MCT 12 Days of Christmas- Day 8!

Good day friends! Still MCT hopping? I hope so cus we're only on day 8 of our MCT 12 Days of Christmas and it's a great one! If you've arrived here from Miss LeAnne's wonderful blog, then you are in the right place! If not, then start HERE at Emma's blog for her daily dose of Christmas inspiration and another fabulous GIVEAWAY!

So, I just can't seem to get away from TREES lately, but I'm not sorry! This one was super fun and I'm excited to give it away to my neighbors who are even sweeter than it is!
I was encouraged by my new crafting friend Heather to enter this tree into the Dolce Stamps and Cards Thursday Challenge to GET YOUR SHINE ON! Thanks Heather :)

PEPPERMINT PATTY CANDY TREE

Emma's All Around Christmas and Mixed Holiday Sentiments combined with the Scalloped & Stitched Circle Die set decorated my peppermint patty's to perfection!

Here's a similar tree I made a couple years ago with mini Snickers which looked cute too, but I love my peppermint one more cus the circle stamped images and sentiments make it even more special I think. 

I can't locate the original tutorial I used for them and these are so easy, I just  made this one from memory--but I did find THIS TUTORIAL which should work fine for anyone who wants to make this project and I sure hope you do!!! *Update: I found the Better Homes & Gardens CANDY TREE TUTORIAL I originally used and I'm sharing it too cus she there's more great ideas for your candy treess--like Lifesavers, Sweet Tarts and a fab idea from one of my comments today mini Twix bars!!! All sorts of sweet inspiration huh! :)

***12 Days of Christmas Give Away Alert***

To qualify for ALL the AMAZING giveaways for the next 12 days, you must comment on every blog in this hop! You will have until Tues, Dec 13th @ midnight to have all of your comments in! VERY IMPORTANT, PLEASE LEAVE A WAY FOR US TO CONTACT YOU IF YOU ARE ONE OF THE WINNER'S!

There are some AMAZING giveaways for this special 12 day event & some SURPRISES to help celebrate "My Creative Time's" One Year Anniversary! Yep, Emma released her 1st set of stamps one year ago! So make sure you are tuned in because this is ONE hop you do NOT want to miss!;)

Here is the full blog hop line up:
Emma~ http://www.creativetimeforme.com/
Cassandra ~ http://www.ctimz3.blogspot.com/
Cathryn ~ http://inthepinkcathryn.blogspot.com/
Cindy ~ http://cindylee77.blogspot.com/
Jeanne ~ http://www.thecricutcorner.com/
Katie ~ http://www.craftingwithkatie.com/
Leanne ~ http://createdbyleanne.blogspot.com/
Linsey ~ You Are Here :)
Liz ~ http://www.lizspaperloft.com/
Nancy ~ http://scrappingoutofcontrol.blogspot.com/
Nikki ~ http://scrappinnavywife.blogspot.com/
Rosy ~ http://sweetdelightspapernmore.blogspot.com/

Ruthie ~ http://septemberninth.blogspot.com/

Shar ~ http://scrapendipity.blogspot.com/

Tracy ~ http://tracyscricutcorner.blogspot.com/

Trell ~ http://polkadotsandpaint.blogspot.com/

Veronica ~ http://www.vkcreate.blogspot.com/

Thanks for visiting me today! Your next stop on the MCT blog hop is Miss LIZ

Double Pocket Full Of Cuppy Love

Hello again! Here is the project I just completed for the brand new Stamps and Smiles Project Tuesday's Challenge. This is the very first week and they are sure off to a great start with this week's project, the always fabulous and fun-to-make Double Pocket Bag! And once again, it was tons of yummy fun playing with my Cuppy Love set! **A tip if you make one of these and don't already know: use a light-weight patterned paper! As much as I adore this lovely 29th St. Market by My Mind's Eye, it's super thick and there are several scores/folds on this bag, so as you might imagine, it became more and more difficult to properly crease**

Other Supplies Used: white, pretty in pink, dark chocolate cardstock, My Mind's Eye 29th Street Market dp, Scor-Pal, red satin and sheer ribbon (Gina K. pure luxery ribbon), copic markers, ticket corner punch, Darice mini rhinestones, quickie glue pen, Cropadile and 4 large chocolate eyelets, white foam paint, red glitter powder, antique-style buttons, pop dots, red double sided sticky tape.
Hope you can join in the fun too! You can use ANY STAMPS you want to! If you upload your project to Splitcoast, please include "SASPT" in the keywords so we can see what each other has created!
Now a small plug for Jennifer, plus and awesome opportunity for anyone who loves these super sweet stamps as much as I do! Stamps and Smiles is looking for a few more crafters to join their team. Participate in their challenges in April & you will have the chance to be on the Project Tuesday Design Team. They will pick three crafters and announce them on May 12th. **Each designer will get their choice of a FREE Stamps and Smiles stamp set!!
Here are the details:
- Play along & post your sample each week
- You will be able to pick a hostess month & create the projects for your month
- Showcase your samples for the next six months

I know know about you, but that sounds like a totally sweet deal to me!!! Have a great evening and I hope to see ya tomorrow for Unity Hip Hop Thursday!

A Bushel Of Berries

Strawberries, that is, hehe! Ok, I have been in a creative slump for the past few days, but when I thought of this card, I was like, "oh, this is gonna be a fun one!" And it was! I created this little weaved basket-or *bushel* if you will-card and the strawberries from tart-n-tangy SU! set, although keep in mind that lots of fruits could work for this. This is a simple project, but a bit time consuming for 2 reasons: 1- you have to cut about 8 individual strawberries out and 2- the weave prep take a few extra min.

The card measures 5"l, scored in half to be 2 1/2" tall and 3" wide at the top; each side tapers 1/2" in toward the bottom. My strips of neutral cardstock were cut to about 3/8" each,then distressed and sponged with brown ink. I then weaved the paper beginning with 2 strips crossed at the lower left corner (think back to the first grade), then build the weave going over and under repeatedly until there is enough of a weave to cover the front of the card base. Adhere the entire weave piece on top of the card, then trim around the edges.

The strawberries were stamped repeatedly overlapping each other to form a small *cluster*. I stamped about 6-8 individual berries and cut each of them out. I adhered the berry cluster to the card, then glued down individual berries over any overlapping stamped images. I popped a few berries for added dimension.

Loop 2 small pieces of ribbon to either side with mini brads to create *handles*. That's it! I added the so many scallops circle sentiment and stuck a big HPH brad in the center. You can add a tag or greeting or whatever you want. I'm pretty tickled over this one--it turned out so cute irl! TFL, hope you like it and want to try one too! ~happy Sunday and happy Stamping!~

Gift Bag

I needed a bag for this green tea bath soak and this came together quite easily.

The finished bag measures 7 1/2"L x 3 1/4W x 2 1/2"D. It uses 1 piece of cardstock or sturdy patterned paper 9"x12". Score at 3/4", 2", 3 1/4", 6 1/2", 7 3/4", and 9". Turn and score at 1 1/2". I probably would never have figured this out had I not had my new Scor-Pal at my side! That thing is off the chain! Cut slits up the 1 1/2" scores (no need to cut at the 2" and 7 3/4" scores) to fold and create the bottom of the bag. Make all the score lines crisp and form the bag together with red double-sided sticky thin strip (note: the 2" and 7 3/4" scores will be folded in to form the creases of the bag.) Decorate the front of bag and fill it with a nice gift or treat! I wish I would have used Melanie's tin frame stamp longways, but I had already put down adhesive and it wasn't comin' off without a good fight, so rather than ruin the bag, I settled for it like this...next time. Thanks for swingin' by! Happy evening!

p.s.- since I only did 5 fun facts about myself previously and recieved some guff about it, here's 2 more:

• I love the snow, but I hate to be cold--my dh's been trying to get me to snowboard for years and the answer remains...no. I worship the sun, but I mostly fake-n-bake to get tan in the summer.
• I want to visit Tombstone, AZ more than anything! I know, it's wierd and my Grandmother's says it's just another tourist town anyway, but I don't care. I want to see the Birdcage Theater, the OK Corral, The Oriental, all of it! I kind of like keeping it on a pedastal in my head since I'll most likely be disappointed if and when I ever get there.

Ok, happy girls?! J/K, you know that. You weren't gonna let me slide, though were ya--such sweeties! hugs!

Tag-N-Tin Gift

Hey friends! Here's a fun one--a mini tag book that fits perfectly inside an altoid tin for a cute little gift! SplitCoastStampers Ways To Use It Challenge this week is to use tags, so I went on the search for something great...I didn't have to look very far! On Scor-Pal I found this project with a simple tutorial by Valerie Stangle (she's so fabulous). When I saw that it used an altoid tin, that was it! I got to partake in today's WT challenge and use my new "What's In Your Tin" sets, Yay!!!

Each tag in my mini book is good for *1 free* something or other and they never expire, so they are redeemable forever! A fun gift for anyone special in your life, just cater it to his/her needs. Cool! Visit Valerie's tutorial and make a tag-n-tin gift too! If you do, I would love to see it, so please let me know where it can be viewed! Thanks for visiting today! ~hugs and happy altering~

Hop Around The Clock

I decided to post my hoppy clock since I made it for my sweet, angelic nephew, Anthony--he's 6 years old and such a big boy so he needs his own clock for his bedroom. I entered this into Melanie Muenchinger's Just So Hoppy contest...can you believe that someone else made a clock using the frog too?! Yes, we may have been separated a birth, but Terri definitely got more creative with hers! Check it out at her blog, it's absolutely fabulous! There were so many amazing entries, I am in awe of the extraordinary talent you all possess! I was overjoyed when Melanie announced my awesome pal DONNA the first place winner of the Hoppy contest! She created a chronicle of Hoppy cards, every single one of them being tremendous! I love that girl! She's so modest about her talent, yet she is always complimenting others on their work and she's super generous as well! She is most deserving of this honor and I just want to say how proud and happy I am to know Donna--she's the BOMB!

Deets on my clock:

• 10 x 10" wood clock from Oriental Trading Co.
• background is paper adhered to the base with a strong spray adhesive "Duro" is the brand
• 1 piece of 8 1/2x11" green foam; I cut out lilypads after looking online for some images of real ones--before that and the flowers, it totally looked like a bird eye's view of a golf course green!
• layered silk flowers and placed on edges of lilypads and 1 big one floating in the *water*
• placed Gina K. clear rain dots sporadically on the lilypads (added glitter too, but I wouldn't do it again--it took away from the realistic look of dew drops being on them.)
• Stamped my frogs and 1 of them was stamped onto acetate, then transferred to white cardstock to reverse him. It didn't come out clear, so I carefully traced frog's lines with a black Sakura gelly roll pen and that helped a lot! colored and adhered to base with dimensionals.
• Stamped umbrella, water puddle and butterfly, 3 accessories that come with Melanie's Hoppy set, and went over them with silver Sakura gelly roll pen, placing them accordingly
• Numbers are rub-ons as are the 3 black flowers near the bottom left lilypad (I had to cover up a mistake there, hehe!)

I also want to give shout-outs to some of the other honorable hoppy mentions, which were all outstanding! Check out Lee-Jessie-Carolina-just a few of the ladies who made such memorable creations and inspire me everyday! You all ROCK! Thanks for visiting!

Rub-Ons on Glass Make Cheap Gifts!

Here's The Run-down:

• glass bowl thingie from JoAnns- .99 cents


• yogurt covered pretzels- $1


• white Love & Happiness rub-ons from Stampin' Up!-free!


• lovely ivory satin ribbon for around base of scallop top-free from my sweet pal Donna!


• gingham ribbon and flowers from old stash, so...yep, you guessed it-free!


• silver hodgepodge hardware kit brad---okay, so I bought the new HPH tin from SU!, but not so fast...I broke it down and realized that with 200 pieces in this kit at $30, that's only .15 cents per piece, YES!


• gina k *bling and dazzle* plastic tag (bag of 8 is 2.99) so about .37 cents

Total Cost of Project: $2.51 and that's with the treat!

Not bad, huh! See, you can pour the treats into the dish for a pretty munchies display and use it for something else later! And those SU! rub-ons are like butter, so easy to put on even a rounded dish--wow!!! Thanks so much for popping in today!

Bucket O' Crabs!

I've been meaning to finish this project all week, but I just got to JoAnn's for some googlie eyes, so now it's complete! I adore all of Gina K's stamps, but Just Be-Claws is one of my most favorite, especially because Summer is coming and I'm definitely a summer girl!

I started with a standard sized card and trimmed the sides at a slight angle to make it resemble a bucket/pail. I then rounded all the corners with a corner punch. I now have a bucket template. I traced the pattern onto designer paper, here Pebbles Inc. in Barnwood Navy Blue. Isn't it perfect with its semi-warped look? I cut out the bucket, then set 2 brushed silver eyelets in place for the handle holes. I stamped several crabs from "Just Be-Claws", overlapping a few, then I stamped 3 more crabs separately to be placed on top of the overlapping ones and to hang 1 off the side. This does two things...first, it creates a clean look so you don't see the overlapping lines and second, it creates added dimension on the crabs. I cut out all of the crabs, popped 2 of them on dimensionals and hung the last one over the side. I glued all the googly eyes on using my quickie glue pen. Tip: 5mm googlie eyes by Darice are a perfect fit for Gina's crabs. While the eyes were setting, I decorated the front of my bucket with some hemp, a little pearl accent and a fun framed title. I distressed the red brads a bit and sponged around all layers of the frame with chestnut ink for a more worn look. After the front was decorated and the crabs all glued securely into place, I attached the bucket "handle" using black wire. Finally, I used my brand new Scor-Pal and added two lines along the bottom, you know--like the old galvanized pails? That's it, all done!

Do you think these fellas would be so darn smiley if they had the foggiest idea where they were heading?! Look out for that boiling pot of water, yikes!!! Thanks for visiting today!

Melanie Tote Bag

Okay, it's 20 minutes till MFT's release party over at SCS begins and I just got this project done--gotta hurry and post this, then get over there for some major fun! You probably already know how much I adore Artist, Melanie Muenchinger--I know many of you feel the same about her as I do! Well, look at the adorable little tote bag she created! Yes, it's her own design and she was kind enough to offer this TUTORIAL so we could all make one (or 2 or 3 or 10) as well! Isn't she a sweetheart! I used some cheerful designer paper and ribbons for a bright Springtime tote. You can decorate the front with or without stamps. Embellishing this was lotsa fun too! Hope you all want to try one and make sure to post your "Melanie Tote" on your blog or on your SCS gallery and let Melanie know! She wants to see everyone's tote! ~hugs and happy tote-ing~

Potted Spring Sweets

Happy Sunday, friends! I finished this project in the wee hours of the morning...I just couldn't stop till they were done...psycho!

These are 3" terra cotta pots (.69 cents each at JoAnn's) painted with FolkArt acrylic paints in lilac, pink blossom, light foliage green and jamaican sea. After letting them dry, I glazed each one with Glossies high gloss acrylic enamel. The wonderful baskets full of eggs are Gina K.'s *Baskets of Happiness* set and the adorable bunny and chick are Melanie Muenchinger's *Just So Hoppy* set. Both of these sets are perfect for Spring, the upcoming holidays and year round fun! You can get a closer look at them at Gina K. Designs. I colored all my images with a variety of inks and blender pen, glitter pens, colored pencils finished with baby oil and stickles for sparkle. I glued different ribbons to around the rim of the pots and even stamped around the green one using the little flower from Melanie's other set *Just So Hippy*. I added a dot of aqua stickles to the center of each flower and let it dry overnight (it didn't smear after that). I then painted kabob sticks the same for colors as the pots and attached them to the framed images using tape. Finally, I filled each pot with crimped paper shreds and candy.

Thank you for visiting! Hugs and Happy Stamping!

***Bulletin*** Visit again on Monday morning to see my Big Announcement!!

Hoppy Snack Pack

Hello, sorry for the lack of posts, I've been in a bit of a creative rut. Everything I've made this week seems to be missing the *wow* factor, which I feel you deserve no less than. I made this hanging treat holder using the SCS tutorial by Christina Fischer, who is absolutely amazing and so very talented...you should visit her blog, if you don't already. I used Melanie's kangaroo and balloon from her new Just So Hoppy set and Stampin' Up! designer series paper Ginger Blossom. I thought this would be cute for a gymnastic meet snack gift (cuz of the hoppy kangaroo, get it?) only I don't know any gymnasts...I guess I'll have to channel that 12 year old gymnast on the *Flyaways* in myself and gobble these treats down, hehe! Thanks so much for visiting--I hope to have a burst of awesome inspiration this weekend and share more stuff! Have a great one, my friends!

Bloomin' Windowshade Card

Happy Tuesday, friends! Today I want to share this fun interactive card, which has a *windowshade* front and when you raise the shades, a lovely outdoor scene awaits you! I saw this idea at Victorine Originals, but I couldn't print the pattern, so I created my own.

Start with a standard 4 1/4x5 1/2 card. For the shades, I used Stampin' Up! Ginger Blossom designer paper...doesn't it sort of look like a designer fabric? It's 3 3/4x10" then scored an folded every 1/2 inch. My hole punch would only go thru 3 folds of paper, so I used the last hole punched as my guide for the next punch as so on (do this on both sides.) I strung ribbon thru the holes and knotted them at both ends. You'll want to make sure you have ample ribbon and measure it while the shades are closed as this where your ribbon will be at its longest length. For my window, I used the Coluzzle oval template, however a variety of window shapes would be really fun too...square, rectangle, etc. I then stamped my image, which is from Pink Cat Studio's Crafty Kitty collection, and colored it in with a combo of pencils and markers. I added a bit of fruit punch stickles to her ckeeks and nose (a bit rudolph looking, oh well). I attached the shades by folding the last 1/2 strip under and gluing it down securely. I left the bottom hanging loose. Hope you like it and have a wonderful day! ~hugs and happy creating~

Try an Envelope Pouch!

Happy Monday, friends! Today, I tried a new technique called an envelope pouch, which you can find at SplitCoast's Technique Lovers Challenge. It was SO easy and several can be made in no time at all! I used Embrace Life stamp set from SU! with coordinating Groovy Guava ink and Theater ribbon for the handle. The orange brads are super cool and sugarcoated and I added an orange bring flower to the center of the stamped flower. A quick tag and done! I encourage you to make your own envelope pouch too and don't forget to post it at SCS for everyone to enjoy! ~hugs and happy stamping~

Dahlia Flower Card

Happy Monday! I want to share a super cool technique that is featured on SCS's Technique Lover's Challenge today--the Dalhia Flower Fold. It's so fun and I really like the results! Using double sided pattern paper is the best choice, or stamp on both sides of cardstock (if you so choose.) Here's the directions: www.cardsandcrafts.freeservers.com/dahlia.html

I should have made a bigger card base since this flower ends up being so large! I tried to create more balance by stamping photo corners in black, cutting them out and popping them on dimensionals in the 4 corners. I also stamped the swirl-like effects in black, then embossed them in hologram highlights ep (SU!). The swirls and photo corner stamps are by Technique Tuesday's "Postcards From Paris" collection. The antique bronze brooch blossom and pink jewel brad are from Imaginisce. Thanks for visiting today! ~big hugs and happy stamping~

Sexy Panty Valentine Card

Okay, this is the cutest, is it not?! It was one of the challenges for SCS's Virtual Stamping Night last weekend called "Put Your Big Girl Panties On" by Frances (aka: StampOwl) and I loved it! The rear and panty pattern along with some fabulous samples can be found here:

www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=316869

I used cream cardstock for the rear end base and lipstick red glitter paper for the panties. I glued black lace trim along the top of the panties and stamped a sexy little heart tattoo on one cheek, lol! I lightly sponged pink ink around the rear with a dauber to create depth. Oh, and I tied 2 little red bows to each side. That's it! Super easy, so adorable and too much fun!

NOTE: This same template makes a "chest" too! Just make a bikini top, add a necklace with bling and you've got another sexy card!

I think these are perfect cards for single guys...or any straight guy, for that matter. Make one too, it's a blast! ~Hugs and Sexy Stampin'--hehe!~

Milk Carton Box

This is a really fun project--a milk carton box! It was super easy using Beate Johns' fantastic tutorial here: www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/milk_carton_box Just 1 piece of 7 x11" paper, some stamps and ink and ofcourse, chocolate! I found the best adhesive for a project such as this is the red double sided sticky tape in 1/4" width. If you have a scorer, lucky you! It would have come in handy with this project. With all the boxes, bags and cards I make these days, a bone folder just isn't efficient enough. However, mine has sufficed for a good long while and it was inexpensive. I stamped the images in silver embossing ink, then embossed them in silver hologram highlights powder from Stampin Up!. The hugs and kisses words are from Carolyn King's "Dr. Feelgood" set, which you can find at Gina K. Designs by clicking on the link at my "best places to shop." I filled in the X's using pink ink and a blender pen and sponged just about everything.

I hope that you are inspired to make a cute milk carton box too! ***Important*** hershey's kisses and mini bars fit perfectly inside! ....mmmmmm....