Pink by Design Projects - March

Hi there! Just wanted to fully share the projects I created for the Pink by Design blog in March (and one in Feb) in case you didn't get the chance to check them out on the blog.

First, from the 8th - Golden Sunshine.

Lots of sunshine here and I also shared a tip for using your Chalk Inks to stamp on glossy surfaces - it works the best! The sentiment, which inspired the card, is from Rain or Shine.

From the 22nd - Rainbow Bubbles.

This one was super fun to create using dye inks as watercolors and a sentiment from Rain or Shine.

And one from Feb which hasn't been shared yet - Dream Big.

This layout for my step-daughter uses both the Subway Art set and the Canvas Background. Love all these colors together!

Have a lovely day!

DIY: Nausea Pops

Hello and thanks for dropping in! This post has been updated and moved to my new website. You can find the recipe and photos to pin there. I really hope this nausea pop recipe helps you find some relief!

Nausea Pops on The Honor Roll

"If you've experienced it at all, you know morning sickness is the worst! Especially when you just feel like you're going to throw up instead of actually blowing over. The 1st trimester of this pregnancy was really hard for me (which is thankfully now over and all those symptoms magically disappeared) and I felt sick all.day.long, every.single.day. It was a long two months.

But these frozen treats really helped me get through the day and actually out of bed in the mornings. Plus if you don't feel like eating much you're sure to get at least a serving of 2 of fruit. I won't disclose how many hours were logged lying on the couch but let's just say walking out to the backyard now makes me winded. So happy that's over with!

Here is the recipe to make your own batch.

Nausea Pops
3 cups strawberries, hulled & quartered
2 bananas, sliced
1 cup blueberries
1 cup apple juice
1 cup Greek yogurt, vanilla
2 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger

1. Wash and chop fruit and add to blender.
2. Add remaining ingredients to blender and blend on high until smooth.
3. Fresh ginger is more potent and works best but substitute powdered if it's all you have.
4. Pour into popsicle molds/paper cups with pop sticks or whatever works. My molds are Tupperware hand-me-downs from grandma, but these molds are cute, colorful and come in several different shapes. The fishie ones could later be used for homemade baby treats!
5. Freeze, enjoy and feel better!

Note: They are especially good when delivered to you in bed first thing in the morning ;)"

Princess Wishes

Just dropping in to share a birthday card created for a Princess party we attended this last weekend for a 4 year old friend. I have wanted to create a little dress card for some time and finally found the perfect occasion!

Those pearls there at the bottom are supposed to be pick-ups for the tulle skirt but it was just too sheer to look right. Unfortunately I didn't notice til it was already hot glued in place!

The sentiment is from Pink by Design - Vintage Greetings but something from Inner Princess would have been even better. Kicking myself for not picking up this set! You can find the lovely lace ribbon (and lots of other pretty things) at Hydrangea Hippo.

Now excuse me because I just have to gush about how amazing this party was!! The aunt of the birthday girl runs Little Princess Parties out of Urbandale, IA and throws these parties with "real" princesses, games and lots of jewels for the little guests. Everything was so well choreographed and the girls were absolutely enchanted with Jasmine. Honestly even I was enchanted! They made sure to make the birthday girl feel extra special but also went out of the way to see that each little guest felt like royalty as well.

If you are in the area and have a little princess of your own, I definitely recommend having one of these parties!

Okay that's all for today. Talk soon!

Hand Dyed Feather Earrings

Hello! Just wanted to share a project and video tutorial I put together for the Clearsnap blog earlier this month and one of my favorite things about springtime - new accessories! Don't get me wrong, fall and winter neutrals are great but after 8 long months of grays, browns and whites I am ready for some sunshine and color!

Check out the full tutorial here!

InLinkz.com
 

 

Free Stuff Friday

Just wanted to point some free goodness that's going on this weekend.

1. Free Class Weekend at Miss Art's Papercrafting!

The headmistress at Miss Art's would like to invite you to our biggest free class event yet!  Beginning on Friday,  March 23rd, you will have 3 days to check out three of our most popular classes for free, no subscription needed. 

Three of our 201 class have nearly completed their 12 months of availability, and each of these amazing classes deserves a farewell party!  The Secret Garden with Stacy Cohen, B. You! with Heidi Kelley, and All About Me with Bethany Kartchner have all been around for nearly a year, and will soon be removed from our class schedule to make room for some amazing new classes.  That means that this weekend is your chance to check them out one last time, for FREE!  If you've been thinking about joining our student body, consider this your campus tour, led by three amazing teachers. When you visit us on Friday, head to the "Classes" page to view this weekend's free classes.  We'll see you there!
missartspapercrafting.com/classes

2. Free gift with purchase at Two Peas in a Bucket.

That's right, you make a purchase of physical product and you get a free gift with your order. Offer good while gift supplies last or 03/31/2012.

Rainbows and SCT

Pop on over to the Pink by Design blog today to check out the details of this card using the Feb Stamp of the Month set, Rain or Shine.

I'll never get tired of rainbow designs or watercoloring with my Colorbox Dye Inks. :)

In other news, I am so excited and honored to have a card featured on the Scrapbook & Cards Today blog today! You can find it here!

Playing Catch Up

Wow. It seems that I am so, so behind on so many things! We came home from a short visit to see family and it all just started piling up. Like up to my elbows. I may never catch up!

First of all, thank you all so much for your sweet comments about my pregnancy! I am super duper excited and am so glad I can start planning and finally start pinning baby ideas!

Second, we celebrated these two goonies 5th birthday today! They are pretty pumped about being big kids and there is already talk of kindergarten and all the things they'll do when they turn 6. (Can't wait to share the birthday dress and vest!!)

Third, if you have any sweet projects, link them up to the Candy Shop linky at Paper Issues! We are mixing up the format just a bit but I think you're gonna like it. It involves a blog hop and a giveaway with lots of Dear Lizzy goodness! Check it out here!

And fourth. Have you heard of Globecraft Memories? I recently had the opportunity to create some samples for this new company and I really think you're gonna like the new products they have to offer - especially if you love the vintage and steampunk styles! Will share more on this soon.

Fifth. Well there is no fifth. There probably is but I am simply too tired to think of it at the moment.

Later love. :)

Clearsnap Design Team Call!

Do you like to stamp and get inky? Clearsnap just announced today the new design team call for the 2012-2013 term!! This has been a fabulous team of girls to work with and Clearsnap is truly a wonderful and generous company to work for and I know you will love it as well!

The call is open through April 15th so get your applications in!

And all the dirty details...

Clearsnap is pleased to announce we are looking for new artists to join our team! We are looking for 6 enthusiastic, dynamic, and organized crafters who love working with ink. Our team is for crafters who are ecstatic about ColorBox inkpads, Rollagraph Stamp Wheels, Smooch, and other Clearsnap products and love to share their passion with others! If you are excited to share your work and talk about Clearsnap everywhere you can, then you may be the artist for us!

We are looking individuals who can offer the following:

* A Passion for Crafting!
* Strong Written Communication Skills and Solid Project Photography Skills
* Ability to Meet Deadlines
* An Updated and Active Blog
* Active Facebook account
* Experience with Video Tutorials or with Stepped Out Written Tutorials
* Artists with experience in Fiber Arts, Altered Art, Scrapbooking, Cardmaking, Quilting, Jewelry, Clay, or any other craft discipline in which you have used Clearsnap products
* We are looking for team members in the United States only at this time.

Design Team Expectations:

* 2-3 Projects Monthly, one of which must be a tutorial (including typed directions and step out photos or video)
* 2-3 Blog Posts Monthly
* Participation in Blog Hops about 1-2 times per month
* Participation on the Clearsnap Facebook Page (min. once a month)
* Submit your Clearsnap work at least 2 times a month for publication
* Actively participate in online communities/forums.
* Submit all work to larger online galleries such as Scrapbook.com.

Compensation:

* Promotion of you and your work on the Clearsnap Blog and Facebook Page
* Generous product shipments filled with Clearsnap Brand Products
* Opportunities for Compensation for Trade Show work and more

Design Team Application:
Please submit the following to jennifer.priest@clearsnapinc.com by Midnight PST April 15, 2012:

* Your Name
* Mailing Address
* Email Address
* Phone Number
* In 1-2 paragraphs, tell us a little about yourself - your family, hobbies, how long you have been crafting, how you started crafting, your design style and philosophy, etc. We want to get to know you.
* In 1-2 paragraphs, tell us why you want to work with Clearsnap as a designer. Include information about your experience with Clearsnap products.
* A link to your current online resume, including current obligations and design teams, if any
* Links to your Facebook profile, Twitter account (if applicable), You Tube account (if you have one), and any other online social media you would be willing to use to promote Clearsnap
* Link to your blog/website and an online gallery of your work if you have a separate gallery
* Attach 3-5 samples of your recent work (within the last 6 months) which best showcases your style. Please include samples for all positions you are applying for - if you scrapbook and quilt, then please include work from both disciplines with your samples.

o 2 samples MUST include Clearsnap products. We want to see what you can do with our products.
o 1 sample MUST include step out photos or a video tutorial with written instructions and a supply list. This can be in the body of your email application or in a blog post you've completed. We want to see what you might submit to us as your monthly tutorial blog post.
o Please tell us a little background about each sample
o Please include only LINKS to your work - attachments will not be accepted.

The Clearsnap Design Team will be announced on May 1, 2012. Please direct questions to: jennifer.priest@clearsnapinc.com.

Coming in September...

Can I share a secret?!

We are expecting to add another sweet baby to our little family this coming fall! The official due date is September 22nd, but crossing our fingers that he or she comes a little sooner to share a birthday with Tyler.

This ultrasound was taken at 11 weeks and the very first thing the doctor said was, "oh my goodness! I think I can already tell what it is!" But then of course she refused to let me hold her to her assessment because - it's too early to tell for sure, - everyone would question her credibility if she was wrong, - da da da da da. So we'll see for sure in a couple months.



So far this pregnancy has been so much different than the first time around.

Far more morning sickness. All day nausea for the last 2 months. Maybe it just seemed worse because I was also incredibly sick with a head/chest cold for a full month. It's easing up finally but seriously, how did I ever work through this before?

Cravings like crazy. I am so hungry for meats. One day it's Chinese food, another chili cheese fries, then beef hot dogs last night. Low iron perhaps? My sweet tooth has mostly disappeared and I am choosing vanilla over chocolate at every turn.

The constant anxiety and excitement of what's going to happen next, how will I ever raise a child and planning out everything that she'll need, etc. isn't there at all. Instead I just feel content. Excited, yes, but a quiet excitement.

And my goodness how much quicker I have stretched out! Last time I was nearly 6 months before the maternity pants made their debut but I am nearly ready to wear them now at not quite 3 months. The hair elastic waistband in the button hole won't cut it for much longer.

So that's my secret. Thanks for letting me share!

Ruffle Pillows

Hi! Just wanted to share my ruffle pillows again that were included in the Simply Handmade Holidays 2011 issue. I know someone had asked for a tutorial and there are step-by-step directions included in the magazine that are super easy to follow and much better photographed than I could have done!

So happy to finally have these pillowcases back home to me! They are the perfect neutral accessory and pretty much the only thing that works with these purple couches my husband brought home! sigh.

Irish Wishes

Hi and happy Monday! It's spring break week here and we are enjoying the time off along with some seriously amazing weather. 70's all week and hardly any mud at all - so strange (and wonderful) for an Iowa March. I mean, technically it's still winter!

Had a little time this weekend to put together a "green" card for the current theme at Paper Issues. It was one of those cards that didn't exactly translate right from concept to creation but it's not too bad for my first ever St. Pat's themed card. The dimensional clover is cute at least, right?

The sentiment is from the PBD Vintage Greetings set and all ink goodies (including new Smooch Glitz on the clovers) are from Clearsnap.

Enjoy the day!

A little sunshine sneak

Hi there. It's my day to post today on the Pink by Design blog. Jump over to see the full card using March's Stamp of the Month set, Rain or Shine.

Thanks and have a great day!

Altered Basics Blog Hop

Welcome to the Altered Basics Blog Hop! The Clearsnap Design Team is inking and altering our Basic Necessities, a variety of packaging materials and containers released at the CHA-W 2012 show in Anaheim, CA earlier this year.  These "Basics" allow you to create custom inkpads, mix your own color combinations of Smooch Spritz and glitter, as well as provide a blank canvas for cute altered gifts, like the adorable tins our My First ColorBox Stamps are packaged in. You might recognize packaging from some of your favorite Clearsnap products like the salt shaker style jars from the Donna Salazar Designs Fairy Dust Glitter, an uninked ColorBox inkpad, and the Clear Boxes our Smooch Spritz Assortment Packs are packaged in. We think these Basic Necessities will allow your creativity to soar!

We're also excited about giving away a set of select Basic Necessities items as prize for one hop commenter! Just click on the blogs each day, browse through the post and check out the "Altered Basics," and then leave a comment about your favorite Basic Necessity to be entered to win.

For an extra entry, post the secret phrase "I love the Basics!" on our Facebook Page here: http://www.facebook.com/Clearsnap

We'll choose one winner from all of the comments on March 9, 2012!

March 7, 2012

Clearsnap Blog - Tami Sanders

Sabrina Alery - you are here

Mary Dawn Quirindongo

Jean Okimoto

Daniela Dobson

March 8, 2012

Clearsnap - Jean Okimoto 

Steph Ackerman 

Jennifer Priest

Charlotte Jenkins  

Don't forget to leave a comment about your favorite Basic Necessity on each blog in the Hop. Happy Hopping!

--the Clearsnap Design Team

From the Basics products, I selected the Jumbo Smooch Spritz bottle to alter. We have a couple birthdays coming up later this month and this butterfly will be positioned with a "toppings" sign to let everyone know where the goodies are for the ice cream buffet.

The inside is filled with candy sprinkles and all the spraying parts are still intact, though hidden. Since it's such an awesome bottle and will surely come in handy sometime in the future, I made sure everything is removable so someday it can again become a bottle for spritzing.

The wings are inked, stamped, sprayed and glittered with several layers of Clearsnap goodness. To start with, I stamped and blended repeating images with a few different sets of the new My First Colorbox stamps on different parts of the wings. There are 5 colors of pigment ink total from both the Classic Pigment line and also the Mix'd Media Inx - Lime, Berry, Chiffon, Honey and Truffle.

The next coat was Smooch Glitz in Pink Fizz and Frost, followed by a light sprinkling of Fairy Dust Glitter. Although I'd like to take credit for drawing in the wing segments myself, I actually cheated here! They were printed on and I just outlined them with a little Smooch in Molasses and added a few spots.

The final layer was a couple different shades of Smooch Spritz - Cosmic Pink and River Mossy. I covered the sprayer portion of the bottle with cardstock and dressed it up with a little trim and pins from the Hydrangea Hippo. So easy and fun!!

So what are you looking forward to creating with the new Basic Necessities?

Next stop on hop the lovely and hilarious - Mary Dawn.

Go Green or Go Home

The newest theme is live at Paper Issues - Go Green or Go Home. Whether that means a little Irish, recycled, or just fresh and new, is up to you.

Link up your interpretations to the theme here.

Shop the Paper Issues store here.

Fancy Feathers

Hi and happy Monday! Check out the Clearsnap blog today for my post on creating your own hand dyed feather earrings using Colorbox Dye Inks by Stephanie Barnard. There's more photos and a video tutorial too!

PS. Thanks again to Steph for covering for me last week. You are the best girl!!