Blog Awards... and a bunch of them!

TAC Angels really are the nicest group of people. Over the past week, I have been showered with so many blog awards, and it really warms my heart to know that so many talented ladies value my work... I am truly flattered :) So, here we go!

First up, from Cynthia (ScrapGirlz), is One Lovely Blog Award. Thank you so much, you are such a sweetie, and definitely deserve this award yourself!!

There are so many inpirational blogs out there, that it is tough to limit it to just seven!
Danni's Doodles
Melissa Phillips
Linda Albrecht
Julie Griffith
PaperCrafts by Rach
Debbie Olson
Inspirational

Next, from Bren (BcraftyToday) who just so happens to be my newest downline! The Lemonade Award is given by a previous winner to 5 bloggers who have shown great attitudes and/or gratitude this week. It's a great way to show these people that you appreciate them. All you have to do is:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post. 2. Nominate at least 5 blogs and be sure to link your nominees within your post. 3. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog. 4. Share the Love and link to this post and the person from whom you received your award.

I would like to pass this award along to the following people in appreciation of their Great Attitudes...

Rita Wetzel
Sarah Gilreath
Nicole Dean
Joan Bardee
Seleise Barrett

And Joani (JoanisCardsMadeByHand) awarded three in one fell swoop! The first is the Kreativ Award. The 'rules' are pretty much the same as the Lemonade Award above. So, here are 5 blogs I'm awarding:
Debra Hensley

Melisa Waldorf

Laurie Unger

Heather Scott

Angela Kelley

The second one from Joani is the Lotus Inspiration Award. The originator of this award says: "No special rules for this one, feel free to pass it along to as many blogs as you wish! I would love it if you would post the picture and link to Gratefulness.org."

So, some more inspiring blogs:

Lisa Brown

MelStampz

Anna Wight

Stacy Rogers

Pam Upper

And the final award from Joani is the Spreader of Love Award! How sweet is that?! Here are just a few more ladies that always have something sweet to say and are genuine:

Carolyn King

Nancy Grant

Kim O'Rosky

Diana Maldonado

Anna Fiebelkorn

Bridgett Owens

Jennifer Carter

There are so many more to list! I'll leave it as is for now :) Be sure to stop in and show these ladies some love ;)

TAC Angel Blog Hop...

I'm late for the blog hop... sorry ladies! Melisa, a fellow Angel & Winger, has organized another blog hop challenge! Here are my two samples for the Seeds of Blessings stamp set:


Stamps: Seeds of Blessings, 2009 Winter Escape stamp set, Tag Tidbits

Paper: Bazzill Mono-Yellows, Bazzill Mono-Blues, White UltraSmooth

Ink: Noir, Prussian Blue, Raw Sienna, & Cognac Palettes, Calypso Kaleidacolor

Other: White Embossing Powder, Pop Dots, Diamond, Yellow, & Black Stickles, misc. ribbon, Copic markers, Souffle Gelly Pen

The bumble bee is highlighted with Stickles (of course!)
The background of the white butterfly image was brayered with the Calypso pad. I highlighted parts of the butterfly with the blue Souffle pen and then heated it to give it the dark color.

Be sure to stop by these blogs to see other ways to use this set:
Melisa
Trudy
Seleise
Suzanne
Christina
Chelsea
Rachel
Jany
Angela
Diana

Another Whoopsie-Turned-Wonderful...

Well, I'm almost over my head cold... thankfully! I'm still trying to get motivated to clean the house today... hmmm... maybe tomorrow :) For now, how about something ca-yoot?!!

This Fabulous Pinkie card started out as a typical A2 sized card. The green was the base (not white) and I had stamped the sentiment 'every girl wants to be' directly to the base. The ink color so drastically changes depending on the color of cardstock on which you stamp... I can not stress this enough.

I had already glued everything on, so I cut it all down, added some more pattern paper, popped up the sentiment and created a big poofy bow... oh-so-girlie. What is that blue circle, you ask? It is a thumbtack from Target!! Cheap and easy [ so NOT like me ;) ]

Stamps: Everything Is Blooming, 2009 Winter Escape stamp set (only available to attendees!!!)
Paper: Lilly Anna SWIC and Cardstock, White UltraSmooth
Ink: Noir & Cote d'Azure Palettes
Other: Lime, Brown, Cotton Candy, Waterfall, & Pink Stickles, Crystal Laquer, Copic markers, misc. ribbons, MM pink staple, Target tack, pink rhinstone, and Pop Dots

I applied about three layers of Crystal Laquer to Pinkie, allowing it to dry completely between applications. She is so cute in real life... how do you like her tricked-out headdress & legs?! She reminds me of a Vegas show-girl :)

What do you think?

True Beauty

Just one little pretty for tonight... Juliette True Beauty Card


Chris was kind enough to send me this lovely butterfly image from one of the sets debuting in the Premier Magalogue issue, Serendipity. Thanks, Chris!!









Stamps: True Beauty

Paper: Juliette SWIC & Juliette Cardstock, misc. white cardstock

Ink: Noir & Burnt Umber Palettes

Other: Copic markers, Ranger's Distress Stickles, Crystal Laquer, misc. buttons, ribbons & vintage trims, Distressing Tool, Hydra Sponge

Chris sent me a black/white image, and I wanted a vintage look, so I lightly sponged over the image with BU until I achieved the tone I desired... you can't even tell it was originally white cardstock. After coloring with Copics, I used some Distress Stickles over the blooms, portions of the butterfly, and the vines below.

I distressed all of the edges and then sponged BU ink. After I had everything glued down exactly like I wanted it, I poured some Crystal Laquer over the butterfly and let it dry completely. Then I went back over it a second time to give it a little more dimension. This card measures 3"x6".


It really does look so much better in real life!

What do you think?

Another beautiful mess and a little purple haze...

Don't forget the 50% off sale ends today at 5pm CST!! Email me ASAP or shop online! :)

Dude, I'm seriously tired. I decided to catch a cold yesterday on my way home from San Antonio... yeay {said dripping with sarcasm}. So, last night I down a little NyQuil and try to sleep it off... to no avail. As I am typing this, I'm still fuzzy-headed { different from the usual :) } so I apologize ahead of time in case my sentences don't make sense.

I thought I'd share a couple of pictures of what I brought home from the weekend! The pictures aren't the greatest since they have reflections of the packaging and all, but you get the jist.

The Angel Company is so generous. Stamps, paper packs, kits, embellishments, ribbons, a polka dot scarf, fun lapel buttons, ink, hardware, pens, stipple brush...

paper piercing kit, more kits, fun fun fun projects... just awesome.

The shoebox swap was fun, too! Here is a shot of all of the ones I completed { hey, Beverly... I still need to complete yours :) } Aren't they great?!

My favorite was this magnet created by Holly Mays... absolutely freakin' adorable. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the poofy floral!

Serendipity and lack of zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

I am a bad bad blogger... sorry guys! I have just been having a blast down here :) I couldn't get any pictures off the camera to upload, but I will tomorrow or Monday night by the latest... no really... I promise... seriously...

What I CAN tell you is that the premier issue of the Maggie, Serendipity, is FAN-FREAKIN-TASTIC! You got a teensie taste of some new sets in a past post, but what is very cool is that there are a total of 47 NEW stamp sets... can I please get a whoop whoop?! AND there are new Hostess sets (Levels A, B & C), some cool Bind-It-All Curved Spine Covers, three different decorative Acrylic Albums (Yummy!), even more Embellishment Jars, Jumbo Shimmer Brads, and the Round-It-All Corner Rounder!! No, I did not stutter.

The new sets are just fabulous. There are collage art stamps, big image stamps to color, bold graphic stamps, brocade print stamps, silhouette stamps, decorative corners, beach themed, OMG... wait until you see Hotel Signs... they look like could be on the Vegas Strip, cuppie cakes, Easter, beautiful new bride set, fun baby stuff, characters characters characters, Monkey Business (think paper dolls for chimps... too dang cute), florals, borders, recipe card builders...

Excited yet? :) Well, you have to wait until February 1st to order... sorry! I can't order yet either!!!

MORE EXCITING NEWS: yours truly, was a Creative Contributor for this Maggie release! I can not begin to say how thrilled I was when The Angel Company asked that I submit some work to them for this release... not to mention the awesome box-o-goodies that arrived on my doorstep!! I am sad to say that none of my work appeared in the actual Maggie, though I was graciously listed in the back, so I can hope that they have future plans for these sets and samples.

The projects we completed during our creative sessions are freakin' awesome! Cards, mini-albums, home decor... I love them all! I'm sure I'll be showing off a few here over the next few weeks. A dozen of us also did a shoebox swap... all I can say is that there are some VERY talented Angels here! And everyone is sooooo nice! I'm a bit of a wallflower, and don't 'do' crowds well, but everyone is so friendly and welcoming... it makes me very glad I chose to demonstrate for TAC :)

Well, I'm going on about 3.5 hours of sleep (MAYBE), but I still want to have one last stroll down the RiverWalk, so I'll sign off now. Check back in a day or two for photos!!!

Countdown to San Antonio and some more wonderful news...

I am a new Angel mama!! Yep, Brenda Hauff from Wichita is my newest downline! You can check out her blog HERE... be sure to stop in and show her some love!! Welcome to the TAC family, Brenda!

Well... I'm off to TAC's Escape retreat in San Antonio tomorrow morning!!! I can't wait... I had soooooo much fun last year :)

I am hoping to post a little sumpin' sumpin' while I'm down there, but NO PROMISES!! If I can't get photos uploaded, at least I can give some written description of some of the festivities, and more importantly, new stamps!!

'Night y'all!! :)

Another birdie in a tree...

Happy Tuesday... only two days 'til sunny San Antonio :) And since it is currently SNOWING OUTSIDE {screaming}, I thought I'd share a card a little on the sunny side...

Tutti Early Birdie

I know, I know... you thought you had seen the last of this stamp, but I just LOVE it! I'm not crazy about the layout and the ribbon is too skinny, but I love love love rest of it.

Stamps: Early Bird, Life is Short

Paper: Tutti Frutti, White UltraSmooth

Ink: Noir, Giverny Green, & Viridian Leaf Palette

Other: misc. ribbon, Lime Ice Stickles, Icicle Stickles, and Orange Peel Stickles, Copic markers, Fantastix

The answer is: yes... yes I cut the tree trunk out. And yes, it was a bi-yatch. And yes, this is the only card I made like this. And yes, if I had it to do all over again I would. :)

What do you think?

Try to RESIST this...

Another reminder about the 50% OFF SALE that is ending January 26th!!! The prices listed on my online store already reflect the sale price, so it makes it easy!! If you are wanting to place an order directly with me, you'll need to email it to me NO LATER than noon on THIS Wednesday the 21st so I can get it sent off before I leave for TAC's Leadership Retreat (can't wait!!).

Tic Tac Love card

Are you guys sick of the 'love' cards yet? Hope not, because I've got another one for you today :) This one was done using heat embossing resist (get the title of the post now?!) technique and spray ink, and I think it makes a really good 'guy' card.

I lined up all of the heart images from Love Doodles & Forever Family on my acrylic handle, and using VersaMark, stamped on a 3"x3" White UltraSmooth square. Then, clear Transcendence Embossing Powder was sprinkled, tapped the excess off, and heated with a Heat Tool.

I sprayed Tsukineko's Eucalyptus Walnut Ink over the upper right corner of the square and blotted off the excess with a paper towel. I repeated this step with Ranger's Denim Spray Ink in the opposite corner. The clear EP resists the ink, so the white shows through.

Then, all that is left to do is layer on top of a white & moss (Bazzill) cardstock mats, stamp the sentiment from Tag Tidbits in Starry Night Palette Ink and pop up with Pop Dots, do a little paper piercing in the lower right corner, and finally, wind some cotton cord around a Bazzill Mono-Blues card base a few times, and knot it up!

What do you think?

Double quickie...

Happy Friday! And VERY happy Friday to me since I'm not in the office today :) You'll be getting a two-fer today, yep, two cards in one post. Don't get too excited... they are VERY simple and quick cards with limited supplies.

The first one was a card from my class night on Wednesday. Perfect 'girly' card... soft, pastel, with a POP of color :)

Stamps: Swirlies, Forever, Feel Better (Hostess Level A set)

Paper: White UltraSmooth, Mia's Cottage Cardstock

Ink: VersaMark

Other: Shimmers Chalk Kit, misc. ribbon

Simply stamp in VersaMark and rub the chalk over the entire area. The VM picks up more of the chalk and causes it to really pop! The little bit left over the non-VM areas just adds to the soft look surrounding the image.

Oooooooo... pretty :)

The second card is geared toward the guys. I've never been very good at working with reds... if you look at most of my past posts, you can REALLY tell that I don't work with it. So I'm not crazy about this one. I do like the rick rack over the ribbon and the button.

Stamps: Forever, and two retired TAC stamps

Paper: TAC's Scarlet & Basic Black cardstocks

Ink: Palette Noir

Other: White Scrapper's Floss, misc. ribbons & button

I had a tiny piece of this very cool black & white striped ribbon and HAD to use it. So, I sucked it up and dove into the whole red-black-white combo. Very simple & tailored looking... great for the dude in your life :)

What do you think about both of these??

Willoughby Webbie Book

Here's my little Bind-It-All project that I had mentioned awhile back. I call it my Webbie Book, and there have been quite a few Angels that have made one... I know Vicki & Rita K & Chris & Carol have for sure... and if you've made one, please leave a comment with your link so we can see a bunch of different versions!

The Willoughby Webbie Book is a log of logins! Online craft stores, forums, Facebook, etc... all with a ton of different login words & passwords. I can barely remember yesterday, so remembering a boatload of logins is definitely a bit much for me :) So, I printed off some white cardstock sheets on which my info is to be written down for each of my sites I visit.

I used two full sheets of cardstock (24 mini pages) for my book and my covers are made of two small pieces from the Neutral Chipboard Stack. I'd say it only measures about 2-1/4" x 2-3/4" plus the binding wires. I used one lonely image from TAC's Swirlies set that was stamped in Burnt Sienna & rolled in Burnt Umber for the tag, and then I wrote 'www' with a brown pen.

I cut a small square from one of the papers from Willoughby {love this stuff!} for the front cover... doesn't it look elegant? I tied the tag off with some brown cotton fabric and some Brown Scrapper's Floss. The tag also has an eyelet from the Amelia Hardware set.

The little alpha tabs are from Autumn Leaves that I have had FOREVER!!! They worked perfectly for this little project. However, if I were to make another one of these, I stagger the tabs on both sides of the book, or at the bottom, so that the book would close evenly {a little OCD much?}.

What do you think?

Azure Mini Heart Card

Hello hello! Yes, I HAVE had a few cups of coffee this morning. :) My weekend was far too short, but this coming weekend will be better! It will be the start of my two EXTRA days off per week that I'll have to get organized! But, I'm sure you didn't tune in to hear about that stuff... you want to see GOODS, right?! So, here is my

Azure Mini Heart Card

A fellow Angel and Christmas Secret Sister, Maria, sent me these wonderful shimmery accented chipboard pieces as a part of the goodies that she gave me! Typically, I like to ink or paint chipboard, but these little lovlies were so pretty already, that I designed the card around them.

As in my previous post, I had one more leftover brayered square that HAD to be used! It just so happened to match the shimmery chipboard perfectly!! SCORE! I wanted a lot of white space on this so that it would really showcase the heart/square, so I didn't use any DP or additional elements, and I chose to put the sentiment inside.

I know a lot of people really pretty-up the insides of their cards, and I think I'm going to start doing that more often. This is a very simple interior, but I love the linear graphic that leads to the sentiment that is located in an atypical spot.

Stamps: Criss Cross (current Hostess Level B set), Trendy Greetings (only $9.98 for a set of 22!)
Paper: Premium White card base, White UltraSmooth (brayered square)

Ink: Reflection Blue, Cote d'Azure, Prussian Blue, Violette Palettes, Moonlight White Brilliance

Other: Pop Dot, Speedball Brayer, misc. chipboard parenthesis

Don't forget about the 50% OFF SALE... not that you could... since I've mentioned it in every post since I found out! You can order online here, or send me an email with your order to also receive customer and/or Hostess Benefits!!

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

ETA: Blog candy alert here !!

Show me the love...

Well, I didn't get much done around the house last night {sigh}. And very little today... it was so blah this morning, that all I wanted to do was blurf. Well, I did get one simple little Bind-It-All project done, but I'll be sharing that in a few days.



Lilac Blue Love card

Today it's all about the love. :) This is a tiny 2-3/4" x 3" card, but it packs a bold punch, I think. I once again dug into my 'random' pile and fished out this pretty heat embossed 'LOVE' image from Forever Family {which happens to only cost $7.98 for a set of 7 through 01.26.09!!}. I also found a square of a brayered background that I had cut off while doing these cards... the bit that I had cut off was far too pretty to pitch in the garbage :)

The brayerd square had several wonderful colors ranging from light Cote d'Azure blue, to dark navy, to a deep purple, which matched perfectly to my 'LOVE' image that had been stamped in French Lilac Palette and heat embossed with Transcendence Embossing Powder on Premium White Cardstock.

I popped the 'LOVE' up on Pop Dots that I had cut down. The brayered background is also popped up on foam tape. I stamped 'you' from a retired TAC set called Too Much Fun onto another strip of Premium White using French Lilac Palette ink. Everything is layered on a Bazzill Mono-blues card base. Tied a misc. ribbon around it, and voila! 'Love you' :)


What do you think?

A weighty post :)

Well, I've already folded a couple of loads of laundry, and have another load in each the washer & dryer... say hello to my extra day off this week! Yep, it is beginning, and so far, I like it :) I actually COOKED last night... I'll wait for you to pick yourself up off the floor...

...

...

I made my Chicken Manicotti... so fattening & yummy. Email me and let me know if you want the recipe... I substituted turkey last night, but I still prefer chicken.

Anyway... on to something cah-yoot!! Yep, it's the return of the Early Bird set that is part of the Winter Wishes promotion from TAC... so freakin' cute. This is a glass paperweight I altered... I found it in the $1 Spot at Target. They have pink ones, too, so RUN {don't walk} to your Target and see if they have any left! And don't forget about the 50% OFF SALE that TAC is having!!!

I first colored everything with some Copic markers, then HELLO Stickles! Stickles Stickles everywhere. I let all of that dry, cleaned the back of the paperweight really well, and covered it with Crystal Laquer. I then placed it over my image, and cleaned off the laquer that oozed out around it :)

I've got to be more careful next time to make sure there are no tiny air bubbles that get trapped... it's a toughie, though, because the Stickles is dimensional... it's really easy to see around the flower centers.

I've had the wonderful pink rick rack ribbon (I can't remember who makes it), and it worked perfectly! I glued it to the back and then glued some thin chipboard slightly smaller than the paperweight to help hold down the ribbon. I finished it off with a heart of cardstock that I had sponged & stamped. I bent the edges down to cover the chipboard and to give an extra detail to the back.

Stamps: Early Bird, Tag Tidbits (only $5.48 for 36 stamps!)
Paper: Premium White & Bazzill Mono-Greens

Ink: Noir Palette, VersaMark (back)

Other: Copics, misc. rick rack ribbon, Crystal Laquer, & Stickles: Waterfall, Cotton Candy, Fruit Punch, Goldenrod, Brown, & Lime Ice

What do you think?