She Said "YES!"

With everything that has been going on with the home buying process, wedding plans seem to have taken the back seat. There was one thing, though, that I just couldn't wait any longer to do! On Friday night, I went to visit my best friend Kristy with a very special question to ask her :) I wanted to make it unique and creative so here is what I came up with:

Using Basic Grey Sugar Rush designer paper, I began by covering all of the panels to my gable box. Then, I made a label for the front panel using the "dear friend" stamp from SU! Bella Blossoms and two different shapes from Nestabilities Fancy Tags. I layered the tags and added some pearls to embellish.

Next I created the most important part, the question! The question itself is computer generated, printed out on card stock, and cut out using Nestabilites label 4. Sponging was done in SU! Almost Amethyst (this color works perfectly with Sugar Rush). I layered it onto some more designer paper and added a few finishing details with some ribbon, a flower and a pearl center.

Then, you guessed it, into the box it went! I added some white tissue around it so it would stay put.

I closed up the box and added just a few more coordinating embellishments to the outside. I created these layered flowers for the side panels with the help of my new Martha Stewart Large Chrysanthemum punch.

When finished (and after my last picture), I tied the top shut with a big bow using white tulle.

We ended up going out to dinner Friday night so I had the perfect opportunity to hand the box across the table. When she opened the box and saw the question inside, she shouted, "YES!" and my heart filled with joy! I am such a lucky lady to have Kristy as my best friend and I am so blessed to have her by my side as I plan my special day!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Hope is Faith Blog Hop

Feelings of Hope -
Hope for Haiti

Gina challenged the Center Stage Spotlight team to make a card with the new Hope is Faith stamp set using the photo above for inspiration. Check out Gina's blog for all the details on this special stamp set.


For my card, I used the colors from Gina's photo for my inspiration. All of the designer papers I chose to use are from the SEI Oasis collection, and are layered with Gina K's Pure Luxury Black Only card stock. I started by stamping the butterfly image down the side of the designer paper using Memento Tuxedo Black ink. I then colored over the butterflies with my VersaMarker and embossed them with clear embossing powder. Next, I started layering paper down the opposite side of the card to start building up my border. I used my SU! Scalloped Border punch for the edge and added some black bling. I also added some trim that I thought mimicked the butterfly wings. I wanted to have the word "HOPE" stand out on the front of this card. I found some die-cut alphabets and pulled out the four letters that I needed. It looked okay, but it needed something more. I decided to replace the letter "O" with a flower - what do you think? I used a vintage pearl button with some black thread and added it to the flower's center to finish the front of my card.

I used the sentiment from Gina K's new Hope is Faith set for the inside of my card. I stamped the sentiment onto the dp, and cut it out using the Fancy Tags Nestabilities. I cut the same tag out a second time using the Black Onyx card stock, and cut off the curly ends to add to the sides of the sentiment to make it pop!

Be sure to stop by and visit these talented designers who are also participating in tonight's Hope is Faith blog hop:

Jessica Fick

Diana S. Queen

Tina Gilliland

Pam Imholz

Carla Suto

Cheri Weston

Jennie Harper

Joy Hadden

Shannon Bracken

Karen Knegten

JenMarie Taylor

Brenda Turner

Giovanna Smith

Sue Morris

Melissa Shultz

Peggy Wainman

Sharri Seffens

Carolina Buchting

Geri Utterback

Melissa Cash

Betty Neville

Sue Van deVusse

Janice Melton

Jen Charboneau

DeeMarie Kelemen

Linda Payne

Lori McAree

Kay Simmons

Shelly Wilson

Selma Stevenson

Vicki Dutcher

Sue Walsh

I hope you enjoyed all of the gorgeous butterflies tonight! Throughout the month of February, $2.00 from every sale of the Hope is Faith stamp set will be donated to the Red Cross for earthquake relief in Haiti.

Birthday Blog Candy WINNER!

Good Morning and Happy Friday! I would like to thank everyone who visited my blog and entered to win my birthday giveaway! All of your birthday wishes mean so much! I am having a blast visiting all of the inspirational sites that you have shared with me :) So, Dee, who is the winner?? Well, without waiting any longer, the randomly drawn winner is:

CHERYL

Who said:

Happy Birthday!

1. I am a follower
2. I linked your candy in the side bar of my blog.
3. Hmm... I love follow a lot of blogs for inspiration but I think Mel McCarthy is my absolute fav. You can find her at http://melstampz.blogspot.com

Congratulations Cheryl! Please contact me as soon as possible at sweetdeemarie@gmail.com with your information so that I can get your candy right out to you :) If I don't hear from Cheryl within 48 hours, I will randomly draw another lucky winner.

Have a fabulous Friday!

Birthday Blog Candy!

*This post will remain at the top until my birthday, February 12th - Please scroll down for new posts :)To celebrate my upcoming birthday, I have some yummy candy to share with you :) I have been cleaning out my stamp room since I will soon be moving, and I found some brand new stamps and supplies that I just can't wait to give away to one of my friends! Here is what you could win:

Stamps
Basic Grey - Critters 'N Treats
My Sentiments Exactly - 'U'
Heartfelt Creations - HC217B
Close to my Heart - Background Whimsy
Inkadinkado - Flower

Supplies
Color Box Chalk Ink - Azurite, Ice Jade and Alabaster
Jolee's Boutique - Love Hearts and Heals and Hand Bag
K&Company - Wild Saffron Adhesive Paper Ribbon
memory box - butterfly shaped card and envies
making memories - Boho Chic 6x6 Mini Album
Prima - flowers in various shapes, colors and sizes

Here is what you need to do for a chance to win this delicious candy:

1. Become a follower - if you aren't already :)
2. Spread the word - link back to this post from your blog!
3. Leave a comment - share with me the web address to your absolute FAVORITE stamping site or blog. I always love visiting new places :)

It's as easy as 1, 2, 3! Comments will be accepted for this candy until 10pm EST on February 11th, and I will select a random winner on my birthday, February 12th! I hope you decide to help me celebrate!

Many Wishes!

Happy Monday! Today I am sharing with you a card that I created for The Color Dare challenge this week. The colors to use are SU! Pacific Point, Baja Breeze, Kiwi Kiss and Basic Grey. Using some of the stamps from Many Wishes by Gina K. Designs, and following the Magic Snowflake tutorial over at SCS, I created my focal image. This is such a fun technique and the end result is always so vibrant! The re-inkers I used were Pacific Point and Baja Breeze. If you would like to try out this technique, you can check out the tutorial here. I cut my image out using a Nestability die, and then layered with the same size die-cut at the top and bottom, using Kiwi Kiss card stock. The base card is Baja Breeze, and the designer papers are from SU! To finish the card, I added some satin ribbon tied in a bow.

Have a great night!

Quick and Easy Note Card

Good Morning :) Last night an idea came to me for a note card using another image from "A Year of Flowers" by Melanie Muenchinger. I also entered this card in her Flower Picking Contest which ends tonight.

This was a quick and easy note card and I so like the end result :) Two of my favorite element on a card are texture and layers and I just love to combine them! For this card, I used Gina K's Pure Luxury card stock in Green Apple, In The Navy and Wine With Everything. I ran a piece of the wine card stock through the Cuttlebug using the Victoria embossing folder, and then layered onto the apple and then the navy (giving a 1/16" border of each color). I then selected one of the flowers from Mel's set, stamped in VersaMark on a piece of each color, and heat embossed using detail white embossing powder. Each flower was punched out using my Marvy square punch (pink) and then was layered onto alternating card stocks. To make the center flower stand out, I used a white layer, added some paper piercing, and adhered it to the card using pop dots. To keep the card as simple as possible, I finished with a few white brads in the opposite corners.

I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend. It's time for me to start preparing for our Super Bowl party :) Trying to squeeze 10+ people into our apartment is always so much fun LOL! At least next year we won't have this problem in the new house :)

Tiger Lilies

This card was created for the Flower Picking Contest over on Mel Muenchinger's blog. With the Gina K. Designs new release just around the corner, who would not LOVE to win Mel's new set!? (You can see a snippet of the set here on Gina K's blog). Mel is asking us to get creative with her set "A Year of Flowers" - one of my favorite sets - and not only can you win her new set that releases on February 11th, but she is also looking for a Guest Designer for March!

For my creation, I used the lily, stem, and leaf images and stamped them multiple times using the masking technique. I colored them using my Koh-I-Noor pencils and OMS. I then heat embossed the lilies with clear embossing powder, cut them out using a Nestability die, and sponged around them using SU! ink in So Saffron. I decided to cut out one extra lily and add it using a pop dot to give the grouping some more dimension. I created the card using Gina K's Pure Luxury card stock in Chocolate Kiss, then layered on So Saffron card stock, then a piece of designer paper from Basic Grey Origins, and finally some more Chocolate Kiss. I added the colored image to the center using a few more pop dots. I added some stitching with the Janome, and to finish the card, I added some corners that I punched of a scrap of Origins DP with my SU! Corner Punch. I have included a picture of tiger lilies from the internet that I used for my inspiration for this card.

Here in northern New Jersey, we braced ourselves for this big, unpredictable snow storm, and we ended up with less than an inch so far. Not sure if it's done yet or not, but I am still planning on staying in an stamping today in between cleaning up for the Super Bowl party tomorrow!

Enjoy your weekend!

For Someone Special

Tonight I am sharing another card that I made this past weekend while I was visiting mom - had to take advantage of the Copics :) This card is for the Penny Black Saturday Challenge to create a card for someone special. The image, Hedgehog Bouquet by Penny Black, was colored using the following Copic Sketch markers: 0, C1, C3, E00, E02, RV10, RV1, RV32, RV34, W1, W3, Y15, Y17, YG13 and YG17. After I was finished coloring, I cut the image out using a one of the Nestabilities labels, and sponged around the background using SU! ink in Baja Breeze and Sahara Sand. The sentiment which reads, "Friends are flowers that never fade." is from an older SU! set called Favorite Friends (I thought it went well with this adorable hedgie). My base card was created using Pure Luxury card stock in Soft Sand and the designer paper is from Basic Grey Phoebe. I added some stitching around the border using my Janome sew mini. To create my coordinating butterfly, I used my new Martha Stewart Monarch punch (isn't it just darling?) on Soft Sand card stock, added some sponging, and backed it with scraps of the ribbon the I used at the bottom of the card, so that the color and texture would show through the cut out wings. To finish the card, I added some pearls to the butterfly's body as well as the two opposite corners.

On a side note, Happy Groundhog Day :) Unfortunately, good ol' Phil saw his shadow... I don't know if I can take six more weeks of winter!

I hope you are enjoying your week!