PPA110- A spooky CASE

I've managed to work ahead and get a few things together for my next Card Club (starting 9/18 if you're interested, there are 3 more spots open!).  It's nice to have stuff done and not to have to worry with it at the last minute.  It also lets me play along with challenges like this weeks' PPA Halloween challenge.  Here is a card that we're going to make at the next Card Club (Sunday 9/18 and Tuesday 9/20).  It's a direct CASE from the Idea Book and Catalog (proof that it really is an idea book and shouldn't be recycled just when the catalog year is over, he he.)  If you're looking for a hobby now is the time to try out card making.  We have a few more spots open in our card club and would love to have you join us!

PPA 107...late, but worth the wait

so.... I tried to get my PPA card done in time, but I just kept waiting for some of my Holiday mini catalog products to arrive and ended up missing the deadline.  (If I could just get the UPS man to deliver my packages earlier in the day!)  We'll be making this card at my card club this Saturday.  I'm really happy with the way that it turned out and I think it was worth waiting on the UPS man.  I used the Pretty Postage stamp set and coordinating punch from the summer mini and the new 1" square punch from the upcoming holiday mini.  I also used the new houndstooth embossing folder and I brayered it with perfect plum for more contrast.  I just bought a brayer for that one purpose and I love the effect.  Without further ado...

(special thanks to Ann Schach of The Stampin' Schach for the video tutorial on the bow)

Pals Blog Hop- 3-D items

Welcome to the August Pals Hop! This month, we're featuring fun and creative 3-dimensional projects! Enjoy the hop and the amazing creations that the Pals have come up with. 

You've likely hopped over from Rae Harper at http://wildwestpaperarts.com/, I'm stop number 13 on the Pals Hop and I'm glad you hopped in! I'll help you "hop along" from blog to blog where you'll find great ideas for 3-D paper projects from the Stampin' Pretty Pals! Should you hop off course, simply click on any of the links in the Pals Hop Line-up below and you'll be back on track!

1. Stephanie Uzee at http://www.stampinwithsuzee.blogspot.com/

2. Nicole Watt at http://www.impressionsbynicole.com/
3. Barbara Chatzkel at http://www.takeoutpaperarts.com/
4. Jason Casper at http://www.stampindad.com/
5. Melanie Collins at http://www.oopsadaisy.typepad.com/

6. Carmen Sublasky at http://creativestamptuary.typepad.com/the-creative-stamptuary/

7. Patti MacLeith at http://papercraftsbypatti.blogspot.com/

8. Sandie Conner at http://www.prettyprovisions.com/

9. Nina Dee at http://www.deesignsbyninadee.blogspot.com/

10. Leah O'Brien at http://www.leahobrien.com/

11. Mary Fish at http://www.stampinpretty.com/

12. Rae Harper at http://wildwestpaperarts.com/

13. Kylie Nicolsi at http://www.kyliescraftycorner.blogspot.com/

14. Pam Giudici at http://www.pamshobby.blogspot.com/

15. Linda Fisher at http://lindas-stampinloft.blogspot.com/
16. Mikki Sarkisyan at http://www.mikkiscreativecorner.blogspot.com/

17. Martha Stewart at http://www.seasonsofstamping.com/

18. Mike Fuke at http://stampin-style.typepad.com/stampin-style/
19. Barb Furlong at http://www.theloveofstamping.com/

I love to make 3-D projects.  There's just something that makes me warm and fuzzy inside when I look at something I made.  Here are a few of my recent projects.  We made this at a recent workshop.  It's the onboard journal from the new catalog.  It features a lot of new products- the pennant parade stamp set, pennant builder punch, chocolate chip polka dot ribbon and the just add cake designer series paper.

This is a mobile that I made for Saige's room (it's a Pottery Barn knock off- I just couldn't stomach paying the amount they were asking when I knew I could just make it myself).  I used the butterfly sizzix regular die and the colors blushing bride, sahara sand and whisper white.  I'm still trying to share my stampin' space with Saige.  The room was already gray and pink so it worked out perfectly that we had a little girl.  I lucked out and found the rings as a mobile in the clearance section at hobby lobby.  I cut off the existing mobile pieces and tied up my own.

And, I figured most of you would want to see some more of her bedroom.  Here's her bed.  My mom made the bedding and she did such an amazing job.  I wasn't finding the black and white bedding that I wanted so I asked my mom and she came through with flying colors!  If you're looking for custom bedding send me a message and maybe my mom can create something for you too.  Thanks mom!

Hop along for more inspiring ideas from Pam Giudici at http://www.pamshobby.blogspot.com/, stop number 14 on the July PALS HOP! Thanks for "hopping" by!

PPA 105- Color challenge

My hubby and I love to watch HGTV's design star.  Sometimes I feel like PPA is my "design star".  Saige took an extra long nap yesterday (and by extra long I mean 2 1/2 hours- her normal is only 40 minutes!) so I was able to sit down and pull together a quick card.  The colors are all pretty and bright on their own so I knew I needed to add in a good neutral.  I wanted to play around with my new embossing folder from the summer mini.  I embossed it with the folder and then swiped versamark over the raised part and sprinkled with white embossing powder.  I had to use a small paint brush to get lots of excess powder off so I don't think we'll be making this at an upcoming card club :).  I kept the card really simple so it would highlight the embossed part.  I couldn't decide on a sentiment so I left it blank.  I think the new Occasions Alphabet will fit perfectly in the space on the bottom left and I'll just stamp it with whatever sentiment I need at the time.  Super easy!

That daffodil delight is quite bright.  Here's my little summer sunshine...

PPA 103- sketch challenge

I managed to eek out a little time this week to play along with the Pals Paper Arts sketch challenge.  I'm blessed to be a part of the talented group that calls themselves the Stampin' Pretty Pals.  I have a workshop this coming Saturday and I know a couple of the ladies are big fans of the new houndstooth embossing folder so I was determined to incorporate it into my card.  I also know that they liked the retired color Cameo Coral so I thought I'd try to use the new Calypso Coral in color.  I must say that coral is not a color that I gravitate towards so it took me a while to come up with something I was happy with.  I had to go to my color coach a couple of times to get my mo-jo going.  More than likely I'll still be using the same pack of Calypso Coral a year from now, but I'm really happy with how the card turned out.  I hope they like it too!

I used Basic Gray, Calypso Coral, a little Riding Hood Red and a bit of Just Add Cake DSP.  I love the new In Color ribbon.  Isn't it just darling?  What do you think of my card this week?

PPA 102 and the livin's easy...

This week's theme at the Pals Paper Arts blog is "summertime and the livin's easy".  I can't say that the livin' is easier this summer (due to our new addition) but it's definitely better.  Living in TX is super hot so we're spending most of our days indoors.  My card below uses the new Pool Party in color, the Pennant Parade stamp set and the Bring on the Cake stamp set.  We made this card at my 1st Annual New Catalog Open House last weekend.

I also made these cute little cupcake picks with the Cupcake Builder punch.  They were super easy.  It's somewhat hard to see the colors in the photo below.  The bottom is crumb cake and the top is Pretty in Pink patterns paper.

  
A pool is about the only thing we do outside and Saige absolutely loves being in the water.   We've been taking her to a "bathtime babies" class where they get her used to the water and she's done great with it.  They play games and teach us how to help her get used to the water in her face and floating.  (She's only 3 months old, but we thought we'd start her early and I'm going to try to do a waterbabies class with her once she's 6 months old.)

Life Happens

Wow- I'm really not much of a blogger!  Our little addition made her way into this world on April 8th and we couldn't be more smitten.  The past 3 months has flown by filled with lots of photo shoots (my husband is a photographer), feedings, dirty diapers and not a lot of sleep.  We're settling into a routine now and I'm blessed to be able to quit my job to stay home with her full time.  This means I'm going to try to step up my Stampin' Up and I'll have to do a better job at blogging.  Last Saturday I hosted my first Stampin' Up event since her birth and I can't tell you how great it was to get together with the ladies.  I've really missed it.  Here are the cards (I cas'ed 2 of them so that helped with the creative side of things) that we made and a couple of photos of Saige.  Thanks for stopping by!

 thanks to http://www.stamppaperscissor.blogspot.com/

 my creation

 thanks to http://ilinacrouse.blogspot.com/2011/03/eastern-blooms.html

 Saige at 3 days old

Matt and Saige on Father's Day.  I love them both so much!