm really anxious to see these projects!  Then on Sunday, Sally Lynn teaches the Copic Certification, and there are 32 people registered for that!  I'm looking forward to an incredibly fun, stamping weekend!

Hope your Friday is wonderful!  Thanks for stopping by!

Bella Card

Stamps:  Matilda Muffinbread, sentiment (Stamping Bella)
Cardstock:  Rose, Leapfrog (Bazzill), white (Neenah Classic Crest Solar White), green designer paper (Paper Salon), pink designer paper (Bo Bunny)
Inks:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Rose Bud (Tsukineko), markers (Copic)
Accessories:  flowers, pearls (Hero Arts), Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug embossing border (ProvoCraft), ribbon (Creative Impressions).

Thanks Card
Stamps:  sentiment, dragonfly (Hero Arts)
Cardstock:  Leapfrog, Green Tea, Cantaloupe (Bazill), designer paper (Paper Salon)
Inks:  marker to ink stamp (Tombow #098)

Accessories:  flower (Hero Arts), ribbon (Creative Impressions), Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder (ProvoCraft).

Stamp Simply #88 - Three Cheers for the Red, White and Blue!

It's Friday and it's time again for Sharon Johnson's Stamp Simply challenge!  This being Memorial Day Weekend, patriotic colors come to mind, so let’s create today using red, white and blue; HOWEVER, you do NOT have to use the traditional flag shades of these colors - you may use ANY variation of these colors you like, as long as your creation contains some shade of red, white and blue.  That’s easy enough!!!  Hope you have fun!!! 

I chose to make this card using one of the newer releases from Digital Stamp Oasis called Flying High!  Sammy the Squirrel thinks he's the Red Baron, as he soars above the clouds!  My card actually isn't stamped simply at all!  In fact, I didn't use a single stamp!  The image and sentiment are both digital!  There are a few blogs I read that are not stamping related.  One of them is The Geswein Family.  If you've been around SCS for as many years as I have, you may remember someone named MamaKimberly?  Well, Kim and her husband and their two cutie-patootie girls now live in China, and I just love to read of the adventures on their family blog.  While reading a few days ago, I discovered that Kimberly has some fonts that she created and they're available for free!  So I downloaded this one called Joyful Juliana, and used it for the sentiment on my card.  To check them out, go to her blog, scroll down the right side and look for the heading My Free Fonts.

This card will also fit perfectly with the rest of the Supernova's creations in the May Birthday Album at Paper Craft Planet!  Be sure to check out the album sometime, especially if you need some birthday card inspiration!

Check out Sharon's fantastic sample, and these samples from the rest of the Stamp Simply team for inspiration!

Julie Koerber
Jennifer Buck
Janine Orchard
Becky Oehlers
AJ Otto
Deb Saaranen

Barbara Anders, May Guest Designer

Give this challenge a try, if you have time!  And don't forget, the awesome challenges leading to fabulous prize giveaways begin on Monday, May 25th at the Stampin' Out Alzheimers website!  Be sure to get your stamp area cleaned up and ready to go!  The Kitchen Sink Stamps Crew is hosting a challenge, and I'll also be hosting a color challenge, so be sure to get your minimal donation made in order to join the site, and get hooked up so you're ready to go!  We're so thrilled to see the donations already rolling in even before the challenges start and hope that we'll surpass the $2500 goal to donate to the Alzheimer's Association!

Thanks for stopping by!  I appreciate your comments so much!  TGIF!

Stamps:  Flying High digital image (Digital Stamp Oasis), sentiment (Joyful Juliana font courtesy of Kimberly Geswein)
Cardstock:  navy (unknown), Maraschino (Bazzill), white (Neenah Classic Crest Solar White), designer paper (Scenic Route)
Inks:  markers (Copic)
Accessories:  Nestabilities (Spellbinders), brads (Stampin' Up!).

Stamp Simply #87 - For the Guys

If you're looking for my Copic Creations challenge card for today, please click here!)

Sharon Johnson has another great Stamp Simply challenge for you today, that will have you getting ready for Father's Day with plenty of time to spare!  For today's challenge, Sharon is going back to her early days of stamping.  Being the only woman in a houseful of men, Sharon often found herself early on creating more masculine cards than the beauties she creates nowadays.  So her challenge to you today is to create a masculine card... for Father's Day or for any man, anytime.  There's just one stipulation!  You have to include some "manly" string, rope, cording or knots of some sort!  Sharon has a great sample for you to see on her blog, and the other Stamp Simply designers will wow you as well...

Julie Koerber
Jennifer Buck

Janine Orchard
Becky Oehlers
AJ Otto
Deb Saaranen

Barbara Anders, May Guest Designer

I was short on time to create something for this challenge, so I literally did some simple stamping by CASE'ing one of my Card Buffet designs to make this quick card.  My "manly" feature is the linen thread wrapped several times around the cardstock below the lighthouse.

Remember, if you decide to take on this challenge, leave a comment back on Sharon's blog with a link to your creation and if you upload to an online gallery such as Paper Craft Planet, be sure to include ssnotime87 in your tag line!

Stay tuned for my Copic Creations Challenge #4 card later this morning!

Stamps:  Kinkade lighthouse, sentiment (Cornish Heritage Farms)
Cardstock:  Maraschino (Bazzill), Night of Navy (Stampin' Up!), Boxer designer paper (Basic Grey)
Inks:  Versafine Majestic Blue (Tsukineko)
Accessories:  concave corner punch (EK Success), linen thread (Stampin' Up!).

Stamp Simply #86 - A Little Something for Mom

Mothers' Day is just around the corner so for today's Stamp Simply Challenge let's make "Just a Little Thing" for Mom - or for whomever you please.  Today we are making small creations -- and the choice is yours!  You could make an ATC, a bookmark, a small project with an Inchie, a tiny card (3 x 3 or smaller), a gift tag -- whatever you can dream up -- but make JUST A LITTLE THING today.

Stop by Sharon Johnson's blog for all the challenge details, and see her stunning sample!  And we welcome a new member to the Stamp Simply team today, too!  Deb Saaranen has joined us in the past as a Guest Designer and is now joining our team as a regular member!  We also bid good-bye (hopefully just a temporary one!) to Dee Jackson, as she has been having some health problems and felt it necessary to step down.  Please keep Dee in your prayers, and stop by her blog if you have time and leave her a comment to let her know you're thinking of her!  I'm sure she'll enjoy reading all those comments when she's back on her feet!

My sample for today isn't necessarily little, but it isn't very big as far as gift bags go, so I think it qualifies!  I used the Funky Bag template by Kelleigh Ratzlaff designs from the DigiChick  that I used for my Paper Craft Planet 3-D Tuesday post earlier this week.  Believe me when I say this little bag is the easiest thing in the world!  Just print it out on your choice of paper, score some lines, fold and glue... zip, zip, zip and you're done!  It took me longer to pick out a flower/desiger paper/color combination than it did to make this bag!  The only stamping here, as you can see, is "Mom" stamped on the front with Versamagic ink, and clear embossed.  There's a great gift shop next to our store that my Mom likes to shop at when she's visiting us, so I'm planning to get her a gift certificate to that store and slip it into this bag to give her for Mother's Day!  (And, by the way... do I get any bonus points for using SU! Orchid Opulence on my bag?  Does anyone use that color anymore?  LOL)

Stop by these blogs and see what the other "little things" the Stamp Simply team has designed to inspire you today!

Barbara Anders, May Guest Designer
Julie Koerber
Jennifer Buck
Janine Orchard
Becky Oehlers
AJ Otto
Deb Saaranen

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great FRIDAY!  I plan to spend all day at work stamping in preparation for a new Card Buffet next week!  Jealous?  I've got SUCH a great job!  :)

 

Stamps:  Whole Family (Kitchen Sink Stamps)
Cardstock:  Orchid Opulence, designer paper (Stampin' Up!)
Ink:  Versamagic Hint of Pesto (Tsukineko)
Accessories:  Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder (ProvoCraft), brads (K & Company), flower and leaf (craft supply).

Stamp Simply #85 - Let the Sunshine In!

(*If you're looking for my Copic Creations challenge card, please click here!)

Hooray for the sunshine!  We sure have seen a lot more of it here in Northeast Ohio in the past week and I could not be happier!  What a welcome blessing this warmer weather has been, and even though it's been rainy it's still wonderful to see everything turning green and things blooming everywhere!  Today's Stamp Simply challenge from Sharon Johnson is to let the sunshine in!  Many of us shy away from using yellow in our creations, so today... be brave!  Pull out something bright and yellow and let it shine!

I'm extra excited about today's Stamp Simply challenge too, because we welcome a new Guest Designer for the month of May.... my fabulous friend, Barbara Anders!  I know you're gonna' love seeing what Bar creates for the Stamp Simply challenges, and I'm thrilled to have her joining us!

Sharon has a spectacular, sunshiney creation for you to see on her blog, and the Stamp Simply team is shining today with some beaming samples!

Julie Koerber
Jennifer Buck
Janine Orchard
Becky Oehlers
AJ Otto
Barbara Anders

For my card today, I chose to quickly color this super cute frog that my friend Danielle Kennedy sent me!  I thought he'd go very nicely with all the yellow and green in the Itsy Bitsy Spider paper I decided to use.  And I used some sentiments from my Kitchen Sink Stamps 3-Step Honey Bunny stamp set to complete my card.  I also added some sunshiney sparkle to the flower with my Spica glitter pens!

 I hope you'll give this challenge a try today!  Remember to leave a link to your creation on Sharon's blog, and use ssnotime85 if you upload to an online gallery, such as Paper Craft Planet!

Happy stamping!

Stamps:  frog (Penny Black), sentiment (Kitchen Sink Stamps)
Cardstock:  black/white duplex (The Paper Cut), Black OP (Bazzill), white (Neenah Classic Crest Solar White), designer paper (Itsy Bitsy Spider by Piggy Tales)
Inks:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Versafine Onyx Black (Tsukineko), markers (Copic)
Accessories:  Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Threading Water border punch (Fiskars), ribbon (Stampin' Up!)

Stamp Simply #84 - Let's Pipe Up!

Before we get to today's Stamp Simply challenge, I'd like to ask you to take a moment to visit my friend Joan Fricker at her blog.  Joan's young cousin, a mother of 3 just gave birth a few days ago and is now fighting for her life because of a brain hemorrhage.  Please take a moment to pray for this young woman!  Perhaps the power of prayer can bring a miracle to this devasted family!  Thank you!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."  -Jeremiah 29:11-13

****************************************************************

Today's Stamp Simply challenge is to use "piping" in your design!  In sewing, piping is a piece of covered cording used to visually separate (but actually join) two patterns or two pieces of fabric.  Think of a darling little girls dress with piping separating the bodice from the gathered skirt, or a much heavier type of piping on upholstered furniture.  So that's what Sharon is looking for today in your challenge cards!  Stop by her blog for full details!

For my sample, I guess you could say I didn't quite follow directions.  I tried using a narrow strip of ribbon and just couldn't get it to look right.  So I resorted to making two little ribbon tabs on my design, and kept them tight to the edge of the main image to resemble a piped edge.  My card came together quickly because I already had this adorable Magnolia image colored and ready to go.  My sweet friend Danielle Kennedy sent her to me a few weeks ago, and now I'm hooked on Magnolia images!  Too bad my checkbook doesn't have the same passion for spending!

Check out Sharon's fabulous sample, and also these great designs from the rest of the Stamp Simply crew!

Julie Koerber
Dee Jackson
Jennifer Buck
Janine Orchard
Becky Oehlers
AJ Otto
Jenny Gropp, April Guest Designer

Thanks for stopping by today!  It's supposed to be a high of 72 here in Northeast Ohio!  I think Spring is finally here!  Wahoo!

 

 

Stamps:  Tilda (Magnolia), sentiment (Taylored Expressions)
Cardstock:  Typhoon, Red Hot (Bazzill), Brocade Blue (Stampin' Up!), designer paper (My Mind's Eye), white (Neenah Classic Crest Solar White)
Ink:  Versamagic Night Sky, Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko), markers (Copic), Inkssentials white gel pen (Ranger)
Accessories:  corner rounder punch, oval punch (Stampin' Up!), ribbons (craft supply).

Stamp Simply #81 - The Incredible, Edible Egg!

Since Easter is fast approaching, Sharon thought we would have some fun this week and take a look at the traditional  Easter Egg for our Stamp Simply Challenge.  So let's try to contain eggs in our projects this week!  Could be a beautifully decorated Easter egg, eggs in a birds nest, or in a frying pan, or a 3-D project containing jelly bean eggs or chocolate eggs.  Let’s just get a bit *eggy* this week!!!  No other rules - but to have FUN!!!

For my card, I turned to Rebecca the Rabbit, whose hauling this wheelbarrow full of eggs off to be hidden in the grass!  She is so much fun to color!  This is a digital image from a design team that I was recently asked to join!  Take a moment and check out all the digital images available from Digital Stamp Oasis!  You'll love them all!

See complete details for this Stamp Simply challenge as well as her fabulous sample by visiting Sharon's blog, and see what the rest of the Stamp Simply team has designed by clicking on their blog links below!

Julie Koerber
Dee Jackson
Jennifer Buck
Janine Orchard
Becky Oehlers
AJ Otto
Jenny Gropp, *NEW* April Guest Designer

We are continuing to have a blast having Anne living with us and getting to know her better.  She's got a great sense of humor, and my daughters have both said many times "can we keep her?"  Anne and Kaylie have been shopping together, and today they got to go to Arby's for lunch (Anne's first new favorite of the day!) and this afternoon they stopped at Coldstone Creamery (Anne's second new favorite of the day!)  Tomorrow we're hoping for a rain-out with Kaylie's softball game so we can head to Cleveland to the Indoor Amusement Park!  Then a busy weekend, and we will help Anne get packed to head for Disney World on Monday with the marching band!

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have a fabulous Friday!

 

 

Stamps:  sentiment (The Cat's Pajamas), Rebecca Rabbit (Digital Stamp Oasis)
Cardstock:  Pickle, Petalsoft (Bazzill), designer paper (Bo Bunny), white (Neenah Classic Crest Solar White)
Inks:  Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko), markers (Copic)
Accessories:  grosgrain ribbon (Stampin' Up!), Nestabilities (Spellbinders), oval punch (Stampin' Up!), Threading Water border punch (Fiskars).

Stamp Simply #80 - Rules? What rules?

Today's Stamp Simply challenge from Sharon Johnson is to forget the rules!  Here are the details from Sharon's blog...

"Let’s Forget the Rules!  Do you remember when we were kids (at least when I was a kid!!) we were taught not to mix patterns when we dress ourselves.  I guess styles must have been rather bland back then — LOL!!! We would never wear a plaid skirt (remember those red wool plaid skirts?) with a printed blouse, or a striped jumper with a polka dotted blouse.  We just DID NOT do it back then!!! Oh, but look at the fun we have today with patterned paper — Mix and Match — anything goes!!!  And I love it!!!  So today we are going to use EITHER stripes or dots and mix them with any other print or pattern you so desire!  Or use the stripes and dots together if you like.  You may use patterned paper or you may stamp your prints/patterns.  Just make sure you use EITHER stripes or dots, or both!!! I LOVE both stripes and dots.  And today you get bonus points if you can use 3 different prints together!!!  Forget those old rules, let loose and have fun!!!"

So there you have your fun, Stamp Simply challenge for today!  Remember if you upload to an online gallery like Paper Craft Planet, be sure to use the tag ssnotime80 in your description.

Be sure to see Sharon's beautiful sample on her blog, and check out these inspiring creations from the rest of the Stamp Simply team!

Janine Orchard
Becky Oehlers
Barb Schram
Julie Koerber
Dee Jackson
Jennifer Buck
AJ Otto

I saw some cards last week that were done using the Sketch Challenge from SCS, and I remember thinking that it was a great sketch to use a variety of designer papers with.  So I hunted down that sketch to use for my card, and went with a variety of stripes, polka dots, and flowers from this Pink Paislee designer paper for my card!

Remember the $50 gift certificate I won a few weeks ago from Stamping Bella?  Yes, $50!  Is Emily incredibly generous, or what?  I added a tiny bit of my own money and was able to get 7 of the new Ketto stamps, and this sweet sentiment!  This is Ivy Ketto... just swinging on an ivy branch, and being thankful for friends!  This card is going to go out to a friend of mine, but I have so many fabulous friends that I don't know yet who it's going to be!  :)  I added some striped May Arts ribbon to my card that I got from Sharon Johnson's Ribbon Sale on her blog.

I hope you can make time to give this challenge a try!  Be sure to leave a comment on Sharon's blog with a link to your creation when you have it uploaded!  Happy stamping!

 

 

Stamps:  Ivy Ketto, sentiment (Stamping Bella)
Cardstock:  Navajo, Sprout, Walnut (Bazzill), white (Gina K), designer paper (Pink Paislee)
Inks:  Momento Tuxedo Black, Rich Cocoa (Tsukineko), markers (Copic)
Accessories:  Nestabilities (Spellbinders), brads (Colorbok), ribbon (May Arts from Sharon Johnson)

Stamp Simply #79 (and a thank you for prayers)

For today's Stamp Simply challenge... You’ve Been Tabbed!  Today’s challenge is all about little bits of ribbon — ribbon TABS that is.  Rather than adorning our card with wrapped ribbon or bows, let’s just use a bit of ribbon and make ribbon tabs — wide, narrow, whatever — let’s just make sure we have at LEAST one ribbon tab on our project today.  Anything else goes!!  Let’s all show each other how much fun we can have with our little scraps of ribbon!!!   Anything you can do with a small piece of ribbon is what we’re after!  And the most important rule — HAVE FUN!!!

Check out the complete details, and a gorgeous sample from Sharon Johnson on her blog!  She's used some of her beautiful May Arts gingham ribbon on her card!  GLG!!!  Incidentally, did you know Sharon sells May Arts ribbon through her blog?  She has a beautiful selection, at wonderfully reasonable prices!  Check it out here!

Also, be sure to check out wonderfully tabbed designs from the rest of the Stamp Simply team!

Julie Koerber
Dee Jackson
Jennifer Buck
Janine Orchard
Becky Oehlers
AJ Otto
Barb Schram

I ordered the cutest stamps for the store recently from Custer's Last Stamp!  They arrived today, and gosh darn if some of my paycheck didn't get spent on stamps again!  It's a wonder sometimes that I bring home any money at all!  I just could not resist Flossie here in her beach chair reading the latest gossip, nor Floyd laying there buried in the sand!

For my ribbon tabs, I used this fabulously-bright pink and orange gingham ribbon that I got from Sharon!  Inside my card says "I was tickled pink!  Thank you!"

I'd love to know what you think of my Flossie girl!

Many sincere thanks to all of you for your comments and prayers yesterday for the Grande family.  It was a very sobering day, and unless a miracle happens, it appears that it is God's will to take this young man home at an early age. The reports we have heard is that he has no brain activity, and has been kept alive on life support since arriving at an Akron hospital on Wednesday night until his mother and sister can fly in from Nevada. We also learned today that it was not the middle brother who shot him, but the youngest one who is in Kelsey's class. He's only 12. My girls are both devastated. This family is just your typical family that likes to hunt and shoot, and unfortunately are now suffering from a tragic accident. The entire student body at the high school is wearing camo to school tomorrow in support. The whole thing is made more difficult because the kids also want to celebrate how excited they are with the basketball team doing so well. Give your loved ones an extra big hug tonight for Nick, and continue praying for this family if you would please! Thanks!   (Friday, 7:25 a.m. edited to add... we learned early this morning that Nick passed away yesterday from his injuries.)

 

 

Stamps:  flamingos, sentiment (Custer's Last Stamp)
Cardstock:  Cantaloupe (Bazzill), Cool Caribbean (Stampin' Up!), bright pink (WorldWin Double-Mates), designer paper (Bo Bunny), white (Gina K 80 lb. Pure Luxury cardstock)
Inks:  Momento Tuxedo Black, Rose Bud, Versafine Onyx Black (Tsukineko)
Accessories:  ribbon (May Arts), buttons, thread.