Color Throwdown Day, Lots of Projects & Sentiment Flag Pre-Order Starts TODAY!!

I have sooooo much to share today! Let's get right down to business! As promised last week, today's post is jammed packed with projects and exciting stuff!
Today, I am the Color Throwdown Challenge hostess! And I've picked some yummy colors for you to play with. Check it out:

I actually started by making the diaper cake below. But let's talk about this baby card first! Yes, it's another baby card from me!! But I promise this is it for a while. At least a week or so anyways!!I am going to keep it simple on the details since I have so much to share. That being said, I love how this card turned out! It's so neat and clean! I love that you can see the Spica glitter I added to the wings of the bee in this photo!


I made this diaper cake for my mom to give as a gift to her bosses DIL as a shower present. I've actually made a few diaper cakes. I started first making them with my mother in law and just thought they were the greatest! Each individual diaper is hand rolled and then the "cake" layers are made and put together. I then embellished with a little paper crafting and the duck-blankie on top. I also squeezed in some wash cloths in place of diapers for a little pop of color.




Next up, I made 2 of these cards as thank you's for the generous sponsors and friends who supported our 100th challenge celebration. You might be thinking that was a while ago and you're right! But it's never too late to say thank you! I made these scallop-petal flowers from kraft paper and stamped the top layer with Basic Backgrounds Text Styles for a little something extra and topped off with jumbo lemon tart buttons. I really love the glitter border I added to the bottom which I learned from one of Nichole Heady's posts. Loved that when I saw her do it! I really like how these turned out! I was happy to have been able to incorporate some vellum paper. I love how soft it makes a project feel!


Remember to upload your challenge cards to the Color Throwdown Challenge blog HERE and stop to visit the design team members for some beautiful inspiration!

Tammy Hershberger
Broni Holcombe
Barbara Anders
Danielle Kennedy
And help us welcome the amazing Silke Ledlow, our Guest Designer for September!

Wait there's MORE!!! I've been talking and talking about the upcoming release of Sentiment Flags stamp set and the coordinating die....WELL....I decided to offer a pre-order beginning TODAY! The dies are in my hot little hands. I'm just waiting for the stamps to arrive. I expect to start shipping them within 7-10 days or as soon as they arrive! I'm so excited about this I'm giddy! In an effort to keep this post as short as possible, I invite you to click on over to Shop Lil' Inker where I have more exciting details about the pre-order and the products!! You're going to LOVE IT!
I've had sample dies in my possession for months now and I tell ya, I can't stop reaching for it!! And now that I have the stamp set to play with! WATCH OUT!!! It's AMAZING to be able to dress up this cute little shape with uniquely fonted sentiments and borders that everyone will LOVE!!! I hope you will!! See you at Shop Lil' Inker!!!!
Thanks so so much for coming by today! Please leave a comment! I LOVE getting them oh so much :)

Ingredients(All):
Stamps: Baby Button Bitsackground Basics Polka Dots and Text Styles, Turning A New Leaf(PTI), Thank You sentiment(Verve)
Paper: Kraft, Lemon Tart(PTI), Vellum(SU!)
Ink: Craft White, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip(SU!), Spica clear glitter pen
Accessories: Lemon Tart buttons, ribbon, Beautiful Blooms dies, linen/canvase texture plate(PTI), scallop border punch, hemp twine(SU!), corner rounder(marvy), crystal fine glitter(Martha Stewart)
Diaper Cake accessories: Wash cloths from Gerber, Duckie Blankie(Carters), empty paper towel roll(for inside cake structure), LOTS of elastics(various sizes), 100 diapers newborn and size 1, foil platter for presentation

It's Color Throwdown Day! Some Exciting News to Share!

Morning! It's Wednesday......the most wonderful time of the week...creatively speaking, that is! :)

Kristin is our hostess today! YAY!!! She has a rockstar combo of colors for us to work with today:



Ahhhhh, right up my alley! Love that :) Here's what I did:


I chose to work this set from Taylored Expressions called Creativi-Tea. I love this set....I love tea and coffee sets to begin with, but this one has this really pretty floral frame that I wanted to color up. I got this set as a card kit when it was first released and in the kit were these awesome papers from The Girl's Paperie and they've been some of my most favorite papers of the year, PERFECT for today's color combo! The plain card stock was from this kit too. I couldn't find it on the TE website so, sadly, I think it's gone now :( and am unsure of the exact names. Anyone know??

I started with a base very similar to So Saffron where I added that beautiful floral then topped it with a panel in the Pear Pizzaz hue in a large scallop and behind that a yellow gingham scallop layer. I tied my pink satin ribbon on that layer then added my focal image which I colored with Copics and added a ribbon-ended sentiment which is actually from PTI Blooming Button Bits set. After adding some stitching all the way around I added this panel to a card base very similar to Rose Red. This card will be on it's way tomorrow to one of our generous sponsors of the CTD 100th challenge. Yep, I'm just getting those in the mail, but truly, I feel like it's never too late to say thank you :)

So, some exciting news to share....I have partnered up with a friend from high school, Ariana Grant, who is a full-time professional graphics designer. Together, we are getting ready to release our first die and coordinating stamp set that I think you are going to FLIP over!! As I write this post (Tuesday night), I have just finished experimenting with the stamp set as the sample JUST arrived via UPS a few hours ago and I have to say I am not only proud but tickled pink to be able to share this with you VERY soon!!! I encourage you to follow my blog. Not only would it make my day, but I guarantee you are not going to want to miss this first release!! Over the next few days I plan to be doing a sneak peek AND potentially a pre-order.
NEXT Wednesday, it is my turn to host the Color Throwdown and I already have three projects to share: a diaper cake I made for a baby shower, coordinating gift card and two more thank you cards for generous 100th challenge sponsors. BUT I am also hoping to be able to share MORE with you on the die and stamp set so I expect this blog to be jam-packed with goodness next Wednesday!!

Don't forget to hop on over to the Color Throwdown Challenge blog to upload your cards for today. Remember, use what you have that's close. I can't wait to see what you create! And for some super-fantastical inspiration, visit the blogs of the fabulous design team members:
Tammy Hershberger
Broni Holcombe
Barbara Anders
Danielle Kennedy
LeAnne Pugliese
Chupa, Guest Designer for August
Thanks for stopping by today!!

Ingredients:
Stamps: Creativi-Tea(Taylored Expressions), Blooming Button Bits(PTI)
Paper: all from Creativi-Tea card kit from TE
Ink: Rose Red(SU!), Copic markers
Accessories: pink ribbon(American Crafts), rhinestone(my stash), machine stitching, EK Success jumbo scallop punch, scallop border punch(SU!)

Quickly Sharing....

Hello... Just a couple of quick little cards I've made but haven't had a chance to post. I made them all using the Paper Girl Kit from Taylored Expressions. Oh my, have you seen this card kit? The papers are amazing and individually are sold out everywhere I've looked on the Internet. They're from The Girl's Paperie and apparently are very popular all of a sudden! These cards also use the Creativi-Tea set from Taylored Expressions as well, which coordinate so lovely.
This was my first time purchasing from TE. I saw a blog post using this stamp set and card kit as well as a video showing all of the things you get in the kit and I was sold!! HA! My stamps arrived so fast! I will definitely be buying from TE again!
This first card is for Auntie Mary who is a huge tea fan and a bit under the weather right now. Isn't that "Oh My Darjeeling" sentiment the best?


The next few cards are thank yous for very thoughtful ladies. I'm loving this set!



Thanks so much for stopping by today for this quick post! Have a great day!

Ingredients:
Stamps: Creativi-Tea(Taylored Expressions), Great Friend(SU!)
Paper: Paper Girl Card Kit (TE), kraft(SU!)-anyone sick of all my kraft yet?
Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black
Accessories: ribbons and pearls from the Paper Girl kit, scallop border punch(SU!)

10% off Stampin' Up Products and SAB Card

I'm continuing to offer 10% off all Stampin' Up purchases to my customers through January 31st! For more information, please e-mail me at lpryor1@hotmail.com!

Right now is also Sale-a-bration time. So here I've used 3 SAB items including the Good Neighbors stamp set which is adorable and you can earn for free to make this colorful thank you.

...Short post tonight which will make up for the lengthy ones during the week. We stayed in today and did lots of cleaning and laundry. I'm so thankful for the long weekend!

Thanks for stopping by!

Ingredients:
Stamps: Good Neighbors(SAB), With All My Heart (sentiment)
Paper: Kraft, Crushed Curry, Bermuda Bay, Welcome Neighbor(SAB designer series pad)
Ink: Melon Mambo, Crushed Curry, Bermuda Bay, Tempting Tuquois, Old Olive
Accessories: Scallop Trim Border punch(SAB), Old Olive ribbon, word window punch, silver brad, Junior alpha Sizzlets

Found, Not Lost & A Thank You

Well, I have a good news. I was so devastated to have lost my font collection it lead to a bit of investigating. Carbonite does in fact back-up your Windows directory and it's saved into a file called Windows.old which is where I found ALL OF MY FONTS!!! 871 of them to be exact!!! Apparently, I am more of a computer nerd than I ever thought because I'm celebrating having found my fonts!
On to my latest project....as many of you know we recently moved. Over the Christmas holiday the local real estate agent (who was the seller's agent) dropped off a beautiful Christmas card wishing us well and a delicious box of Christmas cookies. I thought that was really so kind and thoughtful that I had to of course reciprocate with a handmade thank you. It had to be somewhat masculine and QUICK as time is of the essence these days. Little Keith, who is now 22 months, is only sleeping about 40minutes during the day which leaves me enough time to check my e-mail and make a really quick card. So here it is. I would love your thoughts!! Thanks for visiting!
Ingredients
Paper: Very Vanilla, Old Olive (Stampin' Up!), decorate paper is "Florentine" from American Crafts
Stamps: Bella Blossoms (SU)
Ink: Stazon Black (SU)
Accessories: button from my stash, Old Olive striped ribbon, modern label and word window punches, linen thread (all SU!)

Lots of Thank You's

One more post for today while I can get at my computer.... So many people were generous to us recently so I made a bunch of these thank you cards and handed them out as needed. The image here is from All That Scraps which was recommended after sending out an S.O.S to Tammy Hershberger one of my favorite stampers and one of the nicest people. The sentiment was made on my computer. I used my new favorite texture plate from Stampin' Up!...love those big dots! Please e-mail me if you'd like a list of materials.

Thanks A Latte

I'm squeezing in some quick stamping time while Little Keith is sleeping. I managed to create this thank you card. I love using my new Verve stamps. Using the Brilliance pigment ink pad has really made a difference in the sharpness of these beautiful images. I can't wait to get my hands on some more Verve!

Ingredients:
Stamps: Verve's Delightful and Delicious
Paper: Kraft, Baja Breeze, Basic Grey, Urban Garden dsp (SU!)
Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black
Accessories: striped Baja Breeze ribbon, Basic Grey ribbon, linen thread, Baja Breeze button(SU!), circle Nestabilities(Spellbinders)
Enjoy!

Thank You Gift

Here is a thank you gift I've made for my brother's girlfriend, Kaitlin. She gave me the cutest bracelet and earrings for my birthday and I just wanted to say how much I loved them so I thought I'd make her a little something.

I made this easy tag (3x4 size) following a layout from Jen del Muro which inspired me and I used my new favorite designer series paper Cottage Wall from Stampin' Up! and added a fan-fold flower which are so fun and easy to make. I hung the tag on a bottle of Sweet Pea hand-soap from Bath and Body Works which was the inspiration for this color scheme. It's almost the exact color of Orchid Opulence!

Ingredients:
Stamps: On a Pedastal (SU!), random thank you image from my stash
Paper: Rich Razzleberry, Orchid Opulence, Kiwi Kiss, Cottage Wall dsp(SU!)
Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black
Accessories: 1/2 in and 3/4 in curcle punches (SU!), treading water border punch(Fiskars, kiwi button, silver twine, rich razzleberry ribbon(SU!)
Hope you like!

Coral Rose Blossom

Hi all! Happy Friday! Before I get into any of the details about this card, you must know that I totally copy-cat-ed my sentiment from Jessica Rone. Here is a link to her card that obviously has been stuck in my head for quite some time because as soon as I made this card it just popped into my head that I wanted to feature her sentiment panel. Isn't is dreamy?
My card features the Bella Blossoms set stamped in Cameo Coral and sponged with Rose Red. I popped up the center petals with glue dots but stamped them in Rose Red and the stem and petals are Kiwi Kiss. I then curled the edges of the main blossom to make it pop a little off the page.
For my layout, I used SCS sketch challenge SC220 which is from a few weeks ago but am just now getting to play around with.
Again, please visit Jess's blog. Her work is AMAZING!!!! HERE is a link again.
I hope everyone has a great weekend!
Ingredients from SU!
Paper: Rose Red, Cameo Coral, Kiwi Kiss, Whisper White, Raspberry Tart dsp
Ink: Rose Red, Cameo Coral, Kiwi Kiss, Stazon Black
Accessories: Scallop circle punch, misc circle punches, paper piercing tool, Word Window punch, silver brads

I Love These Mini Cards

I've been making a whole bunch of mini cards lately. They're so fun and don't typically use a lot of supplies!
This one is made using my Polka Dot Punches set (SAB)and my coordinating 5 Petal punch. I used my CuttleBug Swiss Dots embossing folder for the stem and petals which were punched with the 5 petal punch also. The blossoms are attached using a white brad. Cute and quick!
Ingredients:
Stamps: Polka Dot Punches, Garden Greetings
Paper: Sahara Sand, Certainly Celery, Delicate Dots dsp
Ink: So Saffron, Certainly Celery
Accessories: 5 petal punch, white brad, word window punch, celery(ribbon bundle), swiss dots embossing folder, Sizzix machine

Mini Thanks

I made these mini cards yesterday because I needed just a little something to tuck inside a few packages that really showed the pretty papers and ribbons from the Sale-a-Bration mini catalog.

I now hold the secret to the accordian flower...Fan fold your paper entirely and never let it go. Put your sticky strip on the side facing you. Grab the other end and match it to the other without ever really letting anything go. This way all the points will stay pointing to the center and it is so much easier than anything else you've seen done. Then I punch two 3/4 in circles (one for top and bottom) which will really hold your flower together well. Place your flower on the table carefully and lay your scallop border punch on it. It will hold the form while you grab your glue dot.

Ingredients from SU!(for both cards):
Stamps: Botanical Blooms, Pocket Silhouettes(sentiment), PolkaDot Background
Paper: Sahara Sand, Bashful Blue, Delicate Dots dsp
Ink: Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue
Accessories: Certainly Celery ribbon(SAB bundle), Linen Thread, Chit Chat rub-ons, scallop border punch, 3/4 circle punch

Sweet Stems for Auntie

This is a card I made for my Aunt Barb who is always so sweet and thinks of me all the time. She sent me a magazine subscription for Valentine's Day. Isn't that thoughtful? So I thought I would send her a pretty, Spring card to say thank you.

If you don't already own Sweet Little Sentiments I highly suggest you have it in your collection. It is a level one hostess set featured in the Spring Summer 2009 Idea Book & Catalog. Hostesses and customers would be able to order this set by placing an order or hosting a workshop of $150 or more and would receive $15 in free merchandise as well. Since I am a demo and hostess bennies apply to me when I order, I jumped at the chance to have this set! Right now and through March 31st, customers also receive one free stamp set from the Sale-A-Bration catalog for every $50 they spend. I have lots more details. Please contact me for more information.

Ingredients from SU!
Stamps: Sweet Stems, Playful Petals, Sweet Little Sentiments (Hostess set)
Ink: Memento, Copic & SU! Markers: Almost Amethyst, Pretty in Pink, Cameo Coral, Gable Green, Certainly Celery, Blush Blossom, Craft White
Paper: Tea Party dsp, Certainly Celery, Pink Pirouette textured cs
Accessories, ribbon(non SU!), scallop border punch, white embossing powder, dots brass template

First Time with the New Trees

Here's a little something I whipped up during Little Keith's nap today. I inked up my new Trendy Trees set for the first time. Hope you likee!
Ingredients
Stamps: Trendy Trees
Paper: Good Morning Sunshine dsp, Kiwi Kiss(SU!), Hero Arts
Ink: chocolate chip, kiwi kiss, pacific point, summer sun(SU!)
Accessories: button(stash), corner rounder, linen thread(SU!)