Just Give Me Stamps...

June Paper Smooches DT blog hop!

This is my third post for today, if you can believe that!  Make sure to scroll down to see all that I've been up to!  :-)

It's Pep Rally week and we are here today to share a sampling of the newest Paper Smooches July stamp release! Three NEW clear stamp sets will be available to purchase at 12:01am (mountain time) on Friday, July 1st.

To add extra fun to our blog hop...we are offering up a prize!  Just leave a comment on any of the five design team blogs listed below for your chance to win one of the three new July stamp sets!  (you do not need to comment on all blogs to qualify)  You have until midnight MT on Friday, July 1st to leave a comment.  Please check all five blogs on Saturday, July 2nd to see if you are one of the five lucky winners.

• Heather Pulvirenti
• Heidi Van Laar
• Kryssi Ng
• Laurie Schmidlin
• Teri Anderson

 

Oooooh, just you WAIT until you see the new sets Kim has cooked up for July!  Eeeek!  I LOVE them!!  Especially the set I used for my card today - Sugar Rush!  I was hooked on the name alone!  Teeheee!

I had so much fun making this card!  Those smiling Popsicles just melt my heart!  :-)  I plan on slipping this card into my daughter's suitcase for her to open while she's at summer camp!  She's helping out for several weeks this summer and man, am I ever going to miss her!

Well, that's all from me today!  I hope your day is filled with smiles!  ~Laurie

 

Laced With Grace Gift Set...

This is my second post for today, so make sure to scroll down to see everything I've been up to!  :-)

Hi there!  As June comes to an end, I thought I would share a few more flower filled cards all wrapped up in a custom box!

I not only love to make cards, but I love to give card sets as gifts!  In fact, it's one of the most requested item from friends and family!

I created a little box to hold several mini cards using several goodies from the Laced with Grace collection!  The front of the box is decorated with a Laced with Grace Cardstock Sticker, buttons, trim, and a matching flower.

Each of the cards are 4" square and come with an envelope.  For embellishments on this card, I added a Cardstock Sticker and Glitzer (all from the Laced with Grace collection).

For this card, I started by stamping the background (with the Laced with Grace Clear Stamps).  I then topped it off with a Glitzer and a sentiment!

For this card, I wanted to the beautiful rose frame stamp (from the Laced with Grace Clear Stamps).  Because I was going for a softer look, I thought a chalked look would work nicely.  After stamping the image with Versamark ink, I added some color using my chalks and some cotton swabs.

For this last card, I added a background layer using some of the Laced with Grace Paper Layers!  A stamped sentiment surrounded by a decorative Glitzer completes it.

Here's a photo of the gift box, cards, and envelopes all together.  I just love how all of the items from the Glitz collections work so well together!  It sure helped me to whip up this gift in no time flat!

I'm so glad you joined me today!  I hope your day is filled with creativity!  ~Laurie

 

Supplies
Glitz Design Laced with Grace Papers: Stripe, Floral, Polka
Glitz Design Laced with Grace Paper Layers
Glitz Design Laced with Grace Cardstock Stickers: Journaling, Titles
Glitz Design Laced with Grace Glitzers
Glitz Design Laced with Grace Clear Stamps

Waltzingmouse July New Stamp Preivews Day 3...

It's day 3 of the Waltzingmouse July new stamp previews!  Only one more day to wait until all eight new sets are released!  :-)

Today, the Design Team is sharing samples created with Eat Cake, You're Lovely, & Flourishes - Scallops and Dots!

^{(Click on Photo for a Larger View)}

 For my card, I used the new You're Lovely set.  I'm pretty sure my heart actually skipped a beat when I saw this beautiful set!  There are so many different accessories included with this set that you can use to decorate the dresses with!  It's like playing dress up...but with stamps!!  Teeheee! 

There is plenty more Waltzingmouse inspiration to see!  Check out what the other ladies have created:

Anya Schrier

Belinda Chang Langner

Bonnie Sharp

Claire Brennan

Jennifer Holmes

Julia Aston

Kate Whelan

Laurie Schmidlin

Lynn Mercurio

Mona Pendleton

Niki Estes

Sandie Dunne

Sarah Martina Parker

Tosha Leyendekker

 

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Hugs, Laurie

 

Waltzingmouse July New Stamp Previews Day 2...

Welcome to Day 2 of the Waltzingmouse July new stamp previews! 

Today the Design Team is sharing projects created with the Big Day Essentials & Big Day Additions sets!

For my card, I used one of the gorgeous sentiments from the Big Day Additions set!  I just adore the beautiful swirls!  Even though this sentiment can be used for any occasion really, I plan on using this as a wedding card.

You definitely won't want to miss seeing what the other ladies have created:

Anya Schrier 

 

Belinda Chang Langner

Bonnie Sharp

Claire Brennan

Jennifer Holmes

Julia Aston

Kate Whelan

Laurie Schmidlin

Lynn Mercurio

Mona Pendleton

Niki Estes

Sandie Dunne

Sarah Martina Parker

Tosha Leyendekker

 

 

I'm SO glad you stopped by today!  Have a wonderful day!  Hugs, Laurie

You're Swell...

Hello again!  :-)

Today, Kim is sharing even more cards that feature the new Paper Smooches sets for July!  Just a few more days until the July 1st release! 

I used images from the new Surf & Turf set!  All three new sets will be available from Paper Smooches on Friday, July 1st!  There will be a Design Team blog hop on Thursday, and you will have the opportunity to win the new sets!  Stay tuned for more details!  :-)

Have a wonderful day!  ~Laurie

Waltzingmouse July New Stamp Previews Day 1...

Welcome to the Waltzingmouse July new stamp previews!  For the next four days, the Design Team will be sharing projects made with the new stamps for July! 

Today, the Design Team is sharing projects made with the new Cameo to Go, Cameo Creations, & Ovals - Classic Frames sets!

 

On my card, I used the soon to be released Cameo To Go set!  I thought that using the Cracked Glass technique would add to the vintage feel I was going for on my card.

 

Here is a close-up of the main image.  Admittedly, I got a tad bit carried away when I went to add the cracks, but I do like the end result!  :-)

In this photo, you can better see the sentiment I added (also included in the Cameo To Go set!

All of the new sets will be released July 1st!

There is SO much for Waltzingmouse inspiration for you to see!  Check out what the rest of the ladies have created:

Anya Schrier 

Belinda Chang Langner

Bonnie Sharp

Claire Brennan

Jennifer Holmes

Julia Aston

Kate Whelan

Laurie Schmidlin

Lynn Mercurio

Mona Pendleton

Niki Estes

Sandie Dunne

Sarah Martina Parker

Tosha Leyendekker

 

Thanks SO much for stopping by!  Hugs, Laurie

With Gratitude...

Happy Monday to you!  Gratitude is a wonderful way to start off a Monday, don't you think?  Being grateful is one thing I am constantly having to remind myself to do.  I don't know why it is, but it seems that I can always come up with a hundred things that are wrong or I would like to change and sadly, often do.  When in reality there are far more things for me to be grateful for, but I have to really stop and make myself think about them.  I have a sign in my kitchen that reads, "Less Attitude, More Gratitude".  Originally I thought it would be a great reminder for our children, but it has turned out to be more for me I think!

On the note of gratitude, here is a thank you card I created...

This is a card I created a while ago when I had some time to just stamp whatever I wanted!  I love those times when I have no plan...but just start creating and go with the flow!  :-)  So, I started with no idea of what the end product would look like and this card is what resulted! 

I used my all time favorite Verve set, Thankful Accents!  I discovered something really fun while creating this!  See that frayed ribbon?  Yeah, that was a complete accident!  LOL! 

Here's how I stumbled upon the fun ribbon look on my card above!  While making my card I tied a piece of twill around my card and was almost finished with my bow when I noticed a small string handing off one end.  Not thinking it would completely unravel, I pulled on it (smart, I know :-).  Well, it DID unravel...and quickly!  I was so fascinated with how quickly it was unraveling, I untied my bow and kept pulling on the string!    I LOVED the wavy took to it! 

I decided that the wavy look was more fitting for my card, so I went with that!  :-)  One hint though...when I tried to duplicate my "mistake" for the photo above, it took a couple of tries to find the right string to pull!  LOL!  

Well, my older two are off to camp this week, so I better go and help them finish packing!  Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I hope your day is FILLED with things to add to your gratitude list!  :-)  ~Laurie

 

Stamps: Thankful Accents (Verve)
Paper: Ivory, Vellum, English Moss patterned paper (Colorbök)
Ink: London Fog Versafine
Accessories: Fancy Tags 2 (Spellbinders), Buttons, Plaid embossing folder (Cuttlebug), Flower, Punch (Stampin' Up!), Oval die (Spellbinders), Rhinestones, Diamond Stickles, Clear Detail e.p.

Lots of things to share today...

Happy Saturday to you!  It is a beautiful and sunny day here (although it's not that warm...high is only going to be in the low 60's)!  I love it when the sun shines!  We have a lot of windows in our house and the sun just pours in bringing a whole bunch of happiness with it!  :-)

We've been so busy around here lately!  Lots of things going on around the ranch (which always means lots of stuff to be done LOL!).  I've also been super busy with the kiddos, but I rather like that kind of busy!  :-)  Oh, and I've been stamping!!  Lots and lots of stamping!  But I can't quite share any of that yet (soon though :-).

Anyway, since I haven't updated my blog with stampy things lately, I thought I would share some photos that I took around the ranch!  I always seem to share the snowy pictures, so get ready to see what it looks like here int he Spring!  (We had a very, very late Spring.)

(You can click on all the photos for a larger view.)  I just loved the pink tinted clouds!  Spring is so interesting here in Montana...one minute it could be sunny, warm, and without a cloud in the sky and then the next it could be hailing and thunderstorms!! 

I love this photo!  It's actually our neighbor's fence right across from our mailboxes (shown in the next photo).  I love this photo because it shows how I've grown as a photographer (very, very amateur as I may be)!  It all started when Mark & Julee (owners of Verve Stamps) came up for a visit!  Mark took photography in college and very patiently answered a lot of my questions (one being "How do you get the blurry thing going on in a photo?").  I now know that it's not called the "cool blurry thing" but depth of field!

Why a photo of mailboxes??  Well, these are the mailboxes that I drive 5 + miles (one way) to check almost daily!!  Do you see that brown box to the right??  That, my friends, is where our fabulous UPS guy leaves all my goodies for me!!  Woohooo!!!  (Oh, almost all of the actions I have been using on my photos are from The Coffee Shop Blog!  Not only do they have fabulous tutorials, but lots of fabulous free actions!!)

Well, with our long awaited Spring weather has come a LOT of water!!  Here are a few photos I took of our road (which is only passable with a truck)!

This is the road past our mailboxes (that leads to the Highway (if you can call it that LOL!).  It may not look like a lot of water, but the creeks (which now look like rivers) have been flowing so ferociously that it has washed out much of this road and these "puddles" are very deep!

See that fence above?  Yeah, that is the top of the fence sticking out of the water!!    Now you can see why it is only passable with a truck!

Okay, when I saw this I laughed SO hard!!!  This is the sign our County Road Dept. put up before all of the flooded parts on the road!!  LOL!!!  Normally, they do an excellent job of taking care of problems (such as our 2-3 foot ice build up on the road last winter) but I think they are just not sure what can be done about this as there is SO much water!!  Our neighbor was unaware of how deep the water really was and ruined her car (it quit right in the middle of the water).  We now have a sign that says Water on Road!  :-)

Thanks for letting me share a little of our life with you!  I promise to be back to share LOTS of new stampy things with you soon!!  Hugs, Laurie

Vintage Elegance...

 Hello again!  I'm back to share a couple of summer inspired cards with you!

First up, is a card designed with colors that remind me of a warm summer afternoon!  I combined some papers, Whatnots, & a Glitzer from the Afternoon Muse line with a clear stamp (the ornate corner) from the Laced with Grace line!

I adore Glitzers!  Beautiful vintage images with lovely mini rhinestones...what could be better?  :-)

And now, I have a more vintage elegant card to share with you.  Since summer is a time for weddings, I thought I would create a classically elegant card to celebrate love!

This card came together so quickly!  I embossed the heart onto a Cardstock Sticker (from the Love Games collection), and the Love sentiment directly onto the patterned paper!  I kept the embellishments to a minimum as I wanted the stamped images to really take center stage.

I'm so glad you stopped by today!  ~Laurie

 

Vintage Summer CardGlitz Design "Afternoon Muse" Papers:  Polka, Carte Postale
Glitz Design "Afternoon Muse" Whatnot
Glitz Design "Afternoon Muse" Glitzers
Glitz Design "Afternoon Muse" Clear Stamps
Other:  Cream c.s., Vellum c.s., Flowers, Ribbon, Lace, Sewing machine, Charm

Classic Love Card
Glitz Design "Love Games" Damask Paper
Glitz Design "Love Games" Cardstock Stickers
Glitz Design "Love Games" Clear Stamps
Other:  Cream c.s., Flower, Versamark, Black Detail e.p., Pearls, Charm, String, Black lace

Just Because...

Good morning!  Today, Kim is sharing one of my cards over at the Paper Smooches Blog so I thought I'd share it here with you as well!  :-)

For this card, I went with more of a simple design because I really wanted the images to shine!  I love Kim's folk flower (from the FOLKal Points set)!  To create the background, I first drew three very light vertical lines in pencil.  I then stamped the flower repeatedly, colored them in with Copics and then added some white dots (using a white gel pen).  I then stamped the little x (included in the FOLKal Points set) in between each flower.  Finally, I drew over the pencil line with a marker being careful to avoid each flower.

 For the focal point, I used the Just Because sentiment from Kim's new Word Up set.  Don't you just LOVE her handwriting??  If I could write like that I would never stamp on my cards...I would just write all over them!  Teehehee!  Just kidding...I would most definitely stamp and THEN write all over them!  :-)

Here's a close-up shot so you can see the wee bit of sparkle I added to the flowers!  I added it using my Stardust pen!

Well, that's all from me!  Thanks so much for stopping by!  Hugs, Laurie