In a Mother's Eyes...

Hi all,

I apologize in advance for the lengthy post, but I have something to share with you today.

I had QUITE the amusing experience today that I thought I’d share with you. This amusement, you must understand, came after a large bout of frustration in creating this card. You’ll see why in a second…or maybe you already do! LOL!

I have been itching and itching to ink up the “Newly Hatched” stamp by Rachelle Anne Miller for Stampavie. I absolutely adore this image and although you might think of Easter at first glance, it’s the PERFECT Spring image for MOTHER’S DAY, and can even be used for new baby cards, etc.

Anyway, a sketch challenge over on SCS caught my eye yesterday (SC226) and I decided I would finally break out this cutie pie and have some fun. Now, you all know, coloring images does take a while when you want to do it right. Im going to venture to say that with all the shading, etc. this only took me about 20 minutes, but still…

Where am I going with all of this, you ask? Well, it wasn’t until AFTER I uploaded my photo and began to edit that I realized the MASSIVE SMUDGE I left from still-wet Stickles on this card. I was fuming, LOL. I quick tried to rescue this card by trying to pull off the larger circle, and succeeded. However, it wasn’t until I tried pulling off the actual image that I realized, you know, the glue I use is super strong. It was either re-do this whole card, including the coloring, or trash it.

Something told me to think better of it, though. It made me think of my Mom, and one of the true meanings of Mother’s Day. Now, of course, I had to think long and hard about whether or not I’d show this card because I definitely dont’ want anyone to think I’m slipping LOL! However, you guys know me well enough to know that this type of thing normally (thank heavens!) doesn’t happen.

My parents just moved to Nashville, about 8 hours away from me, from my childhood home that is 15 minutes from me. It’s been a very emotional few weeks. I have seriously bought EVERY single Mother’s Day stamp, sentiment, etc. that I’ve seen the last few weeks because I’m already stock-piling them to create a ton of cards to send to my Mom. This is one of the Mother’s Day cards I had planned on giving her, but after the “incident”, I decided to send it sooner.

You see, this is a perfect example of a Mother’s love. No matter HOW much we think we screwed up, or did an imperfect job, I know my Mom will be BEAMING with pride when she receives this. She will set it on her dresser, mantle, or counter and tell everyone who walks past it “My daughter made this for me”.

It was then that I looked at my fridge and shrugged off my perfectionistic quirks and realized what life would possibly be like without all the scribbles, doodles, and smudges that I, too, am just BURSTING with pride in my children every time I look at them. I don't even know what that world is nor do I want to. So long story longer, ha ha…the decision was clear. I HAD to post this card simply because of all the above feelings it evoked in me and how proud am I of my children, and also how grateful I am that my Mom is always so proud of me.

Isn’t THIS what stamping is all about??? :) Enjoy my smudge. It’s a little less irritating now every time I look at it..

~Jessica :)

Don’t forget, you have ONE more day to sign up for our Newsletter to be entered to win the Leere Aldrich stamps! Good luck to all! The winner will be announced in our VERY First issue of Stampavie Creations…I can’t wait!

Pretties Wednesday: Oh, Canada!

Hello All!

Well, today is the first day of a HUGE lineup of sneak peeks over at Paper Pretties! This is one of our biggest and best releases TO DATE! I am so excited!

We are releasing new Sophias, re-releasing "Rainy Day Friends" in rubbah, and debuting a BRAND new stamp set from a NEW stamp line! I can't stand it!!

Today's card features a stamp that many have asked for. Two weeks ago, Danielle challenged the Prettie girls to create a non-A2 card. I chose a simple square card. Now, this is definitely a "cleaner" card than I'm used to making, but...I had some scrapss of red/white that were bugging me to use up, and...well....

As you all probably know, stamping is HUGE in Canada with alot of my favorite stamp companies being up in the big great North! In honor of this, Christie and the Prettie Girls are PROUD to reveal to you:

CANADIAN SOPHIA!!!

Isn't she DARLING!?!? I LOVE her long ponytail and her jeans are so fun to color! She is one of...are you sitting down? TWO BRAND NEW Sophias being debuted this month ! WOWZA! In addition, Hola Chica will be available for purchase...so that makes THREE all together! Ohhhhhhh the cuteness!

Now, be sure to check out the other Prettie Girls blogs today as they MIGHT be using a different stamp....you never know what us Prettie Girls are up to!

Speaking of which, why don't you come join us for our MAY 1st RELEASE PARTY???

On Friday May 1st Paper Pretties will be having their monthly Stampin In Your Jammies party!! The party starts at 6pm CDT (which is 7pm CST) and will last until 9pm. We will be issuing a challenge every hour so be sure to come and play along!!

Besides the challenges, chatter, and all around fun, we will also be releasing Hola Chica, TWO new Sophias, re-releasing Rainy Day Friend in RUBBAH, and we will have a BRAND new set from a BRAND new artist!!

ARE YOU our next CUTIE PIE??? It is time for another Cutie Pie contest!! You have until Thursday April 30th at 8pmCDT to get your entries uploaded to the Cutie Pie gallery at the Paper Pretties website. The winner will not only get to call themselves a Cutie Pie, but they will also receive all the new release stamps!! Good Luck!!

See you back here with another new Pretties stamp on Friday...can't wait!

Twinkling Tuesday: Gotta Kiss a Few Frogs...

Good day, all!

Sorry this is a bit late. There is something very mysterious going on w/ Blogger and two posts I wrote for TWO different blogs have seemed to have been lost in cyberspace...grrrrrrrrrrrr.....

Anyway, I'm not going to let that get me down as I am planning on a GOOD day! My Dad is coming to spend the night with us so I'm VERY excited to see him after they moved to TN...he has to come back up on some business so I can't wait to see him.

Also, today's Twinkling Tuesday post really makes me smile as it's my darling son Nicky's FROG challenge! Nicky filled in for Madelynn this week and challenged us all to use a frog (or some other critter if you dont have a frog stamp!) on our cards this week.

I couldn't wait to ink up my Down by the Pond set from The Greeting Farm! I absolutely love this set and well, Nicky even moreso! I used this week's MOJO84 sketch to create this card and it was VERY well received by Nicky. He happens to have a bit of a cold and earache today so it was just the thing to brighten his day.

Be sure to check out the Twinkling Tuesday blog today as Cassie is the featured stamper and will be back shortly with an adorable creation. In the meantime, play along with us! Our keyword for SCS/PCP is MTTSC20 and be sure to stop by the TT blog to let us know you played along!

Also, don't forget to check out the rest of the Twinklettes blogs. They are:

Bonnie Sharp
Cassie Larson
Christi Thorsen
Darla Wilson
Debbie Lee
Heather Lee-Reppen
Heather Schlatter
Jacquie Peifer
Janna Hull
Jennifer Greco
Jessica Diedrich
Kim Ross
Kimmie Doktor
Rebecca Ednie
Sandra McLean

Last but not least, speaking of The Greeting Farm, be sure to check out the Club Anya blog as there is a VERY exciting contest going on THIS week! Seriously, you do NOT want to miss it!

Happy Twinkle day, everyone! xoxo ~jess

Little Paper Shop's Little Friend...

Good Monday morning to you all...sorry this is up a bit late...I've had internet ISSUES!!! While trying to hook up a new printer last night I kinda well, ruined everything but now it seems to be in working order, no thanks to any help desks, etc. I did it allllllll by myself, Mom! LOL....

Anyway, today we have a very fun LPS Monday. Not only do we have a way fun sketch challenge for you that could earn you two FREE digistamps, we also have a HUGE...and I mean, MEGA SALE over at the Little Paper Shop!

I'll get to the awesome sale in a second, but first, this week's challenge over on the LPS blog is to use the above sketch to create with. I used the adorable new Little Friend Digital Image...isn't she just too sweet? Reminds me of all the spring and summer days we have to look forward to. I just think she's too cute!

You can play too! Just check out all the deets on todays LPS Blog post and also you can learn more about the CRAZY good sale!

That's right...the LPS Birthday celebration just got even BETTER! It's not over yet! As our gift to you, The Little Paper Shop is having a HUGE Birthday Blast SALE, with most sets marked down 10% to 75% OFF!

This is our biggest and best sale ever, and runs through April 30th or while supplies last.

We want April to go out with some b-day fireworks as we have really appreciated you joining us in our month-long birthday celebration! Thank you for all of your comments, congratulations, and participation in our challenges and contests! We've loved having you and will be back in May to start off our 2nd year of business with sets that will WOW you...can't wait!

Happy shopping and enjoy this week's challenge at The Little Paper Shop!

SWEET! I'm your "Friday Friend"...

Hey everyone...

Before I begin shreiking with excitement, I would like to ask that you also please ***SCROLL DOWN for a PRETTIE post***. Yep, I have two posts today, and here's why:

*jumps up and down*

I'M the FRIDAY FRIEND at the STAMP A SWEET IMPRESSION blog by Taylored Expressions! WOO HOO!!!! I'd be honored if you head over there next to read more about my card and also to read a little interview with yours truly. I'm just on cloud 9 about this!

Can I just TELL you how over the moon thrilled I was when Jami Sibley emailed me asking if I would be their Friday Friend? I could barely contain myself! I love Taylored Expressions' stamps sooooo much, so this was really awesome for me. I really want to thank Jami and Taylor for this awesome opportunity...it really made my week!

I am absolutely in love with the new Fresh Flowers set from the Whimsical Wishes line at Taylored Expressions. As soon as it came out and I saw that big, beautiful window stamp, I knew it had to come home to me! Don't you just love it? There are SO many possibilities with this set; I just wish I had more time to stamp!

I stamped this image in Dark Chocolate (pti) Palette ink and colored it in with my copics. To obtain the distressed wood look I began using my E31 Brick Beige Copic and went over the whole thing. Then I took my E50 Eggshell and went over the middle to lighten up the areas a bit and then used my E55 Caramel to go over the corners to make them appear a bit darker and hinged. I used my Y21 Buttercup w/ my colorless blender to obtain the effect of the sun coming through the top windows and my BG10 Cool Shadow also heavily removed w/ my colorless blender in each of the window panes.

Creating a breathtaking focal point using this window stamp and filling it up with all the pretty flowers in this set has so many possibilities. I couldn't finish this card without going over the windows with my Glossy Effects to create the reflections of glass on this card. I had so much fun coloring and shading the flowers and the window/shutters that I just wanted to play with this stamp set all day!

Thanks for looking and I hope you'll head on over to the SASI BLOG to read more about my card and read the interview. It was really fun to answer Taylor and Jami's fun questions and I'm just so excited to be the Friday Friend!

Thanks everyone and have a SWEET weekend! ~Jessica :)

Go on, Make a SPLASH!

Hey everyone...

Thanks so much for stopping by to see my Friday Prettie Post. There's STILL time to order this adorable "Make a Splash" Sophia from Paper Pretties, as she is the May Stamp of the Month! What is that Stamp of the Month again, you ask? Well, check out all the details HERE, but in a nutshell, it's an opportunity for you to get the new Sophias sometime the month before they are released! Yeah!

Isn't she darling? Perfect stamp for May, too as it's just in time for summer fun, birthday invites, pool parties, and teacher gifts as we near the end of the year (yay!). I, myself am looking forward to summer BIG time...how 'bout you?

Today marks the one week countdown too for our monthly "Stampin in your Jammies" party, which just so happens to be on May 1st! Looking for something to do on a Friday night that doesn't involve getting all gussied up? LOL. Come on, then! Stamp in your jams with me! All the Prettie girls will be partyin' it up over on the PP Forum so come and join us. There will be AWESOME NEW RELEASES, prizes, chit chat, challenges, and it's about that time again for...
...our next CUTIE PIE contest as well!

Get your submissions into Christie before the 1st and YOU could be the next cutie pie and win the ENTIRE May release! How awesome is THAT???

Thanks for reading today and have a great weekend, everyone! Hugs....... ~Jess :)

"Cruisin' by" with some HUGE Blog Candy NEWS!!!

You ready to win a great prize? How about a whole bunch of really fresh new images? This blog candy will be for ALL TEN IMAGES FROM THE STAMPAVIE LEERE ALDRICH COLLECTION!!

There will be one week to enter our Leere Aldrich blog candy give away. Winner will be announced on May 1st in our brand new Stampavie Creations Newsletter!

To qualify for the huge Blog Candy give away all you have to do is visit THIS link and sign up for our newsletter! Then, on May 1st, just before the newsletter goes out one random name will be drawn from the subscribers list to be our winner and be included in the newsletter!

That is our only qualification, but if you would like to share our Candy news on your blog that would be greatly appreciated. The newsletter is FREE and will be full of fresh project ideas, tutorials, interviews, prize winners, competitions, and even recipes!

If you would like to see some of the Leere Images - check out the projects that our FABULOUS DT members came up with:

Christa Knegt
Claudia Rosa
Diane Zechman
Jay Jay
Lauren Meader
Michelle Oatman

Heidi

Here is the card that I made for my sample today. As you can see from the above smaller photo, I used Glossy Effects all over the entire car to make it appear as if this cool, sassy lady just got a brand new cruiser! If you look closely, the Glossy Effects also work great w/ her shades :) Add to that she's got an unlimited credit card...don't I wish! Wouldn't that be some luck?

Well, you, too can get lucky w/ this awesome blog candy opportunity! Who doesn't want FREE stamps...especially TEN free stamps-ten original, fresh, and trendy stamps w/ a FREE newsletter to go along with it? Sounds awesome to me!

Thanks so much for reading today, and do make sure to sign up for our newsletter to have a chance to win this great prize! ~Jessica :)

Pretties Wednesday: It's New to me!

Good Morning, all!

Whew...what a day yesterday was. We are getting new furniture today and planned it for the day after our village has their annual "throw all the crud you can on your curb day". So, we spent a ton of the day cleaning, etc. and preparing for our "NEW" living room tomorrow.

Speaking of new, I didn't say anything earlier because I wanted to make sure it worked out first, but on Friday, our family added to the chaos in our lives and welcomed another member into it...Ruby Carolina.

Ruby is a 5 year old purebread Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and she is seriously a dream dog. She is completely housebroken, trained in basic commands, and is wonderful with the kids and our other dog. Why anyone would have given her up is beyond me although I think that there were some issues w/over-population, etc. in her previous home. We put our name on a waiting list for this breed because they ARE so good with kids and didn't think we'd be getting the call so soon. I felt like a nervous parent all over again today at the vet, getting the once (more like twice, lol) over and shots, etc.

Oh and if you're wondering about her name, well, Ruby because of her coloring and I just thought the name was totally cute, and Carolina because of our favorite place, Charleston SC, where we happened to run into a man who had two Cavaliers and was telling us how wonderful they are with kids, etc. and that is kind of how this whole plan came about. So it was only fitting to add that to her pedigree, right?

I will post more pics later, as I'm sure my son will be less than thrilled when he gets older that I'm showing off his pajamas LOL...but here are two of my kiddos with Ruby and our other dog, Doc, who loves her and ignores her like she's always been here just the same. So, again, in with the NEW and some NEWS for sure!

My third "NEW" thing today is the card I have for you. Two weeks ago, Jana challenged us Prettie Girls to "Try a New Technique". I have to admit, I have had my eye on acetate cards now for a while and haven't really dabbled much in them.

I didn't have any of the supplies, so I went out to Archiver's and got White StazOn and these cute felt flowers I used today. I have to admit that while I'm not thrilled with how this card came out, it was really fun to dabble with a new technique, so thanks, Jana! I hope to gain a bit more practice w/ these soon :)

I used the Flutter By Sophia and the heart balloons and sentiments from S.W.A.K. Felt like going with something tried and true for springtime, but be sure to stop by Friday for another preview of the "Make a Splash" Sophia that will be May's stamp of the month! I really love coloring my Sophia stamps up and hope you can get a better view of the whole card from the side here.

On that note, the time is coming for our Paper Pretties May release and our monthly "Stamping in your Jammies" PJ party on the first, so mark your calendars. In the meantime I'll be back on Friday and then next week with some fun new 'eye candy' as well! Don't be a stranger! Not to me, or to the OTHER Prettie Girls, either! They have some fun NEW techniques for you as well today so be sure to check them out!:

Danielle Lounds
Jackie Pedro
Jackie Rokoski
Jana Weaver
Jessica Rone
Jodi Collins
Julie Masse
Charmaine Ikach
Christi Thorsen
Frances Byrne

Tomorrow I have some REALLY exciting Blog Candy info so definitely be sure to stop by...as always, I love when you do!! ~jess :)

Twinkling Tuesday: Deer Friend

Hey everyone!

It's once again Twinkling Tuesday and I have to say, I couldn't wait to show you this card.

My little guy Jack, 7, is once again this week's "Temporary Twinkie" and has stepped in as well, a Guest of sorts with our sketch this week. Yeah, Jacky! He LOVES to draw sketches and I have to share with you this cute story:

Jack was our "Temporary Twinkie" last month and you may remember THIS sketch he created. Well, the next day when it was time to look at everyone's creations, I told him, now tell me what you think of everyone's cards, etc, and explained to him the comment process. Although Madelynn doesn't get around to it EVERY week, I did explain to them the importance of acknowledging someone when they were playing the kids' sketches, etc.

Anyway, Jacky really enjoyed this process. Weeks passed, we took vaca, etc., and then a few days ago, out of the blue, Jack came up to me while working on my laptop and said "So, Mom...do I have any comments to leave today?" LOL!!! I thought this was SO, so cute I couldn't wait to share with you...and hence, another TT sketch was born!!! Thanks Jacky for this awesome sketch!

I couldn't WAIT to ink up my Forest Friends set from The Greeting Farm! I absolutely LOVE this little deer and fell in love with him the minute I saw this stamp set when it was released last month. His sweet and innocent little face just "had me at hello!"

So, you want to play along this week? We'd love to have you! Just create card using the above sketch and be sure to leave a comment on the Twinkling Tuesday blog so that the whole team can stop by and see what you've made! If you prefer to upload to SCS or PCP, just use keyword MTTSC19 so we can see all the beautiful creations in one spot! Don't forget to head over to the TT blog today to see my "Deer" friend Bonnie's awesome take on this week's sketch...she is our featured stamper this week, and a HUGE Congrats to her as we just found out she is a Dirty Girl...yep, that's right! Our very own Bonnie is a part of the elite SCS "Dirty Dozen" design team. CONGRATS BONNIE!!! I have had the pleasure of knowing Bonnie not only on the Twinkle Team but also as fellow DT members of the Little Paper Shop!

Speaking of which, I should tell you that TODAY is the APRIL RELEASE DAY over at The Little Paper Shop! There are THREE BRAND NEW STAMP SETS being released today and let me just say that they are AMAZING! Be sure to check out the website and LPS Blog for all the fun information! See you over there!

Well, that's all for today! See you back here tomorrow and have a wonderful Twinkling Tuesday!

LPS Monday: {Growing Old}? Nah, you're Young-at-Heart! Now how 'bout some INSPIRATION?

Hello again!

It's our third and final Preview day over at The Little Paper Shop, and we have a special BIRTHDAY Challenge for all of you today! Did you know that the Little Paper Shop just turned ONE? Happy Birthday to LPS!

To help us celebrate all month long, we have SO enjoyed the fun prizes, giveaways, and special chances to win FREE stamps that have been going on all month long! This release is NO exception as the chances to win just keep on coming!

Head on over to the LPS Blog today to see what I'm talking about! In addition to giving out one set per day during these preview days, it's LPS Monday which means it's time for a challenge!

Feeling inspired? When I first saw this cake, I knew I needed to create something based on it. It's bright, bold, and butterflied! What could be BETTER??I used the new {Growing Old} set as well as the new {Butterflies} set, both of which will be released TOMORROW to create my card. The colors make me happy and I can't WAIT to see what your take on this photo will be!

Be sure to leave a comment on the LPS blog today for a chance to win this set, and also when you enter the challenge. ONE random, lucky winner will receive the {Butterflies} set for participating in this challenge and the winner will be announced next Monday on the LPS Blog. You have until Sunday, April 26th at 11:59 CST to play along, so good luck and can't wait to see how it all turns out! If you upload to SCS/PCP, be sure to use keyword LPSC12.

Well, that's all for now but I'll see you tomorrow for a Twinkling Tuesday post and more fun! Happy Monday everyone...now go, eat cake!

LPS Preview: {Butterflies}

YES, I'm excited!

Are you KIDDING me? When I first saw this set last month, I want to say "SQUEAL" was the first word...ok, SOUND,that came to mind, LOL! Of course I was in love...it's whimsical...it's swirly...it's BUTTERFLIES....it's quotes ABOUT butterflies...enamored. Smitten. Done.

I am BEYOND thrilled to preview the new {Butterflies} set, one of THREE new releases available Tuesday at The Little Paper Shop! Julia has once again outdone herself with this gorgeous and super affordable clear stamp set and trust me, you NEED it!

Be sure to check out the LPS blog today for a TON of cute samples from the DT and also a chance to WIN this set! All you have to do is leave a comment over there today and you'll be automatically entered to win!

See you back here tomorrow for a very...INSPIRING challenge and another LPS Preview! Fun fun! For now, be sure to check out what the rest of the amazing ladies of the LPS DT created for your viewing pleasure...and have a great rest of your weekend. And hey....thanks for "fluttering" by! I love it when you do!

Before I leave you for the day, be sure to check out some SWEET Blog Candy from Bev Rochester's blog! Whoa...it's amazing! Nesties, stamps, charms, oh my! I don't enter too many candies (I never win, lol) but hey, it's like the lotto, you can't win unless ya play, right? I just couldn't resist this one...it's too good!

Have a Happy Sunday!

LPS Preview: {Forest Critters}

Hey everyone!


I'm back from a little day-long break feeling somewhat refreshed and TOTALLY excited about the next few days as it's release week at the Little Paper Shop again!



We have THREE brand new sets to preview this weekend and a challenge on Monday, ALL leading up to the fab release this Tuesday! Be sure to stick with us this week as there is MUCH in store! I LOVE this new set, {Forest Critters}. It's an adorable little "magic forest" type scene and there are lots of furry friends who are waiting to come home to you! I especially love the little mushrooms and trees in this set. They are TOO adorable and so fun to stamp! Can't wait to see what YOU do with this set!

In addition to the new releases, we have more excitement to announce today! Please join me in welcoming Jessie Rone to the LPS team! Jessie has graciously accepted a Guest Designer position over the next three months and we are BEYOND thrilled to have her! I have the pleasure of working with Jessie on another DT and she is not only UBER-talented, but a joy to get to know and I'm SO excited to share her talent with you at The Little Paper Shop! WELCOME, JESS! So glad you're here!

Also, in addition to the three new clear stamp sets we are releasing, we also have a bunch of new digital images that are available NOW on the website! They are super cute, super affordable, and ready to go....instant gratification!

Be sure to stick with us for a chance to win this set and the other sets we'll be showcasing over the next few days. There are more chances than ever to win FREE stamps during our month-long birthday celebration going on NOW at The Little Paper Shop. One stamp set will be given away each day from TODAY through Tuesday!! We are turning ONE this month and to ring in another great year, there are all sorts of fun prizes and giveaways. You can read all about it on the LPS Blog, where we'd love for you to join us in all the fun festivities that are going on! See you there!

CLUB ANYA IS A-HOPPIN'!!!!!

Well, the TIME HAS COME everyone! Although, by the time you get to my post, chances are you have completed the Club Anya BLOG HOPPIN' BASH!

I had a VERY hard time deciding what I would post for tonight's event because ALL the new Anyas are SOOOO amazing, but, you know...the choice was clear with this new Flutter By! A big, bright butterfly are you KIDDING ME?

Well, I hope you enjoyed it and i want to thank you ALL for coming by, whether you submitted an entry in tonight's hop or are just joining in all the fun, this was the BEST Anya release party to date and I'm so happy you all came!

Now go...ORDER YOUR STAMPS LOL! I can't WAIT to see what you come up with !!!!

Be sure to stop back by the Club Anya blog for the prize winners and the FULL RELEASE info all revealed at 10PM CST! HUGS TO YOU ALL!!!!

Are YOU ready to shine?

I would think you ARE!

It's almost that time...just a few hours left before our Club Anya BLOG HOPPIN' Bash! That's right, it's YOUR turn to shine as we are slated to have over SIXTY participants, prizes, and tons of fun! This ALL leads up to the APRIL RELEASE of the BRAND NEW ANYAs, available for purchase at 10PM CST!

The official list of participants will be posted on the Club Anya Blog sometime after 6:30 PM this evening, CST.

Please email me with any questions, and have a BLAST! I CAN'T WAIT!

A Prettie Birthday Surprise!

Hey everyone!

Every week on Prettie Wednesdays, a challenge is issued to the Prettie Girls, and this week I really enjoyed doing Charmaine's challenge, which was to create a card using a nice spring/summer palette! With all the dreary weather we've been having here, I really enjoyed this colorful challenge, so thanks Charmaine!

In addition, we have a very Prettie Surprise for our friend Jana today! It's a surprise Birthday Blog hop! HAPPY BIRTHDAY JANA!

If you are just starting out, head back to Christie's blog. The Prettie girls ALL have a special birthday wish for Jana, so be sure to head over to Frances's Blog after you're done visiting here :)

I hope you all have a great day, and Jana, may all your wishes come true!

Be back later today with some awesome release info for tonight's Club Anya blog hoppin' bash! I'm just hoppin' all over the place today!

Hugs,
Jessica :)

A SWEET Twinkling Tuesday...(although the sketch left me with more aches than just my tooth!)

WHAT....a doozy!

You can NEVER underestimate the creative mind of a child! I am SO proud of my DD for making some of the greatest (and most CHALLENGING) sketches I've seen out there! This week's Twinkling Tuesday sketch was NO exception! Talk about ONE SWEET SKETCH!

I received my new Taylored Expressions stamps in the mail yesterday, and I have to say that I'm BEYOND impressed with her products and also her customer service. WOW! I ordered the stamps late Friday and received them in the mail on Monday! I wish I had that kind of luck with the PO...granted I don't send things priority too often but I've had a streak of really bad luck w/ things getting lost or coming like 2 weeks later...

Anyway, her Customer Service was impeccable. I can count on one hand how many times I've had "WOW" experiences and I must say I am lucky to work for some of those companies, and Taylored Expressions was no exception. In addition to her speedy shipping (like the wind!), I got a shipping refund via PayPal because I had over paid by a few dollars...can you believe that! So yes, not only are her stamps AMAZINGLY cute, but the whole experience was awesome and I will definitely be back for more! Thanks, Taylor!!!

My first two purchases were the new Fresh Flowers set, and this adorable set, Downtown Diva, which I used for today's card. I ADORE these little cuppies and just as equally the little storefronts in this new set. It's perfect for all-occasion and I couldn't WAIT to ink it up (and oh, did I mention the rubber is PINK?)

This week's Twinkling Tuesday sketch was DEFINITELY a challenge for me! I decided that given what I had to (ok, WANTED to) work with, I needed to flip it, first and foremost. I glued down my ribbon as the backdrop along with this adorable Doodlebug paper that I had leftover from Easter...love those glitter dots! I then chose a few images that I thought would work with the sketch being flipped and embellished just a tad and voila....a SWEET Twinkling Tuesday!''

The only thing missing from the sketch was the three little embellies on the left corner of her sketch which just weren't going to fit...however, if you think of the glitter dots on the paper as them, it totally fits! What do you guys think, do I get away with it? Hee hee...we'll see what Madelynn says when she gets home from school!

Be sure to check out the rest of the Twinkle Team's posts as well...They will Wow you, too! Links on my sidebar...check 'em out!

Well, be sure to stop by tomorrow for a Prettie Post and also for the Big ANYA release tomorrow night with our HUGE blog hoppin' BASH! You can SCROLL DOWN or click HERE for all the info :)

Thanks for reading and putting up wth my double-posting all week...I love it when you guys come by! Hugs! ~Jess :)

It's SHOWTIME!!!

Hey everyone!

I will have two posts today, as it's Twinkling Tuesday but my card isn't ready JUST yet :) I have an exciting post now, though, as today is day #2 of sneak peeks for Club Anya's April release, which is TOMORROW! Yay!

To kick off our AMAZING April lineup, we are having our very first Club Anya Blog Hoppin' Bash! Our lineup is super awesome and the list of participants will be posted on Wednesday at 6:30 pm, about a half hour before the release. There will be a vote for the best all around card, prizes given away, and even a prize or two for those who aren't participating in the blog hop, so come on over and join the fun! I cannot WAIT!!!

The set today that I'm previewing is called "It's Showtime!" Isn't it ADORABLE??? It's a Circus-themed set although as we are finding out, it's perfect for movie themes too! It features an ADORABLE "ringmaster" Anya, her adorable sidekick elephant, some popcorn, cuz you can't have a show without popcorn, a beautiful little starburst background and some cute, fun sentiments.

Be sure to check out what the rest of our FABULOUS Design Team created with this set...the possibilities are endless and their talent is superb! Just think of them as the circus says, "The Greatest Team on Earth!" LOL! Seriously though, they are AMAZING!

Jacquie Peifer
Janna Hull
Kristine Moldenhauer Biseth
Michelle Oatman-Guest Designer March-May 2009
Traci Porter

I am SO excited about this set! I can't put it down! It's Showtime will be available tomorrow night, during our release party, the "Blog Hoppin' Bash!" The fun starts tomorrow night at 7pm CST, all leading up to the release at The Greeting Farm at 10pm CST.

See you there!

Oh, How my Heart FLUTTERS...

When I began working with Marie at The Greeting Farm at the beginning of this year, I just knew that there would be nothing but FABULOUSNESS in store...with Club Anya, the Greeting Farm, the Design Teams we've implemented..and SO much more! I feel like we've come so far in these past few months and when I think of all that's to come, well...it makes your heart flutter!

When I found out that there was FINALLY going to be a Butterfly Anya, I just about FELL OVER! Seeing her on this blog today, well...it's been a long time coming! So, with the April Anya release being in two days, on the 15th, I am proud to show you a sneak peek or two this week...so without further adieu, INTRODUCING.... FLUTTER ANYA!

Isn't she just the SWEETEST THING?!? Oh my, I am just so, so excited! I can only imagine how much I'll be using this stamp, but for my first little sneak, I chose the TECC63 sketch from Taylored Expressions. The front panel of the sketch is perfect to showcase this sweet new Anya front and center! A very simple sketch, but she is TOO much fun to color!

Be sure to check out the rest of the DT's sneak peeks today...you may see more than just THIS Anya floating...or shall i say FLUTTERING..around! There is a LOT of excitement in store these next few days...hope you'll join us for the fun!

Jacquie Peifer
Janna Hull
Kristine Moldenhauer Biseth
Michelle Oatman-Guest Designer March-May 2009
Traci Porter

See you back here tomorrow for another preview of the AMAZINGLY CUTE releases on the 15th! Also, our Club Anya BLOG HOPPIN' BASH is Wednesday evening, all leading up to the release of FOUR new Anyas! The fun all starts at 7pm CST this Wednesday! See you there!

Hugs,
Jessica :)

P.S...Be sure to scroll down for my Little Paper Shop Monday Post...There's a fun challenge and prizes you won't want to miss!

LPS Monday: Love You, Dad...

Hi everyone,

I have another card for you today from The Little Paper Shop, using the Bound by the Heart set. I think that this is one of my favorite sentiment sets to date...I just love the sweet and beautiful words regarding the bond between mother, father, and child.

Today we have a color challenge on the Little Paper Shop Blog! Go on over and check it out, as there are prizes each week througout the month of April! The Little Paper Shop is turning one, and to help celebrate, there are plenty of opportunities to WIN!

To create my card, I followed this week's color challenge to use So Saffron, Perfect Plum and Celery. Don't have those EXACT colors? Don't sweat it! You can play with a similar shade! Just be sure to link your comment to the post today on the LPS blog for this challenge and if you upload to SCS or PCP, use keyword LPSC11.

I decided to make this card for my Dad. The color palette is perfect...not too girly, but pretty and hey, masculine cards don't HAVE To be boring, right? My Dad DEFINITELY isn't! I love you, Dad...I hope you like this if you're reading this before I give it to you.

Be sure to check out what the rest of the DT whipped up for this fun, spring challenge! See you at the LPS blog and have a fabulous time creating!

Hugs,
Jess :)

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

I just wanted to wish you all a Blessed and Happy Easter and wonderful weekend with your loved ones!

I'll be back tomorrow for an EGG-citing week (OMG I cannot believe I just did that)! The new Anyas come out on Wednesday and to celebrate, we are having a HUGE Blog Hoppin' Bash! The official list of participants will go up Wednesday before the release and sneak peeks start on Monday! WOO HOO!

These next few Anya releases are going to be the BIGGEST and BEST EVER! Don't forget to join me here and at the Club Anya blog this week for all the fun!

Until then, Hoppy Easter everyone!

Hugs,

Jessica :)

A Prettie Simple Card...

Happy Friday everyone...

Just a quick Prettie Post today because I am going over to my parent's to help out with their garage sale...they are moving to Nashville at the end of this month...I can't even believe it!

We were able to go and see their house while on our trip this past month and it is absolutely beautiful. The foothills of the Smokies are just beautiful and hey...it's a LITTLE bit warmer in the winters...that is a HUGE plus! Not a bad drive either, honestly. Of course, this is all stuff I'm telling myself to make myself feel better and not cry all the time LOL...they'll be in the south though, which is where we plan to end up..so that's a good thing. Just hopefully sooner than later!

Ahhhh...still going to be so hard. Even though I don't see them as often as I'd like, I still had the comfort of knowing they were closeby...but anyway, my Mom is probably going to read this and then feel badly and then I'll feel badly...ack! LOL! Anyway, this Bunny Slippers Sophia reminds me of when I was in high school and I would be sick. Not that Sophia LOOKS old, but just that I used to dress in a similar robe and slippers and would remember feeling like even though I was "old" (lol because you know in HS you know everything :), I was still always so grateful to stay home when I was sick and be taken care of by my Mom. I'm in my thirties now, and still want my mom when I'm sick :) That's how it should be, I think, if you're lucky enough to have someone take care of you the way I was taken care of and hope that I do the same for my own kiddos...

I didn't get much stamping done on our vacation, as we were gone pretty much from 8:30 am to like 11pm every day LOL. However, I did do some stamping from our Hotel room in SC one day when it was kind of overcast and chilly and the rest of the fam was swimming...they are die-hards...if it's 65 degrees they'll be in there splashing around! I can't do that, so I opted to stay inside.

This is a SUPER simple card, as I had limited access to supplies, but I just LOVE this little Bunny Slippers Sophia. Not only for her cuteness, but because she brings back memories to me. This adorable gal was just RE-Released in RUBBAH at our last Stampin' in your Jammies party. So if you dont' have her, grab her! She's too sweet! When you head on over to Paper Pretties, make sure you grab one of the AMAZING new Stamp storage binders too! All the info can be found HERE.

Have a Blessed Easter weekend everyone...I will be taking in ALL the family time I can this weekend. Hugs to all!

Jessica ;)

Makin' a Splash...

Hello all my Prettie friends...

Two weeks ago, Jules challenged us Prettie Girls to create a card using the sketch shown here. I love a sketch challenge, so this was fun for me.

I also missed hangin' w/ my fellow Prettie Girls last week as I was on vaca and couldn't do the challenge, so it's nice to be back in the game! I was especially excited to use the BRAND NEW "Splish Splash" Sophia! She is the stamp of the Month over at Paper Pretties for May. Isn't she sweet as can be? She somehow reminds me of my little one too even though they look NOTHING alike :) At any rate I LOVE her!

Now, I have to admit I did this card w/out looking closely enough at the sketch and I sort of forgot about the scalloped sides, but that's the beauty of a sketch right? You don't ALWAYS have to follow it to a 't"...LOL. Well, at any rate I had a great time getting back into the Pretties game...and it was fun to "make a splash" right back into my weekly challenges with my friends and fellow DT. :)

Have you SEEN the adorable new Stamp Storage Binders over at Paper Pretties, too? I am in LOVE! They are BEAUTIFUL! I had no idea when Christie mentioned that she would be carrying them how absolutely wonderful they would turn out! They are embossed with my FAVORITE Sophia of all time, Flutter by, and come in Pink or Celery. They hold up to TEN pages of storage, too! Check out the Paper Clip at THIS post for inside views of the binder and to see ALL the cuteness! I'm so excited they are for sale!

Lots of fun stuff going on this month over at Paper Pretties! Don't forget to check out our weekly challenges, too, for a chance to win a $5 gift certificate to the boutique! The challenges are posted weekly on the forum and also on the Paper Clip.

Well, that's about all for today but I'll see you all soon! Check out the rest of my Prettie Peeps to see what they came up with using Julie's sketch!

Have a great day!
Jessica :)

Some Twinkling Tuesday excitement!

Hello!

I'm so glad to be back doing my DD's Twinkling Tuesdays Challenge! After two weeks off I was ready to go again with a fun challenge that also helped to get me motivated again!

First, though, I want to tell you some SUPER fun news from Stampavie! We are now doing bi-weekly challenges for AWESOME PRIZES on the Stampavie blog! Every two weeks, the DT will be issuing a challenge that will be posted on the Stampavie Design Team blog.

Each winner will receive designated prizes from Heidi and Stuart, the gracious (and awesome!) owners of Stampavie and you will have a chance to win some AWESOME things!

This week's Twinkling Tuesday card is also my challenge card from Stampavie (and no, Bonnie I won't be guilty about my multi-tasking LOL!!!). I used this week's sketch that Diane was gracious enough to provide us, plus this ADORABLE BRAND NEW Rachelle Anne Miller stamp, "Hoppy Spring". The new Rachelle Anne Miller line of stamps is out and boy has she outdone herself! Check them all out...you'll be amazed at how adorable they are!

Want to play along? YEAH YA DO! All you have to do is use a Stampavie image, along with this sketch, and upload to THIS post using Mr. Linky. Fun stuff! Can't wait to see what you make!

As for Twinkling Tuesday, Madelynn and I both kind of came up with this week's challenge. So, HOW many of you have stamps that you buy that just sit and sit for a while? Yeah, I know. ME TOO! Now, this was especially hard for me to choose because after being gone for two weeks, I even had stuff in boxes waiting for me! So I grabbed my new Stampavie stamps in their box, closed my eyes, and literally that is how I chose this week's stamp to use LOL! That means I have TOO many stamps and not enough time!! Isn't that the story for ALL of us?

Also overdue is a proper welcome for my friend, Heather Lee-Reppen! I didnt' really get a chance to properly welcome her to our Twinkling little family since I was outta here as soon as she agreed to be a part of the team! yay! Heather is a friend who I have really enjoyed getting to know. She is super talented and I hope you'll all check out her blog! WELCOME HEATHER!!!

I hope you guys get to play along this week. If you do, you can leave a comment on the TT blog or upload to SCS using keyword MTTSC17. And don't forget about the SAV Challenge #1 on the Stampavie DT blog, too! How many challenges will YOU do this week? Stay tuned for a Prettie sketchy Wednesday and I'm so glad to be back! Lots of fun stuff to share, see, and do!

Hugs,

Jess :)

LPS Monday: Abundant Blessings

Hey everyone!

It's good to be back! Today is LPS Monday and we have another fun sketch challenge for you to play. Be sure to head on over to the LPS blog as we are kicking off a month's worth of celebrating! The Little Paper Shop is turning ONE and to help us celebrate, we want you to play!

There will be a chance to win prizes each week this month on Monday's so be sure to play along and HAVE FUN!

This week, amidst the back to school hustle and bustle of having just gotten home, the snow (again!), and being a bit of a "downer" just because vacation is over, still won't let me forget about all the wonderful blessings in my life.

With Easter right around the corner, I will try my best to carve out some time to peacefully reflect on them, but even in the busy every day, I know that there are abundant blessings all around me and I am so grateful for them.

I LOVE this Blessings stamp set. It's one of my favorite LPS sets and I'm so glad it was released in time for Easter, but if you look at all that's included you'll see that its use goes far beyond just Easter! This is a perfect set for sympathy, encouragement, thinking of you, or for any spiritual occasion that you may need a card for. Even for the every day, really. I love it.

This week's sketch was great to showcase this beautiful flourished cross . I can't wait to see what stamp sets you guys use to play along! Don't forget to check out the rest of the DT's creations, too! Links are on my sidebar.

If you choose to play, be sure to leave comment on today's post on the LPS blog as well, and if you choose to upload to SCS, use keyword LPSC10.

Also, Julia has outdone herself again with some SUPER cute new digital stamps that are available NOW! Check them out HERE! They are so adorable and priced so affordably, you can grab them all!

Good luck and we're so glad you can join us in our month of celebrating!

Hugs,

Jessica :)

I missed you!

...although, that being said, I must admit, I'd rather be looking at this again right out my hotel room window:

Ha ha still, I really did miss you all and my Google reader sits at 776! Got lotsa catching up to do! LOL!

Just a quick head's up that I am baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack! After a few hang ups with the house when we returned, I am back and came home to all kinds of goodies in my mail box that I'll be busy at work with over the next few weeks!

Loved our trip and will be showcasing some highlights of all that, too! Lots to share, lots to do! See you tomorrow!

Jessica :)