Follow Your Bliss…

So, remember THIS POST I shared with you back in April? I have been not-so-patiently waiting for June to arrive, to get info on when m’ Lady Godiva would be built. I’ve been calling MINI customer service weekly, getting updates.

A couple weeks ago I called them, and they mentioned that it appeared production was getting moved up. They said it looked like my car would be built the week of 5/27. (this week!). Well, imagine my surprise when I called last week, and they happily informed me that my baby was born on 5/20!!! WAHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is *three weeks* earlier than originally scheduled!

So, she will be finished today, 5/28, and then I will be able to track her coming across “the pond”. They say it takes 2-3 weeks for the trip, which means I will have her by the end of June…in time for my birthday July 2nd!!!

Honestly, I can barely contain my excitement. It’s surreal to me that I am actually getting my dream car, and will be driving her within a month! Every time I think about it, I start bouncing and giggling like a kid at Christmas!

Thanks for sharing in my excitement with me! Some of you have asked about the progress, so I thought I’d post it for everyone. Thanks for stopping by!!

Hello there! I hope you are all enjoying your weekend. We’ve had some gorgeous days here in Asheville, that is for SURE!

I received some new Lockhart stamps awhile ago, one of which was this beautiful quilt block image. I knew when I saw it, I wanted to make a patchwork design, using one of my very favorite paper packs: Cosmo Cricket’s Honey Pie.

Each square is 1 1/4″ I used temporary adhesive to position them on Prism pink cardstock, then machine stitched it using pink thread. It’s mounted on Prism sunflowers light cardstock, and then stitched again all around the edge. All of this was then mounted to a vanilla cardbase.

I used the Verve Visual sentiment with the word window punch, and a tiny snip of pink gingham, adhered with a mini glue dot.

The quilt was stamped on Neenah solar crest cardstock, and colored with the following Copic markers: BG93, YR21, YR14, RV11, RV34, R46, colorless blender. Some SU! pink buttons and embroidery thread were added with mini glue dots. Quilt is on dimensionals.

Have a great day! Thanks for visiting!

Happy Friday!!!! And YAYYYYYYY it’s a long weekend!!! ME LIKEY long weekends! LOL!

I have a supercool favorite to share with you today. I went shopping at my LSS a couple weeks ago, and came across this template from Hot Off the Press. (<—click to see the templates available) I instantly grabbed it and put it in my basket! Here’s what it looks like:

There was a sample created using the lattice across the top fold, and it took my breath away. How could something so easy look so fabulous? And for only $4.99? What a bargain! These templates come in many different varieties, from mini envelopes, to paper bows, slide mounts, tabs, faux stitching, and more! They are made of the same plastic material that the SU! templates are made from. I also really like that they have a grid on them, that helps get proper alignment. Here’s the card I created with it:

Cheers to You!

I just *love* the way that top fold looks! You’ll be seeing me use these templates often! Here’s a closeup of the shiny cherries:

Supplies:

Stamps: Cheers to You sentiment (SU! SAB set), cherries (Lockhart)

Paper: blush red dark (Prism), solar crest white(Neenah), boxer (Basic Grey)

Ink: Adirondack pitch black (Ranger)

Copic markers: R46, R59, B34, T1, T3, T5, YG63, YG67, G99, 100 (black)

Spellbinders square Nestability die.

May Arts ribbon, silver brads. HOTP lattice template, Ranger glossy accents (on the cherries), dimensionals.

FYI, Lindsey is having a sale this weekend in her store beginning today, through Tuesday!! 15% off everything! Use code JBE15 at checkout!

Wishing all of my US friends an amazing Memorial Day weekend!!

Hi All! I don’t have time this morning to do my full write-up, but I will do it tonight. In the meantime, here’s a card for you using the Lockhart baby bib, and Itty Bitty cupcake! Also, Basic Grey Cupcake paper.

I colored with my Copic markers in the following colors: B21, R46, Y21, Y17, E34, E57. The bib is paper pieced with some of that Basic Grey paper, and the cupcake is up on dimensionals. I added Stickles to some of the treats on the patterned paper, and trimmed it with some decorative scissors. The sentiment is from Lizzie Anne Designs. The blue bling is by Darice, and I got them over a year ago from Michaels in the $1 bin. Card base is Prism nautical blue light.

Here’s a closeup of the airbrushed Spellbinders tag for you :

Have a great day!!!

Happy Monday!

While working with my Lockhart stamps this weekend, I had this idea for the Bride & Groom. I wanted something simple, clean, and elegant. I hope I pulled it off?

I embossed the bride & groom with detail silver EP on vellum cardstock, and cut it with my square scalloped Nestability die. Using the basic square die, I cut white cardstock, ran it through my Xyron, and layered it behind to make them “pop”. I machine stitched around the edge, and added some white pearls in each corner.

To add a bit more detail, I embossed the Lockhart Millinery ribbon vine in detail white EP across the bottom of the SU! brushed silver cardstock. I tied some lovely pleated May Arts ribbon across the card, and added a white making memories metal tag with a jump ring and some silver cord. (I punched a hole in the tag with my Cropadile.) I adhered the silver panel to a white cardbase, then added the scalloped panel on foam dimensional tape.

Wishing you all a lovely week ahead!

Hello!

I have a fun, quick and easy project for you today, using Ellen’s Stamps of the Month: Lockhart’s Itty Bitty Hamburger and Hot Dog! Are you planning a picnic for Memorial Day? or a Graduation? or Father’s Day? Well how about making some personalized napkin rings!

These were SO easy to make! I just stamped the images on Neenah solar crest white, colored with my Copic markers, cut and embossed with my circle Nestabilty die, and matted with a Prism blush red medium Nestability scalloped circle. I personalized them with Karen Foster snap stamps.

For the band, I used my CHF gingham backgrounder stamped in Adirondack red pepper ink. The bands are 1 1/2″ wide, and 5 1/2″ long. I adhered the ends together with Mono Multi glue, then adhered the scalloped circle with a large pop-up glue dot.

So there you go, something fun to make for your next cookout! I hope you’ll try them.

Thanks for visiting!

This Itty Bitty Escargot is quite the busy fella! He’s had some rest from that cupcake delivery, and now it’s time to find a new home! I’d have to agree with his choice. I prefer the aqua, too.

I just love this Cosmo Cricket Get Happy paper pack. The colors are so bright and, well, HAPPY!

I stamped Mr. Escargot 4 times, colored, and cut them out. It’s was hard cutting off the head on 3 of them, but I had a plan! LOL! Copic colors used were: R46, R59, BG05, BG09, YR21, YR14, YG03, YG17, B97, B99, W2 for the ground. I stamped him a 5th time on the focal panel, then layered the fully colored aqua one on top with dimensional foam tape. I prefer using this method when there’s tiny details (the antennae) that I don’t want to cut. I drew in the ground, and piled up the shells, putting the red one on dimensional tape. Cardbase is Prism Classic Blue, and matting for the focal image is Prism blush red dark.

The sentiment is from the SU! set-Loads of Love accessories, I think? Some May Arts velvet rick rack, and celery gingham complete this design.

Hope you all have a great Saturday! It’s so pretty here today!

Happy Friday! Sorry for my lack of posting the past few days. I’ve been fighting a nasty sore throat/flu type thing, very tired, etc. I’m feeling some better today, but have some congestion now. I rarely get sick, so I can’t complain!

When working with Rubber Soul and Wordsworth images, I tend to keep it simple. It’s been a little while since I’ve made single layer cards, and thought these two images would work nicely. This first card, using Big Pine (801-N), is for my landscaper. He did such a great job, and I wanted to thank him.

I began with a Fabriano Medioevalis note card, stamping the tree in the center of the card with Adirondack pitch black ink. I cut a reverse mask with my oval Nestability die, placed it over my tree, and airbrushed the sky and ground with Copic markers B21 and YG63. I colored the tree with E27, E47, YG63, YG67. To give it a rustic look, I sponged Ranger Distress ink in antique linen and vintage photo all around the cardfront. A small “thanks” sentiment (V-024), and some linen thread complete this masculine design.

This second card uses the same reverse mask/airbrush technique as the tree card. I used Copic B00 for the sky on this card, and colored the Love Birds (M081)with B21, B23, YR14, R02, and shading with W3. Sentiment is from the Heart Sing (7008-v) set. The birds and heart are covered in Stickles, and a bit of May Arts ribbon tied across the top.

Thanks for stopping by today, and I hope you have a great weekend!

Seattle Copic Certification is now set and open for applications!

WHEN: Wed. June 18th from 9 am to 3:30 pm
WHERE: Red Lion Hotel at Seattle Airport
COST: $85
Light snacks are provided throughout the day.

The Copic Certification sessions are open to any store owners, teachers, or designers in papercrafting, stamping, and scrapbooking. The class is limited to 30 attendees. If we get more than 20 people registered we will open a second session on Thursday June 19.

If you are not yet on the mailing list, please e-mail Marianne at office1@copicmarker.com to get an application. Completed applications will be accepted starting Monday, May 19 and will be processed on a first-come basis. Please let Marianne know which day you would like to attend (June 18th or 19th). Also let her know if you will need a hotel room- she is negotiating for better rates.

Future certification dates include:
Milwaukee, WI July 15
Chicago, IL session 1 July 16
Chicago IL, session 2 July 17
Kansas City, Oct. 9th

I’d like to wish all of you a very Happy Mother’s Day! I just got home from brunch at the Biltmore Estate. It was delicious.

I created this card for my Mom, using the Lizzie Anne set, “In the Meadow”. It’s paired with some Basic Grey Sugared patterned paper, and features the “poppin’ pastels” technique.

I love the vintage feel of these two patterns, and used that as my inspiration for the card. I used several colors of SU! pastels for the flower: pretty in pink, regal rose, caramel, moss, olive. It’s also heavily sponged with Ranger Distress ink in antique linen, and vintage photo. Cardbase is one of my new favorite colors, Prism frosted azalea.

I didn’t have a button that perfectly matched, so I airbrushed a celery colored button with my YG95 Copic marker. Yet another fabulous use for that awesome tool! I stamped “mom” on a piece of scrap, then covered it with a page pebble, and trimmed. This word is from Lizzie’s “Just Words 2″ set. The sentiment is also from Lizzie Anne: “Au Naturale”.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom!