Stars and Stripes Stella

Holidays tend to be pretty laid back around here, so I had time to play with another challenge. This time I decided to dig into the stash to play along with the girls over at Totally Stampalicious. Their challenge this week is to make a card with stars and stripes in honor of July 4th. Red, White, and Blue was completely optional, but I used plenty of those colors and lots of glitter, too. Breast Cancer Stella's sign was the perfect place to add a small message from a little dollar set I've had around for ages. Had red and blue sparkly papers, but had to make my own white....well, I hadn't found the stuff I had in the stash when I decided I had to make my own sparkly white. The blue striped glitter paper had its own adhesive, which made it super easy to make a striped background for my card. Thanks for the great challenge, ladies. I've missed playing along with ya'll on Mondays!

Masculine Monday

The Totally Stampalicious challenge this week is to make a masculine card. Like most of the DT, I used Mr. Fix It to make my card. I love this image and all the cute sayings that come with him. I dug into the scrap pile and neglected supplies to make this one. I completely forgot that I had these screw head brads! The paper has the texture of crackled paint and was purchased from a local store's clearance bin about 8 years ago.

New Release Blog Hop

Welcome to Next Stop of the January Release Blog Hop!!
As usual we will be releasing THREE NEW SETS from the Totally Stampalicious Bugaboo Line
which are AVAILABLE NOW at TOTALLY STAMPALICIOUS!
We are also VERY excited to announce the beginning of a Brand New Promotion today!
Totally Stampalicious is pleased to introduce Stampalicious Scarlette!

Isn't she FABULOUS?!!! We had the incredible Jodie Mackrell, Owner/Artist of Bugaboo Digi Stamps, draw her up SPECIAL for us!
She knows just what to say and is oh-so fashionable with her Rolling Cart and markers in hand!
And the BEST part is you can have her for FREE with any purchase over $50!
Stampalicious Scarlette is NOT for sale!
She is only available at Totally Stampalicious through this special promotion! Now for some more peeks at the  rest of the awesome new images.

I hope you enjoy our FIRST Blog Hop of 2011 and be sure to comment on all of the DT's AWESOME CREATIONS to increase your chances of winning one of these AMAZING PRIZES!!
1st Prize - All FOUR New Stamp Sets Including Stampalicious Scarlette
2nd Prize - $15 Gift Certificate
3rd Prize - $10 Gift Certificate

Now it's time to HOP on over to Monique's Blog to see what FABULOUSNESS she's come up with!

Here's the entire Blog Hop list just in case there are any malfunctions along the way!
Totally Stampalicious
Stacy - Twinshappy
Vicki - Summerthyme Studio
Joanne - The Inky Ocean Gazer
Joycelyn - Stamps 'n' Coffee
Patricia - Stamping with Kokirose
Rebeccah- Stampin' FOr Fun
Laurie - On the Bright Side
Lynnor - Just Add Glitter (that's me!)
Monique - For the Love of Paper
Cindy - Cindy Haffner's Corner
Sue - Coffeestamper's SCS Gallery
and our January Guest Designer
Irene - DandI93's SCS Gallery

Bring on the Cupcakes!!!

It's a cupcake challenge over at Totally Stampalicious this week!! I used one of their first sets Old Brawd to make my card for this challenge and she is looking awesome in purple!! It's the first challenge of the New Year and you never know what Becky and Joycelyn are going to be giving away. We also have a new guest designer on the DT, so head over to the TS blog and check out all the eye candy and upload your own cupcake creation....after all, one can never have too many cupcakes!!

Recycle It!!

I hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas with friends and family. I know we did...got to see all the kids over the two days and most of the grands, too! It warmed up nicely for Christmas day, but got really cold again that night and never warmed up yesterday....freezing again today. I hear that there were reports of snow all around us, though I never saw any of that nasty white stuff, and very glad I didn't!!
It seems like everyone gets in the mood to start over and get things cleaned out with the approaching new year, so Totally Stampalicious has a very appropriate challenge for this week, and they even started things up a little early. This week's challenge is to grab something headed for the trash, or maybe even out of the trash, to make your project. I had some ribbon spools that I had thrown away that were in three parts...a small plastic bobbin, a foam ring, and two cardboard disks. I grabbed the first two parts back pretty quickly thinking there must be a use for them in the crafting world. Before those cardboard disks hit the big can, I pulled them back, too. No wonder my room is always such a mess!!

I used the plastic bobbins and foam rings to make Christmas tree ornaments for the grands.  I used the Angel Bear set and colored them with Copics. I used punches and Nesties for the various layers. Added a bunch of sparkle with tiny gems or pearls and Stickles. Found the little charms in a box of Christmas embellishments that I buy and rarely use, so they are almost recycled, too!!

Just Fake It!!

Woo hoo!!! I'm officially on Christmas vacation!! Lovin' it and hope to get lots accomplished during my break. To kick things off, I made this card for the challenge over at Totally Stampalicious this week. The challenge is to use a some kind of faux technique and I used one of the many versions of faux wood to make a background for Gus and his pick up truck. This technique is done by simply dragging a color or two of distress ink pads directly over a piece of card stock. Then I used a ruler to draw in lines with a marker and add "nails" to finish it off.

Make it clean

Clean and simple...a tough concept for me and in my world, this IS clean and simple. It looks like it has lots of layers, but it's actually no more than four layers at it's deepest point. I used papers by Bo Bunny to make it appear to have more depth. The green scallop and border around the image layer are part of the paper's design. The only embellishment added is the single bling in the center of the flower. I used Attitude Ruby colored with Copics for my focal image. I made this for the challenge at Totally Stampalicious this week...make it clean! You should definitely head over to see what Becky and Joycelyn are offering up this week for a prize...they've been going a little crazy lately with great prizes, so it's definitely worth checking out!!

Wrap It Up!

Christmas is getting close and it's just about time to get things wrapped up! That's the challenge for this week over at Totally Stampalicious...the make come kind of packaging or topper. I used a tutorial I had in my stash from a technique challenge that was done several years ago on SCS by Lynn Mercurio. My project is a double gift card holder and I used Santa Called Stella and colored her with Copic markers.

The folder opens up to reveal two pockets for holding gift cards. I am not sure, but I think this will go to my DIL. My son bought her an e-reader for Christmas, so I can get her a Barnes and Noble gift card to load some books onto it and also get her a gift card to one of her favorite clothing stores. I will add sentiments when I know exactly where I will use it.

This is a fun project that seems difficult the first time you do it, but once you have worked your way through it, it's not bad at all!
Thanks for stopping in today!!

Woo Hoo...Anything Goes!!

It's time for another challenge from Totally Stampalicious and Anything Goes!!! How's that for a simple challenge. And here's a direct quote from the TS blog....

Now we expect to have quite a few players for this one...

but we've NEVER had 100 players or more! Soooo, if we go OVER the 100 player mark, we're going to give away a PRIZE valued at OVER $30!

  Now, how's that for a deal???

  For this one, I pulled out one of the new sets in the Bugaboo line from Totally Stampalicious. I colored the image with Copic markers. I stamped her twice, once on white and once on the dsp. I fussy cut the white layer and placed her over the other to match the tiny details on her outline that I couldn't cut out. Added some tiny half-pearls for her earrings. 
The dsp is from BoBunny and is part of the incredible bargains I got at Priceless, the LSS, on Black Friday. That's the only place I went on Friday as I don't like crowds and lines well enough to do the whole shopping thing. I just hung out there all day and played with new toys among some of my favorite people! Trish had these awesome paper packs for $11.99. Each pack included 50 sheets of Bo Bunny papers, most of them double sided and some doilies with cute edges, two sheets of chipboard, two sheets of rub-ons, a shaped book kit, and a package of buttons or bling!!! I guess I did do some Christmas shopping because I bought several of them!! I used one of the doilies and coordinating papers to make this card. I cut the doily so it covered most of the card with a right angle in the corner.
The sentiment was added by using a scalloped oval punch on a scrap of card stock that was folded in half. I didn't insert the paper all the way into the punch, meaning I left the folded edge partially unpunched. That gave me a flap under which I could hide the second half of the sentiment.

I'm pretty happy with this. After I made it, Bonnie and I were running around the whole store coming up with ideas for using some of those other oddly shaped papers that we never knew what to do with! Great...something new to collect!!!

Something to warm you up!

I attempted something a little different for this week's challenge at Totally Stampalicious to make a card or project with the theme of a hot cuppa.... I used an older set from Totally Stampalicious, but one of my favorites...Coffee Brawd. I used the digi version to print the images on computer printer iron-on transfer sheets that I picked up at one of the craft stores. It really worked pretty well! The images transferred easily and colored up nicely with Copic markers. The only glitch I had was forgetting to reverse the sentiment image when I printed it. It was easy enough to trace over the outline with a black Copic and then color in the other side. Since the Copic color is visible on the reverse side anyway, it really didn't matter.

New Release Blog Hop

 
It's that time again!!!
Welcome to the FIFTH STOP of the November Release Blog Hop!! The hop begins at the Totally Stampalicious blog if you want to start from the beginning. There is a line-up posted below to make sure you don't miss any of the design team's creative talents. We have FOUR New Sets from the Bugaboo Line by the incredibly talented Jodie Mackerell, owner/artist of Bugaboo Digi Stamps!
All 4 Fabulous new stamps sets are available NOW at Totally Stampalicious!!

So are you ready to get HOPPIN'?
As always, we've got some great PRIZES to give away! Be sure to leave comments on all the Design Team's posts and maybe YOU could be a winner of one of these AWESOME PRIZES!!
1st Prize - All 4 New Stamp Sets
2nd Prize - $15 Gift Certificate
3rd, 4th and 5th Prizes - $5 Gift Certicate

Here's a peek at a creation using the new Old Truck Gus set. 

 

I decided that Old Gus wouldn't be driving around in a shiny old truck, so I added some rust spots to his ride. The image colored with Copic markers. I used a combination of images to create my background and sponged everything up to age it.

My second project for the hop is this card made with the Stella Cupcake set, only in this case she has a cup of coffee. There are actually two images with this sets and plenty of sassy sentiments to go with both of them. 

For this one I used some Bo Bunny papers to paper piece some coffee mugs from the Coffee Brawd set, a TS classic in my opinion!! The image is again colored with Copic markers. Can you see her glittery accents and the sparkly steam on the coffee cups?

Now it's time to HOP on over to Laurie's blog, On the Bright Side, and see what AMAZING creation she has come up with for us!

And here is the entire Blog Hop line-up just in case there are any hiccups along the way!!

Totally Stampalicious
Joanne Grzelak - The Inky Ocean Gazer
Cindy Haffner's Corner 
 Monique - For The Love of Paper 
 Lynnor - Just Add Glitter
  Laurie - On the Bright Side
 Becky - Stampin' For Fun
 Patricia - Stamping With Kokirose
  Joycelyn - Stamps 'n' Coffee
 Vicki - Summerthyme Studio
 Stacy - Twinshappy
Sue - Coffestamper (SCS Gallery)

Picking up the pieces...

Seems like that's what we've been doing around here for the past week. We woke up a week ago today to the tragic news of the loss of five neighborhood children in a horrible house fire. The children ranged in age from 6 to 15 and the oldest three went to the school where I teach. The oldest boy was in the classroom next to mine and had been with that teacher for three years, so it was especially hard on that teacher who is also one of my dearest friends. Yesterday, we attended the memorial service and cried yet again. The mother and father of these children lost all of their babies and I can't imagine how they will find the strength to go on. The family will need the support of many for a along time to come to survive this tragedy so if you find it in your heart to send some extra prayers to the Jordan family, I know it will be greatly appreciated!!
With things being such a mess here this past week, I am a little late getting my card posted for this week's challenge for Totally Stampalicious. The challenge this week was paper piecing and I just don't use this technique nearly enough! I used Shopping Cart Stella for my card and some new papers from Basic Gray. Had to fussy cut the layer around my Nestie label as the next size was just too large for my liking. The layout is from one of the sketches I spotted this week out there in blogland and I'm sorry to say I can't remember which one. But rest assured...the layout is scraplifted!! The ribbon is some new stuff that just hit the shelves at the LSS, Priceless Scrapbooks. It's from May Arts and has such a gorgeous shimmer to it and makes perfect bows!! Comes in like a kagillion fabo colors, too and I had to have every single one!!!
There is also going to be a new release this Thursday with a blog hop to celebrate. Join us at 9 pm Thursday for some fantastic eye candy from the design team and some fabulous prizes from Totally Stampalicous!!! The new release will feature four more new sets of Bugaboo images available in acrylic for the first time! These are some of the cutest sets yet, so be sure to stop back in for the blog hop!! See you there!!!

Monochromatic Blue Challenge

Wow!! I actually got a card done for this week's challenge at Totally Stampalicious and got it uploaded in the same week! This week's challenge is to make a monochromatic card in blues. I used Let It Snow Stella for my card from the Bugaboo line. The card stock is Pacific Point and Neehah super smooth white. DSP is from a Tim Holtz stack I picked up at Micheal's on the clearance rack. I used Copic markers to color the image and added some stickles and glittery flocking. I used a a sketch from I (heart) to Stamp for the layout.
There is some exciting things happening at Totally Stampalicious and you can get all the details on their blog but I will tell you that they are looking for guest designers and you could be one of them. For more information on how to apply for a guest designer position, just go to the TS blog and read up on the details. There is more excitement to come, too! We will be having a new release blog hop in the near future with some super cute new images for the Bugaboo line! Be sure to check back for more details!

Case a DT member....really late!

A couple of weeks ago, I made this card for the Monday challenge at Totally Stampalicous, but I never got it uploaded. Things got so crazy around here....couldn't believe it!! Anyway, the challenge was to case one of our DT members and I decided to case this card from Pat aka Kokirose. I used Bubble Bath Scarlette and Linen Closet papers from DCWV. 

Angel Bear

Where does the time go? I had this post hanging in cyberspace for over a week!!! I never even got my TS challenge card posted last week and now it's time for another one!! Things have been sooooo crazy here. Adult children moving, switching out major appliances, planning trips out of state, being voted Rookie Teacher of the Year at my school....sheesh!!! I hardly know which end is up. I am so far behind on my stamping commitments!! I'll go ahead and get this one posted and then maybe I'll get last week's challenge card posted later this week. I know there is no hope of getting one done for this week's challenge before the next one arrives! 
Here's another card made with one of the new sets of stamps from Totally Stampalicous featuring their Bugaboo line. I stamped the bear on kraft card stock and colored him with Copic markers and white Smooch paint. Yes, I finally bought another Momento ink pad, so I was able to color with my Copics again!! I've missed them!!
The papers are from Bo Bunny and are actually the scraps from the card I made a week ago that was inspired by the shirt of one of my students. The flower is made from punched card stock and shaped while wet. You can't see the shimmer that is one this flower. I sprayed it with pearl glimmer mist.

On Blitzen!

Another card using one of the newly released Totally Stampalicious images from their Bugaboo line. This time I used the second image from the Christmas JJ set. After I had almost completed coloring the image I realized that her dress is a reindeer costume, so my colors are exactly accurate for a reindeer....oops! Added lots of sparkle to go with the sparkle on these papers from SEI from last year's Christmas line. Still love 'em and have tons of them. The image is colored with Prismacolor pencils and Gamsol. The fibers are from the same SEI line.
Looks like it's going to be a great Sunday. Kyli is here and the weather is beautiful. On top of that, DH ordered BBQ ribs and chicken from one of the local kids' sports leagues, so I won't have to cook this evening! Yeah!!! Happy Sunday to all!!!

Naughty Stella

What a wonderful weekend this is shaping up to be!!! Got to play with the girls at Priceless last night, going to get that sweet little granddaughter in just a little bit, and I didn't bring home one piece of work that had to be done for school!! I can just relax and do what Lynnor wants to do for the first time since school started back!
Here is a card I made last night using some of my new toys and some stuff that has been in my stash for a really long time. The image is from the newly released stamp sets from Totally Stampalicious' Bugaboo line. This image is called Naughty Stella.....hehehehehe!! The other new stuff is the Nestabilities die I added to my collection last night. I punched all of the holes going around the border by hand, so they are not all perfectly aligned...but that's what makes it a handmade card...right?
I packed up all my papers from Christmas past and used some of them on this card. The pink snowflake paper has the prettiest shimmer to it and I love the big glittery snowflakes on the bg paper that is by Reminisce. Swapped a couple of Dollar Tree snowflakes I had picked up the other day for the pink double-sided ribbon and my card was done! Oh yeah....added stickles too to go with all the glitter on the snowflakes!
Well, off to get my sweet girl. I think we'll stop at the park and play a little before I bring her back to the house!! Another gorgeous day, so I think we should enjoy the fabulous weather before the cold stuff gets here!! Have a wonderful weekend!!!

New Release Blog Hop

Ho Ho Ho!!! Merry Christmas!!!

Welcome to the next stop of the Christmas in October Stampalicious Blog Hop!!

We've got PRESENTS GALORE to give away to some of our lucky Blog Hoppers so be sure to post comments all long the way for your chance to WIN!!!
Here's what you might find under the Stampalicious Tree:
3 - $5 Gift Certificates 1- $10 Gift Certificate 1 - Gift of ALL FOUR NEW SETS!

We're celebrating Christmas just a little early with the
FANTASTIC RELEASE of FOUR NEW STAMP SETS!!

Once again, you'll find us on the Humorous Side of the Holidays, so hang on to your funny bone and head on over to
Totally Stampalicious
to see the latest and greatest from the Bugaboo Line!

Don't forget, if you're interested in the Digi Images of these characters, you can find them all over at
Bugaboo Digi Stamps by Jodie Mackrell!



I've been having lots of fun with some of the new sets and have three samples to show you today.
The first one is a card I made using the JJ Holly image and one of my favorite layouts using punched squares and lots of sparkly details.

I colored my JJ image with Prismacolor pencils and Gamsol. The sparkly papers are by Reminisce.
My second card uses Naughty Stella. I love how cute Stella looks in Santa's sleigh and her sassy sentiments are so funny!

My last project is an ornament I made using Santa Called Stella and a die cut ornament from Close to My Heart. These new sets just have so many possibilities!

Now it's time to hop on over to Cindy's Blog. If you get lost along the way, you can always hop back to the Totally Stampalicous blog and get back on track.

Thankful Challenge

The challenge for the week at Totally Stampalicious is to make a project or card with the Thankful theme. Well, I have to admit that the theme is a stretch for this project, but it was the first thing that popped into my head, so I went with it. I immediately thought of this cute Shopping Cart Stella image from TS when I saw these 5 x 7 inch photo sleeves to go on the fridge. I thought it would make a great place to jot down those things you need to pick up from the store. While I hate grocery shopping, I am so thankful that my hubby and I have the means to purchase our own groceries and provide our own transportation to the places we need to go. So many people don't have these options.
The colors for my project were inspired by the shirt that was worn by one of my students on Friday. I just loved it and he was so tickled that I wanted to take a pic of it to use as a color guide for my stamping that night. I used BoBunny papers to match up the colors that you can see in my student's shirt below:

The blue-ish green in his shirt is a little brighter than those in the papers, but it works for me. Nestabilities and an EK Success punch provided the shapes for the project. The clear sleeve works perfectly with a dry erase marker that is kept handy with a couple of Velcro dots.

Witchin' Halloween Challenge

Totally Stampalicious is having a Halloween challenge this week and they have really gotten into the "spirit" of things. They are offering lots of great incentives for participation this week, so head over to check it out. The regular prize is bigger and there's a way to get the digi file for the Witch Brawd image I used for my card for free!!!
I used one of the sentiments, the witch, and the cauldron images for my card and colored them with pencils and Gamsol. The background was made by using a portion of a piece of scrapbook paper that I got back when I had first started stamping. It's been sitting in my Halloween collection for years!! I added some Stickles to some of the branches and some of the witch's clothing. I popped up the images with dimensionals and that's it for this spooky Halloween card.