Weekly Challenge #52 - Anything Goes Using Something New

#52

Challenge: Anything Goes Using Something New
  

December 31st - January 6th, 2014

     

Last week was "Something Old" and, since this week holds the promise of the new year, we're doing "Something New".   I'm excited because I am in love with cupcakes, but haven't used one of my Paper Smooches cupcakes yet.  How did that happen?

 

 

This card includes a paper-pieced cupcake from the Sugar Rush stamp set.  (I've used this set quite a bit -- especially the ice cream cone -- but never this adorable cupcake!)  I double-mounted it with scalloped circles cut from various Bazzill Basics Smoothies pinks.  I cut out a banner from one of those pinks and embossed Happy Birthday with clear EP.  The sentiment was from the Digits stamp set. 

    
So how about it?  Please join us in celebrating the NEW YEAR by using something new to you!  It's a fun challenge -- use a new stamp, new paper, new tool, new technique -- and share it with us!

    

Please link your projects HERE.

    

Happy Stamping & Happy New Year!

  

Weekly Challenge #51 - Anything Goes Using Leftovers

#51

Challenge: Anything goes using your Leftovers

December 24th - 30th, 2013

'Tis the season of leftovers, am I right?  Leftover stuffing, leftover turkey, leftover everything, it seems!  This year, I made my very first post-Thanksgiving turkey casserole.  I'm pretty excited by how it turned out.  I used two different recipes and used what I liked from each one.  We had some of the fresh sage & thyme leftover from making the gravy also, so I was able to add those to the casserole, too.

In addition to saving food leftovers, I save a lot of crafty leftovers.  Even things that started out as food containers or junk mail are crafty leftovers for me.  I've used chipboard from cereal boxes, plastic from product lids, etc.  I've got a project to show you today that I made from paper leftovers.   

The three adorable patterns I used were Christmas paper from the Bazzill Basics "Nordic Pines" collection, and the two solids are from Bazzill Basics, too.  I think I might keep working on this card and add some leftover ribbon and leftover buttons, too.

   

So here's your challenge: create something made from leftovers.   Anything goes, so it could be leftover fabric, leftover paper, leftover embellishments... whatever you find.
  

Please make sure your creation post has a link back to Cuttin' and Stampin'.  

You can link your projects HERE.

  
Winners will be announced on January 3, 2014.  Thanks for playing along!
 
I wish you all Happy Stamping and Happy Holidays!  :)
 
  

Growing in Unity - Friday

Well, everyone, this is it!  I can't believe it's Friday already, and time to share my last post as this week's Growing in Unity Gal.  

Since we started the week with a couple of {itty bitty} stamp projects, I wanted to end with one too.   The stamp talks about strength, and I thought that a paper depicting tree trunks would be appropriate.
  

 
The patterned paper is from We R Memory Keepers, and the solid is Pear from Bazzill Basics.   Then I tied a ribbon around the center panel and affixed a button.  Any other embellishments seemed superfluous.  The edges were inked with ClearSnap chalk ink in Chestnut Roan.


It's been a great week!  Thanks so much for joining me.  Please don't forget to post a comment on today's post and on the other posts this week.  Each comment will be entered into tomorrow's drawing for a pair of {itty bitty} stamps of the winner's choice.

Happy Stamping & Happy Holidays to all!

Growing in Unity - Thursday

Time for the fourth project this week, and this one's sweet!
    

    

This card's focal image is considered a 'background'.  It's a collage called Pear of a Recipe, which I stamped in green ink.  Then the sentiment was added in black and three black gems were added in the upper right corner.  As usual, the edges were inked in ColorBox chalk ink in Chestnut Roan.

Oooh, and how about a bonus card today?   This "Celebrate" card is published in the current issue of Take Ten from The Stampers' Sampler.  
   

   
The boat & sentiment are an {itty bitty} stamp set!  Remember on Tuesday when I said I love plaid?  It's totally true.

Please leave comments on each post this week for a chance to win TWO {itty bitty} stamps of your choice.  Thanks for visiting.

Happy stamping!

Growing in Unity - Wednesday

Since I featured {itty bitty} stamps on Monday & Tuesday, I thought I'd go to the other end of the spectrum and create a card using stamps from one of the past Kits of the Month.  If you haven't considered subscribing, it's a great opportunity to get some great Unity stamps at a bargain price.  The 8.5" by 11" sheet of stamps costs only $26.  (By comparison, many companies sell 4" by 6" stamp sets for about $15 -- so if another company sold the huge sheet of stamps, it'd cost nearly $60!)

So, on to today's project...  it's the Eiffel tower, an iconic symbol of Paris, embossed on a patterned paper panel.
 

  
To add visual interest, I used a corner rounder on two opposing corners.  Then I embossed the sentiment, "merci", on a flag cut with a Sizzix die.  A simple black button embellishes it.  Edges are colored with the ColorBox chalk ink in Charcoal.

TIP:  Can't find a thread or ribbon that matches your project exactly?   Thread the button with a thin strip of cardstock or patterned paper!

Merci for joining me on my Growing in Unity journey so far.  Please come back for more cards on Thursday & Friday.  Don't forget that each comment throughout the week is entered into the drawing for 2 {itty bitty} stamps of the winner's choice!

Happy Stamping!

Growing in Unity - Tuesday

Since I featured an {itty bitty} stamp yesterday, let's keep the theme going!   After all, that's what one lucky commenter will win at the end of the week.  Comment every day this week for more chances to win!

This is another clean & simple card, featuring the On the Bright Side {itty bitty} stamp:

I stamped the lamp and sentiment onto a cream panel with Rich Cocoa dye ink by Memento and edged the panel with my go-to Chestnut Roan chalk ink from ClearSnap.  I added a little copper-colored paper clip and tied that with a small bit of ribbon from May Arts.  The lamp panel is layered atop a cute plaid rectangle (that was also edged with the chalk ink) and then both panels are mounted onto a dark chocolate card.

I have a real 'thing' for plaid papers.  I can't get enough of them!!

Thanks for stopping by!   Happy Stamping!

 

Growing in Unity - Monday

This is so exciting -- I'm the "Growing in Unity Gal" this week!   I can't wait to show you some simple yet fun stamping projects using stamps from the Unity Stamp Company.  I will post each day this week.  Please comment, because each one will be entered into a random drawing for two free Itty Bitty stamps of the winner's choice!

Without further ado, let's take a peek at today's project:

It's made using the "how's it rollin'?" itty bitty stamp set, along with patterned paper and the cute "memo" tab sticker from Fancy Pants.  All the edges are inked with the indispensable ColorBox Chalk Cat's Eye in Chestnut Roan.   I use those ink pads until the sponge is falling apart, and I almost always have a back-up on hand.

These roller skates remind me of the days in the early eighties when my sister & I would go skating.  I even had one of my birthday parties at the skating rink... maybe third grade?  My poor dad broke his leg at that party.  Were you ever a rollerskating nut?   Ever had an injury while skating?

Hope you'll stop by each day this week for more Unity fun, and comment for a chance to win!  :)

Happy Stamping!

Weekly Challenge #48 - Red, White, Kraft and Black

#48

Challenge:  Color Challenge
Red, White, Kraft and Black

December 3rd - 9th, 2013

We've got a great color challenge cooked up for you today:  red, white, kraft, and black.
    

My project uses three of these patterned papers and one of the cute journaling cards.  The adorable snowman from the Winter Groves set from Paper Smooches has been paper-pieced to add a plaid scarf.  The sentiment from the Sentiment Sampler set didn't quite fit horizontally on the journaling card, so I stamped the two words separately on different lines.
   

  

We'd love to get your take on this color scheme!  Please make sure your creation post has a link back to Cuttin' and Stampin'.   You can go HERE to link your projects.

    

Also -- Because this week is an ANYTHING GOES week at Paper Smooches Sparks challenge, I'm submitting this card for that, too!

  
Do you have any crafting plans this week?  I've signed up for a two-day crop this weekend.  Hope I'll be able to stay the whole time!

Happy Stamping!

Cuttin’ and Stampin’ DT call 2014

This post is my application to join the Cuttin' and Stampin' Design Team for 2014 as a Challenge Post Design Team Member. I have greatly enjoyed working with the team in 2013 and hope to get the chance to do so again.

I live in a suburb of Boise, Idaho, with my husband, Chris.   We're owned by two senior cats, Digit and Dusty.  I started stamping 10 years ago when Chris fell ill and I needed a quiet hobby to fill my time when I wasn't caring for him.

I like to travel, and have gotten to stop at lots of wonderful stamping stores and stamping events (and, of course, meet lots of terrific stampers) along the way.  It was on one of my trips that I got a chance to meet Tammy and we were like old friends the very first time we met -- and that's how I learned about Cuttin' and Stampin'.

My gallery is at SplitCoastStampers, where I also participate in the forums as "StampingSpud".  My crafting résumé includes information on published projects, past design team work, and stamping television appearances.

Here are a few projects that I think best represent my stamping style:

 

  

  

Thanks so much for your time and your consideration of this application.