Pretties Friday: Home Sweet Nashville...

Hey Everyone!

I hope you are all having a wonderful Friday!

I'm sure there are lots of things that us blogging buddies don't know about each other, and one thing you might not know about me is that I am a die-hard fan of Country Music. Now, I do love ALL kinds though-well, maybe not like hard core metal or rap but I do even listen to a lot of hip hop and dance music too. I really do like all kinds.

However, Country has a special place in my heart and does tend to monopolize my iPod...so you can ONLY imagine my excitement when I found out that my Dad got us tickets to the CMA Music Festival in Nashville! Can I get a YEE-HAW???

You may have remembered me mentioning not too long ago that my parents moved to Nashville last month. Well, as sad as I am, this is working out QUITE well for me so far LOL! Yep, the kids and I head down to Music City USA as soon as school gets out-less than 2 weeks away! I'm excited and can't wait to see my Mom and Dad and what they've done to the new house so far.

I'm sharing this card I made today using the Home Sweet Home set from Paper Pretties, which just so happens to be designed by our own Prettie Girl, Danielle Lounds! I love this set and it couldn't have been released at a better time for me since I DO have quite a few moving announcements to make for Mom and Dad :)

If you haven't gotten around to seeing this set yet, no worries! In fact, it's ALMOST time for our monthly "Stamping in your Jammies" June Release party! That's right! On June 1st, we'll be chatting, stamping, and more over on the Paper Pretties Forum. It all starts at 7pm CST.

Don't forget to head over to see the BRAND NEW Stamp of the Month for July, and also the adorable "Make a Splash" Sophia is being released for purchase, so lots of fun going on! I will see you there on Monday, but I'll be back with a very special Sneak Peek over the weekend so stay tuned!

Hugs,
Jess :)

WHAT....a Whiteout!...

Ok, seriously, I don't FEAR challenges on a regular basis. I mean, every once in a while, some more than others, as you can all relate, I'm sure...I get stumped. However, seldom do I get plain TERRIFIED, you know?

Well, when my girl Jackie Pedro issued the Prettie Girls a "White on White" challenge two weeks ago, I think I TURNED white, LOL!

Of course, I didn't say anything...I like Jackie SO much-she is the sweetest person and so I just stayed mum and thought, OMG, WHAT am I going to do? So, basically, the challenge is to create an ALL WHITE card, with the exception of the main image. It could have as many layers, embellies, etc. as you wanted, but had to be ALL WHITE. Yikes!!

Well, I adore this giving thanks Sophia, the June Stamp of the Month at Paper Pretties, so I started there. By the way, you still have until the 31st of this month to sign up for the Stamp of the Month club...more deets here.

I colored in her skin and hair and the cute bow and flower, but left the rest true to the challenge. Using Angel Wings Shimmerz I gave her dress an angelic "glow" and then went onto the rest of the card. Oh dear...WHAT was I going to do?!?

I started with an all white Georgia Pacific base and embossed a frame into the card. Then, using my PTI Shimmer White CS, I embossed a 2nd layer w/ my CB embossing folder and bunkered it down on some dimensionals. Using my MS border punches, I created one more layer for the bottom zig zag edge as well as the picket fence that Sophia is standing behind. After adding some white American Crafts ribbon and some pearls, my card was complete...and you know? It wasn't THAT scary! Thanks Jackie for an awesome challenge!

I hope you guys will join us for our monthly Stampin' in your Jammies party at Paper Pretties for our June release! See you on June 1st at 7pm CST for all the fun!

For now, don't forget to stop by the rest of the Pretties' blogs to see what they whipped up in white! They are:

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

Have a great Wednesday everyone!!!! ~Jess :)

A VERY Special Twinkling Tuesday: Proud Mom Edition!

Hey Everyone!

I'm here with a very special edition of Twinkling Tuesday for you.

A very special rite of passage took place here over the weekend...are you sitting down? Madelynn got to use Copic Markers for the very first time on Sunday!

Now, I'll tell you that while this did give me a small heart attack, LOL, she was SO good with them. She knew to be gentle and is so good at coloring anyway that I thought I'd let her give it a whirl. The boys were actually at my aunt's for an overnight so it was just me and the girls stamping and crafting all day. Was SO much fun!

She chose one of the Miss Anya stamps from The Greeting Farm and began to choose her colors...
Once she chose them, I taught her a bit about taking color out and blending with a lighter shade... she also did a GREAT job giving some "lowlights" to Miss Anya's hair ;)

Now, what made me a bit MORE nervous than the Copics was her desire to use "that thing you poke the holes with". Oh, right. The deadly weapon....my paper piercer. We had a discussion about safety before hand and then I carefully monitored this, but she did GREAT...and in a straight line, too!Miss Ava had a blast, too coloring up some images (with CRAYON!). Here she is smiling for the camera while she colored up some fun and big sis remained hard at work...Soon, it was time to put the finishing touches on this card. She did SUCH a good job that I said hey, why don't YOU your own Twinkling Tuesday card! This is perfect! So, she grabbed some paper, matching ribbon, and followed her own sketch. The ONLY thing I did for her was cut the papers, but she chose AND assembled it all herself...even punched the border and did the ribbon and the pearls! WOW!

Look at this GORGEOUS product made by my nine year old girl! Can you believe it? She did SUCH a beautiful job! I am so excited that I get to show you this today because I am just BEAMING with pride! Great job, sweetheart!
Want to play along with the sketch? Awesome! Make sure you head on over to the Twinkling Tuesday blog and leave a comment on today's post when you play. If you upload to SCS or PCP please use keyword MTTSC24. Today's post features my friend Heather Lee-Reppen and you won't want to miss it! Also, make sure to stop by and visit the other Twinklettes:

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

Thanks for reading and have a WONDERFUL day!

LPS Monday: Colorful Roses and a Challenge...

Happy Monday and Memorial Day, everyone!

It's time for another Preview from The Little Paper Shop before our release tomorrow...yay! The second set I have to show you today is called "Flower Frenzy" and I absolutely LOVE it! Watercolored roses are a REALLY hot technique right now, so this set can be used for that amongst other beautiful techniques!

It's perfect for spring, summer, weddings, sympathy..even Birthdays! It's all based on what you want to wish the recipient of your card...you can say whatever you want and the possibilities are MANY!

For today's LPS Monday Challenge, not only are we previewing the fabulous new set, Flower Frenzy, but we also challenge YOU to get colorful!

That's right! This week, we have a color challenge of Pretty in Pink, Pale Plum, and Perfect Plum for you to try. If you don't have these exact colors, something similar will do just fine! We just want to see what you create using this soft summer palette :)

I used the watercolored Roses technique on this card and don't think it turned out to bad for a first run :) I used some of my favorite Sultry DP to compliment the Pink and Purple color combo and the rest kind of came together on its own!

So, you wanna give it a go? I hope you do! Be sure to leave a comment linking your colorful creation to the LPS blog on today's post, and if you use SCS or PCP, please use keyword LPSC17 so we know where to find your entries!

ONE lucky winner will be chosen via Random.org and will WIN the new Flower Frenzy stamp set! Good luck and get colorful!

Last but not least, be sure to check out THIS post on the LPS blog regarding our participation in the Stamping Out Alzheimer's Challenges! We hope to see you on that Forum!

Hugs,
Jessica :)

Preview : {Sweet}

Hey everyone! Thanks for all your sweet comments on my being the Featured Cupcake Sampler on Friday! It was so nice to hear from you all and share in my excitement :)

Today, I am SOOOO excited to kick off our Preview Days at The Little Paper Shop! I love the May releases and have a feeling you will, too!

On that note, I have one SWEET preview for you today...and that is a BRAND NEW stamp set, titled, well...SWEET!
This new sugary stamp set will be released this Tuesday, May 26th and consists of so many cute candy confections, you won't know where to begin!

Also, The Little Paper Shop has a special announcement:

Want to STAMP OUT ALZHEIMER's? We do too, and hope you'll join our cause! Jen Tapler and Susanna Boyd have been hard at work organizing "Stamping Out Alzheimers": an amazing event that you won't want to miss!! For a mere $5 donation you will have access to exclusive challenges and fun prizes from numerous different companies. And the best part..... 100% of the proceeds go directly to the Alzheimer's Association!

The Little Paper Shop is hosting a sketch challenge on the Stampin' out Alzheimers forum and would love for you to join us. At the end of the event we will be drawing one name from all the entries to win 4 - 4x6 stamp sets. That's over $60 in value! But the only way to enter is on the Stampin' out Alzheimer's forum! Hope to see you there!

As for this adorable new set, Want to WIN it? You just might! Head on over to the LPS Blog and leave some love...and one random winner will be announced tomorrow on the LPS Blog!

Can't wait!

Psst! Got Cupcakes? I do, I do!...

...that's because I am THRILLED to be this week's Featured Cupcake Sampler at Taylored Expressions!

I also have a funny story that goes along with it! When Taylor posted last week that there wasn't a cupcake sampler last week because the person she asked hadn't gotten back to her, I was thinking to myself "Is that person CRAZY???" "WHO wouldn't want to be the Featured Cupcake Sampler???"

Well, you can only IMAGINE my surprise when I received her email, this time sent to my old AND new email address that it was ME!!! We had exchanged a few emails back and forth a LONG time ago when she was sweet enough to answer some questions about how she photographs her beautiful cards... and I no longer have that email address! Oh, gosh, how funny!

All that being said, can I TELL you how excited I am?!?!?!?! This is such a fun honor and I am ecstatic to be posting today to tell you all this and show you my card!
I used the adorable Downtown Diva set to create my card based on the sketch. These little cuppies are so cute and I had an absolute BLAST coloring in the little row of shops. That is one of my favorite images and although it's a lot of coloring, I just adore it!

Have you guys been over to Taylored Expressions lately to see the really sweet and growing line of her "Stamp a Sweet Impression" stamps? They are awesome! The quality is wonderful-they are really deeply etched rubber and they're PINK! An extra fabulous little perk! :) Seriously though, you may have remembered me saying on THIS post how great the Customer Service is, too, and that's huge in this industry.

I really want to thank Taylor again for having me this week. I am just over the moon about it!

Can't wait to see what you guys do with this week's sketch! Be sure to head on over to Taylor's blog and check out all the deets on how to upload your card, using keyword TECC69 if you upload to SCS or PaperCraft planet.

I hope you guys have "sweet" plans for this weekend! I know mine was already made by getting to be the Featured Cupcake Sampler this week-not quite sure how you can top that!

Hugs and smiles to all you guys!
Jessica :)

P.S. Speaking of Cupcakes, Please be sure to scroll down for a Prettie BIG Cupcake, actually... I guess there's a theme going here! ;) XOXO

A Prettie Birthday Wish...

Hey everyone!

I'm back with another Prettie Creation. A few weeks ago, during our May release party, the Prettie Girls had a few challenges and one was to make a Birthday Card. I haven't yet gotten to show you this card I made using the GIGANTIC Cupcake from SU along with the darling new "Giving Thanks" Sophia from Paper Pretties!Isn't she adorable? I think she's my favorite Sophia yet! I know I've said that a time or two before, but I really adore her! She is the JUNE Stamp of the Month at Paper Pretties!

New to the Stamp of the Month club? You have until the 31st to sign up for the June stamp, and you can find all the information HERE. When you sign up, you'll receive your stamp sometime during the month before she is released. Fun stuff!

Onto more fun stuff, I had a blast making this card. Complete with liquid applique, Martha Stewart chunky glitter, and Kaisercraft rhinestones to decorate the "frosting". I also used the Basic Grey "Cupcake" Dp, which I {heart}. This is definitely a festive card, and what cupcake would be complete without a cherry on top all decked out with Stickles?

I wanted to share this card with you today as it's my Dad's birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! I MISS YOU! HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY and I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!

Hope you enjoyed this paper confection as much as I enjoyed making it...have a sweet weekend, everyone!

Jessica :)

A Prettie Beach-y Color Combo...

Hey Prettie Peeps!

Well, as I am typing this I am listening to Junebugs smacking against my window LOL...ewwwwww....but, that means one thing: SUMMER IS COMING! Hooray! Summer is definitely my favorite season, so even though I'll be making sure to steer clear of the backyard after dark for the next few weeks lol (I hate those suckers!), the warm weather is finally on the way!

A few weeks ago, when one of my stamping idols, the FABULOUS Jodi Collins issued us Pretties a color challenge, I was STUMPED! She challenged us to use Pacific Point, Baja Breeze, and Apricot Appeal on our cards. Yikes! I say that because one, this isn't your "everyday" color combo, and two, because, well, I didn't HAVE Pacific Point OR Apricot Appeal LOL!

My good friend (and convenient neighbor :) Darla came to my rescue. She comes over whenever we have free time to stamp and is also a SU Demo, so she had just what I needed for the challenge. I should also tell you that she LOOOOOVES penguins :) See where I am going here? Yup, this card is for her :) I used the "Thank you" sentiment from the new Giving Thanks Sophia, our June Stamp of the Month. This cute little Snowflake the Penguin image called "Surf's Up!" is an older Pretties stamp but I just love his cool and carefree attitude :)


Using my brand new EK Success beach punch (LOVE it!), I created the top border and had some awesome summer vacation paper from Imaginisce that happened to match this color combo-whew! Thankfully this all kind of came together and although it was a challenge, these colors do work well together...and hey, a challenge wouldn't BE a challenge if we didn't hem and haw a bit, right? So, thanks Jodi!...and Darla!

Be sure to check out how you can sign up for the Stamp of the Month club! You have until the 31st so there's still time! All the info you need is HERE.

Don't forget to hop on over to the rest of the Prettie Girls' blogs today to see their colorful takes on Jodi's challenge...you won't be sorry you did! My fellow Pretties are:

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

Last but not least, It's MY turn to issue a challenge to my fellow Pretties. In the spirit of Spring and the coming Summer...and well, since it's my FAVORITE thing (In fact, I can't believe I haven't done this already, LOL)....I challenge the Prettie Girls to create a card using a BUTTERFLY somwhere on the card. I'm goin' easy on y'all :) Can't wait to see what you guys create! Hope it's a fun one!

Thanks for stopping by today, everyone! I always love when you do!

Some Twinkling Tuesday "Cuppy Love"...

Hey everyone!

It's Twinkling Tuesday again and we again turned over the floor to my darling son, Jack, who wanted to step up as "Temporary Twinkie" again this week and graced us with yet another awesome (and challenging!) sketch!

Isn't this darling? I just love when the kids draw sketches! So, so sweet!

Almost equally as sweet are the new Stamps and Smiles stamps that I actually WON last weekend during their Blog Hop for their new release! Yes, me! I actually WON LOL!!! I participated in their week's worth of sketch challenges and was so excited to find out that I won their entire May release!

Stamps and Smiles actually has awesome sketch challenges every week, too! My friend Mercy Kerin is the master sketch designer and I look forward to their challenges each Thursday! You can check out more of my cards using Stamps and Smiles sketches in my SCS Gallery. Be sure to check out the Fresh Batch blog for more info on these awesome challenges!

Have you guys heard of Stamps and Smiles? You really should check them out! I used the adorable "Cuppy" image from the new Hello Spring set. The sentiment is from the Happy Birthday Cupcake set.

Want to play along with Jack's sketch this week? Be sure to check out the Twinkling Tuesday blog when you have a chance and also, the rest of the Twinklette's fantastic creations! I present you the famous Twinkle Team:

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

Thanks for visiting today and have a SWEET day full of Stamps AND Smiles :)

A Colorful STAMPAVIE Challenge...

Hey again! {{{PLEASE BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN FOR A LITTLE PAPER SHOP POST TODAY}}}

ETA: If you are viewing this in reader, I forgot to upload my card the first time, LOL! So, you'll have to click on the actual post :) Heh heh...

I'm back with another post to tell you about the fun new challenges that are taking place over on the Stampavie DT blog! We are now on our fourth challenge and they just keep getting more and more fun!

This week's challenge is a color combo! Love those! We'd like to challenge you to use BROWN and TURQUOISE (or similar shade) on your card or project. You have TWO whole weeks to play and the prizes are fabulous! One random winner will be chosen for each challenge to win!

I used one of the new stamps from the Rachelle Anne Miller Spring line, "Going Fishing". Isn't this elephant just the sweetest? I love all the new RAM images...as with all our Stampavie stamps, they are just so much fun to color!

Check out what the rest of the Stampavie DT came up with for some awesome inspiration and we hope you can play along with us this time!

LPS Monday: My Mother, My Friend...

Hey everyone :)

Happy Monday!

Ok, so some might argue that this really isn't a "CAS"(Clean and Simple) card...you know, the flowers and all...but I just can't have a card without that "something", you know???

I do think I get points for the clean and simple lines though, right?

I made this card for my Mom a few weeks ago and hope she likes it. The set I used, {Bound by the Heart} is one of my favorites. That's one of the things I love best about LPS-Julia has the best quote sets!

Be sure to check out the LPS Blog for our awesome 3D challenge that we have going on this week! There's still a few days left to play!

One lucky winner will get to choose two free digital images so be sure to get your submission in and leave a comment on THIS post :)

Have a great day, everyone!

...With Great Love...

Hey everyone!

A while back, Silvia challenged the Little Paper Shop DT to create a 3D item for our monthly DT challenge. You might have guessed this, but I'm not real big on the whole 3D/altered item category.

However, I do love to write. Whether it's my blog, a company newsletter, or just a quiet thought I want to remember, I really do enjoy writing and making journals. To me, they're a special place to keep memories, lists, goals, etc. and I think that anytime we are jotting down something that memorable, we should have a place all our own to do it.

Needless to say, this pink and brown swirly pattern fits my style. I love it-very boho chic, right?

I used one of my favorite quotes from the Blessings set and of course, my signature butterfly from the new Butterflies set released last month. Love it!

Be sure to check out the rest of the DT's creations for this challenge. Links on my sidebar.

You want to give it a go yourself? We'd LOVE for you to do just that! You'll have a little over a week to play! Just upload your creation and link it to the LPS Blog by Sunday, May 24th and you''ll be entered to win a prize! If you upload to SCS or PCP, be sure to use keyword LPSC16.

Can't wait to see YOUR creations come to life...in 3D!

Tonight is the Night, Mateys!

...will we be seeing YOU at the Club Anya "Virtual Stamping Luau"? I hope so!

All the fun starts at 8PM CST on our Club Anya PCP page, all leading up to the midnight release of the BRAND NEW Anya and Ian stamps at The Greeting Farm! I can't WAIT!

Our last set to preview today is one that is closest to my heart...and even moreso my little son Jack's heart. Introducing.... "Matey"! Aaaaaaaargh there goes your wallet, right? Seriously HOW cute is that? And would you check out that HAT? It's fabulousness! I'm saving a few more Matey cards for tonight's release, but here's one I made yesterday.

I'm not happy with my camera right now. A few months ago, I lent it to my daughter's Pom organization and they used some fancy schmancy lenses that cost thousands of dollars which was fine, it was in good hands. However, upon returning it to me they said I'd need to restore my settings (I had only had them on factory default, no biggie) so I did that when I got it back and it's JUST not working right. I feel like all my good closeup shots need to be brightness/contrast adjusted and when I did it here I just didn't get it right. Plus, it's blurry. Which stinks because those Primas (thanks Janna!) were given to me and they're PERFECT-they have skulls and crossbones on them. On flowers? Seriously? For the girl who uses lots of flowers? Can you say AWESOMENESS???

Anyway, I love my camera. I have a Canon Digital Rebel xTi and it's my 5th "child", LOL. (I lie...actually, 6th if you incl. DH) I just wish I knew more about using it and just don't have time to get into the classes I'd like to take, so if you all have any helpful hints, I'd love to hear them!

Alright, enough of that...I can't WAIT to get this party started! See you all tonight at 8pm CST!

DUDE...

{{{Be sure to scroll down for a Prettie Post today, please....Prettie Please :D}}}

...how HOT is this new Surfer Ian from The Greeting Farm?!?!

I was telling a friend that he kind of reminds me of Sawyer from LOST. *SWOON*!

Seriously, isn't he adorable? WHAT....a hottie!

Surfer Ian is one of the new May Releases at Club Anya and The Greeting Farm and will be available to catch a wave on over to you this Friday, May 15th!

Wanna come party with Club Anya and The Greeting Farm "Island Style"? I KNOW you do! Club Anya is having our first Virtual Stamping "Luau" on Thursday night, May 14th at 8PM CST!

All you need to do is come hang with us on the Club Anya PaperCraft Planet page for stamping, chatting, and challenges! Our little "luau" will run from 8PM CST to 12AM CST Friday, all ending with the big release of a new Anya, this cool new Surfer Dude, and TWO new stamp sets! I can't wait!

Be sure to head over to the Club Anya blog to see who else is Hangin' 10 today...you won't be sorry you did! Surf's up, everyone!

Prettie in Pink...

Hey everybody!

It's a Prettie in Pink Prettie's Wednesday here!

Now, I'm sure it comes as no surprise that I'm in love with the color Pink, so when Jackie R. challenged us Pretties 2 weeks ago to make a card using a lighter/darker shade of a certain color, it was crystal clear that I'd use my favorite...PINK!

I couldn't wait to ink up the new Giving Thanks Sophia. Isn't she adorable? She is the June Stamp of the Month at Paper Pretties and I think she's my favorite Sophia EVAH!

New to the Stamp of the Month club over at Paper Pretties? You can find all the details and sign up for a 6 month subscription HERE. When you do, you'll receive each new Pretties stamp sometime during the month before it's released to the public. Fun stuff!

Thanks for visiting me today and be sure to check out the rest of my Prettie friends. They are:

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

Have a very Prettie Wednesday, everyone!

Jess :)

Who Wants to HULA?

{{{BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN FOR A GORJUSS Twinkling Tuesday Post}}}

So, Who wants to HULA?

I do, I do!

Don't YOU want to HULA, too? Well then head on over to Club Anya's VIRTUAL STAMP LUAU!

We will be partying island-style on Thursday, May 14th at 8PM CST on the Club Anya PCP page!

There will be chit chat with the DT, a few fun challenges, prizes, and stamping, of course!

This is HULA Anya...isn't she FABULOUS? She is one of the FOUR (yes , I said FOUR!) new releases this month at The Greeting Farm!

Our VSN will run from 8PM to 12AM CST, all ending with the BIG MAY RELEASE of the FOUR new Anya stamps/stamp sets!

You've already seen the cuteness of the new Miss Anyas: Rain, Snow, Shine set! Be sure to check out THIS post on the Club Anya blog as there's still time to enter our "Club Couture" contest! ONE lucky winner will be announced the night of the VSN and win the new Miss Anya set!

Sound like fun? Well, it WILL be....and it will be one of MANY chances to win so please join us for some Island fun this Thursday, May 14th at 8PM CST!

A "Gorjuss" Twinkling Tuesday...

...and Gorjuss it is indeed!

I was SO excited to meet up with Janna this weekend. I know I said that yesterday, but seriously we had a BLAST! While stamping, both of us practiced hair coloring techniques and well...I got to stamp a few of these cuties!

I HAVE to have this stamp. I really don't like to pay shipping, esp. international but seriously she is the CUTEST!

Our very own Kimmie's son Nicky was the "Temporary Twinkie" this week and chose a VERY challenging Blue, Purple, and Orange color combo for this week's Twinkling Tuesday challenge. Using the new Wisteria paper from Basic Grey I got the blue and purple down no problem, and then I added some orange to her hair, tights, and a few colorful brads to tie it all in and Voila! I think I like it! :)

I have to say that in times of trial, LOL, some of our best work is born, so be sure to check out the rest of the Twinkle Team's blogs today as I'm sure their creations are nothing short of amazing! Be sure to visit:

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

Want to play along with us this week? Be sure to use keyword MTTSC22 if you upload to SCS or PCP and leave a comment on the Twinkling Tuesday blog so we know you played along! Know any little ones that would like to be a "Temporary Twinkie"? Email me and we'd love to have your son or daughter issue a Guest Challenge!

Thanks for visiting and have a gGORJUSS day! ~Jessica :)

LPS Monday: Gettin' Sketchy Again...

Hey everyone!

Hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend. I had SUCH a great weekend!

On Saturday, I was fortunate enough to meet up with Janna and we spent the whole day at a beautiful LSS called The Keepsake Element that is about half way for both of us to drive in Bloomington, IL. We spent 8 hours (which went by WAY too fast!) laughing, chatting, and coloring...mostly laughing and chatting though LOL! I can't believe I forgot my camera!!! Oh well... Anyway, I think we were both a little embarrassed at how LITTLE we got done, but in the midst of our chit chat, we were hired to teach some classes together...how FUN is that?!?!? Stay tuned for details on that...if you can come out for it, we'd LOVE to have some locals and ANYONE who is willing to come out and hang w/ us!!!

Yesterday on Mother's Day my DH and family surprised me with a beautiful Champagne Brunch. Little did I know, 3 weeks worth of waiting lists and phone calls really paid off as it was the BEST brunch I've ever been to! The food was amazing, delicious, and the champagne fountain was gorgeous..as were the chocolate fountains for the kiddos...OH BOY do I have some funny pics of messy faces even at a place that was a bit more upscale LOL. That's ok...they definitely weren't alone hee hee! There were lots of kids and families celebrating the same thing we were...having the best job in the world and the utmost privilege...being a Mom.

I hope to share more photos later, but here is the gorgeous array of homemade gifts I received from my adorable kiddos. Can you say Heart MELTING????

I have another photo or two for you and that pertains to today's LittlePaper Shop Monday! Our own Cindy Haffner was awesome enough to share a sketch with us this week and we invite you all to play along!

Be sure to comment on the LPS blog as well as here if you play along to be eligible to win the digis so we can keep track of who's playing along. If you'd prefer to use SCS or PCP to upload your photo, just remember to use keyword LPSC15.

I used the adorable Katie Swing image to create my card based off of Cindy's sketch and I just love her. She's one of my favorite Digital Images at The Little Paper Shop...which reminds me, you could WIN your choice of TWO FREE DIGITAL IMAGES by entering your card using today's sketch!

One random winner will be announced on Friday on the LPS blog so what are you waiting for? Get stampin'! Have a great Monday, everyone!

A Very Prettie Blog Hop...

Hey everyone!



I hope to be back with a Mother's Day post but in case I'm not, HAPPY MOTHER's DAY to all!

Today is also a special occasion as it's my friend and fellow Prettie girl Christi's birthday! Sooooo, you know what that means! It's time for another Prettie Blog Hop! If you're just landing her on my page, be sure to head on over to Christie's blog to get this party started! Or, maybe you just came from Julie's blog? Either way, I'm the next stop to wish our friend a happy day!


Today I have to admit, I don't have a card just yet...I got home late last night after a crazy ordeal with a flat tire...I had a blowout on the interstate and WOW was that freaky! It's never happened to me before! Needless to say, it threw a wrench in my plans but I couldn't show up to the party empty handed!

So, Christi, I bring you this: BIRTHDAY FLOWERS!!!!!

I hope you have a WONDERFUL birthday, sweetie! Here's to a great day filled with love and fun and a very Happy Mommy's day to you, too :)

Be sure to head on over to JODI's blog next to see what she brought to the party!

xoxo

Jess :)

Put on Your Dancin' Shoes...

...and head on over to the Club Anya Blog for a SUPER fun weekend contest, and a chance to WIN this adorable Ballerina Anya stamp!

You can find all the details HERE. Happy Stamping, everyone!

I made this card using Ballerina Anya yesterday. I actually created her from the Stamps and Smiles sketch from yesterday's challenge...the fourth challenge of the week over there to celebrate the new releases that are going to be available TONIGHT! I can't wait!

Check out the info on my sidebar for the Blog Hop taking place today over at Stamps and Smiles...I know I'll be there!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Jessica :)

Just couldn't resist...

...showing you one of my fave lil' stamps EVAH!!!

I don't have much to post today, but I do want to let everyone know that CLUB ANYA is having a Virtual Stamping Night to celebrate our May release on Thursday, May 14th at 8PM CST. Join us on the Club Anya PCP page for challenges, prizes, chit chat, and fun!

The party will end at 12AM CST with the May Release available for purchase at The Greeting Farm...woo hoo!

Also going on right now, Club Anya is having it's second "Fashion Show" of sorts... our "CLUB COUTURE" Contest runs now through May 13th. ONE lucky winner will take home the brand new "Miss Anyas: Rain, Snow, Shine"....how cool is that?

Don't miss out on all the fun! Head over to the Club Anya blog for all the details! See ya there!

Pretties Wednesday: Making it New...again!

Hey Prettie Peeps...

Today's challenge is prettie in pink as I have a cuddly card for you today...

Two weeks ago, my friend, fellow DT member and FABULOUS Coordinator (do you know how hard it is to keep us in line?) JESSIE challenged us to "Make it New Again"...meaning, take a stamp that you got a while ago and give it some good lovin'!

Well, the first stamp I ever owned from Paper Pretties is Flutter By Sophia...and I think we ALL know that she's well, not in any danger of neglect, LOL! So I decided to use the next stamp I purchased, Cuddle Me Sophia, who is still one of my faves!

After seeing THIS adorable card made by my friend Heather, who JUST so happens to have won our Cutie Pie contest at Paper Pretties this month (CONGRATS, Heather!), I decided to ink her up. I used Jen Del Muro's Sketch for You to Try this week, which was fun because I love her sketches but hardly ever get to play them, especially the week of that actual sketch!

Paper Pretties had our release party this past Friday night and if you couldn't make it, well...be sure to head on OVER! We released a DARLING new line of stamps-THREE new Sophias-Hola Chica, Lady Liberty, and Canadian Sophia, plus an amazing new stamp called "Home Sweet Home" designed by our own Prettie Girl Danielle Lounds! As if that wasn't enough, we also RE-released "Rainy day friends" in rubber. I mean, TALK about options! Whew!

In addition to the happy shopping you'll be doing today (wink wink), be sure to head on over to the other Prettie Girls' blogs today too to see what stamp THEY decided to give a little love to today! They are:
Danielle Lounds
Jackie Pedro
Jackie Rokoski
Jana Weaver
Jessica Rone
Jodi Collins
Julie Masse
Charmaine Ikach
Christi Thorsen
Frances Byrne

Thanks for reading and as always, have a PRETTIE day!

A Pretty "Cool" Twinkling Tuesday...

Hello everyone and Happy Twinkle Day :)

This week, I've "flipped that sketch" once again. That's the beauty of sketches...you can totally do that! What a great jumping off point my DD gave us this week to kick-start our creativity :) Gotta love it! So, I did flip the picture of the sketch so you could see it more easily, the ribbon, etc. through the middle of my card. I did have to move the sentiment from right to left because of those big pretty snowflakes I found, but other than that, hopefully you can see it :)

Another thing I'm "Flipping" over is this ADORABLE new Miss Anya that I used for today's card! If you missed our special early previews over at Club Anya last week, be sure to head over there and scroll back a few posts...you won't be sorry you did! The new Miss Anyas: Rain, Snow, Shine is being released on the 15th and boy are they amazing!!!

I just had to use this Miss Anya "snow" for today's card. I love all the fun things you can do with her cute little outfit and accessories ;) I had a great time using liquid applique for her muff, earmuffs, and fur trim and then went over the liquid applique with Martha Stewart glitter. I colored her w/ my Copics and did some shading this time that i thought turned out pretty well. There is so much to be learned with Copics! Love them!

I found that the unusual color scheme for a winter card was one of the "coolest" part about this card. I am LOVING the new Wisteria paper from Basic Grey, too...sooooo yummy! Well, I hope you like my card today...this one's on its way to Marie from The Greeting Farm because well,...she's pretty "cool" herself :)

Be sure to head on over to the TT blog today to see what our featured stamper has whipped up for us, as well all the deets on how to play along this week! If you choose to upload to SCS/pCP, please use keyword MTTSC21.

Now that you've stopped by (and thanks for doing so!), head on over to the other Twinkle Team's blogs to see what COOL creations they have up their sleeves...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

Thanks again for stopping by and have a VERY Twinkling Tuesday!

LPS Monday: "Flowers for Julia" Blog Hop!

Hey everyone!

Nothing makes me happier, especially on a Monday morning than to have a SURPRISE Birthday celebration for someone...

...and that someone is no other than our fabulous Little Paper Shop owner, JULIA!!! Now, this is coming a few days late because Julia was trying to let her birthday sneak by (LOL, not really, but we didn't know :) without us knowing! Well, once I find out, it's ALL over ha ha ha!

HAPPY (teeny bit belated) BIRTHDAY, JULIA!!!!

This is the first stop on the LPS DT blog hop today and I'm so excited to be kicking it off! We are all using flowers on our cards today, and actually, if you head on over to the LPS blog, you'll see that our weekly challenge is to use FLOWERS on a card! If you choose to play along, be sure to leave a comment on the LPS blog and not our personal blogs just to make sure we get to see all the entries! This week, should you choose to upload to SCS or PCP, use keyword LPSC14.

I Loooooove flowers, and it seemed fitting that Julia will end up with QUITE the virtual bouquet!

Be sure to head on over to MEL's BLOG next-she's the next stop on the hop!

Have a WONDERFUL Monday, everyone and HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JULIA! xoxo,

Jess :)

P.S. I got several really sweet emails over the weekend asking me about my new blog banner/header and the background; where I got it, etc. Thank you so much for all your wonderful comments. I had no idea so many people would mention it! I actually made the banner myself with my digital scrapbooking software. If you'd like to know what it is, etc. feel free to email me..I won't bore you all with the details. It took me forever, but I love it. I am by no means a graphic artist but for an amateur I think I did ok, heh?

The sides (ribbon&brown polkadotted bg) are a free background and there is actually a link to the company in the top left corner that you can click on and browse. Hope that helps!

A Hop Away from Home...SWEET Home!

Hey everyone!

I am SO excited about today's Prettie Post! Today is going to be full of LOTS of festivities, as it's May 1st, and it's time for our monthly Stampin' in your Jammies Party at Paper Pretties! Please join us this evening...I'll post all the details below.

For now....I am THRILLED for my fellow DT member Danielle Lounds, whose BRAND NEW STAMP SET, "Home Sweet Home" will be released TONIGHT!

Danielle has been an amazing inspiration to all of us Prettie Girls and we are all just THRILLED for her as she is now a Stamp Designer as well! CONGRATS DANIELLE!

To celebrate this new release, the Prettie Girls are hoppin'!...BLOG hoppin that is! Be sure to head back to Christie's blog where all the fun started! When you're done here, head on over to Danielle's blog next to congratulate her and see her very OWN preview of this brand new set!

I chose to create a card using Home Sweet Home using Danielle's sketch challenge, PWC50. What better way to celebrate her new set by using a sketch that she drew? I thought so!

I have to admit, this house does remind me an awful lot of my parents' old house, the one they just moved from. I have to say, all things considered, they couldn't have sold it to nicer people. In fact, at their final walk through last week the day before the closing, the owners actually hugged my Dad and told him that if he or any of us ever wanted to come back to see it, etc. to feel free and that they were so thankful everything went so well, etc. Seriously?? How many times do you hear THAT?

Because they were so nice and made my parent's move less stressful (and let me tell ya, that was the ONLY part that wasn't LOL!), I've decided to send this to them. Heck, I know the address, right? And the almost eerie resemblance to the house is something I can tell they'll appreciate! So fun! I can't wait for them to get it!

We have ANOTHER surprise for you to announce in addition to the fact that it's our RELEASE DAY at Paper Pretties!!! We are having an EXTRA SPECIAL party! Today is Christie's, the owner and operator of Paper Pretties, birthday!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PRETTIE MAMA!

Please join us at the party tonight to wish her a VERY happy birthday!! The festivities start at 7pmCST, so be there or be square!!

For now, dont' forget to head over to Danielle's blog next and send her a shout out for a job well done! You are going to LOVE the new Home Sweet Home stamp set! See you tonight!