Week in Review

Each weekend in my Week in Review post I share with you some of my favorite crafty links I've come across during the week, from all over the blogosphere.  Hope you enjoy... and happy weekend!  

The 15 Minute Dress at Trey and Lucy

This is so adorable and easy!  I could absolutely sew one (or a few) of these for Lily!

 

Easy Peasy $3 Necklance at I Didn't Sign Up For This  

Again, I love how easy this is - but it looks so great!  These would make great birthday presents for girlfriends, don't you think?

 Oilcloth Receipt Wallet at Skip to my Lou

I'm all about oilcloth lately... and heaven knows my purse can use any additional organization it can get!  I'm thinking this could definitely help me keep my receipts all in one place!

 

Button Rings at Maiden Jane

Today's theme must be simplicity because I just luuuuurve these rings!  They'd be great little stocking stuffers, and you could make them for all seasons/occasions!  Fun!

In Color Cards

In between writing a 20 page paper (first draft of one section of my master's thesis - yikes!) for my Wednesday night class I had time to squeeze in a little stamping this week.  I decided to play around wit the "In Color" series:  Rich Razzleberry, Dusty Durango, Bermuda Bay, Soft Suede, Crushed Curry, and Melon Mambo.

I've been demo-ing these mini cards at workshops lately, and decided to stock up on a whole bunch for myself while playing around with different color combinations.  At just 3x3 inches, these mini square cards are the perfect size for me to slip in with customer orders or gifts.  For all you mom's out there - wouldn't these be cute to stuff into your child's backpack or lunchbox?

Stampin' Up! Products used:  Ink pads and cardstock in each Rich Razzleberry, Dusty Durango, Bermuda Bay, Soft Suede, Crushed Curry, and Melon Mambo, Whisper White cardstock, Scallop border punch, heart to heart punch, Sanded background stamp, Love You Much stamp set.

When I have time to make cards for myself and my stash (which doesn't feel like too often since I'm almost always preparing for a workshop or class!) I always make things in sets or bulk to stock up!  I had a lot of fun playing around with a little different fold and the Flower Fancy stamp set.  I really like the bold look of this set, but I'm also thinking they'd be pretty in pastels!

Stampin' Up! Products used:  Ink pads and cardstock in each Rich Razzleberry, Dusty Durango, Crushed Curry, and Melon Mambo, Whisper White cardstock, Stazon Jet Black Ink, Aqua Painters, Old Olive 5/8 inch Grosgrain Ribbon, Stampin' Dimensionals, Whimsical Words Stamp Set, Flower Fancy Stamp Set.

 

 

As always, you can head over to my Stampin' Up! website to order any of these products, and feel free to leave a comment or drop me an e-mail if you have any questions.  Oh, and in case you missed it yesterday... enter to WIN a stamp set of your own in my latest giveaway!  Good luck!

I hope everyone is having a great week... thanks for stopping by!

Buggin' Out! (Call for ideas and a GIVEAWAY!)

If you've been hanging around these parts for awhile now, you may remember me helping to throw a first birthday party for my niece Lily last year.  It was so much fun to do, and I loved being able to give her more than just a gift - something she can look back on in pictures the rest of her life.

If you missed the party... catch up with the posts HERE, HERE, and finally HERE.

Last year's theme was cupcakes... and it was very, very cute.  This year we're using this stamp set for inspiration and to get the creative juices flowing... (Bugs & Kisses from Stampin' Up!)

Yup, that's right, a bug party!  Now... we're talking cute bugs of course... not ugly, scary bugs!  : )

We're getting an early start on the planning this year (Lily turns 2 in May) and I'm looking for ideas!  It's not a huge party, and it's mostly adults... so we're not talking games and activities so much, more food, decorating, favors, etc. etc.  Get the idea?

Sooo... here's what I'm thinking... let's have a GIVEAWAY!  Leave me a comment with an idea for my bug birthday party (you can link to an existing idea or picture on the web, it doesn't necessarily have to be something you come up with yourself... and it doesn't need to be related to the stamp set above... just fit the bug theme!) and I'll enter you to win!  Win what you ask?  How about this?

It's the "Picture This" stamp set that I used HERE and HERE.  It's actually a hostess stamp set in the Occasions Mini Catalog - so it's not one that's available to buy, and it's not one that will be around at all anymore come summertime.  It's a really useful set - I love it!

Your set will be a wood mounted set, not the clear mount that's shown here.  That way all you need is ink and paper and you're good to go!

Here are the official giveaway rules:


1.  Leave me a comment with your idea for my party... for one entry.

2.  If you are a follower, or become a follower, let me know in your comment... for a second entry.

3.  If you are a fan on my Stampin' Up! fan page on Facebook, or become one (see the box on your right?)... get a THIRD entry.


4.  Sorry, giveaway limited to US Residents only

5.  Giveaway is open until midnight EST on Sunday, February 21 and I'll announce the winner on Monday.


Good luck!  Hope you win!

Craftypod Project Keepers

 

I see lots and lots of projects on blogs that I "file away for later" because they are such wonderful ideas.  Some of them I know I'll never try, but I save them anyway.  Some I have every intention of trying, but for one reason or another I never do.  And then rarely, very rarely, there comes a project that I feel like I must drop everything I'm doing and try it right now!

When I saw Diane at Craftypod's post and tutorial on Project Keepers (I first posted about it HERE) I knew it was a must-do-now type of project.  After all, I had had some oil cloth in my stash for at least six months just waiting to be put to use!

  

I didn't make the tags like she did... I was in a bit of a hurry.  I used sticky labels to close my keepers... but when I have more time I am going to add some velcro I think.  Here's to keeping me at least a little bit more organized!  Yippee!

 

Valentines Swap

I know, I know... Valentines Day is over and it's time to move on... but I promise this will be my last post covered in pinks and hearts!

I've been just dying to show you pictures from the Valentines Card Swap I participated in, hosted by two lovely gals and friends o mine Angie and Sarah.

Note:  To me this swap is extra fun because when I say "friends o mine" I truly mean it.  I know Angie in "real life" and have done for four years now... we worked together and she helped me through one of the toughest parts of my life.  When she lived in Michigan we had a terrible time trying to squeeze in time to get together...we're such busy people!  Now that she's moved to Kansas I think we've grown *closer* in large part due to our blogging.  And Sarah... Sarah is Angie's BFF (I feel like I'm talking about BFF's a lot lately... I don't even like the term... but it's quick to type!) and lives, get this, just a few blocks from me.  We've never met in real life, but have got to know each other through Angie and our blogs.  I'm thinking she and I need to do lunch soon!  Look at how crazy this blogging community is - defining both in-person and long-distance relationships all over the place!

I had a great time designing some cards for the swap.  I think they have a little bit of a vintage-y feel... not as "cutesy" as my style tends to generally be.  Plus I loved using this particular fold...

  

 

And of course I got some lovely and creative Valentines in the mail in return.  This photo card is by Rebecca... you should check out her Etsy shop.  Beautiful things!

This little Valentine (love the quote!) came from Ally... (no blog info... so if you're out there let me know so I can link to you!)

This Valentine from Michelle of Slightly Domesticated makes me yearn for elementary school days!  Wouldn't a variation of this be a great way to preserve the Valentines that your little one got from school this year?  A laminated collage so that you could see both sides of the Valentines?  You could even make it scrapbook size to fit into his/her memory book.  Love!

And this card has Angie written all over it.  I would have known it was from her even if I didn't recognize the return address or read her note.  She has such a unique style with great attention to detail.

This is the first swap I've done in awhile... they're so fun!  I've got some ideas floating around for a Spring swap later this year.  What do you think, readers... are you up for participating in a little crafty swap, too??