An Antigues Fair and Some Lovely Birthday Cards

We just spent a week down at the Brimfield Antiques Fair in Brimfield, MA. What a great event this is if you are interested in antiques at all! This is the lovely Bed and Breakfast we stayed in - the Elias Carter HouseIt is right across the street from the fields where the fair is held so we could walk over each day! There are hundreds of vendors in tents along a 1 mile stretch of road.

And this is the wonderful twig planter I asked my DH Kent to buy for me for my birthday that fell on the last day that we were at the fair! I'll be putting 2 large chrysanthimums in this and placing it on my front lawn.And I have to share with you these beautiful birthday cards I received from my wonderful stamping friends on Split Coast.

This one with the lovely corner punches was made by Anne - (jdmommy)

And this beauty was created by Susan (One4Joy) This cute card was made by Vicki (luv2stamp2)
This lovely fold card was sent to me by Lynnor (icensheba)
And Anne (itsapassion) created this beauty

This lovely embossed butterfly card was sent to me by Kay (golly)

I can't tell you how wonderful it was to receive all these good wishes - to know people were thinking of me on my special day! Thank you so much ladies!

Thanks so much for coming by today!

A Cup of Coffee, A Porcupine & a Founders Day Sale

I'm just back from a week's vacation and am so happy to be stamping! I made a quick card for the Limited Supplies challenge over on Split Coast - to use a coffee image and the color orange. I used this cute coffee cup image from Amuse and some barn board-looking designer paper from Cosmo Cricket.I wanted this to be a masculine card but felt it needed something in the corners (nothing frilly!) and then I saw a scrap of thin cork board on my work table and thought that would fit the bill! I punched 3 circles out of it and added them to the corners using glue dots. I sponged and distressed the edges and added the ribbon, without a knot or bow, behind the image. Inside - a simple 'Happy Birthday'.

Stamps: coffee cup and sentiment: Amuse Artstamps
Paper: Kraft, pumpkin Pie: SU, Vintage Cream: PTI, DP: Cosmo Cricket - Halfway Cafe
Ink: Onyx Black Versafine, So Saffron: SU
Accessories: rectangle nestabilities, sponge, distresser: Heidi Swapp, hole punch, striped ribbon: SU, thin cork, foam dimensionals, glue dots, Prismacolor marker - Burnt Ochre, Cuttlebug

My next card was for the Inspiration Challenge on Split Coast. We had a lot of fun animals to check out. I chose the porcupine in the bottom right corner of this picture as my inspiration.As soon as I saw it - I knew I'd use this fun porcupine stamp by Judith and the PapertreyInk designer papers matched pretty well to the inspiration picture.

I used the Swiss Dots Cuttlebug folder for the rug part. I colored the little guy with my Prismacolor markers - cut around the edges and mounted it with foam dimensionals. Doesn't he just make you smile looking at him!?!

Stamps: porcupine - Stamps by Judith, Sentiment: Inkadinkado
Paper: white, spring moss, DP Every day blessings: striped serenity - PapertreyInk
Ink: onyx black versafine
Accessories: Prismacolor markers, swiss dots folder, cuttlebug, foam dimensionals, oval punches

And these final shots are of the table I had today at our town's Founders Day Celebration. People rent spaces and sell things and there are several food booths run by different groups of High School kids and the Boy Scouts. There is one whole section of the street with games for the kids - it's a fun day for the whole town to gather and enjoy themselves.

I sold cards, various stamped crafts I've made - and I also sold some of my stamp sets that I no longer use (gasp!). I thought the day was going to be cancelled because rain from the hurricaine was predicted - but they held it anyway - and low and behold - it cleared pretty much for the day - just a sprinkle here and there - and then it pelted 1/2 hour after it ended! Talk about fortunate! This celebration has been held in town for 29 years - and it has never had to be cancelled due to rain!

I did ok with the sale - brought a lot home - but I did sell enough to make it worth going. Now I just want to go to bed!

Thanks so much for coming by today!

My Pumpkin

What a fun 'Try a New Technique' challenge this week over on Split Coast! It's called Black Magic and you can see the instructions here. Basically - you stamp with white craft ink on dark paper - then color inside the image using colored pencils and gamsol (odorless mineral spirits). You just dip the tip of the pencil into the gamsol and then color on your paper. The gamsol melts the pencil color a little bit so it glides on smoothly.I love how this came out! I used two colors of orange, a green and a brown on this. The pumpkin and sentiment are from a newly released set from H&M stamps called Old Fashioned Hayride that you can see here.

The fun designer paper is from Cosmo Cricket. I tore the bottom edge, distressed the other three and sponged all the edges. The squares are cut with nestabilities. I used the Swiss Dots cuttlebug folder and added 3 purple dew drops.

Heather is offering free shipping for the month of September - so hope on over and see what sets you absolutely have to have - might as well save money right?!

And be sure to check out the other Design Team Members cards - you can find links to them on Heather's blog here.

Thanks so much for coming by today!

Stamps: H & M - Old Fashioned Hayride
Paper: Vintage Cream - PTI, Elegant Eggplant, basic black - SU, DP: Cosmo Cricket - Haunted Macabre
Ink: Whisper WHite Craft, Vintage Violet: SU
Accessories: foam dimensionals, gamsol, Koh-I-Noor colored pencils, distresser: Heidi Swapp, sponge, dew drops, cuttlebug, swiss dots folder, nestability squares

E-I-E-I-O

So here we are on the rolling hills of the farm - riding the tractor back from the fields into the barn just over the ridge there!

This is another fun new set from H & M Stamps that looks like kids drew the images with broad crayon strokes. It also includes several farm animals - but today I just used the barn, tractor and apple tree - as well as the E-I-E-I-O sentiment!



I cut the rolling hills with my curved paper trimmer from Close to My Heart and then ran it through the Cuttlebug with the Mini Mosaic folder to look like land. I love the trees in the Basic Grey Designer paper - it was just perfect for this card.

I cut out the tree and tractor and popped them up on foam dimensionals. I stamped them again and layered the big tire and the top of the tree over the first images, again with foam dimensionals. This card measures 6 1/2" x 3 1/4" - a fun size card for a fun farm scene!

Please be sure to check out the other Design Team members cards - you can find links to them on Heather's blog here.

You can check out all of Heather's Sept 1 releases here at H & M stamps.

I'd love to hear what you think of the 4 new stamp sets I've highlighted this week!

I appreciate your comments and if you leave me one - I can then also come over and visit you!!

Thanks so much for coming by today!

Stamps: Kiddie Farm: H & M Stamps

Paper: Vintage Cream - PTI, Choc Chip - SU, DP - Basic Grey: Deciduous

Ink: Onyx Black Versafine

Supplies: curvy paper cutter - CTMH, Cuttlebug, Mini Mosaic Folder, foam dimensionals, Spica silver pen, Prismacolor markers.

The Daily Question

My dear husband and I are always asking each other this question - either during the work week after supper or anytime during the weekend - We always have the best intentions of walking EVERY day! And sometimes it actually happens!!! So this card would be a fun one to sneak onto the table next to the remote where he sits!

This leash and sentiment stamp are just two of the many stamps in Heather's new set called Doggy Years.


I had this perfect designer paper by Autumn Leaves with the paws printed right on it! I stamped the sentiment directly onto the DP.

I cut the image panel and scallop frame with my square Nestabilities and colored in the leash, collar and bone dog tag with my Prismacolor markers. This is a fun little card measuring 4 1/4" x 4 1/4". This card also fits the colors challenge on Split Coast this week - to make a monochromatic card - I used pure poppy with a neutral vintage cream.

Be sure to check out all the H&M design team's cards they will be doing all this week - you can find the links to each team member here on Heather's blog.

And this is where you can check out and purchase this fun Doggy stamp set.

Tomorrow I'll be showing you a cute little farm scene I created using the new set Kiddie Farm!

Thank you so much for stopping by to visit!

Stamps: Doggy Years: S & M Stamps
Paper: Vintage Cream, Pure Poppy - PapertreyInk, DP - Autumn Leaves Stack
Ink: Onyx black versafine
Supplies: square nestabilities, cuttlebug, foam dimensionals, Prismacolor marders: Crimson Red, Cinnamon Toast.

"Teacher, Teacher - I have the Answer !!!!"

Here is another Percy which is brand new over at H & M Stamps - this one is School Fun Percy! He is sitting up straight at his desk and has his flipper waving in the air - he already has the answer for the teacher! What a smart penguin he is!

I had this great piece of numbers designer paper to use for the background. I colored the image with my Prismacolor markers and added fun colored paper clips to the edges. I used a sentiment from another H & M stamp set called Doggy Years (which I'll show some of to you tomorrow) - I thought it was a perfect sentiment to show Percy's excitement on the First Day of School!!

I wrapped a fun piece of ruler twill behind the image. This card is 5" x 5" square.

Please check out all the other Design Team members cards they will be posting this week - you can find links to them on Heather's Blog here


Stamps: School Fun Percy & Doggy Years - H & M Stamps
Paper: Vintage cream PTI, Really Rust - SU, DP - unknown
Ink: Onyx Black Versafine
Supplies: Ruler Twill - Michaels, foam dimensionals, paper clips, Nestability rectangle

Are You Ready for School??

I am just so excited! Today I'm starting my 6 month term of being on the Design Team for H & M Stamps! Heather has so many fun and beautiful stamp sets coming out on Sept 1 - I can't wait to get at them!

This cute little Teacher Percy stamp is out just in time for all your back to school card needs!
I used a fun alphabet designer paper by Autumn Leaves for the background. Can you see the words TEACHERS PET on the top line?? I wrapped navy grosgrain ribbon behind the image. I colored the image with my Prismacolor makers - then I thought Percy'd look especially cute if I popped up his bow tie.
So that led to stamping him again on a scrap - coloring and cutting out the bowtie, and then the globe as well as the pencil cup! They are attached to the image with foam dimensionals. I layered the felt flowers with a fun heart button tied with twine.

Be sure to check out all the H&M design team's cards they will be doing all this week - you can find the links to each team member here on Heather's blog. And this is where you can purchase this fun Teacher Percy stamp. Heather is offering free shipping for the month of September too!

I'll be back tomorrow with a different Percy to show you - so be sure to come by!!

Stamps: Teacher Percy - H&M Stamps
Paper: Vintage Cream - PTI, Night of Navy - SU, DP - Autumn Leaves
Ink: Onyx Black Versafine
Supplies: foam dimensionals, felt flowers - Making Memories, Star button, green twine, Spica gold pen, Prismacolor markers, navy grosgrain ribbon