memory.

I'm playing along with Stuck?! Sketches Nov 15 sketch challenge this month. Here's my page:

supplies
kraft doilies: Maya Road
chipboard hearts: Pink Paislee
gold rub ons: Chic Tags (Good Tidings)
gold metal hearts: Teresa Collins
puffy stars: twine + ink

living.

I have the Thursday Scraplift challenge up on the Scrapping Turtle forum - Turtle Soup. I chose Jackie P's layout to lift:

Here's my page:

I dug into my stash for these patterned papers - the embellishments too! This is from the Bengals/Chiefs game at the beginning of October.

supplies
stamps: Paper Trey Ink (Faux Ribbon); Studio Calico (Aloha add on kit)
ink: Memento (Tuxedo Black; Tangelo)
label stickers: Kelly Purkey; Studio Calico
chipboard hearts: Pink Paislee
puffy sticker: Skipping 5
patterned paper: Studio Calico (orange 12x12); Glitz Design (zebra print); Bella Blvd (circle); 
enamel shapes: Teresa Collins 

Stick It Down November blog hop!

Welcome to Stick It Down's November blog hop! Several of our design team members have created projects to share with you along the hop. If you've never participated in a blog hop before, you'll just hop from blog to blog to visit each designer's page and project. You'll leave a comment at each stop along the hop. The hop will end right back here where you started, where you can comment to let us know you've completed the hop and you're entered to win the grand prize. You have until Monday November 23 at 11:59pm to complete the hop. The winner will be announced on or before November 25.

We have several prize packages and one grand prize lined up! Paper Wings Productions is generously sponsoring our blog hop and is offering a $25 gift certificate to the online store!

Paper Wings Productions is owned by Carrie Edelmann Avery. All of the PWP stamps are produced in the USA and are made using the highest quality of materials. You can check out the PWP online store to see the red rubber cling and the clear photopolymer stamps!

Are you ready to get started? Here is the order of the hop, just in case you get lost:

Marci

Irmeline

Loreto

Hanne

Amanda

Terri Ann

Ronna

Ali

Ashley
Katy
 Stick It Down 

I chose to do a single page layout and since our theme is Christmas, I dug out the photo I used for our Christmas cards last year. No, it hadn't been scrapbooked yet! THIS is the sketch I chose:

Here's my page:

I converted this sketch to 8.5 x 11 and used one larger photo. I made my tree embellishments using heat embossing and the Winter Wood Cuts red rubber cling stamp set. My other branch embellishments come from heat embossing with the Build a Wreath and the Winter Woodland stamp sets. I tucked a die cut label under the photo, added couple of small embellishments, and then stamped 'love' from the Say It Winter Greetings stamp set.

We sure hope you're enjoying our blog hop! Head on to Katy's blog now!

I'm also having a giveaway of my own and I'm using Rafflecopter to make it easy to enter:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

supplies
stamps: Paper Wings Productions (Say It Winter Greetings; Build a Wreath; Winter Wonderland; Winter Wood Cuts)
embossing powder: Sparkle N Sprinkle (Mojito; Coffee)
ink: Memento (Tuxedo black)
enamel stickers: Amy Tangerine

Stitch Fix #7.

Fix #7 showed up this week! I never know what to expect when I get these boxes because the times I open them and think I'll hate everything, I like everything. So this time, I did like everything, but the fit was off on a couple of things. Here's what I got.

Market & Spruce Sawyer Space dye Dolman sleeve knit top size medium $58

Liverpool Anita skinny pant size 6 $78

Loved this top. Kept it. Also liked the pants, but they were a little long and they had a saggy crotch. Had to return them.

Loveappella Howella knit top size medium $48

 

I liked this top. I'm not sure if it was the fit or the material, but it kept bunching up and looking funky. I had to return it.

Fate Rowen faux leather quilted vest size medium $78

 

I debated keeping this one. It's gold and I don't wear gold. But I love the navy color and I love the fit and I don't have anything like this. Plus, everyone on Instagram said I can mix my metals.

Papermoon Keline lace shoulder knit top size medium $54

 

 This was way too big. Obviously.

If you're interested in trying it out, please use my referral link.

Paper Wings Productions: winter tags.

I have two winter themed tags on the Paper Wings Productions blog today. I'd love for you to stop by!

supplies
stamps: Paper Wings Productions (Winter Wood Cuts cling stamp set; Winter Wood Cuts cling stamp set; Winter Wood Cuts cling stamp set)
embossing powder: American Crafts ZiNG! white opaque finish
ink: Memento (Tuxedo Black); Tim Holtz Distress ink (Peeled Paint; Shabby Shutters; Forest Moss)

epic adventure.

This was done for a challenge at Paper Issues online crop this weekend to use orange on a project. When I think orange, I think Bengals. I documented my trip to Pittsburgh last weekend for the Bengals/Steelers game. Here's my page:

supplies
stamps: Studio Calico; Sweet Stamp Shop (Love Across the Miles); Kelly Purkey (Kelly's Destination); The Alley Way Stamps (Star of the Show); Mama Elephant (Wanderlust);
ink: Hero Arts (Just Rust mid-tone); VersaFine (onyx black); Memento (Tuxedo Black);
chipboard stickers, enamel dew drops, label stickers, paper clips: Freckled Fawn
labels: Chic Tags (Autumn Days)
vellum hearts: Studio Calico Seven Paper 
 

fur baby.

Paper Issues is having an online crop this weekend with tons of challenges.This layout was made for the negative space challenge. I used a lot of the Bella Blvd Riley collection - this is seriously one of my favorite pet themed collections ever.

I fostered these three babies in July for a couple of weeks while they gained weight. They were so much fun.

the time I was a Bengals fan in Steeler's Nation.

This summer my friend Jake and I talked about traveling to Pittsburgh the weekend the Bengals played the Steelers and this past weekend, we made it happen. We left Friday evening when I got off work and it's about a six hour drive. We got to the hotel around 3AM. We had originally planned to leave Saturday morning so we only had the hotel room for one night. When we got to the hotel to check in for Friday night, we were hoping they had a room. To our surprise, they just checked us in early! We didn't have to pay for an extra night. Kudos to the Wyndham Grand! Right then I knew this trip was going to be awesome.

Saturday morning we woke up, had breakfast at the hotel, and walked over to the casino. Rivers Casino is right next to Heinz Field. It was really windy but the sun was shining and the walk along the river was gorgeous with all of the colors of the trees.

The stadium actually reminded me a lot of Paul Brown stadium. Right along the river, the bridge right there, the design was really similar. Anyway, bypassed the stadium and hit the casino. Jake won and I don't gamble but I played roulette with his money and lost. The pit boss gave us a $20 drink credit that I didn't have to do anything for so I count that as a win. We left the casino and tried to do a stadium tour, but they're over until April.

Saturday evening we tried to hit as much night life as we could. We stayed the longest at NOLA on the Square. I loved this bar. It was Halloween so every where we went, our wait staff was dressed up. Saturday evening we went up to Mt Washington and tried to have dinner. We ordered our drinks and Jake was informed they would only serve him one drink because he appeared "inebriated." So we just left.

We went back to the hotel and I crashed. They're still adjusting my thyroid meds so I'm always tired. Sunday we woke up and checked out of the hotel. Valet took about an hour to find my car because I need a new battery in my keyless entry fob. That was fun. We had breakfast/brunch at Primanti Brothers and it was amazing. The sandwiches were huge.

Next, we headed to the stadium....

that guy got mouthy at the end of the game - sore loser

I'm not gonna lie. I was nervous about this game. The Steelers aren't as tough as they used to be but the Bengals just have this thing with games that are prime time or highly amped up. and it isn't a good thing. Thank you Jesus we were able to pull this one out. Would you believe in our entire section we were the only two Bengals fans?! That almost never happens. What are the chances?

Our seats were pretty awesome. I've never had end zone seats before but the view was great for the most part. It was difficult to see when they were near the opposite end zone but I also need my contact prescription updated so that may just be me ;)

Steelers fans were leaving way before the game was over. I heckled them a little bit. Couldn't help myself. For the most part, the fans were nice, which was surprising. The couple that sat on either side of us we actually talked and joked with quite a bit. Other than that, no one gave us a hard time for cheering which is a sharp contrast to the time at Lucas Oil where I was told to "shut the fuck up" for cheering at a touchdown. Of course there were some guys a few rows behind us that started yelling that the refs were paid and all the calls were in favor of Cincinnati and all that crap. I guess when your team sucks you think of any excuse.

Then this happened:

thankful for you.

I made this card for a tic tac toe challenge I found at Stamping Smiles Designs. I chose to use embossing, twine, and thank you card. 

I was feeling autumn inspiration, probably because I raked my backyard for the fourth time today. I grabbed yellow and a brown embossing powders and I pinched them onto the Versamark stamped image. I didn't want it to be exact but I wanted alternating colors. I think it turned out pretty good. My sentiment is heat embossed onto a die cut tag and adhered with a pop dot and a cork leaf to my background.

supplies
stamp: The Alley Way Stamps (Line Upon Line);  Paper Wings Productions (Fall Mix It Up)
embossing powder: Sparkle N Sprinkle (Black Detail; Lemon Sherbet; Fiery Brown;
die: My Favorite Things(Accent It Flags and Tags)
cork: Elle's Studio (Sycamore Lane)

Paper Wings Productions: Halloween cards

I have two cards for Paper Wings Productions to share today. For my first card, I used one of the new release stamp sets, Build a Wreath.

I stamped my wreath from the Build a Wreath stamp set and die cut it with one of my circle dies that was a close match. Then I started stamping some of the Halloween images from the Little Halloween and the Fall Add Ons stamp sets. I colored the ghosts, the bat, the pumpkins, and the headstone with Copic markers and fussy cut them. I heat embossed the feather with black embossing powder right onto the wreath. I stamped the leaves with VersaMark ink, heat embossed them, and fussy cut them. The sentiment came from the Little Halloween stamp set and I just curved it slightly on my acrylic block so that it would fit nicely in the banner. The sentiment is also heat embossed with black detail embossing powder.

supplies

stamps: Paper Wings Productions (Fall Add Ons; Build a Wreath; Little Halloween)

embossing powder: Sparkle N Sprinkle (Black Detail EP171; Moss EP418)

ink: Memento (Tuxedo Black)

Copics:YR31; Y21 (banner); E31; E33 (bat); C1; C00 (ghosts, headstone); YR04; YR14 (pumpkins)

die: Lawn Fawn (circle stackables)

But wait! I also have one more card to share! This one is super simple and it's using the new stamp set, Winter Wonderland. 

First I used distress inks to color my background and then I die cut the grass from patterned paper. Next I stamped the branch and the bird with Memento ink. Lastly, I used a sentiment from Little Halloween and heat embossed with silver embossing powder.

 Here's my finished card:

supplies

stamps: Paper Wings Productions (Winter Wonderland; Little Halloween)

ink: Memento; Tim Holtz distress ink (shaded lilac; weathered wood; stormy sky)

patterned paper: Bella Blvd

embossing powder: Ranger super fine detail embossing powder (silver)

die: Mama Elephant

Thanks for checking out my cards and now that Halloween is almost here I am ready to move on to making some Thanksgiving and Christmas themed projects! If you made it this far, I have a surprise for you! I have a stamp set to giveaway!

For a chance to win the Build a Scene stamp set by Paper Wings Productions...

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

Stick It Down design team call!

It's time for a design team call! We are looking for new members for each of our teams - single page layouts, double page layouts and cards and we're also looking for sketch designers.

Our next term will run from January to June 2016. Please do not apply if you cannot commit to this time frame.

What you will do:

• provide one project per month, with possible special events during the six month term
• comment on all submissions as you are assigned
• post our challenge to your blog and other social media outlets 
• have projects completed and posted one week before the deadline

What you need:

• an active blog
• a Facebook account as this is where the DT "meets"
• a love for sketches
• organizational and time management skills

What we will do:

• provide the sketches at least one month in advance
• provide your posting schedule and commenting assignments
• be supportive and encouraging
• share your photo and your blog link on the SID blog
• share your project on various social media outlets

How to apply:

• send an email to Stick it Down at StickItDownChallenges@gmail.com with the subject line "Design Team Call"
• include your name and location
• include a list of current commitments (no experience necessary!)
• include three of your favorite layouts or cards that best display your style and suit the requirements of the team you are applying for (ie submit cards if you are applying for the card team)
• introduce yourself in few brief sentences
• If you have experience or are interested in designing sketches, please include a few of your sketch designs in your application as well.

This call is open to everyone, including our current team members, and will run until 11:59pm on November 30. The new team will be notified by December 4 and announced on the SID blog on or around December 15. The new design team's projects will be revealed in January.

live in the sunshine.

When I saw the Stuck?! sketch I immediately sat down to scrapbook. I am in love with this sketch.

I used a stencil with embossing paste and glitter embossing powder and then just started layering from there. I used ALL the stamps on this page.

I also used a couple of project life cards on this page. One is a 4x6 card that I trimmed down and matted my photo on. The other is one that I cut just the title from and you'd never know it was from a PL card.

Here's my page:

supplies
patterned paper: Cosmo Cricket (Hey Sugar)
stamps: Hero Arts (Paradise); Technique Tuesday (Summer Rocks); Kelly Purkey (Out in the Sunshine); Unity Stamp Co; Sweet Stamp Shop (Ahoy kit);
ink: VersaFine (crimson red; onyx black); Tim Holtz Distress Ink (picked raspberry);
stencil: Hero Arts (Sky stencil pair)
embossing paste: Dreamweaver Stencils
embossing powder: American Crafts ZING! (pink glitter finish)
puffy stickers: Freckled Fawn; twine + ink; Heidi Swapp
label stickers: Studio Calico Hello Forever
flair buttons: Chic Tags (Let's Go)
journal tags: Chic Tags (Let's Go); Elle's Studio
wood veneer, washi tape, vellum arrow die cuts: Studio Calico

home is so cozy.

I have a layout challenge up at the forums at Scrapping Turtle! It's Scraplift Thursday and the challenge is to 'lift lovelamb's layout:

Here's my page:

I used two small Instagram photos of my front living room and some project life cards. I love this house paper by Amy Tangerine and while I hate that the weather is cooling off, I love how cozy my house feels.

supplies
patterned paper:American Crafts (Ready Set Go); Lily Bee (The Village Park)
stamp set, vellum: Studio Calico
ink: Memento (Tuxedo Black)
cork stickers: Freckled Fawn
die cuts: October Afternoon Snap-CAPS (Apple Cider); Elle's Studio (Sycamore Lane cut outs)
labels: Chic Tags (Autumn Days)

Stitch Fix #6.

I know it's only been a couple of weeks since my last Fix but I was asked to attend a work Christmas party in early November so I asked for a couple of dresses in a Fix. Spoiler: I loved them both.

Kut from the Kloth Laurinda Dress size 4 $98

Love the color, love the fit, love the style, love the lace. So pretty. Fits like a dream. I love it. I knew I was keeping it before I even tried it on, so good thing it fit!

41Hawthorn Dita sleeveles ponte dress size small $68

I didn't think I was going to keep this one because it's kind of plain and do I really need another dress? but when I tried it on, it's like it was made for my body. Goodness gracious. Yes.

RD Style Tati knit top size small $44
Staccato Jayde open drape cardigan size small $48

This top? I hated it, then talked myself into it, and then didn't like it so I returned it. This cardigan? I loved the colors, really pretty, but I just think it looks terrible on me. I can't do super trendy things like this. Returned it too.

Zad Rhonda mini spoon necklace $34

I'm not a huge jewelry person but I'm open to some new pieces every now and again. I have a couple of necklaces that I just love and I rotate them so I just couldn't justify keeping this one.

So, Fix #6 in the books. I kept two items, which is about normal for me. If you're interested in trying it out, please use my referral link.