Our next little one is expected to arrive this spring and we are all over the moon. Feeling blessed.

Friends and family have know for some time now. But I have been having some struggles for the past few months (with my health – the pregnancy and baby are great), so I just have kept a bit quiet about it. But since the doctor has given me the OK to go to CHA, I thought it would be good to share here to avoid people wondering when they saw my new “enhanced belly size” in the next few days.

I am so very happy to welcome a new future stamper to this world very soon.

Hope you have a great day.

(Oh, and note to self: red striped shirts on a big belly = giant candy cane. Ha.)

It has been dreary around here a lot lately. So when I woke up (to more rain) but then saw this happy video, I knew I had to share it with you all…

If you have read here before, you know I have a great love for Lawn Fawn Stamps. They have such a happy, unique style and their owner is a gem. And these new papers, stickers and twine called Bright Side? Just another way they are spreading a little sunshine in our crafting world. So sweet.

For more info, click them out HERE.

Hope this brightened your day.

Today I am part of a Go To Gals Product Challenge Blog Hop. We will all be using goodies from A Muse Studios… and I love their products. And we are all doing the different takes on the same stamp, much like you see in the new Stamp It! 3 Ways Paper Crafts Issue…

I used the A Muse harlequin background stamp but added lines to it with a Silver (grey) Spica Glitter Pen to make it argyle. The little bit of shine is really eye-catching in person. I used a silver paper for the matting, too. The vintage textbook butterflies were die cut with A Muse butterfly dies – they come three in a pack. I inked them with Hero Arts Wet Cement Ink (a great gray ink) and sprayed them with pearlized water for shine. The body of the butterfly is made up of white pearls colored “silver” with a T5 Copic Marker. And I tore the antennae off an old craft project.

Oh, and see how nice that pink ink stamped? That is the Hero Arts Bubble Gum Shadow Ink that dries smooth. Love…

A closer look at the shine – wish it showed up better…

So next be sure to check out the other Go To Gal blogs, and the Paper Crafts Connections blog…

• Teri Anderson
• Julie Campbell
• Kim Kesti
• Windy Robinson
• Betsy Veldman
• Paper Crafts Connection

If you are looking for someone who sells A Muse Studio products (you have to buy from demonstrators), I have heard great things about Lianna – you can shop online with her HERE.

When putting this card together, I realized I had two of these great butterfly die sets! (I loved it so much I bought it twice. Eek.) So… I am giving one set away. For your chance to win the A Muse butterfly die set, just leave a comment here by Friday at 11:59pm EST. Good luck…

Have a great day. See you soon.

InLinkz.com

We are about to start a pretty decent sized remodel here at the small McGuire household. Part of what we are doing is moving my studio up from a big anything-goes basement area to a smaller more-office-like area upstairs. I am craving smaller – more contained, more compact, more accessible, less overwhelming. This also means I have a ton to purge! Some of this is product I received directly from companies. This will be donated, as I don’t feel it is right to sell. But I also have a lot of goodies I have purchased that need new homes, too. All of it is good crafty stuff – I just have too much of it.

So! I am selling some boxes of goodies here. I have done this in the past, but was inspired by Kristina (thanks your your help, K) to get some stuff out the door sooner than later. The money I receive from this will cover the costs of the Cards That Care Card Drive I did last month.

What’s in a box?

I have put together 13 flat rate shipping boxes filled the the rim with lots of crafty stuff. The contents are a surprise! Each box will have a good size stack of 12×12 paper (Basic Grey, shaped Bazzill, etc.), many stamps (wood, clear. alpha sets and such), embellishments, an ink or two, etc. Some may have a punch, 6×6 paper pad or favorite paints, etc. Most is product that has never been used… some stamps have been used… only a few letter sticker sheets are missing a few letters. Some product is older, some is newer. But I promise there is good stuff. A few of the boxes have some of the same product, so buy more than one at your own risk of getting doubles.

I have 13 boxes for $45.00 each – with free US shipping. Trust me – the goodies in these boxes add up to a lot more than this cost.

Shipping

Everything is in a USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate box…

• For those in the US, shipping is included/free.
• For those in Canada or Mexico, shipping will be an additional $16. You will get another separate Paypal invoice for this extra $16.
• For those anywhere out there, shipping will be an additional $33. (Sorry – going by USPS prices!) You will get another separate Paypal invoice for this extra $33.

How to Buy

Interested in buying? Read all the details? Click below. There are only 13, so when they are gone, the button will no longer work. (But I will have more in the future. Promise.)

ALL HAVE SOLD – THANK YOU!

Thank you!

Hope you all had a good weekend.

Before I share a card for today, I wanted to give a heads up — I will be selling some supplies on my blog this week. I have 13 boxes of awesomeness packed and ready for a new home. (The money earned from these sales will cover the Cards that Care shipping I did last month.) So if you are interested, stay tuned. They will likely go fast.

On to the card…

This bad boy is a bold one – but I enjoy the unexpected. I used THIS awesome die from Memory Box. (They are one of my favorite companies.) It was a reject from an assignment. Oh well…

I die cut the butterfly from different papers and assembled them together. Fun and easy. Oh, and the die cuts one wing. To get the mirror image other wing, just die cut the back of the paper.

Oh – and the winner of the Frame Cut prize is Jo R. I emailed you.

Have a good week.

Just popping in to share a card. This was a card I created for class, but didn’t like. But I never pitch anything – I figure every card (good or bad) will makes someone smile when they get it in the mail.

This one uses a new technique I shared over in the Clean and Simple Card Making Class. If you are in the class, you will recognize the technique. Very easy to do – just some Distress Inks and water…

Supplies are all linked below in the thumbnails.

Fun to play with color like this. Oh, and it isn’t too late to join in the class and get the discounts, prize chances, lifetime access, etc. Go HERE for more info.

I also have some fun links for you tonight. Lovely stuff:

• You MUST stop by Kelly Rasmussen’s blog this week. She is doing some amazing cards with Hero stamps. Lovely work.
• I have really enjoy Marion Vagg‘s work lately. So very classy.
• Cheiron makes the most beautiful cards. THIS makes me happy.

Finally, we have a winner of Amy’s class – SuZeQ. I emailed ya.

Thanks for stopping by!

The adorable Amy Tangerine asked me if I would participate in a blog hop in celebration of her newest product lines with American Crafts. I was happier to do so and even happier when I got to see the product shot I get to share. Love it.

Her newest collection is called Sketchbook…

(Side note: Dude. I want that dress. Love.)

“Vibrant colors drip off the page in the latest Amy Tangerine collection, Sketchbook. Featuring hand-drawn details and a bold watercolor effect, Sketchbook bursts with eclectic goodness for your everyday projects. Splash some color on life.”

And check out this great product shot. Yum…

Nice, huh? So, here’s a chance to win some goodies – the entire Sketchbook collection! Head on over next to loveable Kelly Purkey’s blog. Follow the hop along until you reach the American Crafts blog and you can leave a comment about what products you liked best. Good luck!

Oh, and we have some winners to announce:

• The lucky one who will get the bunch of Mid-Tone Inks is Susan McRae.
• The happy gal who will get the Paper Smooches set is Theresa Neubaum. 

Happy day.

Today I have a video I put together for the fab Simon Says Stamp folks. In it, I show Hero Arts Frame Cuts. Frame Cuts are thin, open dies that match up with many of Hero Arts stamps. These dies are unique… here’s why…

Hero Arts has also put together a key showing which stamps match with which dies. You can find this download HERE. When shopping, look for the orange letter sticker on the top of the Frame Cut package. Then find the stamp with the matching letter sticker. These will match! Also, if you go to Simon Says Stamp and click on a Frame Cut set, you can scroll down to the ‘related products” and see the stamps that match.

Here are the matches:

You can see all the Frame Cuts HERE and find the matching stamps HERE at Simon Says Stamp.

In the video I talk about the plates needed for these thin dies. HOWEVER, if you already have a machine and plates that cut other thin dies on the market, then you are set! You will be able to use these the same way. If you need plates for your Big Shot to make thin dies work, check THIS bundle out. This set will give you everything you need for thin dies, embossing folders, etc. If you have a Vagabond, get THIS and you are set. Sizzix discontinued other plates (the universal ones) and these are the new replacements. The nice thing is that you can use long dies with these longer plates.

The sweet folks at Simon Says Stamp is letting me giveaway the Hearts Frame Cut set! Just leave a comment here by Thursday at 11:59pm EST. Good luck.

Hope this helps! Enjoy.

I am just popping in to give away a spot in the Stretch Your  Kit Class over at Studio Calico. I mentioned it to you all last week… but now I have a spot to give away.

Here is a bit about the class:

Are you ready to jumpstart the way you look at supplies?  Tired of letting your kits pile up month after month without touching them?  Ready to pull out the tools you have on hand and put them to use? Amy Tan is here to help show you how to see the Studio Calico Main kits in new ways and get those supplies onto your pages.  She’s ready to share tips and tricks on making your kit supplies stretch to create beautiful page after page. Known for her playful and innovative pages, Amy is the perfect teacher to help you stretch your kits.  She’ll walk you through ideas for breaking open those brown paper bags and seeing your kits in a fun new way.  Amy and Studio Calico kits… what a great combination! Amy is joined by creative powerhouses Kelly Goree, Celine Navarro, and Jen Jockisch who will all share inspiration for using ONLY the Studio Calico Main kit.  You’ll see their process for getting started on a layout, selecting which supplies to pull from the kits, and tips for using their favorite tools and techniques. Starts 2/1/12 and costs $30.

For more information, click HERE.

Want to win a spot in the Stretch Your Kit class? Just leave a comment here by Wednesday at 11:59pm EST. Good luck!

In the past few months, I have fallen in love with the stamps from Paper Smooches. They are just so stinkin’ happy… and they make me happy.

On January 15th, Paper Smooches is releasing their newest and third set from their Kismet collection called ” Healthy Vibes.” Today I get to give you a peek at this set… and give one away…

I stamped and paper pieced the bands-aid and added them to the card… hanging on the front edge. (I like doing things like this because Hallmark doesn’t – hee.) And my favorite thing about Paper Smooches stamps? Their greetings. I LOVE their greeting styles. So I used one for the background and one for the main greeting. (And this set has many upbeat “get well” messages, which I find I need often.) Oh, and Glossy Accents on the hearts…

I think this happy card is sure to at least bring a smile to the face of a loved one who needs it, don’t you think? I sure hope so.

Great news! I have a “Healthy Vibes” stamp set – the one I used here – to give away to a lucky person! You have until midnight EST on January 15th to leave a comment.

And! For more chances to win… please visit the Paper Smooches Blog and the blog of the fabulous Lori Craig.

Enjoy.