Bella Rose Recipe Box

This is a project I've been working on for our church's silent auction on the 4th of July. I love the vintage feel the recipe box has - Bella Rose designer paper worked perfectly for covering the outside and inner lining.


I used the set From the Kitchen Of to make the dividers and recipe cards. The box is a Maya Road Coffee Break Tin, which I purchased from bearybox.com.

I'm also offering this recipe box as a class in August - see my calendar for more info! :)

Raspberry Suite Challenge #10

I thought I'd try my hand at Dawn McVey's Raspberry Suite Color Challenge #10. If you haven't seen her blog, you MUST check it. She is amazing! I really admire her clean and classy style.

This is my first attempt at a Raspberry Suite challenge and I had a lot of fun inking up my new Branching Out set. I've been eyeing this set for awhile and I finally broke down and ordered it! :)

I think this color combo *may* be one of my new favorites! I used Blush Blossom, Cameo Coral, Chocolate Chip, and Very Vanilla to make this card. It's hard to see in the picture, but I used my Texturz Plates and Big Shot to add some embossed polka dots to the Cameo Coral panel on the bottom of the card base. I also added shading to several of the pieces with my trusty sponge and ink pads. I love the depth it creates!

Thanks for stopping by today, and I want to let you know that I'm putting together some designer paper, ribbon and accessories shares from the new catalog. I'll pass along some more info next week. Have a great Thursday!

Stamps: Branching Out, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Very Vanilla, Blush Blossom, Cameo Coral, Chocolate Chip
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Blush Blossom, Cameo Coral
Accessories: Texturz Plates, Big Shot, Scallop Edge punch, 1" circle punch, Small Oval punch, Mat Pack, paper piercer, Chocolate Chip wide grosgrain ribbon, Crop-A-Dile

Sweet Sunday Sketch #23

Whew! It's another hot one today, but I think this card is really COOL! :) I'm playing along with Karen Giron's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge. You can view her sketch here.

Don't you just LOVE these colors together? So bright and fun. I used the papers in the Hoppy Memories Simply Scrappin' Kit for my inspiration. Wouldn't this make a perfect birthday card for a boy? Too fun! And not a lick of stamping... See you soon!

**NOTE** I've been busy stamping, and have posted several new things in the last couple of days - make sure you scroll down and see all the fun, new projects. :)


Stamps: None
Paper: Tempting Turquoise textured cs, Whisper White, Pumpkin Pie, Chocolate Chip, Real Red, Kiwi Kiss
Ink: Tempting Turquoise
Accessories: Hoppy Memories Simply Scrappin' Kit, Small Star punch, silver brads, 1" square punch, Mat Pack, paper piercer, Real Red wide grosgrain ribbon, Chit Chat rub-ons

Hooked on You

I mentioned yesterday that my wedding anniversary is this Saturday, and I wanted to make a special card for my honey. I have seen these fish made from punches on Splitcoast and I thought it would be super cute to make them kiss! I also used this week's color challenge on Splitcoast - Pacific Point, Tangerine Tango and Summer Sun.

I think my favorite part is the little hook! I'm going to have to write something really cheesy on the inside, like "Even after all these years, I'm still hooked on you!" or "You have my heart, hook, link and sinker." *Wink*.

I made the hook from a paper clip that I had sitting in my desk. Want to make one, too? See this post for photos and instructions.

Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Whisper White, Summer Sun, Tangerin Tango, Pacifi Point dsp
Ink: Pacific Point
Accessories: Modern Label punch, 1 1/4" circle punch, Scallop Edge punch, 5-Petal Flower punch, Heart to Heart punch, 1/8" circle punch, Clips Assortment, Tangerin Tango striped grosgrain ribbon, paper clip

Tutorial - Make your own fish hook!

I was working on card tonight and needed a fish hook for an embellishment. Since it was late and I didn't feel like rummaging through our pantry, hoping to find some type of tackle box, I decided to make my own with a paper clip. I feel so clever! :)

Just in case you want to make one, too, here are some instructions. You will need a wire cutter and a round needle nose pliers.
Step 1: Unfold the paper clip to make an "S" shape.

Step 2: Use your wire cutter to snip the paper clip in half.


It should now look like this:

Step 3: Using your needle-nose pliers, fold one end back at a 90 degree angle.

Step 4: Use the pliers to round the tab you created in Step 3 into a circle, or eye.


Step 5: Use your wire cutters to snip off the opposite end of the hook to make it the appropriate length.

Use as an embellishment as desired!

Paper-Pieced Birdie

Hi all! We're trying to keep cool here, but it's not easy. All I have to say is I am VERY thankful for window air conditioners!

I wanted to play along with the CAS challenge on Splitcoast this week, which is to use paper-piecing on a card. I've been playing around with this card since last week (you may recognize the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge #21), and I thought the paper-piecing added exactly what it needed!

I used A Little Birdie Told Me (soon to be retired) to make this card, along with some of my Rainbow Sherbet dsp scraps. I also added some Tempting Turquoise grosgrain ribbon with a little button detail (love that bow with the button look - I've been seeing that all over lately). Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: A Little Birdie Told Me
Paper: Tempting Turquoise, Gable Green, Whisper White, Rainbow Sherbet dsp
Ink: Black Staz-On, Green Galore, Pumpkin Pie
Accessories: Aqua Painter, 1 1/4" square punch, Tempting Turquoise grosgrain ribbon, Certainly Celery button (retired), Round Tab punch

Beautiful Borders

This is one of my favorite cards from this month's Stamp-A-Stack. It uses the set Beautiful Borders, which will be retiring at the end of the month (which is only a little over a week away - where has June gone?!).

I was inspired by another card made with this set and you know I love this color combo! This is the card I CASE'd, from Barb Mann. It's simply lovely!

This is a very straightforward card, and the beauty of it lies in the details. I added a felt flower from Flower Fusion Too and a little paper piercing. I also love the look of the Eyelet Border punch, which gives it kind of an elegant, Victorian look.

We had a very busy weekend with a birthday party, family visits and Father's Day celebrations. I'm still recovering! :) We did have a lot of fun and enjoyed our time with our families. There are so many stamping challenges I want to get to this week! Plus my 11th wedding anniversary is on Saturday and I need to come up with something special for my hubby. Lots to do! :)

Stamps: Beautiful Borders
Paper: Pink Pirouette, Whisper White, Riding Hood Red dsp
Ink: Riding Hood Red
Accessories: Flower Fusion Too, Vintage Brads, Mat Pack, paper piercer, Eyelet Border punch, Pink Pirouette striped grosgrain ribbon, Corner Rounder

A little bit of Friday humor...

I've been super busy, getting ready for my son's birthday party and my in-laws are coming to visit for the weekend. And I finally finished Jevin's flip book last night - he will love it! I will take pictures this weekend so that I can share it with you next week.

Since I don't have a creation to share with you today, I thought I would share a laugh instead!

My wonderful friend Miguela gave this magnet to me several years ago and it still makes me chuckle when I read it. For some reason, my husband doesn't find it quite as funny... *wink*

Have a great weekend!

Simple & Sincere is on Etsy!

I am really excited to let you all know that I now have a little store at Etsy. You can visit the Simple & Sincere Store by clicking here, or see my Etsy link in the right column. Go check it out, and check back often to see what I've added! :)

Love Sparkles Flip Book

I made this flip book using the Love Sparkles Simply Scrappin' Kit. I will be presenting this as a class at the Rhapsody Art Gallery in Verona on June 27 - see my calendar for more details if you are interested in the class. Contact me ASAP if you would like to attend, as I need to order materials this weekend to make sure they are here in time.

A peek at one of the pages and flaps...

The view of the book from the top, showing off all the folds and flaps.

These mini scrapbooks are so fun to make! The finished books are 6"x6" and there are tons of places to tuck pictures, a little journaling and memorabilia. I love the fact that the Simply Scrappin' Kits have everything you need to make the flip books - all you need is some adhesive and ribbon.

I actually made one for my mom for her birthday, but forgot to take pictures of it before I gave it to her. Trust me, it turned out super cute! And she LOVED it - but it was filled with pictures of my kids, so she would have loved it anyway! :) I am also making one for my son, for his 5th birthday (which is this Saturday - yikes!) using the Hoppy Memories Simply Scrappin' Kit. I have the book put together and the pages decorated with the self-adhesive die cuts, now I just need to add the pictures. I'll share it with you when I'm finished.

Stamps: None
Paper: Love Sparkles Simply Scrappin' Kit
Ink: None
Accessories: Scallop Circle die, Big Shot, So Saffron Poly-Twill Ribbon

Unforgettable Friend

I decided to play along with the Taylored Expressions Cupcake Challenge this week. I've been following Taylor's blog for quite some time, and I'm glad to have a chance to try out this sketch.

To make my card, I used the set Happy Heart Day, which is on the Last Chance List. I'll be sad to see this set go - I think the elephant and mouse images are just adorable.

I paper-pieced my elephant and colored the flowers using my Aqua Painter and So Saffron, Pumpkin Pie, Riding Hood Red and Kiwi Kiss ink pads. I added just a bit of Crystal Effects to the flowers and heart in the elephant's trunk, for a little added dimension.

I really like the finished card. It's fun to use so many different pieces of designer series paper, which are from the Washington Apple dsp. This is such a fun, happy color combo - sure to brighten someone's day. :)

Stamps: Happy Heart Day
Paper: Bashful Blue, Riding Hood Red, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White, Washington Apple dsp
Ink: Black Staz-On, So Saffron, Riding Hood Red, Pumpkin Pie, Kiwi Kiss
Accessories: Aqua Painter, Coluzzle, Button Bouquet

Christmas in (almost) July

Another week, another Clean and Simple challenge on Splitcoast... This week's challenge is a sketch, based on a card which you can view here. Such a lovely, basic layout - gotta love it. :)

I decided to use one of my new hostess sets, Christmas Punch, which will be featured in the 2009-2010 Idea Book. I know it's a little early for Christmas, but who says I can't get a head start?

Here are the details on the card construction: first, I stamped the snowflakes with Baja Breeze ink on Whisper White card stock. I layered that onto a piece of Riding Hood Red cs, and a Baja Breeze card (final card size: 5"x5"). I added some paper piercing around the Riding Hood Red square, to frame the snowflakes.

For the sentiment, I stamped it once in Riding Hood Red ink on Whisper White cs and once in Baja Breeze ink. Before stamping the Baja Breeze image, I colored the words with my Chocolate Chip marker. I trimmed my Baja Breeze oval to fit inside the Riding Hood Red scallop oval (punched with the Scallop Oval punch) and added a flower from the Trio Flower punch, along with a half-pearl from the Pretties Kit. Put it all together, add a piece of Baja Breeze ribbon, and the card is done.

I'll be back tomorrow with my first Taylored Expressions Cupcake Challenge - see you then!

Stamps: Christmas Punch
Paper: Baja Breeze, Riding Hood Red, Whisper White
Ink: Baja Breeze, Riding Hood Red, Chocolate Chip marker
Accessories: Mat Pack, paper piercer, Baja Breeze striped grosgrain ribbon, Scallop Oval punch, Trio Flower punch, Pretties Kit

Sweet Sunday Sketch #22

It's still Sunday and I actually have the Sweet Sunday Sketch DONE! I can't believe it - I don't think that has ever happened before! When I saw this week's sketch, I knew exactly what I wanted to do and this card came together very quickly. I love how this card showcases the lovely Bella Rose designer series paper (soon to be retiring).

I accented the dsp with a little paper piercing and Riding Hood Red Taffeta Ribbon. The sentiment is from the set Lovely Labels, also on the Last Chance List. I'm trying to burn through some of my retiring stamp sets and supplies as a kind of fond farewell. :)

Here's a shot of the detailing I added to the "Thank You" image - a flower from the Trio Flower punch and a half-pearl from the Pretties Kit. I think it adds just the right touch.


We had a busy, but fun, weekend and the weather was wonderful. I know this week will fly by, as I prepare for my in-laws' visit and my son's 5th birthday party. Whew! It will be a crazy week, but we are all excited to celebrate Jevin's birthday. Have a fantastic day!

Stamps: Lovely Labels
Paper: Pink Pirouette textured cs, Whisper White, Kiwi Kiss, Bella Rose dsp
Ink: Riding Hood Red
Accessories: Coluzzle, Nestablilies, Big Shot, 1 3/8" circle punch, paper piercer, Mat Pack, Riding Hood Red Taffeta Ribbon, Trio Flower punch, Pretties Kit

Punchy Puppy

When I saw this little puppy on Mercedes Weber's blog, I fell in love. He is so sweet, and made entirely with punches. I liked Mercedes' card so much, I case'd it for our last downline swap. Our challenge was to use black, white and a splash of color.

Want to see another puppy card? Visit LeeAnn Greff's blog and check out her little cutie. LeeAnn was also kind enough to breakdown the punches used to make the pup:
1 1/4" Circle - face
Wide Oval punch - muzzle
Word window punch - ears & eye patch
Ticket Corner punch - nose
Double Circle punch - eyes
Horizontal Slot punch - tongue

The bone is made with the Word Window punch and the Heart to Heart punch. I made a template and traced it into Whisper White card stock, cut it out, and stamped the sentiment (from One Smart Cookie, which will be retiring at the end of the month).

Have a fantastic Friday!

Scallop Envelope Box + Mini Card Set

Today I have a fun little gift card set to show you, which I made using my Scallop Envelop Die and my Big Shot. One of the benefits of being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator is the access to all of the amazing project ideas on the demo web site, which is where I found the instructions for this project. The original idea and instructions came from Chat Wszelaki.


I had so much fun making my mini note cards with my sneak peek goodies, that I decided to make it into a gift set. This will be going to a special friend who is kind enough to pass along all of her daughter's clothes to my little one and I appreciate her generosity SO much!

I filled this envelope box with four mini note cards and four coordinating envelopes (had to stamp those, too)! This is what the box looks like when it is full of all of the hand stamped goodies.


This is the box when it is empty - too sweet! :) Think of all the fun stuff you could put in here...

The box is very easy to make. I used my Big Shot to cut out two Scallop Envelopes and cut two panels to adhere to the sides and secured the bottom flaps together, all with Sticky Strip. I added a piece of Razzleberry Lemonade designer paper to the front of the box, along with a Flower Designer Brad and a piece of Rich Razzleberry Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon. I think this would make a perfect little gift to say thank you, or just to brighten someone's day.

Stamps: Kind and Caring Thoughts
Paper: Rich Razzleberry, Melon Mambo, Crushed Curry, Whisper White
Ink: Rich Razzleberry
Accessories: Big Shot, Scallop Envelope die, Sticky Strip, Flower Designer Brad, Rich Razzleberry Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon
For a complete list of supplies for the cards, click here.

Summer Seashell

Oooooh... I'm going to miss this set. Seaside has so many lovely images, and it will be retiring at the end of this month. It's also perfect for this week's Clean and Simple challenge on Splitcoast. The challenge is to use pink or coral, with Kraft and one other coordinating color - I chose Baja Breeze.

I stamped the shell in VersaMark on a piece of Whisper White card stock. Using my Stampin' Pastels, I colored the shell using the Poppin' Pastels technique. It's very simple - use a sponge dauber to rub the chalk color of your choice (in this case, Cameo Coral) over the VersaMark image and you get this wonderful soft and delicate effect. So pretty! This technique also works really well with bold images.

I added a narrow strip of Baja Breeze cs, along with a piece of Cameo Coral cs and layered the image onto my Kraft card. I stamped the sentiment (from Trendy Trees) with Whisper White Craft ink. I finished the card off with two lil' buttons from my Button Bouquet stash. I really like the soft, fresh look this card has - it is so "summery." The finished card measures 3"x6".

Stamps: Seaside, Trendy Trees
Paper: Kraft, Cameo Coral, Baja Breeze, Whisper White
Ink: VersaMark
Accessories: Stampin' Pastels, sponge dauber, Scallop Edge punch, Corner Rounder, Mat Pack, paper piercer, hemp twine, Button Bouquet

Sneak Peek + FTL 45

Happy Monday, everyone! I'm excited to share some more sneak peek items with you today, including some more of the new In Colors. I decided to use this week's Fall to Layout from Clean & Simple Stamping. There were two versions of the sketch, so I made one of each. :)

These are mini cards - just 3"x3". Perfect for a gift tag or a little note to slip into a lunch box or briefcase. I am loving these new In Colors! I used Rich Razzleberry, Crushed Curry and Melon Mambo, along with the coordinating designer paper, Razzleberry Lemonade.

The image is from one of the new Level 3 hostess sets - Kind and Caring Thoughts. I can tell that this will be a set that I will be using a lot!

Thanks for stopping by! See you soon. :)

Stamps: Kind and Caring Thoughts
Paper: Rich Razzleberry textured cs, Crushed Curry, Melon Mambo, Whisper White, Razzleberry Lemonade dsp
Ink: Rich Razzleberry
Accessories: Chit Chat rub-ons, 1 1/4" circle punch, 1 3/8" circle punch, Scallop punch, Mat Pack, Paper Piercer, Rich Razzleberry Polka Dot Grosgrain Ribbon, Crop-A-Dile, Corner Rounder, Scallop Edge punch, Button Latte, Hemp Twine

Sneak Peek - Lots of Bots

Oooooh! I was so excited to sit down and play with some of my NEW stamps and In Colors last night. It's always fun to have new toys, yes?

This adorable little robot comes from one of the new sets from the 2009-2010 Idea Book, called Lots of Bots. There are other fun robot images and expressions included in this set - perfect for those guy cards. My son always helps me assemble my stamp sets, and he especially liked this one. We kept reading the expressions in robot voices and he just laughed and laughed (and so did I!).

This card also features three of the new In Colors - Soft Suede, Bermuda Bay, and Crushed Curry. And guess what? I used my new In Color markers to color some of the image. Yup, you got it, we now have coordinating In Color markers - wahoo! The ribbon is also a new accessory - love those polka dots!

I hope you have a great weekend - I'll be busy stamping for a good part of it, but also plan to work in the garden and head to the Summer Frolic in Mt. Horeb. See you next week!

Stamps: Lots of Bots
Paper: Soft Suede, Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry
Ink: Black Staz-On, Soft Suede, Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry
Accessories: Aqua Painter, Mat Pack, paper piercer, 1 3/8" circle punch, Soft Suede Polka Dot 1/2" Grosgrain Ribbon

Super Simple Silhouette

Today's card is one of your quick and dirty, ultra-simple cards. I like the simplicity and elegance of this card.

I find it's nice to have a stack of cards like this on hand - generic, all-purpose greeting with a simple layout. They are perfect to send to someone to let them know you are thinking of them.

Well, I just *may* have received a HUGE box of new goodies from Stampin' Up! yesterday! Oh, how I love sneak peek items - hee hee. I'm really hoping to organize my new toys so that I can give you a little peek at some of my fun new things - I think you'll be just as excited as I am! :)

Stamps: Pocket Silhouettes
Paper: Kiwi Kiss, Confetti Cream
Ink: Kiwi Kiss, Chocolate Chip
Accessories: Kiwi Kiss satin ribbon, Mat Pack, Paper piercer

Sock Monkey Gift Set

A young lady who regularly attends our mother/daughter stamp class is having a birthday party on Saturday and I am lucky enough to be invited! She told me that she likes sock monkeys, so I thought I would make up a little gift set for her.

I got the idea for this mini bulletin board from Karla Anders and Rachel Durtschi. They demo'd a similar project at one of their Big Shot classes and I thought it was so clever!

This is a little brag book that the birthday girl can use to put all of the fab pictures of her friends from her party (or whenever!).

I love that little sock monkey - he's so cheeky! Both of these projects were pretty quick to put together and I had all of the supplies on hand, except for the cork. Read on to find out more about the supplies. See you back soon!

Stamps: Socky Monkey
Paper: Bella Rose dsp, Whisper White, Real Red, Summer Sun
Ink: Black Staz-On, Close to Cocoa, Creamy Caramel, Real Red, Summer Sun
Accessories: 1 1/4" circle punch, 1 3/8" circle punch, Scallop punch, Aqua Painter, Crop-a-Dile, Jumbo Eyelets, Chocolate Chip wide grosgrain ribbon, Real Red wide grosgrain ribbon, cork, photo album