Cute as Pie with EAD Designs

Happy Monday !

It's that time once again . . .

If you've made your way here from

Judith's blog Jay Gee's Nook

then you are right where you need to be.

If not, I would love for you to join the hop by 

heading back to the beginning at the

EAD Designs blog

You know there is always a great prize to win !

I love cherries in the summertime . . . both as a refreshing snack

AND

as a theme for creating cards.

This 'sweet' set of EAD Stickerz is appropriately called

'With a Cherry on Top'.

The card was as 'Simple as Pie' to create too.

I used my papers from Gina K Designs called

'Berries & Vines' and cut a frame for my pie

using Spellbinders 'Cherry Pickin' die.

Here is the set I used

from EAD Designs . . . 

 I hope you enjoy these Stickerz sets as much as I do.

It's time get you on your way over to see

Kate's blog Scrappers Creative Corner

Kate was our July Guest Designer and it's been

great having her join us all month long.

I'll see you again soon here at The Open Window.

Project Recipe:

Patterned Paper: Berries & Vines by Gina K Designs

Embellishments: With a Cherry on Top by EAD Designs

Tools: Cherry Pickin' die by Spellbinders, Big Shot

A Little Sunshine

Hey hey everyone!

It's time for another color challenge from

It's a kinda surreal day for me over there as we say

goodbye to FOUR A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. designers who have

been with us for 2+ years!

They will be incredibly missed as a part of our team,

but as a part of my friendships, they will always be near.

Savannah . . . Jinny . . . Colleen . . . Denise

I thought it would be so cool to go CAS for these colors and

that's pretty much what I did.

I grabbed my baker's twine from The Twinery in 'Marigold'

and the new 'Midnight Blue' and along with the papers & sentiment

from American Crafts, that's all it took!

The sunshine is super-easy to make and as a money-saving tip,

all I use is my circle punch and a sheet of double-sided adhesive.

No need to buy pre-cut circles.  You can get so many more punches

in a variety of sizes when you use a 'sheet' of adhesive.

I really hope you will make it over to The Cafe and wish

all the best to the designers who will be leaving us.

They have given so much of their time & talents to help

inspire you to play each week.

Next week, we will have EIGHT new designers joining us

for our next term.  It's going to be another amazing season in

The Play Date Cafe!

Project Recipe:

Patterned Paper & Die Cut sentiment:  

Dear Lizzy collection by American Crafts

Embellishments: baker's twine in Marigold & Midnight Blue

from The Twinery

'Bringing Out the Old' Again!

Surprise!

Believe it or not, I am posting just because....

Actually, I've been thinking alot lately about something

I read over on Facebook last week and decided I would

challenge myself based on the comments that were made.

The comment that was made had to do with the fact that

so many people seemed frustrated with the 'box' they

felt locked into when it comes to using the

'latest & most popular' products on the market.

The idea of using only the trendiest colors or the

best-selling collections...and many of those comments

came because, to be considered for publication

in paper-crafting magazines, you need to be able to

use products that are current.

As someone who has been in retail marketing for 30+ years,

I totally understand it.  As someone who has the privilege to

serve on design teams who expect us to use the most current

products, I get it.

We seem to all have that common 'problem'...we buy the

current best-selling products, but typically, we buy so much

(or are given so much) that we never use it up

and the next thing we know, we are considered

'hoarders' by well-meaning friends or family because we

have SO MUCH STUFF !!  LOL

Back in 2010, I started something I called

'BOO' which stood for

'Bringing Out the Old'

You can read the first time I posted about it HERE

It was a New Year's Resolution...of sorts.

Every time I accomplished it, I posted about it.

 

I said all this to say, that I decided it was time to get back

to challenging myself to do something I did when I first 

started blogging and that was to use products that have

been in my stash, even if that means 'mixing brands' !

The idea is to have fun & create . . .

I know that is why I personally started blogging.

This collection from Simple Stories is such a fun one.

Not been in my stash all that long . . . but I've been using

it alot lately to make cards, so I'll have more to share soon.

It was such an easy card to make because all I added was the

'pearly' door know and Stardust Stickles to make my cloud all shiny.

The alpha & tiny words stickers are all a part of the same collection.

What I am happy to share is that this entire collection came from

an order from . . .

Every day, there are new deals that are out of this world !

They carry the newest collections at a MAJOR DISCOUNT

and of course, have some of your favorites in stock as well.

I hope you'll stop by and check them out.

Make sure you sign up for the newsletter as well because

they send out ADDITIONAL DISCOUNTS nearly every day.

Okeedokee . . . that's it from me.

I hope you'll plan to join me on Thursday as we say

farewell to four of our designers over at

The Play Date Cafe.  It will be a very special post indeed.

Project Recipe:

Patterned Paper & Die Cuts: 100 Days of Summer by Simple Stories

from StopandScrap.com 

Embellishments: pearls by Recollections

Starburst Stickles by Ranger from Blitsy

Think BIG!

Happy Monday!

With an ice cream cone like this, how can it not be ? !

If you just happened to stop by, welcome to the

If you've come by way of

Judith's blog Jay Gee's Nook

then you are on the right trail.

Otherwise, pop back to the

EAD Designs blog

and get started there because we always have

a fun prize up for grabs!

Ice cream cones are sure trendy right now, aren't they ?

Of course, they are the perfect summer treat and these are called

'Sweet Birthday Treats' from EAD's Stickerz line.

I'm a huge fan of BasicGrey & thought the combination of papers

from their Serendipity & Shine On collections

were a perfect match to create my card's 'wallpaper'.

I made an oval frame from Bazzill Swiss Dot cardstock

and my Spellbinders dies.

Tiny brads, a little lime green seam binding from Ribbon Carousel

and Mandarin & Honeydew baker's twine from The Twinery 

are the perfect embellishments to finish it off.

Here is the set I used this week . . .

and remember . . . 

It is time to send you on your way to our July Guest Designer

Kate's Blog Scrappers Creative Corner

We've really enjoyed having Kate with us & we know you did too !

Thanks for stopping by . . . Have a GREAT day !

Project Recipe:

Cardstock: Gina K Designs, Bazzill & American Crafts

Patterned Paper: Serendipity & Shine On by BasicGrey

Embellishments: Sweet Birthday Treats Stickerz by EAD Designs

baker's twine in Mandarin & Honeydew by The Twinery

mini brads from American Crafts

seam binding from RibbonCarousel.com

Tools: Classic Oval Dies from Spellbinders, Big Shot

It's a Sweet Taste of Summer

The day is here !!

It's New Release Blog Hop Day at

If you have arrived at my blog from my talented teammate

Elizabeta Kushner's Blog

then you are in the right place!

If not, start back at the beginning at the

TCM Blog

 and get started there because

when you do, you could  
win big . . .
All SIX stamp sets !!!

What I love about TCM stamps is the diversity
within
each set.  I chose to use the beautiful poppy from the
'Hope Blooms' set & the sentiment from the
'Sweet Taste of Summer' set.
Now . . . when you see the entire set of 'Sweet Taste...'
you'll see what I mean when it comes to the diversity . . .

 'Sweet Taste of Summer' by Mabel R-O

'Hope Blooms' by Karen Baker

Do you see how different these two sets are in
their styles and yet, they can certainly be used together.
That's what makes your stamp set purchases
so valuable.

All of the supplies I used for this card are below 
in the 'project recipe'.

Earlier this week, I created projects using the same two sets
and once again, I created two more designs 
that were totally different.
You can see them HERE and HERE 

Now for a chance to win ALL SIX NEW RELEASES  . . .

Visit each designer's blog on the hop, leave a comment

{there's only 15 total}

and you have until 9:00pm PDT, Sunday, July 22nd to do so.

They are all on sale today!!!

Don't forget . . .

You can get this set FREE

'Summertime with Fibi & Lilly' by Mabel R-O

with a purchase of $50 or more,
but only for a limited time

Look forward to your comment and I will keep my fingers

crossed that YOU are a winner!

The next stop on the hop IS the very talented

Karen Baker's blog

Just in case there are any glitches in the blog hop,
here is a complete list of blogs participating for TCM:

The Craft's Meow Blog
Amy Tsuruta
Amy Wanford
Iwona Palamountain
Jackie Rockwell
Jean Martin 
Jen Cuthbertson
Jessica Fick
Naomi Gong
Elizabeta Kushner
Julie Ranae

Karen Baker
Lindsay Amrhein
Mabelle R-O

Nina Brackett

 Project Recipe:

Cardstock: Bazzill
Patterned Paper: Heidi Grace  
Stamps:  Hope Blooms & Sweet Taste of Summer
both from The Craft's Meow
Inks: Old Paper Distress Ink by Ranger, Copics

Tools:  Loop border punch by Martha Stewart

It's a 'Cool...Cool Summer'!

Welcome back to The Open Window !

It's Day #4 and the final day of New Release Previews for

Tomorrow will be the BIG TEAM blog hop and 

all SIX of the fabulous new stamp sets

previewed this past several days will be available for sale.

Today, we have one more set designed by Mabel R-O
called 'Summertime with Fibi & Lilly'
and for the month of July only,
it can be yours with a $50 purchase

We have had nearly two straight weeks of 96+ degree weather

and when I saw this glad with the ice cubes, all I could think

of was ice water with lemon & lime wedges, as that's been

my drink of choice every day.

I layered a variety of textured cardstocks created using

my embossing folders & Bazzill cardstock

and stamped the glass in lemon & lime inks.

The feel of the entire card made me think

70's and the sentiment was a perfect match !

It's difficult to tell from the photo, but I added

Stardust Stickles to make the ice cubes 'sparkle'.

Don't forget . . . this set can be yours when you order $50 or more

from The Craft's Meow when all new releases become available
tomorrow ! ! !

Make sure you pop by

 The Craft's Meow Blog

and check out the creative work

from all of the designers.

TCM is giving away a new release set

each day, so make sure you leave a comment

on the blog for a chance to win!

I am so glad you stopped by today.
Tomorrow is the New Release Blog Hop,
so make plans to stop back.

Happy Birthday Project Recipe: 
Cardstock: Bazzill Basics/Two Scoop

Stamps: Summertime with Fibi & Lilly by The Craft's Meow  

Embellishments: Stickles in Stardust by Ranger

Tools: Swiss Dot EF by Cuttlebug

Diamond Pattern EF by LifeStyle Crafts

Love Dwells Here

Christmas in July with

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps

IS JUST BELOW

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN

It is Day Three of the New Release Previews over at

Today's set was designed by the one and only

Nina B Designs and is one adorable set

called 'Love Dwells Here'

Of course, I can only show you a snippet

of the set, but my card will give you an idea of

what you can expect with these adorable stamps.

 

Just wait until you see how many stamps come with this set ! ! !

For this card, I used five of them.  The theme was a perfect fit for

the background paper from Heidi Grace.

I layered the images on Bazzill cardstock and that was pretty much it.

Make sure you pop by

 The Craft's Meow Blog

and check out the beautiful creations

from all of the designers.

TCM is giving away a new release set

each day, so make sure you leave a comment

on the blog for a chance to win!

I am so glad you stopped by today and I hope

you will plan to come by tomorrow and Monday

so you don't miss a thing!

Project Recipe:

Cardstock: Bazzill
Patterned Paper: Tweet Dreams by Heidi Grace
Stamps: Love Dwells Here by The Craft's Meow

mini brads by Recollections

Snowflakes...Yes, in July!

 

  Are you ready for a little holiday inspiration?

I am happy to be participating with some
uber-talented designers for the . . .

with Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps !

I love this set called 'Snowflake Flourishes'

and think it's really fun to use it with 'non-traditional' colors.

Although not technically a Christmas card, it can definitely be

created for the holiday season.

I stamped the small snowflakes using shades of

pinks, blues & greens and then played off of those colors

for the rest of the card.

The snowflake is made from Bazzill cardstock

and was embossed with a Swiss Dot EF by Cuttlebug

and cut using Spellbinders dies.

and the pearl flourish is from Want2Scrap.

The 'wallpaper' is made from papers from

Dear Lizzy for American Crafts & Doodlebug Design.

Lots of great things are happening at Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps during these pre-holiday festivities!  ALL Christmas clear stamps are 20% off through Wednesday, July 25.  Three new holiday sets are in stock early, for a fun pre-release, and they you can get them before they are released in September and October... if you buy them now, you can take advantage of the sale price!

Every order of $25 in Christmas clear stamps will receive Gingerbread Man, a darling new 2" x 2" mini clear set.  And as always, all clear stamp orders of $50 or more get this month's free w/ stamp set, Christmas Candle (while supplies last).

Ready to see what the Design Divas and a few special friends have been up to with their Christmas stamps?  Take a look (and be sure to read on, for information about how you can join in on this hop  and win some prizes):

Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps blog

Kim Singdahlsen

Bridget Finlay

Jennifer Ingle

Taylor Usry

Monika Davis

Cathy McCauley

Mary Faus

Ceal Pritchett

Giovana Smith

Lee Murphy

Jennie Harper

Kim Schofield

Julie Ranae
Jessica Fick

Korin Sutherland 

And what's the best part about Christmas in July?  We want YOU to play along with us!  Just link up your Christmas project using Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps below and join in our Customer blog hop.  You have until Sunday, July 22 at 11:59 PM EST to play along.  One randomly selected participant will receive their choice of one Christmas clear stamp set!

  Thanks for stopping by The Open Window.

I hope you will take a moment to let me know you were

here by leaving a comment and I can't wait to see

what you create along with us !

Project Recipe:

Cardstock: Bazzill

Patterned Paper: Neopolitan from Dear Lizzy by American Crafts

Sugar & Spice by Doodlebug Design

Stamps: Snowflake Flourish by Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps

Ink:  A Muse Studio

Embellishments: pearl flourish from Want2Scrap

Tools:  Snowflake die from Spellbinders

Swiss Dot EF from Cuttlebug

Apron Lace border punch from Fiskars

Hello...One Scoop or Two?

Welcome back!

We are celebrating Day Two of New Release Previews for

Summer is in full swing and today we have two

fabulous sets that will make you smile.

The first was designed by our newest designer

Mabelle R-O and is called
'Sweet Taste of Summer'

This set is full of fun images & I chose to go very simple for this card.

Those of you who visit often KNOW that I am not much of a color-er,

but this sweet set begs to be colored !

I love the design of these butterflies and chose to use them.

I used a few Copics to get the job done and added tiny pearls

for dimension.  The clouds were created by sponging ink

around a cloud template that I've had in my tool drawer for

over ten years.  It's one I never want to lose.

The next set was designed by our British designer, 

Amy Wanford called 'One Scoop or Two' . . .

What did I tell ya ? !  Just in time for summer !

There are so many possibilities with this set.

I can imagine using bold, bright, yummy colors...but I went pastel.

I just can't seem to capture white panels on cards very well

with my camera and light tent . . . but I love the patterned paper

from American Craft's 'Neopolitan' collection.

Perfect with these ink colors.

Make sure you pop by

 The Craft's Meow Blog

and check out the fabulous-ness

from all of the designers.

TCM is giving away each new release set

each day, so make sure you leave a comment

on the blog for a chance to win!

I am so glad you stopped by today and I hope

you will plan to come by each day this week

so you don't miss a thing!

Hello Project Recipe:

Patterned Paper: Neopolitan by Dear Lizzy for American Crafts
Stamps: Sweet Taste of Summer by The Craft's Meow
Ink: A Muse Studio 

Embellishments: pearls from Recollections

Cherry on Top Project Recipe:

Patterned Paper: Neopolitan by Dear Lizzy for American Crafts
Stamps: One Scoop or Two by The Craft's Meow
Ink: by A Muse Studio, Copics

New Release Previews Day One with The Craft's Meow

Welcome back to The Open Window.

Over the next five days, there is SO much to share

with you and I can't wait !

Let's get started with . . . 

Day #1 of 

New Release Previews

from

Each day this week, you will see one or two new sets

revealed and have a chance to win them all!

Before we get to it, I am so excited to welcome our

July Guest Designer at TCM...

Naomi Gong

She is super talented and I am so glad she

will be a part of the new release festivities.

Our first set was designed by my friend

Karen Baker called 'Hope Blooms' . . .

I so enjoy the designs that Karen brings us because

they are full of loveliness, thoughtfulness and simple beauty.

I colored the poppy using Copics.  I let it 'bleed' to lend to a

watercolor effect.  The beautiful papers are from Cosmo Cricket.

I created the borders using one of the new deep edge

punches from Martha Stewart.

Our next release preview . . .

is a stamp set designed by one of our newest illustrators,

Elizabeta Kushner called 'Ladies & Gents' . . .

No matter how hard I tried or whatever angle I came from,

I just couldn't get a good photo of this card.

I thought this was a perfect stamp to do a little paper-piecing, so I grabbed my

6x6 pads from BasicGrey

I thought it was fun to have the panel paper displaying clouds too!

I grabbed the abstract circle stamp from TCM's 'Typically Teen' set

because it makes the perfect sun.

I am nearly out of my pear-shaped gems, but I love using

these as raindrops.

Make sure you pop by

 The Craft's Meow Blog

and check out the fabulous-ness

from all of the designers.

TCM is giving away a new release set

each day and today, you have a chance to win one of two sets! Make sure you leave a comment

on the blog for a chance to win!

In Our Thoughts Project Recipe:

 Patterned Paper:  Tea for Two by Cosmo Cricket
Stamps: Hope Blooms by The Craft's Meow

Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento by Tsukineko, Copics 

Tools: Trellis Loop Deep Edge Border Punch 
by Martha Stewart Crafts

Rain or Shine Project Recipe:

 Patterned Paper:  Shine On & Serendipity from BasicGrey
Stamps: Ladies & Gents & Typically Teen 
both by The Craft's Meow

Ink: A Muse Studio

Tuxedo Black Memento by Tsukineko 

Embellishments: gems by White Blossom