Fun! New! Catherine Pooler Designs!

Hi everyone!  The new launch of Catherine Pooler Designs online store is fast approaching......are you getting excited?  I sure am!  

It's going to be an exciting weekend, not only for the availability of previous collections but Catherine Pooler is also debuting the first three items in her new Catherine Pooler Designs collection.  I'm so happy for her!

As part of the StampNation Dream Team I am honored to get to introduce you to:

Wild Bloom, And Sentiments and And Dies.

For this card I used the Wild Bloom Stamp set to create a colorful background piece.

For this card I used the following supplies:

Stamps: Wild Bloom (Catherine Pooler Designs)
Ink: duckling, teeny bikini (Simon Says Stamp), orange soda (Hero Arts), clear emboss (Versamark)
Paper: Black (Simon Says Stamp), white 140 lb cardstock (Neenah), vellum cardstock (My Favorite Things).
Accessories: white embossing powder (WOW), silver embossing powder (Ranger), fun foam.

Using the And Dies along with the And Sentiments stamps I created a fun focal point on this card.

For this card I used the following supplies:

Stamps: And Sentiments (Catherine Pooler Designs)

Ink: clear emboss (Versamark)
Paper: sea glass, black (Simon Says Stamp), white 140 lb cardstock (Neenah)
Accessories: And Dies (CPDesigns), washi tape, gesso, swiss dots stencil (My Favorite Things), gold thread, gold sequins, white embossing powder (WOW), fun foam.

Finally, I layered the Wild Bloom stamp set to create a soft accent on this card.  I just love the delicate, leafy details in this layered stamp.  I also added a beautifully scripted "thought & prayers" sentiment from the And Sentiments stamp set.

For this card I used the following supplies:

Stamps: Wild Bloom, And Sentiments (Catherine Pooler Designs)
Ink: soft sand, wet cement (Hero Arts Shadow Ink), onyx black (Versafine), clear emboss (Versamark).
Paper: khaki (Simon Says Stamp), white 140 lb cardstock (Neenah).
Accessories: morning dew crystal drops (NUVO), clear embossing powder (WOW), twine, fun foam.

If you're itching to see some more cards and samples using these fun new stamps and dies, head on over to

  Catherine Pooler's blog  today!  She has been showcasing her new line all week with some fun videos.  She also has all the details and information you'll need  for the opening of her online store this weekend. 

Have a great day and happy stamping!! 

An Ode to "Crooky Cake".

Hello friends!  As we're counting down to this weekend's soft opening of the new Catherine Pooler Designs store, I get so excited when I think of all  the items that are finally going to be available to everyone.  There are going to be so many amazing stamps and dies from the first three Stamp of Approval Collections up for sale:  the Friendship Collection the Holiday Magic Collection and the fabulous Young at Heart Collection!  Yes...that "crooky cake" is finally on the shelf and waiting for you in the Bring on the Cake stamp set and the Birthday Journal Card die set by Sugar Pea Designs.  Woohoo!!

For some of you who don't know, "crooky cake" is our pet name for one of my absolute favorite stamp sets and die sets ever!  And because it's my favorite, I wanted to revisit it  again today on my blog.  Just a little reminder of what an amazing set this is I've pulled up a few of my projects using this fabulous little cake.  Here's my:

Ode to "Crooky Cake"

On sale this weekend while supplies last!!  For more details Catherine Pooler has some great postings on her blog this week that fill you in on everything.  Today she is featuring the Young at Heart Collection and all of the wonderful product that will be offered for individual purchase in her new store.  Check it out ------>HERE!<------

Have a great day!!

Eva's Favorite Flowers - Coordinating Dies in the house!

Hi everyone!  Today I am so happy to be able to help debut the very first product that will be offered at
Catherine Pooler Designs online store that is opening this weekend!!  Woohoo!   

I am a sucker for a great stamp set but boy oh boy a coordinating die set just sends me right over the edge!

When I bought the first Stamp of Approval box, the Friendship Collection I was so excited that it included
Eva's Favorite Flowers by Winnie & Walter.  That is a wonderful set of flowers and shapes that layer so nicely.  I couldn't have asked for anything more in a stamp set......except......coordinating dies please!

Well my wish has been granted!

Introducing......Eva's Favorite Flowers Cutaway Dies!

for this card I use the following supplies: 

Stamps: Eva's Favorite Flowers (SOA Girlfriend Collection/Winnie & Walter), Girlfriend (SOA Girlfriend Collection/CAS-ual Fridays).

Ink: wet cement (Hero Arts), tumbled glass (Ranger Distress), rose quartz, red sangria (The Ton), catkin, duckling (Simon Says Stamp), onyx black (Versafine).

Paper: khaki (Simon Says Stamp), white 140 lb cardstock (Neenah)

Accessories: Eva's Favorite Flowers Cutaway dies (Winnie & Walter), Clear Wink of Stella marker, natural twine, fun foam.

They cut so perfectly around Eva's Favorite Flowers,  they are super easy to line up and there is a die for every single stamp in the set!  It's awesome!!

for this card I used the following supplies:

Stamps: Eva's Favorite Flowers (SOA Girlfriend Collection/Winnie & Walter), Girlfriend (SOA Girlfriend Collection/CAS-ual Fridays).
Ink: red sangria (The Ton), catkin (Simon Says Stamp), charcoal, butterbar (Hero Arts), onyx black (Versafine).
Paper: black (Simon Says Stamp), white 140 lb cardstock (Neenah).
Accessories: Eva's Favorite Flowers cutaway dies (Winnie & Walter), clear Wink of Stella glitter pen, clear sequins

Adding little details to a card can really step it up a notch.  It's so wonderful to be able to add a few flowers with lots of layers to my designs with no fussy cutting!

for this card I used the following supplies:

Stamps: Eva's Favorite Flowers (SOA Girlfriend Collection/Winnie & Walter), Girlfriend (SOA Girlfriend Collection/CAS-ual Fridays).
Ink: peacock feathers (Ranger Distress), field greens, wet cement (Hero Arts Shadow Ink), hollyhock (Simon Says Stamp), red sangria (The Ton), clear emboss (Versamark).
Paper: black (Simon Says Stamp), white 140 lb cardstock (Neenah).
Accessories: Loveya dies (SOA Friendship Collection/CAS-ual Fridays). Eva's Favorite Flowers cutaways (Winnie & Walter), natural twine, clear sequins, white embossing powder (WOW).

For more information on this awesome weekend event over at Catherine Pooler Designs,  head on over to Catherine Pooler's blog!  She has a video up, some more great cards to show you and has all of the information on this opening weekend first hand!!

Have a great day!!

More Than Ice Cream

Happy First Day of Summer!!

What better way to celebrate than with a big scoop of ice cream?

Using a new Hero Arts stamp set Color Layering Ice Cream I made up this adorable card for my little buddy Rylee.  School was out a few weeks ago and she's been so busy that I haven't seen hide nor hair of her.  I wanted to send a little something her way this week to let her know how much I like her....and miss her little face.

The layers on this stamp set are incredible.  I swear it looks yummy enough to eat!  And check out those adorable sprinkles that I used for the background!  I'm just totally in love with this stamp set!  I don't have the dies yet but to be perfectly honest, the shapes in this set are super easy to cut out with scissors so I'm not even sure I'll be needing the dies.

This closeup shows a little more of the details.  This Love and Ice Cream sentiment set by Reverse Confetti is so nice and bold and fun!  It coordinates perfectly with this delicious ice cream cone!

for this card I used the following supplies:

Stamps: Color Layering Ice Cream Cone (Hero Arts), Love and Ice Cream (Reverse Confetti), Candy Jars (My Favorite Things. 
Ink: spring rain (Simon Says Stamp), wet cement, mint julep, soft sand (Hero Arts Shadow Ink), rose quartz, soft garnet (The Ton), pink lemonade (My Favorite Things), onyx black (Versafine), clear emboss. 
Paper: fog cardstock (Simon Says Stamp), white 140 lb cardstock (Neenah). 
Accessories: Tag Builders Fri-Dies (CAS-ual Fridays), Blueprints #15 die (My Favorite Things) clear sequins, bakers twine, clear embossing powder (WOW).

There is nothing sweeter to me than when I can mix and match a bunch of different sets of stamps and dies to make one card.  I feel like I'm getting so much more use out of my supplies that way.  This card incorporates the Hero Arts Color Layering Ice Cream Cone set along with three awesome stamp sets from My Favorite Things.  I thought they worked so well together and that combining them really makes my card a little bit unique.

for this card I used the following supplies:

Stamps:  Color Layering Ice Cream Cone (Hero Arts), Candy Jar Companions, You're The Sweetest, Fine Chevron background (My Favorite Things).

Ink: wet cement, cup o' joe, mint julep (Hero Arts Shadow Ink), Hollyhock (Simon Says Stamp), red sangria, rose quartz (The Ton),  onyx black (Versafine).

Paper: fog, cotton candy (Simon Says Stamp), white 140 lb cardstock (Neenah).

Accessories: Sweet Treats, scallop dies (My Favorite Things), Tag Buddies (CAS-ual Fridays), Stitched Mats Rectangle dies (Lil' Inker Designs), striped washi tape (Recollections), twine, dimensional tape (3M).

The soft serve ice cream top from Hero Arts fits really well into the little cupcake/bowl from the My Favorite Things stamp set.

Thanks for stopping by!  Be sure to check back later because this is going to be an amazing week of sneak peaks.  Catherine Pooler is revealing some fun new stamps and dies for the opening of her new store this weekend!  I have a whole bunch of fun projects I've been working on behind the scenes and can't wait to show you.  She'll have some videos and projects up this week over on her blog too so be sure to stop by CatherinePooler.com today!   

The next new Stamp of Approval box is scheduled for release on July 13th, woohoo!  You still have some time to enter to win it for free!!  Entries are due today so check out the details------->HERE<------!!

I hope you all have a wonderful summery day!

Calling All Sistahs Blog Hop!!

 Hello and welcome to CAS-ual Friday's Calling All Sistahs blog hop!  We are supporting our sistahs everywhere and encouraging you all to "check yo self" every month as a preventative measure in the fight against breast cancer.

Today I'm using  these stamps and dies from the CAS-ual Fridays Calling All Sistahs line where 50% of the profits  will go to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. for research and medical help for our fellow sistahs affected by breast cancer.  Just click on any of the photos below and you'll be directed to these special products.

  

For my card I used a light pink, Rosie Cheeks ink color from Simon Says Stamp and paired it with some soft Charcoal Gray ink for the background and sentiment.  I used CAS-ual Fridays new background stamp Tin Roof on the ribbon and mixed it up a little by adding some little hearts from the Sassy Smiles stamp set into the design.

For this card I also used the following supplies:
Stamps:  Calling All Sistahs, Tin Roof, Zigs & Zags, Sassy Smiles (CAS-ual Fridays)
Ink: Rosie Cheeks (Simon Says Stamp), Charcoal (Hero Arts)
Paper:  white 140 lb cardstock (Neenah).
Accessories: Sistahs dies, Ruffled Ribbon die, Tag Buddies dies (CAS-ual Fridays), Butterfly Duet dies (Paper Smooches), Scallop Border (My Favorite Things), silver twine, clear and silver sequins, dimensional tap (3M).

My sistahs, thank you so much for joining in this special hop today.  Please be sure to leave a message at each stop along the way because CAS-ual Fridays will be generously giving away a $15 gift certificate to three people who comment. You have until  June 19th to get your comments in for your chance to win!

Now it's time to hop on over to Diane Jaquay's blog, for some more fun and inspiration on our
Calling All Sistahs Blog Hop.

Casual Fridays Stamps
Shona Chambers
Lori McAree
Nora Noll
Claire Apostoloff
Lisa Lahiff
Lydia Evans
Ceal Pritchett
Vicki Dutcher
Kimberly Rendino
Susan White
Kelly Griglione
Alanna Moses
Jeanne Jachna
Jennifer Ingle
Lisa Harrolle <-----YOU ARE HERE
Diane Jaquay <------GO HERE NEXT!
Penny Ward
Bonnie Sharp
Lori Kobular
Archana Burke
Sue Nagata
Kim Sherrod
Heather North


Have a great day and happy hopping!

CAS-ual Fridays Challenge - Thanks Twine

Hi everyone!  It's time for another CAS-ual Fridays challenge.  This week we're creating a thanks card that also incorporates some twine into your design.

For my card today I used these awesome stamps and dies from CAS-ual Fridays:

Casual Comfort     Wonderful Words    Pretty Posies

    

Posies Fri-Dies       Funky Round Tag

  

For this card I also used the following supplies:
Ink: mint julep (Hero Arts Shadow Ink), onyx black (Versafine), Kuretake real brush watercolor markers (Zig).
Paper: fog cardstock (Simon Says Stamp), white 140 lb cardstock (Neenah).
Accessories: bakers twine, clear sequins, clear Wink of Stella glitter pen,  fun foam.

I hope you'll play along with us for your chance to win!

All you have to do is make a Thanks card using twine and link it up over on the CAS-ual Fridays The Challenge blog by June 28th.----------->HERE<--------------

I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Have a great day my friends!!

Blog Hop Fun With The Ton!

Hi everyone and welcome to my blog and The Ton's summer release blog hop!   We're celebrating the release of some great new products that are making their debut in The Ton's online store this week.  There's also an awesome giveaway so be sure to check in at the end of this post to find out how you can win a $25 gift certificate from The Ton!    Are you ready?  Let's do it!

I was so honored when Effie asked me to join her crew as a guest this month to help showcase a few of The Ton's new  stamp sets.   I'm a big fan of all of the gorgeous florals The Ton has to offer.  One of their new stamp sets this month is Wild Cherry Blossoms.  A beautiful set depicting the delicate flowers and branches of a cherry tree.

I worked with the outline of the Wild Cherry Blossoms stamp set to show you all of the amazing little details.  I added just a touch of soft color to the blooms with a little rosie pink chalk.

For this card also I used the following supplies:

Ink: tumbled glass (Ranger Distress), onyx black (Versafine).

Paper: white 140 lb cardstock (Neenah)

Accessories: assorted sequins, light mauve pastel chalk, Wink of Stella clear glitter pen.

Another stamp set that I just totally fell in love with was Darling Flamingos.  It's  an awesome layered stamp set that builds lots of color and shading to form these beautiful, fun, pink feathered flamingos.

Look how big they are!!  These Darling Flamingos will really make a statement on your card whether you stamp one or a whole flock!  Here I paired them with The Ton's Haute Stripes background stamp.

For this card I also used the following supplies:

Stamps: Haute Stripes (The Ton)

Ink: tide pool (Hero Arts Shadow Ink), rosie cheeks, teeny bikini (Simon Says Stamp), tuxedo black (Memento).

Paper:  white 140 lb cardstock (Neenah)

Accessories:  clear sequins, fun foam.

And just in time for the fourth of July we have the Sparklers Alpha set.  How cool is this?  I really love the size of these alphabet stamps and have used them on a couple different kinds of cards to show they can be used year round....not just on independence day!

But first......a whole LOT of  sparkler fun!

For this card I also used the following supplies:

Stamps: Haute Stripes (The Ton).

Ink: pale tomato, charcoal (Hero Arts Shadow Ink), blue jay, duckling (Simon Says Stamp), clear emboss (Versamark).

Paper:  soft navy (Simon Says Stamp), white 140 lb cardstock (Neenah).

Accessories: white embossing powder (WOW), silver Decofoil,  Decofoil adhesive pen, Wink of Stella clear glitter pen, silver twine, silver sequins.

For my final card I thought I'd try adding a touch of all three of these amazingly different stamp sets by The Ton on this little 4.25" square card.  A flamingo silhouette with tropical blue flowers and an ALOHA to you my friends!

For this card I also used the following supplies:

Ink: ripe persimmon, mustard seed (Ranger Distress), tide pool, green hills (Hero Arts Shadow Ink), onyx black (Versafine).

Paper:  white 140 lb cardstock (Neenah).

Accessories: washi tape (Recollections), white Gellyroll pen, masking paper (Inkadinkado), clear sequins, fun foam.

Thank you so much for stopping by.   Now it's time for you to hop on over to see what the amazing Eunji Jung has going on!

But WAIT!  Before you head over to Eunji's blog, make sure you leave a comment here for another chance to

WIN one of four $25 gift certificates up for grabs from The Ton!   You have until 11:59pm  Saturday, June 18th  to hop in to all the blogs listed below and leave your comments.  Each comment is a chance to win so the more blogs you comment on the more chances you have to win!!  Good luck and happy stamping!!

The Ton
Vera Yates
Amy Tsuruta
Emily Midgett
Lisa Harrolle <-------YOU ARE HERE
Eunji Jung <----------GO HERE NEXT
Laura Sterckx
Mayline Jung
Laurel Beard
Jessica Frost Ballas
Ruby Naz
Stephanie Klauck
Keeway Tsao
Kymona Tracey
Michelle Short



Have a wonderful day my friends!  Keep on hoppin' on!!

A quick "Thanks" from the scrap bin.

Hi friends!  Today I thought I'd share a pretty little thank you card that I made with some scraps and an awesome border die 

from Simon Says Stamp.  I am absolutely loving this die.  It adds so much detail even to the simplest of card designs.  Here I just added a single scribble rose that I embossed onto vellum cardstock and then cut out.  I colored the back of the vellum with my copics to give the rose a nice shade of pink with green leaves.

For this card I used the following supplies:

STAMPS: Scribble Roses (My Favorite Things).   INK: clear embossing (Versamark), onyx black (Versafine), alcohol markers (Copics).  PAPER:  khaki cardstock (Simon Says Stamp), white 140 lb cardstock (Neenah).  ACCESSORIES:  Thanks Scallop Border die (Simon Says Stamp), white embossing powder, clear embossing powder (WOW!), Perfect Pearls, sequins.

This little rose actually came out of my scraps bin where all of my "extras" go.  You know how sometimes you make something for a card and then decided not to use it?  You've just spent all that time on it and you know it would just be a waste to throw it away.  You'll use it someday right?  Well, my scrap bin is packed full of things I made, diecut and or stamped but never got around to using.  But I know, just like this rose, someday I will find a purpose for everything.

  

What I really love is when my little niece Rylee comes over and she digs through my scrap bin like she's going through a treasure box.  She squeals when she finds the perfect embellishment and she uses a lot of these items on her own projects.  Nothing is beyond saving in my craft room.  Some call that hoarding, maybe a little frugal but it can also be very time saving to find that perfect pre-made embellishment in your stash.  I whipped this card up in less than 10 minutes.

As you can see there was a little mishap with the embossing powder, which is why this rose probably ended up in the scraps bin in the first place.  But sometimes what is a mistake on one card can just be a whimsical imperfection on another.  Don't throw your little booboos away.  They don't matter so much sometimes.

For all of my StampNation sistahs....don't forget to check out the new challenge that's up over at StampNation this week.  This week Anything Goes my friends!!  There are some awesome cards posted over there and some great inspiration from the designers.  Let's see you get creative!  And for you friends who are not StampNation members yet....what the heck are you waiting for?  Stop on over and check us out.
You'll get all the info you need  to sign up right  ---->HERE<-----.

Let's have some fun!  Here's an awesome sneak peak at this week's challenge:  can you guess which card is mine?

Thanks so much for stopping by!

CAS-ual Fridays Challenge - Florals

Hi everyone!  It's time for another CAS-ual Fridays challenge.  This week we're all about those fabulous florals!




For my card today I used these awesome stamps and dies from CAS-ual Fridays:

      Tin Roof                    Pretty Posies               Tag Buddies             Posies Fri-dies          

     

I absolutely love this Pretty Posies set!!  I used watercolor cardstock and my Zig Kuretake watercolor markers to color these embossed flowers in.  Once the color was down I spritzed them with water a couple times and they blended beautifully.  I love the depth and impact that these large posies have on a card. And aren't those leaves fabulous?!! For the background I used the new Tin Roof background stamp. It was so easy to line up and create this gorgeous pattern to compliment the posies.

I also love the sentiments that come in the Pretty Posies stamp set.  They have a simple handwritten quality to them.  I rearranged this one a little by cutting it to fit a more vertical design.  I embossed it onto the large tag from CAS-ual Fridays Tag Buddies Fri-Dies.

Now it's your turn!  I hope you'll play along with us for your chance to win!

All you have to do is make a card full of flowers and link it up over on the CAS-ual Fridays The Challenge blog by June 14th.----------->HERE<--------------

I can't wait to see what you come up with!

I also want to give you a heads up on an awesome summer sale going on right now over at CAS-ual Fridays!  Hurry, it ends soon!

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Have a great day!