Here's a cup of "Chloe"

Some of us just can't seem to start our day without a cup of Joe! Right? So, when I saw this Stamping Bella stamp, I had to giggle when I saw its name: Chloe! (It's a cup of Chloe!) And isn't she cute?




I created this card under the guidelines of Kelly Jo's Color Chef Challenge #35. The colors for the challenge are black, grey, red, and white. I think this is a very striking color combination!


Image: Stamping Bella Chloe the Coffee Mug Girl
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black and Prisma markers
Cardstock: Stampin' UP! black and real red
Designer Paper: from my scrap file
Embellishments: organdy ribbon and Darice pearl heart

FREE WALLY

Please Note: I've made two blog posts today, this one and the Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge one which follows. Be sure to check them both out!

This is the story of Wally the Whale...

............. it is a story of love and adventure!

FREE WALLY

Unlike the movie with a similar name, Wally doesn't need to be freed from the danger that surrounds his life. Instead Wally is FREE (with a mere $5 purchase from Inktegrity Stamps) and he is waiting for you to capture him and love him!

Wally is up for the adventures that might await him in your craft space.

Here's just one example of what you can do with him:

It's called a Shadow Box Card. Here's a view of what it looks like on its side.

It also folds flat so that it can easily be mailed. Pretty cool, huh?

Want to make one of your own? Here's a tutorial on SCS.

Now, don't forget to get your Wally image FREE with a $5 Inktegrity purchase... but hurry!
The offer ends on Feburary 14.

Image: Inktegrity Wally the Whale

Ink: Prisma markers and Stampin' UP! Almost Amethyst

Cardstock: Stampin' UP! Almost Amethyst and Sahara Sand

Designer Papers: from my scrap file

Embossing: Cuttlebug Tiny Bubbles

Embellishments: brad, ribbon, Stickles

Have a little GRATTY tude!

This card was created using the Bella GRATTY tude stamp, some scraps of paper from my scrap file, a small piece of Stampin' UP! Chocolate Chip taffeta ribbon, some Stampin Up! Pretty in Pink and Creamy Caramel cardstock and a sketch. It doesn't get any easier than that!

The sketch comes from Technostamper. It's the Monday Lunchtime Sketch. This is my first time to participate in Mary Jo's challenge, but I plan to do so again in the future because it's been a lot of fun.

Image: Bella GRATTY tude

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers, Copic Spica pen, gel pen

Cardstock: Stampin' UP!

Designer Paper: from my scrap file

Embellishment: Stampin' UP! taffeta ribbon

Squigglefly Challenge - Clean and Simple

Please Note: I've made two blog posts today, this one and the Sunshine Monday one which follows. Be sure to check them both out!

Are you ready for this week's Squigglefly Challenge? It's easy peasy! Seriously, it is! The challenge for this week is to create a CLEAN AND SIMPLE card that has BLUE on it somewhere. That's it! No problem, right? Sooooooooooooo you need to create your card; then rush over to the Squigglefly blog and post a link to it! You just might be the lucky winner of an incredible prize!

WAIT! Before you go, check out my card! I used Squigglefly's Puppy Love for my image. Isn't that puppy just adorable?!?!?

Okay, now... go! You need to participate in this challenge, cuz they just don't get any easier than this one.

Image: Squigglefly Puppy Love

Ink: Copic markers

Cardstock: Stampin' UP!

Designer Paper: from my scrap file

Embellishment: pawprint brad

Sunshine Monday - January 18

I love Mondays! It's a fresh beginning for a new week... and it's SUNSHINE MONDAY, the day when the Sunshine and Giggles Design Team posts a card featuring adorable Sunshine and Giggles images!!!

My card for this week is reminiscent of a young couple enjoying a special treat at an old-fashioned soda shoppe. The image is called Sharing the Love, and it is one of Sunshine and Giggles newest digital images being released today.

I had a wonderful scrap of double-sided designer paper that had ice cream treats on one side and chocolate-colored polka-dot paper on the other. I matched my colors to it and colored the sweet image with a combination of Copic and Prisma markers.
After creating layers of paper, I added the image (popped up off the page), a ribbon tied into a bow, and some heart-shaped rhinestones for added sparkle.
Be sure and check out what the other Sunshine and Giggles Design Team members have created for Sunshine Monday. Links to their blogs are in my sidebar.
And why not SHARE THE LOVE today with your sweetheart?!?!?
Image: Sunshine and Giggles Sharing the Love
Ink: Copic and Prisma markers
Designer Paper: Imaginisce Chocolate Double Dip
Embellishments: Stampin' UP! organdy ribbon adn Prima Marketing heart rhinestones

Welcome to My Hideout

Last fall, my dear daughter took all of her belongings and moved to her first apartment - way off in the land of Oz. For a few weeks, I would walk past her empty room, and would pause and think of her. The tears would sometimes flow. THEN I decided it was time to enjoy the extra space! So I moved my craft room to the room that had once been hers, doubling my creative space. My friends on SCS even helped me name my new room - the Hideout.

These same friends keep asking to see pictures of My Hideout, so I have decided to dedicate today's blogpost to those pictures.

Welcome to My Hideout!

This is the view from the doorway as one enters my "happy place". (My husband knows that only happy things are allowed to take place in this room - it is not a place for grumbling and such. LOL!)

This is my Stamping Desk... you can even see my project in progress.

(I didn't clean up anything before taking the pictures, so the way you see the room is the way it is most of the time.)

Directly behind my desk is this wonderful shelf unit that also serves as a counter for additional workspace, when needed.

To the left of my desk (and within reach) is this marvelous drawer unit that I got at an auction for $3. It holds an incredible amount of stuff in its 54 drawers. Here's just one drawer:

I have my designer papers separated into categories and stored in these stackable Sterlite drawer units. When I'm searching for a paper, I pull the appropriate drawer from the unit and take it to my desk, where I can easily find what I need.

I store my larger Stampin' UP! punches on these Grundrails from Ikea. (I need another one, though.) My smaller punches are stored in some of the drawers by my desk.


My Stampin' UP! cardstock is stored in this lateral file (another yard sale bargain!!!) and my Cricut gathers dust on top of it. I really do need to get more comfortable with that machine!

Above is a view of the long wall of shelving units.

Two of the units house my Stampin' UP! stamps as well as some from other companies, all organized in plastic cases and/or file boxes.

My ribbons, buttons, and many other embellishments are also found on the wall of shelves.

Above is a view of the room from the doorway of the walk-in closet.

The following three pictures show three views of the walk-in closet where I store many things, inlcuding my Close to My Heart stamps, my Angel Company stamps, my Stampin' UP! wheels, completed cards, and various supplies.

Because the main room is so large, I also have room for a second desk - my Scrapping Desk. You notice there is NO project laying out on it like on my Stamping Desk. Hmmm... I guess stamping has taken over my creative life. BUT you might be interested to know that I started out as a scrapbooker and still do work on projects on this desk when I get a chance.

I hope you enjoyed this tour of My Hideout!

I leave you with a little bit of inspiration from my Inspiration Board (where I display special creations I receive from others).

An Opportunity to Help Others and a Chance to Win Blog Candy!!!

I am so honored to be part of several design teams. Sometimes it makes my life a little crazy, trying to keep up with the crafting responsibilities, blog posts, etc., but I love being part of each and every one of these design teams!

Melissa is one of my fellow DT members on the Inktegrity DT. She was sharing with the DT earlier this week about a friend of hers from High School. She'd lost contact with him over the years, but recently discovered him on facebook and was able to catch up on life. His life has taken a sad turn. He and his dear wife recently (just last week, if my memory is correct) lost their precious 4 1/2 year old daughter after a courageous fight with a brain tumor. We can all imagine the heartache this couple is experiencing, and I'm sure many of us will hold our own children a bit closer after reading this post.

Roger and his wife Rachel created a pay-it-forward organization as a way to help them cope with Charlotte's illness (and now her death). The mission statment of CJ's Thumbs Up Foundation is to provide financial support to families of children with chronic, life-threatening illnesses through individual giving and public/private partnerships with organizations who have similar goals.

When Melissa heard her friend Roger's story, she took action. She asked Joni, the owner of Inktegrity stamps if she was willing to come up with a stamp that she could sell to help out the pay-it forward organization. Joni readily agreed (THANK YOU, Joni!!!) and this image was developed. It incorporates Charlotte's love for books, princesses, and butterflies.




The profits earned from the sale of this digital image will go to CJ's Thumbs Up Foundation. As far as I know, the only place it can be purchased is on Melissa's blog (in the sidebar).

Because this story has touched my heart so much, I want to pay-it-forward, too. First, I purchased the image myself. (I love it! so that wasn't a difficult thing to do.) I want others to purchase it, too, so together we can help CJ's Thumbs Up foundation! That's where the BLOG CANDY comes in.

I'm going to be giving away my first ever BLOG CANDY to someone who purchases this special stamp. If you purchase it NO LATER THAN JANUARY 30, leave a comment here in this thread of my blog letting me know and on January 31 I will ANNOUNCE the randomly selected winner of the BLOG CANDY! If you have a blog, put the link to the stamp in your sidebar and you also can be entered in the contest for my BLOG CANDY give-away (BE SURE TO LEAVE A COMMENT HERE LETTING ME KNOW YOU DID SO). AND if you create a card using the image and post it to your blog or an online gallery, let me know and you'll get another chance to win the BLOG CANDY!

Let's get the word out about CJ's Thumbs Up Foundation!