such an appropriate challenge for this week!  this Design Team term for Perfect Sentiments closes with this challenge, and i couldn’t think of a more appropriate way to thank Jennipher and all of the girls i had the pleasure of working with over the course of the last three months!  i have had the ability to participate in some fun challenges that really pushed me outside of my box and gave me the ability to do something i don’t normally do.  i’m really excited about what is in store for Perfect Sentiments Challenge blog going forward – i hope to be able to continue to play along when i have the time!  i appreciate all of the comments, followers, and new friends i have made throughout my term with Perfect Sentiments as well – your kind words all make it worth creating for this blog

now, on to the sketch!

a really fun, really versatile sketch to work with!  i had several ideas for this sketch, so i may end up using it again sometime!  your challenge this week is to create a card with a “thank you” sentiment and the twist is to use this sketch (and the Design Team’s examples!) as inspiration for your creation.  we welcome back Pattie’s Creations as this week’s fabulous prize sponsor – Pattie is giving a random winner the digital stamp of their choice from her Etsy shop!  LUCKY!

you will have until 10PM EST on Tuesday, January 3, 2012 to get your submissions linked up to the inLinkz on the Perfect Sentiments blog, for your chance to be one of the “Perfect 3″ for the week and the random draw for the prize from Pattie’s Creations!  take a stroll over to the Perfect Sentiments blog for more info, then visit the other Designers’ blogs to gather up inspo!

★   JENNIPHER   ★   SAMI   ★   SARAH   ★   JAN   ★   SASSY   ★   ABBY   ★  ROCHELLE   ★   STACEY   ★   TERE   ★   THERESA   ★  MAGGIE (GUEST DESIGNER)   ★  SAM (GUEST DESIGNER)   ★

 here’s what i have to inspire you this week – i really love how this card turned out:

this picture really does it no justice!  it is so sparkly and beautiful in person!!!

thank YOU so very much for following along with me during my time with Perfect Sentiments – i really have had a great time working with this Design Team and being part of something so dynamic and inspiring!  i hope you will all continue to stop by my blog when you have time and leave some love or just say hello!  and definitely keep checking back for more fantastic challenges at Perfect Sentiments!!!

don’t forget, the winners from the challenge two weeks ago will be posted on the blog on Friday!  stop back by then to see if you’re one of them!

thank you again, best wishes for a happy New Year to everyone!

SUPPLIES:

• Cardstock – Bazzill
• Patterned Paper – My Mind’s Eye
• Transparent Ticket – 7gypsies
• Vintage Mirror – Prima (from Paper Lovelies December ’11 kit)
• Bling – Kaisercraft (from Paper Lovelies December ’11 kit); Walmart
• Butterfly – Jenni Bowlin Studio
• Ribbon – Offray
• “happiness” sticker – October Afternoon
• Alpha – EK Success

okay, first of all, let me just say this:

i. am. freezing.

WHO ORDERED THIS WEATHER? i live in Texas, for crying out loud, it should not be this dang cold!  it’s 40 degrees (feels like 35) with light rain here, and i’m freakin’ out!!!  i guess it could be worse – i could still be in OHIO (currently 28 feels like 28 there with 0 precip…), or in SPOKANE, WA, with my BFF Ryan (currently 20 feels like 20 with snow in the forecast for tomorrow), or in beautiful WASILLA, AK, (currently a completely, utterly nasty 7 degrees with 0 precip!) where Carrie and Paper Lovelies are spreading some Christmas cheer with their latest kit!  i don’t know how you do it up there, guys, but i have respect for you – i would love to come see Wasilla… in the summer… 

beautiful segway, right?  yeah, i worked on that for a while

so the new kit is out as of the 23rd!  super duper excited about this kit – Carrie has such beautiful taste and the kits always come together so well!  this kit has a little bit of everything you need to do some shabby / vintagey winter pages, packed full of Webster’s Pages “Winter Fairy Tales” line.

i mean, absolutely. gorgeous.

so many fun extras too!  i especially loved playing with the bling strip – it was so hard to figure out where i wanted to incorporate it because i wanted to use it for too many different things!  it’s so fun!!!  this kit is PACKED, too, i mean… stuffed.  the box was really heavy!  you really can’t beat this deal – you will definitely get more than your $15′s worth!  the January 2012 Paper Lovelies kit includes:

• 12 sheets double-sided Webster’s Pages “Winter Fairy Tales” patterned paper
• 1 Webster’s Pages “Winter Fairy Tales” die cut paper
• 1 Webster’s Pages Storytellers alpha
• 1 Webster’s Pages 8″ bling strip
• 2 Webster’s Pages “Winter Fairy Tales” Sentiment fabric tickets
• 2 Webster’s Pages 12″ Bloomer trims
• 2 Webster’s Pages Feather Flowers
• 2 Webster’s Pages Pins

i really enjoyed working with this line – it’s definitely a different spin on Christmas/winter themed pages, and the elements all work really well together whether you have a card or layout in mind.  this would probably also make some fabulous Christmas gift projects

here is what i came up with to inspire you for this month’s kit:

okay, so i like seriously have not done an actual scrapbook page in FOREVER.  this was huge for me.  i’m really surprised at how it turned out, not my typical style at all but it has grown on me the more i have looked at it.  i just hate that i’m not a big journaler though.  i know that’s the point but i guess i do a pretty good job of telling the story the way i see it as art on a page.  i guess that’s why i tend to lean toward cards so much more often.

well at any rate… just wanted to share that and wish everyone a Merry Christmas from our family to yours – Happy Holidays, Hannukah, Ramadan, Kwanzaa… whatever it is you do, do it BIG and enjoy the time with whoever you’re with wherever you are.  God bless.

DON’T FORGET – Perfect Sentiments challenge is observing the holiday this week and you still have until Tuesday to get those Anniversary Inspiration cards in!  keep ‘em comin’, people!

peace, love and blessings.

PPS – my apologies for the heavy, unnecessary overuse of animated GIFs in this post.  i couldn’t help myself.

SUPPLIES:

Card

• Patterned Paper, Die Cut Paper, Feather Flower, Fabric Ticket – Webster’s Pages “Winter Fairy Tale” from Paper Lovelies January 2012 kit
• Pearls – Hobby Lobby (personal stash)
• Glitter Sticker Borders – Doodlebug
• Roses – Prima “North Country”

“there was a girl named COURTNEY”

Patterned Paper, Bling Strip, Rosette Trim, green/purple alpha, Feather Flower – Webster’s Pages “Winter Fairy Tale” from Paper Lovelies January 2012 kit

• Gold Alpha – American Crafts
• Roses – Prima “North Country”
• Buttons – misc.
• Chip Hearts – K & Co.
• Chip Clouds – Studio Calico
• Label / Tab stickers – Crate Paper “Random”
• Gold Uniball
• Heidi Swapp edge distresser

hi everyone!

this week’s Perfect Sentiments challenge is another great card to make for your “stash” – wedding anniversaries always seem to sneak up on me, and it is really nice to have a card all ready to go!  this week’s challenge is to make a card with a sentiment for a wedding anniversary – and as a twist, use this photo as your inspiration for your creation:

use the image in any way that strikes your fancy – there is a lot of inspiration for this challenge here – ruffles, white/black with a bit of pink, even the star on the wall – let your creativity run wild!!!

this week’s sponsor is Shelly’s Images:

Shelly is giving away a $9 voucher (equal to 3 digi images) to one lucky random winner!  some really cute images over there, you should definitely stop by and check out what Shelly has to offer!  as always, we will be selecting a “Perfect 3″ as well, so get your entries linked up to the blog for your chance to win either of these prizes!  stop by the blog on Friday to see the past week’s “Perfect 3″ and winner of the challenge prize!

here is what i came up with for inspiration for you this week!

oh, how i love my Silhouette!  there’s always something on there that inspires me – this diecut was the inspiration/starter for this card, i really think it turned out great!!!

don’t forget to stop by the rest of the Design Team’s blogs to check out what they have to inspire you with as well!

★   JENNIPHER   ★   SAMI   ★   SARAH   ★   JAN   ★   SASSY   ★   ABBY   ★   KIMBERLY   ★  ROCHELLE   ★   STACEY   ★   TERE   ★   THERESA   ★  MAGGIE (GUEST DESIGNER)   ★  SAM (GUEST DESIGNER)   ★

get your creations linked up to the Perfect Sentiments blog no later than Tuesday, December 20th @ 10:00PM EST via the inLinkz at the bottom of this week’s challenge post… we are all excited to see your creations for this challenge!  we really appreciate all of you who have come out and participated in our challenges and made this new challenge blog a fun place!  although my Design Team stint with this group is coming to a close at the end of the month, i really hope to be able to continue to participate in their challenges when i can in the future, because it’s always really nice to have inspiration for a card i wouldn’t have thought of making!  i’m certain that Perfect Sentiments will continue to be a wonderful place for inspiration and fun challenges, and for creative minds to come together and share what they have made!  thank you from all of us for making this challenge blog a success so far – we are really enjoying inspiring you and being inspired by what you create!

well, i’m off to watch “The Help” – it looks amazing  then to straighten up my craft area – i completely rearranged my entire bedroom/crafty space tonight so now there is a huge pile of miscellany on my desk that needs to find a home so i can get back to crafting ASAP! good luck to everyone on this week’s challenge & happy scrappin’!

SUPPLIES:

• Cardstock – Colorbok
• Patterned Paper, Lace, Silver Ribbon, Pearls – Hobby Lobby
• Journal Spot – Making Memories
• Rub-on – Heidi Swapp
• Twine – We R Memory Keepers
• Button, Rose – Walmart
• Diecut – couple with umbrella by Cali Arroyo for Silhouette Online Store

well, i have TWO bits of amazing news to share today! 

#1 – i have been selected as a 2012 Design Team Member for The Sampler Kit Club!!! !!!!!  really excited about this opportunity!  The Sampler Kit Club is a part of Scrapbooking Supplies R Us.  their kits are fantastic – every month’s kit is chock-full of an assortment of the latest and greatest products out there, with a little bit of everything (tons of embellishments!) to help you create fabulous scrapbook pages, cards, and other paper crafting projects.  i am joining five very talented crafters to work with The Sampler’s kits and blog, and i know we are going to ROCK their kits and there will be lots of great inspo for you each month – in addition to some fun giveaways, contests, challenges, and more to come in 2012!  i was FLOORED when i got the email from Holly (the owner) the other day, it totally made my day!!!

i will not be working with their kits until January, but in the meantime you can stop by their store and check out this month’s kit – it’s LOADED with Christmas-y goodies from some of the hottest collections right now – American Crafts “Father Christmas”, Crate Paper’s “Peppermint”, MME, Core’Dinations, Hambly… and so much more!  SO AWESOME!  i almost want to order it for myself!!  (too bad, hubby has me on a spending freeze… i went a little crazy last month and spent this month’s allowance… okay, i went a LOT crazy…)  you should definitely click your way over to their site and check it out – and grab one for yourself before they run out!

[ photo via The Sampler ]

isn’t it exciting?!?  browse over to the kit’s page by clicking the link or the photo to get the entire list of what this kit includes, and then hop on over to their BLOG because they are also having a pretty sweet giveaway!  FIVE (5) complete Crate Paper “Peppermint” Collection kits (+ a few extra goodies!) are up for grabs – all you have to do is leave a comment on the 2012 Design Team Announcement post, and for an extra chance to win, share the link with your friends and leave another comment letting us know!  spread the word – this is BIG!!!

speaking of “Peppermint”, this is a great opportunity to segway into the next part of my news!!!

B.)  I WON!!!!!!!!!  (me, who never wins anything!)  on a whim, i decided to participate in the Two Peas in a Bucket Blog Hop last month, and i’m excited (SUPER EXCITED) to say that i actually won the entire “Peppermint” collection from Crate Paper!  after a snafu resulting from my not having correct address info on my Two Peas profile, and the package being shipped to my old house, rerouted, finally returned to Two Peas, then shipped to my new house… on Saturday, i came back from a Walmart trip to my hubby announcing that a package from Two Peas showed up while i was gone!  i had been waiting anxiously for this prize ever since i found out that i won!

[ photo via Kristina Nicolai-White ]

 i had to steal Kristina’s pic of the prize, since it has been rather gloomy around here and there is no getting any good photos of anything!  i may attempt to do that, if the sun ever decides to show back up!  but, really, pictures won’t even do this collection justice.  vintagey, cute, Christmas-y goodness…  buttons, brads, TONS of papers and stickers… i can’t wait to have a chance to sit down and make something with this stuff!  i really think this is the first time in history that i’ve had an ENTIRE collection all at the same time.  i’ve been really partial to collections lately, it just makes everything so much easier when the supplies you have to work with all coordinate.  i’m extremely grateful to Kristina for all the extra work and stress that she had to deal with throughout the package being lost, then finally returned, and for selecting me as a winner!  maybe i should just decide to play along with stuff more often, on a whim!

YOU COULD BE NEXT!!! get your hiney over to The Sampler’s Blog and comment on today’s post for your chance to win one of FIVE “Peppermint” collections!!!

i’m really excited.  i don’t know how many other times i have said that throughout this post, but i really can’t say it enough.  i’m excited about this new opportunity, excited to get to know the talented ladies i will be working with next year, and excited to get to work with “Peppermint” and all the Christmas photos we’ve taken so far, and those yet to be taken!

as always, thank you so much for stopping by and for sharing in my joy over this good news!!!  i’ll be back on Wednesday with another Perfect Sentiments Challenge for you — don’t forget to stop by Perfect Sentiments Blog and check out our winner and “Perfect 3″ for last week – plus, you still have until tomorrow night to participate in this week’s challenge and enter for a chance to win an A|Muse Studio gift certificate or join the ranks of the “Perfect 3″!!!  good luck to everyone, and happy crafting!

Another Perfect Sentiments challenge!!!  yay!  i don’t have much time to post as i am trying to make “Lego Head” cake pops for my son’s classroom birthday treat tomorrow – expect pictures if they turn out good

this week’s challenge is to create a card that reflects a sentiment for Christmas – and as a twist, make it sparkle!!!  use glitter, shimmer mists, glittered cardstock, or whatever you can find that sparkles – the possibilities are endless, and you can never have too much glitter!  (this is literally a personal philosophy of mine, if you ever meet me in person you will understand, as i am usually covered in it from head to toe!)

in addition to the opportunity to be one of our “Perfect 3″ this week, we are also proud to have Kania’s A|Muse Studio sponsoring this challenge!  Sami has graciously offered a $15 gift certificate for one lucky, random winner!!!  (Regretfully, if you are a prize winner who lives outside of the United States, we are unable to award you a physical prize. By the time we have to do the customs paperwork and everything associated with sending parcels out of the United States, it always costs more than what the prize is worth in most cases, and this includes Canada, unless you have a Post Office Box in the United States. APO and PPO box addresses are considered US.) If you live outside of the U.S. and you win we will award you with a digital prize that can be sent electronically via email. Thanks for your understanding.

my take on this challenge was one that i’ve been wanting to do for a while with one of my Christmas cards for this year – and the glitter twist was definitely something i wanted to make part of this design.  i’m not as pleased with this card as i thought i would be, but it’s still really cute!

i totally love this die cut!  i might just use it again, with a different card!

check out the examples from the rest of our design team and our guest designers on their blogs:

★   JENNIPHER   ★   SAMI   ★   SARAH   ★   JAN   ★   SASSY   ★   ABBY   ★   KIMBERLY   ★  ROCHELLE   ★   STACEY   ★   TERE   ★   THERESA   ★  MAGGIE (GUEST DESIGNER)   ★  SAM (GUEST DESIGNER)   ★

now, head on over to Perfect Sentiments and get the lowdown on the challenge – then get started on your card!  this should be an easy one & one that everyone will definitely benefit from right now!  entries should be submitted no later than Tuesday, December 13th @ 10PM EST, via the inLinks widget at the bottom of the blog post.  we are really excited to see what you will be able to do with this challenge, it’s going to be a fun one!  BRING ON THE TWINKLE!!!!

SUPPLIES:

• Kraft Cardstock, Glitter Cardstock, Glitter Glue – Hobby Lobby
• Sheet Music PP – Flair Designs
• Bling – Walmart
• Lights – misc. (from an old necklace!)
• Die Cut – Deer Antlers by Loni Stevens – Silhouette Online Store
• Black Fine-Tip Sharpie
• Silver Uniball pen