May Arts Valentine's Day Hop (Giveaway)

Hi friends!  Today, I have a super fun post for you!  It's my day to be on the May Arts Ribbon Valentine's Blog Hop!  YAY!  Two of my favorite things, ribbon and Valentine's!  To start the hop, head over to the May Arts Blog.  Be sure to leave a comment on every blog because May Arts is giving away 4 spools of ribbon as a prize!

Here's a picture of my Valentine's Day mantel with a couple of the projects I made.  As you could probably tell from my blog title, I love hearts!  That's one of the reasons I LOVE Valentine's Day so much.  I made the heart garland and the little jar for this hop.

Here's a close up of the ribbon garland that I took while I was making it.  I just cut a length of ribbon and stapled the cut ends together.  Then I placed a staple directly across from my first staple making the bottom of the heart.  I linked my hearts together as I went along.  When I was done making my garland, I used fabric stiffener all over my hearts to make sure they all keep their shape.  I used 3/8" Stripe/Stitch Grosgrain Ribbon for this garland.

After I decorated my mantel, I thought it needed a little something extra so I put together this SUPER simple jar.  I had an empty jar and I filled it with conversation heart candies.  Then I used 1/2" Pink Crotchet Ribbon as a finishing touch.  This is really simple and a perfect little gift. 

Lastly, I made this wall decor.  I saw a project online that used a child's footprints slightly overlapped to make a heart and thought it was so cute.  I made this wall hanging using my kids footprints that I put onto cardstock with non-toxic finger paint.  This part was SO hard.  Apparently, kids don't like to have their feet painted then stamped onto paper.  Go figure.  Then I cut out the hearts and stapled them onto the fuchsia ribbon.  I made a loop at the top so you can hang it.  Then I tied on a light pink bow.  I used the two pink 5/8" Satin Scalloped Ribbon for this project.

Here's the blog hop order for today:

Charlene Driggs

Ashley N Newell (you are here)

Erin Thiem

Marie Otake

Gini Williams Cagle 

Have a great day, friends!  And don't forget to leave comments for your chance to win!

In Style Stamps Sketch Challenge 01

Hi friends! I hope you are having a wonderful weekend! I'm trying to sit back and get better. The kids seem to be doing ok. I'm not really ready for the weekend to be over though but are we really ever?

Are you ready for the first In Style Stamps sketch challenge of 2011? You still have until the end of the month to play along and there are prizes to be won! You can check out the details on the challenge HERE. I've attached the sketch here for you to see. It didn't turn out exactly how I planned but my measurements or lack there of kind of threw me for a loop. Live and learn, right?

Here is my card using Kissing Birds. Isn' this a sweet little Valentine's image? I think it's fabulous for weddings and anniversaries too.

I colored my image with Copics. Now, I have to tell you about a product here. With my printer, I have a hard time working with digi stamps since the ink in my printer tends to smear. Then, my friend Carole told me about product called Krylon Workable Fixatif. You just spray it on and then you can color. Woohoo! I got this at my local craft store. So, if you have problems with digis, a couple dollars for a can of spray and the whole world of digis opens up to you! :)

Have a great day everyone! I hope the rest of the weekend is amazing for you!

Card Details:

Card Stock: white

Patterned Paper: Bo Bunny Crush

Stamps: In Style Stamps Kissing Birds

Misc: Copics, Martha Stewart punch, Nesties Circles, MLS alpha stickers

FWF Part 2

So, I don't know if I'm actually allowed to do this since my Friends With Flair post is supposed to stay at the top of my blog all Friday. However, I need to post this card for a challenge. And it's still Unity so I'm good to go right? I just hope no one puts me in stamping jail. :)

Ok, here's a card I made for THREE challenges! YAY me! First off, this is for Winter's Card for St Jude's drive. She's asking people to send over Valentine's card for the kids at the hospital, I LOVE that! Second, this is for the All Things Unity challenge to make a mini card. This one is 3x3. And last but not least, this is for the Wee Memories challenge to make a card using twine.

Ok, that's it for me today. I think. Who knows, maybe this will be a 3 parter but I doubt it!

PS Huge sales start at Paper Maniac on Monday. I can't wait!

Card Details:

Card stock: white

Stamps: Unity Lovely Baubles and Bits

Misc: twine from Endless Inkabilities, Stickles

A Card and LOTS o LOVE Candy!

Here's my first Valentine's Day card of the year.  It's a great segway into all the wonderful LOVE candy that is available right now!  Holy moly!  There's a lot of blog candy in the blogosphere!  

~First off, Pat over at the Rubber Maid is offering up blog candy for an amazing cause!  She's collecting Valentine's Day cards for the Children's Hospital of Michigan.  She's trying to collect 1000 so that the kids can exchange cards with friends and family.  We NEED to help her out people!  She's even sweetening the pot with some blog candy!  

~Second, speaking of LOVE cards, Joy has some Short Cuts candy over on her blog.  (I think Joy and I are the same person, btw.  Just thought I'd put that out there.)  Anyhow, while you are making V-day cards for Pat, enter one in Joy's candy!  

~Last, but CERTAINLY not least, Starving Artistamps has some AMAZING new stamp sets for Valentine's Day.  I might have to buy some to help me make lots of cards for the children's hospital!  These stamps are cute cute cute and they are offering a chance to win them HERE.