Congrats on the Little Man

Have you heard that Sarah, the owner of Pink by Design brought home a sweet new baby a couple weeks back? The news is here on her blog and his story brought me to tears. So glad he is healthy and finally home!

Well this is the card I am sending for him (albeit a bit late) and it is also my project for the challenge this week on the Pink by Design blog - Boys, Boys, Boys.

I used the Mustaches stamp set and also the Wired Background - another one of my fav stamps. Since it is Wednesday, we are sharing a technique with you - mixing patterns. This is something I love to do not only with paper but with sewing, home decor and dressing myself too. I love all the patterns and find it hard to limit!! But here is my tip - add all the patterns you like, but keep them relatively the same size. That way they don't compete with one another and you can add in a larger print to be a focal point.

And because I am usually working from my scrap pile when creating cards, it makes it easy to find fun and unique pattern/color combos from various paper lines and manufacturers that you might not think of when looking at the full sheets of paper. Got to use up every last scrap!

Click here to link up your boy themed projects. Challenge open until 6/8 and the winner will receive a $10 gift certificate to the Pink by Design store.

Enjoy the week!

All About The Boys

We have a new challenge up on the Pink by Design blog this week and it's all about the boys. Young, old, fathers or children - we want you to link up your projects celebrating them. The prize this week is a $10 gift certificate to the Pink by Design store.

I used the Mustaches stamp set on this card (psst...only 3 left in stock). Now I am hearing some talk about people being totally over the mustache trend. Or others that never really understood it to begin with. The ironic mustache, yes I understand - totally over it. But a serious mustache on a man - that will never get old :) Add a beard to that as well. I swear, when my husband shaves his off I can hardly stand to look at him! He just looks like an 18 year old boy. This is a set that will never go out of rotation in my stamp collection. It has some great sentiments as well that are on my projects later this week.

Check out the blog here to link up your entries and see more inspiration from my teamie Liz.

I so excited for our first week of summer break to begin!!

Thank You's

Hi there! We are kicking off a new challenge this week on the Pink by Design blog - Thank You's. Since it's the end of the year and you are probably need to make some anyway for school staff, we thought this was a perfect time for this challenge. I created this card using some Dear Lizzy and the Extra Hot stamp set.

Such a fun coffee themed set but as you can see, it doesn't necessarily have to be used for coffee projects.

Link up below or visit the blog here to link up and find more inspiration. The challenge is open through 5/18 and winner will receive a $10 card to the Pink by Design store.


By the way, did you have a lovely Mother's Day? I love this day for the simple reason that it is the only day of the I can sleep in and wake up to both a hot breakfast and a clean kitchen. Rejoice! But really, it was a great day to spend with my family. The kids picked a lovely bouquet of flowers, made cards and helped tidy the house. Dad whisked them away with the directions for me to go shopping. I picked up lots of flowers for our containers and a few tomato plants too. Crazy shopping spree I know! We planted and then finished up the evening with a little dinner alfresco at the park. It was perfect.

Geometric

Hello? Anybody still here? It's been forever since I've stopped in or done anything social media related. Shame on me! But I won't pretend it hasn't been a relief - blogging, facebooking, instagraming, etc. I barely have time for creating these days and I certainly don't want to spend those few spare moments online, kwim?

But I am here today to share the challenge Liz and I prepared for this week on the Pink by Design blog - Geometric. It's been a big trend for a while now but really the basic shapes never go out of style :) Whether you like circles, triangles, hexagons or squares, link up for a chance at $10 to spend in the PBD store.

I had fun playing with tangrams for this card and used the Lucky half pint stamp set.

And this circle one using the Spectacular set. I went a little inky and embossed the glasses in a masked circle then shaded with the Sweet Sixteen Colorbox Pigment Ink Queue. The glasses die cut was embellished with some Smooch accent ink. I might even be warming up to the color purple :)

 And finally a birthday mini book with the Love With You Is half pint stamp set. I layered lots of scrap paper squares to get a fun mix of prints on the cover piece and then repeated stamped the sentiments from this set on the larger cover paper for a subtle design. Inside are patterned paper sheets, tabbed pages and journaling paper for adding notes. 

You can find the post to link up your take on the Geometric trend here.

Paper Issues is celebrating owner and paper slinger extraordinaire Cassie's birthday all this week! Check us out on Facebook - she is giving away over 25 prizes! Woot!! Also stop by the PI blog for the new theme sponsored by Elle's Studio.

Clearsnap just announced their mid season releases in the last weeks - new colors of Smooch Accent Ink as well as the new pigment ink colors in Cat's Eye form. Lots of good stuff! Check them all out here.

My baby bunny is now 7 months old. He is working so hard on getting mobile but every time he tries to crawl he goes backwards. It's pretty cute but he gets so frustrated! Starting to pull himself up and working on the 2 front teeth as well. Add in the separation anxiety phase and we have a baby who does not want to nap or sleep at night. That leaves one tired mama!

The big kids are getting excited for summer and I am too! See you again in a few weeks maybe :)

An Old Fashioned Hello

Back today with another card to share for the Pink by Design challenge, Sparkle and Shine. Today's card using diy-ed glitter tape. So super easy to make! I have a video below that shows this technique and 2 more also! Hooray for glitter!

I pulled out the Call Me stamp set to play with again (mostly because I love it but partly because all the other news sets I haven't played with yet are buried. Man I need to clean off my desk. But this is a fun set nonetheless :) "An old fashioned hello" is the sentiment. Aren't all stamped and mailed cards old-fashioned really?

Here's the video. And that's all for me today! Enjoy!

Sparkle and Shine

Hello and Happy April Fools! No joking from me though today - I'm saving that for the family ;) Today and all week on the Pink by Design blog, Liz and I are sharing inspiration for the a new challenge - Sparkle and Shine! Add your projects with glitter, rhinestones, metallic, and shimmer. Think stars, diamonds, water, jewels and metals. 

 This card has a few of these elements - the rhinestones, a star and some glitter too. I used the You Are My Happy stamp set from Pink by Design - it's a stamp of the month set.

And while you're working, why not make a duplicate of your card design. This one uses a birthday sentiment from Vintage Greetings. It seems like I always need a birthday card in a pinch!

I am linking up the following challenges"
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
Moxie Fab World - Washi Tape Challenge
Studio Calico - Weekly Challenge 

Link up below or on the blog -

Hunny Bunny - Spring Blog Hop

Hi and welcome to the Pink by Design and Lovebug Creations spring blog hop! We have lots of spring themed inspiration to share using Rumple Ribbon and of course, PBD stamps! If you came here from Tanya's blog you are in the right place. Otherwise head back here to start the hop.

I put together this sweet goodie bag with the Hunny Bunny mini half-pint stamp set and Rumple Ribbon in Eyes of Blue and Gentleman's Jacket. It holds a book and will be slipped right into an Easter basket - who knew the Easter Bunny was so crafty ;)

For a quick tag, I printed this bunny image out onto yellow cardstock, stamped with the Gingham Background stamp and colored in with colored pencils. The sentiment was stamped on velllum with 3 shades for an ombre effect. And of course I had to add a little bow tie around his neck here with the pretty shade of blue ribbon! A striped envelope was wrapped with the shade of brown ribbon.

And inside I placed the bunny book with the bunny tag for my sweetie bunny baby. I'll be working on a little bunny suit for him in the morning. Can't wait!

Also linking up to the CAS-Fridays CFC96 - Funny Bunny.

Thanks so much for dropping in. The next stop on the hop is Zeni.

Pink by Design New Release Hop!

Hi and welcome to Pink by Design's new release blog hop! If you didn't come here from Paula's blog then you'll want to check out the list below to make sure you hit every stop!

Sarah - www.pinkcricut.com

Rebekah - www.craftyteachermom.blogspot.com

Lisa- www.prettypaperprettyribbons.blogspot.com

Liz - www.217creations.com 

Meriah – www twoscraptasticgals blogspot com

Paula - www.morethanfavors.blogspot.com 

Sabrina - www.sabrinaalery.blogspot.com - YOU ARE HERE

Gloria - www.gloriasgoofycraftspot.blogspot.com

Bryan - www.scrapguy.blogspot.com 

PBD Blog - www.pinkbydesignstamps.com

I am sharing this card created with the Lucky Half Pint set. There are so many great sentiments on this mini and it has many more uses than just Saint Patty's Day (although there is one for it too!) For this card, I chose the sentiment and let it inspire the rest of the card.

I started with a die cut heart and layered nested circles underneath for a bit different take on a rainbow. The airplane paper seemed to go well with the grid paper so I added that and then the arrows last. Maybe it's a bit of a hot mess and too literal but I really kinda like it :)

Here's a couple more from the sneak week on the Pink by Design Blog:

A cute boy card using the Dino-Mite set designed by Lisa Norris.

And a pretty girly card using the large sized sentiment from Say It Boldly.

Can't wait to pick up the rest of the releases!! Here's what else you need to know about the hop and release today:

* New releases are in the shop today - check them all out right here

* U-Stream tonight hosted by Sarah with a round-up of all the projects and new releases. She will be doing an Easter craft and you know she'll have lots of giveaways too so don't miss it!

* Giveaways to the hop! But I won't say where. Check them all!

And now it's on to Gloria's Goofy Craft Spot! Hope to *see* you tonight and if not, have a wonderful weekend!

In The Garden

Hi again! Back with today's and Wednesday's projects for our In The Garden theme over at the Pink by Design blog. Things have been a bit crazy around here with strep throat and snow days so I am a bit behind!

I stamped the Big Hexagon Background for the under layer and added some jumbo die-cut flowers on top along with a sentiment from the November SOTM - Joyful Tags. This card was actually inspired by fellow team member Liz - she is so amazing at mixing up bold patterns that I wanted to try it out too!

The large rosette was easily created with a border punch - these often go neglected in my craft arsenal so I was happy to find another use for them.

1. Cut 12" long by 1.5" wide strip of paper.
2. Punch edge of paper strip with border punch. Start in the middle for best results.
3. Score paper strip every 1/4 inch and accordian fold.
4. Adhere ends of strip together to form a rounded shape.
5. Secure center with heavy duty glue and punched circle. Add bling or embellish as desired.

Today's inspiration is anything other than a card - I put together this gift bag for the twins' grandma who is celebrating her birthday today. Since she is named after a bird, I thought this tag with feathers would be perfect for housing a gift the kids picked out for her.

I used a sentiment from What's Your Number and the heart is from Pocketful - both are the mini Half Pint stamp sets which are so cute and affordable!

You have until tomorrow night at midnight CST to link up your take on the garden theme - remember, you don't have to use PBD but we certainly love to see it! Do it here or take this link to visit the Pink by Design blog for more inspiration.

Enjoy the weekend!

Well Wishes + 4 Month Photos

Happy Monday! Dropping in tonight to share a card for the new challenge over at the Pink by Design blog  -  In The Garden. Liz and I are gearing you up for spring by sharing projects all week with birds, bees, butterflies, flowers and the like.

I made this with Saint Pat's in mind and the Vintage Greeting and Canvas Background stamp sets. The little clover flowers are made with hearts.


I also wanted to share some 4 month photos of my baby boy!

Oh he is just so sweet!! Still a very happy boy, even though he's been working on a tooth like crazy. Drool machine. He has taken a serious interest in toys and grabs at everything like comes within a close distant. It's amazing how much more eye hand coordination little boys have.

At 12 weeks exactly, he started sleeping through the night. Not every night, but most nights and it has been glorious. Up to this point he's slept in our bed but has now transitioned into his crib.

Not a big fan of dad at this point. He can only hold him for a minute or 2 before the waterworks start. If I am holding him or he can see me, he's okay but otherwise no thanks. A mama's boy for sure.

Still likes to coo and jabber a lot. Especially to his bro and sisters. He tries his hardest to get their attention if they are not giving it to him.

Weighs 16 pounds and is 26 inches long. His little chubby legs are so short and his torso is very long (built like his grandpa and great-grandpa) so we have a little trouble with clothes fitting. Still loves to nurse and has tried a few foods as well - oatmeal cereal, watermelon, avocado - which were well received.

He has rolled both ways but only a handful of times. He can also skootch around a bit on his tummy and rotate 180 degrees. Mostly  I he prefers to be held and snuggled and that's okay with me :)

It's all went by so very fast and is so exciting to see him growing and discovering and being happy.

Valentine's Day Hop with Pink by Design

Hello and Happy Valentine's! The Pink by Design team is celebrating today with a little blog hop.

Did you come here from Rebekah's? If not, you'll want to go back to the beginning of the hop because Sarah is giving away a huge bundle of stamps!! You have to comment on each stop to win -see the list below to make sure you've stop by each one.

I made this spring-y feeling valentine with some fun colors and the Joyful Tags stamp set and papers from SEI. I just love the way the sentiment pops off the navy paper when embossed in white! What a pretty script font that this set uses as well.

Visit the PBD blog next and have a wonderful day!

You can also check out the Pink by Design Valentine’s Day Sale! Save 14% by using the coupon code: LOVE14

Sarah - www.pinkcricut.com 

Bryan - www.scrapguy.blogspot.com 

Gloria - www.gloriasgoofycraftspot.blogspot.com 

Liz - www.217creations.blogspot.com 

Meriah - www.twoscraptasticgals.blogspot.com

Paula - www.morethanfavors.blogspot.com 

Rebekah - www.craftyteachermom.blogspot.com 

Sabrina - www.sabrinaalery.blogspot.com 

PBD Blog - www.pinkbydesignstamps.com -- go here next!

My Heart

So glad today is finally Friday and this super busy, snowy week is over with! And so glad the kids are finally old enough to really help with chores - it has been a life saver. Plus they love getting to earn a little money too.

But anyway, Liz and I are posting our final projects for the "Have A Heart?" challenge on the Pink by Design blog this week. It's been a long time since I've made a layout but as soon as these photos came in the mail I'd been aching to put this one down. Such a great memory of my sweeties lying in the grass on a warm fall day. Her waiting for a turn on the rope swing; him experiencing the sights and scents of the outdoors for the very first time.

I pulled out the Instantly stamp set even though I used an honest to goodness real 4x6 photo on this page rather than a fuzzy phone pic. It's still got a few great bits for making journaling cards and of course the arrows!

This challenge requires that you use a heart on your project. Link up by Saturday for a chance to win a stamp set from Pink by Design! PBD stamps are not required (but we do love to see them).

My heart. Love them so so so very much.

I am also linking up to the following challenges:
Two Peas In A Bucket - Seeing Double
Scrapbook Steals.com - Monday Craft Madness #8

Classroom Valentines Tutorial

Hello! I have another project to share today for the Pink by Design blog and our "Have A Heart?" theme. These boy valentine's for the classroom were created using the Rockstar stamp set. This set is so perfect for boys - lots of cool sayings (hope your day rocks!, you rock!, you're a superstar!) that are not at all mushy or sappy.

I left the images blank so he can color them in and on the right side, under the candy, he signed his name.

The front is pretty simple (between the 3 kids, I'll be making 70 of these!) - just a patterned paper panel, a heart and a rhinestone. They are also pretty quick to make once you get going in assembly line style.

Since we are sharing our rhinestone tips today on the blog, I'll put it down here too -

If you use a lot of bling or have to make a project in multiples, it can be much cheaper to purchase the loose rhinestones in the kiddie craft aisle rather than the pre-adhesived scrapbook specific kind. Had I bought the latter, it would have cost around $15 just for bling, while the loose rhinestones were $5 and there are still lots left over. A pop dot or just some score tape is an easy way to adhere them down. Chances are the kids will peel them off anyway. 

In case you are interested, I'll share the dimensions for creating these:

1. Cut cardstock panel to 8 1/2" wide by 3 3/4" tall.

2. Score the width of the cardstock at the following inch marks: 2.75, 3.00, 5.75, 6.00.

3. Stamp sentiment/photo on lefthand panel of cardstock. Have child color.

4. Adhere wallet size photo (2.5" x 3.5") to center panel.

5. Flip cardstock over and adhere patterned paper (2.5" x 3.5") and heart to rightside panel.

6. Flip cardstock back over and have child sign name on righthand panel. Staple candy to top of panel. 

7. Fold score lines and fold valentine together. The patterned paper should be on the top.

8. Glue down rhinestone to heart to complete. 

And that's all! Link up your projects that have a heart for the chance to win a stamp set from Pink by Design!

Call Me, Maybe

Hello there and hope your week is starting off right! Me and Liz are up on the Pink by Design blog this week with a new theme - Have A Heart? We know you're getting started on your valentine's cards and all we are asking with this challenge is to include a heart on your project.

Enter your heart projects for a chance to win a $10 gift certificate to the Pink by Design store - maybe you could pick up the cute "Call Me" stamp set that I used on this card. We'd love to see your PBD but it is not required.


I am also linking this card to the following challenges:
Moxie Fab World - Use 10 different embellishments
Studio Calico - Weekly Challenge
Elle's Studio - Sketch Thursday
Really Reasonable Ribbon - Valentine's Day/Love

Have a great day!

Ombre - Here to Stay

Hi! My posting here has been so sporadic lately. I've kind of accepted that the old bloggo is going to be neglected for the time being and that's okay. I'll just pop in to let you know what I'm up to on other people's blogs :)

Like today, I'm up on the Clearsnap blog with a technique video for creating an ombre background. Love this trend and hope it never, ever goes away.

Okay, see you soon!

52 Wishes

Hi and happy Friday! We have one final day of inspiration to share over on the Pink by Design blog for this week's challenge. I created this wishing jar using the Fresh Goodies stamp set. The tin once held jasmine tea but I repurposed it by covering it with patterned paper and twine. The inside will hold tiny scraps of paper with wishes for the coming year - both big and small, one for each week.

To decorate the tag, I stamped the jar onto vellum, cut out and layered over white paper for visibility. And of course, I can barely make anything these days with out adding in some glitter and a bow. That's going to have to change now that we have a new man in the house.

Link up your inspirational/motivational projects here for a chance to win a $10 GC to the Pink by Design shop!

Speaking of the little guy, I have some 3 month photos to share:

Such a happy little fella. He loves to be held and be doted on and I can't help but oblige. Loves his bath and being naked. Loves watching the big kids play. Smiles at anyone and everyone who looks his way.

He also discovered his little hands this month. We were hanging out the moment he noticed them and a big grin came across his face and he's been playing with them ever since. Delight.

I couldn't be more in love. <3