Block Party - Home Sweet Home

Happy day!  It's an outdoor grillin', popsicle eatin' kinda day here... a perfect opportunity to send the kids outside to play while I get crafty for the Market Street Stamps Block Party.  (or should I say, "par-tay!!"?)

I'm SO very excited about the new Persimmons Studio stamps they just released... have you seen them?  They are quirky and artsy and something a little bit outside of my typical "box"... they are going to be fab.  I thought while I {very impatiently} wait for them to arrive, I would play along with another favorite MSS set... Home Sweet Home.

Lots of banner flags and some cute little "photo corners" accent my house scene.  I paper-pieced and added some  pop for the attic windows... a cozy summer cottage, don't ya think?

Supplies
Stamps: Market Street - Home Sweet Home
Paper: PTI Kraft, Vintage Cream, & Lemon Tart; My Mind's Eye 
Tools: MFT Fishtail Flags & Photo Corners die-namics

A Fabulous Day...

I'm sharing something soft and shabby with you today.  These sweet strawberries are from Market Street Stamps and can be found exclusively in their April kit: Vintage Spring Market.  I love them and think they are perfect for sending summer greetings!

The berries are paper-pieced then shaded with Prisma pencils. (Side note: I've had my pencils since approximately 1997 when Santa tucked them under the tree. How's that for a fun fact? ;)

I combined the Simple Circles & Heart border dies from PTI along the top then added a label and encouraging sentiment from Signature Series: Dress Form.  I really like everything layered up like this... lots of details to notice and enjoy.

I'm also adding this card to the PC Magazine Gallery Idol competition. (crossing my crafty fingers!)

I hope your weekend has been restful... I'm wishing you a fabulous day!

Stamps: Market Street - Vintage Spring Market; PTI Bells & Boughs, Fillable Frames # 7, Signature Series: Dress Form
Ink: PTI Fine Linen & Dark Chocolate; A-Muse Studio - Blush
Paper: PTI Sweet Blush, Fine Linen, & Vintage Cream; Echo Park - This & That 
Tools: PTI Simple Circles & Hearts border dies, Bells & Boughs dies; MFT Oval Stax, Fishtail Flag Stax, & Oval Decorative Doily die-namics

Tweet Thoughts - Play Date Cafe #122

Welcome to a gorgeous new week in the Play Date Cafe!  Our color story this week is chic and mod... very on trend and a bit reminiscent of our adored 'color pop' challenges...

Charcoal, Ash, and Butter  

I love yellow these days... I think it's the promise of sunshine-y spring days.  I chose to make it my card's accent color.  The gray background was made using the 'special edition' doily stamp that was included in my Market Fresh Kit from Market Street Stamps.  I love getting all the coordinating goodies each month.  I also used their new Houndstooth background for my frame and a sentiment from Comforting Florals (adore the font).  The sweet bird is created from the Homespun Birdhouse die-namics via My Favorite Things.  I think it's a nice card to have on hand for sending a bit of encouragement or even kind sympathies.

Our sponsor this week in the Cafe is Simon Says Stamp... don't miss this chance to play along and win a shopping spree to their store... you know they have everything! (and you need it all! ;)

Stamps: Market Street - Houndstooth, Comforting Florals, & doily from Market Fresh Kit (February 2012)

Paper: PTI Smokey Shadow & Rustic Cream; CSS Your Such a Gray-cious Host

Ink: A-Muse Studio - Slate

Tools: My Favorite Things - Homespun Birdhouse & First Class Friend

Follow Your Heart - Play Date Cafe #117

Hi-ya crafty friends!  It's another beautiful week at the Play Date Cafe.  Our color story this week is soft and creamy...

Robin Egg, Lilac, and Bisque

I inked up one of my favorite backgrounds from Market Street - Grace.  I sometimes struggle with getting a nice impression from really large stamps, but my A-Muse inks are perfect.  I used Eucalyptus and was thrilled with the even coverage.

My doily focal point uses lots of frilly bits. Pop in tomorrow to see how I re-worked this card for a different look after one of my sweet wee ones got a hold of it. ;)

We hope you'll play along with us this week in the Cafe.  We have a great prize up for grabs from Melanie Muenchinger, one of the talented designers behind Gina K. stamps.

We also have a fabulous new designer: Alicia Thelin.  Her work is gorgeous and full of fresh ideas.  We are SO happy to welcome her to the Cafe.  Pop over and tell her hello and then get crafty with us - can't wait to see what you create!

Stamps: Market Street - Grace background & Compass (sentiment), WMS Dainty Doilies 2; Cardstock: PTI Rustic Cream & Lavender Moon, SU! Baja Breeze; Ink: A-Muse - Latte & Eucalyptus, PTI Dark Chocolate & tea dye duo; Tools: PTI Parisian Lace die & Loopsy Daisy die; Sassy Somethings: Kaiser flower (from my Market Fresh kit - MSS), Webster's Pages & Authentique trinket pins

Year in Review 2011

A crafty year in review with 11 of my favorites from 2011. I hope you feel a fresh sense of beginning for 2012... I'm looking forward to it. I'm so grateful for the friends I've made through crafting... this sassy spot on the web is one of many things I include when I count my blessings.

Without further ado:

Papertrey Ink in all its glory.  

This card is at the tippy-top of my "love it!" list.

I branched out into Copics this year and absolutely love coloring the 

Pure Innocence kids from MFT. 

When I discovered WaltzingMouse it was love at first sight. 

I'm still proud of the Scrabble tiles I created using the PTI Alpha Block die. 

In 2012 I hope to find this clean balance again.  

My Mind's Eye paper collections are definitely favorites. 

I think this is probably one of the best cards to represent my style 

and how much I love sassy somethings.

Market Street Stamps - my favorite new company.  

I was honored to be included in their "Cream of the Crop" twice in 2011.

Being a part of the Pink Persimmon creative team was a highlight of 2011.  

Anything that Melissa Phillips designed this year for PTI was an instant favorite.  

Her style (and sweet spirit) constantly inspire me.

This Christmas card took me out of my comfort zone but I loved the result.  

I made it for the Play Date Cafe  - I'm so honored & blessed to be a part of their team. 

This fall card was featured on the cover of the November 2011 CARDS Magazine.  It is my all-time favorite from this year.  It represents so much for me, but mostly a dream realized... and the beginning of something that I hope continues to grow and blossom.

I would love to check out your "Year in Review".
 Karin is hosting a great place to link up to see everyone's 2011 favorites.
Join us HERE.

I raise my glass to you, dear crafty friends!  Here's to a New Year filled with mojo & sass!

Much love & HUGS!

Dear Santa

I'm working on a Daily December album during the holidays to capture my family's sweet memories of the season.  I'm just getting my large pages going, but I think it will be a lot of fun to spend time gathering photos and snippets of our day-to-day activities... especially when the kids are so young and the delight of Christmas is so innocent and pure.  Scrapbooking is a new arena for me and I'm still trying to find my comfort zone with photography and journaling.

Abigail is thrilled with all things Santa this year and has been making her list and checking it twice.  ;)  I put together a quick little mini page to tuck into our album for her.  I'm nervous to write on pages and journal with my own handwriting... so pretend it reads: tricycle, mobile (for her baby doll's crib), and new crayons.

I used Market Street Stamps Vintage Notepad background stamp  and was thrilled to find that it coordinates perfectly with the PTI Mini Book Page die.  I love the already aged background - so easy to just rub with a bit of distress ink and amp up the rustic/shabby vibe.  A few additional elements from the MSS Hippie Chic stamp set were also selectively inked for extra details.

I hope your December is off to a great start... falalalala!

Stamps: Market Street - Vintage Notepad background & Hippie Chic, MFT - Typewriter ABC; Ink: SU! Soft Suede & Old Olive, PTI Basic Black & Pure Poppy; Cardstock: PTI Rustic Cream; Tools: PTI mini book page; Sassy Somethings: Echo Park chip sticker

Mister Scarecrow

Let me introduce you to my Mister Scarecrow from Market Street Stamps.  He is an adorable straw man from the Autumn Greetings stamp set and I just love him to bits.  Plus, I'm in the mood for fall... I've told you how much I love all things pumpkin, Thanksgiving, and sweater-weather, right??

I colored Mister Scarecrow's face and straw with Copics but paper-pieced his outfit.  The paper-piecing was a bit tedious but I just love it - something about concentrating on the detailed cutting that relaxes me.  I stamped a little "Happy Fall" sign for him to hold and thought it was a perfect touch.  I'll be adding this to the Market Street Stamps Flickr gallery as an entry to their monthly Cream of the Crop contest... because who doesn't love the chance at a great prize?

Just a note that I'm in love with pumpkin orange paired with aqua.  You might have heard the BIG news that a card I made is featured on the cover of November's CARDS magazine.  Seriously??!  Pinch me!  You can get a little sneak peek on my sidebar... pumpkin orange and aqua.  It works for me. ;)

Stamps: Market Street Stamps - Autumn Greetings; Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black & SU! Soft Suede; Cardstock: PTI Kraft & SS White, SU! Really Rust; Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye - Mischevious; Tools: PTI Mat Stack #1 Mega & Layerz, Picket Fence die, MFT Upsy Daisy die-namic; Sassy Somethings: MME burlap trim

Happy Fall!

Click HERE for my Pink Persimmon "Home Sweet Home" card.

Pumpkins - love 'em.  When I saw the Autumn Greetings stamp set from Market Street I was instantly smitten... pumpkins and a scarecrow... sign me up!  This week I had the perfect excuse (who needs an excuse?) to ink them up for the Paint the Town Color Challenge over on the Market Street blog.  Plus, it just so happens that Market Street is sponsoring the Card Patterns challenge this week as well.  Two for the price of one... yes, please.  Here's the inspiration:

Paint the Town 

Card Patterns

So fun to combine a simple, striking sketch with a great color combo.  One last peek at my paper-pieced pumpkins (say that 5 times fast):

Stamps: Market Street Stamps - Autumn Greetings; Ink: Memento; Cardstock: PTI Kraft, Rustic Cream and Dark Chocolate, SU! So Saffron; Patterned Paper: MME Stella & Rose; Tools: MFT Scallop Border die (medium), PTI Double-ended Banner die & heart dies; Sassy Somethings: PTI twine and button

Heart & Soul - Play Date Cafe #96

I'm on cloud nine this week with the Play Date Cafe because we had a fun opportunity to work with Market Street Stamps.  Seriously, these stamps are cute!  I got to stamp with the Hippie Chic set and I am smitten.  I really enjoyed pairing the whimsical guitar from the set with this week's color story and a fab sketch from Card Patterns... shabby chic and hippie chic... a cute combo, don't you think?

click to visit Marketplace 

Our colors this week in the Cafe are soft and sweet... 

Mint, Ivory, & Coral

Coral = Melon Berry for my PTI friends.  

You all know how much I {adore} Melon Berry!! 

I hope you'll join us this week in the Cafe for a chance to win your own Market Street Stamps... and I hope you also have a sweet song in your heart.  Or Lady Gaga - whichever you prefer. ;)

Stamps: Market Street - Hippie Chic; Ink: SU! Soft Suede, PTI Melon Berry and Chamomile tea-dye; Cardstock: PTI Melon Berry, Kraft and Rustic Cream; Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye (MME) - Blush; Tools: PTI Banner Topper and Tiny Tags die, corner rounder; Sassy Somethings: MME Sunshine trims, PTI Melon Berry saddle stitch, Crate Paper button