Cute as a Button with Our Craft Lounge

Are you ready for some color??!!

Are you ready for some big news??!!

It's time for another fun and fab challenge at

The Play Date Cafe

This week we are sponsored by 

and they provided each of our designers with

fun stamp sets to play with...and here is mine...

and here is my offering...

Any time I use images that relate to sewing, it reminds

me of my grandmother sitting at her sewing machine

making Barbie doll clothes and American Girl dresses.

I really enjoyed playing with this set of stamps!

I hope you will stop by The Cafe...it's there you will

not only find amazing inspiration from our design team

but some fabby news about our design team!

Today's Project Recipe:

Stamps:  'Pins & Needles' by Our Craft Lounge
Ink:  'Persimmon' & 'Purple Hydrangea' by VersaMagic
'Orchid' by Colorbox Chalk

Tools: 'Lacey Squares' dies from Spellbinders, Big Shot

Embellishments:   'Lilac' baker's twine from The Twinery

Julie Ranae's Wednesday Night Favs!

So given the way my week started, I thought it was quite a coincidence that I chose to pick up this stamp set to work with this week. If you are not aware of what I am eluding to, click here and read the story. This set is called 'Peaceful Wishes' and is another set from Artful INKables. As a Design Team Member for AI, am I fortunate to have access to working with these stamps on a regular basis. I would encourage you to hop on over to the AI website and order this set. It is so versatile...not just for the holiday season, but it's perfect for masculine cards as well.

I love the colors and pattern of this paper from Rhonna Farrer and thought it went well with the winter theme. The snowflakes were created with the new Glacial Snowflake punch from Martha Stewart. I did a little heat embossing on the deer, which is unusual for me. I don't break out the heat gun all that often these days, but I thought it worked for this card. A little bit of texture was added to the cardstock using 'The Bug' and the Swiss Dot EF and then I added a little Stickles in silver for the final sparkle.

Now on to tonight's focus...New favorite blogs that I have added to my list. Tonight's list is short, mainly because of the week I've had (again, click here if curiosity is getting the best of you). When I found this blog, I was completely taken with the projects and stories which were written along the way. Iris Garden is hosted by Pam Hooten. It's such a charming blog with a beautiful balance of personal photos and rubber stamping projects. Pam is on the DT for Crafty Secrets and Our Craft Lounge and I can tell you there is no shortage of creativity here. Her blog is easy to navigate and has a fresh, clean look. I haven't added a new blog to my blog roll (blogs I follow everyday) in awhile, but this one is now on my list. I hope you will consider doing the same.

Well...that's it. I told you it was a short list tonight. Just a reminder on my Wednesday Night Favorites List....the blogs aren't necessarily new, just new to me. I do welcome your recommendations and they do not have to be rubber stamping oriented. I still have several referrals that I am working my way through. Not all of them end up on my blog roll, but I do visit all my favorites regularly. If you visit one of the recommended favorites, make sure you take a moment to leave a comment...tell them how you heard about them. Blog hosts are always curious where there visitors are from, this host included!

I will see you tomorrow with a few day-to-day items to catch up on and a new project to share.