YNS Meets ISSC18

Another quiet week on my blog... I took a small break from stamping this week to deal with life... I've been on the job hunt for a few months now and I finally feel like things have turned a corner and hopefully good things are coming my way.  It was one of those weeks where it was make cards or get my rear in gear and get some more resumes etc out there.  And the job hunt won... 

But enough about my life... I have some fun stuff going on this month!!! I've been asked to be this month's guest designer at Your Next Stamp.  Eeks!!! I'm so excited that I get to be a part of supporting a Canadian company. 

I'm loving this graphic!!! Hehehehe. Too cute!!!

Because I'm being revealed as the guest designer today, I decided to combine my announcement with my iSpy card.  This weeks sketch,  ISSC18 is from LeAnne Pugliese ( LeAnne Pugliese @ SCS) and is based on this card

For my card, I decided to use "Vacation Don" that I think is way too cute!!!

I told you he's cute!!! LOL!!! Gotta love a bear in a convertible with a surfboard in tow.  I have stamped the image in Versafine Onyx Black, embossed with clear embossing powder and then I watercolored the image with Tombow Markers.  Easy Peasy!!! The sentiment comes from the YNS set called "Seasonal Icons One". 

As part of "Your Next Stamp", the ladies do what is called "Fun Friday"  where the DT provides extra info about how we stamp etc.  My Fun Friday tip/trick is to let you know "Don't be afraid to combine different companies' DP on your cards".  I am a sucker for DP especially in 6x6 pads.  Most people use only one pad for their cards, but I like to mix it up to make my cards stand out.  It makes your card a little bit different.  On my card, I have some older Cosmo Cricket, My Mind's Eye and Fancy Pants Design.  All of the colors "go together" to create a cohesive look.  Cool eh? 

Onto the iSpy info:

Here is how to play:

• Create a paper crafting project (card, scrap book page or 3D item), based on the sketch provided.Post your creation on your blog or an online gallery (using a code ISSC18), and link it here with the inlinkz widget below.
• Please provide a direct link to your post - not the generic link to your blog.
• A new challenge will be posted every Friday at 12:01 AM EST, and you have until noon on the following Friday EST to submit your entry.
• You may enter as many times as you like, but please provide a newly designed project with a new link for each additional project.
• We will choose the top 2 creations to be featured in our "Top 2 Winners" post every Sunday where we will announce who we have picked :) The winners will receive their very own iSpy Sketches blog badge!
• Don't forget that you may combine our challenges with others and use supplies from any company that you wish :)
• Have fun and we look forward to "spying" your creations!

Wahoo!!! A new blog design!!

WOW!!!! I was chatting with Kim Teasdale yesterday and casually mentioned I'd love a new blog design.  I had absolutely NO clue as to what I wanted so we started chatting today about some ideas.  I went off to make dinner and came back to an email with my blog banner. I LOVE it!!! I was absolutely blown away by what Kim created for me.  Have I mentioned I LOVE it???

Make sure you check out Kim's website called

You won't regret it. 

She has great watermarks as well. 

The background part of my blog is from

Mel Stampz

I'm giddy with excitement about my new blog!!! I hope you like it!!!

Kim, you ROCK!!! Thanks for being such a fabulous and amazing friend!! Love ya!!!

TSG Sneak Peek - Oh Crop!!!

Oh Crop is our second set from Melyssa this month, and it has STOLEN our hearts!! The flying pigs, the picturesque scene, that ADORABLE farmer…really, how could you NOT love this? You don’t have to be a country girl to know that THIS set is a Blue Ribbon WINNER!

Can I just say I've had SO much fun creating cards for this release and this card is no exception.  I remember as a child always using the phrase "When pigs fly" so of course I had to use the two flying pigs from this set on my card.  I've used last week's Deconstructed Sketch for my card (another fab sketch!!!).  Did I mention I had fun make this card.  I stamped the two pigs in Versafine Onyx Black and embossed with clear embossing powder.  I then masked them off and sponged in the sky background using Soft Sky ink.  I have watercolored the image with Tombow Markers and added some Diamond Stickles to the pigs' wings. (After all, every pig needs a bit of bling right??). 

Oh Crop is a 6x8 set that includes a total of 21 stamps and will sell for $24.00.

Would you like to win the new Oh Crop stamp set? Here is what you need to do- visit the Trendsetter’s blogs that are participating in each of the blog hop challenges below and comment on their creations as you go. One of the Trendsetter’s blogs (from each hop day) will be randomly chosen as the ‘it’ blog and a winner will be picked using a random number generator from the comments left on that Trendsetter’s Blog Hop Challenge post.

You will not know which blog has been chosen so the more you comment on the better your chances are of winning new stamps! The Blog Hop Challenges will be open until 5 PM Eastern Time Saturday, May 26th with the winner being announced during the release party chat.

ISSC17 - We Blend well!!

Isn't this a fantastic sketch at iSpy?  This week's sketch features Amy Rohl aka rohla @ SCS and is based on this card. I knew I  liked it as soon as I saw it... and then I had a massive brain fart!!!

See my brain fart?  Yup, I screwed up the sketch.  I guess that's what you get when you try to do the sketch from memory!! Apparently, my memory isn't that great but I guess it's an opportunity for interpretation of the sketch. Right?? LOL!!!

For my card, I used the Alley Way stamp set called "Kitchen Gadgets" that I have stamped in Versafine Onyx Black and then watercolored with Tombow Markers.  This was my first time using sets from the Alley Way and I must say I LOVED them!! They stamped clearly the first time so no muss or fuss trying to get a clear crisp image.  The quality is definitely fantastic!!

Want to see what the rest of the team created?  Head on over to the iSpy blog to check it all out!!!

TSG Sneak Peek - Cute as a button

What can we say about this new set from Torico, other than…it’s Cute As a Button?! The perfect sewing set for ANY crafter, full from top to bottom, end to end, with as MANY stamps as you could POSSIBLY need to make the perfect card or scrapbook page, this whimsically cute set is sure to have EVERYTHING you need to celebrate the crafter in your life!

I may not be a sewer but I have to admit this is a CUTE set and perfect if you have a sewing friend in your life.  For my card, I wanted to go girly and cute so I used DP from My Mind's Eye (various paper lines) that worked well together.  My layout is this month's SFYTT, which i know will be going into my favorite sketch file.  I stamped the dress form in Versafine Onyx Black and embossed it with clear embossing powder. I then sponged around the edge of the main panel with Angel Pink Memento ink. 

Cute As a Button is a 6x8 set that includes a total of 33 stamps and will sell for $24.00.

Would you like to win the new Cute As a Button  stamp set? Here is what you need to do- visit the Trendsetter’s blogs that are participating in each of the blog hop challenges below and comment on their creations as you go. One of the Trendsetter’s blogs (from each hop day) will be randomly chosen as the ‘it’ blog and a winner will be picked using a random number generator from the comments left on that Trendsetter’s Blog Hop Challenge post.

You will not know which blog has been chosen so the more you comment on the better your chances are of winning new stamps! The Blog Hop Challenges will be open until 5 PM Eastern Time Saturday, May 26th with the winner being announced during the release party chat.

TSG Sneak Peek - Flava Sava

Excuse me, I MUSTACHE you a question….is this NOT the CUTEST set?! Mustache’s, and puns about mustaches (lol), are all the rage right now and we couldn’t help but add a little TSG flare to this FABULOUS trend! The possibilities, and uses, for this set are endless…and just ENTIRELY too funny!

Hehehehehe....

For my card today, I went with a more clean and simple approach trying to use more masculine colors.  Kraft is very manly, don't you know? LOL.  I stamped the solid image mustache in Chocolate Chip ink randomly all over the main panel. I then did a center panel using Summer Sun and Orange Ink (not sure of the color name).  Easy peasy!!!

Flava Sava is a 4x4 set that includes a total of 14 stamps and will sell for $10.00.

Would you like to win the new Flava Sava stamp set? Here is what you need to do- visit the Trendsetter’s blogs that are participating in each of the blog hop challenges below and comment on their creations as you go. One of the Trendsetter’s blogs (from each hop day) will be randomly chosen as the ‘it’ blog and a winner will be picked using a random number generator from the comments left on that Trendsetter’s Blog Hop Challenge post.

You will not know which blog has been chosen so the more you comment on the better your chances are of winning new stamps! The Blog Hop Challenges will be open until 5 PM Eastern Time Saturday, May 26th with the winner being announced during the release party chat.