Waltzingmouse Sneak Peek

Can you believe it?!? It's already time to share a Waltzingmouse Stamps sneak peek with you! March is knocking on the door and I cannot believe how quickly February came and went. So, without further ado...


Here's a peek at one of the new March sets, Vintage Labels 3, being released March 1 from Waltzingmouse Stamps. And, yes, it coordinates with the Label 3 dies from Spellbinders! But if you don't have the dies, this is a very easy shape to cut with scissors, which is what I did here. I used clear embossing powder on the Berry Sorbet layer, which I love. I used the flowers and sentiment from the Spring Baskets sets. I added some Glossy Accents to the center of the flowers and I just love how it shines:


Are you getting excited for the March releases yet? I know I am! Make sure you check out Belinda's blog today, as she has a sneak peek to share, too. And you have to check out Claire's blog, because she always has great stuff in store! Come back tomorrow when the entire WMS design team will have a blog hop to kick off the March releases (and free stamps are involved!).

Stamps: Spring Baskets, Vintage Labels 3 (WMS)
Ink: Lavender Moon, True Black (PTI), Black Tuxedo Momento (Tuskineko), VersaMark Watermark
Paper: Berry Sorbet, Lavender Moon, Stamper's Select White (PTI)
Other: Berry Sorbet luxe satin ribbon (PTI), Aqua Mist, Berry Sorbet and Spring Moss Copic Color Collections (PTI), Copic colorless blender (PTI), clear detail embossing powder (Filigree), classic circle dies (Spellbinders), Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers)

Moxie Fab Olympics of Stamping Challenge: Birthday

Recently, one of my sweet readers, Jenn, emailed me about the Moxie Fab Olympics of Stamping Challenge. It sounds like a lot of fun, and since one of my goals this year is to get published, I thought this was a great opportunity. Here is my card for the Birthday category:

One of my favorite Papertrey Ink color combinations is Pure Poppy and Berry Sorbet. I just love how they look together. And I discovered that Smokey Shadow is a nice compliment to them both. I used it on the sentiment and for the antennae of the butterflies. My Little Lady set came in handy for that! I really love adding paper piercing to my cards, especially when butterflies are present:

So what do you think, Jenn? Thanks for the heads up; I think I'm hooked on this challenge! I've already made another card for a different category and I may keep going! I mean, I'll never get into the real Olympics, so I might as well participate in this one, right?!? Hope you are having a great weekend! I'll be back very soon, so don't go far!




Stamps: Fancy Flourishes, Through the Trees, Little Lady (PTI)
Ink: Berry Sorbet, Pure Poppy, Smokey Shadow (PTI)
Paper: Pure Poppy, Berry Sorbet, Stamper's Select White (PTI)
Other: Nested Butterflies dies (Spellbinders), Pure Poppy vintage button (PTI), adhesive rhinestones (KaiserCrafts), paper piercing needle, Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers), embroidery thread

Papertrey Ink February Blog Hop

It’s Blog Hop time at Papertrey Ink! And this month the challenge is to “go through the Design Team gallery or any of the Design Team Members' blogs and find a project that is especially inspirational to you! Then recreate the project with your own spin, making it unique!” While it’s hard to choose, there is one designer who stands out to me as a constant source of inspiration. That would be the uber-talented Debbie Olson! For quite some time now, I’ve ooh-ed and aah-ed over Debbie's amazing talent. Her coloring skills are ridiculous, and her attention to detail is flawless. Recently this post made me gasp (yes, gasp!) and I was especially drawn to this card:


While it may seem like a simple concept, it’s Debbie’s extra touches that really make it special (the scored lines, the buttons, ribbon). I love the graphic look of this card and the fact that she stamped the envelope, too (see, she thinks of everything!). So this is the card I created with all of that inspiration in mind:





I just recently bought the Teacher's Apple set, and boy, am I glad I did! There are so many reasons and occasions to give your child's teacher a little note of appreciation. I can't wait to send this one off to school in my daughter's backpack!

Speaking of appreciation, I feel so thankful to be a member of Papertrey Ink's Click Simple Design Team. Being a part of this amazing company, with even more amazing talent (as we've seen tonight), just makes me so proud! Now I'm off I go to check out some of your talent and to see what you've all made for the Hop! Thanks for stopping by!






Stamps: Teacher's Apple (PTI)
Ink: Fresh Snow, True Black, Ripe Avocado, Dark Chocolate (PTI)
Paper: Stamper's Select White, True Black (PTI)
Other: Pure Poppy vintage button (PTI), spiral bound notebook punch (SU!), white embossing powder, Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers)

Butterfly Birthday

Hey, we made it to Wednesday! Halfway through the week and I'm already looking forward to the weekend. That's not a good sign, is it? Someone once told me you should never wish for time to hurry by, because it already moves too quickly! I think that is especially true as you get older. I mean, here it is already almost March! And speaking, of March, that starts the birthday parade in my family. Starting with one of our little nieces who I think will really like this girly birthday card:

It's pink, it's sparkly and it has butterflies, so I'm sure it will work out just fine for a ten year old girl! I used the butterfly stamps and sentiment from L'il Buddies. This set is not just for Easter and Spring! Claire has packed this set (just like her others) with loads of things to use all year round. I added pierced trails to my little butterflies and, of course, they were just beggin' for some sparkle:

Now, make sure you check out Claire's blog for her first "sneaky peeky" for the Waltzingmouse Stamps March releases! See, time does fly; it's already sneak peek time! And look for my sneak peek post on February 28. Until then, the other design team members will have their turn posting until the big release day on March 1, when we all share something special. So stay tuned and don't touch that dial!






Stamps: L'il Buddies, Off Beat Backgrounds (WMS)
Ink: Fresh Snow (PTI), Black Tuxedo Momento
Paper: Raspberry Fizz, Aqua Mist, Stamper's Select White (PTI)
Other: adhesive rhinestones (KaiserCrafts), glitter, long classic and scalloped dies (Spellbinders), Aqua Mist luxe satin ribbon (PTI), Raspberry Fizz and Aqua Mist Copic Color Collections (PTI), paper piercing needle, Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers)

Waltzingmouse Stamps Customer Blog Hop

Welcome to the first ever Waltzingmouse Stamps customer Blog Hop! If you found me first, you'll want to go back to Claire's blog and start from the beginning. We have nearly 50 people participating, so sit back, relax...and enjoy! Here is my card for the hop:

I just had to ink up this little guy from the L'il Buddies set. Isn't he total cuteness?!? I stamped him on cream cardstock and added white Liquid Applique for his wool. The great thing about this stuff is that if you let it dry overnight, then heat it, you'll get a smooth look. But if you heat it right away, you get this look:

The plaid background was created using the Off Beat Backgrounds set. There are a lot of possibilities with this set, I'll tell ya. I can't wait to make some pastel Easter backgrounds next!

Thanks for stopping by on your way through the WMS Blog Hop! Next stop is Lee; go check her out!

Stamp: L'il Buddies, Off Beat Backgrounds (WMS)
Ink: Spring Moss, Aqua Mist, Dark Chocolate, Vintage Touch Chai & Chamomile (PTI), Tuxedo Black Memento (Tsukineko)
Paper: Vintage Cream, Spring Moss, Ocean Tides (PTI)
Other: Aqua Mist luxe satin ribbon (PTI), ribbon die trio and classic and scalloped oval dies (Spellbinders), Liquid Applique (Marvy Uchida), Aqua Mist and Melon Berry Copic Color Collection (PTI)

Spring Inspiration

Happy Saturday! Were you worried about me? I had no intentions of being away this long, but it was one BUSY week! And I didn't stamp not one thing all week long! This is a travesty, I tell you, just horrible! But it's the weekend and we have no plans, so stamping is in my near future. And because the sun is shining and it's a beautiful day, I'm inspired to make some Spring themed cards, starting with this one:

Don't you just love this tree from Papertrey Ink's Through the Trees set? Since the trunk and leaves are separate stamps, there are a lot of possibilities here. I kept mine pretty simple, inking it in Spring Moss with a touch of Ripe Avocado around the edges. I just had to add some pink Liquid Pearls for little blooms. And I LOVE those little birdies resting in the tree. This reminds me of Spring, for sure!

I hope you are all having a great weekend. Seeing the sun today really lifts my spirits. Although we've had a mild winter, we haven't had a lot of sunshine and I missed it! As a matter of fact, we just booked our Spring Break vacation and I'm so excited! It's a place I've never been before, here in the U.S, and it will be nice and warm in April. Sunshine, cactus and the desert. Can you guess where I'm going?

Stamps: Through the Trees, Baby Button Bits (PTI)
Ink: Spring Moss, Ripe Avocado, Dark Chocolate, True Black, Water Lily Green (PTI)
Paper: Aqua Mist, Spring Moss, Stamper's Select White (PTI)
Other: Aqua Mist swiss dot ribbon (PTI), Spring Moss vintage buttons (PTI), foam mounting tape (3M), corner chomper (We R Memory Keepers), pink Liquid Pearls (Ranger)

Waltzingmouse News!

Happy Tuesday! I've been trying to catch up today. We went out of town over the long holiday weekend and I came back to discover some exciting stuff happening at Waltzingmouse Stamps! First order of business is the customer blog hop scheduled for February 22! If you are interested in playing along, make sure to check out this post and add your name to the blog hop list. It will be so much fun to see what you all make for this hop; I know I've got some WMS stamps that are just crying out for ink!

The second bit of exciting news is that Waltzingmouse Stamps is now offering templates! That's right; all those clever boxes and baskets Claire creates are coming to life and will be available for you to purchase! A new template has already been added to the store, so make sure you check it out. Right now they are available in two versions; a .pdf file that can be printed and cut out by hand and a .svg file that is compatible with some digital cutters. You can read more here.

I'll try to get back soon to post a project. Although we were only gone for a few days, we still have bags to unpack and laundry to do. And I've been a little unmotivated to do anything...other than stamp, of course!

Vintage Valentine

See...I told you I'd be back soon! This time I have a vintage Valentine card to share with you. It's a different style than I am use to, but I really like how the card turned out.

I love how the Late 1800s Script Background stamp added some subtle pattern, along with the Filigree Corner stamp along the edges and each corner. I love that stamp! I used up some of the lace in my stash and found some vintage Valentine clip art to add to my card. It's amazing what you can find online! I wish I had wrote down the site address...sorry! But you know how Google works...you can find anything!





Stamps: Late 1800s Script Background, Filigree Corner (Purple Onion Designs)
Paper: Vintage Cream, Dark Chocolate (PTI), Love Potion (Pink Paislee)
Ink: Dark Chocolate, Vintage Touch Chai & Chamomile (PTI)
Other: lace, Vintage Cream grosgrain ribbon (PTI), Dark Chocolate vintage button (PTI), embossed curves border punch (EK Success)

Sweet Treats

ETA: The box template was purchased and downloaded from the QuicKutz Online Store for use with my Silhouette digital cutter.

And the sweet stuff doesn't stop! I have to get in the rest of my Valentine's projects quick, before it's all over! It's like Christmas all over again! Candy, cookies, cards...geesh!

This is a little box of candy I made for Purple Onion Designs this month. The newest logo stamps are just as cute as the ones released for the holidays. You can use these all year round, really. This box template is one I downloaded for my Silhouette. Oh, how I love thee. It makes quick work of something that would have taken me for.ev.er to do by hand. Plus, I know I couldn't cut out all those scalloped details! All I had to do was assemble and add acetate to create the window and filled 'er up with peanut M&M's. Yum!

I love that these logo stamps are simple, yet versatile. Sometimes I want the center in, sometimes I want it out. Either way, they make for one sweet little package. I'll be back with more...very soon!





Stamps: Sweet Treats Logo (Purple Onion Designs)
Paper: Stamper's Select White, Raspberry Fizz (PTI), Tutu Dot (Bo Bunny)
Ink: Pure Poppy (PTI)
Other: gel heart sticker (Heidi Swapp), Pure Poppy swiss dot ribbon (PTI), Hibiscus Burst vintage button (PTI), acetate, circle punches (EK Success)

Valentine Treats

Sorry for my absence the past few days. Our house has been a twitter with Valentine card making, cookie baking and one five year old with a sinus infection. She's doing fine, but I'm exhausted...lol!

Speaking of Valentine's, my daughter has two parties today; one at Kindergarten and one at Daycare. For her classmates at school, we decided to give fun Valentine pencils, since they are making their own journals and practicing their penmanship. I've had the idea for this for quite some time, so I'm happy to actually put it to use:

I made a simple rectangle of cardstock and punched two holes at either end to slip the pencil through. Since I was mass producing these, I had to make the design simple, so all the little animals stayed white, with just a few touches of color. How I love my Tiny Treats: Valentine set from Papertrey Ink! It was perfect for this project:

I had my daughter sign all 20 of them on the back side of the card. Now that's a great way to practice your penmanship!

Stamps: Polka Dot Basics, Tiny Treats: Valentines (PTI)
Ink: Fresh Snow, Raspberry Fizz (PTI), Tuxedo Black
Paper: Stamper's Select White, Raspberry Fizz (PTI)
Other: Raspberry Fizz and Aqua Mist Copic Color Collections (PTI), scalloped circle punch (Marvy), 1/2 " circle punch (EK Sucess), Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers)

Papertrey Ink Sneak Peek: Spring Fling

It's time for another Click Simple sneak peek!

I’m feeling especially excited about this month’s templates; it’s a reminder that Spring is on its way! And while this little bird is perfect by itself, I couldn't resist making a coordinating egg and turning it into a baby announcement. The bird card pulls right out and on the back side is an adorable baby photo. What a fun way to share the news about your “new little someone!” No babies in your future? Well, this little guy, either as a shaped card or single image, can be used for many different projects: Easter basket tags, scrapbook layouts or treat toppers, just to name a few. This template will surely get you inspired for Spring…chirp!

Complete instructions and supply list for my project are provided in the companion idea download that comes with the template, which will be available for purchase on February 15th from Papertrey Ink. Check out all of the countdown excitement on Nichole's blog, along with a few more sneak peeks tonight of the other shapes included in the Spring Fling template:

• Melissa Phillips
• Laurie Schmidlin
• Kim Hughes
• and guest designer, Julie Masse
  

Waltzingmouse Winners!

If you haven't done so already, check out the Waltzingmouse Stamps blog to see who won two stamp sets from the WMS Blog Hop...it could be you!

CPS Sketch 153

Happy Sunday! Since I have absolutely no interest in football today, how about some stamping? Today I am playing along with this week's sketch at Card Positioning Systems. If you haven't noticed, this week's sponsor is Papertrey Ink. And check out this post on Nichole's blog; link your CPS card to that post and you have a second chance to win! Without further ado, here's my CPS sketch card:

Yes, it's Mr. Elephant again! I just had to use him; he was laying on my table, cut out, ready to go. He deserves a place of honor on a card, wouldn't you agree? This elephant is just one of four shapes included in the Rock-A-Bye Baby Click Simple template collection. Each shape comes in several different versions for you to use, including files that can be re-sized. Which is exactly what I do when I want to use the template on a card. And rather than use pastels, I decided on a slightly different combination. I love Smokey Shadow, Ocean Tides, Spring Moss and Kraft together! This has got to be one of my favorite color combinations:

So, are you checking out all of the Papertrey Ink anniversary excitement on Nichole's blog? If not, you really must. Un.be.lievable. I can't wait to see what's coming up for tomorrow! And, as usual, I'll have a Click Simple template sneak peek next week as the release countdown begins. Just wait until you see what's coming!





Stamps: Bitty Baby Blessings, Polka Dot Basics, Fresh Alphabet (PTI)
Paper: Stamper's Select White, Kraft, Ocean Tides, Spring Moss (PTI)
Ink: Smokey Shadow, Spring Moss (PTI)
Other: Rock-A-Bye Baby Click Simple Template (PTI), Spring Moss satin ribbon (PTI), Ocean Tides vintage buttons (PTI), Moss adhesive rhinestone (KaiserCrafts), circle punches (SU!), border punch (EK Success)

WMS February Release Blog Hop

It's release day at Waltzingmouse Stamps! In honor of the big day, the WMS design team is having a Blog Hop! If you came to me first, make sure you go back and start at Lynn's blog so you can see what all the design team members have to share. And make sure to read this post all the way to the end to find out how you can win some great prizes just by hopping along!



This card uses one of my favorite stamps from the new Vintage Circles Small set. Isn't it so pretty?!? I inked it up in two shades of pink and embossed it with clear embossing powder. I then went in with a Copic marker and added color to the areas that were not embossed. I was tempted to add more than one color, but decided this aqua and pink combo was so pretty as is. I then stamped the sentiment using one of the stamps from the Spring Baskets set, cut out the center of the design to recess it, then popped up the rest with foam mounting tape. The final touches were a few butterflies and pearls, and just a hint of sparkle from my Stardust pen:

Now, make sure to visit the next stop on the hop, which is Bonnie. And this is the important part: You'll want to be sure you leave a comment on each design team member's blog hop post, including the WMS blog. Why, you ask? Because two lucky winners will be randomly selected; one from a design team member's blog, and one from the WMS blog. The winners will each receive a brand new WMS stamp set from this month's release! The deadline for commenting is 11:59 p.m. (PST) on Sunday, February 7. Winners will be announced the next day, Monday, February 8, on the WMS blog. Good luck and happy hopping!





Stamps: Spring Baskets, Vintage Circles Small (WMS)
Paper: Stamper's Select White, Aqua Mist (PTI), Tutu Dot(Bo Bunny)
Ink: Sweet Blush, Hibiscus Burst, Raspberry Fizz (PTI)
Other: butterfly punch (Martha Stewart Crafts), adhesive pearls, Stardust pen (Sakura), classic and scallop circle dies (Spellbinders), Crop-a-Dile (We R Memory Keepers)