SNS "It's A Cultural Thing" Blog Hop

Welcome to my page on the hop! If you've arrived here from April's blog; you're in the right place.  If you've happened on my blog from somewhere else; you'll want to hop on back to the SNS Home blog.  (There you'll find all the details for this hop & the great prizes too!) Now on to my card, "Plum Dreams Oriental".....

As you can see, I took the blog hop theme quite literally & decided to explore one of the many ethnic essences that make up our great country.  Sparkle N Sprinkle has so many beautiful oriental stamps; I couldn't resist working with one of those.  And I just love the whole collection of fans that they have.  The one on this card comes from Asian Fans - Set 126.  (And of course it's on sale this month!)

I do hope you can get a better feel for this card from my description.  I've been having some problems getting"true to life" pics recently; so I hope you can combine the pic & description to get a better "view" in your mind! 

The fan stamp coordinated so well with my printed paper that I decided to mimic the look of the tan fans in the print by stamping on black paper & bleaching out the main stamp section.  The color I achieved is a bit more pale than the photo shows but really matched well.  Plus, bleaching out the black paper made it come out a really muted tone like the rest card (which also didn't come out very well in the photo - I told you this card was giving the camera issues - lol!)  In any case, the embossing powder I used for the fan was a really fun choice too.  While Oriental Fire may seem like an obvious choice for this card; perhaps not as much if you realize it's a red embossing powder!  Don't forget to experiment, this deep red powder appears to be an interesting shade of black when used on the black paper.  How's that for something surprising? - always experiement!!

Well, I hope you've enjoyed my design today.  Full instructions for this card can be found here.  Let's keep you hopping right along to see all the other great projects the designers have for you.  So hop on over to Eleanor's blog to continue on your journey.  Don't forget to leave a comment before you hop on by & thanks for joining us today!  Have fun on the rest of the hop!!

"No culture can live, if it attempts to be exclusive."  Mahatma Gandhi

Until next time,

***Julie***

Something Borrowed, Something Blue

Hi Everybody! Sparkle N Sprinkle has been continuing to release some great new fun & beautiful stamps and I wanted share one of the new releases with you!  As soon as I saw the Christian Angels - Set 448, I fell in love with this lovely lady & knew I had to make a card with her.  Whether you see her as an angel or a bride; she is just lovely as the centerpiece on a card.

For my "Something Borrrowed, Something Blue" card, she's done up with beautiful, soft blues and lots of sparkle!  Capturing all the sparkle in a photo is always a challenge & unfortunately this one had me beat.  Try as I may, I could not get the sparkle to show up as well as I wanted.  It's one of those cards that you're just going to have to take my word that it is so much more sparkly & pretty in person than it is in the photo.  (You can click on the photo to get a slightly better view). 

While you can probably see the glitter in her flowers & headpiece; it's her sparkling gown and veil that really make her so beautiful!  Since her dress & veil are white, all the lines are accented with shimmering, translucent Sparkling Snow glitter.  Sparkling Snow is one of those "must have" glitters that looks perfect on so many projects.  After "glittering", she's layered onto a rich navy to make the white pop out even more crisply & then accented with some great Spellbinders borders in both white & navy.  The entire piece is then pop dotted to add more dimension.


I hope you'v enjoyed my "blushing bride" as much as I did.  I know she would look great in lots of other color combinations & I hope to be able to try some of those out in the future too!

Don't forget the SNS "It's A Cultural Thing" blog hop coming up on Thursday!  We've got a really wide variety of projects to share with you; so this is going to be lots of fun....and of course they'll be prizes too; so don't miss it!  Well, in honor of my bridal card, I like to close with:

"Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue"

Traditional Bridal Blessing - Author Unknown

Until next time,

***Julie***

Supplies Used:

Stamp - Sparkle N Sprinkle

Glitter - Sparkle N Sprinkle

Rectangle Die & Accent Pieces - Spellbinders

Scallop Card Die - Sizzix

Markers - Copic Sketch

Card Base Paper - Bazzill Swiss Dot

Other: Sakura Quickie Glue Pen



Exciting & New at Sparkle N Sprinkle

Hi Everyone - Been having a lot of computer issues over the last couple months & it's been acting up for the last several days again.  My computer is quite old & way over due for being updated (ahem, I mean replaced); so I guess that's to be expected.  But issues & trying to fix issues keeps taking me away from time I'd rather to be posting things.  But I didn't want anyone to miss out on some of the exciting news that has been happening at Sparkle N Sprinkle.  So even though it's later than I wanted; I still wanted to pass along some updates from SNS so you don't miss out on anything!

First, if you haven't heard yet, SNS just added 9 great new & diverse artists to the Design Team last week.  I am always so honored to be a part of this great team and am so excited to see all the new & interesting things that each of these ladies is going to bring to SNS.  They each have their own unique artistic style and I'm really looking forward to getting to know each of them & I just know you're going to as well.  Each of their blogs is listed on my sidebar & I hope when you have a chance you'll take a moment to get to know them a little bit better through their blogs!  So to each of my new team mates, welcome again - Amanda, Angie, April, Charlene, Gerlinde, Jessica, Karalee, Lana, & Shanna!  So excited to get the chance to work with each of you!

Next, this isn't exactly brand new either; but I do have something new to share with you.  Sparkle N Sprinkle now sells smaller stamp sets called Stampettes that just became available this fall.  These fun little sets come in a variety of themes (with more to come) and are a really great price.  So to get you in the "swing of things" with these new Stampettes - I have a new card to share with you using one of these great little economical sets!

This sweet little card was created using the lovely Blossoms to Go Stampette Set 440 (which also coordinates with Set 429 Blossoms & Spellbinders Blossom 3 dies which makes this set extra versatile).  There's four great florals, 3 sayings, and a great little floral flourish all packed into this great set; so you really get your money's worth out of this set!

For this card, I started with a beautiful My Mind's Eye floral card - which I promptly cut apart and made into layers.  Typical maneuver isn't it.....we see something really pretty & then we still have to cut it apart and change it - lol!  Well, I did really love this floral & loved that it wasn't in more "traditional" floral colors.  For something a little different, the muted blues & greens on the brown really called to me.  And I thought it was the perfect background to call attention to the saying piece I had in mind.  For that piece, I put two dotted daisies behind the saying to tie it into the background floral & then the saying itself was made to stand out by embossing it with one of my favorites - Teddy Brown embossing powder.  The embossing powder really makes the saying pop out & come to life.  That whole piece was layered onto a Spellbinders Lattice Rectangle.  I attached the oppsite side of the Spellbinders rectangle piece than you would probably normally use for a little extra interest and because I thought it looked a little more "lacely" on that side.  I really liked the effect.

With that lovely saying, I think this would make a really sweet card for lots of different occasions - birthdays, weddings, thinking of you, or even just a note.  There's so many things you could use this for.  I hope you enjoyed this card as much as I did!  Full directions for this card can be found in the SNS Art Gallery Here.  And since the subject of this post is "New"- fyi, SNS has even more new stamps, glitters, and embossing powders coming out; so make sure to stop by for more details on those too! 

Don't forget - I love it when you leave a comment before you hop on by & thanks a bunch for stopping by!

In a world where you can be anything, Be Yourself.  Author Unknown

Until next time, 

***Julie***

Blog Hop Winners & Another Project

World Animal Day Blog Hop Winners have been announced.  I wanted to share those with you just in case you haven't seen them yet.  And whenever I can, I also like to post another related project for you; so scroll down after the winner list to see that (I have something really fun for all you parents, grandparents, or anyone close to some younger children!)

First the Blog Hop winners!  Congratulations to:
     Grand Prize #1 – Stamp Set of her Choice – Frann (papergardener)
     Grand Prize #2 – Stampette Set of her Choice – Anita Braddock
And the winners of the extra prizes on the "Mystery Blogs"
Prize One from Patti White's Blog – 2 tinsel glitter colors of her choice – Janet LoBianco
Prize Two from  Shona Erlenborn's Blog – 3 embossing powders of her choice – Connie Chapman
Prize Three from Karin Martin's Blog - 3 glitters of her choice – Dee in N.H.

Thank you to all of our hoppers!  We so enjoy sharing our creations with you and really enjoy all your comments!  Hope you'll join us again for the next Sparkle N Sprinkle hop Nov. 10th & 11th - "It's a Cultural Thing".  We have some really interesting & diverse things to share with you for that hop; so be sure to mark that one on your calendar!

On to the project.  When I thought about what Critter themed project I wanted to share with you for my "post hop" creation - I knew exactly what project would be perfect for this!  It's a project that a typical small picture just doesn't do it justice and posting it here is the perfect place to show you a much bigger view as well as give a little more background on what I did.  This project is simple, but a little time consuming - unique but really useful - and definitely full of Critters.  It's a Growth Chart for the favorite child(ren) in your life!

I was working with Set 325 Rodney - Sea Critters from Sparkle N Sprinkle & I just loved every one of the critters on the set.  So I wanted to do something the used ALL of them.  Plus, I have young children - so it just came to me....make a Sea Themed growth chart!

How adorable is this??  Like I said, it doesn't show up too well in small pics; so I can post a really big pic here where you can see it much better.  (Don't forget, you can click on any pic to get an even better view - click your back arrow when you're done looking to come back to this post.)

To make this really cute chart, I used 12 x 12 designer paper, cut it in half & backed it with black cardstock for a border & a little stiffness.  Black cardstock "marks" were placed every 2" and the numbers were cut out with a Sizzix die.  Each critter was stamped (some multiple times) onto Neenah Solar White paper using Memento Ink and then colored with Copic markers.  The fish were extra fun because I colored them in lots of different color combinations!  After coloring, each critter was cut out by hand and then arranged on the chart.  All pieces were attached using Tearific Tape.

The main image at the very bottom is the very adorable Little Darien.  She is one of Sparkle N Sprinkle's single stamps (doesn't come on a set) and she matches the Sea Critters so well.  I did put a few more images at the bottom (than at the top) since most of your measuring won't start down that low.

After all the critters were in place, I laminated the whole chart for durability & to be resistant to little fingerprints :-)!  I made two moveable markers to show the childs current height.  You can also make multiple fish & put a new fish on each time you have a new measurement - put the date right on the fish with a Sharpie for a great keepsake!  If you'd like to see the full instructions for this project; they can be found in the SNS Art Gallery Here.

This would make a great gift for a new parent or a child.  I absolutely adore these critters, but there's also several other SNS sets that would work great for a chart like this - dogs, cats, fairies - bears, bunnies, or butterflies - or perhaps Becca & Mandy or Rusty.  There's so many great sets that would work well for this - think of all the possibilities!

I hope you really enjoyed this project - something really different this time!  I'd love it if you left a little comment before you hopped on by - I read & appreciate every one!

"While we try to teach our children all about life, Our children teach us what life is all about." ~Angela Schwindt

Until next time,

***Julie***

SNS World Animal Day Blog Hop

Welcome to my page on the SNS World Animal Day Blog Hop.  If you've hopped here from the amazing Judy's blog; you're in the right place.  If not you may want to hop back to the SNS Home Blog so you don't miss out on any of the great critter cards (and details on the great prizes too).

Out & About after the Blizzard 2010

I'm so excited about this hop because I'm a major animal lover!!  I live on a small hobby farm & have also rescued many, many animals over the years.  I am amazed, amused, and educated by my animals every day and I am so very grateful to have them in my life.  Sadly, one of my dear farm friends just passed yesterday.  Taz was one of our "adoptees".  We took him in from a neighbor that was moving & couldn't have animals at their new place.  He was an older, gentle giant (compared to our other goats) and was a joy to have around for his last few years.  Of course, I couldn't find a good picture of him when I wanted one, but this is my son & Taz "out & about" after the blizzard of 2010.  Taz, this post is dedicated to you - you will be dearly missed - rest in peace dear friend.  And to all those other critters that touch our lives in so many ways - this day we honor you. 

On to my cards - there are sooo many great critters in the Sparkle N Sprinkle stamp line that there's soooo many I would have loved to share with you today!  I settled on using the adorable Mulder.  For those times when we accidentally miss someone important day, the expression on Mulder's really shows how sorry he is that he "Fur-got".  I just love the look on his face!  And in theme with our critter hop - even the embossing powder I used goes with the theme..... it's Teddy Brown - I know, really that was a coincidence; but it happens to be one of my favorites though!  Mulder & the saying were cut out & framed in with Spellbinders.

I also did another "piece" with Mulder - he was so much fun to work with!  This time I created a great multipurpose piece that could either be a card (for various occasions for a dog lover) or it would make a great picture frame or scrapbook piece if Mulder was replaced with a picture of a favorite pooch.  Either way you choose to do it; again, Mulder hits the spot with that expression and those perfect sayings to match him.  This piece was done up with an older Spellbinders frame - the polka dot frame - I love the perfect size of that frame; I just didn't emboss the polka dots.  Mulder & the sayings were done up in a bunch of different embossing powders.  Black & white detail EP's were used for him & the main saying.  And then a bunch of really fun, really colorful SNS EP's for the "Woof" - By the Lake, Spring Willow, Firefly, and Spiced Cider create the bright & colorful squares.  It's funny how things work out sometimes.....I had chosen those four colors specifically to match a printed ribbon that I thought would be perfect for this project.  But then after all the pieces where made & "test fit" together; I ended up deciding the ribbon just didn't add what I had envisioned.  So I left the ribbon off, but still loved the look of those bright colors & decided to keep them even without the "matching ribbon".  It's interesting to see how our pieces "evolve".

Sayings for both projects comes from the really fun - Set 249 - Kramer There's even more great sayings on this set, a great & versatile set of paw prints, and a few more of the great SNS dogs.  Be sure to check them out.

Well, I sure hope you enjoyed your two visits with Mulder!  I know I've enjoyed working with him so much I'm sure I'm going to be reaching for his expressive eyes many more times!  I hope you'll leave a little comment to let me know what you thought of these two projects - I always love hearing from you all!  Then hop on over to our wonderful guest designer for October, Karalee Ingram, and check out what she has for you on her blog! Enjoy the rest of the hop!!

"Animals are such agreeable friends - they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms."  ~George Eliot

 "An animal's eyes have the power to speak a great language."  ~Martin Buber

Until next time,

***Julie***

Sparkle N Sprinkle Magical Winter Moments

Hi Everybody! Welcome to my stop on Sparkle N Sprinkle's "Magical Winter Moments" hop!  It may not be winter just yet, but if you're anything like me; those holidays sneak right up on you!  So now's the time to start preparing & we have just what you need - some great card samples to get your winter mojo going so you won't have to make cards at the last minute this year.  And better yet, most of the stamps featured are on sale for the rest of the month; so buy now & save a bunch too!  If you hopped here by way of Barbara's great blog ; then you're in the right place.  If not, you might want to jump back to the Sparkle N Sprinkle Home Blog & start from the beginning so you don't miss any of the great ideas.  Plus all the details  for how to qualify for some great prizes are there too - you definitely don't want to miss out on those either!

click any image for a larger view

For my stop on the hop I have two cards for you featuring the Tiny Tree stamp from the new Tis the Season - Set 439.  Going along with the theme, my first card brings back some Magical memories & really captures the sparkle!  When I saw the Tiny Tree in this stamp set, one of the things that immediately came to mind was those great Aluminum Christmas trees from our past  So I set out to recreate that look and feel.  What do you think - did I capture the feel of the Aluminum trees from years ago?  Or are you too embarrassed to admit you've been around long enough to know when these were all the rage - LOL!  There's so much sparkle on this card that the photo couldn't pick it all up, but the tree itself was done in Tinsel embossing powder (of course) and the frame around it was done with Tearific Tape and Sassy Silver glitter.  The final & crowning touch is the Silver Leaf Glitter Tinsel border which really reminds me of the aluminum branches on those trees.  I love how all those silvers look together and the whole look really takes me back to those old time trees.  And yes, I do admit to being old enough to remember them well!  Full instructions for this card can be found in the Sparkle N Sprinkle Art Gallery here.

For my second card, I went for the complete opposite look with the same stamp.  This time I went for a "Country Christmas".  With all the sparkle at Sparkle N Sprinkle; we don't do as many "non-sparkly" designs, but it's nice to do that look every once in awhile.  And for an added surprise, this card actually does use a sparkling embossing powder.  But the Log Cabin embossing powder I used has just enough to add a little spark yet still blend in perfectly with the country design.  

For an extra natural touch, instead of backing the tree with a paper layer; the tree was backed with a piece of burlap.  I love the look, texture, and dimension that the burlap adds.  And the gingham ribbon & buttons make the perfect accents to complete that country feel.  I really enjoyed creating this country style for something a little different and I like how it shows that you can create completely different looks with the same stamp.  Full directions for this Country Christmas card can be found  in the Gallery here.

Well, I hope you enjoyed my cards today.  Don't forget to leave a comment before you hop on to qualify for prizes.  I read and appreciate every comment.  Now hop on over to Karin's fun blog & enjoy the rest of the hop! 

"You see things and say, "Why?", but I dream things and say, "Why not?"  

                                                                                                                                                  George Bernard Shaw

Until next time,

***Julie***

Supplies Used:

Stamp - Sparkle N Sprinkle

Embossing Powders, Glitter, Glitter Tinsel - Sparkle N Sprinkle

Embossing Folders - Cuttlebug

Frame Die Cut - Spellbinders

Tag Die Cut - Cricut

Coming Soon - SNS Winter Hop this Thursday

Just a real quick reminder that the Sparkle N Sprinkle Sparkling Winter Sensations Blog Hop is coming up in two days on Thursday Sept. 22nd.  We have such an interesting mix of styles on the SNS design team - it's always fun to see what everyone has come up with.  And while the leaves are still on the trees & fall hasn't even completely set in for most of us yet; it's already time to start planning those holiday cards that always seems to sneak up on us.  Plus, to get you ready, Sparkle N Sprinkle has most of their holiday stamps on sale this month!  So don't forget to check out the winter hop on Thursday & pick up some of your favorite holiday stamps while they're on sale!

In the meantime, I have a holiday tag to share with you to start getting you in the mood!

Click any photo for a larger view

This stamp on this tag comes from the Merry Crows - Set 385 and features one of my favorite fun products to play with - Sparkle N Soft.  Sparkle N Soft is so much fun to add to your cards - soft, fluffy, touchable flocking with just the right touch of sparkle to really make it "pop".  If you've never used it before; you really need to add this to your "to do" list!  Sparkle N Soft makes such a big impression on your projects.  On this card, I added it to the scarf & hat (after coloring them for extra color intensity) using brushable glue to make them warm & wooly.  I also added it to the edge of the card using Sparkle N Sprinkle's awesome Tear-ific Tape to make a beautiful coordinating fuzzy accent on the side of the card.  Doesn't it look so warm & sparkly?!  The holly strip was painstakingly handmade using a border punch and gluing tiny little strips of red & dark green paper behind each cut out.  Forgive me for dwelling on the "painstakingly" part; but it was quite time consuming to make.  And yes, I do realize I could have only put the red behind the berries and just let the green show through from the tag base.  But wanted a darker green, plus & more importantly, the strip would have been all "lumpy bumpy" if I only backed the red berries.  So....a few more pieces and a little bit more time & wel-lah!  A bit time consuming, but I was really happy with the result though!  Don't forget to click on the picture for a better view of the card & all it's sparkling softness!  I hope you enjoyed my holiday tag today & that it puts you in the mood for the Sparkling Winter Sensations hop coming up on Thursday!  Be sure to come back to see what I & the other designers have come up with for this Wintery hop!  Hope you'll join us then!!

And remember -

"Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans"  John Lennon

Until next time,

Julie

Supplies used:

Stamp - Sparkle N Sprinkle

Sparkle N Soft - Sparkle N Sprinkle

Tag Die Cut - Sizzix

Border Punch - EK Success Holiday series

Pencils/Mineral Spirits

Here's a look at the whole Merry Crows set - lots of great snowman, holiday & wintery images to use and enjoy!

Blog Hop Winners Announced - Autumn Inspirations Hop

Winners from the Sparkle N Sprinkle "Autumn Inspiratons" Blog Hop have been announced.  Just wanted to pass those along in case you didn't get to see them yet.

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The Grand Prize was awarded to Aileen Freeman!

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Secondary winners (extra prizes)
1. From Donna Ellis's Blog: 2 glitter tinsels of your choice! – Karen A. Jones 
2. From Dawn Thomas's Blog: 3 embossing powders of your choice! - Linda Craig
3. From Linda Loew's Blog: 3 glitters of your choice! - Denise B
4. From Shona Erlenborn's Blog: 2 Sparkle N Soft colors of your choice! - Barb P
5. From Patti White's Blog: 2 Flocking colors of your choice! - Anita Braddock

More details (including details on what to do if you're a winner) are on the "home blog" - Sparkle N Sprinkle Blog.  And we've said before on previous hops & I'd like to repeat again myself because it's so absolutely true.....we truly enjoy & appreciate every comment   It encourages & inspires us more than you know!  Thank you so much for joining us & spending a little part of your day with us.  We're so glad you did!

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For an extra treat, I have another SNS (Sparkle N Sprinkle) fall card to share with you today.  This is another of my "Pre-Blog" designs that I wanted to share now.  This one may or may not appeal to everyone because it's a bit unusual; but it IS a completely fun card that is near and dear to my heart!

You see, for a similar SNS design request last fall; we were also asked to do cards with a fall theme - much like this recent project for the Autumn Inspirations hop.  Well, at that time, I was working with the really cute Brooke & Bailey baby sets from SNS.  Those two sets are a lot of fun & have so many great images & sayings - here's a peek at the two of them:

 

Click any photo or image for a larger view

So again...I'm working with these two sets when the fall themed request comes in & the request includes a suggestion to "re-purpose" everyday stamps into fall themed designs.  Well there it was, right in front of me....since I, like many people, create from their own life experiences or that which is personal to them - the answer was right in front of me.  Two of the four grandchildren in my immediate family (my daughter & my niece) were both born within a week of Thanksgiving.  Many people call them "turkey babies".  And since I have one and know one - I just had to create one for this design call.  Plus, the Bailey in Diapers stamp was perfect for this idea!  I just loved this card - cute, a little funny, and really unique.  What do you think?

The feathers can be done lots of different ways.  I used a Cricut to cut these, but they could easily be made out of a lot of different dies, punches, or even free hand. These ones are actually
flower petals!  They just happened to be the shape I was looking for - so let your creativity flow - think outside the box!  The saying was part stamped (the "Congratulations" from the same set as Bailey) and part done on the computer ("on your New Little Gobbler").  With cling stamps it's so easy to see through the acrylic blocks to make lining up with the computer text a breeze! And don't forget that the saying could easily be changed so that you could have a birth announcement, a shower card, or even one congratulating parents that found out they're expecting in the fall.  To finish the piece, the card and the saying piece were both accented with SNS Autumn Medley glitter for that extra "pop".

If you know anyone expecting in November; I'd bet they'd just love to receive a Baby Bailey Gobbler!  Or for that matter, Bailey would look great "dressed up" for a bunch of other holidays & events too!  Once again, let that creativity flow!!  If you do a "Bailey" card, be sure to let me know; I'd love to see yours!  Hope you enjoyed the card & congrats again to the Autumn Inspirations blog hop winners!!

"The good life, as I conceive it, is a happy life. I do not mean that if you are good you will be happy; 

                                                                      I mean that if you are happy you will be good."              Bertrand Russell

Until next time,

** Julie**

Supplies used:                                        

Stamps - Sparkle N Sprinkle

Glitter - Sparkle N Sprinkle

Die cut "feathers" - Cricut

Die cut label - Spellbinders Nestabilities

Embossing Folder - Sizzix

Dew Drops - The Robin's Nest

Markers - Copic                                      Full instructions for this card can be found HERE.

Sparkle N Sprinkle "Autumn Inspirations" Blog Hop

Welcome to my stop on the Autumn Inspirations Blog Hop.  Autumn is my favorite season - the sights, the sounds, the smells!  I'm so glad you're here!  If you've arrived here from  Jill's awesome blog; you're in the right place.  If not, you may want to go back to the Sparkle N Sprinkle Blog to start from the beginning & find out about all the great prizes for this hop.  Plus, that way you won't miss any of the great "Autumn Inspirations" we have for you!

Click any photo for larger view

For my card today I chose to do a general card instead of one specifically for the season, but instead used all those beautiful fall colors as it's focus.  Perfect for a special friend, family member, spouse- anyone close to your heart.  And for a little extra fun; I did it as a waterfall card - these are so much fun to receive and play with.  I wish you could hold it in your hands - it's so much more fun to see "in action" than in photos.  But alas, I just haven't gotten into making videos just yet; so you're going to have to accept plain old photo's for now.

While there was a lot of stamps & pieces to this card; it was so much fun to create (sensing a trend here?!)  It was a blast mixing & matching all the great Sparkle N Sprinkle stamps & sets.  And three of the sets are from the newest releases which makes them even more fun to design with!  The main element that ties everything together are the beautiful Copper embossed frames that surround every image.  These are from the new Thoughtful Frames - Set 436.  They make such a perfect accent for so many different things & there's two more great frames on this set as well as a bunch of lovely sayings as well.  A really useful & versatile set to own.
(click on any colored word(s) in the posts for links to more information)

Of course, the really fun thing about a waterfall card is the movement.  If you've never done one of these cards before; give yourself a treat & make one or two or three!  (Full instructions for this card can be found here in the art gallery at Sparkle N Sprinkle).  In order to flip through all the great "pages" of the waterfall, you pull on the pretty "pull tab" made with ribbon & a Spellbinders Parisian Accent die.  While doing that, you'll flip through fun sayings & images from the new Bird Swirl - Set 432,





new Fancy Butterflies - Set 437 & Thoughtful Frames - Set 436,

and many other favorite sets such as Nikki's Romance - Set 400 , Love Is Sweet - Set 401, and Solid Butterfly - Set 391.  It's so much fun to pull together all these different images & sayings to make a really special card for that special someone in your life.  As a matter of fact, this card was so much fun that I already have ideas for a bunch more waterfall cards from all the great stamp sets at Sparkle N Sprinkle.  Hopefully I'll have some more of those to share with you in the coming months; so be sure to stay tuned for those.  In the meantime, don't forget to check out the SNS Art Gallery for the full instructions to this card.  

Well, I sure hope you've enjoyed this card & I look forward to hearing your comments.  It's time to hop on over to the next stop on this hop - the Glitterific Patti!  Remember to leave a comment on each stop to qualify for all the great prizes!  And thanks a bunch for joining us on this warm & colorful autumn adventure!

Autumn has a beauty & color & warmth that lingers in our senses the whole year through.  Embrace it!

 Until next time, 

**Julie**

 PS - Don't forget, I'm still building this new blog; so if you like what you see consider becoming a follower so you can see the great things I'll be adding as this blog builds & grows.  Come along with me on my adventures in creativity & life!

Supplies:

Stamps - Sparkle N Sprinkle

Embossing Powders - Sparkle N Sprinkle

Die - Spellbinders Parisian Accents

Embossing Folder - Cuttlebug

Ribbon - Michaels

 

Finally Back......And Showcasing New SNS Stamps!

Wow, I'm finally "back on the blog"!  It seems I've hit one of those little spells where I've ended up being much busier than I expected and I haven't gotten to blogging for awhile.  While I really enjoy sharing things with you all, at times, things with higher priorities just take over.  And with two young school age kids, the end of summer seems to have "snuck" up on me.  Suddenly our days have been extra filled with everything from extra outings we wanted to go on during the summer to back to school shoppping to those doctor appts. that you just want to squeeze in before school starts.  It's amazing how fast the days can slip away with even the little "mundane" things!

Well, in any case, I definitely wanted to get back to blogging and share some more fun things with you.  And while I haven't been blogging for awhile; I definitely have been creating; so I've got some great things to share as we catch up.

Plus, this is the perfect time to start catching up because Sparkle N Sprinkle is getting ready for another great blog hop this Thursday & Friday - Autumn Inspirations - I have a really fun project to share with you for that too!  And of course, there will be some great prizes for those that leave comments along the hop; so make sure you check in for that on Thursday!!

Click any photo for a larger view

(Don't forget, click on any highlighted word(s) for further details/links).
Ok then, what I have for you today is from a new stamp release from Sparkle N Sprinkle.  This card uses a beautiful butterfly and saying from the new Fancy Butterflies - Set 437.  This stamp set coordinates with Spellbinders new summer release butterfly dies and can be purchased as individual stamps, as a money saving set, or in either of two combo's that include one or both of the two great Spellbinder die sets!  So you can get exactly what you want - so many options!  (Pics of the sets are further down in this post)

For my card, to add a little extra interest, creativity, and fun; the butterfly is stamped & embossed on metal!  This is such a fun medium to work with for this image because you can mold & shape the butterfly exactly how you want to make it really dimensional & lifelike.  There's a great little tutorial on the SNS Tips & Techniques section for Embossing on Metal & you'll find another example there where I embossed on metal.  If you haven't tried this yet; you have to try this.  It's so much fun & adds so much interest to your creations.  For this card, I did cut my butterfly out by hand to get the look I wanted; but the Spellbinders dies will cut the craft metal; so that's another great option you have too.  Here's a look at the stamp set & the coordinating dies from Spellbinders:

This card also takes on a fun feel by having the whole card cut out in an oval shape.  I used the Spellbinders new Grand Calibur and Grand Oval Nestabilities to cut out the main card base & layers.  While I chose a simple shape for this card, all the Grand Nestabilities make such great (& interesting) card bases!  If you'd like to see the full directions for this card; they can be found here in my gallery on the SNS site.

Fancy Butterflies set is just one of a bunch of new stamp releases from Sparkle N Sprinkle.  You might enjoy taking a look at 5 of the new sets in the newly released You Tube video showcasing some of the great new Spring & Summer sets.  I only have one card in this group, but I did another card that uses a bunch of the new sets (& some older ones too!) that isn't on the video because it's part of the up coming blog hop.  So you'll have to make sure you come back to check that out!!  In the meantime, here's a link to the YouTube video so you can check out the new sets -
  Sparkle N Sprinkle 5 New Sets (Spring/Summer 2011)

Be sure to come back Thursday for the Autumn Inspirations blog hop & I'll share the card I did with a bunch of these new sets!  Looking forward to seeing you then! 

     "Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing."  

Theodore Roosevelt

 Until next time,

** Julie**

Supplies used:
Stamps & Embossing Powder - Sparkle N Sprinkle
Dies - Spellbinders Nestabilities
Embossing Folder - Quickutz
Craft Metal - Walnut Hollow

For Your Paws

Hi again!  Well, I said I'd share another project today using the fun Sparkle N Sprinkle stamp "For Your Paws Only" and one that was not Christmas-y.  And so I will!  I did this one at the same time as the dog bones card, but this one is for the cat lovers this time!

Click any photo for closer view

This time I went with a gift bag.  And for cat lovers it's got to be a fish for the treat!  The fish was cut out on a Cricut machine, the saying was then embossed with By The Lake embossing powder, and then the entire fish & his details were all done with a Quickie glue pen and Aquamarine glitter.  I added a white stud that I drew the eye onto & added a fun "fish stringer" from jute rope.  One (or more) of these strung onto a rope would also be perfect for a fisherman.  The fish was pop dotted onto a Spellbinders Label One Nestability that was run through an embossing folder, attached to the bag & accented with paw print ribbon & coordinating rhinestones.  I just love this little fishy & how he's tied up with the rope!  I think any cat lover (or fisherman!) would love receiving this!  Below there's a close up too.  If you'd like to see the full instructions for this project, go to my gallery page at Sparkle N Sprinkle by clicking here.





Take a look at all that sparkling goodness!  Not only does all that Sparkle N Sprinkle glitter shine, but the embossing powder (which is also from Sparkle N Sprinkle) has it's own sparkling goodness too!  Well, I hope you enjoyed this project as much as the dog one.  And don't forget to always really take a good look at everything you can do with your stamp sets.  Sparkle N Sprinkle often has stamps like this that are intended for a particular holiday, but can be used for so much more!  More bang for your buck......I'm always a big fan of that!  Oh, and don't forget you can get the stamps individually or as part of the money saving set - always up to you!

Okay then, thought for today is.....

Life is a succession of moments. To live each one is to succeed.
Corita Kent

Hope you make the most of every moment!  

Unitl next time,

**Julie**

Supplies:

Fish die cut - Cricut

Label - Spellbinders Nestability

Embossing Folder - Cuttlebug

Stamp - Sparkle N Sprinkle

Glitter - Sparkle N Sprinkle

Embossing Powder - Sparkle N Sprinkle

 

Blog Hop Winners Announced

Winners from the Sparkle N Sprinkle "Sparkling Winter Sensations" Blog Hop have been announced.  Thought I'd pass that along in case you didn't get to see them yet.  And one of the 5 extra prizes was hidden on my blog - Yeah!  Well, here they are:

The Grand Prize is awarded to Mitzi Vogel!

Secondary winners (extra prizes)
1. From Barbara Bruder’s Blog –  Peg Klitch
2. From Eleanor Jenkins’ Blog – April of South Carolina
3. From Julie Zippel’s Blog – NWFlamingo (yeah again! a winner from this blog!!)
4. From Marie Berquist’s Blog – Lois (lew1993)
5. From Karin Martin’s Blog – Donna Levine


More details (including details on what to do if you're a winner) & a special thank you from all of us on the design team are on the "home blog" - Sparkle N Sprinkle blog.  And similar to what it says there I'd like to say myself because it's so absolutely true.....we truly enjoy & appreciate every comment   It encourages & inspires us more than you know!  Thank you so much for joining us & spending a little part of your day with us.  We're so glad you did!

And in the spirit of sharing & the hop; I thought I'd share a card with you today from another Christmas set from Sparkle N Sprinkle.  I did this card a little while back; but that was before I had a blog to share projects on.  And since the main stamp comes from a Christmas set; I thought this would be the perfect occasion to share this as a follow up to the hop!

Click any photo for closer view

At first this card does look "Christmas-y" because of the colors.  But really, it could be used almost any time of the year and for almost any occasion (birthday, thinking of you, thank you, get well, you name it)!.  Just add whatever saying fits your occasion inside!  You could even change the green background paper to another color to tone down the holiday feel if you wanted to.  The dog bowl & dog bones are from an older Sizzix die.  The "For Your Paws Only" stamp comes from Set 342 below.

 

Here's a close up of the bowl & bones so you can see all the dimension with the corrugated background, and pop dotted bones & bowl.  I used pop dots only in certain parts of the bones & bowl (instead of all over) to get those to pop up more realistically in just right places !  It's is a card any dog lover would enjoy.  The paw prints on the bowl are also from Sparkle N Sprinkle - Set 249 - Dogs - Kramer.  Full instructions for this card can be found in my SNS gallery here.  

Sparkle N Sprinkle sets are such a great value.  And you never want to forget how versatile the different sets can be - there's always so many more ways to use them than what may be obvious at first.  This "For your paws only" from a Christmas set is a perfect example! And don't forget to come on back tomorrow & I'll share a completely different (completely non-Christmas look) using the same "For Your Paws Only" stamp - this time for the cat lovers!  Don't miss it!  And remember,

Life is what you make of it. Always has been, always will be.

                                                                                                                             (-Grandma Mary)

Make the best of yours!

Until next time -

** Julie** 

Supplies used:

Stamps - Sparkle N Sprinkle

Embossing Powders - Sparkle N Sprinkle

Die Cuts - Sizzix 

Sm Dog Bone Punch - McGill or Fiskars?

 

Sparkle N Sprinkle "Sparkling Wintry Sensations" Blog Hop

Welcome to the Sparkle N Sprinkle "Sparkling Wintry Sensations” blog hop! The very best way to Beat the Heat this July!!  If you hopped here by way of Judy's great blog, then you're in the right spot. If you'd like to start from the beginning and become eligible for SIX great prizes, then click here.

Most of Sparkle N Sprinkle's stamps are available in great coordinated sets.  But for this holiday hop I chose two of our "stand alone" stamps that I just love & I used them to create two completely different looks in the cards I have to share with you today.  **Click on any highlighted words for links to products, instructions, or further information**

Click any photo for larger vie

This first one is my personal favorite - a very rich and elegant card using the gorgeous Nestle In for Christmas stamp.  This stamp is so beautiful it can be the entire main focus of a card.  I stamped it twice & colored up one "whole copy" & then the bird only (with two holly leaves) with Copic markers - you get such rich tones & highlights with the Copics.  Cut out the the main image with a Spellbinders Petite Scalloped Oval (I used the great new Grand Caliber machine!), pop dotted the bird for some dimension, and layered it all onto a beautifully embossed piece of Stardream cardstock & black Mirrorcard.  Attached all the layers to a white card base and added some red & white rhinestones for just the right amount of accents.  When it all comes together; you can see how this stamp makes such a beautiful card just by itself.  For all the details on how to make this card; please click my gallery to see the full instructions.
 
For my second card, I wanted to do something completely different - something warm, rustic, and "home-y".  And I wanted to include a different technique too.  And that's where my "Warm Wishes Bleached Snowman" came about.

Yes, it's completely different from the first card, but that's what I was shooting for.  The Heart Snowman were stamped & embossed onto a rustic blue cardstock with cream speckles that has a beautiful subtle shimmer to it.  Then the snowmen were bleached out before having accent colors added with Copic markers.  The matching saying was done with one of my favorite embossing powders -  Dark Night.  While it is dark in color; it has such a beautiful blue sheen that reflects in the light.  The perfect accent for the blue background paper.  A snowflake background was embossed onto the cream card base and the snowmen & accent piece were both cut out with Spellbinders.  All the directions for this warm & rustic card can be found on this page of my gallery, Warm Wishes Bleached Snowman.

Well, there you have it - two completely different looks for the holidays.  I hope you enjoyed them & that one (or both) of them speaks to you! Don't forget.... Maybe I'm one of “The Five” with a secondary prize, so be sure to leave a comment to become eligible for the Grand Prize and one of the 5 secondary prizes, then hop on over to Karin's awesome blog.  

Thanks so much for stopping by & do come back often!  (This blog is brand new & I have lots of great things on the backburner to share with you)  Why not become a follower & see what I have in store!

Have lots of fun on the rest of the hop!  And don't forget to .....

Enjoy the Simple Things in Life!

Until next time -

**Julie**

Here is the blog hop order for this hop in case you've gotten lost anywhere along the way:

Sparkle N Sprinkle Home Blog / Blog Hop Details -  SNS Blog
Sandy - Simply Sandy Lee
Dawn - Belladonna's Garden
Shona - Shona's Stamping Stage
Eleanor - Stamping in Virginia
Julie W - The Write Stuff
Joan - Stamp in Slippers
Judy  - Joy In a Jar
Julie Zippel - (that's me you're here!)
Karin  - With an "i" for Paper
Linda - Raindrops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens...
Marie - CraftEMarie
Barbara Bruder - Art and Soul Creations
Patti - I Live for Glitter
Donna Ellis - Creative Smiles

Convention Time! - StampScrapArtTour

This Saturday (& Sunday) was our local convention here in Western PA.  So let's open with a card from the convention.

Click photo for larger view

This really cute & fun lemonade card was a make-n-take by Art Tech Supplies.  While I was working on this, I "heard" that there's been lots of cards similar to this online in the last couple years (ok, I googled it when I got home & found that to be true).  But.... I gotta say, with the literally  thousands & thousands of cards out there on all the blogs, forums, and galleries - I had never seen it.  You're just never going to get to see everything out there.  So it was "new to me" and I thought it was such a great make & take - bright & fun, perfect for a summer convention.  And Art Tech did such a great job making their version quick & easy so lots of stampers could get to make it.  It was the only make & take I got to & I really enjoyed it!

For the last few years, StampScrapArtTour has been doing our conventions.  In my "general" (read driveable) area, there are three conventions - Adventures in Stamping - Cleveland/Akron, Stampaway - Cincinnati, and the StampScrapArtTour here in Western PA.  I've been to all three many times & while this one isn't quite as big as the other two; I'm really grateful that we even have one that close to us.  (This one is about an hour away from me).  For anyone that doesn't have a convention anywhere in their neck of the woods; I can just imagine how much you wish you'd have anything come your way!

And I have to say, even for a smaller convention; the StampScrapArtTour people do such a nice job.  I've also gone to their Make-n-take "class" they hold the night before the show in past years and it was also a lot of fun. The convention itself is done really well - nice atmosphere, good vendors, nice door prizes & raffles and most importantly - very friendly.  I don't know, it's a whole different atmosphere than one of the big conventions.  You can really take your time & get to look at everything with the smaller size.  Plus, no booths three & four people deep where you can barely even get a look at the products or get up close with the vendors.  I've been to conventions where it's like shopping on Black Friday - everybody's bumping into each other, trying to squeeze past each other (literally) just to to try to get to the next section of a booth and all the while trying to grab things as fast as they can before it's gone.  Nope, I've done that before.  But ok, I'll be fair, I was the first in line in the very early pre-dawn hours (no, I'm not kidding) for Stampaway at several of it's first years.  And I had tons of fun every time (& spent WAY too much money- lol)!  But I'll definitely take this type of show anytime now.  I've done the craziness before - lol; I've had that fun.  Now I really enjoy not fighting the huge crowds & being able to really get up close & personal with the vendors.  And I feel grateful that we're lucky enough to even have a convention so close to us & always hope they do well enough to come back the next year.  Big or small, conventions are so much fun & I had a great time.  Didn't win any prizes this time - Darn!  Maybe next year!! Well, remember.....

 Life isn't measured in moments of time, but in Timeless Moments

Hope you make the best of yours!

Until next time -

**Julie**

Don't Forget - Sparkle N Sprinkles July Blog Hop is coming up in just a few days!  Don't miss it!

Favorites from the past - An Elegant Bridal Shower Card

Hi Everybody -
I thought I'd start out by sharing one of my favorite cards from awhile back.  Now that I'm sharing my cards with "all of you out there"; I have quite a few past cards that I really liked & would like to share.  I thought I'd start out by sharing one of those & include a few of the others here and there as I start adding things to this blog.  Hope you enjoy what I have to share.

Click photo for closer view

This first card may be simple in design; but it's quite beautiful in person.


It was done a couple years ago for my cousins wedding shower and I still really like this card.  Her colors were Navy & White; so this card was perfect.

Inside

Sadly the photo doesn't do it justice at all - the beautiful navy of the card base matches so nicely to the ribbon but didn't show up too well in the photo.  (You'll have to forgive my photography skills at that point - we won't even talk about where I took this picture - I was heavily involved with getting things ready for the shower & was in a pinch for time - LOL!)  Fortunately, my skills have improved & you should get a much better view with my more current cards - I hope!

This was just my card from me to her and everyone really seemed to like it - it was passed around quite a bit.  We also did all the invitations for the shower, the shower thank you's, and several other pieces for the wedding.  I also handmade all her wedding thank you's myself as a wedding present to her.  Everything turned out so beautifully & despite all the work of making such large quantities of everything; we still had a lot of fun making everything so personal.

I hope you like this card & I'd love to hear your comments!  Please let me know what you think before you hop on by.  I'll be sure to read every comment!  Make sure you stop back to see more of my "...Basics & Beyond"  And......

Don't forget to enjoy the little things in life!  

Until next time, 
 **Julie**

Supplies:

• Die cut dress - Sizzix
• Pearl Embossed Paper (dress) - Marco's Paper
• Mulberry Paper - Marco's Paper
• Stamp - Studio G
• Paris Dusk Ink - Memento              
• Glitter Glue - Stickles
• Small Rhinestones - Martha Stewart