My First Blog Award!

I've been awarded!! :)  WOW.  wow. wow. I'm so honored!!

Two lovely ladies have given me the Sunshine Award, and seriously...wow. I can't even explain what that means to me!  What a special surprise - it's my very FIRST award, and...I'm so honored. :)

Thank you soooo much to Shari and Niki!

Here's the rules:
1. Put the Sunshine Award on your blog and/or within your post.
2. Pass the award to 12 other bloggers.
3. Link the nominees within your post.
4. Let them know they received this award by leaving a comment on their blog.
5. Share the love and link to the person from whom you received the award.

Well, some of my faves have already been awarded...but here's a few more people who inspire me! :)  In alpha order...

1. Addicted to Stamping
2. Creations by Mercedes
3. Flowerbug's Inkspot
4. Jill's Card Creations
5. Simple & Sincere
6. Stamp with Heather
7. Vintage Dutch Girl
8. With A Stamp and a Song

There are many more out there who inspire me...but since I've been kicked out of this post about 20 times now (NOT joking), I've decided to quit while I'm ahead! lol

Thanks for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

BLOG CANDY WINNER #2!

Well folks, I'm sorry to say that KTLuv missed out on the blog candy opportunity, as I did not hear from her.  Sorry, KTluv!  :(

I guess that's good news for the rest of you! :)

And now.....

True Random Number Generator
Result: 8
Powered by RANDOM.ORG

#8 is now the lucky winner!
Michelle said... I found your blog a few months ago and really love it. Thanks!
April 20, 2010 6:59 PM

Michelle, contact me (see contact info under header) with your mailing info and I'll get that out to you ASAP! :)

*If I don't hear back from Michelle by Friday at 12noon (PST)...well, I dunno...I might just keep it...or hold another drawing! lol

Thanks for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

BLOG CANDY WINNER!

It has been so fun to read all the sweet comments on the blog candy post - you guys are so nice to me! :)  It's also been interesting to read how you "found" me. :)  Thanks again for visiting my little 'ol blog, and thank you so much for comments not only on that post, but throughout my blog every day! :-D

Without further adieu....
The winner of the 25,000 hits blog candy giveaway is......













True Random Number Generator
Result:  27
Powered by RANDOM.ORG

#27 is the lucky winner!! :)
Congrats KTluv!!!

KTluv said...Love it! Congrats on all the blog hits. That is amazing. What a fun blog candy as well. Am definitely bookmarking your site. Your work is fantastic!
April 23, 2010 4:50 PM
 
KTluv, contact me (see contact info under header) with your mailing info and I'll get that out to you ASAP! :)

*If I don't hear from KTluv by Wednesday at 12 noon PST, another winner will be drawn.*

A Moment In Time

A year ago, I was someplace I never thought I'd be...

















This is Shelli Gardner (Cofounder & CEO, Stampin' Up!) and I at Seattle Regionals! I can't believe it's already been a year ago now! (well, a year and a week). ;-)

Yes, meeting Shelli was a highlight (wink). She was of course, sweet. :)  I don't even remember what we talked about in our short amount of time together (and I only had to wait 5 people in front of me!). Honestly, I was probably a little starstruck and panicky like "what do I say?!" lol

But aside from meeting Shelli, I can't even fully explain how experience as a whole was sooo wonderful!  It was a thrill to be there, with a ton of other demonstrators...learning, sharing, and growing!  An experience like no other...ahhh...to be back in that moment again...

Demonstrators, if you ever get a chance to go to Regionals - do it!! :)  Stamping friends, if you ever get a chance to be a demonstrator - do it!! :)  This is one of the many highlights you can experience! :)

Though this day was but a moment in time, it's an experience I shall never forget!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

Hello, Goodbye...

Today's post is a meshing of "Hello" and "Goodbye"...
Confused?  Well, here's a bit of explanation:

"Awash With Flowers" is a new stamp set from upcoming 2010-2011 Idea Book & Catalog! :)

Barely Banana and Almost Amethyst colors will soon be retired! :(

















If you love this set & want to get your hands on it right away, BEFORE July...I've got great news! You may purchase it right NOW from me (Stampin' Up), until the end of the month! :)  Also...4 other 2-step stamp sets are on sale for 20% off!  (See sidebar)...Contact me today to place your order! :)

Well, whatcha think?  Do you like this card?
Due to lack of comments yesterday, I see that everyone must agree with me on yesterday's post, lol

REMEMBER, today's the last day to win my 25,000 Hits BLOG CANDY GIVEAWAY !! (click on blue)  Comments open until 11pm PT tonight!

The Small Print (All Stampin' Up)
Stamps: Awash with Flowers
Cardstock: Barely Banana, Certainly Celery, Whisper White
Ink: Basic Gray, Barely Banana, So Saffron, Certainly Celery, Almost Amethyst
Accessories: 1/4" celery gg ribbon, Eyelet border punch, Dimensionals

Thanks for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

Truckload of Gifts

Okay, really...this is NOT my fave card ever...for SURE. ;-b
But I'll show it anyways, lol.

A very simple guy card to make...

Please don't judge too harshly, lol.  I was going as fast as I could (you know how I procrastinate), using a (going dry) blender pen...hindsight, I would've used my fave, the aquapainter. :)














Overall, not bad for less than 20 minutes, starting with NO idea at all. It helps me to know it's for a guy who most likely does not care about the card. Sorry people, but it's true.  MOST guys could care less.  I've come to grips with that. ;-b

Dare I ask this time? lol...
Well, what do you think?

Don't forget to check out my 25,000 Hits BLOG CANDY GIVEAWAY (click on blue)!

The Small Print (All Stampin' Up)
Stamps: Loads of Love, Loads of Love Accessories
Cardstock: Sage Shadow, Always Artichoke, Whisper White
Paper: Wintergreen DSP (retired)
Ink: Black Stazon
Accessories: Always Artichoke gg ribbon, Watercolor crayons, Blender pens, Dimensionals, Circle punches

Thanks for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

Kindness

Have you ever been blown away by someone's kindness?

To me, those are really hard "thank you" cards to make.  It's really hard to explain, but it's just one of those things that leaves me in a creative lurch.  How do you pour all that gratitude into a card? Words don't seem enough. Nothing seems enough.

Well, I worked on this card off and on for awhile...as inspiration hit.  FINALLY, I was ok with the efforts, and ready to give it to the kind individual.

















Faux lace border, a handmade flower with pearl center, taffeta ribbon, textured DSP....ahhh...

Well, what do you think?

Be sure to enter in the 25,000 Hits BLOG CANDY by clicking (on the blue) & commenting on that post!!

The Small Print (All Stampin' Up)
Stamps: Whimsical Words
Paper: Parisian Breeze Specialty DSP
Cardstock: Baja Breeze, Kraft, Whisper White
Ink: Baja Breeze
Accessories: Floral Fusion sizzlit, Lots of Tags sizzlit, Eyelet Border punch, 1 1/4 & 1 3/8" circle punches, Kraft taffeta Ribbon, Pretties Kit, Sticky strip

Thanks for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

25,000 Hits BLOG CANDY GIVEAWAY!

Well, yes...we're almost to 29,000 now, but you know the last couple weeks have been...well, you know. :) I could baredly think beyond my own nose.  I did tell you it was coming, but didn't get to it as soon as I thought. ;-)  Forgive me? :-)

A BIG thank you to all of you who come to visit me here...I am so thankful for each and every one! :) I hope you step away inspired...whether in life, or in crafting. :)  A special "thank you" to those of you who leave comments while here...it seriously makes my day! :)

Well, how do you win this 'blog candy'?  Simple.

Leave a comment! (annonymous accepted as well, just be sure to include your name in the note)

What kind of comment?  Well....please be nice.  Write whatever you want, or tell me which post is your fave, what you'd like to see more of, etc...)...and I'll draw a random winner of the candy!

Comments until Friday the 24th 23rd @ 11pm, PT. ;-)
Here's the blog "candy"! :)













....now get to that commenting! lol :)

Thanks for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

Bon Appetit!

You should know by now that I don't limit myself to using stamps soley for cardmaking.  Today's post is no exception. ;-)

I recently purchased a couple of cookbooks as a gift for someone and thought, "I can't just give it to him like this!  I need to dress it up a little!" lol

Here's an example of something else you can do with stamps....

















Ya like it? I do...hopefully he did too! :)  But then, he's a guy, so he may not appreciate it as much as a gal might...which is why I didn't spend too much time on it. ;-)  (shhh....it's our little secret, ok?)

Anyways...here's what I did, using the stamp set "Voila".

Wrapped the cookbooks together using white Newspaper Roll end paper, stamped Bon Appetit all over it. {I waited until after wrapping to not waste time stamping something he wasn't going to see. :) }  I stamped the chef onto Naturals White cs, added the cover to his platter, colored him with SU's Watercolor Wonder crayons & blender pens.  I remembered to add a little shadowing here & there, so he doesn't look like he's just floating on the page, lol.

I wrote a little note on the backside of the black cs.
Well, what do you think?

BE SURE TO STOP BY TOMORROW FOR MY 25,000 HITS BLOG CANDY GIVEAWAY! :)

The Small Print (All Stampin' Up)
Stamps: Voila
Ink: Basic Black
Cardstock: Naturals White, Basic Black
Accessories: WWCrayons, Blender pens
Other: Newspaper end roll, Black curling ribbon

Thanks for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

Goody bags...

At the end of yesterday's post (my daughter's 6 year old butterfly birthday), I promised a view of the goody bags.  So here are the goody bags! (click pic for closeup) :)











I punched a scallop across white lunch bags, stamped with the butterfly from "For All You DO," and wrote each of the girls' names on it (Melon Mambo).

Wanna see what's inside? OK. :)













I put keychain bubbles in SU's small cello bag stamped with the butterfly from All You Do in white Stazon ink (it baredly fit!). :)  Sorry...forgot to get a pic of them that way before we gave them all away. ;-)

Each girl also got a glittery pencil (pink, yellow, purple, or blue), and a beaded pink bracelet.

The 3 butterfly items you see were the crafts...each one was added to their bag as they finished. :)

I recovered the little notebook with Pretty in Pink cardstock, they stamped the butterflies and layered them on the front.  They did the same for the bookmark (giant paper clip), and we finished those off with SU's pink taffeta (sorry, a bit hidden by the pencil).

The butterfly in the back is a die cut that they stamped with the butterflies from the set "Sprinkles"...so cute!  After stamping, they peeled the red piece off sticky tape (already applied), then added Smarties for the body!

WHEW!  lol

The girls did so good and were such good listeners and crafters!  It was such a pleasure to do this with them...hopefully they are pleased with their goodies. :)

The Small Print (All Stampin' Up)
Stamps: Sprinkles, Flight of the Butterfly, For All You Do
Cardstock: Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, Whisper White
Ink: Regal Rose (crafts), Melon Mambo (bags)
Accesories: Pretty in Pink taffeta, Pop up glue dots, Butterfly die cut (SU), Sticky strip, Scallop edge punch, Scallop circle and circle punches
Other: Bubbles, bracelet, pencil, Mini notebook, Jumbo paper clip, Smarties

Thanks for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

Happy Birthday, Baby!

Well, she's not exactly a baby anymore...my oldest turned 6 today.  I love her more than words can say, and it's been so fun to see her change and grow so much, this last year especially...so proud of her!

What a CRAZY week this has been!  The "normal" cleaning, laundry, dinner, school, and the "extra" Centers (help out @ class), first-ever soccer practice, oh, and the EXTRA cleaning. You know, the kind you remember when guests are coming (wink).

Oh, and...a few more projects.  There has been a different kind of 'crafting' around here this week...

But first, I'll show you the invitation (my normal crafting)... we've gone with a butterfly theme this year, as you will see. ;-)

Cupcakes brought to class yesterday...

Cake for her 1st "friend" party (girls from class) for today...

A "Pin The Antennae on the Butterfly" poster...looks better IRL. ;-)

And the goody bags (crafts included)...but I'll save that for tomorrow. ;-)

Happy Birthday my beautiful, wonderful daughter!
I love you soooooooooooo much!! :-)

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

Taken with Tess

So this is one of those stamp sets from the mini catalog that grew on me. :)  But by the time I got it, I couldn't WAIT to ink it up! :)

It's called Tote-ally Tess, and here she is! :)

















I stamped her with Brown Stazon ink onto watercolor paper, colored her with my markers & aquapainter, and paper-pieced her pants with the oh, so fabulous "Sweet Pea" DSP!  Go ahead, take a closer look - aren't her pants fabulous? ;-)  The panel to the left of her is from that same paper pack.  Card base is Taken With Teal  (hence the name of this post)...and WHAT is that in her hand?

A stamp, of course! :)  It's, ahem...popped up on a dimensional, believe it or not. ;-)

There are many options from the set to add to her ensemble, but I chose just the stamp.  You could change it up and take a cupcake from another set for a birthday card!  OR...how about something from the set Voila...oh man, endless possibilities there! :)

That's all for today...busy week ahead of me...hope to be back soon! :)

The Small Print (All Stampin' Up)
Stamps: Tote-ally Tess
Cardstock/paper: Sweet Pea DSP, Taken w/ Teal, Chocolate Chip, Watercolor
Ink: Stazon Brown
Accessories: SU markers, Aquapainter, 5/8" chocolate chip satin ribbon
Technique: Paper piecing

Thanks for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

Mmmmm...Green Apple!

Sorry bout the lack of posts these last few days...we've had an interesting Spring Break, that's for sure! lol. Library Storytime one day, kiddos sick for a couple days, and yesterday we were gone most of the day to the Tulip fields, then had a church family over for dinner...ahhh...I'm feeling quite lazy this Saturday. ;-)

Here's a little gift...you may remember my post HERE...well, I felt like it needed a bit of sprucn' up. :)  It is obviously not Christmas anymore. ;-)

Since the candle's scent is green apple (it smells sooo good!), I decided to go with that.  Changed the tag and ribbon, and to be quite honest, I like this better than the Christmas version! :)

I promise, I haven't forgotten about the blog candy...it's been a busy week as you can see, and I just haven't had time to figure out what I'll offer. :)  Stay tuned...

The Small Print (All Stampin' Up)
Stamps: Tart & Tangy
Cardstock/paper: Old Olive, Whisper White, Dashing DSP (retired)
Ink: Old Olive
Accessories: Old Olive taffeta, 1 1/4" circle punch, 1 3/8" circle punch
Other: $1 green apple candle

Thanks for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

BIG Stampin' Up NEWS!

WOW. If you haven't heard already, be prepared...
Announcing, Stampin' Up's....

COLOR RENOVATION!

Stampin' Up is redesigning their core color families, and I really like a lot of what they came up with! Happy to see some of the old In Colors returning (yay!), sad to see a few faves let go... :(

Stampin' Up! has done a great job of introducing all the facts about the Color Renovation. What I want you to focus on first is the retiring colors. I'm pretty sure they'll be while supplies last. So, if you have a favorite....you might want to order it soon! 

What does this mean?
30 colors retiring (NEVER AVAILABLE AGAIN!), 10 previous "In Colors" returning! (YAY!), 5 all NEW colors!

RETIRING COLORS
ORDER now, while supplies last! Cardstock, Reinkers, Markers, Ink pads, etc!!





















And here....drumroll...is the NEW Color Collection (Core Colors)

Yes, there will still be 5 new "In Colors" arriving in the new catalog in July. All the changes will take place in the new catalog in July, but I reccomend you jump on the retiring stuff asap!

WHEW! Also...remember the 2-Step into Spring Promo...if you'd like any of those sets, you can order them at the same time as your retiring color products!

Remember, I'm ordering on Friday morning (the 9th) at 9AM!

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask me. :)
Thanks for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

25,000 HITS!!

Blog Hits, that is!
Wow, I am sooo...I just can't even find the words.  Amazed?  Encouraged?  Happy. :)

Thank you to all of you who come to visit me at my lil' blog. :)  I am so thankful to God for this opportunity, and for how it's gone so far.  I am having fun with it, and hopefully inspiring someone out there! :)

Thank you soooo much to those of you who comment on my posts.  You wanna know something?  It TOTALLY makes my day. Really! :)  I've read some really sweet words, some funny words, some encouraging words.  Thank you.  Each and every one means so much to me, and I thank God for y'all!

Stay tuned....Blog Candy announcement coming soon! :)

I just realized there are a LOT of smilies in this post, lol...what can I say?  I'm happy! :)  Oops, there's another one! lol

Thanks sooooooo much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

PS Technique Sample #5

This is my 5th and final post of example showing you the Polished Stone Technique!  I hope you enjoyed my Video Tutorial, and all 5 of my samples (April 1-5)! :)

Though today's is not my favorite, I still want to show you, because it shows a different way to use the technique.  Until this point, I've used it as a backdrop or as a layer. Today...it'll be a focalpoint! :)

















It's pretty soft...a little difficult to see...maybe click on the pic for a better view of the butterflies themselves. :)

Like I said, it's not my fave card done with this technique, but I like the idea of it. :)  This sweet soft card could be used for a baby, dedication/baptism, little girl's birthday, Happy Spring...oh, the possibilities are endless, really. :)

Instead of using the Polished Stone piece as a backdrop or layer, I punched it out with Stampin' Up's Butterfly Punch!  The colors I used are from the Soft Subtles color family: Pretty in Pink, Apricot Appeal, and Barely Banana.  I used the Eggcellent Eggs kit (Occasions Mini) for the bodies, and the beautiful pink satin ribbon is from the mini, as well. :)  YAY!

I used the SU Big Shot Texturz plate "Perfect Details" for the subtle criss-cross embossed background you see, to make it a little *more* than just plain white. :)

Well, what do you think?

The Small Print (All Stampin' Up!)
Cardstock: Barely Banana, Whisper White, Glossy White
Accessories: Butterfly punch, Eggcellent Eggs kit, Reinkers (PP, AA, BB), Pretty in Pink satin ribbon, glue dots
Other: Rubbing alcohol, Cotton balls
Technique: Polished Stone

Thanks for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

PS Technique Sample #4 - EASTER!

CHRIST THE LORD HAS RISEN TODAY, ALLELUIA!!
Happy Easter to you!
I pray that you grasp the gift He's given to you, with your whole heart!  Thank you, Jesus, for what you did to save us!

I'm so excited to go to church this morning...can't wait to join in praise!  I really hope we sing the song below...it just doesn't seem like Easter without singing this old, familiar hymn!

















This again uses the Polished Stone Technique!  See my video HERE for the how-to on this great technique! :)

Again, I kept the layout and embellishment simple...no need to distract! :)  The colors I used were Old Olive and Summer Sun...the Olive layer behind daffodils from "Abundant Hope" are up on dimensionals (of course). :)

Here's the hymn I was speaking about...please click, pray, and maybe...SING along! C'mon...you know you just wanna belt it out along with 'em! :)



The Small Print (All Stampin' Up!)
Stamps: Abundant Hope
Ink: Basic Gray
Cardstock: Old Olive, Whisper White, Glossy White
Accessories: Polka dot EF, Aquapainters, Ink lids (Old Olive, Summer Sun), Old Olive satin ribbon, Dimensionals, Reinkers (Old Olive, Summer Sun)
Other: Rubbing Alcohol, Cotton balls
Technique: Polished Stone

Thanks so much for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

PS Technique Sample #3

Well, here we are at Day 3...

This is another very simple card to make, using the Polished Stone Technique.  For a tutorial on how to achieve this technique, go to my video HERE


















I actually used a silver reinker on this one too, but not enough to show up a lot...probably can't even see it.  If you click on the pic you might be able to see it here & there. :)

This is from one of my favorite sets, "Inspired By Nature."  As on yesterday's card, I embossed the main image.  Stamped the coneflowers with SU Craft Black ink, applied black embossing powder, and embossed with my heat tool. I just love the contrast of the black on the background - love it! :)  Again, I made this layout VERY simple, to draw attention to the technique. :)

The Small Print (All Stampin' Up!)
Stamps: Inspired By Nature
Ink: Craft Basic Black
Cardstock: Bashful Blue, Basic Black, Glossy White
Accessories: Black EP, Heat tool, Reinkers (Bashful Blue, Bordering Blue, Ballet Blue)
Other: Rubbing alcohol, Cotton balls
Technique: Polished Stone

Stay tuned...tomorrow's card is to celebrate EASTER!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal

PS Technique Sample #2

I'll be honest with you.

Today's sample wasn't one I had on hand, as promised.  As I fell asleep last night, an image came into my mind, so very clearly, I decided I had to try to replicate it this morning.

Do you know what day it is today?  Here's a hint:

















Good Friday.  The day in which we remember (though it should be daily) what God, through his son Jesus Christ, did for us.  What an awful thing He went through, so that we might live forever!

Again, the picture doesn't quite do it justice...much more striking in person...a little darker, even.  HOWEVER, I'm thrilled at how it turned out, because it is just as I envisioned.  The black cross against a setting sun sky, made with the Polished Stone Technique.  If you'd like to see how I achieved the polished stone background, view my Video Tutorial HERE.

THE HOW:  For the bottom portion, I used Summer Sun and More Mustard.  Pumpkin Pie and Ruby Red used together, mixing together in the middle. :)  The cross is from the SU set "Refuge and Strength", which I stamped in Craft Basic Black ink and embossed with black powder.  The hilly grassy area is Craft Basic Black ink applied with sponge dauber & embossed as well.  I also sponged around the edge of the cardbase (Dusty Durango), and of course, there are dimensionals behind the black layer.

THE WHY:  Interesting thing...I found this video AFTER I made my card.  Please watch.


The Small Print (All Stampin' Up)
Stamps: Refuge and Strength
Ink: Craft Basic Black
Cardstock: Dusty Durango, Basic Black, Summer Sun, Glossy White
Accessories: Black embossing powder, Heat tool, Reinkers (SS, MM, PP, RR), Sponge dauber, 5/8" black grosgrain
Other: Cotton balls, Rubbing Alcohol
Technique: Polished Stone

Thanks for stopping by, and have a GREAT day!
Crystal

PS Technique Sample #1

Well, hopefully you enjoyed yesterday's video.  Only one comment so far, so hmmm...maybe not? lol

Today, I'm back with Sample #1...
This is the card I made with the colors I demonstrated in my video HERE.

VERY simple card, as I did not want to distract from the technique.  Left side has plenty of room to add a sentiment later, perhaps on a punch of sorts...with dimensionals behind. :) 

Sorry about the pic...just couldn't capture it right...hopefully you can see it ok. :)

Anyways, I stamped the image from "Lovely As A Tree" (a go-to set!) in Black Stazon over top of the technique.  Popped it up (behind the black) on dimensionals...cause you know me. ;-)

That's all!  Seeeee.....fabulously simple! :)
Come back tomorrow for another project made with the Polished Stone Technique!

The Small Print (All Stampin' Up)
Stamps: Lovely As A Tree
Ink: Stazon Black
Cardstock: Mellow Moss, Basic Black, Glossy White
Accessories: 5/8" & 1/4" black grosgrain ribbons, Dimensionals, Reinkers (see video)
Other: Rubbing alcohol, Cotton balls
Technique: Polished Stone

Thanks for stopping by, and have a GREAT day! :)
Crystal