Last Day of Previews...

Can you believe that it's Friday already? My little sister (not the one that is sick right now) and her family were all visiting us since Monday. We had an awesome time despite the unusually high temps. They started their trek home this morning. Little Ellie was pouting when they were packing up the car and then cried when they drove down the driveway. Yep, I felt the same way as her. I know we'll see them soon again but it was sure nice to have them here at our house. They couldn't just come and visit when we lived in Barrow so this was a real treat. :-)

Well, today is the last day of sneak peeks with Clear Dollar Stamps and my samples were made with "Church Chatter" and the single stamp "Apple and Books". Be sure to visit the rest of the previews too:

Clearly iStamp The Clear Dollar Stamps Blog~Lori McCroskey
Kim
Linda B.
Stacy
Candy
Tori
Cassie
Angela
Linda A.
Shawne
Sarah
Katie

Have a very blessed day!

Smiles,


CARD DEATILS:
Dove
ALL CDSTAMPS LLC STAMP SETS USED: Church Chatter

CARDSTOCK AND PAPERS: Making Memories Lizzie Collection, Blank Notecard

INKPADS: Palette Ink Burnt Umber
, VersaMagic Chalk Ink Red Brick
ACCESSORIES & EMBELLISHMENTS: Silk Hydrangea, Doily, May Arts Ribbons, Sticker Pearls, Brad, Nestabilities, MS Edge & Dove Punch, Micheal's Christmas Ribbon

Chruch Chatter Jeweled
ALL CDSTAMPS LLC STAMP SETS USED: Church Chatter
CARDSTOCK AND PAPERS: Basic Grey Periphery, Blank Notecard

INKPADS: Palette Ink Charcoal
ACCESSORIES & EMBELLISHMENTS: Nestabilities, Silk Flowers, Jeweled Button Brad, Making Memories Green Ribbon

Classic Books
ALL CDSTAMPS LLC STAMP SETS USED: Apple & Books, Cruisin' Classics

CARDSTOCK AND PAPERS: Basic Grey Recess, Blank Notecard

INKPADS: Palette Ink Black Noir 

COPIC MARKERS: C1, C7, BV23, G05, YG06, R37, R20, B95, B29 

ACCESSORIES & EMBELLISHMENTS: Nestabilities Circles, Bazzill Polka Dot Brads

Sheet Music...

My last cards for the day are from the upcoming Clear Dollar Stamps sets called "Sweet Symphony" and "Sheet Music". The combination of stamps are simply perfect!

Thanks for stopping by today! Don't forget to stop by the rest of the design teams blogs for more sneaky peeks:

Clearly iStamp The Clear Dollar Stamps Blog~Lori McCroskey
Kim
Linda B.
Stacy
Candy
Tori
Cassie
Angela
Linda A.
Shawne
Sarah
Katie


Smiles,




CARD DETAILS:
Antique Notes
ALL CDSTAMPS LLC STAMP SETS USED: Sweet Symphony & Sheet Music

CARDSTOCK AND PAPERS: Blank Notecard

INKPADS: Palette Noir Black, VersaMagic Sahara Sand, Ranger Walnut Ink Antique
ACCESSORIES & EMBELLISHMENTS: Sizzix Scribbles Swirls, May Arts Ribbon, Pearl Sticker, Nestabilities, Paper Rose


Yellow Ribbon Music
ALL CDSTAMPS LLC STAMP SETS USED: Sweet Symphony & Sheet Music

CARDSTOCK AND PAPERS: Basic Greay Periphery, Olive Cardstock, Blank Notecard

INKPADS: Palette Charcoal, The Angel Company Riverstone Chalk Ink
ACCESSORIES & EMBELLISHMENTS: May Arts Silk Ribbon, Nestabilities, Ribbon Rose, Dew Drops

Rosebud Prince...

It's day three of the sneaky peeks with Clear Dollar stamps! This time around I am sharing Rosebud Prince. He the Prince that matches all the Rosebud stamps (Princess, Scrolls, and Castle). This set also includes the perfect accessories for a Prince. You can see the entire stamp sheet at Clearly iStamp.

Have a prince charming kind of day! And don't forget to check out the rest of the design teams samples for all the peeks of the day:
Clearly iStamp The Clear Dollar Stamps Blog~Lori McCroskey
Kim
Linda B.
Stacy
Candy
Tori
Cassie
Angela
Linda A.
Shawne
Sarah
Katie

Smiles,





CARD DETAILS:
Royal Prince
ALL CDSTAMPS LLC STAMP SETS USED: Rosebud Prince

CARDSTOCK AND PAPERS: Cosmo Cricket Wonderland, DCWV Gold Textured Cardstock, Blank Cardstock

INKPADS: VersaMark Ink & Ranger Fine Black Embossing Powder

TOMBO MARKERS: 993, 933, 992, 977, 679, 856 

ACCESSORIES AND EMBELLISHMENTS: Nestabilities, Sizzix Sizzlites Scribbles Swirls, QuicKuts Flourishes, CHALLENGES: DT Sketch & Inspiration Challenges

Rosbud Prince
ALL CDSTAMPS LLC STAMP SETS USED: Rosebud Prince, Rosebud Castle, Rosebud Scrolls

CARDSTOCK AND PAPERS: Basic Grey Wisteria, The Angel Company Brown Cardstock, Blank Notecard

INKPADS: Palette Noir Black
COPIC MARKERS: E21, Y17, BV29, E57, W3, YR31
ACCESSORIES & EMBELLISHMENTS: Nestabilities, Silk Flowers, May Arts Silk Ribbon, Sizzix Scribble Swirls, Silk Leaves, Sticker Pearls

Bee-Utifful Ballerina...

Who could resist this girlie ballerina bee set? Certainly not me! Here is another sneak peek for next month's new release with Clear Dollar Stamps. There are just so many options to embellish and color this cutie-pie!

Be sure to check out all the design team creations for today's sneak peeks including Bee-Utiful Ballerina:

Clearly iStamp The Clear Dollar Stamps Blog~Lori McCroskey
Kim
Linda B.
Stacy
Candy
Tori
Cassie
Angela
Linda A.
Shawne
Sarah
Katie







CARD DETAILS:
Bright Ballerina Bee
ALL CDSTAMPS LLC STAMP SETS USED: Bee-Utiful Ballerina

CARDSTOCK AND PAPERS: Basic Grey Sultry, Blank Notecard

INKPADS: Palette Ink Black Noir 

COPIC MARKERS: C1, BV23, BV29, W3, W5, E51, R02, G24, B00, YR31, Y08 

STICKLES: Yellow, Turquoise, Black Diamonds, Eucalyptus, Platinum, Frosted Lace
ACCESSORIES & EMBELLISHMENTS: Prima Flowers, Crystal Lacquer, May Arts Ribbon, Jeweled Brad



Bee-Utifil Blooms
ALL CDSTAMPS LLC STAMP SETS USED: Bee-utiful Ballerina

CARDSTOCK AND PAPERS: My Mind's Eye Designer Paper, Miscellaneous Cardstock, Blank Notecard

INKPADS: Palette Ink Noir Black, VersaMagic Thatched Straw, Sahara Sand, Red Brick

COPIC MARKERS: B05, Y11, Y06, R46, R02, E51, C1, C3, C5, BV29, E08, C1

SPICA MARKERS: Silver, Black, Turquoise, Gold, Orange
STICKLES: Black, Turquoise, Orange 

ACCESSORIES AND EMBELLISHMENTS: Doily, CDStamps Crochet Blossoms, Miscellaneous Bling Jewels, Nestabilities Die, Marvy Punch, May Arts Ribbon, White Souffle Pen, Flower Sequin, Ranger Crackle Medium, & Crystal Lacquer

Anchors Away...

It's my turn to finally share some sneak peeks for the August new releases from Clear Dollar Stamps. You'll have fun with this set for sure. It's called "Sails, Subs, & Tugs". Be sure to checkout all the design teams sneak peeks which include a whole lot more than just Sails, Subs, & Tugs. Lots of eye candy!

Clearly iStamp The Clear Dollar Stamps Blog~Lori McCroskey
Kim
Linda B.
Stacy
Candy
Tori
Cassie
Angela
Linda A.
Shawne
Sarah
Katie




CARD DETAILS:
Tug Boat
ALL CDSTAMPS LLC STAMP SETS USED: Sails, Subs, and Tugs

CARDSTOCK AND PAPERS: The Angel Company Surf Shoppe, Blank Notecard

INKPADS: Palette Ink Black Noir

COPIC MARKERS: Y11, C1, C3, C5, W3, E71, B00, R37

ACCESSORIES AND EMBELLISHMENTS: Misc Ribbon Scraps, Nestabilities Circle Die, SU! Slot Punch, Buttons, Hemp Twine




Yellow Ocean Sub
ALL CDSTAMPS LLC STAMP SETS USED: Sails, Subs, & Tugs

CARDSTOCK AND PAPERS: Basic Grey Reece, Blank Notecard

INKPADS: Palette Noir Black
COPIC MARKERS: Y08, Y11, Y06, C1
ACCESSORIES & EMBELLISHMENTS: Buttons, Hemp Twine

NEW RELEASES!!!

HEY! Today is the start of new release peeks with Clear Dollar Stamps. Head on over to Clearly iStamp for all the links and a peek at some of the new stamps coming out in August.

Clear Dollar Stamps Guest Designer Challenge

Quick!!! Go over to the Clear Dollar Stamps blog Clearly iStamp and learn how you can be CDStamp's next guest designer star!

The deadline to do the challenge is this Friday at 3 pm.

I can't wait to see what you all come up with!

Smiles,

Finally!

I hope you don't feel neglected. I just haven't had it in me to really be creative lately. I am still adjusting to our new life in Oregon even though it's been seven months since we left Barrow. Praise God that it's getting easier now.

We've had lots to pray about... my husband is still searching for employment. We've been told that he's overqualified for the jobs that he's applied for. What gets me is that the jobs that he is best suited for are just not here, as in no one is currently hiring. It's really crazy because we've never experience this kind of struggle before. He's always been highly sought after. We just recently found out that our county is number one in unemployment in the state and that our state is second in the nation. We are now looking for jobs in both Alaska and Oregon just because there's more jobs opportunities in Alaska than here. As far as Alaska goes we are mostly looking at Anchorage instead of the arctic but what it really comes down to is where ever God leads us. We are trusting in God's plan for us whether good or bad God always get's us through it all. I am so thankful for the prayers that have been said on our behalf and for the blessings that God has brought our way. All in all our faith is being test and in the end I hope we will grow and be a good witness for Christ. :-)



On another very personal note, my sister has just been diagnosed with congestive heart failure. What a shocker this has been. She originally went to the ER for stomach pain and found out that she has diabetes and high blood pressure. They also put her on ulcer meds. A week later at her follow-up appointment they noticed that she was wheezing more than usual and rechecked her lungs. It was then that they discovered that she also has congestive heart failure. The cardiologist found that her heart and vessels are enlarged. If they can't get it all in control and if her heart is too damaged she will need a pace maker or a heart transplant. It is my hope that she would recover and that we will be able to go visit her soon. A visit means a trip across country to the East coast. I would most appreciate your prayers for my sister, Brenda and for her family. They have three teenage girls that are very scared and her husband needs strength too.

These are just a few of the things that have been going on for us. :-)

I was in need of card for Grandma this weekend. It was the perfect time to stamp one for her. I used some of my new Pink Persimmon stamps that I won from their one year birthday celebration. Oh what a joy they are to play with! Very nicely designed and quality acrylic too. I also used Amy R's weekend sketch. So there you have it!

Have a wonderful day and thanks for being a listening ear and for your prayers.

Smile,


CARD DETAILS:
Stamps from Pink Persimmon
Tea & Cake and Small Banner Set
My Mind's Eye DP & Misc Cardstock
Pallet Ink Burnt Umber
Copic Markers & Multiliner
Handmade Crochet Blossom from Clear Dollar Stamps
(Made by Katie Renz)
Prima & CTMH Flowers
Pink Metallic Brads
Micheal's Dollar Sheer Ribbon
SU! Flower Punch
Marvy Scallop Flower Punches

Hey there...

Just a quick note to let you know that I am on a short break. Life has been a tad bit more challenging lately and I probably won't be posting anything this week.

Thank you for checking in on me!

Smiles,

More of US-in's

So sorry that I haven't posted any stamped projects since class started. I have worked on some cards for previewing at the end of the month but for the most part I've been putting together stuff with PhotoShop. My PhotoShop skills are still limited. The practice is fun. :-)

Here's a pic of me and my husband taken on Valentine's Day this year. The other pic is of Ellie at the river.



Have a wonderful day and thanks for visiting me!

Smiles,

Fun with Textures & More...

This time around with the PhotoShop class that I'm taking from Jessica Sprague we learned how to add textures. I added some texture and a frame to this picture of my daughter.

Again here's the before and after photos. :-)



THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SWEET COMMENTS ON MY MODEL. SHE IS A BEAUTIFUL BLESSING!

PhotoShop Masks...

Today I learned how to use a mask in Photoshop. I can see myself using this one over and over.

:-)

Posted are the before and after photos.

LOVE IT!

I am having such a great time learning how to use PhotoShop with Jessica Sprague. Today's assignment was to antique and hand color an image. I did the assignment and the bonus assignment. The one with the stars in the background is the bonus project.



Hope you like them both.

Smiles,

I'm On a Roll...

Here's today's homework. It was to use the brush tool in PhotoShop. Using the brush tool is a lot like rubber stamping but digitally. Really cool! Jessica recommended a site that had a ton of free brushes at Brusheezy.com. What an awesome resource! I downloaded quite a few in a short amount of time. I didn't even make it through the whole site too.

Anyhow, I thought today I'd show the before and after shots of my project.

I hope you find it interesting.

Smiles,

YEAH!!!

I am so excited to have completed my first ever PhotoShop project! With the help of Jessica Sprague's freebie class on Photo Editing: Frame-Ups and Special Effects, I am now on my way to doing some basics in digital design!

I hope I can keep up with the class. My goal is to complete the course and that's it. I'm not going to beat myself up over not being perfect. I simply want to learn how to do some of the very basics.

This is so cool & frustrating at the same time. Thankfully I have my husband here to lend me some guidance when I get stuck. He's such a sweetie!

Anyhow, be prepared to see most of my PhotoShop projects because I won't be stamping as much while I am take this course.

Thanks for your patience!

:-)

July Desktop

Don't forget to download your free digital desktop from The Shabby Princess. Here's what I did with mine! Pictured is little Ellie picking wild flowers.

Smiles,

Sketch SC235

Thought I'd try something that I haven't tried in a very long time... a Split Coast Stampers sketch challenge. When I first saw the sketch (SC235) I couldn't image how I was going to pull it off. I was completely stumped. I've been stamping now about four years and this one intimidated. Crazy haw?!

I actually decided not to do the challenge at all when I came across some stamps that have been neglected that inspired me. I dusted them off and headed to my desk to stamp it out. From there I scrounged up some of my favorite designer paper scraps.

The whole time I was stamping my little daughter had her little chin propped on my shoulder watching every little move I made. She often will wedge herself between my back and the chair to watch what I am doing. It's easy for her to hang out there because I tend to sit on the edge of my seat so my feet can reach the floor.

She got down and played and then came back a couple of times by the time I was done. She always insists to give it a good look over when I am done so she can declare how beautiful it is. Sometimes it cute but most the time she says that it's pretty, smiles, and runs off.

God bless my little daughter.

Smiles,


CARD DETAILS:
Love It & Boho Backgrounds from
Stampin' UP!
Miscellaneous Designer Paper Scraps
Blank Notecard
Palette Ink & Unknown Raspberry Ink Spot
Square Punch from Creative Memories
Scallop Square Nestabilities
May Arts Sheer Polka Dot White Ribbon
Blingy Jewels
Queen & Co Flower Sequins

Triple the Sketch Challenge...

Triple the Sketch Challenge has a $50 gift certificate from the Pink Persimmon up for grabs. You know I am hoping to win that awesome baby! Here's my card made with their challenge layout. I was so relieved that it the sketch wasn't limited to just scapbookpages. I hope you get a chance to play with the sketch too.

Have a wonderful day!





CARD DETAILS:
My Little Ballerina from Clear Dollar Stamps
Pheobe from Basic Grey
Palette Ink Noir Black
Copic Markers: C1, R00, E04, R20, E43, V95, B02, E11, G00, G24, BG05, B00
Misc Ribbon Scrap, Blingy Jewel, Prima Flower, Making Memories Clip