Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Swirling By to Say Hi

Kim is sharing this card on the Paper Smooches blog today. It features a tornado, wind and sentiment from Eco Friendly which will be available for purchase starting tomorrow! The other circles are bubbles (as dirt) from Surf & Turf and Swanky Snowdudes. I know that none of you would want to see a tornado swirling by to say hi. Well, maybe if it's this cute and small that would be okay, right? LOL Kim's incredible sense of humour shines through in unique images like this one. She's so innovative and you are going to love all that Eco Friendly has to offer. It's such a versatile year-round set! The Licorice and Tangerine baker's twine featured on my card in a Carrick Bend boating knot are also available from Paper Smooches.

As you know, Kim is at CHA and if you haven't already 'liked' Paper Crafts magazine on Facebook, you are missing out on sneak peeks of the newest stamps from Paper Smooches! You are going to love them. Just warn your wallet... and/or your husband. ;)

Sources: SU Calypso Coral & Island Indigo cardstock; Gina K Designs pure luxury white & black cardstock; Paper Smooches Eco Friendly (available February 1st), Surf & Turf & Swanky Snowdudes; SU Island Indigo & Calypso Coral inks; Memento Tuxedo Black ink; Paper Smooches Twine-Licorice & Tangerine; Papertrey Ink medium scalloped border die; We R Memory Keepers corner chomper; foam tape

Skipping Stones Design: Sketch #113

It's the last Tuesday in January which means this is my last post as a guest designer for Skipping Stones Design. A big thanks goes to Jennifer Ingle for asking me to join the team this month! Working with the amazing SSD stamps and Pamela Young's sketches was a fun challenge for me. It was great getting to know a new stamp company on a more intimate level and I may be a teensy bit more comfortable working with sketches. ;) This week's sketch was definitely the toughest one for me because my cards don't usually involve images extending beyond one corner. LOL My card features three stamp sets: Funny Coffee, Vol. #1, Grunge and Grunge 2. I'm not sure the coffee cup fits into the layout but since most of my friends drink coffee, this made the most sense for a usable card. Although, now that I'm looking at the sketch again, I can imagine an underwater scene or even thought bubbles. Hmmm... so many possibilities!

I hope you'll play along with us this week for a chance to win some fabulous stamps from Skipping Stones Design! I'll be back later today with a post for Paper Smooches. :)

Sources: Gina K Designs pure luxury kraft cardstock; SU Naturals Ivory cardstock; Skipping Stones Design Funny Coffee, Vol. #1, Grunge & Grunge 2; Tim Holtz for Ranger Dusty Concord, Peeled Paint, Scattered Straw, Pumice Stone & Walnut Stain distress inks; EK Success 1/2", 3/4", 1 3/8" circle punches; McGill 1 1/4" circle punch; foam tape

Monday, January 30, 2012

Stamp It! 3 Ways Blog Hop Winner

Hello, I'm here to announce the lucky winner of my copy of Paper Crafts magazine's Stamp It! 3 Ways:

Congratulations, Barb! Please email me with your mailing address so we can get this fabulous special issue out to you right away.

Thanks so much to all who stopped by during the Stamp It! 3 Ways Blog Hop on Friday. I read all of your lovely comments and appreciate every single one. I hope you will stop by again tomorrow for two posts filled with stampy goodness! Enjoy your day. :)

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Paper Smooches Winner Announced!

Good morning! I'm here to announce my winner from the January Paper Smooches Release Blog Hop on Thursday and that lucky lady is:

Congratulations, Connie! Please email me with your mailing address so we can get Good Gab sent out to you right away.

Thank you all for hopping along with the Paper Smooches design team for this release! See you on the Paper Smooches Blog for inspiration all month long. Have an amazing weekend!!

Friday, January 27, 2012

Paper Crafts magazine Presents: Stamp It! 3 Ways Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to the Stamp It! 3 Ways Blog Hop! Have you seen the latest must-have special issue from Paper Crafts magazine? It features 40 different stamp sets and 3 unique interpretations for each, helping you to stretch the mileage of those stamps in your stash.

I'm absolutely thrilled to be one of 12 designers featured on today's hop:

One of the stamp sets I had the pleasure of working with for this issue was Hello Friend by Avocado Arts. Shortly after I got the exciting news that I was going to be on the cover of this issue, I was asked to join the Avocado Arts design team. I was ecstatic...still am! My card today once again features the lamp used on the cover card.

This time I used only the base of the lamp to create the balusters for the railing. The tiny orange hearts are from the lamp's on-off chain. No coloured cardstock was used in the making of this card. All I did was take my ink pad and drag it across white cardstock to create the top rail and base of the banister as well as the rust colour on which I stamped the bird and trimmed a border to separate the image from the sentiment. I love that this technique gives the paper a textured look. I hope you've enjoyed this out-of-the-box approach to using the lamp and just how versatile this stamp set can be!

Be sure to leave a comment at Paper Crafts Connection for your chance to win every single stamp set featured in this issue! That's 40 stamp sets!!

Each designer is also giving away a copy of Stamp It! 3 Ways so be sure to leave a comment at each stop along the hop. The comment deadline is Sunday, January 29th at midnight MST. I will announce my winner on Monday, January 30th so be sure to check back then. Thanks so much for hopping by today!

Sources: Gina K Designs pure luxury white cardstock; Avocado Arts Hello Friend; Memento Tuxedo Black ink; Tim Holtz for Ranger Rusty Hinge & Pumice Stone distress inks; foam tape

Thursday, January 26, 2012

January Paper Smooches DT Blog Hop!

It's Pep Rally week and we are here today to share a sampling of the Paper Smooches February stamp release with you! The three NEW clear stamp sets will be available to purchase on February 1st. You will find them HERE. Follow the Paper Smooches blog for more sneak peeks.

To add extra fun to our blog hop...we are offering up a prize! Just leave a comment on any of the five design team blogs listed below for your chance to win one of the three new February stamp sets! (you do not need to comment on all blogs to qualify) You have until midnight MT on Friday, January 27th to leave a comment. Please check all five blogs on Saturday, January 28th to see if you are one of the five lucky winners.

To increase your chances of winning:

1. Leave a comment on this blog post
2. Tell us that you Facebooked about our blog hop
3. Tell us that you Tweeted about our hop
4. Tell us that you posted on your blog about our blog hop

(which means that you have up to four chances to win on each blog)

My card features one of the sentiments from Good Gab. Isn't it amaaazing? And, yes, it does come with the heart! I inked it in red to make it stand out. I bet you're thinking that this sentiment could be paired up with pretty much all of Kim's adorable animals, right? It's so perfect and so versatile!

The rest of my card features the cat (smitten kitten) from Party Posse who is masked into the chair from Vogue Abode which is also masked into the rug from the same set. And, yes, the cat is wearing a lovely pearl necklace. :)

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Remember to check back here on Saturday to see if you are the lucky winner of Good Gab!

Sources: Gina K Designs pure luxury white cardstock; Paper Smooches Good Gab, Party Posse & Vogue Abode; Memento Tuxedo Black ink; SU Real Red & Island Indigo inks; Copics; SU Basic Pearls; We R Memory Keepers corner chomper

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

It's Your Baa-thday

Kim is sharing this card on the Paper Smooches Blog today! When I first saw the kicking sheep from Party Posse, I knew I wanted to pair him up with the tiny little sheep from FOLKal Points. Eeek! I just love it when a card makes me giggle while I'm making it. This was one of those cards. First, I cut out the green hills and traced the top of the hill in the very back so I'd know where to stamp the sheep and farmhouse. Then I masked a couple of the smaller sheep in the corner next to the farmhouse (bell tower or clock tower), also from FOLKal Points. After adhering the hills to the card, I stamped one extra small sheep and popped it on with foam tape. The big, woolly sheep was stamped directly on the hill in the foreground, then again on white cardstock, coloured, fussy cut and adhered to the card with foam tape. The sentiment, also from Party Posse, was the last to be stamped.

Thanks so much for stopping by today! See you on Thursday for the Paper Smooches January Release Blog Hop when Kim and the design team sneak the February stamp sets. I'm excited!!

Sources: Gina K Designs pure luxury white cardstock; SU Garden Green & Wild Wasabi cardstock; Paper Smooches Party Posse & FOLKal Points; Memories black ink; Copics; foam tape

Skipping Stones Design: Sketch #112

It's another Tuesday in January which means a new sketch from Skipping Stones Design! I flipped this sketch upside down and cut up some papers from Echo Park's Times & Seasons collection. After adhering the ledger background and top (or bottom) two strips, I stamped one of the Rustic Tiles a couple of times in black. Then I cut out the piece with the antique camera and used the woodgrain stamp from Grunge to frame it in red. The sentiment and ink splotches in the corner are stamped in navy ink and they are also from the original Grunge stamp set.

I set out to create another masculine birthday card for my stash but I think this card would also be appropriate for a lady who is into deep, rich colours. So what do you think of this week's sketch? I think it would work wonderfully in any direction. I would love to see you will play along with us this week for a chance to win some wonderful stamps from Skipping Stones Design!

Sources: SU Naturals Ivory cardstock; Echo Park Times & Seasons paper pad; Skipping Stones Design Grunge & Rustic Tiles; Memories Black ink; SU Cherry Cobbler & Night of Navy inks; Tim Holtz for Ranger Walnut Stain distress ink

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Happy Valentine's Day

Today, the Avocado Arts Pit Crew newbies are sharing projects made with the January Stamp Set: Sweet Treat Sweetie. Visit the following blogs to be inspired!

I used the XOXO background stamp to create the border around the window. I used Post-It Notes to mask off the edges and then stamped at an angle for visual interest.

Then I used my trimmer to cut out the window. The heart with arrow and sentiment, created by combining two different sentiment stamps, were added before attaching the pink panel with foam tape.

Thank you for stopping by today! Enjoy the rest of your weekend. Stay warm!

Sources: SU Real Red & Melon Mambo cardstock; Gina K Designs pure luxury white cardstock; Avocado Arts Sweet Treat Sweetie; SU Real Red ink; Memories black ink; foam tape

Friday, January 20, 2012

Lil' Inker Designs January Release Blog Hop {Day 5} + Bonus Valentine's Release

Welcome to {Day 5} of the Lil' Inker Designs January Release Blog Hop! Laura is doing a re-cap of the week's projects and releases on her blog as well as introducing the surprise bonus release featuring Of the Heart dies and sentiment stamps and 2 Cute Ink's Hamster Cupid.

My first card features the Hamster Cupid on Broadway. He's performing in a show called XOXO, complete with a flashy sign made with the Flags & Tags stamps and a glittery outfit. LOL This little guy is smaller than Sweet Bee and Cutie Cat so his mini size makes him easier to colour, or paper piece like I did here, and perfect for smaller card layouts like this one.

My second card features the new Of the Heart dies as a cloud of love at the bottom of the larger Rainbow & Clouds dies. When I came up with the concept of organizing the die cut - yes, perforated - hearts into a cloud shape, I never imagined it would take me so many attempts but I was finally able to get it grouped just right. One more pattern of pink may have made it slightly easier but this is a design I could use for my husband or even a close friend.

Check out the bonus release with the following design team members:

Remember, if you comment on every designer's blog each day this week, you have 36 chances of winning a $10 gift certificate to the Lil' Inker Store or both Sweet Bee and Cutie Cat stamp sets!

Thank you so much for stopping by this week to enjoy this mega release with Lil' Inker Designs. I know you will have a great time playing with these new goodies!

Sources for XOXO: SU Real Red, Naturals White, Pool Party, Pink Pirouette & So Saffron cardstock; Lil' Inker Designs + 2 Cute Ink Hamster Cupid; Lil' Inker Designs Flags & Tags stamp set; Memories black ink; SU Pool Party ink; Tim Holtz for Ranger Tattered Rose & Antique Linen distress inks; Ranger Stickles in Xmas Red & Yellow; foam tape

Sources for Love Ya: Gina K Designs pure luxury white cardstock; Echo Park Life is Good Collection; Lil' Inker Designs Of the Heart dies & stamps and Rainbows & Clouds dies; Memories black ink; foam tape; We R Memory Keepers corner chomper

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Lil' Inker Designs January Release Blog Hop {Day 4}

Welcome to Day 4 of Lil' Inker Designs' January Release! If you've come from Teresa Kline's blog, you are on the right track. If this is your first stop, you will want to start at Laura's blog every day this week so you don't miss a thing. Be sure to leave comments on every designer's blog each day this week for a chance to win a $10 gift certificate to the Lil' Inker Store or the 2 Cute Ink sets being released this week!

Yesterday, I showcased Sweet Bee so today it's Cutie Cat's day to shine. I decided to take a break from colouring with Copic markers and broke out the watercolour pencils. I used a light hand because I'm not very good with them and I was blotting a lot because too much water kept coming out of my water brush. I think Cutie Cat still looks adorable though! The double-ended banner die with a heat embossed sentiment was threaded over the cat's tail and behind its body. I made a soft little quilt out of felt for the background which I think adds to the soft and cuddly feel of this card.

Tomorrow is re-cap Friday but Lil' Inker Designs is also releasing two bonus sets for Valentine's Day and you are going to love them! Now head on over to Ariana Grant's blog for more inspiration!

Sources: SU Basic Gray, Naturals White & Rich Razzleberry cardstock; Hero Arts felt bright white watercolor paper; Lil' Inker Designs Cutie Cat; Memento Tuxedo Black ink; SU Whisper White pigment ink; Derwent Inktense watersoluble ink pencils; Koi water brush; Felt on the Fly 100% wool felt in Baby Yellow, Light Green, Yellow Green & Aquamarine; Spellbinders Nestabilities Lacey Squares; Gutermann white thread; Lil' Inker Designs Flags & Tags die; PSX Snowflake embossing tinsel; We R Memory Keepers corner chomper; foam tape

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Lil' Inker Designs January Release Blog Hop {Day 3}

Welcome to {Day 3} of the Lil' Inker Designs January Release Blog Hop! If you've arrived from Teresa Kline's blog, you are on the right track. If not, you will want to start at Laura's blog so you don't miss a thing. I hope you've enjoyed what the design team has shared so far this week. The first two days of the hop showcased the new Flags & Tags dies and stamp set. Today, the entire design team has created projects using one of two 2 Cute Ink releases: Sweet Bee and Cutie Cat. I've made a card using Sweet Bee, a set that is perfect for Valentine's Day and any lovey-dovey occasion that comes your way!

To make my card, I cut strips of increasing widths of natural ivory and white cardstock. Then I staggered the heights, trimmed off the bottom edge and adhered it to textured black cardstock. I die cut the Curly Label Tag from pink cardstock and the grass using the Fringe Flower die and glitter green cardstock. Both pieces were trimmed and adhered to the card after the bee and sentiment were stamped. I rounded some of the corners and adhered the front panel to the card with foam tape. The Licorice baker's twine is from Paper Smooches.

Thank you so much for stopping by! Don't forget to comment on all the designers' blogs each day this week to increase your chances of winning a $10 gift certificate or the two new stamp sets from 2 Cute Ink. I will see you here again tomorrow for {Day 4} of the Lil' Inker Designs January Release Blog Hop. I'm now sending you over to shop at the Lil' Inker Store. ;)

Sources: Gina K Designs pure luxury kraft cardstock; SU Naturals Ivory & Naturals White cardstock; AC textured black cardstock; SU Melon Mambo cardstock; DCWV green glitter cardstock; Lil' Inker Designs + 2 Cute Ink Sweet Bee; Memories black ink; SU Melon Mambo ink; Lil' Inker Designs Flags & Tags die & Fringe Flower die; Paper Smooches Licorice baker's twine; SU Basic Pearl; pink Copic marker; We R Memory Keepers corner chomper; foam tape

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Miss You

Kim is sharing this card on the Paper Smooches Blog today! It uses the office (swivel) chair, bottle (vase) and a sentiment from Vogue Abode. When I first saw the chair, I immediately thought of it being the back of the chair but its versatility allows it to work both ways! The 'person' sitting in the chair is the squirrel from Hang Ups. One of the vases from Vogue Abode was the perfect size as a bottle. When my husband saw the card, he burst out laughing and said, "That's great! That's totally what I would do if I missed you." LOL The shadows are from Hot Concoctions and they are masked on to the card. The heart and Xs (stitches as hugs) are from FOLKal Points and the bubbles are from Surf & Turf. When I made this card, I came to the realization that the squirrel is the most useful critter ever. He fits into all my card schemes and therefore I've deemed him a necessity. If you don't already own Hang Ups, do you think you need it now? ;)

Sources: Gina K Designs pure luxury white cardstock; Echo Park Life is Good paper pad; Paper Smooches Vogue Abode, Hang Ups, FOLKal Points, Surf & Turf & Hot Concoctions; SU Melon Mambo; Tim Holtz for Ranger Worn Lipstick, Scattered Straw & Shabby Shutters; distress inks; Memories black ink; Memento Tuxedo Black ink; Copics; foam tape

Skipping Stones Design: Sketch #111 + a Sale!

It's time for Skipping Stones Design Sketch #111! This week's sketch was a little easier for me because I had fun interpreting those circles and putting my own little spin on it. Instead of repeating the same image across the card, I used the coffee ring stamp from Funny Coffee, Vol. #1 and stamped it across the countertop which I created using the splatter background stamp from the newly-released Grunge Two set. The saucer and the coffee cup represent the last two circles on the sketch. The rest is straight forward. I hope you will play along with this fun sketch this week for a chance to win stamps from Skipping Stones Design!

Before you leave, I want to let you know that Skipping Stones Design is having a Purchase More Stamps (PMS) sale. I know, the acronym is hilarious but it might make you buy more stamps and you'll even have an explanation for the hubby. LOL The sale runs now through Sunday, January 22nd at midnight.

Check out all the details HERE!

The more you buy, the more you save.
Buy 1 set and save 5%. Enter PMS1 at checkout.
Buy 2 sets and save 10%. Enter PMS2 at checkout.
Buy 3 sets and save 15%. Enter PMS3 at checkout.
Buy 4 sets and save 20%. Enter PMS4 at checkout.
Buy 5 sets and save 25%. Enter PMS5 at checkout.
Buy 6 sets OR MORE and SAVE 30% on every set you buy - no limit!!! Enter PMS6 at checkout.

Shop HERE. :)

Sources: Gina K Designs pure luxury kraft cardstock; Cosmo Cricket Joy Ride mini deck; Skipping Stones Design Funny Coffee, Vol. #1 & Grunge Two; Memories black ink; Hero Arts iris chalk ink; foam tape

Monday, January 16, 2012

Lil' Inker Designs January Release Blog Hop {Day 1}

Welcome to Day 1 of Lil' Inker Designs' January Release! If you've come from Laura Pryor's blog, you are on the right track. If this is your first stop, you will want to start at Laura's blog every day this week so you don't miss a thing. Be sure to leave comments on every designer's blog each day this week for a chance to win a $10 gift certificate to the Lil' Inker Store or the 2 Cute Ink sets being released this week!

Today, half the design team is featuring the first release of the week, Flags & Tags. This set comes complete with three dies and 21 stamps. It is beautiful and incredibly versatile! There are five background and outline stamps plus little flourish images and a multitude of sentiments for every occasion imaginable. This set is a must-have for your paper crafting projects.

I made a birthday card in my favourite 6½" x 3¼" size using two of the dies from Flags & Tags plus the clouds dies from Rainbows & Clouds. On the sentiment label, I double-stamped the diamond mesh background in yellow and the solid outline in pink. I love having layering options with these stamps! After die cutting the oversized flag die, I added some staple accents and adhered all the layers to the card. As you can see, the possibilities with the Flags & Tags dies and stamp set are endless. Just click on the image to purchase!

Now head on over to my talented friend Jen Carter's blog where she has several fun projects to share with you!

Sources: SU Naturals White cardstock; Gina K Designs pure luxury white cardstock; Bella BLVD Bookin' on the Beach & Magic in the Sky; Lil' Inker Designs Flags & Tags Dies and Stamp Set, Clouds & Rainbows Dies; SU Mambo Melon, Summer Sun & Old Olive inks; Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher & staples; foam tape

Sunday, January 15, 2012

You're My Cup of Tea

Today, the entire Avocado Arts Pit Crew has a load of inspiration to share with you! We've all made cards featuring the January Stamp Set: Sweet Treat Sweetie with sneak peeks of the upcoming February Stamp Set: Wishes & Kind Thoughts. Some of the sneaks are well-hidden, like on my card, and others are pretty obvious. You'll have to have a look for yourself! Check out all these amazing blogs and let me know what you think is my sneak peek:

I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend! It's freezing here but we are still skating and playing in the snow, trying to make the best of winter and staying active. :)

Sources: Bazzill Basics textured yellow cardstock; SU Melon Mambo, Pink Piroutte & So Saffron cardstock; Echo Park Dots & Stripes Candy Shoppe paper pad; Avocado Arts Sweet Treat Sweetie & Wishes & Kind Thoughts; Memories Black ink; SU Melon Mambo ink; Ranger Stickles yellow; foam tape

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Beep Beep!

This is the birthday card I made for my nephew for his first birthday this past week. I was fortunate to spend extra time with my sister and her family the previous week when my Dad was hospitalized and they came up to see him. Fortunately, everything turned out okay and we were all able to celebrate my Mom's birthday together. I've gotten addicted to WOW Toys lately and ended up getting my nephew the fire engine and the farmer. My sister said she really liked this card and she doesn't usually express that about my cards so I felt good about it. I know she appreciates my cards but I was excited that this one was extra special to her. In fact, I really like it myself. LOL

Tomorrow, the entire Avocado Arts Pit Crew will be showcasing the January Stamp Set: Sweet Treat Sweetie combined with sneak peeks of the February Stamp Set: Wishes and Kind Thoughts. You don't want to miss it! ;)

Sources: Gina K Designs pure luxury kraft & white cardstock; Papertrey Ink Boy Basics: Truckin' It & Top Ten; Memento Tuxedo Black ink; Copics; foam tape

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Christmas Cards from Friends

It's time to share all the cards I've received in the past two months. Seeing them all lined up on my mantel makes me happy so I'm going to leave them up for a couple more weeks, at least until the Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day cards starting rolling in! In alphabetical order by first name:

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This beautiful, elegant card is from Angela Hathikhanavala! I love the dark moss green and the deep reds on this, as well as the touch of burlap string and mini wooden house.

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I love the amazing colours and textures on this card from Brenda Urbanik! The clear embossed background is perfect and the touch of ribbon is so cute.

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I've gotten to know Kelley Eubanks really well in a short time and I'm so happy that our paths crossed! I love this clean and simple card in her signature style.

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Grace Lin is the best Stampin' Up Demonstrator ever. If you're in the Greater Toronto Area or surrounding areas and looking for great service, gifts and even free shipping on occasion, Grace is your gal!

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Isha Gupta is relatively new to blogging and brimming with talent! I just love the blues and sparkle on this stunning card.

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I fell in love with Karen Dunbrook's work on Splitcoaststampers the moment I laid eyes on her gallery. This is just one example of her amazing clean and simple style!

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Karen Quigley doesn't have a blog but this card makes me wish she did. I love her stitching and use of metal here. Thank you for always leaving the sweetest comments, Karen!

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Lai Yoke's card is so much fun! I love the way she used snowflakes to create a snowman and the non-traditional purple makes this card a real eye-catcher.

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I love this fun card from Lexy with an aerial view of a snowman! I love the bright colours combined with kraft.

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I always swoon over Lindsey's heat embossed cards. I apologize for the shadows but it was hard to photograph two cards and still show the embossing. Lindsey not only sent me a card but she made a penguin one especially for my son! The shiny bits you see peeking out of the bottom of the card are the penguin stickers she included for my little man. He immediately plastered the inside of her card with them. LOL

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I wonder if Lisa Alonzo and Brenda Urbanik were crafting together when they made their holiday cards. ;) I love all the detail on Lisa's card. The embossed music background and shine on this card are amazing.

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You all know how much I admire Lisa Arana's work! Stay tuned for our first anniversary of Take Two in March. You don't want to miss it!

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I adore Lynn Mangan's style and I love the stories she shares on her blog. This card is simply fabulous!

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This stunning card from Meg Craig features a panda, shimmer paper and her Silhouette skills. Hello, perfection. Love!

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Wendy ten Hove's card is adorable, just like her personality! She is one of the kindest, most enthusiastic and generous ladies I have met in blogland. This card featuring Paper Smooches is so perfect for me given that I'm a Rat in the Chinese Zodiac!

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Thank you so much for taking the time to make these beauties and send them to me along with the generous gifts! I hope you've enjoyed seeing them all together here on my blog. If these artists are new to you, I'd recommend that you visit their blogs and say hello! :)