Get Your Elf On - Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! As you read this, it's already Christmas Day here in New Zealand! I'm sharing one last Christmas project today, these tags could easily be adapted for Valentine's Day or any other occasion (unless you want to get started on your Christmas list for next year?!)

I needed a LOT of gift tags this year. Hello December and Holiday Tag Alongs to the rescue! When I'm mass producing, I turn to my trusty old punches, rather than cranking the die cut machine. I stamped a full sheet of the elf sentiment, then punched them all at once. The tag is just a rectangle with a quick strip of washi tape and a punched edge.

I stamped the date directly on the washi tape using Staz On ink. The to and from were also stamped with Staz On just to simplify things. A little gold cord bow finishes off the tags! These really pop against the red and white wrapping I've used this year. A little extra handmade to make everyone feel special!

Wishing you a fabulous day with your loved ones. Lots of hugs!

(don't forget to enter my follower blog candy!)  

Some SWEET AS SUGAR(peas) news!!

Hi friends! I am SO excited to share some news with you today...

I am thrilled to be joining SugarPea Designs! If you don't know all about this brand new, exciting company, you can read all about Wendy and the company here. Thank you so much to Wendy, Kim and the team for having me - you are all so talented and I can't wait to work with you!

SugarPea are giving away some moohlah! Here are all the details on how you can BE IN TO WIN!

You can help us by welcoming Sarah to the design team and get a chance to WIN a $10 gift certificate to SugarPea Designs for our very first release on Thursday, January 9th!  Sneak peeks begin on Monday, January 6th!  The winner will be announced here and on our Facebook  page on December 26th.

Here's what you need to do:

 Head to the SugarPea Designs Facebook page and "like" us

Become a follower of the SugarPea Designs blog

Become a follower of Sarah's blog OR her Thinking Stamps Facebook page

Come back here and leave a message to tell us you've done so and welcome Sarah to the design team!

Don't forget to add the SugarPea Designs fan badge to the side bar of your blog!  If the winner has the fan badge posted on their blog at the time we chose the winner, we will give away a $15 gift certificate instead!

Butterfly Birthday

 

Hello! Well, the lead up to Christmas has certainly cut into my stamping time - how about you? I did find time to whip up this birthday card using the Viva la Verve sketch though.


You can find all the details about this challenge and how you can win $100 to spend on Verve goodies in the Viva la Verve forum.

I've used the gorgeous Chevron Love for my soft card today. I've also used the All Aflutter die and the Vintage Oval Die with the matching Vintage Oval Frame stamp. I added a vellum flourish and finished up with some pearls and a big bow.

Here's the inside of my card...

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a wonderful Christmas, I'm so looking forward to sharing lots of stampy goodness in 2014!

Don't forget to enter to win my blog candy! 

Stamps: Chevron Love (Verve Stamps) Paper: Hello There (Carta Bella) Ink: Blushing Bride, Not Quite Navy (SU) Dies: A Cut Above Dies: Vintage Oval, All Aflutter (Verve Stamps) Leafy Flourish (MFT) Other: Ribbon, Pearls, Vellum, Sewing Machine

Thank You Blog Candy!

Blog Candy Update: Thank you SO much for your entries so far! I'll be keeping the blog candy open until the 25th of January, then I'll draw a lucky winner! I'm only 30 followers away from 400, so if I reach 400 Google followers (join on the sidebar) I'll add in another MFT ink and will find some more stamps to add as well! So please share and give your friends the chance to win!

                                                         **********************

Hello friends and followers! Awhile ago I noticed I had just typed up my 800th post. 800! I wanted to give away some blog candy to say thank you SO MUCH for your visits, comments and support that mean so very much to me.

Here are the goodies I found in my stash...all brand new!

Lots of goodies from Verve, My Favorite Things, Hemptique, Buttons Galore, Riley and Company, Craft Concepts and some sequins! I'll ship anywhere in the world!

If I get lots of comments I have some more goodies to add - another ink and some stamps, so please share and send your friends to enter!

Here's how you can enter to win! (enter once or 6 times!)

• Be a follower via Google Connect (on the sidebar) and leave a comment on this post telling me you follow!
• Like my Facebook page - thinkingstamps and leave a separate comment on this post telling me you like me!
• Share this blog post on Facebook and leave a separate comment on this post telling me you shared!
• Pin this candy to Pinterest and leave a separate comment on this post telling me you pinned!
• Share this blog post and a link to the candy on your blog and leave a separate comment on this post telling me you blogged (with a link please)!
• Follow me by email (sign up in the sidebar) and leave a separate comment on this post telling me you receive my emails!

If you would like to use this button on your sidebar or blog post, please feel free to grab it and link it up to this post  - this is a sneak peek at my blog redesign I hope to get finished early in the new year!

I'll draw the candy sometime in January, I can't wait to see these goodies go to a new stampy home!

The more responses, the more I'll add to the candy! Good luck, and thank you so much for visiting!

Love from Wallrus

Hello friends! It's my day to share some Fresh Squeezed Stamps cuteness! I love the Arctic Friends set and it was high time I stamped the walrus. I think he just might be my favorite of the three cute critters you can build with this set!

My layout today is CAS(E) this sketch #57. I colored with copics, using pointillism for some added texture. The sentiment is also from Arctic Friends, and the little heart is part of a sentiment I've cut apart from Say Anything. I inked and stamped the heart once, then reinked just the base and stamped again for simple shading.

Don't they just melt your heart?! Thanks for stopping by!  

Stamps: Arctic Friends, Say Anything (Fresh Squeezed Stamps) Paper: Cut and Paste Adorbs (MME) Ink: Berrylicious (MFT) Memento Grey  Other: Copics  

Paper Smooches Special Blog Hop - Woof Woof!

*This is my second post today, to see my Reverse Confetti Color Challenge post, please click here*

Hello! Welcome to a very special blog hop...

Kate (owner of i {heart} papers) suggested an idea to Kim Hughes to create stamps and dies to support our rescued furry friends. They worked together to create some really fun dog rescue products! A portion of the sales will be donated to Home for Good. Kim asked us to share these fun products with you, through our projects.


To add extra fun to our blog hop...we are offering up a prize!

• TWO winners will be chosen at RANDOM from any of the design team blogs.
• The prize - A Lucky Dog stamp set, Paws for a Cause stamp set and Dog Icons dies.
• Just leave a comment on any of the design team blogs listed for your chance to win! (you do not need to comment on all blogs to qualify but it increases your chances) 
• You have until midnight MT on Wednesday, December 18th to leave a comment. 
• Please check the IHP Blog on Friday, December 20th to see if you are one of the TWO lucky winners.

I LOVE Paper Smooches, adore dogs and think this cause is fantastic, so I'm super excited to be involved in this very special blog hop! I inked up the puppy from Paws for a Cause with Memento Espresso Truffle ink - in fact I've used the same ink all through the card!

The papers are Color Wash by Pink Paislee, the embossing folder is Whimsy by Lifestyle Crafts and I've also used my fave white twine and enamel dots. The sentiment is from Lucky Dog. You can see the matching dies here - love these!

Here's the inside of my card...

I think this is such a beautiful sentiment. I hope this card gathers dust forever, but it's so nice to have something to comfort when needed.

Here's the full hop list - please be sure to visit everyone and leave comments for your chance to win these special products! Thank you so much to Kim and Kate for the beautiful stamps and chance to help such a worthy cause! *hugs*

Blog Hop Participants:

• Kate/IHP
• Sarah Gough - you are here!
• Lori Tecler
• Judy Rozema
• Deb Felts
• Vera Yates
• Wida Miller
• Stacey Schafer
• Lindsay Amrhein

Stamps: Paws for a Cause, Lucky Dog (Paper Smooches) Paper: Color Wash (Pink Paislee) Vellum Ink: Espresso Truffle (Memento Luxe)  Dies: Hearts (MFT) Other: Enamel Dots, Button, Twine

I'm linking up to the Anything Goes SPARKS challenge for this week!

December Reverse Confetti Color Challenge!

Hello! It's time for the monthly color challenge from Reverse Confetti!

This is the second month for the color challenge, and I'm finding them so inspiring. Just look at these colours...

Awesome right? I cannot stop playing with the amazing Tag Me dies - especially when combined with sequins! I'm using vellum again today, for a different kind of shaker tag...

I cut the large tag twice from vellum, then stitched all around, leaving a small gap to fill with pink and red sequins. The gap was closed with tape, and hidden with the banner layer. 

I'm so inspired by my Confetti Crew teamies! Lots of the team have coloured this sentiment from Bring on the Merry in ombre fashion and it looks amazing! I used lime copics, then added a little stickles at the base of the letters for some shine.

One of the presents I bought hubby came in this awesome kraft envelope, so this tag was all it needed to finish off the gift! 

Here are all the details you need to know about the color challenge!

• There will be a new Color Challenge posted on the Reverse Confetti blog on the 16th of each month.
• The color link list will be open from the 16th until noon CST on the 29th. The color challenge will be posted in the sidebar and you will be able to click on it to get to that month’s challenge post with the link list during this time.
• Just like the Sketch For You To Try, we are allowing “anything goes” until the end of the year. Note, that we will be adding the Reverse Confetti stamps only in January.
• You may enter as many times as you wish.
• There will be a winner each month and that person will receive a $20 gift certificate to the Reverse Confetti store and claim the title of ‘Fetti Fave. The winner of Color Challenge will be posted on the Reverse Confetti blog on the 30th of each month.

Stamps: Bring on the Merry (Reverse Confetti) Paper: Vellum Ink: Memento Black Dies: Tag Me Confetti Cuts: (Reverse Confetti) Other: Copics, Sequins, Baker's Twine

Hey Foxy

Hi friends! This week at Crazy 4 Challenges we are using a past sketch from 2013 and some sparkle. I used Silke's sketch from earlier in the year and took the opportunity to ink up the Happy Camper set from Avery Elle. I'm so delighted that I'll be guest designing for Avery Elle next month!!

Our little guy loves the "what does the fox say" video - so I was drawn to this cute little fox!

I shopped at i {heart} papers for my supplies today! The stamps are Happy Camper by Avery Elle, the paper is Happy Camper by Echo Park, and I've also used the stitched journaling card dies from Lawn Fawn, Memento Luxe ink in Espresso Truffle and gold sequins. You'll find many more goodies in store, head on over, take a peek at what's new and say hi from me!

Here's the inside of my little card...

Now it's time to go see all the fab inspiration from the design team, happy hopping!

Andrea Murdock

Anja de Regt

Barbara Anders

Betty Wright

Frances Byrne

Jessie Rone

Joanne Grzelak

Kelli Hull

Kristine Reynolds

Peggy McCurry

Sarah Gough -you are here!

Silke Kittman

Silke Ledlow

Stamps: Happy Camper (Avery Elle) Paper: Happy Camper (Echo Park) Ink: Tangy Orange (MFT) Espresso Truffle (Memento)  Dies: Stitched Journalling Card (Lawn Fawn) Other: Sequins, Woodgrain Washi

  

Lawn Fawn Winter Hop - WIN!!

Hello! Welcome to my stop on the Lawnscaping winter hop! We're sharing projects using wonderful Lawn Fawn stamps celebrating winter today. You should have arrived here from Elena's Blog. If you need to start at the beginning of the hop, visit the Lawnscaping Blog. Please leave a comment here and at all the stops on the hop for your chance to win some fab prizes - more on those over at Lawnscaping.

I was so happy to see this theme - any excuse to ink up my beloved Yeti. This is one of my fave stamp sets of the year - I love this adorable guy, the wonderful sentiments and all the lovely accessory images.

Lots of dimension on this one! I cut the Stitched Journaling Card and heat embossed the snowflakes in white. I die cut some rolling hills and added Frosted Lace Stickles. Yeti was stamped and coloured with copics before getting a fluffy coat of sparkly stuff flocking.

The little trees were paper pieced and I added some snowflake sequins to the twine bow.

Here's a peek inside the card...

I selectively inked a couple of sentiments to create a take on "I love you".

It's time to head on over to see Sharna W now - happy hopping, don't forget to comment here for your chance to win!!!

You can follow me on Facebook!

Stamps: Yeti, Set, Go (Lawn Fawn) Paper: Granola (MME) Ink: Black Memento Dies: Stitched Journalling Card (Lawn Fawn) Flags (MFT) Other: Button, Twine, Embossing Powder, Envelope Punch Board, Snowflake Sequins, Sparkly Stuff Flocking, Frosted Lace Stickles

A Lifetime

Hello friends! I'm getting lovey today with some new Authentique papers and lots of Verve goodies!

I've used this week's Viva la Verve sketch.

You can find all the details about this challenge and how you can win $100 to spend on Verve goodies in the Viva la Verve forum.

I've been loving all the vellum I've seen around lately! It's one of my all time favourite supplies. Here I've used it to overlay a sentiment over a busy paper. I've stitched it on, avoiding any visible adhesive.

My stamps today are from the gorgeous Stronger Love set. I've embellished with the Heart Quartet and Award Banner Trim dies!

Here's the inside of my card...

This paper pack came with some fun stickers, so I added one on the inside of the card. I hope you'll get your Verve inky this week and play along with the challenge!

 Stamps: Stronger Love (Verve Stamps) Paper: Smitten (Authentique) Ink: Espresso Truffle (Memento Luxe)  Dies: A Cut Above Dies: Heart Quartet, Award Banner Trim (Verve Stamps)  Other: Sewing Machine, Button, Twine