Saturday, January 31, 2009

SNS Blog Hop, Day 3

I hope you have been having a great time Blog Hopping these last several days! I can only speak for myself...I have loved every minute of it! I love being a participant and seeing all my design team mates' fabulous creations, and I love the little bit of pressure that a deadline gives me as I prepare cards to share with you. I think it helps me grow. LOL! I look at all their gorgeous cards and think, "Peer pressure can be a good thing!" It isn't a competition...it is just that we want to do our best and to have our best continually get better.

Today, even though my official part in the blog hop is over, I wanted to share another Warm Up card for all the coffee drinkers out there! Didn't want you to feel left out! ;) Being from Louisiana, I have always loved a good strong cup of coffee. I was so excited when the stores in Florida (where we've lived for the past nearly 20 years) started carrying Community Coffee...that's what my mom made when I was growing up. When I was little, there was no such thing as de-caf, so I got to drink a deliciously sweet cup of cafe` au lait. How funny and ironic that in French-speaking southwest Louisiana we just called it plain ole coffee-milk.

The designer paper that I used on this card is some I've had for over two years! I just keep using little scraps of it and will be so sad when the last little bit is gone. I got it to make a card for my friend Juliana, aka Julesiana on SCS, whose coffee-cup avatars you all are probably familiar with. I used my Nesties Label 1 to cut a mat and before removing it from the die, sponged it softly with Tim Holtz Distress Ink. I stamped the coffee bag and the sugar/creamer set on vanilla cardstock and colored it with prismas and baby oil, layering the color on to give some depth and shadow. Then I cut them out and popped them up on dimensionals of varying heights. I didn't have any wow ribbon, so I just made do with what I had that sorta matched. A simple 4.25 square card that was fun to make while I drank my morning coffee! I hope you have enjoyed it.

Make sure to jump on the hop today at Christi's so you can make your way around and end up at the Sweet 'n Sassy Blog for the finale`! And if you missed the first two days, I encourage you to begin at the beginning...lost of good stuff you don't wanna miss!

Friday, January 30, 2009

Clean and Simple

I always find clean and simple stamping a greater challenge...it seems that the fewer the elements, the higher quality they must be in order to stand up to scrutiny! It takes a special touch to be able to pull it off well.

My card for today's SCS Limited Supplies Challenge uses the set, Changito Dos, available at i {heart} papers. I stamped this all-in-one stamp using Palette Noir ink, then colored it with prismas and baby oil. I used the large and small tag punches to make the tag embellishment. This was stamped with the sentiment on a diagonal, outlined with a black fineline marker, shaded with prismas and baby oil, and finished with a small prima and a dewdrop center.

I hope you like this simple, single layer card! Thanks for visiting!

SNS Blog Hop, Day 2

Today is Day 2 of the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Blog Hop. Although I'm not *officially* part of the hop today, I am still playing along. My card features Korin's sketch for the challenge that she recently began posting on Fridays over on Paper Craft Planet. I love sketches because for me, the hardest part is the layout.

This card uses different images from the same set I used yesterday, Warm Up! I used a piece of DCWV designer paper for a muted tea-colored background. I stamped the tea bags and tea pot on white card stock, colored them with prismas and baby oil, sponged the edges with Tim Holtz tea dye distress ink and then matted them on black. The black circles were cut using Nestabilities. I machine stitched with black thread around the edge of the Ballet Blue mat after sponging it with distress ink and distressing the edges with my fingernail. I embellished with flowers and ribbon that were given to me by some of my challenge chasing friends, along with a button and thread bow.

For today's blog hop, you'll want to start at Chrissy's. I'm sure she's got something fabulous prepared for you, along with the rest of our team. Make sure to return tomorrow for the grand finale` of this month's hop...there will be a reward for your persistence!

Thursday, January 29, 2009

SNS Blog Hop!

If you started at the beginning of today's Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Blog Hop, I am your last stop for today (if not, start here!)...that seems like such a big responsibility! My design team-mates are quite a hard act to follow! I am always amazed at their creations and feel so privileged to be part of this close-knit team.

My card for today is a combination challenge card for Korin's sketch and Monday's DT challenge. I used some of my favorite designer paper as of late, Basic Grey's Urban Prairie. I love these 6 x 6 pads for card-making because their prints are scaled down for a card's smaller size. The image I chose is from the Sweet 'n Sassy set Warm Up. It was stamped in black and then colored with prismas and baby oil. The pretty pink heart is from K & Company's multi-colored pack of adhesive gems.

I love the pop that the black matting gives the bright colors of this paper...the bright pink card stock was a bit overwhelming for the print, so I toned it down just a bit with a light sponging of white craft ink. A pretty stick pin, matching brads, some fibers from my out-of-control ribbon bin, and a layered sentiment were the only embellishments that it needed...I kept trying to add more but finally decided that it was best with less. Because of the busy-ness of the print the layout needed more *white* space. This card will be perfect as an invitation to some girlfriend time at Starbuck's! I'm looking forward to it already!

I hope you've enjoyed today's hop, and that you'll return tomorrow and Saturday to see the rest of our design teams' creations!

Monday, January 26, 2009

Paper Pleats

I knew when they posted today's TLC that I wanted to make my card look like those cute little girlie dresses (remember, I have a BOY that is nearly a man now!)...you know the kind made of a delicate printed pattern with a little flirty pleated hemline, trimmed with ribbons and bows. I hope I managed to pull that off! I just love this bee and thought this Basic Grey designer paper would work perfectly, so I stamped him in Palette Noir ink and colored him with prismas and baby oil. I used my nestabilities to cut a scalloped mat which I placed on several layers of cardstock. I pleated some black dotted swiss paper with one torn and distressed edge and then added layered ribbons, layered buttons and bows. I kinda like the overall look of it...I hope you do too!

Saturday, January 24, 2009

A Day Late

This is my late submission for yesterday's Limited Supplies Challenge on SCS, "Paint it Black." I just love these little $1 and mini stamps from Treehouse Stamps! They are quick to stamp and easy to color and the images are high-impact for a small investment in time and money! This Penguin Boy is especially cute and appealing to me because he looks so Aloha! My husband and I spent the first four years of our marriage in Hawaii and so this cool surfer brings back lots of fond memories of long lazy days at the beach on the weekends!

I couldn't resist stamping the inside of my card with another of these adorable stamps, Ice Cream. I love the way the stripes of the popsicles imitates the Itsy Bitsy Spider striped designer paper by Piggy Tales.

I've got to go now and get ready for not just one but two memorial services. I already told you about my friend Jan whose husband Pete passed away...I just learned that my friend Christine lost her mother on Monday. Both of these services begin at 2 p.m. but I'm going to try to make it to each one at least for a few minutes. Please pray for my friends as they learn to continue to live in the absence of their loved ones.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Blog Candy Winner!

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

8 

Timestamp: 2009-01-23 20:46:11 UTC

Expressions of a Creative Mind said...
Mine is to get on a DT and to be published. So it's kinda similar to yours.
Please email me your snail mail address so we can mail your goodies!

Thursday, January 22, 2009

P.S.

Blog Candy! ;)

No Greater Love...

I attend a Tuesday Precept Bible study, and this morning the husband of one of my friends in that class went to be with the Lord...her name is Jan, and I hope you'll join me in praying for her. I am grateful that she has other women who've been through this experience to lean on. We are a close-knit group, very involved in each others' knitty-gritty...as close as we all are and as much as we know about each other, it still is hard to imagine what she's going through. She and Pete, although I would guess they're in their 70's, were relatively newlyweds, and she is going to miss him tremendously.

Michelle Redman and I met today for lunch to celebrate her birthday, and after having some delicious PF Chang's Chinese food, we headed--like good stampers should--out to shop for stampin' scrappin' supplies! I found this beautiful designer paper at JoAnn's and thought that it would make a lovely card for today's challenge. It wasn't until I was almost half-way through with it that it dawned on me that it would be a great card for Jan.

The scripture sentiment says, "Greater love hath no man than this, but that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13." That, paired with the symbolism of the butterfly, is our promise of the hope and truth of Eternal Life, all accomplished through the willing sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I hope this card brings comfort and peace to my friend as she mourns the loss of her beloved husband.

For the challenge, I used gold EP to emboss the swirl from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps' Floral Flourishes on Paper Pizazz Brown Diamonds shadow print. I also used a Spica glitter pen to glitz up the butterfly cut from Colorbok's Caribbean dp. The sentiment is from Sweet 'n Sassy's set, Love of a Friend. I used Tim Holtz distress inks to distress the edges of all the cardstock and vellum papers, and to stamp the sentiment.

I will be taking this card to Jan on Saturday when Pete's memorial services are held. Our Bible study will be hosting the gathering afterward. Thanks for visiting, and thanks for your prayers for my friend. Blessings!

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

I Blew It!

New toys from i {heart} papers arrived yesterday, so I was excited this evening to finally get to play with some of them! This cute little fella is from the OCL set, Lil' Pea-nut. He's SO fun to color, especially with the new copics my Bible study girls got for me for Christmas!

I used some retired SU cardstock with some bubbly Hickups designer paper from SEI. Lots of tiny little things to cut, but I think it came out kinda cute. My mom collects elephant images, so I immediately knew I had to get this set!

Don't forget to scroll down and make your bid for the blog candy that will be drawn on Friday morning!

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

The Blog Candy is still here...

...don't forget to comment on yesterday's post for a chance to win if you haven't done so already!

I had a great time making yesterday's technique challenge card...I had never tried making a mosaic before! After cutting out a heart shape in black card stock, I covered it with sticky strip, and then laid in the mosaic pattern using irregularly shaped 1/2 inch squares cut from several harmonizing colors. I embossed the exposed tape with black EP, then inked the whole piece with Versamark and embossed it with an equal mixture of clear EP and iridescent ice EP. I am very pleased with the way it came out.

The love you sentiment is from the set Many Hearts, from i {heart} papers. You gotta go check out all the new PREORDER stuff that Kate has added...she's at CHA this week and will be sending news and photos, so stay tuned! There should be lots of great sneak peeks! I can hardly wait to see! PLUS...there's a giant sale going on already! Over 200 items on sale!

The sketch is from Mary Jo's Monday Lunchtime Sketch. Most of this stuff is from the stash of paper pieces, ribbon scraps, flowers and buttons left over from long-ago projects, so the packaging is long gone. I've gotten better about leaving things in their original boxes so I can share that kind of info...

If you've never tried this technique, you should! It is a bit messy, but alot of fun, and it gives great results.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Blog Candy Alert!


It's MLK, Jr Day...and in celebration of the holiday and of upcoming CHA, Kate at i {heart} papers has allowed me to choose some blog candy for you! How about a 6 x 6 pack of the gorgeous new Sugardrop collection from Memory Box, along with some coordinating ribbons?! Just leave a comment here (comments open from Monday through Friday, winner chosen Friday morning)...and to keep it interesting, tell me something about your dream! It may not be as lofty as Dr. King's dream was, but I'm sure that to you, it's something special!

Mine is to continue to serve as a design team stamper, and to be published this year...if I could dream big, it would be to have a room all of my own to stamp in, with a place for all the stuff I've accumulated in pursuit of this fantastic hobby!

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Woven Ribbons

I am still working on finishing up my VSN cards. Did you get a chance to play along? I did't get to finish as many challenges as I'd hoped, but it isn't over yet!

This is my card for the Weave, Weave, Weave challenge. I just love pink and black together, and am happy with the outcome of this simple layout. I think it would make a nice card for just about any feminine occasion, including encouragement for a friend with breast cancer.

The stamp set, Many Hearts, and beautiful pink satin ribbon are available at i {heart} papers.

Make sure you come back to visit tomorrow! It'll be worth your while! ;)

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Velvet Bubs!

Bubs the Beaver is one of my favorite sets as of late! When I saw the Love Me Tender challenge I immediately thought of him and the Caramel Latte Fun Flock I purchased a few months ago. I had to draw in some of his facial features after applying the flocking...that was the hardest part of this challenge! I colored the rest of the image in w/ my precious few copic markers, which I am in love with! The papers I used are part of the Irresistable collection from MME. That fabulous faux suede ribbon also qualifies for something soft in this challenge...I layered on a scrap of ric rac and topped it with a flower punched with my new SU hearts punch in Ruby Red and Blush Blossom.

Always

The Burned Batik technique (for the VSN Challenge, Hunk of Burning Love) was a new one for me! I would like to try it again when I have more options in colors of ink! The stamp set I used is called Always Heart, a Hero Arts set from i {heart} papers. After stamping in Versamark and embossing with a 1/2 and 1/2 mixture of clear EP and Iridescent Ice, I sponged on Elegant Eggplant and Real Red craft inks, then dabbed on some metallic pastes in gold, bronze, and burgundy for some shimmer, which of course, doesn't show up in this picture. These ribbons are from a stash from years of crafting (I'm grateful to say the pile is diminishing!) and the beads on the heart pin were some left over from confirmation class two years ago when the two girls I mentored made beaded bookmarks. A simple layout...it is hard to do much in 45 minutes when you're focusing on a new technique!

It's VSN!

Last night was a little teaser for tonight, which is Virtual Stamp Night on Splitcoast Stampers. The challenge was to make a scrapling, which is a very small strip of a card made from the remnant left when you cut a 4.25 x 5.5 inch card down to 4.25 inch square. I had never made one before, but I had so much fun making this one! I used scraps of Kiwi Kiss and Riding Hood Red for the card base, and added a piece of Raspberry Tart designer paper torn in half with distressed edges. The image, from the set A Little Something, was colored with markers directly to the stamp...a flower made from the five-petal punch, the boho blossoms punch, and a button tied with white cording finished it off along with a row of brads for balance. I am very pleased with the way it turned out. What do you think?!

VSN begins today at noon EST. I hope to play along and will be adding projects to my blog as the day progresses. Hope you play along 'cause it's gonna be fun!

Friday, January 16, 2009

New SU!

I just got a new box full of SU papers and stamps from the upcoming catalog, so I was excited to get to play with them today! The limited supplies challenge provided the perfect opportunity to keep it quick and simple! I used a standard envelope, tucked the flap inside, then cut a piece of pretty Raspberry Tart paper to decorate the bottom half. I used markers directly to the bird stamp for the top corner, and then used stamps and punches in different colored layers for the medallion. The card itself is a 4.25 x 5.5 piece of Kiwi Kiss cardstock, layered with a 4 x 5.25 piece of Cameo Coral, and topped with a 3.75 x 5 Whisper White layer stamped with the Love You Much image in Riding Hood Red. I colored the letters in with a Cameo Coral marker...wish I would have used a blender pen with Kiwi Kiss instead of the Old Olive marker for the little leaf...I'll remember that next time!

The goal of this challenge was a Valentine that you could quickly mass produce...this one gives lots of style for little effort! Hope you like it!

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Sweet 'n Sassy Design Team Round-up

Here is my card for my first Sweet 'n Sassy Design Team Round-up! I used the SNS set Love of a Friend (I really love these scripture sentiments!)…the verse was stamped in Rose Red onto Apricot Appeal cardstock, and the edges sponged lightly with Apricot Appeal. This was then layered onto a scalloped, pierced, and sponged mat of Regal Rose. The lace was left over from the 12 x 12 kit Prima Whisper Collection (my sneak peek tag book from the release party used the paper in this kit) and matches this Basic Grey Urban Prairie 6 x 6 designer paper perfectly! I layered all of this onto a piece of Certainly Celery cardstock and then attached it to a Regal Rose card base. The flowers are Heidi Swapp, embellished with a button and cording from “the stash”…oh, come on! I know you have one too! I love how soft and yet vibrant these colors are, and how cheerful this card feels. I hope you like it too!

20% off ALL Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps through the end of January!!

We're making room for the 2009 releases and since everyone is pinching pennies right now, it's a win-win all around!! Don't forget to check out the all the other items on sale this month! Save up to 40% on MANY items in the store! Be sure to head to the SNS Blog to check out what the other designers have created!

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

For Rachel!

I have a sweet young friend who likes to scrapbook and stamp, and yesterday I received a special call from her mother inviting me to mentor Rachel for her Confirmation class. I thought I'd use today's sketch challenge to make her a card using some scrapbook paper that we bought for our craft session together last Valentine's Day. This Treehouse angel image is perfect for the occasion.

I stamped the image and colored her with prisma color pencils and baby oil. I gave her wings, heart, and ruffle some sparkle with a clear Spica glitter pen, then embellished the corners with a bow and some hugs and kisses using some shapes and letters cut with the Squeeze.

I don't think I do cutesy so well, but I am hoping that Rachel will appreciate the time and the love that went into this card!

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Pictures from Regionals!

I promised a few pictures from our trip to Orlando for SU Regionals! Here we are at Olive Garden for dinner our first night there...left to right is Silke, Kathy (my upline), Denise, me, and Penny. I can't tell you how thrilled Kathy and I were to meet these girls! For any stamper who loves SCS, I don't think there could be a bigger treat than to meet and stamp with other SCS friends. :)

We spent our Saturday at the Regionals seminar...here's a pic of Denise and Silke before the meeting got under way.

Kathy was stamping swaps even as the first speakers were beginning their presentations! Here she's mounting stamps from the set we received, Best Wishes and More.



We had a real treat on Saturday night when JerriKay drove in from Tampa to meet us for dinner. Here we are outside Don Pablo's before walking over to have coffee and girl-chat! That's when we giggled until we couldn't see straight, and didn't wanna go home! It was sooo much fun! It was that conversation that inspired the little tic-tac holder I made for my i {heart} papers design team challenge (see yesterday's post). I hope that it made you girls giggle all over again, and that every time you see Bubs it makes you smile and remember what a great time this trip was! {{hugs}}

A Blog Award!

lovely blog awardI am very humbled and flattered to be told that my blog is one that someone might find lovely and inspirational, so to receive this award is an honor indeed! Thank you so much Barb! I am very grateful!

Monday, January 12, 2009

i {heart} my girlfriends!

The i {heart} papers design team was given a challenge to make a Valentine for someone other than your sweetheart...I just got back from a fabulous weekend with some girlfriends--some I've had for a long time, and some that are brand new. We enjoyed our time together SO much! Part of it we spent stamping, and the rest we spent sharing good food, great company, and hilarious conversation. Have you ever said something and then suddenly realized how funny it sounded, and laughed until you cried? Well, that's the kind of weekend we had! I thought they'd appreciate this little tic-tac holder with Bubs the Beaver on the front of it! I am absolutely certain that this fun image will help carve memories of this weekend into their minds forever! Bwahahah! Inside joke! ;)

The paper I used is from the new Irresistable collection from My Mind's Eye (Bouquet and Candy Stripe). I cut out two rectangles (one of cardstock, one of DP), scored a few lines, made a belly band and embellished it with a bow, then attached the image (Bubs the Beaver) to the belly band only.

Check out all the creations our ihp design team (listed on the sidebar) has posted in response to this challenge! There is more than just a picture of some candy along the way! ;)

Thanks girls, for such a fun and memorable weekend! {{hugs}}

Friday, January 9, 2009

On my way to Regionals!

I am beyond excited to be heading to Orlando! I wasn't even planning to go but when I found out that my THS DT-mate Silke (sparkle girl) and friend Denise (peanutbee) were going to be there, I immediately changed my mind! That would be too fun to miss! I love getting to meet other SCSers in person! I've been blessed to have gotten to meet quite a few and hope to meet lots more this weekend!

Some of you know that my son Matthew auditioned back in December for a part in the local high school play. We are homeschoolers, so to get a part was a big deal to us! He will be one of the Wickersham brothers in Fleming Island High's production of Seussical the Musical. Practice started this week, and he was so nervous he was almost ill...thankfully that was immediately over after the first few minutes and he is having a blast! I must admit that we both are getting used to the idea of having to be there every single day...we're grateful it isn't far away. I don't mind it much...it does cut into my stamping freedom just a bit, but it's worth it! ;)

The card I am displaying today is one that I made using my new copic markers and a cute little $1 stamp from THS. I love these little stamps because they're QUICK! They're perfect for practicing coloring techniques because they're small, and they're just SO cute!

OK...off and running to pack the car and be on my way!

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

CPS Sketch

The CPS Sketch sponsor this week is Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps so our design team has been having a great time preparing cards using the sketch they provided. I know you *may* have just finished our blog hop, but you definitely should take a peek again! The girls have been turning out some gorgeous cards with new releases and old favorites alike!

One of the things I love about challenges is how different all the cards are even though their creators were all given the same information and all started *on the same page*. This sketch is no exception...the cards showcase the wonderful variety of SNS stamps, and the amazing creativity of the stampers on this design team.

I just love this friendship sentiment, which seemed a perfect match for this sketch so long as I gave it a little flip. I wanted my card to embrace the feel of a ray of sunshine to bring the words to life, so I used the Whisper collection paper that I fell in love with when I made my blog hop teaser (seen here, and in full here). This gorgeous paper on sale now at 40% off so you need to place your order right away! Heheh...I loved this kit so much that if you don't buy it, I might buy some more!

The soft glow of this pale yellow print set the mood I was looking for, so I stamped the sentiment directly onto it and cut it out with my nesties ovals. I inked all the edges of the papers with distress ink, which really accented the scallops at the bottom (made with a MS punch). A sheer bow made with iridescent gold and burgundy ribbon, and some pearl accents, and voila`! I hope you like it!

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

My first copics!

I have been saying that I really really wanted some, so finally yesterday I took the plunge! I was given a gift card by my Bible study girlfriends, so I used that to purchase a half a dozen markers to give 'em a whirl and see what all the buzz is about. You can tell that I really don't know what I'm doing yet, but I'm having a good time tryin'!

This little fella is one of the cute mini stamps that were recently added to the inventory at Treehouse Stamps. He just cracks me up! Love that Basic Grey dp too!

On another note...today is Epiphany, and in our household that means King Cake! I've got one started already, although this picture is the one I made last year, along with last year's Epiphany cards (made in lieu of Christmas cards). You can tell it is one ooey gooey sugary concoction! There is a lot of history and symbolism behind this tradition. If you're interested in learning more, let me know in your comment and I'll send you the recipe and some interesting folklore.

Epiphany is all about Light and enlightenment. I love the thought that when the light shines, that which would be hidden is revealed, and that the light always overcomes the darkness. What fabulous imagery our God gives us to help us understand His ways and His Word! Epiphany blessings!

Monday, January 5, 2009

Tacky TLC!

OMGoodness! I've NEVER in my life made a card this flashy! Today's Technique Lover's Challenge was to use tape and glitter to make a background. Well...the only colored glitter I had was this super chunky glitter from waaay back when (it is actually kids' craft glitter). I decided to just go for it and see what happened. I used several different widths of tape to make it more interesting. Heheh, it's a little scary isn't it!?

The sentiment, applied with markers direct to stamp, is from a Hero Arts set called Many Hearts available from i {heart} papers. I first covered an SU chipboard piece (a small heart within a square) with Whisper White cardstock, trimmed the paper from the space the heart belonged, and tucked the heart back in after giving it a generous coating of red glitter. The edges of the square were gently dabbed with silver metallic paste to give it enough glitz to go with all that gaudiness!

Some really girlie little girl might love this card?! LOL!

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Not so simple...

...as it looks! It is a real challenge to make a *simple* card JulieHRR style! I just love her martini card, so that was the card I decided to try to CASE and I really did not do it justice. I can certainly tell you I'm wishing for copics! I've been trying to hold off but the desire is growing day by day! ;)

This cute little stamp is a $1 stamp from Treehouse Stamps. It seemed a good substitute for Julie's martini shaker, and looks really bright and summery with the Bella Rose chocolate dots peeking from behind. Aren't you wishin' for summer already?!

Thanks for visiting!

Friday, January 2, 2009

The rest....

In my last post I teased you with a close-up of a project I have been working on...so here is the picture of the whole thing. Of all the Sweet 'n Sassy projects I made, this one was my favorite! I just tore and frayed and inked and had the best time making this! It uses the SU retired Collage Alphabet, along with a Prima paper kit and sentiments from SNSS. (It's midnight as I'm posting this, so I'll be back in the morning to link up to these supplies on SNSS website).

Congratulations to Creative Mish, who won the Floral Flourishes set that was up for grabs here! Please send me your address so I can forward it to Korin of SNSS and get your set on its way to you!

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Sweet 'n Sassy Blog Hop!

Hello everyone! Happy New Year!

I'm so excited that this first day of 2009 is also my very first day on the Sweet 'n Sassy Design Team! We have all been busy behind the scenes, so I hope you enjoy these sneak peeks of some fabulous new stamp sets and that you'll join us tomorrow night on the Sweet 'n Sassy forum for the release party. To entice you to come, I am giving you a little preview of a project that I have been working on...the pic of the whole thing won't be posted until the festivities at the forum are well on their way.

In celebration of our new design team's debut, Korin has given each of us some blog candy to give away. Mine is the set, Floral Flourishes, which I used to faux emboss the background of this Basic Gray Basic Grey card. I stamped the flourish on SU Basic Gray card stock, first with Night of Navy ink, then again with white craft ink. The designer paper is from Basic Grey's 6 x 6 Boxer pad. The scripture sentiment is from another new set, Love of a Friend...I know that this set is going to get a lot of use, especially for my Bible study girlfriends. I take a handful of cards in every week...there are always birthdays, anniversaries, illnesses, and sometimes simply the need for a little encouragement. These sentiments are perfect!

If you started today's hop at the beginning you should be on to today's last stop, Korin's. Be sure to make the rounds today and tomorrow to see all the fabulous cards my design team mates have created (see the schedule on the sidebar, right), and don't forget the reveal party tomorrow night! That's when blog candy winners will be announced!