Katz Designz is giving away blog candy!

Check out this cute stamp set from The Angel Company that Katz Designz will be giving away!

Cuttlebug Spot Challenge # 46 : Celebrate Education

For this week's Cuttlebug Spot Challenge # 46 : Celebrate Education, I made a pencil holder to celebrate back to school! Hopefully I'll be taking some little ones to school, one day :)

Beautiful Greetings:Blog Candy

Beautiful Greetings is givingaway some blog candy! Check it out HERE. :)

Cuttlebug Challenge:Be inspired # 46 & Cosmo Cricket

I must say, I loved...la-ooved this challenge! Why you ask? Well the only reason, Cosmo Cricket! This company is my all time fav and they never disappoint. :) I was happy (and sad) to use my Girl Friday Paper Crafting Kit because I would be cutting into it, using it up...BUT all for a great cause! A challenge! So the Cuttlebug Challenge this week is to create a back to school set, gift set for a teen, for their locker, or for your desk, or as a gift to someone. I decided to make a desk set for myself because I couldn't stand to part with my Girl Friday ;) I also used some of the chipboard {but not all heehee!) It was a fun challenge to make things I've never made before like the pencil holder and the post-it note holder. And now, my desk looks SO pretty with all my beautiful Cosmo Cricket creations on it! My sister in law Lou also did this challenge with the Honey Pie line, hop on over to check out her desk set HERE. Good luck Lou! I hope one of us wins!! xoxo



Here is the back of the notebook:

Prima Picks Giveaway!

Prima Product Picks!

Ready for something FUN?

Something REALLY, REALLY Fun?

Prima has chosen some of their very favorite products, and put them together in a fantastic little ensemble below...what we want to do is to introduce you to a few of them...

and, THEN, get you involved!

What they would like you to do:

Post this Prima Pick photo or whole entry to your blog (or other online gallery/site)

AND then post your link right here in the comment section.

They will randomly pick a winner a month later from the links posted and send a prize pack!

Good luck everyone!! :)

Paper Hugs Blog Candy

Check out Paper Hugs and her sweet candy giveaway HERE

True's Gifts From the Heart Blog Candy

True is giving away some awesome Cuttlebug candy! Oh boy, if I win I'll need to get me a Cuttlebug ;) hee hee! Check out her blog giveaway details HERE. Good luck!

Blog Candy

Priscillastyles is giving away some great stamp blog candy! Deadline is Sept 15th!

Your Next Stamp 1st Design Team Call

I decided to enter a Design Team Call for Your Next Stamp for several reasons. Very cute stamps{check out Fhiona - ah-dor-a-ble!}, I love to be creative and think "outside the box" and stamping/drawing/coloring are things I enjoy!
So I have come up with 2 designs that I think are my most original and do show my coloring techniques. I wish I had more time to create something better, but I'll just have to save those for when I become part of the team! ;) They are making a decision September 5th 2009, so I will wait patiently but anxiously! Wish me luck ;)
Thanks for looking!

CPS Challenge 130 & Use It Challenge

Happy almost "Girl Friday" :) I just love Cosmo Cricket so I had to break open my Girl Friday paper crafting kit! I made a post-it note holder with a matching card. The post-it note holder is for the Use it challenge no. 24 and the card was a bonus for that one but I also used the sketch for the CPS 130 card challenge. Oh and the post-it note holder will also be used for a Cuttlebug Challenge coming up. Yes I used a mini hacksaw to saw off my pencil since I didn't have one of those "golf" pencils LOL. It is helpful since I have an eraser on it now ;)
The pink cardstock is Rose Red from Stampin' Up, and all the rest of the paper is from Cosmo Cricket Girl Friday. I cut out the flowers on the post-it holder and used a foam square on one to make it really pop. The chipboard on the card is also Girl Friday. The flowers are Prima Marketing and Kaiser Craft. The cute little pearl flower is from Jenni Bowlin and the other bling is from Hero Arts. The stamp is from Unity Stamp Co.
If you really like the Girl Friday and pearl flowers be on the lookout for a new kit I will be selling in my online store Sweet Scrap Deal. Hope you have a great Friday and weekend!

Inktegrity Blog Candy!

Check out Inktegrity for a chance at some blog candy! It's another gift certificate to the online store of your choice. :) Drawing is Sept 15th!

A Sticky Situation Blog Candy Giveaway!

A Sticky Situation is giving away some blog candy here. Check it out, drawing will be on September 15th! She's giving away an online gift certificate of your choice, check out her blog for details!

Fluttabyz Crafty Haven Blog Candy!

Fluttabyz Crafty Haven is giving away this cute stamp set here. Enter by Sept 1st on their blog here.

Sneak Peek of the Unity Stamp Co. Sept KOM

I'm gettin excited! Here's a sneak peek at a stamp from the Unity Sept KOM. I can't wait to get it! :)

2 Sketches 4 You Sketch Challenge 33

Here is sketch challenge 33 for 2 Sketches 4 You. I decided to crack open my Cosmo Cricket Girl Friday Paper Pad and chipboard. I lo-ooove these colors! The butterfly is Stampin Up along with the So Saffron yellow cardstock paper and So Saffron Ink. I stamped over the butterfly and used white embossing ink so it would POP! The big circle dots are a Stampin Up stamp and the ink is Takin with Teal. The "thinking of you" is a Unity Stamp Co stamp and the pearls are Basic Grey. This was a fun card!

Julies Crafty Creations Blog Candy Giveaway!

Julie is giving away some blog candy in celebration of her birthday and wedding anniversary, check it out! Julie's Blog Deadline is Aug 27th August Midnight BST.

Creating from the Heart

Here is an awesome candy giveaway by Creating from the Heart {Keepsakes by Melissa}, check out her blog for the opportunity to win! :) The Zutter is just one item there's more on her blog! She's picking a winner Monday, August 31st at 3pm est!

Stamping & Sharing Blog Candy

Just wanted to let you know that Stephanie is giving away some blog candy on her blog, so check it out! A winner will be drawn September 1st!

The Sweet Stop Challenge - SSS18

I made this card for The Sweet Stop Challenge today...which is also my first challenge with them. Here is their sketch, which I really like! I used some Stampin Up scraps of paper & stickers in a creative way, added some pearl bling and wa-la! :)

My New Craft/Scrapping Room {or corner I should say!}

I'm very excited because I now have a new scrap/card making area in the house!! No more piling everything on the kitchen table, lugging boxes and cartons of stamps up and down the stairs, searching though cardboard boxes of STUFF! Now I'm all organized and labeled. I went to IKEA and picked out the table, hanging baskets, hanging wire, glass jars and plastic containers. I also got the little fold-able red bucket-looking thing which I'm using for a trash on my table when I'm crafting. I spent about $130 which I don't think is too bad. I also sanded and refinished the bookshelf that my boyfriend's grandpa made. I'm so excited. I know it's not the BEST studio, {oh no, I've seen those on 2 other blogs Just Laura and Sunny Stampin Inc...those are some AMAZING studios!! But you know what, I'm not a "designer" {yet!} or a teacher/demonstrator {someday maybe!!}...SO until that day I will be so happy and in love with my very on "sweet spot to scrap". :) Here are the pictures of my small but lovely scrap room!

Stephanie Castro Designs $150 Giveaway {to the place of your choice!}

Check out Stephanie's Blog for a chance to win a $150.00 gift card/certificate to the place of your choice! It's a thank you to all her Followers on her blog. YAY!!!!

Featured on the ABC Design Blog!

Hi Friends!
Just wanted to let you know I am featured as the "Creative Customer of the Week" on ABC's Design Blog. It's quite an honor for me since it's my first "feature". ;) Please check it out when you have a chance! Have a great evening!

Taylored Expressions Sketch Challenge #78

This is my very first Taylored Expressions Challenge! I happened upon her site while blog surfing...so I can't really remember how I found it, but I'm SO glad I found it nonetheless! I love the stamp sets! Super CUTE. I just couldn't order them in time for this challenge so I had to crack open my new Unity kit I just bought. So....
Ok, challenged I was when it came to this one! ;) I really wanted to incorporate the Unity packaging for sure because I love the way it's cut. I wanted it to be sweet so I picked the strawberries. Then I was confused on which colors to use. I started with black, red, green and brown. I thought the black would complement it, but NOPE. Looked horrible! So ditched that and just left the red and green and wa-la! I really like the way this card turned out and loved the challenge! Thanks Taylor for the inspiration. I hope to use YOUR line of stamps next time!!!

Challenge for August Sketch/ABC Design Blog

I created this card for 2 challenges. The first one is for the August sketch challenge for Rubber Stamp Chat, the second is for the ABC Design Blog (to be a creative customer of the week).
I used brown smooth cardstock for the background, the ivory/white paper and the pink is Honey Pie by Cosmo Cricket, punch by Fiskars, I used Hampton Art Studio G pink ink, Tsukineko Coffee Bean ink, Hero Arts - Asian Elements stamp set, "Sending love your way" stamp by Unity Stamp Co, flowers from Prima and Kaiser Craft, pearl bling by Basic Grey and ribbon...(I'm not sure but I think American Craft?). I love me some pink and brown! I like the way it turned out! :)

My Unity August Kit

I was so excited because my Unity Kit of the Month arrived yesterday!! It's super cute. It has really cute cupcakes, a heart with wings, a cute camera, pretty flourishes, an old fashioned bicycle, oh and so many more! I can't wait to use it!! Starting today ;)

August Giveaway!

************GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED***************

This post will remain at the top of my blog until September 2nd. Please scroll down for newer posts!

This month I'll be giving away a kit full of goodies to one lucky winner! Purchase in the month of August and get your name entered in a drawing to win a pack of goodies! Kit will include cardstock stickers, double and single sided paper, rub-ons, & epoxy stickers from names you know and love such as My Minds Eye, Three Bugs in a Rug, Cosmo Cricket, Creative Imaginations, Sassafras Lass, Rusty Pickle & more! I will definitely include some clear stamps in this free kit! Maybe a Danelle Johnson stamp set....or Heidi Swapp? This will be at least a $40.00 value! :)
So, again here are the details & a picture for you:

*Purchase anytime in the month of August from Sweet Scrap Deal and get entered to win {I apologize if my website looks a little off kilter, I'm in dire need of web help! Maybe I can offer some blog candy for help with my site?? ;)


*Unlimited entries!{one entry per purchase - no limits on # of entries!}


*Become a follower on my blog and make a purchase and get entered 2 times!! (2 times per purchase you make)


*Drawing to be held on September 1st


*Winner to be announced around September 1st or 2nd


*I reserve the right to make changes to this contest at any time, I may add more items :), I will not take away any that are pictured.

PS- FREE SHIPPING ALL WEEKEND 8/28 THROUGH 8/30 AT Sweet Scrap Deal

Here's something cute so you can see what I'm up to today...

outside my window ... is a swimming pool that keeps calling my name...no..must...stay...focused...LOL

i am thinking ... this blog stuff is pretty cool. Distracting but very cool. I should be making a card or creating a layout!

i am thankful for ... Galen. My boyfriend of 1 year who is simply amazing. I'm so blessed and so so thankful for him. He's definitely my knight.

from the kitchen ... comes the smell of browning hamburger meat and the spaghetti sauce I'm making. (Uncle Bill's Spaghetti) ;)

i am wearing ... a chocoholic t-shirt, linen capris and flip flops

i am creating ... a new look with an old bookcase. I'm sanding it down and I'm going to stain it and use it to organize all of my scrapbook stuff! Halfway through I was about to say screw it and go down to IKEA and buy a new one when Galen told me that his Grandpa made it. Ok, definitely need to finish it now! :)

i am going ... to stay focused and organized but most of all hopeful because I know that good things will come.

i am reading ... Harry Potter & The Deathly Hollows (I have to know what happens!!)

i am hoping ... that my business will be a success someday.

i am hearing ... my playlist on my blog.

around the house ... is scattered scrapbook stuff because I just laid it all out when I returned from the shop hop...plus I'm trying to organize it!

one of my favorite things ... is chips and pico. I make it just with chopped tomatoes, white onion, cilantro, lime juice and salt. I can eat a whole bowl of it!

a few plans for the rest of the week ... I'm taking my niece to John's Incredible Pizza tomorrow for lunch and swimming after, maybe having lunch with an ex coworker Wednesday, then meeting a friend for coffee/lunch Thursday maybe and Friday spending the day with my boyfriend since he is off that day.

a picture to share ... Here is a picture of the bookcase so far. I only have TWO shelves left to sand. =D YAY. I'm tired of sanding. At least it is an electric sander!!

Sizzlin Summer Paper Chase Booty

SO! The Paper Chase was awesome. We spent Saturday from 8AM until about 6:30PM shop hopping and went to about 9 stores, Sunday from 11AM until about 5PM and went to 7 stores and Wednesday 9:30AM until 3PM finishing up with 4 stores! I had a great time checking out all the new products like Cosmo Cricket's Earth Love, Basic Grey's Lemonade and Nook and Pantry...there's just too much to name! We even found the Unity Retailers Stamp Kit {100% Happiness} for sale at Scrap Lovers in San Jose so my sister and I went halfsies on it.
I bought a lot of super cute paper, embellies, ribbon, thickers and chipboard. My best deal was a Three Bugs in a Rug acrylic stamp set I bought for $5.00! Here's a picture of my shopping booty from our trip...want to know how much I spent?? About $160.00! It sure doesn't seem like $160.00! ;)


Here is a close-up of the Unity Stamp Co. 100% Happiness kit {which I can't wait to use!}:

Use It Challenge no.22

So for the Use It challenge no.22, I had to use a new technique, use a virgin stamp and use papers I've never used before. This was fun because I liked the idea of a new technique. I thought I would be brave and make my very first shaker! ;) I used a couple of stamps I was dying to use from Bombshell Stamps called "Hawaiian Girl" because I loved the little shell and starfish. Then I used some really cute paper that I was just craving to use called 'Summer Cool-Banana Flip-Flop' by Imaginisce. The felt letters are by Making Memories. The blue die cut I picked up at a shop so I'm not sure...but those are probably from a cricut(?) So, here is the finished card...

Sizzlin Summer Paper Chase 2009

{Original post written 8/7/09}
I'm off to do the Sizzlin Summer Paper Chase tomorrow & Sunday!

I'm excited to hang out with my sister Caroline and my sister in law, Lou. We had SO much fun last year doing 12 stores in ONE day! BUT...we have wisened up! We will be doing only about 1/2 tomorrow, staying the night at a hotel {relaxing & drinking adult beverages} and then finishing up Sunday & maybe Monday. I'm excited to check out all the stores, 20 of them! I'll be sure to post the cool stuff I see and any really great deals I find!