Lava Love

And the mission continues! I have been trying to use all of the images in this stamp set to make a pile of Love themed cards. This one is not really masculine, but it could work :)

This color challenge from Nacho Average Challenges was a bit difficult for me. I don't use black very often.

Sketch Frenzy Friday helped with this sketch.

Do you like the chalk board technique on this card? It turned out close to what I was hoping for. I contemplated using my Undefined kit to make a larger version of the lava lamp hearts, but thought I would not use it again. So I pulled out one the newest photopolymer sets, Countless Sayings II.

• Stamps: Crazy, Mixed up Love, Countless Sayings II
• Ink: Blushing Bride, Basic Black, Whisper White
• Paper: Very Vanilla, Blushing Bride, Basic Black
• Other: Big Shot with Decorative Dots embossing folder and Ovals framelits, Embossing Buddy, Heat Tool, White embossing powder, Signo white gel pen, Occasions Paper Piercing Pack, Paper Piercer and Mat, White Baker's Twine, dimensionals

 And a little peek inside. I did cut the phrases off of each of the stamps for more versatility. I do that a lot :)

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Light Me Up

Ok, here is card #2 in my mission to make a pile of masculine Love cards. I am running out of time for Valentine's Day, but I still will work on the pile :)

Freshly Made Sketches helped me out with this fab-o sketch :)

I used my markers to ink up the light bulbs, then punched them out. And the Decorative Dots embossing folder just seemed to be a natural choice. Don't miss your chance to get this folder for free during Sale-A-Bration!

And one more light bulb on the inside. How is your Valentines stash coming along?

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Paper Crafters Sampler: Starburst Melange

Here is what Melanie, the brains behind the Paper Crafters Sampler, has to say about this month's issue!

"There are just a few more weeks of winter.  How about a few rays of faux sun beams to get you thinking of the warmer weather ahead?

Our February issue, Starburst Mélange, contains projects with beams radiating from a central point, similar to the sun.  The design team found this theme to be especially challenging, and yet each has come through with such varying designs.  Their projects will open your eyes to the possibilities of designing with starburst."

I do have to add a disclaimer here, spring is most definitely further away for me, lol! I am sure that we will have snow on the ground still in April, and if it is anything like last year, May isn't looking so good either! But we in the frozen tundra of Northern Minnesota take our rays of sun where and when we can find them :) And there are plenty in this issue!

Here is a little sneak peek of my creation for this edition of the Paper Crafters Sampler. Check out the Paper Crafters Sampler website for details on how to get your own copy of the tutorials for all of the projects in this month's issue, or any of the past issues!

Pucker Up!

Valentine's Day is coming up so fast, and I really don't want to make a last minute card for my guys, so I am on a mission. Well actually a two fold mission. I need several masculine cards, and I want to use the Crazy, Mixed Up Love set for all of them! It is such a cute set, and I had not used it at all yet.

Retro Sketches has this awesome sketch going this week and I could not wait to use it!

Who knew the lemon image punches out beautifully with the Wide Oval punch?! LOVE that! Citrus-y colors were a must for this card, and it sure doesn't hurt that they keep this looking pretty masculine :)

• Stamps: Crazy, Mixed up Love, Hardwood BG
• Ink: Whisper White, Crushed Curry
• Paper: Whisper White, Pear Pizzazz, Crushed Curry Core'dinations
• Other: Big Shot with Arrows embossing folder, Wide Oval punch, Sanding Block, Crushed Curry Chevron ribbon, Regals Candy Dots, Signo white gel pen, dimensionals

 I inked up the Hardwood BG with my markers so I had alternating colored planks along one side on the inside. What do you think?

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Stamp Review Crew: Hello, Lovely Edition

Well, hello lovelies! It is so good to see you all back for another Stamp Review Crew blog hop! We have a pile of new ideas for ways to use this "lovely" set :)

If you are following along from the beginning of the hop, you just came from Adriana's blog. Isn't she amazing?! And don't worry, if you get lost along the way, just pop over to the Stamp Review home page and you will find the full blog roll there :)

I had all kinds of plans to make a bunch of projects with this set. I was laying in bed and had visions of beautiful cards and was so sure that I would remember them all when I got up. But I am starting to wonder if they were just delusions when I was sick this week and sleeping instead of working on my stamping homework, lol! So, instead, this is the project I came up with after a 12 hour night shift at my real job in the ER :)

Banners are still so popular right now. I know I love them! And the ampersands look so good with that little geometric arrow. I was aiming for a card that would work for a guy or a gal, and I think I succeeded! I hope I still like this card later as I do right now, I am a little sleep deprived right at the moment, lol!
I have to confess, I am in love with the Decorative Dots embossing folder from Sale-A-Bration this year! I can tell that I will be using it a ton :)

I added a little somethin-somethin and the inside too. Must not neglect the inside! That's all I have for you this time.

Now, it is time to go see what Jill has come up with! I am sure she will wow you!

Stampin' Addicts SAB Blog Hop: Petal Parade

The best time of the year Stampin' Up! year has arrived again! Two whole months of extra free stuff that is only available during the annual Sale-A-Bration promotion. And since we want you to have lots of great ideas for all the new goodies, here we are again with a blog hop featuring the free stuff you can earn with your purchases Jan 28-Mar 31, 2014. If you get lost, or just want to chat about the awesome hop and SAB freebies, check out this thread at Stampin' Addicts.

I have the luck and the honor to be the fist stop on this hop, but if you started somewhere in the middle, you probably arrived here from Holly Krautkremer's blog where she is featuring Petal Parade also! LOVE her work!

I am featuring Petal Parade this time, and I have to say that I got a lot more use out of it than I initially thought I would.

This first card is one I made for a swap, and I was going for a monotone with a splash of gold look. Crisp Cantaloupe and Calypso Coral go together beautifully here, don't you think?

On this card, I was playing around on some scraps of paper, and ended up really liking the way it turned out. The colors are Primrose Petals, Coastal Cabana, Pear Pizzazz, and Crushed Curry. I used Core'dinations for the embossed panel and rubbed my Gold Encore pad over the distressed embossing to give it a bit of "tarnish".

How about using the Secret Garden framelits with this set? I did use the Secret Garden stamp for the Crushed Curry die cut flower, but the layer over that is the large round flower wet embossed with Pool Party embossing powder, then the center is colored with a blender pen, then it is cut out with one of the Secret Garden framelits. I love how the tine banners have the sentiment stamped on them. Those are from the newest photopolymer stamps sets: Countless Sayings I & II.

No, those little banners are not punched with the new punch, but they sure could be! And the Decorative Dots embossing folder is another goodie from SAB. This is my favorite of these four cards, I love the colors!

That's all from me folks! Time to go check out what Heidi Baks has whipped up for us. She always has fabulous projects and I can't wait to see what she has come up with :)