sweetsteph card creations

MSS Market Fresh Kit- FARMHOUSE DREAMIN'

2012-02-10T20:00:00.000-05:00

Well- here we are! It's time for the FULL reveal and the February kit FARMHOUSE DREAMIN' is now for sale as a single purchase or as a subscription in the Marketplace!

How about a few pictures to give you a closer look at what is in the kit?

Here's the kit in full!

A lovely assortment of patterned papers from October Afternoon, Basic Grey, Cosmo Cricket, and Lily Bee Design.... three coordinating 12 x 12 Bazzill cardstock sheets.... cardstock sticker labels and buttons from October Afternoon... fabulous Alphabeans from Jillibean Soup.... May Arts twisted burlap string.... Kaisercraft pearls.... oh, and did I mention that AMAZING doily stamp- it's EXCLUSIVE to this kit!

LOVE these awesome buttons from October Afternoon, petals from Basic Grey, and that burlap string is my new best friend! HAHA!

A really great assortment of neutrals and patterns- perfect for any theme or project!

And look at these bold patterns, too! They have been so fun to work with and really make a big impression!

I am LOVING every project I make with this kit and I know you will, too!

ALSO- I wanted to point out the abundance of product in these kits! With 11 full 12 x 12 sheets of paper and lots of coordinating accessories- you can make TONS of projects! And the price of these kits can't be beat! They are priced below retail and the savings only increase if you choose to subscribe to receive the monthly kit automatically. I haven't seen a kit like this priced this affordable so scoop it up!

If you're interested in purchasing the February FARMHOUSE DREAMIN' kit or would like more information, please head over to the Market Street Stamps blog and Marketplace! There are several options for subscribing to receive a new kit automatically each month or you can purchase a single kit- there's an option for everyone! There are some great perks for starting a subscription, too- make sure you check em out!

A HUGE thank you to Jinny Newlin and Brenda Weaver for all your incredible inspiration! We couldn't do it without you guys- you're amazing!!

MSS Market Fresh KITS Card Ideas!

2012-02-09T20:00:00.001-05:00

Okay, folks! Are you excited about this new kit yet? You should be!

I'm back tonight with some beautiful CARDS that I've made with the newest Market Fresh Kit FARMHOUSE DREAMIN'!

The Market Fresh Kits are a monthly kit PERFECT to jump start your creativity! Each kit will contain a beautiful mix of papers from different manufacturers, embellishments to add flair to your layouts and cards, an EXCLUSIVE stamp, and TONS of inspiration from our talented Market Fresh Girls! Can't beat that! This kit is available as a one-time purchase OR you can sign up for a subscription to save BIG! There's an option for everyone!

So tonight we have some great CARDS to share from myself, Jinny, and Brenda! This kit really can be used for ANYTHING- don't feel that you are limited to scrapbooking with it! Also, it is a TREMENDOUS value! It is packed FULL of brand new products for a price that you just can't beat!

Check out the KIT CLUB POLICIES and the MSS blog for more details!

Here's what I've been up to lately ;) Trust me when I say I have A LOT of kit left- you'll be seeing more from me very soon!

This card is by far my favorite thing I've made with the kit so far. And it's so funny because it uses only a little piece of 1 sheet of patterned paper, a little bit of the twine from the kit, and a single little pearl. But sometimes keeping it simple really helps the images SHINE!

I trimmed this floral focal image from a sheet of the patterned paper and decided to add a little color. I took a few Copic markers and just colored in the booms- LOVE the impact of the color on this card! The bottom layer is from the same sheet, but before I adhered it to the card I blended some Walnut Stain Distress Ink around the edges.

The sentiment is from Home Grown! Yes.... I cut the sentiment in half so I could stamp it a different way. No.... I'm not crazy and I love and cherish my stamps.... LOL! I just like to be able to get MORE use out of them and Market Street Stamps are GREAT for this because they're so super soft!

Next up is this sweet little card! Again, I kept it simple and cut this block of images straight from the paper in the kit! I added a little scalloped border (cut from a coordinating piece), wrapped some of the burlap string around and tied a sweet button on.

I cut a plain strip of white cardstock, attached a label from the kit, and adhered it to the card. Then, I stamped the sentiment from Compass and added a few pearls!

This one was really fun and EASY! I started with this beautiful aqua blue paper (from the kit) and stamped the EXCLUSIVE doily stamp in the lower left corner with Walnut Stain Distress Ink. I used some of the flowers from the kit and distressed them a bit with both Walnut Stain Distress Ink and Brilliance Galaxy Gold ink. I held them all together with a button and some more of that burlap string and adhered it to the card on top of the stamped doily! The sentiment was created from the Autumn Greetings set!

That's all I have for you today! Make sure you check out Jinny's and Brenda's blogs to see the beautiful cards that they have made with the FARMHOUSE DREAMIN' kit!

AND- if you haven't picked up the January kit LOVE BIRDS yet- it's your lucky day! We still have a few available! Run over to the Marketplace to pick one up as a single purchase! If you sign up for a subscription, the first kit you receive will be the Farmhouse Dreamin' kit! And they're shipping NOW so if you like what you see go ahead and subscribe!

This kit (FARMHOUSE DREAMIN') will be available as a single purchase after the big reveal on FRIDAY!

Have a fabulous night!

MSS Market Fresh KITS Scrapbook Layout Sneak Peeks!

2012-02-08T20:00:00.003-05:00

HI! How's everyone doing tonight?!

I'm VERY excited to show you some of what I'VE been up to this past week! It's the first night of sneak peeks for the newest Market Fresh Kit FARMHOUSE DREAMIN'!

So tonight we have sneak peeks of some fabulous scrapbooking projects from myself, Jinny, and Brenda! Check back tomorrow night for some amazing CARD projects! This kit really can be used for ANYTHING- don't feel that you are limited to scrapbooking with it! Also, it is a TREMENDOUS value! It is packed FULL of brand new products for a price that you just can't beat!

Check out the KIT CLUB POLICIES and the MSS blog for more details!

So... here is what I have made so far with the FARMHOUSE DREAMIN' Kit! (And I have a bunch more planned! Still have a lot of kit left!)

I saw A LOT of sunburst patterns like this at CHA and knew that I wanted to give it a try! I chose these three patterns from the kit, stacked them together, and used my craft knife to carefully cut through all three papers in this starburst pattern. Then, I arranged the pieces in the order I wanted and taped them down! WAY easier than I thought it would be and now I have even more pieces already cut to assemble two other pages with this pattern!

The alphas in the kit are REALLY fun- they're from Jillibean Soup and look like they're made of bamboo strips! Super fun and they add the perfect accent to this country chic kit! (Jinny and Brenda did not receive the correct alphas before it was sneak peek time! We initially ordered the Whitewash alphas that they used for their samples and then couldn't get any more! YIKES! The kits in the store will have the Bamboo style alphas!)

Anybody catch that lacy doily stamped a couple of times on that page? Yup. That's the EXCLUSIVE stamp that is included in the kit this month! You definitely DO NOT want to miss having that stamp in your collection! It's a beauty!

LOVE all the different patterns in this kit- some are very rustic and some are very clean- they make for a great mix! Here I used several different papers from the kit, some super cute flowers, buttons, twine, pearls..... did I mention that they're all in the kit? YUP! They sure are!

Here's a little trick for ya! I really wanted to use this brown cardstock for the base layer of my layout, but I had already cut into it to mat the photo in the first layout I showed you. So what's a girl to do? Well, I cut the cardstock I had left into strips, cut the ends so that the cardstock would make a nice little frame, and taped all the pieces together! Then, I added the blue paper on top and had a full 12 x 12 sheet- ready to go! That's a great way to really STRETCH your kit and use every last little piece! HAHA!

I used one of the February PageMaps for this layout! It's nice to use those sketches as a jumping point to get your creative juices flowing!

I hope you have enjoyed taking a peek at my layouts tonight! I'm SUPER excited about this new kit and can't wait for you to see everything that is included!

Make sure you stop by Jinny's and Brenda's blogs tonight to see what they have made with the kit- they are scrapbooking superstars- you don't want to miss out on all the inspiration they have to share!

AND- if you haven't picked up the January kit LOVE BIRDS yet- it's your lucky day! We still have a few available! Run over to the Marketplace to pick one up! If you sign up for a subscription, the first kit you receive will be the Farmhouse Dreamin' kit! And they're shipping NOW so if you like what you see go ahead and subscribe!

This kit will be available as a single purchase after the big reveal on FRIDAY!

See you guys tomorrow for some fabulous CARDS that I made with the kit!

Have a great night!

Market Street Stamps/Ribbon Carousel Blog Hop Extravaganza!

2012-02-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

Hello!

I'm here today to celebrate a beautiful partnership! For the next two days, the Market Street Stamps and Ribbon Carousel Designers will be showcasing the amazing stamps from Market Street Stamps and the beautiful ribbons from RibbonCarousel.com. And of course, they're giving away some AMAZING prizes!

Here are all the Blog Hop details:

What: Market Street Stamps and Ribbon Carousel Blog Hop! When: Tuesday, February 7 through Monday, February 13 11:59pm EST
Where: Market Street Stamps Blog and Ribbon Carousel Blog
How: Start the blog hop at either the Market Street Stamps blog or Ribbon Carousel blog. Visit each of the designers blogs featured on both days, Tuesday and Wednesday. When you have completed the Blog Hop, leave your name on the Inlinkz on either the Market Street Stamps Blog or the Ribbon Carousel Blog. You have until NEXT MONDAY, February 13 at 11:59pm EST to complete the entire hop.
3 Prizes for 3 winners: We’re giving away Two $25 Gift Certificates to the Market Street Stamps store… And… a newly released Ribbon Carousel!

We’ll announce the winners on both blogs on Tuesday, February 14! We hope you enjoy the hop!

So here's my project using Market Street Stamps, of course, and the super fun Ribbon Club Kit from Ribbon Carousel! I LOVED the seam binding in this kit and showcased it on this card:

I started by adding strips of the seam binding in different colors across a piece of cardstock. Then, I masked a heart shape and stamped the Mesh background stamp with Momento Tuxedo Black ink onto another piece of cardstock. Remove the mask and you have a pretty heart shape in the background! Then, I stamped the sentiment "All you need is love" from the Birds of a Feather set and layered all the pieces together!

I had a lot of fun playing around with the fun ribbons in the kit! Definitely a great selection of fibers in all different styles!

Make sure you stop by all the designers blogs today and tomorrow- then stop by either the Market Street Stamps blog or the Ribbon Carousel blog for your chance to win BIG!

************

See ya tomorrow night with some sneaks of the new Market Fresh Kit- Farmhouse Dreamin' (available Feb 10th!)! ALSO- if you haven't scooped up the January kit LOVE BIRDS yet- run over and get it! We still have some left! ;)

MSS Paint the Town Color Challenge!

2012-02-01T09:00:00.000-05:00

HI!

I'm still in California- taking it all in at CHA- but I'm here today to share a card that I made right before I left for the Market Street Stamps Paint the Town Color Challenge!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE these colors and I think you'll be able to see what kind of mood I was in when I made this card a couple of days ago! LOL!

Here's the challenge:

And here's my card:

As you can tell, I was READY for the trip! HAHA! I used the new Make A Memory and Bon Voyage sets to create this fun card!

I'm also linking this one up at CAS-ual Fridays- loved this sketch and just had to play along!

Alright- I'm off to finish my last day in California! I'll see ya soon!

Market Street Stamps January BLOCK PARTY!

2012-01-27T09:20:00.000-05:00

Hi!

I'm running around like a crazy person trying to get ready for my big trip to CHA, but I had to join the PARTY! That's right! It's BLOCK PARTY time again on the Market Street Stamps blog!

While you're waiting on your orders to arrive in the mail- play with some of your older Market Street Stamps and share some inspiration! All you have to do is link up on the Market Street Stamps blog (with any projects using MSS) and YOU could win an awesome prize package OR A GUEST DESIGNER SPOT! Woot!

So- I thought I'd play along and I like to show my previously released stamps some love, too, so I have this little guy to share with you today!

Nawwwww.... Isn't he the cutest..... haha! I love that little owl- and Night Owls is one of my FAVORITE stamp sets from MSS.

I paper pieced my little owl friend with some beautiful paper from the Crate Paper Random Collection. Then, I stamped the sentiment on white cardstock and arranged that same paper to create a frame around the sentiment- super fun!

I hung the sentiment on the branch with some twine from The Twinery and a brad! Easy peasy!

I hope you'll join our party- head on over to the Market Street Stamps blog to check it out!

{Owl Always Love You supplies:}

InLinkz.com

MSS Sneak Peeks Day 3: Bon Voyage and Travelscapes

2012-01-25T20:00:00.001-05:00

Are you guys as excited about these new releases as WE are?!

I have been having so much fun playing with these new stamps and tonight completes our sneak peeks with two more sets from Samantha Casey! Her clean, technical drawings are SO much fun to color and paper piece- which is what I did on this card that I'm sharing with you tonight!

Here are the details of the release (all this can be found on the MSS blog, too!)

The January release stamps will be "sneaked" on the MSS blog Monday-Wednesday at 7PM Central Time!
The full sets will be revealed on Thursday night!
Stamps will be available for sale following the reveal Thursday night!
The January release stamps will be 15% off in the store for an entire week following the release!! Want all of the sets? If you order the whole release they'll be 25% off for an entire week!! Can't beat that!

I stamped the super cute car from the Bon Voyage set (available tomorrow!) a couple of times- once on white cardstock and once on some beautiful paper from Crate Paper! (Seriously- I love this paper. I might need a lot of it... I'm running out.... LOL!)

I carefully cut out the car on white cardstock and took some Glossy Accents and added it to the wheels! After that dried, I adhered the cut out woodgrain car on top- super easy and super cute!

The road lines are from the new Travelscapes set- lots of fun stuff in that set- I can't wait until you can see it all!

Hope you're super excited! Make sure you run over and check out the rest of the sneak peeks on the MSS blog- there are so many beautiful projects over there! The sets will be revealed tomorrow night at 7 Central on the Market Street Stamps blog and will be available in the Marketplace right after the reveal!

MSS Sneak Peeks Day 2: Make A Memory

2012-01-24T20:00:00.004-05:00

HI!

Hope you guys are enjoying the sneak peeks! I'm back tonight with another sneak peek of a new set (available Thursday) from Market Street Stamps!

Here are the details of the release (all this can be found on the MSS blog, too!)

The January release stamps will be "sneaked" on the MSS blog Monday-Wednesday at 7PM Central Time!
The full sets will be revealed on Thursday night!
Stamps will be available for sale following the reveal Thursday night!
The January release stamps will be 15% off in the store for an entire week following the release!! Want all of the sets? If you order the whole release they'll be 25% off for an entire week!! Can't beat that!

Here's my sneak for today!

The stamps in this set just screamed to be used on a layout- so that's what I did! I clear heat embossed that FUN and CA-UTE camera on yellow cardstock repeatedly to make my own background- then I went back and added some white accents with my Signo White Pen to really make the cameras pop! I really like the effect! I also heat embossed the tag image from the set (in white this time!) to add a little detail to the top corner- super cute!

The accent patterns are all from October Afternoon (from the 5 & Dime, Hometown, and Cherry Hill Collections)- all cut with the Sizzix Hexagon Die and pieced back together. I added little doodle accents here and there to brighten them up a bit! Really like the patchwork look of this!

These stamps are SO great because they are big enough to play a big part on a layout, but still the perfect size for cards, too! SO versatile! Did I mention that these beautiful stamps were illustrated by our very own Samantha Casey! I am IN LOVE with her clean-line style and I know you are going to love her stamps, too!

Make sure you hop over to the MSS blog and check out all the other fabulous projects by our design team members and see how you can win some of these new stamps!

I'll be back tomorrow with another sneak peek! See ya then!

MSS Sneak Peeks Day 1: Birds of a Feather

2012-01-23T20:00:00.002-05:00

Hey, there!

Are you super excited about the new release at Market Street Stamps?! I know I am! I've been waiting so, so patiently to share these some sneak peeks with you!

Here are the details of the release (all this can be found on the MSS blog, too!)

The January release stamps will be "sneaked" on the MSS blog Monday-Wednesday at 7PM Central Time!
The full sets will be revealed on Thursday night!
Stamps will be available for sale following the reveal Thursday night!
The January release stamps will be 15% off in the store for an entire week following the release!! Want all of the sets? If you order the whole release they'll be 25% off for an entire week!! Can't beat that!

SOOO... how about a sneak?

This new set, Birds of a Feather, is an excellent compliment to the current LOVE BIRDS kit! And how cute is that silhouette birdie in a birdie nest?! Too cute, right? Many of the images in this set were illustrated by our very own Tifany DeGough!! YAY! So happy for Tifany and I'm loving her art already!

I used a bunch of scraps I had leftover from my LOVE BIRDS kit and made this fun little card! (If you're interested in the January Love Birds kit, it is still available! If you're signing up for a subscription, the last day to sign up and still receive the January kit is January 25th!!) The branch is from Night Owls!

Make sure you hop over to the MSS blog and check out all the other fabulous projects by our design team members! They're AMAZING!

I'll be back tomorrow with another sneak peek! See ya then!

Happy Birthday, Angelica!!

2012-01-22T01:00:00.001-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANGELICA!!

I am SOOOOO happy to be a part of this fabulous hop for the one and only, Angelica!

You should be arriving here from Mel's blog! If not, you can start at Kathy's blog and hop your way through!

I have worked with Angelica now for over a year and count her as one of my very good friends- she's always there to listen, she gives me a boost when I need it, and she always goes out of her way to help and support me in everything I do. While I haven't actually *met* her in real life, I feel like we are two peas in a pod- we GET each other, and sometimes that's hard to find (especially when you're a little, um, weird. ok. not weird. cool. yup, let's call it cool.)!

So.... to celebrate Angelica's birthday (and hopefully put a big SMILE on her face!) I made her this card:

I had a lot of fun with this one! And I don't **think** she's gotten it in the mail yet so I'm ruining the surprise a bit! HAHA! I started with glossy paper and heat embossed the Honeycomb background with white embossing powder. Then, I had some fun and added some Distress Stains (Faded Jeans, Peeled Paint, Frayed Burlap, Wild Honey) with my Aqua Painter to create a fun watercolor look! It was REALLY hard to capture in the photo, but it looks really cool in real life!

I heat embossed the sentiment and hearts (Simple Joys and Follow Your Heart) with black embossing powder on vellum so that the honeycomb pattern would shine through!

I hope you love your card and have a FABULOUS birthday, Angelica! I can't wait to see you next week at CHA!!!

From here, hope on over to Kim's blog!

{Celebrate supplies:}

InLinkz.com

week in review!

2012-01-20T09:00:00.000-05:00

Hi, everyone! I hope you all had a great week!

I'm here to show you some of what went down in the Washburn house this week! We had a pretty crazy week due to some teacher work days.... bahhhhhh... but I did manage to snap a few pictures on my phone!

Started the week off right by receiving this beauty in the mail! Thanks, Paper Crafts for the awesome prize boxes you send out to us lucky winners!

I ask my sister, Ashley, to craft with me OFTEN. She always says no. HAHA! But this time I roped her in by inticing her with a beautiful collection of Distress Stains and showing her how to watercolor with them. I think she really had FUN! Maybe she'll craft with me again sometime! LOL!

Last week we attended a bowling birthday party for a little girl in Aden's class. Once again, Aden was the only boy at the party... lol... what is it with parents thinking boys can't go to girl parties? It's a BOWLING party for goodness sake... haha! He had fun anyway and we got to bring Austin along so it wasn't so bad.

Didn't have school Monday-Wednesday this week so I tried my best to find some things for this little bugger to do! While AJ is very independent and loves to play make believe all day, Aden is the EXACT opposite. Always needs something to DO. So, we went to the library for storytime on Tuesday! The boys learned about the Chinese New Year and had a dragon parade!

Back to school and back to homework! Aden wrote his first poem yesterday! YAY! Love that I can so easily capture this and have it forever. Technology is awesome.

ONE MORE WEEK! AHHHHHH! I'm so excited to go to my very first CHA! I printed out all my stuff and I'm *almost* ready to go!

Thanks for taking a glimpse into our lives! Goal for next week- take more pictures of Austin! HAHA! He's so stubborn... hates to get his picture taken... lol. I'll have to be pretty sneaky!

Have a great weekend!

Love Birds Card!

2012-01-19T09:00:00.001-05:00

Hi! How's everyone doing?

I have a fun card to share with you today! I used the new Market Street Stamps LOVE BIRDS kit for this one! I am IN LOVE with this kit- it hasn't left my desk since I got it and it probably won't until I get the February kit... lol! The papers are so beautiful and that stamp is just perfect for some fun Valentine's Day/Love Ya cards!

Ooh la la! LOVE it! That big ole stamp is EXCLUSIVE to the kit! If you want it ya better get it fast! I used the pretty MME papers from the Love Me collection and that pretty turquoise blue zig zag paper from Lily Bee Design Head Over Heels collection (all in the kit!)

If you want to see the full kit and check out the details about ordering it (or signing up for a subscription!) click HERE! Sign up for a subscription before the 25th to receive the Love Birds kit as your first kit!

And check out the MSS Market Fresh Kits Group in the Neighborhood! That's where we peek all the new kit projects and chat about the kits! So fun!

Have a great day, everyone! See ya later!

(psst.... 8 more sleeps!)

{Love Birds supplies}:

InLinkz.com

Butterfly Birthday

2012-01-17T09:00:00.000-05:00

Hi, there!

How is everyone today! I am having a busy week thanks to some teacher workdays... haha! I have both little guys at home through Wednesday and they're driving me nuts already. I love them so much, but this mama needs a BREAK! LOL!

I've started my countdown to CHA which is exciting for more reasons than one! I'm excited to meet some great friends in real life that I've met online, excited to see all the new products coming out soon, and more than anything, excited to sleep through the night without being woken up by a three year old that has to pee! HAHA! 11 sleeps until I'm on that plane!

Today I'm sharing this card that I made awhile back and never shared! It's one of my favorites that I made for one of the Paper Crafts calls- of course, it didn't get picked up, but I still love it the same!

Love, love, love this card. The colors are some of my favorites! That butterfly is from the Hero Arts Antique Butterflies set- the one that comes with Sizzix dies- SO easy and perfect. I love it so much! I used Market Street Stamps Punched Tin for the background on that frame piece- love how the black makes the sentiment really pop! And, of course, I'm having a long term love affair with Summer Sunrise satin ribbon. Can't help it- I reach for it again and again!

Thanks for stopping by today! I'm off to the library for storytime!

{Butterfly Birthday supplies:}

InLinkz.com

week in review!

2012-01-13T09:00:00.005-05:00

Hi! How are ya today!

I've been thinking about adding more FAMILY/PERSONAL stuff to my blog and I think I found a great way to do it! I take LOTS of pictures with my phone- it's my go-to camera when we're out and about -- I probably take at least a picture a day with it. Each week- I'm going to blog some pictures that I've taken- kind of a snapshot into our world!

I hope you enjoy this little glimpse into our life!

Aden was chosen as a student with GOOD CHARACTER! Proud Mama right here!

The three students chosen from Kindergarten

We had ridiculously nice weather this week and decided to do some skating with our friend, Kyla!

Always the gentleman, AJ helped Kyla up when she fell and helped her walk all the way back to the driveway.... too cute...

This dog tore this blanket off of my bed and made it HIS bed on the floor. Kills me. But he is so freakin' cute.

Top news of the week- Eric became an ORDAINED MINISTER!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA!
Got this in the mail. Apparently they're bored in Afghanistan.

One of our favorite places to go out to dinner- Logan's Steakhouse aka "The Peanut Place!"

Me: ok, your homework says to write all your capital letters A-Z and then on the other side write all of your lowercase A-Z. Aden: what do they want me to be doing homework until midnight or something?? Ahhh... The stresses of a 5 year old.... lol...

How can you not smile looking at those little faces! The boys enjoyed a nice bath and then warmed up in their new monster towels!

Have a good weekend everyone!

MSS January Paint the Town Challenge!

2012-01-11T09:00:00.010-05:00

I'm here today to share a card I made for the new

Market Street Stamps Paint the Town Challenge!

I am IN LOVE with the colors this month- so bright and fun!

Here's my card:

FUN FUN FUN!

See that LOVE stamp? Yup- it's in the new LOVE BIRDS Market Fresh Kit! It's available NOW- run over and check it out! This is an exclusive stamp- you can only get it in this kit- and I love it....

I hand cut those little banner shapes and added them under the LOVE layer to add some brightness and interest! I really like how it came out!

Make sure you stop by the Market Street Stamps blog to see the rest of the amazing inspiration created by the design team girls!

And don't forget to check out the Market Fresh Kit- LOVE BIRDS! It's available NOW and it's oh, so pretty!

{LOVE supplies}

InLinkz.com

MSS Market Fresh Kit- LOVE BIRDS!

2012-01-10T20:00:00.027-05:00

I've been waiting awhile to share the full contents of this kit with you and I'm SOOO excited! It has been so much fun designing this kit and I know you're going to just love it.

So... how about some pictures- here is what is included in the kit:

Lovely papers from Crate Paper (Paper Heart Collection), My Minds Eye (Love Me Collection and Lost & Found 2 Collection), and Lilybee Design (Head Over Heels Collection). There are also 3 complimenting 12 x 12 cardstock sheets from Bazzill in the kit!

LOVE that large stamp, super soft velvet ribbon.... everything in the kit is just really beautiful.

This kit is perfect for Valentine's Day, but definitely is NOT limited to that! The blues, aquas, tans, and grays really play a huge role and make it easy to use the kit for all kinds of projects!

ALSO- I wanted to point out the abundance of product in these kits! With 11 full 12 x 12 sheets of paper and lots of coordinating accessories- you can make TONS of projects! I have made 2 layouts and 4 cards and haven't even put a DENT in my kit! I'm so happy to leave it on my desk and turn to it for inspiration again and again!

If you're interested in purchasing the January LOVE BIRDS kit or would like more information, please head over to the Market Street Stamps blog and Marketplace! There are several options for subscribing to receive a new kit automatically each month or you can purchase a single kit- there's an option for everyone! There are some great perks for starting a subscription, too- make sure you check em out!

A HUGE thank you to Jinny Newlin and Brenda Weaver for all your incredible inspiration! We couldn't do it without you guys- you're amazing!!

I hope you all love it as much as I do! I can't wait to see what you make with our premier kit!

MSS Market Fresh KITS Sneak Peeks -- CARDS!

2012-01-09T20:00:00.012-05:00

Well, hello!

I hope you're all enjoying the inspiration leading up to the big kit reveal!

Tonight we have some fabulous CARD ideas for you- all using supplies from the packed-full January kit!

And, of course, we have some sneaks of the EXCLUSIVE stamp that is also in the kit- you can only get it if you buy the kit! And you want it... trust me! Hehe!

The Market Fresh Kits will be a monthly kit PERFECT to jump start your creativity! Each kit will contain a beautiful mix of papers from different manufacturers, embellishments to add flair to your layouts and cards, an EXCLUSIVE stamp, and TONS of inspiration from our talented Market Fresh Girls! Can't beat that!

So tonight we have sneak peeks of some fabulous card projects from myself, Jinny, and Brenda! Check back tomorrow night for the full reveal! You're going to LOVE this kit! This kit really can be used for ANYTHING- don't feel that you are limited to scrapbooking with it!

Here are a couple of cards I made with the kit!

Ok- first off- VERY clean and simple and very ME! Love this one and it's my favorite thing I've made so far with the kit! I heat embossed that BEAUTIFUL, BIG stamp onto that amazing woodgrain paper (it's in the kit!)- reminds me of etched hearts and initials on a tree.... love it. The birdies are from the Follow Your Heart set- perfectly compliment the stamp from the kit! And, again, I'm in love with that ribbon- I'm gonna be sad when I run out! I'm hoarding the last bit I have for something special! LOL!

Ooooooohhh... here's that stamp again- taking center stage! This time around I heat embossed it on watercolor paper and used a couple of different Distress Stains (Spun Sugar, Worn Lipstick, Barn Door) to create this pretty watercolor-ed heart.

Don't you just LOVE these flowers! Guess what- they're in the KIT! A whopping 10 of them! I really love em...

And this one just makes me smile...

I started with the bright pink layer, punching the border and trying to think about what I could add to make it super special. Then I saw the journaling cards from the kit- started playing around with them and created this beautiful layered card with little to no effort at all! Isn't it great when your supplies do the work for ya! And *gasp* there's no ink on this bad boy! AHHH! I still love it....

Don't forget to visit Brenda and Jinny's blogs to see their fabulous projects! I LOVE how versatile this kit is- you'll see what I mean after you see all the projects!

And if you want to see them all in one place- head on over to the Neighborhood and join the Market Fresh Kits group! All of our sneak peeks will be over there for you to see!

Hope you love this kit as much as I do! Check out the Market Street Stamps BLOG for all the information about the kit! YAY!

MSS Market Fresh KITS Sneak Peeks!!

2012-01-06T20:00:00.003-05:00

I've been waiting a LONG time for this and I can't wait to share some sneaks with you tonight! As I stated in early posts, I am SO grateful to Angelica and Jorge for giving me this amazing opportunity to design the Market Fresh Kits for Market Street Stamps! I have had so much fun choosing the products for the kits and developing themes and stamp concepts to go with them- SO much fun and SO exciting! I hope you guys love January's kit as much as I do!

So tonight we have sneak peeks of some fabulous scrapbooking projects from myself, Jinny, and Brenda! Check back on Monday night for some amazing CARD projects! This kit really can be used for ANYTHING- don't feel that you are limited to scrapbooking with it! AND- on Monday you'll get a sneak of the exclusive STAMP that comes in the kit! You're gonna LOVE IT!

So... without further adieu.... here are two scrapbook layouts that I made with the January kit!

Ok- I'm gonna get all sappy on ya now! HAHA! This layout is a beautiful way to represent the growth and changes of two of my little babies... my son, Aden, and my niece, Elaina! They are almost exactly a year apart in age and I feel like like they were those little bitty babies just yesterday!

The title "don't blink" is SO true... I know a lot of you probably feel the same way about your little ones! ;)

LOVE **this** paper that I cut all the doilies from.... do you know what it is? You'll find out on Tuesday! HEHE! I love surprises....

I used some Mister Huey's Heirloom Blue and Shine mists to draw attention to the images and make the page feel a little bit special- love the shimmer....

I cut the letters "don't" with my Zing using one of the patterned papers in the kit! And who doesn't love some pretty Thickers? Gotta love the eye catching design of these! They really make a title stand out!

*********************

Next.... I have a sweet layout that I made of me and the hubby! If you're my friend on facebook than you've seen this picture- it's my profile picture right now- and it just makes me smile. It's one of those quick snapshots that just says SO much. You know what I mean?

Love, love, love these Thickers (once again)- they're one of my favorite designs.... and if you look closely, you can see A LOT of the different patterned papers that are included in the kit!

I used my new KNK Zing Cutter and MTC to create this 8 x 8 rounded square with little circles cut out. Then, I took little square scraps of patterned paper and attached them behind the cut layer with foam tape! I LOVE the dimensional look I got from using foam tape rather than just making it a flat layer.

The ribbon included in the kit is a BEAUTY! I can't stop using it and I can't wait to show you what else I've made with it! It's so soft and pretty, but still gives a special shimmer to your projects! The button and twine are from my stash! You can see a little bit of the picture, too- I inked around the edge of my picture with white pigment ink to make it stand out a little better!

You can see the dimension of the layered peek a boo circles a little better here! Love how this design came together!

That's all I have for you tonight, but make sure you check back on Monday night for more sneak peeks! I'll have a few cards to share with you!

And don't forget to visit Brenda and Jinny's blogs to see their fabulous projects! I LOVE how versatile this kit is- you'll see what I mean after you see all the projects!

And if you want to see them all in one place- head on over to the Neighborhood and join the Market Fresh Kits group! All of our sneak peeks will be over there for you to see!

Hope you love this kit as much as I do! Check out the Market Street Stamps BLOG for all the information about the kit! YAY!

2011 in review!!

2012-01-04T14:01:00.000-05:00

Hi, there!

Sorry I've been such a bad blogger!! Of course, it's never my intention to go over a week without a post, but you know how that goes! I got home on Monday from a very BUSY trip up to Delaware where we spent time with family and celebrated the holidays! No time for blogging!

So I thought I'd pop in today and just do a little cathartic recap of 2011. 2011 was a BIG year for me as a crafter- I grew in ways I didn't think possible and more importantly, I made some AMAZING friends through this fabulous hobby of mine.

I never in a million years thought that my design team term with Market Street Stamps would lead to managing the design team and designing scrapbooking kits (more about that BELOW!). Absolutely a dream come true. Couldn't do any of it without Angelica and Jorge who give me every opportunity to GROW and do what I love. Also never woulda thought that I'd be gearing up for a trip to California! What? Yup, this girl is going to CHA at the end of the month! Seriously amazing and I couldn't be more happy for MSS and all their success this year!

It was also a big goal of mine for 2011 to be published! I am happy to say that I have MET that goal! I received those happy emails from Miss Susan Opel of Paper Crafts Magazine 4 times this year! My first publication made it to the newstands back in November (check out my post about it HERE) and it was really, truly so amazing to see my name in a magazine that I've been reading for so long! And to make my goal of being published just a little bit sweeter, I was chosen as one of the World Card Making Day winners! To say that I was shocked is a HUGE understatement. They had a gazillion entries. I'm so lucky to have been chosen as one of the twenty winners and have met some great friends through winning that contest! Stayed tuned- there's going to be a FABULOUS blog hop when that issue comes out in February! Can't wait!

In addition to my crafty goals- I feel like I have accomplished A LOT as a PERSON. I am in a way better place with this deployment than I was with the last deployment. I don't know if it's just that the kids are a little bit older or that I used to it, but I feel as though I am much more independent and organized this time around. It does help to be busy with school and my hobby. Just a couple of more months until I get my hubby back and I cannot wait until I can say that deployments are a thing of the past. I put on a strong face, but deployments suck... there's no other way to put it! I feel good about the direction things are going for our family- hopefully this time next year I can say that things with family are all I could ask for! That's my goal for 2012! Haha!

So- now that you've read my novel, how about a few of my favorite projects from 2011!

(All the projects link back to their original post!)

This was the very FIRST card I made for MSS- and I still love it so much.... those birds are so sweet...

Aden's Valentine's for his class- LOVED making these! So fun!

Vintage Wallpaper- LOVE at first sight.... LOL!

Love playing with mists- definitely something new that I'm still playin' with and LOVING!

Two of my favorite things: MSS Gone Campin' set and BG Lauderdale Collection!

Pretty stuff....

Lovin' summer...

Favorite project of the year- so FUN playing around with new techniques...

Very homey... made me feel all warm inside!

My boys.... they'll always be in the favorites... ;)

Supa fun! Love that little pooch!

LOVE that bow.... the pop of color is so pretty!

So.... how about some news for 2012?

Remember I mentioned something about kits way up there at the beginning of the post? Well, I've been asked to design a MONTHLY KIT for Market Street Stamps!! I'm SO excited about this new venture and believe me when I say that you are going to LOVE these kits! Whether you scrapbook, make cards, make mixed media art- anyone can use this kit!

Sneak peeks will begin on Friday (AHHHHH!) and I've been a busy little bee working on some samples to showcase the kit! Did I mention that I have two ridiculously talented ladies working with me to design samples for the kit each month? I couldn't be MORE happy to work with Brenda Weaver and Jinny Newlin! They are some fabulous ladies!

So... make sure you check back on Friday here and on the MSS blog for more info about the January Market Fresh Kit! VERY exciting!

Here's to a fun and exciting 2012!

Friends in the Computer!

2011-12-26T09:00:00.001-05:00

Hi, friends!!

I hope you all had a FABULOUS holiday weekend! I'm off to visit all the family this week- lots of traveling and running around, but before I go I wanted to share this card with you today!

I have LOVED this little Computer Cutie stamp set since the very first day I discovered Market Street Stamps! It's fun and retro and I love to pair it with fun patterns and colors! It's the perfect way to say HEY to the friends you have in the computer!

Speaking of computers- I am SUPER thankful for MY computer today because we had the wonderful opportunity to share Christmas morning with Eric who is currently stationed in Afghanistan- can't be more thankful for Skype than I am today!

And here's the card I made!

This card is FULL of all the stuff I love! The sweet Computer Cutie stamp set, some pretty Crate Paper Random Collection papers, and some fab Maya Road ribbon! Can't go wrong with that collaboration! Haha!

I hope you have a wonderful week! I'll be out and about so it'll be pretty quiet around here, but I wanted to remind you about a couple of things before I go!

Don't miss out on the AMAZING

CAS-ual Fridays/MSS Block Party Co-Challenge!!

This challenge lasts for a FULL 2 WEEKS- you have plenty of time to play! And make sure you link up on the CAS-ual Fridays blog as well as the MSS blog to increase your chances of winning a prize!

And don't miss the new MSS Block Party FREE digital stamp found in The Neighborhood! Just join the "Block Partiers!" group to get the digi! It's super cute!

See ya next time!!

{Friends Supplies}:

InLinkz.com

Market Street Stamps BLOCK PARTY meets CAS-ual Fridays!!!

2011-12-23T00:01:00.001-05:00

I am SO excited to share a project that I made for the

Market Street Stamps Block Party/CAS-ual Fridays Co-Challenge!!

Make sure you check out all of the details on the CAS-ual Fridays blog AND the Market Street Stamps blog! There are THREE ways to win and you have PLENTY of time to play along! This challenge is open for 2 WEEKS! YAY!

Soooooo.... "Brown paper packages tied up with string".... hmmm... sounds like a perfect opportunity to create a fun gift ensemble! I turned to my new December stamps from Market Street Stamps to create this fun gift box and tag!

I used my Martha Stewart Score Board to create this cute box! I made the bottom with plain white cardstock and the TOP is much more beautiful! HAHA! I stamped the beautiful butterfly stamp from Believing Butterfly repeatedly over a sheet of kraft cardstock. I colored the butterflies with Copic markers and added some accents with my Uni-ball Signo White Gel Pen. Then, I created the box top using the directions on the score board! Easy peasy!!

The tag features the same beautiful butterfly and a very unique sentiment from the Faith In You set! LOVE how the banner is part of the stamp and the sentiment peeks off of the banner just a bit! SO cool! The stamp does all the work for you!

Of course, I had to tie it up with some pretty twine from The Twinery!

Make sure you check out the challenge! It's a GREAT opportunity to play in BOTH challenges with the same project! Great way to increase your chances to win some fabulous Market Street Stamps prizes!

Oh yeah! Don't miss out on this super CA-UTE FREE digi stamp designed by Angelica Suarez! It's available in The Neighborhood- come on by!

Can't wait to see what you all create for this fun challenge!

{Beautiful Butterfly Gift Box Supplies}:

InLinkz.com

MSS Sneak Peek Day 3: Faith In You

2011-12-21T20:00:00.000-05:00

Hi! I'm back today to share one more card I made for the Market Street Stamps December Release Sneak Peeks!!

Here are the details of the release:

The December release stamps will be "sneaked" Monday-Wednesday at 7PM Central Time!
The full sets will be revealed on Thursday night!
Stamps will be available for sale following the reveal Thursday night!
The December release stamps will be 15% off in the store for an entire week following the release!! Want all of the sets? If you order the whole release they'll be 25% off for an entire week!! Can't beat that!

Tonight I'm sneaking a new set called Faith In You! This set features another beautiful vase and flower combination and several sentiments that are perfect for letting people know you care about them! This set is a PERFECT companion to the Comforting Florals set- I know it's going to get a lot of love at my house!

Oooohhh... so country chic, right? Haha!

I saw the clean lines of that vase and knew that I wanted to create a background with it. I stamped the vase image repeatedly with Walnut Stain Distress Ink and then blended around the edges. Then, I die cut the shape out of the center.

On a separate piece of cardstock, I stamped the vase, flowers, and sentiment and colored with copics. I tied some embroidery floss around that layer and then attached the vase background piece on top with foam adhesive!

Could leave out this beautiful patterned paper from the Crate Paper Random collection! It's a perfect match!

Make sure you stop by the Market Street Stamps blog to see even more fabulous projects using this new stamp set and leave a comment for your chance to win it! Tomorrow night will be the big reveal and the stamps will be for sale! YAY!

MSS Sneak Peek Day 2: It Takes Love

2011-12-20T20:00:00.001-05:00

Hi! I'm back today to share a card I made for the Market Street Stamps December Release Sneak Peeks!!

Here are the details of the release:

The December release stamps will be "sneaked" Monday-Wednesday at 7PM Central Time!
The full sets will be revealed on Thursday night!
Stamps will be available for sale following the reveal Thursday night!
The December release stamps will be 15% off in the store for an entire week following the release!! Want all of the sets? If you order the whole release they'll be 25% off for an entire week!! Can't beat that!

Tonight I'm sneaking a new set called It Takes Love! This set features a BEAUTIFUL image that can be used for so many different applications- it hits a little closer to home for me with my hubby currently stationed halfway across the world.... the sentiment "It takes a lot of LOVE to make the world go 'round" means A LOT when you're taking care of two rambunctious little ones that are missing their Daddy...

Soooo.... I got a little formal with this one, huh?

I started by heat embossing the Earth image with White Filigree Detail Embossing Powder on Soft Stone cardstock.... LOVE the rich, elegant look of white embossed on Soft Stone. There's a little glare in this picture, but in real life it is a beautiful matte image.

Then, after stamping my sentiment, I took my craft knife and made two little slits on either side. I threaded some Enchanted Evening satin ribbon through the slits and attached the Soft Stone layer to the card, wrapping the ribbon around the whole card front! I added a sweet little bow to finish it off!

Make sure you stop by the Market Street Stamps blog for more sneak peek projects and details about how YOU can win this set!

See you back here tomorrow for one more sneak! Can't wait!!

MSS Sneak Peek Day 1: Believing Butterfly

2011-12-19T20:00:00.003-05:00

Hi, everyone!

How are you tonight!?

I'm SUPER excited to share a card I made for the Market Street Stamps December Release Sneak Peeks!!

Here are the details of the release:

The December release stamps will be "sneaked" Monday-Wednesday at 7PM Central Time!
The full sets will be revealed on Thursday night!
Stamps will be available for sale following the reveal Thursday night!
The December release stamps will be 15% off in the store for an entire week following the release!! Want all of the sets? If you order the whole release they'll be 25% off for an entire week!! Can't beat that!

I am LOVING this new set- it's called Believing Butterfly and features the most beautiful butterfly and an equally beautiful sentiment to go along with it! You're going to LOVE this set!

Here's my card:

Ooohh... I had some fun with my Distress Stains... hehe. I started with a 4" x 5 1/4" piece of Kraft cardstock and heat embossed the sentiment with Black Filigree Detail Embossing Powder. Then, I took Picket Fence Distress Stain (love this stuff by the way...) and rubbed it all over the sentiment in all different directions. I cleaned off all the excess stain from the sentiment with a baby wipe and then dry brushed over the cardstock with Brushed Corduroy Distress Stain. SO rustic, but pretty at the same time.

{Click HERE for more information on DRY BRUSHING WITH DISTRESS STAINS}

I stamped that amazing, super detailed butterfly on white cardstock and colored it with Copic markers! Then, I cut it out and adhered it to the card with the wings popped up for dimension!

Thank you so much for stopping by today! Don't miss the rest of the sneaks- go over to the Market Street Stamps blog to see even more beautiful projects and find out how YOU can win this set!

See ya tomorrow with another sneak!

Emily's "Back to the 80's" Blog Hop!!

2011-12-18T00:00:00.001-05:00

HI! I hope you are all enjoying the hop so far!

I was super excited to participate in this FUN 80's Blog Hop for my dear friend Emily Lanham! I am a proud product of the 80's and love taking a little step back in time to help celebrate!

Hopefully you're hopping here from the very talented JULIE RANAE'S blog- if not, you can start the hop at the birthday girl's blog!!

So... when I think of the 80's, I think of fun, bright colors, graphic, bold design, and all the quirky catch phrases that have seemed to stick around throughout the years! I decided to break in my new KNK Zing to create a very bold and graphic card for the hop! Also, I thought it would be super fun to include a sentiment that fit the occasion... I think I love it... haha!

I cut the shapes from my Basic Grey Lauderdale 6x6 pad- the colors were PERFECT for an 80's theme- bright and beautiful! I kept the design very clean and graphic and added a sentiment that just so happens to come out of my mouth from time to time (I'm not ashamed.... haha!), "Dude, you're totally awesome!" LOL! Love it! The font is called 80's Neon- just what I needed!

Thanks for stopping by today! I wish Emily the very happiest of birthdays and I am SO glad I could help her celebrate! Make sure you stop and comment on all the blogs in the hop for your chance to win one of several prizes! There are some great 80's themed prizes up for grabs!

From here you can hop over to TANYA'S blog!!

Happy hoppin'!

Hi-Ya Play Date Cafe!

2011-12-15T22:06:00.000-05:00

Hey!

I promised I'd be back with another "misted" card and here I am! And what do you know? The card I made fits the new challenge at The Play Date Cafe perfectly! Don't ya love it when it works out like that!

Here's the challenge:

And here's my card:

Ooohhh... I LOVE a good color splash challenge! One of my faves!

This card is SUPER clean and simple- the base is beautiful Shimmer White cardstock from PTI- love that stuff. The top layer is White cardstock that I masked before misting the bottom section with Mister Huey's Bluegrass and Heirloom Blue mists. I added a quick spray of Calico Shine on top to give it a little shimmer!

Then, I removed the mask, stamped the sentiment, tied some Charcoal twine from The Twinery around the layer, and adhered it to the card base with foam adhesive!

Thanks for stopping by today!

{Hi-Ya! Supplies}

InLinkz.com

CAS-ual Fridays Misting Challenge!

2011-12-14T19:55:00.000-05:00

Hi, there! How is everybody!

I've been running around trying to pull everything together for Christmas and it seems like I've neglected the blog-o a bit! Sorry about that!

I'm here today to share a card that I made for the CAS-ual Fridays challenge this week! This week is all about MISTING so I broke out some of my new Studio Calico Mister Huey's mists and went to town!

Here's the challenge:

And here's my card:

I just LOVE the textured look you get from mists! So fun to mix different colors to create a funky background! Here, I stamped Market Street Stamps' new background Mesh in Pumice Stone Distress Ink and then misted the whole panel with three different mists: Bluegrass, Dewey, and Estate Green! Love mists so much.... in fact, I love them so much that I'll have another misting project for ya tomorrow! See ya then!

{Thinking of you supplies}

InLinkz.com

Market Street Stamps Paint the Town Challenge!

2011-12-07T09:02:00.000-05:00

Hi!
I'm here today to share a card I made for the latest Market Street Stamps Paint the Town Challenge over on the Market Street Stamps blog! Here's the challenge:

Ooh la la- I LOVE this color combination... not to mention that DRESS! Someday I want to look like that... lol... Until then, I'll just use her for inspiration!

Here's what I made:

Well... my purple's a little bright, but you get the idea... haha! Use what you have and be INSPIRED by the colors- you don't need an exact match! Anyways, I received my (seriously, ridiculously HUGE- blog giveaway coming soon!) prize package in the mail last week from my PaperCrafts World Card Making Day win and it had a paper pad in it that was PERFECT for this challenge! This paper is from the K&Company Sheer Simplicity pad (linked below!). And, I know, I know.... it's not even Christmas... what the heck am I doing making "love/valentine's day" cards, but it was how the colors made me feel so I went with it! ;)

I hope you'll play along with us! Head over to the Market Street Stamps blog to check out some more inspiration to get your wheels turning!

{Heart Supplies}:

InLinkz.com

IHP/MSS Blog Hop!

2011-12-06T06:00:00.003-05:00

Welcome to the i {heart} papers and Market Street Stamps combined teams blog hop! We're so excited to have you join us, and we know you're in for a real treat!

You should have arrived here from Stephanie Muzzulin's blog. If not, visit Kate's i {heart} papers blog to start from the beginning. You'll go from there to the blogs of our designers and finish up at the Market Street Stamps blog. If you get lost, both company blogs have the complete list of links.

about i {heart} papers:

i {heart} papers is proud that we recently celebrated our 3rd anniversary in October. We’ve grown by leaps and bounds and have not strayed from our core principle of stellar customer service with FAST and FREE shipping. You ALWAYS receive free shipping with your $50 US order/$150 CAN order with no gimmicks or restrictions like so many other companies, and orders are almost always shipped within 24 business hours. We’re thrilled to be hopping along with the MSS team today and to be carrying the MSS line of stamps. If you’ve never ordered from us before, please mention that you learned about us on this hop for a free gift with your first order! Please visit us at www.iheartpapers.com, “like” us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/iheartpapers, where you'll find over 1900 other IHP fans!) and follow us on Twitter (@iheartpapers). Enjoy the hop! If you order by Wednesday midnight EST, all MSS sets are 15% off! Leave comments along the hop to be entered in a drawing to win one free MSS set. The more you comment, the more chances to win! You have until Wednesday at midnight...winners will be announced on the ihp blog on Friday!

about Market Street Stamps:

Market Street Stamps, LLC, was founded in January 2010 by Angelica and Jorge Suarez, a husband and wife team who create unique stamps made from peach-tinted photopolymer, the best available on the market today! Market Street Stamps' goal is to produce durable, high quality designs that you'll turn to again and again! We are thrilled to be hopping with i {heart} papers and their incredibly talented design team today! Be sure to "like" us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/MarketStreetStamps) for the latest releases and project ideas from our Design Team!

SO.... I'd like to share this fun, elegant Christmas card with you today:

Ooh la la! Look at those background stamps shine! I decided to bring some attention to these fabulous new background stamps by creating these large circular ornaments! I used the new Crate Paper Peppermint Collection to bring the warmth of the holiday season. The large pink ornament features the beautiful Flurries background stamp, and the medium ornament features the gorgeous new Grace background stamp! I also used a sentiment from the new Essential Holiday Elegance set!

Here's a close up on the Grace ornament- after stamping the background, I misted the ornament with Heirloom Gold Perfect Pearl mist! SO pretty in real life!

From here, you're headed to Tifany DeGough's blog! Enjoy the hop! Thanks for your comments! Remember to order your MSS from ihp before Wednesday to get the 15% discount!

{Happy Holidays Supplies}:

InLinkz.com

Market Street Stamps Designer Showcase- November New Releases!

2011-12-03T20:00:00.001-05:00

Hi, everyone! I'm just stopping in tonight to let you know that there is an AMAZING Designer Showcase going on RIGHT NOW on the Market Street Stamps blog! All of the FABULOUS Market Street Stamps designers have something to share and that post is SUPER FULL of inspiration!

Make sure you run over and check it out!

Also, don't forget to take advantage of the incredible SALE in the MARKETPLACE! All new releases are still on sale: 15% off individual sets and 25% off if you want them all!

That's only $69.37 for all 8 sets!

And it qualifies for free shipping, too! Hurry over because the sale ends Wednesday, December 7th!!

Here's a refresher of some projects I made with the new release sets this week!

Enjoy!

Have a great weekend!

Market Street Stamps BLOCK PARTY!

2011-12-02T09:15:00.000-05:00

Happy FRIDAY!

I'm so excited about the new release sets from Market Street Stamps! They're all SO much fun- I'm having a blast playing with them and getting some projects ready for the holidays! You're going to love them, too! Head over to the Marketplace to take advantage of the great deals on the new stamps!

While you're all waiting for your stamps- it's time for another BLOCK PARTY!

The Block Party is one of the most popular contests that MSS offers because it gives everyone the chance to be a GUEST DESIGNER! SO exciting! I'd love for YOU to join our team for the month of January- make sure you participate!

Here is my project for the Block Party this month:

Oh- I'm always a sucker for neutrals, but I totally let it take me over this time! LOL! LOVE the way it turned out though! I don't know where I got this sketch, but I found it in my sketch book the other day and knew EXACTLY what I wanted to do with it! This is the new background stamp FLURRIES (linked below) paired with a fabulously elegant sentiment from the ESSENTIAL HOLIDAY ELEGANCE set (linked below)!

Have a great time hopping through the entries to our Block Party this week- there is always so much inspiration!

You have until Sunday, December 4th at 11:59PM Central Time to link up your project on the Market Street Stamps blog! Good luck!

{Joyeux Noel Supplies}:

InLinkz.com

MSS Sneak Peeks Day 3: Pawprints on our Heart, Honeycomb

2011-11-30T08:00:00.002-05:00

Good morning!

Are you ready for one more round of sneaks! You guys are going to LOVE these new stamps!

We shortened our release week for November, so we'll have the final reveal and release on the Market Street Stamp blog TONIGHT, Wednesday, November 30th at 7 pm CST!

Here are the details of the release:

Show Sneak Peek images from our sets Monday and Tuesday. Monday and Tuesday's Sneak peeks are scheduled for 7 pm and Wednesday's sneak peek is scheduled for 7 am Central Time. {For this release, we'll have a limited number of Designer Samples. Not to worry, though, we'll have an inspiration showcase on Saturday, December 3rd to make up for it!}
On Wednesday, our sets will be revealed and all the sets will go on sale in the Marketplace at 7 pm Central Time!
For ONE WHOLE WEEK after that, new sets are 15% off individually or 25% off if you buy that month's bundle (all sets in the release).

Here's my project showcasing the uber cute Pawprints on our Heart set and the new Honeycomb background- used in a little bit of a different way! I'm entering this card into the Celebrating Relationships Challenge in the Moxie Fab World! I'm also entering this one in the CAS-ual Fridays Challenge! Here's the challenge:

When I saw this sweet little puppy, I knew I had to put him behind a "fence!" Haha! I started by stamping and heat setting the new Honeycomb background stamp on a sheet of clear acetate. I cut a window in my card base, mounted the acetate layer on top of that, and then covered it up with another white frame. Super cute window/fence for my little pup! The grass and clouds are from the Crate Paper Random Collection! And, of course, some Charcoal twine from The Twinery.

On the inside of the card, I have this sweet little puppy from the new Pawprints on our Heart set colored with Copics and positioned so you can see him through the fence!

I had so much fun playing with these new sets! You guys are seriously going to love them! Don't forget to stop by the Market Street Stamps blog this morning to leave a comment for your chance to win one of these new stamp sets! And, of course, don't miss the big reveal tonight on the MSS blog at 7 PM Central Time!

Have a fabulous day everyone!!

MSS Sneak Peeks Day 2: Prancer and Flurries!

2011-11-29T20:00:00.002-05:00

Who's ready for another peek! I'm super excited about the sneak peeks tonight- these stamps are PERFECT for your holiday projects! And don't you worry one bit- Market Street Stamps ships SUPER fast so you'll have plenty of time to use them for your holiday cards and tags this year!

We shortened our release week for November, so we'll only be showing previews Monday and Tuesday at 7 pm, and again on Wednesday at 7 am. We'll have the final reveal and release on Wednesday, November 30th at 7 pm CST!

Here are the details of the release:

Show Sneak Peek images from our sets Monday and Tuesday. Monday and Tuesday's Sneak peeks are scheduled for 7 pm and Wednesday's sneak peek is scheduled for 7 am Central Time. {For this release, we'll have a limited number of Designer Samples. Not to worry, though, we'll have an inspiration showcase on Saturday, December 3rd to make up for it!}
On Wednesday, our sets will be revealed and all the sets will go on sale in the Marketplace at 7 pm Central Time!
For ONE WHOLE WEEK after that, new sets are 15% off individually or 25% off if you buy that month's bundle (all sets in the release).

Here is my project showcasing the sets Prancer and Flurries (available Wednesday!)

These sets are so, so beautiful- the snowflakes have a TON of detail and I love how tightly packed they are on the stamp! See that snowflake background on the card? Yup! Stamped that in one quick stamp with PTI Fresh Snow ink- and it came out BEAUTIFULLY!

That sweet little reindeer is a very detailed grouping of teeny tiny snowflakes- they create a beautiful texture that I've never seen before in a stamp! Really unique and pretty! The sentiment on the tag is another one from the Essential Holiday Elegance stamp set (available Wednesday) that I peeked yesterday!

Make sure you stop by the Market Street Stamps blog tonight to see some more beautiful samples and sneaks! And don't forget to comment over there for your chance to win one of the new stamp sets!

MSS Sneak Peeks DAY 1: Mesh and Essential Holiday Elegance

2011-11-28T20:00:00.001-05:00

Hi, everyone! Welcome to the much anticipated Market Street Stamps countdown to the new release! I'm so excited to share what I've been working on with you! I'll have posts today, tomorrow, and Wednesday morning- so keep checking back for more fun projects! And, of course, don't miss out on the rest of the inspiration and sneak peeks on the Market Street Stamps blog this week! There are lots of fun ways to win stamps from the new release!

Here are the details of the release:

Show Sneak Peek images from our sets Monday and Tuesday. Monday and Tuesday's Sneak peeks are scheduled for 7 pm and Wednesday's sneak peek is scheduled for 7 am Central Time. {For this release, we'll have a limited number of Designer Samples. Not to worry, though, we'll have an inspiration showcase on Saturday, December 3rd to make up for it!}
On Wednesday, our sets will be revealed and all the sets will go on sale in the Marketplace at 7 pm Central Time!
For ONE WHOLE WEEK after that, new sets are 15% off individually or 25% off if you buy that month's bundle (all sets in the release).

And here's tonight's project:

Clean, simple, and OH SO MAILABLE is what I was going for with this one!

I started by stamping the new MESH background (available Wednesday!) with Momento Lady Bug ink and then again in Momento Bamboo Leaves ink. This created a very festive focal point for my sentiment.

I LOVE the font combinations in this new holiday sentiment set called ESSENTIAL HOLIDAY ELEGANCE (available Wednesday!). Definitely perfect for your holiday cards and tags!

Finished it off with some sweet Charcoal twine from The Twinery!

Make sure you stop by the Market Street Stamps blog tonight to leave a comment to win one of these fabulous new stamps and see some more peeks! See ya tomorrow!

Bountiful Blessings...

2011-11-23T09:00:00.001-05:00

Well, hello!

Hope you're all doing well today! So sorry for my long silences between posts! Between the holidays coming up quickly and a myriad of other things, I just haven't had much motivation to craft these past couple of weeks! I know, I'm crazy.... but things should be looking up soon! I have some new Market Street Stamps coming my way and I can't wait to share some samples with you next week! Look forward to that!!

I'm here (and over at the Market Street Stamps blog) today to share a card I made to help celebrate one of my FAVORITE holidays, Thanksgiving! I can't even seem to THINK about Christmas until Thanksgiving is behind us and I think it's very important to take the time with your family and remember all of your blessings. And eat turkey, of course!

I'm also playing along with the CAS-ual Fridays challenge this week- I feel in love with this sketch by the super talented Karen Baker! It's my go-to layout so I thought I'd give it a go!

So I whipped up this card (hehe...) to help celebrate those "bountiful blessings" we all have in our lives!

Love, love, love this pumpkin from the Autumn Greetings set and I swear there has got be dozens of sentiment combinations to chose from! Love this font so I've been reaching for this set more and more lately. I created the center image by masking off the Rustic Ccream cardstock except for a rectangle in the center. Then, I stamped the mixer image from Comfort Food repeatedly to create my own pattern. I finished it off by using my ink blending tool and Antique Linen distress ink to highlight the patterned area. Really cool effect!

I hope you all have a FABULOUS Thanksgiving holiday- make sure you take some time to relax with your loved ones!

{Bountiful Blessing} supplies:

InLinkz.com

The Twinery/Market Street Stamps Blog Hop!!

2011-11-18T08:00:00.001-05:00

HI!

How are you all today?

I'm so excited to be a part of this AMAZING blog hop!

Hopefully you're coming here from Caroline Stender's blog!
If not, you can start the hop at The Twinery blog!

There is TONS of inspiration along this two-day hop- and there are also two chances to win!

What could you win?

How about an Ultimate Sampler Pack (retail value $25) from The Twinery?

A $25 gift certificate from Market Street Stamps?

Make sure you visit each blog, each day and leave a comment on each post to be eligible to win a prize!

You have through Friday, November 25th to comment! The randomly drawn winners will be posted on both The Twinery blog and here on the Market Street Stamps blog on Saturday, November 26th!

Here's my project:

Oooooohhhh... two of my favorite products together on one card! I went very earthy on this card- stamping the Paisley background stamp from Market Street Stamps with Frayed Burlap and Antique Linen Distress Inks. LOVE the leathery look of stamping Frayed Burlap on Kraft. So pretty.

I had SO much fun crocheting with my twine from The Twinery! I whipped up a couple of quick flowers, one with Lemondrop twine and a slightly smaller one with Cappuccino twine. I layered them together and popped a button in the center to create this super cute embellishment! These colors screamed fall for me, so I went with the sentiment "Happy Fall" from the Autumn Greetings set!

From here you can hop over to the super talented Jenny Suchin's blog!

Happy hoppin'!

{Happy Fall} Supplies:

InLinkz.com

CAS-ual Fridays meets Moxie Fab World Challenge!

2011-11-09T18:22:00.000-05:00

Happy Wednesday!

Checking in tonight to share I card I made today for the newest CAS-ual Fridays challenge! The challenge this week is to create a card with a design element that goes over the edge!

I decided to pair this challenge with the Moxie Fab World Championing Award Medallions Challenge!

Here's my card:

This is a 4" x 7" card- it'll fit perfectly in a 5"x7" envelope with medallion hanging over the side! I had a lot of fun making these fun embellishments and I know I'll be making more soon! I paired the medallions with the pretty doily stamps from PTI. The sentiment is from PTI's Happy Trails set. The Finally Fall paper from Bella Blvd was the perfect pop of color on this card!

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you'll play along with me in these fun challenges!

{you color my world} supplies:

InLinkz.com

Paper Crafts 365 Cards!

2011-11-08T09:00:00.002-05:00

Hello, everyone! Good morning!

I'm here this morning to share some exciting news! My very first card publication is in the Paper Crafts 365 Cards issue and it's available NOW! You can pick it up HERE! I received my copy in the mail on Saturday and was SOOOO excited to see my card in a magazine that I adore and alongside the designers that I look up to for inspiration on a regular basis. VERY surreal! And so much fun!

Here is a picture of the card I have published in 365 Cards:

Super fun! I made this card to celebrate National Margarita Day, of course! The Tiki Time set from Market Street Stamps was PERFECT for the occasion!

YOU can win this set by commenting on THIS post on the Paper Crafts Connection Blog! You have until Wednesday, November 9 at 5 PM MDT to comment so hurry over! While you're there, check out the other cards featured in the Wacky Holiday and Silly Celebrations post- LOTS of fun inspiration for you there!

RIP Katie....

2011-11-07T14:13:00.000-05:00

It is with MUCH sadness that I post that Katie has passed away. I've never met Katie in real life, but the short time that I have followed her journey fighting cancer has changed my life. She passed away this morning, but I will always remember her smile, her light, her dedication to her family, and the incredible lesson she taught us all- to live life to the fullest and treasure the moments we have with our loved ones. I'll continue praying for her husband and three boys- that they can find peace, comfort, and strength in Katie's memory....

The donation link on my sidebar is still active if you would like to make a donation to Katie's family. Also, there are products HERE on the i{heart}papers website that you can purchase to support Katie's family- all profits go directly to them.

If you are interested in sending a sympathy card to her family, you can send it here:

The Renz Family
PO Box 5913
Bellingham, WA 98227-5913

Also, all of Katie's boys are having birthdays soon. The twins, Nate and Will, will be turning 6 on Nov. 19th and Hunter will be 12 on Dec. 1. Her husband Kevin's birthday is November 17. It would be wonderful if we could shower them with cards for their special day, just like their Mom would do.

Hug your loved ones a little tighter today....

Market Street Stamps Paint the Town Challenge!

2011-11-02T09:00:00.001-04:00

Hi! Happy Wednesday!

I'm here today to share a card I made for the latest Market Street Stamps Paint the Town Challenge! BEAUTIFUL colors this month and I had a lot of fun making this card! We hope you'll join us over on the Market Street Stamps blog to check out the challenge and link up your projects! There's a great prize to be won!

Here's the challenge:

And here's my card:

So pretty- really like the this one! I used Sweet Lace, Bit of Burlap, and Comforting Florals to make this sweet, soft card. I used the MFT Mini Rolled Rose Die to make those flowers- I think I might be obsessed... lol! SO pretty and SO easy- I've been making roses in all colors and patterns! Haha!

If you haven't joined the Market Street Neighborhood yet, head over and sign up! We've been having so much fun chatting away in the forum and discovering new inspiration in the galleries!

{Prayers are with you} Supplies:

InLinkz.com

CAS-ual Fridays Sketch Challenge!

2011-10-31T09:01:00.000-04:00

Hi, everyone! So nice to see you today!

Before I share my card for this weeks CAS-ual Fridays challenge, I would like to send out a BIG thank you to all my cheerleaders! I was BEYOND surprised to see my name on the list of World Card Making Day winners and it still hasn't really set in. Thank you all for your congratulations and well wishes- the day that package arrives on my doorstep will be an AMAZING day, but honestly, just seeing my name on that list with all those super talented ladies takes the cake. So THANKS!

Now on to the CAS-ual Fridays challenge for this week! This week is a sketch challenge:

I love to use sketches as a jumping off point so I thought I'd play along this week! Here's what I came up with!

Very soft and subtle- I really like how this one came out. LOVING the new Memorandum collection from lily bee- soooo pretty! And I can't stop making hexagons- the Sizzix Hexagon die makes it too easy... lol! I colored the rhinestones with my Copics to coordinate with the papers.

Thanks for stopping by today! I'll be back on Wednesday with a new Market Street Stamps Paint the Town Challenge! You're not going to want to miss it!

ALSO... please keep Katie Renz in your thoughts and prayers- she isn't doing very well- here's the latest blog post from her amazing husband, Kevin: KATIE

{Thinking of you} Supplies:
(not linked: Papertrey Ink 2010 Anniversary Set- Botanical Silhouettes)

InLinkz.com

Tutorial: Distress Stain Resist (3 ways!)

2011-10-28T09:00:00.002-04:00

Who LOVES Distress Stains!? I DO!

I'm here today to show you how to use Distress Stains and Emboss Resist to create three VERY different looks- same technique, just very different ways to use it!

Today I'm going to show you

Distress Stain Resist, Distress Stain Resist with Perfect Pearl Mist,

and Distress Stain Resist Watercoloring.

Enjoy!

Distress Stain Resist

This is the most basic of the techniques I'm going to show you today- super easy, but creates a really pretty color pattern that you can use as a main focal element on your cards or even on scrapbook layouts! I love to sit and play around with different color stains to create beautiful patterns- so much fun!

First, I started by heat embossing the Sweet Lace background with clear embossing powder on white cardstock. Then, I chose a couple different Distress Stains and went to work! The Stains I used on this card are Crushed Olive, Scattered Straw, and Vintage Photo (full list of supplies at the bottom of the post).

Add color in any pattern you wish, mixing and blending the colors around until you have the look you want! I started with Crushed Olive, adding it in small circles where the circles in the background pattern are.

Then I went in and filled the spaces with Scattered Straw. Finally, I added bits of Vintage Photo here and there to complete the look!

When you're finished adding your Distress Stains, you can either leave it to dry or dry it with a heat tool.

And here's the final product. If you wanted a more blended look, you could mist it with some water before heat setting!

AND... here's the card I made:

Perfect for fall- I added the sentiment "Autumn Greetings" from the Autumn Greetings set on the inside!

Distress Stain Resist with Perfect Pearl Mist

This next technique is basically the same technique as the first, only the finished product is a sparkly, pretty blend of colors! For this one, I started by heat embossing the Zebra Print background with clear embossing powder on white cardstock. Then, I chose a couple different Distress Stains and went to work! The Stains I used on this card are Weathered Wood, Broken China, and Faded Jeans (full list of supplies at the bottom of the post).

Add color in any pattern you wish, mixing and blending the colors around until you cover the paper and have the look you want!

Next, spray the entire sheet with Perfect Pearls Mist. Ensure that you spray enough to achieve a nice blend of the colors and get a pretty shimmer!

Wipe the excess Perfect Pearls Mist and Stain from the embossed area with a damp towel.

Leave to dry or dry quickly with a heat tool!

And here's the card I made with this pretty, sparkly background:

Same layout for this card, but a TOTALLY different effect! This is perfect for a fun card to send to a girlfriend! I completed it by stamping the "Celebrate" sentiment from Celebrate Cake on the inside.

Distress Stain Resist Watercoloring

This final technique I'm going to show you is very different from the other two! For this one, I started by heat embossing the Woodgrain background with clear embossing powder on white cardstock. Then, I chose a couple different Distress Stains and watercolor painted them using my Aqua Painter! You can totally use a regular paint brush and water for this technique- I just happen to have an Aqua Painter, which makes this technique really easy. The Stains I used on this card are Antique Linen, Vintage Photo, and Walnut Stain (full list of supplies at the bottom of the post).

I started by applying some Distress Stain directly to my craft sheet in the three colors I chose to use.

Then, I used my Aqua Painter to pick up some Stain to paint on my embossed cardstock.

I added all three colors in stripes across the embossed paper, creating a fun, watercolored woodgrain look! I love how the stains blend together and and create this soft pattern!

Finally, either leave the paper to dry or dry it quickly with a heat tool.

And here's the card I made:

Same layout, just turned around a bit! LOVE this look and I'll definitely be using this technique again soon! On the inside I stamped the sentiment "Thank You" from the Hippie Chic set!

I hope I have inspired you to try Distress Stains and play around to discover new looks and styles! It is really fun to just get a little inky and play around!

{Distress Stain Resist} Supplies:

InLinkz.com

{Distress Stain Resist with Perfect Pearl Mist} Supplies:

InLinkz.com

{Distress Stain Resist Watercoloring} Supplies:

InLinkz.com