So Many Things to Share...Get Your Cuppa First!

Where to start this morning....

Huge thank you to Alysabeth for the blogger award she sent my way yesterday. What a lovely surprise. Make sure you get over to Layin' Rubber Ink and check out the creative mind of this Canadian. Don't miss her sidebar comments, they will definitely put a smile on you face! Once again I am reminded that as bloggers, we really do thrive on the comments left when you visit, so make sure that you leave a note for Alysabeth...let her know you stopped by!

Also wanted to let you know that over at Simon Says Stamp they have featured one of my SCS/Etsy cards on their Heidi Swapp idea page. I don't have it posted here, so make sure you pop over there sometime today and have a look. It features a chandelier stamp that I recently picked up at Archiver's. There are other cards there also using the same stamp which is a great way to get different perspectives using one image.

What else to tell you.....did you participate in last night's PTI blog hop? I still haven't made it through to all the participating blogs, but I plan to finish up later today. Again, variations on themes are some of the best ways to find multiple uses for stamps that you have or don't know exactly what to do with. When we demoed in our store, that was the one thing that we loved teaching....how to use your stamp for more than one card and in this economy, it's more important than ever, don't you think?

So why a card about Fall in the middle of summer? Just because...Never mind that it is my very favorite time of year, but quite frankly we have had more 70 degree days lately at a time when we should be feeling the 90's. I stopped by Hobby Lobby yesterday and the first scent that hit me was 'autumn candles'. Are you 'scent sensitive'? I don't mean in an allergic way. I am very triggered by scents, some that go back to childhood, others that are season-to-season. I had to remind myself as I contemplated a candle purchase that I am still in my 'fruit-scented' time right now, not 'caramel apple'! So it ended up being Strawberry Shortcake that has found it's way onto my art table.

Will stop for now....I really feel as though I forgetting something that I wanted to tell you, so I will come back a bit later with a new creation or two and I'm sure by then, there will be more fun things to share. I love this place!

Favorite Places to 'Hop' and Other Creative Ponderings...

This could prove to be a bit of a long post and my 2nd one of the day...how 'bout that?! It's nearly midnight here in the unseasonably cool state of Illinois, but I am looking forward to some great sleeping weather.

I managed to get a couple more cards done tonight using my new toy that I talked about earlier. I now affectionately refer to it as 'The Bug', so you do not have to worry about catching anything when I share project ideas with the aforementioned 'Bug'.

Also wanted to plug these great background cardstocks from Fancy Pants Designs. The 12 x 12 sheets of Design Cards are terrific for building your focal points on. Both of the cards featured here and last night's card use the design cards which are slightly collage-oriented, so those of you who are a bit 'collage phobic' will really like what you can do with these.
What I have decided to do is post a few new favorite blog sites each Wednesday. Blog hopping is a fun way to spend an hour or two, if you have the time, but if you only have 15-20 minutes and have NO IDEA where to go, this will be a great way to get you on your way.

If you read my blog roll (favorites list) you will find what I call my 'must visits'. These are blogs that I visit at least once a day, but usually several times a day. So check those out because they are consistently fabulous!

Here are my picks for this week's My New Favorite Blogs:

Vintage Papers is a great blog by Nancy Maxwell-James. The creativity from this blog has been seen in a variety of Somerset Studio publications and the unique perspective Nancy brings when sharing her life will keep you looking through all of her archives. I am anxiously awaiting a set of ATC's based on Marie Antoinette that I ordered from Nancy's collection. I believe there is something for everyone on this blog, so check it out.

While I was there, I found My Desert Cottage, an outstanding blog by Karen Valentine of Scottsdale, Arizona. I am a real lover of shabby chic and it's non-stop exploration when I visit here. She has a couple of other blogs that she manages as well which include handcrafted cards and gifts. She is sponsoring the 'Where Bloggers Create' Party on Friday, July 24th inspired by the publication 'Where Women Create', so mark your calendar and make sure you stop by to see over 100 other blog sites who have signed on to participate, including yours truly.

Last but not least, I was over at Mona Pendleton's blog Cupcake's Creations (which I visit many times a day) and hopped from her blog to one of her favorites which eventually led me to Ross. It appears to me that Ross started out possibly as a scrapbooker, but then I'm not sure...Ross is from Italy and the majority of her blog is in Italian. She definitely loves color, whimsy and mixed media. This is one of the most eye-catching blogs I have come across in awhile and I think it's such a fun place to visit.

I mentioned the other night that when you go 'blog hopping' you will find yourself traveling all
over the world. I have followers from England, Australia, The Dominican Republic, Asia, Canada and of course here in the U.S. Art is one of the universal languages in which we can all say "I speak a little...". Inspiration is found everywhere you look, so I hope each Wednesday you will plan to stop by to see where we'll travel to next!

We're Havin' Some Fun Now!

Been a long day of blog hopping, comment-leaving, inspiration-searching and actual creativity. I'm a bit later than usual sending my message out to you, but I find that when I go to bed without posting something, then I lay awake thinking about tomorrow's post.

Over the past couple of days I have thoroughly enjoyed reading about the things that inspire you.

So how much blog hopping do you do? It's a great way to spend some free time and there is so much fabulous inspiration to BREATHE
in.

If you're not sure where to start, just take a look at my favorites list and start from there. Before you know it, you will have traveled all around the world and taken in some remarkable creativity. There will be dialogue written in languages you can only guess at, but the universal language of art makes for an easy translation.

Tomorrow I am going to share with you some blogs that I have just found and what makes them new favorites of mine. So please make sure you come back with a cup of tea, a pen and paper and a few minutes to spare. In the meantime, HOP on for the ride and let me know if you have a favorite blog you would like to share.