Dare To Be Sassy Thursday #38

Sassy Mummy Apothecary Jar

Sassy Mummy Tag

Imagine my delight when I checked my e-mail this morning to find my free birthday image from Lindsay at Sassy Studio Designs! Then imagine how giddy I was to discover that she had sent not one, but two images to apologize for the delay (I'm an August baby) and one of them was the soon-to-be released Sassy Mummy! She is absolutely gorgeous and will be available on October 1st with the Halloween release! I've already started thinking about decorations and costumes so this just confirmed that it's now time to pull out my extensive collection of Halloween stamps and accessories and get to work!

And how could I not use her immediately?!?! Halloween is my absolute favorite holiday! So I decided I would participate in this week's Dare To Be Sassy Thursday Challenge #38 to make "anything but a card" and Stamp Something's Digi Day challenge to use some sort of digital element in your project. . I chose to make a tag for my newly purchased apothecary jar. It would have been better if it was a canopic jar, but I guess Michaels was fresh out... lol!

I colored our lovely Egyptian mummy with my Prismacolor Art Markers, did a little distressing and shredded a piece of gauze and I was done. She was so much fun to work with and what a tease! Now I'm tingly with anticipation to see what other fabulous Halloween images SSD has in store for us! I'm hoping it's a bevy of beautiful beasties that go bump in the night! Thank you, Lindsay, for being so sweet and generous and totally making my day!

Tag Supplies:
Images: Sassy Mummy (Sassy Studio Designs), Wanda's Pantry (Waltzingmouse Stamps)
Ink: printer, Only Orange (Stampin' Up), Tim Holtz Old Paper Distress Ink (Ranger), Prismacolor Art Markers (78, 201, 105, 97, 196, 140, 12, 149)
Paper: Basic Black and Only Orange card stock (Stampin' Up), white card stock (Staples)
Accessories: test tube sticker (Martha Stewart), rolled gauze (Target), white large circle eyelet (Stampin' Up), Halloween Adornments (EK Success), Cuttlebug Spiderweb embossing folder (Provocraft), baker's twine (Martha Stewart), Labels Ten Nestabilities (Spellbinders)

Happy 1st Birthday Small Man

At 8:09am one year ago today my life was forever changed when I welcomed my son, Kayne, to the world... It is hard to believe that a whole year has passed! We have both come so far in 12 months! It is amazing to watch his progress, how he's constantly growing and changing, and how he is helping me to do so as well! I am thankful every day to have been blessed with such a sweet, handsome and happy little man! We had a big party to celebrate with friends and family on Sunday, but tonight it was just my son, myself and his father. I hope he will always know that he is loved and cherished... Though he won't remember this special birthday there will be memorabilia to show him how much he means to us. His birthday card from me will be one of those items.

I chose to use Kazan's Sketch 61 for this week's challenge from 2 Sketches 4 You for my layout and an image called "1st Birthday Boy" from Mo's Digital Pencil Too for my focal point. (I just adore Mo's images!) I hope someday he will look back and smile that his mom took the time to make him a one of a kind birthday card, for her one of kind little man!

Happy 1st Birthday, Kayne! I couldn't love you more! Love, Momma

Card Supplies
Images: 1st Birthday Boy (Mo's Digital Pencil Too)
Inks: printer, Prismacolor Art Markers (143, 43, 207, 12, 86, 123, 95, 70, 133, 149, 23, 196, 25, 17, 15, 16, 100, 103, 97)
Paper: Brocade Blue, Close to Cocoa, Ruby Red and Green Galore card stock (Stampin' Up), white card stock (Staples), Nana's Kids stack designer paper (DCWV)
Accessories: Labels Ten Nestabilities (Spellbinders), brown organdy ribbon (Michaels), 1-1/4 and 1-3/8 circle punches (Stampin' Up), Christmas Cheer adhesive gems (K&Company), 3D dots

Dare To Be Sassy Thursday #36

Enchanted Journal

Enchanted Journal - Side View

Close-up of paper flower

Paper Flower Supplies and Enchanted Journal

How could I not use Rapunzel to create something fairytale related for this week's Sassy Studio Designs' ? Dare To Be Sassy Thursday!? With long hair down to my waist myself, I can empathize with her tress issues! Though my "tower" is a 3rd floor apartment and I haven't had any men offer to use my hair as a ladder lately, I do feel a certain kinship with this particular princess!

I was feeling inspired today and decided to create a journal for my project instead of my usual card. I also chose to make a paper flower (complete with home-made shimmer mist) to add to my creation. It is a simple process that produces a beautiful embellishment!

Paper Flower Instruction

1) Punch out 6 scallop circle from the designer paper or book page of your choice
2) Sponge ink on all 6 scallops
3) Spritz each scallop with water and crinkle into a ball
4) Flatten the scallops and lay flat to dry
5) Punch another scallop from card stock that coordinates with your project
6) Layer all 7 scallops together with the card stock on the bottom
7) Use paper piercing tool and mat to punch a hole through the center of all layers
8) Use a brad to bind the scallops together
9) Re-crumple the scallops, with the top ones being the most crumpled
10) Shake and spray flower with Smooch Spritz or Shimmer Paint mist for a glittery look (optional)

The above instructions were courtesy of my Stampin' Up demonstrator, Teresa Howe. Teresa also told me how to make my own shimmer mist. All you need is a mini mister bottle, rubbing alcohol, classic re-inkers and shimmer paint.

I had a lot of fun with these two techniques! And with this challenge! If you want to play along for a chance to win some Sassy images, just link your creation here before Thursday. Of course, I always wait until the last minute so you only have a few hours left to participate. Being on the East coast gives me until 3am to get my project posted before I turn into a pumpkin... (Oh, sorry, wrong fairy tale! lol) If you miss it, there will be another fabulous challenge announced tomorrow so be sure to check back!

Well, I am off to check on Prince Charming (aka Kayne, my soon-to-be one year old son). Thanks for looking and happy crafting!

Card Supplies
Images: Rapunzel (Sassy Studio Designs)
Ink: printer, Rose Red (Stampin' Up), Rose Romance classic re-inker (Stampin' Up), Prismacolor Art Markers (207, 12, 40, 131, 132, 72, 10, 7)
Paper: Rose Romance and Basic Black card stock (Stampin' Up), white card stock (Staples), The Once Upon A Time mat stack designer paper (DCWV)
Accessories: Scalloped punch (Stampin' Up), 1-1/4 Circle punch (Stampin' Up), Scalloped Oval Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug Fleur De Lis embossing folder (Provocraft), Frost White Shimmer Paint (Tsukineko), Antique brad (Stampin' Up), lace (unknown)

C is for Celebrate!

It is hard to believe that this time last year I was 8 months pregnant and eagerly awaiting the arrival of my son... Now, almost a year later, I look back and marvel at the all the changes! My life will never be the same. And while being a single mom brings with it its challenges, I am okay with that and would not trade what I have been blessed with for anything! He is my world, and whether he is pulling himself up to stand or slurping apple juice through a straw from a drink box for the first time, I gaze at his perfectly round head and those chubby cheeks and I am amazed that I created this adorable, precious little man! So to celebrate his 1st birthday and how far we've both come, I am throwing him a Cookie Monster themed party!

I, of course, wanted to make his invitations but couldn't find a Cookie Monster stamp anywhere! I was perusing the gallery on splitcoaststampers one day and came across a lovely creation by bhstamper. It appeared that she did own a Cookie Monster stamps and had done a cute card using blue flock. I messaged her to see if she would be interested in selling her stamp. She responded that she was not, but graciously offered to stamp 45 images for me. And so thanks to Brenda's kind generosity for a fellow stamper who lives halfway across the country from her and she has never met, I was able to make my son's invitations for this most important of birthdays!

His 1st birthday is certainly a cause for celebration, but so are people like Brenda! I hope my little guy's life is filled with people who show him the same kind of selfless goodness as I have been lucky enough to experience in the stamping community!

So to all my fellow stampers who have ever gifted me with their random acts of kindness (and you know who you are!) this blog entry is dedicated to you! Thank you for making my life, and my cards, a little bit brighter! {hugs}

Card Supplies:
Images: Cookie Monster (Stampabilities - courtesy of bhstamper); computer generated sentiment
Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento - courtesy of bhstamper), printer, Prismacolor Art Markers (47, 149, 201, 95, 123, 169)
Paper: Creamy Caramel, Chocolate Chip, Summer Sun and Ruby Red card stock (Stampin' Up); White Luster card stock (The Paper Cut - courtesy of bhstamper)
Accessories: 6mm wiggle eyes (Creatology - Michaels), Cuttlebug Happy Birthday embossing folder (Provocraft), 1-1/4 and 1-3/8 circle punches (Stampin' Up)

Dare To Be Sassy Thursday #35

And I'm down to the wire yet again! I had every intention of crafting this evening, but I got too caught up on the Sassy Studio Designs' new release party blog! If you haven't seen the enchanting newest additions to the Little Honey's Fairytale collection then you will want to pop over to the SSD shopping site and check them out! They are super sweet! The talented Lindsay has outdone herself again!

So, all the chatting with the lovely Sassy ladies left little time to complete this week's Dare To Be Sassy Thursday challenge. We were instructed to make a teacher's gift since school is back in session almost everywhere now. I lacked inspiration today so ended up with a card that will serve double duty as a gift card holder. As usual, I had to let my sense of humor shine through, though.... Yes, that is designer paper that says "I will not hit boys"! I hope you got a schoolgirl giggle or two out of that! :)

Card Supplies:
Images: Mrs. S (Sassy)
Ink: printer, Prismacolor Art Markers (199, 207, 149, 12, 46, 169, 62, 25)
Paper: Tempting Turquoise and Summer Sun card stock (Stampin' Up); white card stock (Staples); Black Board designer paper (DCWV)
Accessories: "Teacher" Soft Spoken embellishments (Me & My Big Ideas)