Happy Memorial Day

I hope you are all enjoying this remembrance day.
Take time to have a picnic with your family
(that's what Jon and I are doing today).

We are also going to a park reserve to take pictures
with our new camera. Taking a long hike,
and remembering all of those who
have fought for our freedom.

Hug your loved ones.

Be thankful.

It's Thursday, you know what that means...

It means it is Our Creative Corner sketch challenge day!

For this card I wanted to create a card
without stamping anything, I don't think I've ever
done that before, and I did!

I had a pack of these super cute cards from
October Afternoon. I think that this cat image
is so darn cute.

I'm a kitty
who are you?

I did have to add a little C1 Copic around the image so
it would pop a little more.

Please play along with OCC this week.
To see more samples and to play along
visit the OCC blog here.

Just a couple cards

I am going to be going to a retreat at the end of June,

and I said I'd do a couple "shoebox" cards.

***warning if you are going to the retreat

you might not want to look at the

cards that you'll be making.****

The shoebox cards are cards to make and all of the

contents to make the card are in a shoebox.

I made the samples last night and I used the new Prickley Pear

dies and stamps. I really love them. Have you bought them yet?

Here's the owl stamp and die:

Here's the super fun Butterfly stamp and die:

So those are the two shoebox cards that my fellow

retreaters will make.

I hope they like them.

Just stoppin' by to say "hi"

How is everyone? It's been HOT here in Minnesota.

Record breaking hot.

Anyone have plans already for the summer?

There I go again...

Missing in action! I've been so darn busy.
I finally got my entire garden in over the weekend.
Now, 65 days until I see the fruits of my labor.

There was a great blog hop for Prickley Pear this last week,
thanks to all who played along.

Once a month a group of girls get together to do a craft day.
This month we did a little decoupaging, I did a small
drawer to keep my vintage cards in, and
I cut a shape out of vinyl on my Cricut
and placed it on a vase... they both turned out pretty cool
(I'll try to post some pictures if I remember)

Jon and I had a photography class also on Saturday
it came free with the purchase of our camera. Learned
a few things, now we have to play with the camera
for a month until our next class. So I took a bunch of pictures
and played with all of the settings. Thank goodness
the camera has a "reset to factory" setting button. : )

So tonight while Jon was watching Lost (yuck)
I started another card for Prickley Pear. In June
we have PK Glitz as a sponsor, so you'll be seeing a lot of glitter.
I used the new butterfly stamps and die. I'll show it as soon as it is done.

It is really hot today in MN, 88 degrees out
but the heat index is 93... those are not typical temperatures.
Besides the heat the humidity was H-O-R-R-I-B-L-E!
yuck, you just go from the house to the car and you're all sweaty.
But we love Minnesota.

Well I hope to be back soon with some really cute cards or some project.

Have a great week!

Blog Hop Starts Today! Chance to win $50 in product!

Welcome to the Prickley Pear Rubber Stamp Blog Hop to introduce a new line of coordinating die cuts and clear stamps.

Visit the Design Team’s daily releases and the Prickley Pear Rubber Stamp blog from May 18 until May 21 to have chances to win one of four prize packages worth $50 in PPRS products. Of course each of the prize packages will feature one of the new release sets: Build a Bird, Hibiscus, Build an Owl and Butterfly.

More than one chance to win!

Each day you have more than one chance to win. Start at the Prickley Pear Rubber Stamp Blog. Leave a comment on the blog for one chance to win. Then hop on over to the day’s release blogs and make comments there for more chances to win. Sounds easy enough. And the bonus is that you’ll see some fabulous paper projects featuring the new sets.

For each release, you’ll have 2 days to participate…you’ll have until midnight the night AFTER the release day to enter comments.

Please just one comment per blog.

Release schedule:

May 18^th Build a Bird Clear Stamps and Die Cut featured on PPRS Blog, Frillions by Eli and Tesa Scraps by Tesa

May 19^th Hibiscus Clear Stamps and Die Cut featured on PPRS Blog and One Krafty Kat by Jenny, Paper Talk by Leslie

May 20^th Build an Owl Clear Stamps and Die Cut featured on PPRS Blog and Life is what you make it by Anya and Random Vintage Finds by Jennifer

May 21^st Butterfly Clear Stamps and Die Cut featured on PPRS Blog and Frillions by Eli

Now to show you what I did with the new build an owl set!

(a couple of the Prickley Pear girls... Me, Mary, Diane)

from the Scrapbook and Stamping Expo this last weekend.

Prickley Pear has some really wonderful news!!!

Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps is releasing four sets of clear stamps

(Yes, you heard that right!) new CLEAR STAMPS!!!!!!

The new sets have coordinating die cuts. (Yes, you heard that right too!!! Dies!!!)

The four sets, which include:
a Build a Bird
Butterflies
Hibiscus
and a Build an Owl,

They will be available for purchase on May 18^th,
the first day of our hop. Sold separately, these sets coordinate
beautifully to create stamped images that can be die cut
perfectly around the shape.

How cool is that?

It’s so cool, in fact that they want to give some away.

So they’re hosting a Blog Hop, May 18^th-21.

You’ll have the chance to what you think of the
new products and of course, the chance to WIN.

So come back on Thursday to see the stamps and die cut I’ll be featuring.
You won’t want to miss it!!!

Here is just a "peek" of what it's all about.

Rubber Stamp and Scrapbook Expo this weekend!

The Rubber Stamp and Scrapbook Expo is this weekend...

and I will be there!

I will be in the Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps booth

both days doing a make-n-take!

Please stop by and say “HI”.

Saturday, May 15th -- 9am-5pm

Sunday, May 16th -- 11am-4pm

It is being held inside the Progress Center Building.

Enter Gate # 5 off of Snelling Ave. North and take a right after inside the

Fair Grounds at Cosgrove and you will run right into the building.

Lots of FREE Parking!

FInally found them!

I've been looking all over for the new Tim Holtz Embossing folders

and have not been able to find them.

Have you had a hard time too? Not at Michaels,

not at JoAnn's not even at Anchor paper!

So out-and-about on Friday

I went to JoAnn's to use up my coupons.

I found nothing, N-O-T-H-I-N-G that I needed.

I know... not a thing, that I wanted to waste my coupon on.

So I went over to Archivers to see what new things they had

I found out they were giving away a cool bag for purchases over $20.00

So after I realized that I left my coupons at home...

I still NEEDED that bag.

I found some crystals by Mark Richards that

I needed $2.99, $16.98 to go.

I had some 6X6 Paper pads in my hand

(did I tell you I am addicted to those?)

They are the perfect size and give you great variety.

Anyway... as I was going up to the register to buy the

paper and crystals,

I saw them, the all illusive embossing folders.

Was I seeing things?

Are these what I have been looking for?

Yes, they were! Tim Holtz embossing folders.

They only had 4 different sets

at the store. They come 2 per pack so

I bought these 2 sets...

$10.99 per set... needless to say I hit the $20.00 ; )

I can't wait to play with them!!!

Things are already getting busy, Stamping expo and a NEW CAMERA!!!

You can probably tell that I am really busy lately, hence the MIA.

You can also tell summer is just around the corner.

I am already turning people down for gatherings

in June and July because

I already have things booked.

---------******--------

Don't forget that the stamping expo is in 2 weeks at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds.

The Rubber Stamp and Scrapbook Expo is coming to town...

and I will be there!

The Expo will take place at the State Fair Grounds on May 15th & 16th.

I will be in the Prickley Pear Rubber Stamps booth

both days doing a make-n-take!

Please stop by and say “HI”.

Saturday, May 15th -- 9am-5pm

Sunday, May 16th -- 11am-4pm

It is being held inside the Progress Center Building.

Enter Gate # 5 off of Snelling Ave. North and take a right after inside the

Fair Grounds at Cosgrove and you will run right into the building.

Lots of FREE Parking!

---------******--------

And this is the new camera that I bought:

It is a Nikon D5000 and I am so excited to start playing with it.

The manual is a bible, so I am starting to read it over my

lunch hour at work.

My husband and I also have a couple

classes coming up. I mean we are designers, and

know A LOT about cameras, but this one is way out

of our realm of knowledge.

Once I play with it, I will start showing you some pictures.

If any of you have this camera, let me know if

you've found any fun and unique features.

Win rubber stamps!!!!

It time for a sketch challenge over at Prickley Pear!

Please play along with us and get the chance
to win a 1/2 sheet of unmounted rubber stamps!

That is a wonderful prize, for such a fun sketch.

Visit the blog here.

Here is the sketch:
Here is what I did for the sketch. I love this retro
lady from Prickly Pear. You can buy her here.

Recipe:

{Paper} Solid Brown Paper-PTI, Pattern Paper-DCWV

{Ribbon} Thin Brown- Offray, Thick Brown- May Arts

{Stamps} 50's Girl- Prickley Pear, Small type letters- Provo Craft

{Punches} Edge, and Corner- Fiskars

{Ink}Pink Edges-Spun Sugar and Vintage Photo Distress ink,

Black-Momento, Brown-Momento

{Other}

Celebration tag-7 Gypsies

Small woman cut out-Leisure Arts (ATC Pattern small book)

Vintage Buttons

Brown and White Stripes Butcher String

Fabric-Moda

Lace- Unknown

Crown Gem-Darico

Pearl and Diamond Gems-Mark Richards

ScrapWorks-Rub on Brown Letters

Heart Pin-Fancy Pants