Peonies and Paper Chains

Easy as can be!

 

Hello friends. Happy Monday! Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend. Ours was good and I spent it completely computer free...that can be a good thing!

One of the things I did this weekend was to do a little Halloween decorating and it was as truly as easy and can be. I simply went into my Halloween storage box,  pulled out these goodies, and put them on the shelf above my desk:

The jack-o-lantern is a metal one that has a base designed to hold a pillar candle.

This framed art was created in minutes using the MDS Toxic Framable Designer Template. All the work was done by Stampin' Up! designers and all I had to do was to re-size the print so that it would fit my 5" x 7" frame (it otherwise prints 8-1/2" x 11").

This sweet stack was made using a mix of stamps, ink, and paper (including the Howlstooth & Scaringbone Designer Series Paper that is available as an MDS download). 

I'll be sharing some brand new Halloween projects soon!

Will you be decorating for Halloween? If so, what are your favorite decorations?

Have a creative day!

 

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Five on Friday!

Happy Friday, friends! Hope you've been having a fabulously creative week!

It is time for a brand new color combo to get you inspired:

It is definitely bright and bold, yet the splash of Basic Gray provides some anchoring.

Did you notice I added a little emblem with the date? Be sure to let me know what you think. I've been creating these colors for awhile now but have never dated them. I thought it would be nice to start doing so. Do you agree? If you are receiving this post via email, simply click the post title to be taken to my blog where you can leave a comment.

Wishing you a creative day!

 

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P.S. I'm super excited for the weekend to arrive and to carve out some time for creating...the only time I set foot in my crafting zone this week was to feed the dogs! Yep, they share space with me.

Tag! I'm It!

Friends, I've been tagged! If you follow Dawn Tidd's Tiddbits from Dawn blog, you know that she tagged me for the Creative Blog Hop. Thank you, Dawn, for tagging me!

You may have seen others post about the Creative Blog Hop. If not, it's a way for us to tell you a little more about ourselves and make some new friends as we do. You'll find Dawn's post here. Dawn and I met virtually through the Stampin' Pretty Pals group, serve on the Pals Paper Arts design team together, and Dawn also suggested me as a member for the Stamp Review Crew. She's an incredibly talented stamper and I love how she always finishes the inside of her cards! 

As a participant in the Creative Hop, I've been asked to answer a few questions for you... 

1. What am I working on now?

Right now, I'm working on this blog post of course! However, I am sure what you want to hear about is what I am crafting! Believe it or not, I do not have a single project that I am working on right now. I'm a "start to finish" crafter and finish nearly all my projects in one sitting. 

I can tell you what I will be working on this week...

• projects my October paper crafting class
• new Five on Friday color combos and a little something to show this week's combo in action
• additional goodie bags from the September Paper Pumpkin kit so I can get Halloween treats in the mail to our nieces and nephews

 

2. How does my work differ from others in my genre?

One thing that I hear from others is that my projects are so different from many that they see online. I think this stems from the fact that I do lots of projects beyond cards. While there is nothing at all wrong with making cards, I simply am not as great of a letter writer as I once was. Making little paper crafts to give away and putting together home decor is much more my speed these days.

In addition, I do not have a single style that I am known for using. There some individuals who are known for their clean and simple look, others who are gurus of the vintage style, and others who fall in between.  My projects fall all over the map, though when I am working towards vintage, I think I usually end up with a grungy look...and I'm okay with that!

 

3. Why do I create what I do?

I'm a lifelong crafter. As a child I watched my mom get together with a monthly crafting group , I took art lessons one afternoon a week all through elementary school, and I started stamping my own Christmas cards about 20 years ago. For me, creating is a fun outlet and can be a great stress reliever at the end of a busy day. These days, I also want to share my love of crafting with my girls. Sometimes it is so hard not to jump in as they are doing something they way I envision it, however, I do my best to stand back and let them create their little masterpieces. Even when that masterpiece is inking up their hands and stamping their handprints onto paper!

 

4. How does my creative process work?

There is not a whole lot of consistency when it comes to my creative process. Sometimes I am inspired by a sketch or color combo, other days it is based on soemthing that I've seen. If the girls are around when I am crafting, they might provide a starting point by suggesting a color or stamp to use.

When I comes to putting projects together, I gather all the pieces and then assemble. I try not to glue anything down until I have all the pieces ready. I've also been known to pull out my phone or iPad to take a picture of what I am creating...this allows me to pull part a more complex project and have a guide for re-assembling it.

 

Enough about me! Hope you've enjoyed these insights and the photos I added along the way!

I now get to tag three other individuals who will share their responses to these questions next week! The individuals I've chosen to tag are Lisa Harlow at Dwell Delightfully, Delaney Martin of Swish and Stamp, and Elizabeth Volker with Willow Tree Papercrafting. These three talented Stampin' Up! demonstrators are ones that I have gotten to know through Instagram. By way of introduction, I'm sharing a glimpse at their Instagram feeds and you'll understand why I enjoy seeing their creations:

 

Lisa Harlow

Follow Lisa on Instagram: @mrslisaharlow

 

 

Delaney Martin

Follow Delaney on Instgram: @swishandstamp

 

Elizabeth Volker

Follow Elizabeth on Instagram @willowtreepapercrafting

 

Aren't they amazingly talented? Just wait until next Monday when you get to visit their blogs and learn more about them!

 

And, thanks again, Dawn for tagging me!  

 

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Five on Friday - A Cool, Crisp Fall!

Cool, crisp fall air has started to arrive here in New England. Morning temps have been in the 50s for the last week and it is evident that fall is just around the corner. Given the change of seasons, I decided to share a color combo that represents some of the myriad of colors that one might see across New England in the next few weeks:

I'm excited to get creating with this combo! How about you?

 

 

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PPA 220: Double the Fun!

Within about two hours of the September Paper Pumpkin kit arriving at my home, I was busy creating with it! While I have yet to assemble the entire kit, the first little bag I put together was for The new Pals Paper Arts sketch challenge (PPA222):

Here's what I created:

The lil' tag was created based on the sketch and as I assembled the complete project, I could not help but think that the entire project itself is a take off on this week's great sketch! So consider this project to double the fun from the design!

Be sure to visit the Pals Paper Arts to see all the inspiration from the design team!

Have a creative day!

 

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P.S. I can't wait to use the rest of this fun Paper Pumpkin kit...as someone who loves Halloween, I'm finding it is my favorite kit yet!

Stamp Review Crew: Truly Grateful Edition

The Stamp Review Crew is at it again! This time we are sharing ideas for using the Truly Grateful stamp set! This set was initially available for purchase in Fall 2013 and then went away in January 2014 with end of the holiday catalog. I was thrilled to see this set make its way into the 2014-2015 annual catalog as it is one of my favorites.

Stampin' Up!, I'm...

that this set is back!

And, to my fellow Stamp Review Crew friends, I'm so grateful we decided to feature this fabulous set! 

For the hop, I've created a home decor piece to share:

While the photo above was taken with the piece on the floor, it is now hanging on the wall in my crafting space!

The combo of Very Vanilla, Calypso Coral and Early Espresso ink, Crisp Cantaloupe paper,  and Hello Honey card stock works together so well! To create a vintage feel, I rolled Soft Suede ink onto the background pieces with my brayer.

Today's project is a hybrid -- all the "stamping" you see is 100% digital using MDS and the project was assembled using tradition paper crafting techniques.

I'm considering adding a photo printed in sepia tone onto the Crisp Cantaloupe sheet...what do you think?

Please be sure to hop along for all of the other creations from the Stamp Review Crew! Today's line-up is:

1. Kerry Willard Bray   --  You are here!
2. Mike Funke    
3. Holly Krautkremer   
4. Beth Beard   
5. Shana Gaff   
6. Tanya Boser    
7. Wendy Weixler
8. Yapha Mason  
9. Cindy Beach   
10. Dawn Tidd    
11. Heidi Baks   
12. Debra Burgin  

 

   

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P.S. My friend Dawn Tidd tapped me for the the Creative Crew Hop and, given the Stamp Review Crew hop today, I'll be sharing my Creative Crew post next Monday!

Serenity

Friends, it has been a busy couple of weeks. As I am sure many of you can relate, the start of the academic year means establishing new routines when you have kids in school. There are transitions and adjusting going on for all of us. In addition to my paper crafting, I work in higher education so that means I'm adapting to a new year at work, too. Rather than wearing myself out or foregoing some family time, I did put some creating and blogging to the side this week...hopefully you enjoyed the posts I did share and can appreciate that I stepped back a bit.

One thing that I am committed to is ensuring that the Five on Friday posts go up each week. I know how much you love them and I have so much fun putting them together for you. Without further ado, let's get to the combo!

If I could use just one word to describe this week's palette, it is serenity...

 

 

This past week, I did create a really fun banner and some decor for a baby shower using this color palette. It is a really wonderful combo to use!

True story -- I managed to not take a single picture of the items. Not one single image. You will just have to believe me when I say it was delightful. Perhaps I will recreate the items after I replenish my stash of these colors because I have zero Pool Party and zero Coastal Cabana cardstock in the house right now!

Because I do not want you to be without inspiration, I put together a little project using MDS:

Thanks so much for stopping by today for a little inspiration. Today, I wish you time to be creative and time to simply be happy.

 

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Pals September Hop - A few of my favorite things!

Welcome to the September Pals Blog Hop! This month we are showing off our favorite new products from the new Stampin' Up! Holiday Catalog. We hope you enjoy our projects!

You may just be starting the blog hop or may have come from Nancy Gleason at My Stampin Space, stop #27, on the Pals Hop. If you get off track at any time, the full lineup below will help you move along from blog to blog so you see all of the amazing creations.

I'll admit that I love just about every single item in the Holiday Catalog...there are so many amazing products packed into its 52 pages! However, when it came time to choose which favorites to share today, the choice was easy!

My choices? Why they would be...

Gift Box Punch Board -- the best $19.95 that that I spent lately!

Under the Tree Specialty Designer Series Paper -- just the right weight for beautiful boxes!

Note Tag Punch -- such an adorable punch shape and fabulous for gift tags!

The box on the left is 4 x 4 x 4" and the one on the right is 4 x 4 x 2.5"...I love the ability to easily make boxes of different sizes!

I especially love the little 1.75 x 1.75 x 1.75" boxes...you can make 4 of them from a single sheet of 12" x 12" paper and they would be perfect for a single Lindt chocolate ball!

And the little Note Tag fits on top of the little box beautifully!

If you don't yet have the Gift Box Punch Board, Note Tag Punch, and Under the Tree Specialty paper on your wish list or in your crafting space, do consider adding them!

 

The next stop is September Gray at SeptemberGray.com, stop #29, on the Pals Blog Hop! The full line up is beneath my signature should you need it!

Thanks so much for visiting and I hope to see you next month!

                

 

Wishing you a creative day!

 

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Pals September Hop Line-Up 

1. Kim Czenszak at LiveLoveStamp
2. Natalie Bradley at Natalie Bradley Events
3. Susan Lankford at Stamp and Create With Susan
4. Sue Becker at RnR Stamping
5. Becky Gifford at The Social Stamper
6. Susan Itell at Simple Stampin
7. Kelly DeTommaso at Kelly's Creative Corner
8. Debbie Mageed at Secret Stamper
9. Katy McGloin at Just fun Stamping
10. Patti MacLeith at Papercrafts by Patti
11. Jackie Diediker at Stampin' Jackie
12. Shannon Jaramillo at www.EZPeasyCards.com
13. Sherrie Gross at Stampin' Sunshine
14. Jane Knudsen at see jane stamp
15. Lisa Ann Bernard at Queen B Creations
16. Katie Ferguson at Cottage Paper
17. Beth Beard at My little craft blog
18. Amy Hoptay at Inking of You!
19. Amanda Merrill at Inkflair
20. Wendy Klein at Doggone Delightful Stampin'
21. Mary Fish at Stampin' Pretty
22. Dawn Tidd at Tiddbits from Dawn
23. Amy Williams at Stamps and Spice
24. Rae Harper-Burnet at WildWestPaperArts.com
25. Diane Roberts at Score at Four and a Quarter
26. Beth McCullough at Stamping Mom
27. Nancy Gleason at My Stampin Space
28. Kerry Willard Bray at Peonies and Paper Chains  -- YOU ARE HERE
29. September Gray at SeptemberGray.com
30. Nicole Watt at Pixel Maven's Retreat
31. Debbie Crowley at expressivelydeb...
32. Angie Valle-Peters at Paperluxuries
33. Peggy Noe at prettypapercards
34. Maggie Mata at Maggie Made Cards
35. Lynn Kolcun at Stamping with Avery's Owlery

Motley Monsters + Gift Box Punch Board = Halloween Happiness

The Halloween preparations are underway at my house! Today I am sharing one of the first projects of the year with you. A big welcome to those of you who have just stopped over from Mary Fish's Stampin' Pretty blog...thank you, Mary, for having me as your guest today!

We have 4 nephews and 2 nieces scattered across the US and I love to send them a little something for Halloween. Today you get to see the first Halloween box that I created using the amazing new Gift Box Punch Board. I can see getting lots and lots of use out of this tool!

To jazz up the box, I used some of the Motley Monsters Designer Series Paper and some Chevron Ribbon in Crushed Curry. And a tag...

that was created using the Tag a Bag Accessory Kit, Freaky Friends stamps, and a sentiment from Teeny Tiny Wishes. Without a doubt, Teeny Tiny Wishes is the most versatile sentiment set in my collection...there is a stamp for just about every occassion!

 

Care to take a guess?

 

 

What would you love to see inside this box?

 

 

Ready or not, here it is...

 

Stampin' Up! Filter Paper was used for the ghost and I could not leave the inside of the box bare. The sweet little bat and the ghost eyes are part of the Freaky Friends stamp set. It also seemed fitting to repeat the sentiment inside -- it was stamped directly onto a piece of the Motley Monsters Designer Series Paper. I think that the little "Frankenstein" is adorable!

Here's what I did to make the ghost:

You cannot see in the photo, however I used Whisper White Baker's Twine to secure the ghost to the lollipop.

Time to tuck in a few more treats and send off the goodies by mid-October!

The box features my latest Five On Friday color combo. Several of the colors come direct from the Motley Monsters paper and I think the Blackberry Bliss works incredibly well with the palette:

 

 

Wishing you a creative day!

 

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Five on Friday...a peek!

You've just seen a peek at the project that I'll be sharing on Sunday...yes, I said Sunday. These days I do not often publish on the weekends, however, I'll be the guest stamper over on Mary Fish's Stampin' Pretty blog that day so I am making an exception.

The project you'll see on Sunday features today's Five on Friday color combo:

Hope this combo inspires you to get creating!

The ultimate Stampin' Up! kit is is the starter kit and you can select up to $125 in products for just $99 plus local tax! There's no requirement to host a workshop or even to place another order, however you will be eligible for discounts on every purchase you place until the end of January 2015! I love a good deal..what about you?  Learn more about the perks of purchasing a kit.

 

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