I moose you

Hello! The My Favorite Things Sketch Challenge has been moved to Thursdays. You can play along even if you don't have MFT stamps. Please leave a link here if you make a card, I would love to see it! I used two sets for this card Nature Calls and What's Your Sign. The moose and sign were done with watercolor pencils and the trees were done with Copic markers. The reason for this is very long and somewhat boring so I will spare you the details, but I think it's kind of fun to see how the 2 mediums compare on the same card. While the coloring and cutting took a little bit of time the layout is really simple. Kim has told us we can share a little peek at the new sets being released next Wednesday. I can hardly believe it's time for another release.

So that's it for today, I am getting ready to go to my yoga class, namaste.

Thanks for stamping by!

Laura~

Store More Stamps with Little Monkeys

As promised here is a quick review of the the stamp storage system from Little Monkeys. But first things first. I am pretty sure I have mentioned that I was the winner of the Paper Crafts Stamping Royalty Contest, bawhaha! Guess what arrived yesterday, MY TIARA!! It was all I could do to take it off my head to take the picture:) I had heard that there was a tiara involved in this whole deal, but frankly thought I was being teased (a sort of initiation if you will). But no, it is true that if you win the contest you get a tiara. They like me...they really like me:)

On to really more pressing matters. One of the prizes that I won, besides the tiara, was a starter kit from Little Monkeys, that in all honesty sat untouched until last week when I was re-organizing my stamp space. I grabbed the cute box and got to work putting my unmounted stamps onto the 8 x 8 heavy laminated insert sheets. One side is laminated the other is not. Each insert sheet comes in its own plastic sleeve.

I decided to start with my unmounted rubber stamps. As a reference, I lightly attached (in case I should decide I want them on a different sheet) the pictures of the stamps to the paper side of the insert sheet.

With the starter system you also get a sample of cling sheets to mount your stamps on. Overall, this was my most favorite item in the prize pack.
This is the current home for my Little Monkeys storage system. You can see that I have room for at least 2 more boxes and I think that would almost store and organize all of my current clear stamps and unmounted rubber stamps.
In a nutshell, while I haven't tried a ton of other unmounted stamp storage systems, I am going to go with this one because it fits my mode of operation:) Sharing time for me today is over. I would love to hear if you have tried this system and what your thoughts are.

By the way...Susan, from Little Monkeys is looking for a design team. Get all the details here!

Thanks for stamping by!

Laura~

Friends

I have had this stamp (SU! A Little Bit of Happiness) for awhile and decided today was the day to use it. I used today's sketch challenge at SCS. I stamped the image on watercolor paper and used ink pads and a blender pen to color. I did stamp and extra dragonfly and cut out just his wings. I added a little bit of Crystal Effects to the wings and bodies of the butterflies. With my sewing machine so handy now, I think you are going to be seeing a lot of stitching on my cards. So I think that it. I am working on another post to share about Little Monkeys. See you in a little bit.

Thanks for stamping by!

Laura~

Baby Animal Train

Remember a couple of weeks ago when The Cat's Pajamas was having their big summer sale? One of the stamps I got was this little cutie, Animal Train. Today's Tuesday Challenge for the Cat's Pajamas was to use this stamp, whoohoo! I really appreciate almost being forced to ink a particular stamp, kwim? I also used Jen's SFYTT this week. I just stamped the image on vanilla cs with Brown StazOn and colored with my watercolor pencils and a blender pen. I was also able to use a few buttons from my stash. The paper was from my remnant bin (don't you like that phrasing?) A little distressing and paper piercing and all done (in reality I spent a couple of hours between making this card and a long distance phone call to a super special friend.

Up tomorrow, I am going to share a little product review of a fun product I received from the Paper Crafts Stamping Royalty contest prize pack (you know I have to mention that as often as I can:).

Thanks for stamping by!

Laura~

Give Thanks

Hi! This is for the Limited Supply Challenge...BawHaHa (I guess they didn't get my memo about the absurd amount of stuff I have. I shouldn't ever be allowed to play in that challenge (grinning). Well the challenge was to use a stamp that hasn't seen ink in a long time (never) and to use up some stuff you have been hoarding, how fortuitous (see previous post) and paper remnants. I think I almost hit the limit on the number of embellishments you can put on a card before someone turns you into the card police. I also used Beate's Weekend Sketch Challenge. I stamped the image with brown StazOn on cream cardstock and colored it with Copics. For this I really wish I had used my watercolors. I might try again later, but what you see is what you get for now. I colored some twill with a Really Rust SU! Marker.

So here it is....my brand spankin' new desk. Can I just tell you how much I LOVE it so far. I used it on the card today and it was so convenient. I had the trunks under the desk already so I just moved them underneath. They hold SU! stamps. The cubbies with the boxes are now holding a few clear stamps and Cuttlebug folders and dies. The boxes where a computer key pad would go are holding thread and other sewing machine things. I got the unfinished box with the lid at Michaels. I will finish it at some point:) But for now it's just wonderful! So what do you think?

Thanks so much for stamping by!

Laura~

Birthday Blast!

Hi! I rarely do boy birthday cards, but the The Cat's Pajamas Tuesday Challenge this week was to use blue and orange and I couldn't get this rocket out of my head and I have been going through my paper stash trying to clean it out and came across this DP from Paper Pizazz called Blue Atoms. I also used Jen's Sketch For You to Try, very loosely interpreted:) I stamped the rocket from It's a Mod, Mod World (TPC) onto watercolor paper and colored it with watercolor pencils and a blender pen. The sentiment is from Studio G. I made the notebook paper with the SU! spiral punch and added the lines with a ruler and markers. I used a Creative Memories grid mat to keep the lines straight. I am also a girl on a mission to organize my embellishments. The orange snaps were found at the bottom of a container that was embarrassingly a complete mess. You will be seeing lots of brads and eyelets and snaps used on my upcoming cards. Why, why, why do I keep purchasing embellishments when I have so much? I added a touch of Crystal Effects to the rocket ship.

So that's it, I am going back to organizing. Much to my husband's dismay, I got a new desk for my studio, which already has a wonderful built-in desk with cabinets and drawers that I have completely overrun with stamping stuff. I NEEDED the new desk for my sewing machine which was living on my fancy dining room table downstairs. So picture this...if I had the urge to sew on a card, I would run downstairs to use the sewing matching and then come back up to my studio to make adjustments and then run down again if it wasn't right. Not the ideal crafting situation...how we suffer for our art...bah haw haw! But the desk has spurred me to want a pristine crafting environment that I am completely sure will last for 2.75 days. Do you have your egg timer set? Wow, I am a kinda chatty today, I think I need some food...

Thanks for stamping by!

Laura~

Sweet Baby

I finally got to play the regular weekly sketch on SCS. I actually had a head start with the circle element on the card because I had made that for a magazine submission...it wasn't picked up:( So now you get to see it re-purposed. Last week I got a baby announcement in the mail and thought the picture would be perfect for the inside of the front card. The sweet baby girl is Lucy, a distant cousin. The stamps are from Inkadinkado (Baby Girl). I stamped the sentiment and background flowers with versamark and embossed with white ep. I stamped the butterfly onto decorative paper and embossed with clear ep and trimmed. I used some wire for the antennae. I added a little faux stitching to the circle to finish the front.

Thanks so much for stamping by today!

Laura~

Witchy Women

Hi there! I am back from California where my son played in his first traveling baseball team tournament, we got spanked. But the weather was gorgeous and I took my daughter horseback riding, so it was all good in the end. This is for week's MFT sketch challenge. I am just loving these witches. They are so fun to color and accessories (web and cauldron) are too stinkin' cute! I colored these with with watercolor pencils and a paint brush. I am going to be teaching at a local LSS and need some samples with something other than Copics. I stamped the web onto vellum and trimmed it for the element behind the image. Other than spending time coloring, this was a pretty straightforward card.

Thanks so much for you comments and orders for Paper Addiction. I am anxiously waiting for the first order. Just as soon as we get it in and get the bundles together we will get it up on the site, so stay tuned.

Thanks for stamping by!

Laura!

Lots to share....

Hi! I know that's it's been very quiet here, but I do have a lot to share today so buckle your seat belts and put your trays in an upright position.

While I was at CHA I got to meet one of my favorite card artists and fellow MFT sistahs, Michelle Giraud. I cannot even begin to tell you what a fabulous girl she is and how well we hit it off. We ended up sharing a room the last night of the trip and while going through all the catalogues we acquired, I told her that I would love to get involved with the retail side of the industry. She has had several business over the years including internet stores. We started talking about what kind of things we would like to see offered and for us it kept coming back to getting a good deal. I love getting and having all kinds of paper, but don't like paying retail. We thought it would be fun to have a sort of co-op store where we could feature companies that don't necessarily get a lot of exposure and share it with you, our fellow stampers and bloggers at a nice discount. Our mission is to place the minimum orders with these companies and sell what we get in stock and then move on to another company or set of products. We won't keep a steady stock of lines, just featured product and when it's gone it's gone. Our store is called Paper Addiction and for the next few weeks we will be clearing out some BasicGrey paper and Green Grass Rubber Stamps. I would love to get your feedback about the site and our idea! I absolutely cannot wait to share the next fun line with you!

Okay here is some more news. I am now designing for American Art Stamps, woohoo. I just love the whimsical style of the lines. These angels by Adriana Cirstea are so beautiful, they remind me of the Willow Tree figurines. Michelle issued a challenge a couple of days ago to stamp on dp, I really love the look of this. I stamped on BasicGrey Scarlet Letter and colored just a little around the edges with watercolor pencils and a blender pen. I did wash over that with pearlescent watercolors for a little sheen.



One more thing (I am being a total enabler today:) Kim from MFT is on vacation this week and is having a 25% off sale on the original MFT stamps and a shipping discount!

So tell me what you think. Thanks for stamping by!
Laura~

Spooky Greetings

Hello! My daughter's room is done, whew! Maybe I'll snap a few pics later. Here's a sample of the set I didn't get to last week called Monster Squad:( I *heart* these little goblins. The striped DP is some Debbie Mumm that I have had forever and the polka dot is a tiny sample I picked up at CHA and can't remember who had it. I really have to take better notes next time. I used this weeks MFT Sketch Challenge for the layout. Please feel free to play along even if you don't have any MFT stamps yet:). I stamped the goblins on PTI white cs and colored them with Copics. I am really enjoying the way you can just keep layering colors. I have not yet perfected adding the brown for distessing, but I will let you know when I do and share that. I have not seen a tutorial for that on ilikemarkers. The big button is from Making Memories.

This week I am working on an order I got for Wedding Cards, 40 total. I should be able to stamp one or two cards, but we'll see. Have a wonderful week!

Thanks for stamping by!

Laura~

Surf Doggie

Hi! Just playing around with some of my new stuff from The Cat's Pajamas. They have a weekly sketch challenge that you can play along with. It actually happens every Tuesday, as you can see I am a few days behind. I went to work on Thursday for the company we own, and yesterday I had to take the kids for a well check at the doctors. Everything is just fine, thank goodness. This morning before yoga (Hi Justine!), I had a chance to play a little. After this post, I am helping my daughter get her room re-arranged. This could end up being a weekend long event:(

Yes, about the card! This is Poochie Frankie...he is so stickin' cute I can't stand it! I stamped him onto PTI white and colored him with Copics and cut him out. I added a little Crystal Effects to his shades to make him uber cool. The surfboard paper is from BasicGrey and the striped DP panel is from My Mind's Eye. I used some very dusty, almost rusty, decorative scissors for the cut along the bottom of that panel. For the strip of paper behind Frankie, I inked the edges and then used a stipple brush and pounced it onto the paper with Range Distress Ink for the mottled look.

Thanks for stamping by!

Laura~

What's the Story?

Okay, so I have one more peek to show you. It looks like this might be it for today. I was working on a few things for a Paper Crafts call and didn't get to the goblins. But you never know, maybe in the next couple of hours. So here is Flopsy in a cute sort of bookish setting. I stamped him onto a minty green DP (I can't find the paper, which I will address in a rant in a minute) I think it's the backside of a Tres Jolie paper. I added a little extra color with a blender pen and Close to Cocoa. I also brushed him with some of those uber cool iridescent watercolors from MFT. I also used them to give a lovely sheen to the bookplate. The decorative background library journaling card is a stamp that I HAD to have over a year ago and just now used it. I guess I should be happy to have it when I needed it:) I really like the soft colors on this card and the layout. Tell me what you think (only if you like it:).

On to my rant...my studio is an absolute mess. It was so bad yesterday that I had to stop what I was doing because I literally lost 3 things I needed to finish the project. I have tried and tried to find an organized system that doesn't make my feel stifled, ykwim? I absolutely could not sleep last night, so I got up at 3a to try and get a handle on the situation. I made quite a bit of progress, but know it will get outta control again someday. Whew, I am so glad I got that out into the universe. Now I need a nap....

Thanks for stamping by!

Laura~

Totally Withchin'

Helllooooo! I know you all have been sitting by your computers anxiously awaiting a post from me with a little peek at one of the new MFT sets. Your wait is over my stamping friends. This is a peek at a set called Totally Witchin' featuring Who's That Girl?. The image is stamped on PTI white cardstock with Pallette Black Ink (I just got this ink in and LOVE it). I colored the image with Copic markers. For the fund circles behind the image I used 2 circles from nestabilities and cut the circle just of center for the inside cut, kinda funky! I picked up the fiber samples from a booth at CHA (I can't remember which one, sorry:( The DP is from Scenic Route. The sketch is from this week's MFT Challenge.

And because I love you guys (ie, I had to do another sample for the MFT newsletter) here is a sample with another set called Monster Squad. This is from a new MFT artist, Stephanie Fizer. I love this house. I stamped it onto BasicGrey paper and embossed with black ep and the did a little coloring right on the dp with Copic markers. This is one advantage of Copic markers, you can color right onto most papers without tearing or pilling the paper. This set has adorable trick-or-treaters with it. Hopefully I will have something with those images in the next day or two. Here's all the details for this week's release....

My Favorite Things (www.mftstamps.com) is having a New Release Cocktail Party on Wednesday, August 6 from 9-11 p.m. Eastern time. This month there are FIVE new sets being released and some great new ribbon added to the store. *The Girl Who Wants It All special for the The Aug Collection, which is one of each set being released, is $65. Head over to the MFT forum on www.splitcoaststampers.com to find out all the details and to find out how YOU can be the next MFT Guest Designer. We hope to see you there on Wednesday night.

Thanks so much for stamping by!

Laura~