February 2019 Blog Hop | Paper Smooches

I'm so excited to be a part of the February 2019 Paper Smooches Blog Hop!  You should have arrived here from my friend Alice's blog.   

Paper Smooches is releasing one new stamp set and four new dies that will be available for purchase at 10 am central February 14th.  You will find the new products at their online store once they go live.  www.papersmoochesstamps.com

To add extra fun to our blog hop...there is a prize!  The prize - a $25. gift code to use at the PS online store.  

Here are the details:

• Leave a comment on any of the blogs listed below (you do not need to comment on all blogs to qualify but it will increase your chances of winning) 
• FOUR winners will be chosen at RANDOM from any of the design team blogs and the PS Blog to win the $25. prize.
• Deadline: You have until midnight Central time on February 14th to leave a comment. 
• Please check the Paper Smooches blog on February 15th to see if you are one of the FOUR lucky winners.

Alice Lihsuan Huang 

Amy Tsuruta 💚

Audrey Tokach

Jill Hawkins

Karin Akesdotter

Kathy Racoosin

Kelly Booth

Kristina Werner
Laura Bassen

Michele Boyer
Paper Smooches blog

Savannah O' Gwynn

Teri Anderson

I couldn't wait to ink up the super cute new set, So Fairy Cute.

Oh my, isn't she CUTE?!  I love her Princess Leia buns!  I teamed her up with some fun graphic paper from Fancy Pants Designs.  That also became my coloring palette.  

You might not readily be able to tell but she has a gold sparkly enamel dot on her crown too.

I used the largest scallop in the Flaunters Die set.  It's gorgeous in glittery gold, isn't it?  The very fun sentiment has been stamped and heat embossed on one of the Bannerific Dies.

I filled up the shaker with Iridescent Heart Confetti by Pretty Pink Posh.  

Ways to increase your chances of winning:

• Tell us that you Facebooked about our blog hop.  If you don't already like the PS FB page, please pop over there now! 
• Tell us that you Tweeted about our hop (follow PS on Twitter - https://twitter.com/papersmooches)
• Share our blog hop on Instagram (Paper Smooches IG)
• Tell us that you posted on your blog about our blog hop

(which means that you have up to four extra chances to win on each blog)

Did you know that Paper Smooches offers up a fun challenge each month?  Keep an eye on the Paper Smooches blog for details. 

Next up is the awesome Audrey!

Know that I care | Reverse Confetti - February Stock Your Stash

Have you seen the Reverse Confetti challenge, Stock Your Stash?!

This is a chance to create a card to keep in your stash.  (Of course, you could send it off right away!).  Each month will bring a new theme.  

There will be a new Stock Your Stash challenge posted on the Reverse Confetti blog on the 1st of each month.

The link list will be open from the 1st until noon CST on the 29th of the month. 

Reverse Confetti stamps and/or Confetti Cuts are required to win.  This is a way we get to thank our customers for using our stamps.  Anyone is welcome to play, though!

You may enter as many times as you wish.

Use #SYSChallenge when playing along with this challenge.

There will be a random winner selected each month and that person will receive a $20 gift certificate to the Reverse Confetti store. The winner of challenge will be posted on the Reverse Confetti blog at the end of the month.

Here's how I was inspired for this month's challenge:

Today I'm featuring the Cotton & Thistles set.  I love this for not only the gorgeous bouquet but for the added sentiments that are a part of the set.  

It's a super fun and easy image to color.  You can't readily tell but the cotton images all have Wink of Stella on them.  

The paper panel is From Cupid and the white frames are from All Framed Up.  I stamped the sentiment on strip of midnight cardstock.  The top two corners have been rounded.  The sentiment has been heat embossed with white.

Make sure you check the Reverse Confetti Blog for more inspiration!

Affiliate links at no extra cost to you:

Filled with Lots of Treats | My Favorite Things

I've been trying to keep up with manufacturer challenges to use my stash of stamps.  I also find that some of my sets are retired, Top Dog + Peek-a-Boo Trio Die-namics.  I go through my stamps + dies on a regular basis so if I have it, I love it.

I know, I'm using that color trio again, Stampin' Up:

Blushing Bride   |   Calypso Coral   |   Coastal Cabana  

I was thoroughly inspired by Melania's card.  

I'm a total eye-baller....but, I did remember that I have the MFT Peek-a-boo Trio Die-Namics.  So I cut it with white, Blushing Bride and Calypso Coral.  I anchored the white strip (without the circles) onto my card front with washi tape and dropped in my colored circles.  When I figured out how I wanted them to be, I stamped them with the Distress Patterns in Hero Arts Unicorn pigment ink.  After the ink dried, I loaded them up with adhesive and dropped them into the white strip.  I peeled off the white strip from my base and trimmed the panel down.

The sentiment has been heat embossed with Lawn Fawn's Rose Gold.  It goes so perfectly with the color combo, doesn't it?

Here are the copics that I used:

R05 + R08

R20

BG13 + BG15
E00 + E01

I was inspired by the MFT Sketch Challenge:

February Creative Hop | Reverse Confetti

Hello!  Today is the 8th of the month which means it's time for the Reverse Confetti Creative Hop!  You should have arrived here from my teamie, Heather Hoffman.  If not, you'll want to start at the beginning of the hop which is the Reverse Confetti blog!

I needed a couple more Valentine's Day cards to send out so I decided to make a card duo.

I'm really enjoying the latest release, how about you?  I've combined Big Bear with Heart Pals.  I added sentiments from earlier releases.  Let's chat about my first card, Happy Heart Day.

I've been really smitten with Grape Soda these days.  Both cards start with the Diagonal Stitches Cover Panel run through with Grape Soda cardstock.  They've been trimmed down to 4.25 x 4.25 inches.  The Premier Polar White panels are 3.75 x 3.75 inches.  I used the coordinating ink with the Heart Stencil.  It's out of stock right now but you can add your email address when it is restocked.

Each of the cards also have a smidge of Reverse Confetti packing paper.  Love to find ways to upcycle it.  The sentiment is from Heart Filled Sentiments.  Love the bold font.

My other card uses the same overall design and panels.

The background?  I inked up bubble wrap with Grape Soda.  The sentiment is from the Simply Sentiments set.

Next up is the fabulous Kathy Schweinfurth!  In case you get lost along the way, the full hop listing is available below!

Reverse Confetti Blog

Amy Kolling

Amy Sheffer

Tricia Barber

Kelly Lunceford

Lisa Henke

Heather Hoffman

Amy Tsuruta

Kathy Schweinfurth

Audrey Tokach

Jeanne Jachna

Deanne Kuntz

Ali Farmer

Ashley Tucker

Lindsay Lajola

Hey Valentine | Reverse Confetti

I'm up on the Reverse Confetti blog with a new edition of Confetti Camera:

Two Versions. Make a new card or project, then make a different version of the card/project (switch from feminine to masculine etc.)

I had so much fun making 2 cards, can you guess what my theme is?  For all the details and full reveals, please hop over to the Reverse Confetti blog!

Your Sparkle | Spellbinders

My friends at Spellbinders sent me the February 2019 Small Dies of the Month - Spring Flutter!

Here's how I was inspired:

I adore this die!  It's so delicate!  I cut it twice and used the smaller separate dies too.  I've been a bit smitten with the pink and coral color combo lately.  The sentiment is from Ellen Hutson LLC and has been heat embossed with Lawn Fawn's Rose Gold.

I decided to do a smidge of stenciling in the background because the solid cardstock was just a bit too lonely.

All the coral blooms have been covered with Wink of Stella.

The possibilites are absolutely endless with this gorgeous Spellbinders Small Die of the Month kit!

Some links are affiliate at no extra cost to you:

Interactive Birthday Cake | My Favorite Things

So evidently I've had this MFT Twice the Wishes Card Kit since July 2016 and this 'might' be the first time I've used the dies (good grief).  I'm super thankful for Jennifer McGuire's YouTube HERE.  I watched it several times.  The card on the left was my first card.  I have a second card but it's a custom card for my girl.  I decided to also try a larger card, the one on the right.

I squirreled away the MFT cardstock so I've used Stampin' Up:

Blushing Bride   |   Calypso Coral   |   Coastal Cabana  

I've used the following MFT Stamps:

BB Happy Hippos

More Essential Sentiments

Twice The Wishes 

The ink I used:

Catherine Pooler - Aquatini

Copic:  R20, BG13/BG15, Y08/Y17 +  E00/E02

I took Jennifer's words of wisdom of keeping the overall design clean + simple to let the pop up sentiment be the star of the show.  

I used Wink of Stella on all the Calypso Coral.  I also added a bunch of white gel pen details.

I'm generally not an interactive card designer but always love the end result.

I'm linking up to Seize the Birthday challenge:

Some links may be affiliate at no extra cost to you:

Have a really, really great birthday | Lawn Fawn

When I saw THIS project by Megan on the Lawn Fawn blog I was thoroughly inspired.  It actually reminds me how little of the newer Lawn Fawn stamp sets that I have.  I do have the Reveal Wheel Lawn Cuts so I decided to challenge myself to design a co-worker's birthday card.  

Here's how I was inspired:

So my co-worker is a scientist, as most of my co-workers are.  Me?  Oh No, not a scientific bone in my body.  It all went to my oldest brother and my daughter.  seriously.  So she is known for her innovative Halloween costumes.  They are always so clever.  

I used the following stamp sets:

Frosty Fairy Friends

Gleeful Gardens

Party Panda

Reveal Wheel Sentiments

I thought she would get a kick out of the reveal wheel.  The sentiments are:

Really Great  |  Super Duper  |  Fun - Filled  |  Very Happy

I'm linking up to Seize the Birthday's Anything Goes challenge:

I'm also linking up to the Color Throwdown:

Affiliate links at no extra cost to you:

Snail Mail | Trinity Stamps

Thanks to my friends at Trinity Stamps, I was a luck duck to receive the new Snail Mail Stamp set!  It will be available on February 4th.

I combined Snail Mail with a couple images from Seasonal Sweetheart, can you spot them?  Oh yes, the coffee cup.  Mr Snail is working so hard to get happy mail delivered that the poor guy needs a treat.  I even gave his coffee cup a sleeve.  I also stamped that heart on the side of the mailbox, which is also from Seasonal Sweetheart.

The paper I used is Echo Park Paper - Celebrate Winter.  With Valentine's Day just around the corner, I thought the colors were perfect for my card design.

Did you spot the strategically placed Wink of Stella?

Remember to visit Trinity Stamps on February 4th!

I was inspired by Freshly Made Sketches:

Some links are Affiliate at no extra cost to you:

Turner Syndrome Awareness Blog Hop

Hello Blogging Friends!!

Welcome to my project for the "It's A Girl Thing" Turner Syndrome Awareness Inaugural Blog Hop!  

Turner Syndrome is a genetic disorder where a female is born with only one X chromosome, instead of two, leaving her with life-long medical issues and learning disabilities. This condition occurs one in 2,500 female births worldwide, but is more common among pregnancies that do not survive to full term. That is why Turner Syndrome Females are considered MIRACLES!

There are 19 caring Sponsors and 42 Designers have partnered with us to bring Turner Syndrome Awareness to the Public. For details on how you might win any of these fabulous prizes, please see Lori's TS home page. Thanks for learning About Turner Syndrome. 

There are 11 talented and caring designers that are offering prizes on their personal blogs:

My Turner Syndrome related project uses a few colors from the Turner Syndrome official color board:

Here's how I was inspired:

This was my perfect opportunity to try out the Gina K Designs Wreath Builder set!  I was able to easily incorporate 5 different ink colors!

I went super girly and did a floral wreath.  I thought the sentiment was perfect, how about you?

HOW TO WIN:

• Leave a comment on the TS Awareness Home Blog Post stating at least one thing you learned about Turner Syndrome. Our Tab titled About Turner Syndrome has a quick pictorial explanation of many of the symptoms or limitations faced by TS females.
• Leave a comment on one or more DT blog hop posts. 
• Prizes will be awarded randomly from the comments left on 19 of the DT blog hop posts + by 11 of the designers who are awarding prizes of their own. So the more posts you visit and comment on, the more likely you are to win a prize. Don't forget! You must also leave one comment on the Home Blog, too.
• We hope this will bring an awareness not only about Turner Syndrome in females, but that if any human being seems a bit out of the ordinary, there could be a health-related or genetic reason for it, and it would be nice to give everyone the benefit of the doubt in our daily lives.

Winners will be announced on February 15, 2019.

Make sure you check out Lori's blog HERE for all the details and prizes.  I'm so excited to hop around and see how the other designers were inspired.  I want to thank Lori Kobular for asking me to join in this Awareness Hop.  I've learned so much about Turner Syndrome just from Lori's blog HERE.