Silver and Black Girl's Best Friend diamond card {Lil' Inker Designs}

It's Day 3 of the Lil' Inker Designs December Release! Hop with us and comment along the way, for a chance to win a $15 gift certificate each day! (If you're just starting here, head to the Lil' Inker Designs blog to start at the beginning!)

I used Pink Paislee's Luxe paper collection to create my backgrounds on this card. I die-cut the Girl's Best Friend Diamond Die from glittered cardstock and added a sentiment from the coordinating Girl's Best Friend stamp set.

Thanks so much for hopping with us this week. It's been fun!

Remember, each day of our three-day hop, there's a $15 gift certificate up for grabs! 

So, be sure to comment along the way. 

Next up on the hop is Lea Lawson!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

New products I used:

Make lemonade!

Summer weather is here, and my 2nd grader is only a 2nd grader for one more week. (Eek!)

I am excited to share the super-cute June stamp set, from The Stamps of Life, called lemonade2drink. 

On this first card, I used my favorite Sizzix dotted embossing folder to add some simple texture to the yellow background.  The sentiment is from the set, patterns4pops (another super fun summertime stamp set!)

On this second card, I created a lemonade glass shaped card.  I simply stamped the glass on a folded piece of cardstock, and trimmed around it, being sure to leave the top fold attached.  I also added dimensional glaze to the ice cubes, for a little added shimmer and shine!

All of the patterned paper for these cards is from Heidi Swapp's Serendipity, at Pink Paislee.

And because I am a pretty serious lemonade fan, here is my favorite lemonade recipe. (I also super-duper love Ted's Montana Grill, which makes this delightfully fab lemonade!)

Ted's Montana Grill Lemonade

(as featured on The Martha Stewart Show, October 2009)

Ingredients

• 2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 10 lemons)
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 1/2 cups cold water
• Crushed ice

Directions

1. Place sugar and 2 1/2 cups water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Remove sugar syrup from heat and let cool.
2. In a large pitcher, mix together cooled sugar syrup, cold water, and lemon juice until well combined. Serve over ice.

Yield

Makes 2 1/2 quarts

*I'll admit though, I totally don't dissolve the sugar on the stove when I make it.  I just throw it in to the cold water and lemon juice, and mix it up really well!!! (Don't tell Ted or Martha!)

HAPPY SUMMER!

:)

Surprises are fun!

So today's the day! I'm off to Utah!  It's going to be a long day of traveling, from Florida to Utah. . . 5 hours on an airplane, by myself (plus a little time in airports!)  I'm not quite sure what I'll do with all that time to MYSELF. No kiddos to clean up, entertain, chase, and keep safe and accounted for.  I have some books loaded on my ipad though, and I suppose somehow I'll make it through the long trip! :)

I'd like to share some fun little projects that I made for my sweet Go-to Gals.  It's funny how you can consider someone a FRIEND, even if you've never actually MET.  It will make the hugs and giggles even more special, to finally see them all in PERSON for a few days!

So for each of the girls, I covered a mini-composition book, using some gorgeous Teresa Collins paper.  I added their initial on each one.

these first two are for kim kesti, and betsy veldman 

for teri anderson, and kimberly crawford

and for heather campbell

I put each one in a cute bag from Whisker Graphics, and added a Teresa Collins tag.  I diecut the girls initials, and clipped it together with pinwheel clips made from a clothespin and a stamp from The Stamps of Life.

To create the pinwheel clips, I covered each with a small strip of patterned paper.  Then I stamped the pinwheels on cardstock and patterned papers. I paper pieced them together, and adhered to the clip with foam tape.  These clips are SO fun to make, and you can even add a magnet to the back for extra versatility. They are great for packages, for paper clips, or bookmarks. {Love making them!}

A lot of people are hunting for teacher-appreciation gifts right about now. . .this is a quick and sweet little project you could put together for a child's teacher too! 

I hope you like them! These were fun little gifts to make for my friends.  I waited until today to show them, because hopefully they are all enjoying their plane flights and not reading my blog! Come on back on the 1st, because I have NEW goodies from The Stamps of Life to share! (It's SO SO cute!)

See ya on the flipside!

xoxo

(project goodies: mini-composition books - Dollar Tree, patterned paper and diecuts - Teresa Collins, Memories, alpha rub-ons - Close To My Heart, aqua letters - Heidi Swapp (Pink Paislee) twine - The Twinery, letter diecuts - Lawn Fawn pinwheel stamp - The Stamps of Life, bags - Whisker Graphics)

PS be sure to check out this previous post, with a chance to win a non-crafty giveaway. Non crafty?! I know - what's THAT!?

it's a cherry on top!!!

I am excited to share some news today! I have started sharing articles and tutorials at a fabulous online retailer, A Cherry On Top. 

     "A Cherry on Top, founded in 1997, is among the leaders in the online scrapbooking community. ACOT has it all - a busy Community with a friendly Message Board and inspirational Gallery, Articles, Contests, Chats - and so much more! The online Shoppe at ACOT boasts a large selection of the latest scrapbooking, stamping and general craft products as well as a complete Digital Shoppe section."

     I've done some shopping at ACOT lately, (which I really and truly hardly EVER do) and they have TONS of product. I spent a few DAYS deciding what the heck to order! You can search by brand, color, theme, category - and be sure to check the promo code area for some great specials! :)

My first tutorial is up today, and I'd love it if you stop by and check it out!!! (Do some shopping while you're there too!)  I created a cute little composition book, and some fun coordinating bookmark clips.   I've started linking tutorials at the top of my blog too, so be sure to check there as time goes by, if you want to find something quickly!

Have a terrific day!

Thanks for stopping by!!!!

xoxo

I realized that I have a few Apron Strings cards that I never shared, from the August All Year Cheer Card kit.  Hello, where have I been!??? ;)  We'll just pretend that it isn't actually OCTOBER already.

Here are four of the cards I created.  This kit has Pink Paislee Hometown papers, which I LOVE LOVE LOVE.  There is also some Fancy Pants, and Cosmo Cricket papers in the kit.  Lots of bright colors, which I LOVE!!!! :)

Apron Strings kits are always PACKED with goodies.  There is always enough paper and cardstock to make at LEAST 8 cards.  Usually more!!!! I create, create, and CREATE, and still have supplies left over! Even if I didn't design for them, I would still recommend them to you!!! :)

My littlest man has tipped over all of the chairs at the dinner table, and is now attempting to drag them across the room.  I think I better stop this before things get ugly!!! :) Have a terrific day! 

xoxo

summer fun!

Last week's CPS sketch was sponsored by Lawn Fawn stamps.  I had SUCH a hard time choosing which stamp set I wanted to play with, because really, let's be honest - I wanted to play with them ALL!!!! I don't have much of a summer collection of stamps though, so I chose Swimsuit Season - and I'm glad I did! It coordinates really well with my new Pink Paislee Hometown Summer patterned paper, plus I already had a card picked up for publication using the stamps!! (Watch for it, plus eight - SQUEEEAL! of my other cards - in Paper Crafts A Card A Day book, which will be out in November!)
I'm still PINCHING myself over the email from Paper Crafts, requesting my cards.  I have never had so many cards picked up at one time - granted, I submitted quite a few - but I was completely blown away! Haven't been able to wipe the smile off my face, every time I think about it!!!! :)  If you are submitting your work, and crossing your fingers - keep working hard!!! I've been submitting cards since early in 2007.  I had my first card published in the November 2007 issue of CARDS.  It takes time and persistence - but you can do it!  Don't give up!

keep cool!

Oh how I have wanted some Lawn Fawn stamps for SO long!

The images are SO stinkin' cute, and the lines are thick enough to be PERFECTLY PERFECT for paper-piecing!

This is just a quick little card I made, playing with the Swimsuit Season stamp set.  I paper-pieced it in some OH-SO-CUTE Pink Paislee paper, and used a matching Border Sticker, from the Hometown Summer collection. My mama got me a whole bunch of goodies from this collection for my birthday, and they are ADORABLE.  I also used some twine from The Twinery, and my favorite color of cardstock, Frosted Teal Prismatic, from Discount Cardstock.  (I've been making Frosted Teal cards in crazy amounts lately! I can't stop with the teal!)

On Wednesday we are LEAVING for Disney World!!!! Mr. B doesn't know.  We are attempting to surprise him!!  Eric and I went to Disney World on our honeymoon 10 years ago, and although we've been back a zillion times (we lived in Kissimmee for a few years) it's been quite a few years since we've been there - and Tanner has NEVER been.  So it's quite momentous, and it will be a great way to celebrate our anniversary!  We are just a bit giddy about it!!!! :) I'll try to schedule a few blog posts while I'm away, but in case I don't get it together, SEE YOU NEXT WEEK!!!

xoxo