Tomorrow's the Day...

...for Clear Dollar Stamps' December release, and I couldn't be more excited!!!!!!! If you've been following the sneak peeks you know that they are releasing fun, affordable individual stamps and sentiments. This gatefold card uses the stamp Happy Rainbow and the inside sentiment which reads God Always Keeps His Promises. To make the card itself, I followed this tutorial from Splitcoast. I used the Fleur de Lis Pendant by Spellbinders for the large white layer under the rainbow. Okay, now when have you ever seen a cuter ostrich??? This is Oliver Ostrich and sentiment It's Been a Long Time. Once again I raided my scrap bin to make this card - gotta love that!!

Drum roll please.........this card uses the December Stamp of the Month, Critter Log. This adorable stamp set is FREE with a $30 purchase for December!!!!! This is a definite must have set. Check out Lori's blog for the stamp sheet. I must admit, I absolutely love this bunny, so sweet with the ear bent down, so of course I had to use it! Now you really need to check out the other ladies' blogs to see what they've created using this and other sneak peeks stamps:

Cassie

Stacy

Nancy

Katie

Tricia

Tori

Kim

Sarah

Candy

Angela

Trudy

Laurie

Shawne

More Cuties For You!

Day #3 of the sneak peeks for Clear Dollar Stamps release on December 1st. These individual stamps are so sweet and so affordable, you'll want to have them all!!!!!! This card uses Billy Bee and the Bee Kind sentiment. Now everyone knows I am a self-proclaimed "lazy stamper," so for me to stamp, color, AND cut out two bees is almost unimaginable!!! One bee was stamped and colored and a trail of dots added behind him. This was then cut and embossed with a circle Nestie. Then I popped up the two cut out bees to bee kind to Billy and give him some friends! Colors include Crushed curry, Chocolate chip, Sky blue, and Ruby red. The DSP is Basic Grey's Nook and Pantry. This card measures 4.25 inches square.

Say hello to Ozzie Octopus and the sentiment that is the slogan for all busy Moms out there, Heard You Have Your Arms Full. I decided to make a tea bag holder as a wonderful little gift for that busy friend! Initially I had regular teabags inside then decided, no, we're talking the need to relax, so I switched it out for decaf! I used the colors from the scrap of Cosmo Cricket DSP determine the colors - red, bright green, white - all of which I was able to fish out of my scrap bin!!!! You really should check out all the other sneak peeks going on today:

Candy

Angela

Tricia

Cassie

Tori

Laurie

Stacy

Trudy

Shawne
Nancy

Sarah
Katie

Also, for the month of December, CDS is offering the stamp of the month free with a $30 order instead of a $50 order! Woo-hoo! It is adorable....come back tomorrow to see what the stamp of the month is for December!

More Sneak Peeks Comin' Your Way!

And what fabulous stamps they are!!!! Clear Dollar Stamps is releasing 45 individual stamps and 2 stamp sets December 1st that you will find hard to resist! I know I did!!!!!! This card is made with the Flourish Cross stamp and I Prayed for You Today sentiment. How perfect they go together for a quick card. I stamped mine on PTI's Hibiscus Burst, layering with black and white. The pink dsp is also PaperTrey Ink's Friends Till the End, while the black and white piece is by Scenic Route. Embellishments include pearls and satin ribbon.

Say "hello" to Frankie the Frog. He's another individual stamp that makes me smile! I used my copic markers to add some color to Frankie - I cut him out and embossed him with my nestie then while it was still in the die sponged some cocoa ink around. I love this effect. Papers include regal rose, pretty in pink, wild wasabi, very vanilla and Nook and Pantry DSP by Basic Grey (can you tell I love Basic Grey??!!!). More satin ribbon and some large silver brads finish this card off.

Now this card uses the Cowboy Hat and Cowboy Boot individual stamps. I stamped them as my background (what, no DSP??!!) coloring them in with watercolor pencils. I had to add some stitching with my sewing machine as well as a few brads. The sentiment is from the set Howdy Partner which is cut out and embossed with my Nesties. I then knotted up some linen thread for a touch of somethin'. This and the frog card above measure 4.25 inches square. I love this size card because you can put it into an A2 envelope and not pay extra postage! You'd better check out some other fun projects by these talented ladies:

Tori

Angela

Katie

Tricia

Cassie

Laurie

Nancy

Sarah

Shawne

Stacy

Trudy

Candy

Also, for the month of December, Clear Dollar Stamps is offering the stamp of the month free with a $30 order instead of a $50 order! Woo-hoo! It is adorable....so keep checking back to see what the stamp of the month is for December!

Happy Holidays

Here is my card for the weekly challenge I found and adore, The ColourQ. This week's colors are Bravo burgundy, Always artichoke, Old olive and Bashful blue. Since the inspiration piece for these colors is based on Basic Grey's Figgy Pudding I decided to use it on my card!! The stamp set is PaperTrey Ink's Stocking Prints. Such a fun set!! I stamped the stocking in old olive ink and the cuff, which I cut out and popped up, was stamped in burgundy. The sentiment, also from this set, was also stamped in burgundy (a rarity for me as I love to stamp my sentiments in black or dark brown - don't ask me why because I don't have a good reason!!). The artichoke layer was embossed with the Script folder. PTI ribbon and vintage buttons are the only embellishments. Simple yet fun! Thanks for stopping by.

CDS Sneak Peek Day #1

Did you ever have one of those days that you knew you needed to do something but just couldn't remember what it was?? Well, today was my day and forget to post sneak peeks is what I almost did!!!!!!!! We just got back from a very nice visit to my parents' house. They live about 2 hours away so we try to get out there often. I overslept because it was 4am till I finally fell asleep - should have just gone shopping!!!!
Anyway, here is one of my Clear Dollar Stamps sneak peeks, an adorable single stamp called Choo Choo Train and Choo Choo sentiment. I initially ran my piece of Night of navy cardstock thru the Cuttlebug using the scallop die cut by Sizzix, cutting along the fold. I then cut out a second scallop from a single layer of cardstock and layered it over the folded "card." Tada, it's magic!! Actually I have our DT coordinator Laurie Wilson to thank for this idea!! I stamped the train and used my Copic markers to color it in. Several sizes of Nesties were used to cut out and emboss the train. I then placed the sentiment along a curve, using this absolutely "must have" round acrylic block with circle alignment grid for perfect placement. Again more nesties were used and this fun card is complete! What, no embellishments???!!!

Now let me introduce you to Mr. Spike and the coordinating sentiment You Make Me Smile. And he does make me smile!!!!! I colored him in with watercolor pencils and using a circle nestie to cut him out and emboss. While still in the die I sponged So saffron ink to add dimension and the illusion of an additional layer. It might be difficult to see but I used my Scor-Pal to add a few score lines near the top of the card. Simple yet fun!

Go visit the following ladies' blogs as they have some marvelous samples of these stamps as well as other sneak peeks you don't want to miss:

Katie

Trudy

Sarah

Shawne

Angela

Nancy

Laurie

Tricia

Candy

Kim

Cassie

Stacy

Tori

Also, for the month of December, CDS is offering the stamp of the month free with a $30 order instead of a $50 order! Woo-hoo! It is adorable....so keep checking back to see what the stamp of the month is for December!

Thanksgiving Blessings

I should be in bed but I had to post this card I did for the ColourQ Challenge - Pumpkin pie, Kiwi kiss, Taken with teal and Soft suede. I recently purchased this digital image from Squigglefly.com called Indian Girl. I colored in three images and cut portions out and popped them up. I love the dimension. Now don't laugh, but I can tell I'm tired because it took until I was completely done to realize, I never added the stitching from my sewing machine on this card like I had wanted to!! Oh well, just image it's there!!!!! The cardstock I used is soft suede and taken with teal. The designer paper is Basic Grey's Lime Rickey. Love the felt flowers made by Stampin' Up, the colors were perfect! I put in more soft suede by using the ribbon too. Thanks for stopping by.

Clearly Inspired Sketch Challenge

Ahhh, happy Friday!! I have a day off and I plan on doing nothing but stamp!!! This card is for the Clearly Inspired Challenge. Today's challenge is a sketch, a favorite of mine!! Play along and have fun with it. I used the December Flower of the Month set, adding color with watercolor pencils (for a change, I know!). I then cut the poinsettia out and popped it up on the nestie oval with pop dots. A little glitter fancies up the center. The designer paper is Basic Grey's Eskimo Kisses. Colors include pomegranate, olive, pink and Baja breeze. The sentiment comes from the Christmas Scriptures set. The wide satin ribbon bow tied so easily, much to my surprise. I can tie a bow, just can't seem to ever get it to lay the way I want it to...this one, like I said, surprised me!

Just wanted to show you a quick and easy card I made using Clear Dollar Stamps' Acts 20:35 single stamp. A simple layout making use of my different Nesties to create a card that's meant to be made in numbers!! I've been forcing myself to make simple, flat cards for Christmas this year...last year I got socked with so much in postage!!!!! This one definitely fits the simple part, while thinner ribbon and not adding the dew drops will help me with the flat part!!

Christmas Train

It's the Merry Christmas train! Actually, this train comes from the Railroad Memories set at Clear Dollar Stamps. When it comes to mistakes in stamping, you always have at least a second chance to fix things because you can flip your cardstock over onto the other side. Well that's exactly what I did here. The thing is, on the "wrong" side I had stamped the train in Always artichoke ink then tried lightly sponging some Cranberry crisp over it in areas. Well, it didn't turn out at all like I had imagined so I flipped it over and stamped the train again on the other side. This time, I used my blender pen to "smudge" some of the lines of the train, only to have some of the cranberry from the other side bleed thru! Imagine my surprise when this happened...and I liked the effect!!! It may not have come across in the photo but the red is definitely there in real life! I finished this card off with some ribbon, gold brads, and a prima poinsettia. I know exactly which bachelor friend of ours will receive this card this Christmas!

Little Paper Shop Sketch Challenge

I have two cards to show you today!!! Surprised, aren't you??!!! This one is for the Little Paper Shop sketch challenge. Yes, I know, it was posted on Monday, but I just got it done, and in time!! I used the digital image Jena Fairy and added color with Copic markers. The DSP is the Nook and Pantry line by Basic Grey. I sewed around those three layers of paper. Other colors include Chocolate chip, Baja breeze, and Pretty in pink. The sentiment is by PaperTrey Ink called Mega Mixed Messages. I simply leave that set on my desk because I find I love using it! A few Basic Grey rhinestones and some beautiful wide pink satin ribbon finish the card.

Stamp Something Challenge

While cruising thru the CDS Design Team blogs, I found a new challenge on Katie's blog called Stamp Something. It's a really fun sketch challenge that you really have to try! The image is an adorable digital Gingerbread Girl I got from Creations by Louby Lou. I colored her in with my Copic markers and added a bit of glitz to the icing on the bowl that overfloweth. The DSP is Basic Grey's Eskimo Kisses along with their matching brads. I found this HUGE poinsettia flower in a stash of forgotten embellishments that I simply had to use!! A large rhinestone brad by Stampin' Up adorns the center of the flower. As for cardstock colors I used Bravo burgundy, Pretty in pink and Old olive. Looks like another challenge I'll be following! Thanks Katie!!!!!

Faux Metal Technique

I wanted to show you another card I made with the stamp set Holiday Patterns by Clear Dollar Stamps. I made use of the faux metal technique that you can find here on Lori's blog. The scrap of DSP on the bottom of the card was my inspiration because of the silvery snowflakes. I paired it with Cosmo Cricket's Jolly by Golly as well as Basic grey, Garden green and Very vanilla. The sentiment is from the Holly Builder set. What a fun technique, you really need to give it is try!

Holiday Patterns

Happy Thursday everyone! I'm looking forward to tomorrow - I'm off during the day and can get some stamping done. Mondays are the same way, however this past Monday my oldest son called to pick him up from school because he wasn't feeling well. Funny, an hour after he was home those aches and chills went away...like magic!!!!! Must have been Mom's TLC!!!!!!!

This project I found on someone's blog - unfortunately I misplaced the directions. As soon as I do I will provide a link. What an adorable little box that holds three Ghirardelli chocolates. The holly is from the set Holiday Patterns by Clear Dollar Stamps. The leaves and berries were stamped onto Very vanilla then stamped a second time, cut out, and popped up. The box itself is out of Bermuda bay with a layer of Cosmo Cricket's Jolly by Golly DSP. I used Soft sky for the belly band and Basic black for the scallop circle. Such a sweet little gift for teachers or friends.

ColourQ Birthday Wishes

Yes, once again I'm late with a challenge, but it got done!! This is actually a dual challenge - the sketch came from Jacksonbelle's Tuesday Challenge and the colors are ColourQ Challenge #5, Dusty durango, Bordering blue, Sage shadow, Night of navy and a Neutral (here I used white). I used my favorite stand-by set, Blossoms Abound. The flower was stamped with Apricot appeal and Dusty durango and the leaves with Sage shadow. The sentiment came from PaperTrey Ink's Mega Mixed Messages stamp set. I used my Cuttlebug to emboss the bordering blue layer with the swirls folder and to cut out the flower and scallop layer with my Nestabilities. The DSP is by Cosmo Cricket, Everlasting , and the ribbon is white satin.

Clearly Inspired

You really need to check out Lori's blog about the new challenge hosted by Clear Dollar Stamps. It's called Clearly Inspired Challenges and is sure to be lots of fun. This week we needed to use 5 on our card somehow, all in celebration of CDS's 5th birthday. My card made use of the Christmas Blessings set. I used 5 colors, Confetti white, So saffron, Chocolate chip, Bravo burgundy and Always artichoke as well as 5 "accessories" - gold brads, Basic Grey pearls, Nesties, ribbon and a Cuttlebug embossing folder called Victoria. Okay, maybe I'm stretching it a little bit, but is sure was fun to make, and that's the whole idea of the challenge!! Be sure and play along, a prize of your choice of stamp set will be awarded to a random winner!!

Little Paper Shop Challenge

I decided to play along with the "Get Digified" Little Paper Shop Challenge - use a digi stamp AND actually stamp something with ink! I recently purchased this adorable Jena Rain digi and decided to use her -- with so many friends getting sick I thought she would make a perfect get well card! I used copic markers on her for color, then used the blender to remove color on her coat in the form of polka dots. A little white gel pen was used on her checks and to add highlights to the umbrella. What did I stamp you ask...the sentiment is Mega Mixed Messages by PaperTrey Ink. Embellishments of ribbon, Basic Grey pearls and lots of pop dots finish her up!


I couldn't have been more excited when I read that my card was chosen as the ColourQ Challenge winner!!!!! I'm a Colour Queen!!!!!! Check out the challenge every Tuesday!

Merry & Bright

I've started a collection of digital stamps, now that I know how they work!!! This image is from Pink Cat Studio. They have so many sweet digis, it's hard to narrow it down! I used the Candy Cane Slide and colored it in with my Copic markers. It's cut out and embossed with a Nestie. The sentiment is from PaperTrey Ink's Holiday Tree. Now for those who know me know that I generally go for the non-traditional holiday colors - well this one is red and green to the max!!! Real red, Glorious green, White and DSP by Daisyd's were used. I did a little bit of sewing and added a tiny pom pom to the little elf's hat.

The countdown to Christmas has begun at our house...I prefer to block it all out because I am never prepared for all the stress. Have a most wonderful Monday!!!

Happy Birthday Clear Dollar Stamps!!

Clear Dollar Stamps turns five this month --- Happy Birthday!! Lori has created a beautiful set called Birthday Celebrations and is on sale till November 5th -- 19 stamps in the set for a price of $11.99!!! Now you can't beat that! And that's not all...head on over to Lori's blog for details on the Great Candy Caper where you will have the chance to win a stamp set of your own choosing. Check it out on Lori's blog and good luck!

Giving Thanks

I always try to complete a challenge card on the same day it was posted -- and I didn't succeed with this one!! Oh well, still got it done. First of all the layout is from Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge and the colors are from the ColourQ Challenge - Bravo burgundy, Really rust, Taken with teal, and Old olive. I used the corn stamp by AMuse and the sentiment comes from Clear Dollar Stamps Charlie Harvest Time. A fun card to make - I will be using this sketch and these colors again sometime!!!