I'm the Guest DT at The Shabby Tea Room Today!

Hello, dear friends! I'm so thrilled that Karen invited me to be the Guest DT for the Shabby Tea Room inspiration challenge today!

Here's the yummy inspiration for us. So many sweet things to focus on!

and here is the card I was inspired to make

I embossed my card, layered on a paper doily and a circle of patterned paper tied with wrinkled seam tape. I cut my hearts with Nestabilities - the pink one is felt and I stamped SWEET right on it (the stamp actually says Home Sweet Home but I only inked the Sweet part!). I sponged all the edges, added the foam flowers and called it DONE!

So now please check out the challenge over at The Shabby Tea Room , see the Shabby Girls creations and link your inspired creation there!

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Sewing Box Hugs

Paper: Vintage Cream, Text Style Happy Spots - PTI

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Distress Antique Linen

Accessories: Pink felt - Michaels, Flora Doodles - Petaloo, circle & heart Nestabilities, brads - Basic Grey, paper doily - Michaels, foam tape, wrinkled seam tape - http://www.prairiebirdboutique.etsy.com/ , Checkerboard embossing folder - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, glue dots

Inspired by Scandinavia

Hello dear stampers! My card today was made for two challenges. The color challenge over on Split Coast this week was to use red, white & black and the dessert option was to use hearts.

My design was inspired by the Shabby Tea Room inspiration photo this week entitled 'Scandinavian Christmas'.

I punched and embossed a silver heart, stamped the 'stitched' heart and die cut the bird. I dry embossed the deckled edge rectangle nestie to frame it all up and tied the wrinkled seam tape and gingham ribbon around the card.

Inside I stamped "Nothing warms the heart like an old friend". This sentiment and stitched heart are from Sewing Box Hugs by Waltzingmouse Stamps

Thanks so much for stopping by today - gotta run and wrap some presents!

Stamps: Waltzingmouse Stamps - Sewing Box Hugs
Paper: white, pure poppy - PTI, Silver - Canford Card, DP - October Afternoon/Thrift Shop/One of a kind
Ink: Ranger Distress - Barn Door, Antique Linen
Accessories: Brad - Basic Grey, glue dots, bird - Tim Holtz Alterations Sizzix die, Mega deckled edge & heart - Nestabilities, wrinkled seam tape - Prairie Bird Boutique Etsy shop, gingham ribbon - SU, vintage button & twine - PTI, heart punch - EK success, snow flake punch - Martha Stewart

You Make the Grade

Happy Friday dear friends!! Isn't it great to have the weekend ahead of us?!

I'm so excited to finally be using my MFT Pure Innocence school girl. I have 5 different Pure Innocence stamps and this is the first one I've inked up! - what's with that??!!

I made my card today for 2 challenges - the Free 4 All Friday over at Split Coast that was to use scallops and the Shabby Tearoom challenge where we were to be inspired by this picture.

I paper pieced my little school girl's outfit and embossed the blackboard sentiment with white embossing powder. I colored the rest of the image with Copics. My flower is cut with a PTI flower die and I used a Labels 3 Nestability to cut the image. Everything is sponged with Ranger Distress Tea Dye ink.

Tomorrow Kent and I are going on a boat cruise on the Essex River with the Adult Fellowship Group at my church. It's supposed to be in the 80's and sunny so it should be a wonderful day on the water! Then we're all going to Woodman's, a locally famous seafood restaurant for supper - should I get fried clams or boiled lobster?!?!? or maybe scallops...... baked scrod....... fried shrimp.....????? There's nothing better than fresh seafood from New England! Yum!

I'll be back tomorrow with my Saturday Waltzingmouse Sketch card - hope to see you then!

Stamps: My Favorite Things - Pure Innocence - You Make the Grade.

Paper: Bazzil Irish Eyes, Ocean Tides - PTI, DP Cosmo Cricket/Girl Friday, October Afternoon/Thrift Shop-Still in the Box.

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Distress Tea Dye

Accessories: distresser, flower die - PTI, foam dimensionals, glue dots, hot gun, white embossing powder, spiral punch & scallop punch - SU, adhesive paper ribbon - K& Company, Labels 3 Nestabilities, Ink applicator - Inkssentials Ranger, brad, basic grey, Copics: B45, E19, E33, E35, E34, YR21, E51, 100, circle punch.

The King of the Yard

Hi my stamping friends! Phew - it's nice to take a breather after the mad rush of the Waltzingmouse release!

My card today was created for three challenges!

Teapot Tuesday

Taylored Expressions Sketch TESC127

The Shabby Tea Room Week #27

Teapot Tuesday this week is all about the dogs - inspired by a teapot decorated with a frolicking pup - we are to bring whatever kind of dog we have to the tea party. We also need to help provide enough sanitary facilities for all these canines - hence my row of leafy trees! My sentiment is a fun sticker by EK Success. The cute little pooch is Rag Dog by American Art Stamp/Emerson Quillin and the trees are Teeny Trees by Waltzingmouse (I told you I can't stop using this set!!).

I used Taylor's fun sketch for my card and the colors of cream and greens inspired by the Shabby Tea Room photo - to be inspired by Nature and Green!

Thanks for stopping by today! I'm back to work this week - but surprisingly it's ok!!??

Oh - and I keep forgetting to tell you all! My new little Grand Nephew arrived 10 days early - Landon Holmes Caggiano was born on 9/7/10 (due 9/17!) and since I was home on vacation - I was able to go to the hospital and wait with my sister for the arrival!

Landon's middle name (Holmes) was my father's first name (his mother's maiden name). My dad died suddenly at the age of 66 when I was just 28. Only my son (who was 3) knew grandpa but we always talked about him to our kids. So my sister and I were in tears when Katie told us Landon's full name (they had kept the name a secret until he was born). Landon is my sister's first grandchild and my first grand-nephew!

Here he is about 7 hours old!

And here's the new little family! Katie, Landon and Greg

Thanks for indulging me!!!

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Teeny Trees, Rag Dog - American Art Stamps/Emerson Quillin

Paper: Bazzill Green Dots, Rustic White & Dark Chocolate - PTI

Ink: Ranger Distress - Peeled Paint, Bundled Sage, Crushed Olive, Wild Honey, Barn Door, Memento Rich Cocoa.

Accessories: Vintage buttons and satin ribbon - PTI, Nestabilities - Circles & pinking circles, Sticker - EK Success Phrase Cafe, Copics: Y26, YG63, R35, foam dimensionals.

Inspired by Metal

I've really been enjoying the Shabby Tea Room challenges that I recently discovered. This week the inspiration photo was this lovely bracelet and the challenge is to use metal on your inspired card or project.


Here's my inspired card.

I used alcohol inks to make my colorful swirl on glossy card stock - and I have to tell you the top and bottom color is really a cranberry NOT purple so it looks more like the bracelet gems IRL! For some reason alcohol inks do not photograph true! Then I stamped my Asian lanterns from Waltzingmouse Stamps with silver pigment ink and added the silver brads. Then I adhered the image panel to a black panel over a silver panel.

This card is also for the Teapot Tuesday challenge over on Split Coast which you will find here.

After having a wonderful sunny hot summer here in New England so far - we are suddenly having a week of rain! I'm glad I didn't take this week as vacation. Our gardens and lawns did really need the drink though!

Thanks so much for coming by today - what does this bracelet inspire you to create??

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Asian Gardens, Asian Gardens Additions

Paper: Glossy white CS , Basic Black - SU, Silver - unknown

Ink: Adirondack Alcohol Ink - Stone Washed, Rust, Cranberry, Wild Plum, Color Box Pigment Ink - Silver, Memento Tuxedo Black

Accessories: Alcohol ink applicator - Ranger, Silver Brads, Making Memories

The Delicate Cottage Rose

Ok - so now that I've figured out how to do Shabby Chic - I can't seem to stop!



This week's Shabby Tea Room inspiration photo got me thinking about making another little box similar to the one under the table in this photo.! Isn't this a wonderful shabby chic scene?! I don't decorate my home in this style - but I do love looking at it!

I started with a little oval wood chipboard box 3 1/4" x 4 1/4" and covered it with patterned paper that had been sponged with Tea Dye Ink (of course!) I made my cluster of roses using red felt - you can see how I made these on my post here. I painted and sparkled a grungeboard scrolly and tucked it under the sentiment panel - to mimic the white leg on the table in the photo.

The sentiment and frame are Waltzingmouse.

I even made a handle for my little box. I punched a hole on each end with my Cropadile and threaded a piece of hemp twine through the holes knotting the ends on the inside. This is actually long enough to pull up and use to carry this little box!

The dress hanging on the wall in the photo also inspired me. I have a wonderful stamp by Serendipity that is 3 beautiful vintage dresses hanging on a line. I inked just one of them for my card and added some flower soft at the bust and hem to give the feeling of the chennille in the picture.

I used my Scor Pal to make lines like the tile floor in the picture. I made this flower out of Mulberry paper. I stamped the dress on pink flowery paper, cut it out and layered it over the 'wallpaper'. The frame is Spellbinders and is popped up on foam dimensionals as is the dress.

The sentiment is Waltzingmouse.

Hope to see you tomorrow when I'll have my Speedy's Challenge card as well as my Waltzingmouse sketch card! A busy posting day!

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Fancy Phrases, Afternoon Tea, Serendipity - three dresses

Paper: White, vintage cream - PTI, Mulberry - AC Moore, DP - Retired SU, Imaginesce - Fairest of them All.

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Distress - Tea Dye, Barn Door

Accessories: Skotch quick dry adhesive, cropadile, red felt, hemp twine - SU, sticky pearls - Michaels, lace - May Arts Ellen Hutson LLC, sponge & applicator - Inkssentials/Ranger, grunge chip board - Tim Holtz, white acrylic paint - Michaels, glitter - Blumchen & Co., spellbinders classic frame, flower soft - sweet pea, flower soft High tac PVA glue, foam dimensionals, lacey punch - Martha Stewart.

Shabby Reflections

I 've been seeing several cards in blog land inspired by the Shabby Tea Room Reflections challenge and decided I'd like to play along too! I have not been one to do the shabby chic but I've been making a few cards in this style lately and I'm becoming more comfortable with it. Here's the lovely picture we are to be inspired by:

And here's the card I created. I used Taylored Expressions Friday sketch

What makes this Shabby chic? Sponged edges with tea dye ink, crinkled ribbon, lace, stick pin, buttons and bling! Am I right??!

Stamps: Waltzingmouse - Fancy Phrases

Paper: Vintage Cream - PTI, Silver - unknown, DP October Afternoon/thrift shop/still in Box

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Ranger Distress Tea Dye.

Accessories: Foam dimensionals, scor tape, little gems - Michaels, wrinkle ribbon - www.prairiebirdboutique.etsy.com, butons - Making Memories Sabrina, narrow silk ribbo - PTI, lace - Ellen Hutson LLC, jewel pin - Marks Finest Papers, sizzix sizzlets die lots of tags label 1 - SU, sponge and applicator Inkssentials Ranger.