Happy New Year's Eve Day!

Happy New Year's Eve Day. We got a little snow today but nothing like the last storm so the NYC activities should go on as planned.

I also wanted to wish DT member Kendra a very happy birthday! How cool is that? The whole world celebrates your birthday? :)

I thought I'd show you another Christmas project I made. I got a Keurig gift certificate for John's parents and made this little thing as a holder. I used some JR stamps (stamped in Palette ink of course), Christmas Cheer foil paper, gold string and some Liquid Pearls and Matte Accents on the mug.
Here is a close-up of the mug.

I hope you have a wonderful day! I'll be skipping Five Minute Friday tomorrow. I haven't had even 5 minutes in the studio this week to throw something together between all the hustle and then being sick.

So have a wonderful, safe night and I'll see you next year!

Sick...

Hi friends! I hope you had a wonderful holiday. Mine was nice and full of lots of food. Santa brought me a wonderful new camera that I need to learn how to use. So, bear with me over the new few weeks as I learn how to use it!

I also picked up a cold of some sort though so I'm trying to take it easy a bit so it doesn't progress into anything more. But I thought I'd share with you a project I made as some gift packaging using the All Around Town My Time template.

This is a packaging for my vegan friend. I got her some vegan hot cocoa mix and vegan marshmallows. The paper is Starry Eyed. I love the glitter on this paper. I used some left over ribbon scraps including some glimmer pastel blue. I stamped my Just Rite image in Palette Seascape and colored it in with Prisma pencils. I used my Rock Candy Stickles for the whipped cream. It's all held together nicely with i {stick} papers, our very own redline tape.
Thanks for stopping by today. I've got over 800 items on sale now to help make room for new CHA goodies and to make less to inventory for taxes! So hurry up because a lot of these things will not be reordered. Once they're gone, they're gone!

Have a great week!

Store Update

Just a quick note to let you know that:

New Basic Grey is in! New Unity is in! Oh, and I just went CRAZY and marked over 830 items on sale. Once they're out - they're out!

I'll be taking a short break from blogging for the holidays. I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas! And, if you have a chance on Christmas day, be sure to pop over to Cathleen's blog and wish her a happy birthday. It's got to be tough to have a Christmas birthday so drop by and send her some love.

Christmas cards!

This year I had a pretty good stash of cards that I made throughout the year so I didn’t really need to do a big mass production like I normally do (which was good!) but I did need to make about 20 cards and I came up with this quick and cute design, which I will be repurposing for a different card next month.  This is EASY…let me tell you.  I modified the standard gate card a bit so that when I folded it there would be a bit of an overlap.  These adorable snowmen (also available in blue!) come with adhesive and glitter already.  I know, I’m a cheater.  I used my Bo-Bunny Flex ruler to draw the curve on the kraft paper, cut along the line and then layered a panel of red behind it and freehand cut the scallop with my scissors.  The bottom panel is a white panel embossed with my A2 Snowflake folder.  The snowman sits on a tag made from Circle Nesties.  To finish it off I stamped my greeting (after curving it on my block to mirror the curve in the kraft paper) from It’s A Snow Day in Palette L’Amour Red and snowflakes from the same set in Palette New Canvas.

Here’s a shot of it partially open so you can see how it goes together. 

I hope you’re gotten all your cards out and are leaving some time to actually enjoy things this holiday season!  Thanks for stopping by!

Remember, today is the last day for the 15% off sale at the store.  Just enter code IHPgift – it’s our holiday gift to you for being such loyal and fabulous customers!

Five Minute Friday: Dear Santa

Happy Friday!  Are you sick of Colorful Christmas yet?  I hope not!  Here’s another quick card I made and can you believe it - no Nesties!! I used the little cute eskimo girl from the Colorful Christmas Glittered Chipboard and layered her on the Dear Santa A2 embossing folder.

I used my Prismacolor pencils to shade over the raised top parts to make them pop a little bit.  The greeting from Jolly Christmas is stamped in Palette Chartreuse. 

Cute, right??  Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you’re almost ready for Christmas!!  Only one more week!

DT Challenge: Eat, drink and be merry

This month for the IHP DT Challenge we’re using the new My Mind’s Eye Be Loved and Love Me Do kits to do some sort of eat, drink and be merry project.  I wasn't quite ready to dive into Valentine’s Day yet even though that is what these kits are intended for.  So, for my project I altered a bottle of wine that could be used as a New Year’s gift or really any gift!  It’s yummy blackberry wine from a winery in Lancaster, PA.  YUMMO!  And really, what’s better than wine for an eat, drink, be merry theme?

I wrapped the bottle with a piece from Love Me Do using i {stick} papers.  Then I used my long rectangle Nesties to make the center tag and stuck a Zva celebrate gem saying on it.  Lastly I made a cheater bow using the red faux suede ribbon.  This is SUCH a quick project.  Too bad it isn’t Friday or this would SO be my Five Minute Friday project!  *grin*

Here is a close-up of the gems. 

Thanks for stopping by today!  Don’t forget the 15% sale ends on the 21st! 

Be sure to stop by the rest of the team today to see their projects!

Amber
Carolyn
Cathleen
Deb
Gretchen
Kendra
Lynn
Megan
Tracy (check around 10am EST)
Lori
Merry

Have a great day!

On the 12th Day of Christmas

…IHP is sponsoring Paper Craft Planet!  That’s right!  Today we’re the sponsor for the last day of the 12 Days of Christmas and you can have your chance to win a prize pack worth $70 that includes ALL SEVEN Chicken Girl Design stamp sets!  How awesome is that??  Hop on over to PCP for the hint and be sure to visit Lynn, who is hosting today’s challenge.  She’s got an awesome project for you!

For my project today I used the cute little penguin from It’s A Snow Day to make this ornament.  He is stamped in Palette Noir and cut out and popped up, mounted to the back of the tin.  The background paper is a little circle of Snow Globe that I cut out with my Circle Nesties.

I colored him with some markers and dotted the hat and chest with Icicle Stickles for some shimmer.  Then, when it was all dry I added some White Flower Soft for snow and then closed up the tin with a strip of i {stick} papers (our very own, made exclusively for us red line sticky strip tape – 60 YARD roll!).  Then I wrapped the tin with 1” pink satin ribbon and made a loopy at the top, again using i {stick} papers.

On a personal note, we went to the tree farm and cut down our Christmas tree last night.  Mr. Barbo even “helped” (aka made it more difficult to cut down a tree) but it was all part of the fun.  I’ll post a shot once it is decorated but here it is still at the farm.

Have a great weekend!  Thanks for stopping by today!

Five Minute Friday: Another Colorful Christmas card

Hi there!  Happy Friday!  Today is Christmas tree purchasing day for us!  Yay!

Here’s another quick card I made for my stash this year.  I used my favorites circle Nesties and some Colorful Christmas Glittered Chipboard to make this.  Isn’t she adorable?  The strip across the bottom is a Colorful Christmas sticker border and greeting from Holiday Sayings is stamped in Palette Chartreuse. 

I hope you’re all ready for the holidays!  My cards have all been sent out – yay!  Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great weekend!

Be sure to stop back Tuesday for our monthly DT Challenge!

Store update

Hi there!  Just a quick update today.  The new Unity Store Kit is now in stock and is absolutely adorable!  Also, the Stripes Label and Diamonds and Dots embossing folders are back in stock.  I know a lot of you were looking for them so get them now!

I’ll leave you with a cute picture of Mr. Barbo, who got to meet Santa PAWS yesterday.  He was a bit scared (as you can tell from the picture) but was a real sport as I made him wear little reindeer antlers with bells and sit for his Santa photo shoot.

I hope you’re taking some time during this busy season to do little fun things.  The newsletter will be going out tonight and you’re not going to want to miss it (ahem…can you say coupon?)  If you’re not on the newsletter list hurry up and sign up on the homepage!

Five Minute Friday: Colorful Christmas

Hello!  I know I’ve been a little MIA lately and I’m so sorry.  It’s been crazy trying to balance everything now that holiday preparations are upon me.  I did find a few moments to work on Christmas cards, including this super easy card.  I used my favorites oval Nesties and some Colorful Christmas Glittered Chipboard to make this.  I love the colors in the Colorful Christmas line.  So bright and cheery!  The background is the small polka dot A2 embossing folder with a strip of Colorful Christmas sticker border across the middle.  The greeting from Jolly Christmas is stamped in Palette Claret. 

If you ordered during Black Friday and earned a gift certificate you should have received an email with your code by now.  If you didn’t, please email me.

Thanks for stopping in!  Be on the lookout for the newsletter next week.  You’re not going to want to miss it – I promise!

Happy Cyber Monday!

Hi there!  Did you enjoy your Thanksgiving and post Thanksgiving Black Friday shopping?  I sure hope so!!

Well, today is Cyber Monday and if you are a fan of ours on Facebook then you’ll want to pop over there today.  If you’re not already a fan, what are you waiting for? 

I haven’t had any stamping time lately.  I’m sure you’re feeling the same way but I do hope to be back later this week with something for you. 

Thanks for faithfully stopping in!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope all of my US friends have a wonderful day planned with family and friends.  I’m gearing up for a big weekend of writing out Christmas cards and packing orders due to our HUGE Black Friday special.

Here are the details:

FREE SHIPPING on US orders $25 or more ($75 or more for Canadian orders) PLUS…

• For every $50 spent, you will receive a $10 gift certificate towards a future purchase.  That’s like an automatic 10% off coupon ON EVERYTHING – even new and sale items!  Orders do not combine however they are incremental, meaning, a single order of $50 earns you one $10 gift certificate and a single order of $100 earns a $20 reward certificate. You cannot however place one order for $20 and another for $30 and qualify for the gift certificate. Additionally at $45 order and $55 order does not qualify for you for a $20 reward.
• Qualification amount does not include shipping total – it is merchandise total only.
• Following the sale, on December 1, you will receive a one-time use $10 gift certificate for every $50 order you place during the qualification period. Minimum order amount for qualification is $50.
• Gift Certificate purchases are not included in the sale.
• Rewards certificates are valid for redemption beginning December 1, 2009.
• Reward certificates are transferable.
• Sales runs 12:01am (EST) Friday November 27 – 11:59pm (EST) Sunday November 29
• You must enter the Coupon code from the banner ad at the time of ordering.  This is how we track our advertising.
• Can not be redeemed for cash or combined with any other discounts/coupons.

• Please contact us if you have any questions regarding this sale.

Happy crafting and happy shopping!  Thanks for stopping by!  SPREAD THE WORD!

Thanksgiving cards!

Thank you Merry!

Here is a picture of the cards I made for Thanksgiving. I used Tracy's Happy Harvest set, stamped in Palette Cognac and colored with Prismacolor pencils. I added a little Sand Spica to the flame tip. The left panel is a debossed Quickutz A2 Leaves folder. The greeting is stamped in Palette Orangerie and Landscape.

I needed them to be very simple so there's nothing fancy here! Have you realized how much I {heart} Nestabilities?

I hope you have a great Thanksgiving. Be sure to pop in at some point over the weekend. The Black Friday sale will run Friday through Sunday!

Thanks for stopping by (again) today!

I think I’ve lost my brain…

So today I was going to post the aforementioned Thanksgiving cards I was working on last week but in my panic to make and get them out before the actual day, I neglected to actually save one or photograph them! UGH! But, Merry is super wonderful and since she got hers yesterday said she'd take a picture and send it to me so I can share it with you. The rest should be arriving any day now. I'll post it soon - I promise!

I’ve been prepping the store for Black Friday, getting all my shipping supplies ready and doing some tidying. Be sure to check PCP and SCS for ads with the Black Friday code so you can save, save, save!

Hopefully I’ll be back with some crafty goodness later in the week for you but I wanted to pop in and apologize for not having posted my Thanksgiving cards.

Thanks for stopping in!

Five Minute Friday: Congratulations (Divorce)

Happy Friday!  I’m so sorry I’ve been such a bad blogger this week.  I’m always pretty exhausted after a release plus I’ve been busy gearing up for Black Friday and all the upcoming holiday craziness.  You’re not going to want to miss the Black Friday special!

I *just* finished my Thanksgiving cards (I’ll post them soon) and I haven’t even really thought about my own Christmas cards.  For me, that’s late!  My normal tradition is to make them on Black Friday, write them out over the weekend and send them out the first week in December.  Without a design thus far, I’m not so sure that will happen this year!

Anyway, onto the card.  Today’s card is a little twisted.  A good friend of mine is going through a divorce and I thought she needed a little card to “celebrate” the occasion.  I thought it would be funny if it looked like a traditional wedding card but had a little twist, so I dumped the cake upside down.  HAHA.

It’s very CAS.  I used the Rings A2 embossing folder, some lavender silk ribbon and my oval Nesties.  The cake and white flowers are from The Card Company.  The greeting is stamped in Palette Iris and finished off with some purple gems.  Voila!

Have you been checking in with our guest designers this month?  Lynn and Sharon have had some great projects!  Be sure to stop by and leave a comment or two for them!

Have a great weekend!  I’ll try to do some extra stamping this weekend to make up for my absence this week!  Thanks for popping in today!

DT Challenge: Sketch

Hello! Today is the day for the IHP DT Challenge! Today’s challenge was a sketch challenge, based off of this card.

I used Reindeer Games paper from the Eskimo Kisses line, front and back. I used my Snowflake Impressabilities for the white panel behind everything. The little reindeer from Lots of Merry is stamped in Palette Cognac and colored with Prismacolor pencils. The greeting from Holiday Sayings is stamped in Palette Moulin Rouge. The brads are from my seemingly never-ending pack of Bittersweet glazed brads. I’ve been using these for months! The final touch was a little piece of Pastel Blue Glimmer Ribbon.

Be sure to stop by the rest of the DT blogs to see their take on this challenge.

Amber
Carolyn
Cathleen
Deb
Gretchen
Kendra
Lynn
Megan
Tracy
Lori

Thanks for stopping by today!

Release Day!

Today is release day here at IHP for the newest Chicken Girl Design set, Birthday Wishes. 

Ready to see the whole set?  Huh?  Are you?  OK…you’ve been so patient this week so I guess I can show it to you.  :)

Isn’t it cute??  I love that the balloon can be “held” by the Ellie, the elephant or the bird or the bunny or the dog.  And, the dog’s back was designed specifically to be able to sit the cake on his back. 

There are a lot of options with this set.  And, for only $10!

So hop on over and get it!  Thanks for stopping in today!

Five Minute Friday: Let’s Party

Happy Friday!  I have another sample from Birthday Wishes today for Five Minute Friday.  I used the balloon and the little birdy from the set, stamped in Palette Charcoal.  I colored them in with Prisma pencils and then went over them with Stardust Stickles.  I finished it off with some orange glimmer ribbon and stamped the greeting in Palette Orangerie.  Voila!  That’s it!  Another quick and simple Five Minute Friday card!

Birthday Wishes will be available for sale on Monday so be sure to check back then.  And, our latest newsletter will also be sent out on Monday so if you’re not on the list, be sure to sign up on the homepage so you don’t miss anything!

Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping in!

Party Dog!

Tee hee!  Isn’t this little dog the cutest??  He’s from the newest Chicken Girl Design set, Birthday Wishes, which will be available on Monday exclusively at IHP! 

He was designed so that he is long enough to carry the cake from the set or the packages on his back.  Clever eh?  He’s stamped in Palette Cognac and colored with Prisma pencils. 

I used my Labels 8 to cut out a piece of Lime Rickey paper as the background behind the Rectangle Nesties focal image.  The packages are stamped in various Palette colors, cut out and popped up.  The little medallion is made with Circle Nesties.  I finished it off with a scrap of orange glimmer ribbon.

It’s ALMOST a Five Minute Friday card but the cutting of the packages took a little longer so it couldn’t count!  I’m strict I tell ‘ya!  *grin*

Thanks for popping in today.  Be sure to check the rest of the DT this week for their posts!

Judy
Kendra
Loretta
Lori
Merry
Natasha
Shelly

I’ll be back again soon! 

Hop-py, hop-py birthday!

I’m back again with another sample from the upcoming Chicken Girl set, Birthday Wishes.  I adore this little bunny and the Hop-py Birthday greeting that goes with it.  The bunny is stamped in Palette Charcoal and the greeting is stamped in alternating Palette Lilac and Palette Belle Rose.

I used various scraps from the Make A Wish paper and layered the focal image over it.  My Rectangle Nesties make an appearance once again – of course!  I made a teeny tiny bow from a scrap of pink faux suede ribbon.

Thanks for stopping in today!  See you again tomorrow with another sample!

Ellie Best Wishes

Hello!  Another sample from the new Birthday Wishes set, available on the 16th exclusively from IHP!

Isn’t Ellie (that’s what I’m calling her) adorable?  I stamped her in Palette Charcoal and colored her in with Prisma pencils.  I went over the balloon with Stardust Stickles.  I added some gems for a little extra bling.  The focal image was made with Large Square Scalloped Nesties.  The greeting, also from the set, is stamped in Palette Lilac.

Don’t forget to check in with the rest of the DT all this week:

Judy
Kendra
Loretta
Lori
Merry
Natasha
Shelly

Thanks for stopping by today! 

CGD new set!

Hello!  Today begins sneak peeks for the newest Chicken Girl Design set, Birthday Wishes.  It is such a cute set.  I know you will love it!  It will be available for purchase on the 16th.  In the meantime, enjoy the sneak peek samples from the design team all this week!

My sample today uses CPS140 sketch.  Isn’t the bunny adorable?  I used some DP from the new My Mind’s Eye paper pack Love Me Do.  I used Palette Charcoal ink for the bunny and colored him with my Prismacolor pencils and I used Palette Reflection Blue for the greeting.  I popped the little balloon up and colored it with Yellow Stickles.

That’s it for today!  Please remember that you can still contribute to the memorial fund for little Henry by purchasing the digistamp from PCS.  Please continue to keep Sarah and her family in your thoughts.  The service was this weekend and I’m sure it is just the beginning of this difficult journey for them.

I’ll be back with more samples for Birthday Wishes this week.  In the meantime, check the rest of the DT:

Judy
Kendra
Loretta
Lori
Merry
Natasha
Shelly

Thanks for stopping by today!  Have a great Monday!

Five Minute Friday: Dove Holiday Wishes

Hello and happy Friday!  If you didn’t see my post yesterday about the fundraiser for Henry Anderson, the little boy of Sarah (from my inaugural design team) who passed away suddenly this week, please, please, please read my post.

I’m starting to think about holiday cards and to build up my stash.  For today’s card I used the dove from the Indian Summer Woolies and a scrap of Shawl lace paper.  I stamped my greeting in Palette Claret and finished the card off with a little white satin ribbon.

I am loving pink this year for my holiday cards.  I am being drawn to it, which is quite a change for me.  Usually I’m a blue/white holiday girl. I may step of out that box this year!

Do you like it?  Thanks for stopping by today and every day.  I’ve especially appreciated your comments of support for Sarah this week both here, on Facebook and on PCP.  Have a great weekend!

Fundraiser for little Henry

As I posted earlier this week, it has been a very sad one as former DT member Sarah Anderson’s 3 year old son Henry passed away. Little Henry was unable to overcome a virus that made him ill last week.

Lorie Ames has organized a way to donate for a memorial for Henry. Henry loved his local zoo and visited it almost every day in the summer. As a memorial, trees will be planted there in his honor. Melissa at Pink Cat Studio has created a digital stamp to help raise funds for a tree for Henry. All proceeds from the sale of the digi stamp, minus Paypal costs, will go towards the tree.

If you would like to donate towards the tree, please visit PCS to purchase the digi stamp that I used on my card today.

Another way to donate to the memorial is to print out this form and mail in your donation directly.  You can send in any amount using the form. The funds will be pooled.

Please be sure to write on the form that the donation is for Sarah Anderson’s son, Henry. Once all of the money is collected, a tree and location will be selected. If you have questions about the form please contact Lorie Ames.  Lorie will be in contact with Sarah along this memorial journey to ensure that her wishes are followed.

To contact Lorie, please visit her blog.

If you don’t know Sarah and would like to learn more about her, please visit her blog.

Thank you for your help to raise money for a tree for Henry and honor his little life.

Card details:
Digistamp & greeting from PCS, colored with Prismacolor pencils and Gamsol
Mint glimmer ribbon, orange glimmer ribbon
Orange, Cotton Candy and Platinum Stickles
Rectangle Nesties
Smooth Sailing DP

Sleigh Ride Season’s Greetings

Hello! Today’s RED card uses Sleigh Ride, exclusively available here at IHP. If you know me at all, you know I’m not a big fan of red so when I make a red card, it is truly a momentous occasion.

I love the traditional look of the sleigh with the curly bottom. I cut out the holly topper and popped it up. I used the Large Circle Shake It pouch to make a snowy scene using White Flower Soft. Then I used my A2 snowflake folder to emboss the background. The little greeting is stamped in Palette L’Amour Red on a tag made from Oval Nesties.

The sleigh is colored with Gold Stickles and the holly is colored with Prismacolor pencils. The finishing touch was some little gems and a piece of red glimmer ribbon.

Not bad for a red card eh? *wink*

Rest in peace, little Henry

One of my inaugural design team members, Sarah is going through undoubtedly the most difficult time of her life.  Today her and her family suddenly said goodbye to their little 3 year old, Henry.  He was taken to the hospital on Friday with what they thought was a stomach virus.  Then he began having trouble breathing and it went downhill from there.  Earlier today, Henry passed away.  Three years old is entirely too short of time to be on this Earth and my heart just aches for her right now. 

If you’d like to send a card please contact me and I will give you her address.  Please keep Sarah and her family, including little 18 month old Jack, in your thoughts through this difficult time.

Guest Designers for November

Happy November (a day late)!! In case you missed the announcement at the end of our Birthday Bash last week, we've got two guest designers for November and I want to remind you to be sure to visit them this month.

Please stop by Sharon's blog and Lynn's blog all during the month of November to see the special projects they have to share with the goody boxes they won!

I'll be back with a crafty post on Tuesday! In the meantime be sure to check out the sale and new pages on the store. There are lots of things marked down and new things coming in this week!

Baby card and gift

My good friend (and DT member) Merry had her baby a few weeks ago and boy what a cutie he is! I wanted to make something special for his big sister so I put together this little photo album book for her and gave it to her with her own little Hello Kitty digital camera so she can take pictures (just like mom!) and then hopefully get enough good ones to fill her very own brag book.

That’s the hope at least. We’ll see if it works out that way. :)

So I used my Nesties, pastel brads, some venise white lace and this cute Nursery paper to make the book. I used my Nesties, the same paper, Chelsea Sentiments stamped in Palette Seascape, some 1/4” blue silk ribbon and Baby Blue Liquid Pearls for the card.

I almost forgot to share these with you. I was holding onto them until I visited Merry before I posted them!

Thanks for stopping by today!

Five Minute Friday: Lots of Merry

Happy Friday! Sorry I’ve been so quiet this week. With adopting the new pup last weekend, the crash of energy after the Birthday Bash and filling orders, I’ve been pretty tuckered.

For today’s card I’ve used Tracy’s newest set, Sleigh Ride, with some MME Colorful Christmas paper. (Shhh…don’t tell anyone but the new MME Valentines lines will be in the store on Monday…it’s a big secret…shhhh.)

I stamped the greeting from Lots of Merry in Palette Chartreuse and used Palette Burnt Umber for the sleigh. I colored it with my Prismacolor pencils and Gamsol. The ribbon is this awesome polka dot green and pink and was the perfect ribbon for this color scheme. I love these non-traditional colors! The focal piece of course is made with my circle Nesties. Speaking of Nesties, don’t forget about the limited edition Poinsettias and Maple Leaves. Once they’re gone, they’re gone. Spellbinders will not be making any more. So get them soon!

That’s it! I hope you have a safe and fun Halloween weekend! See you again soon! Thanks for stopping by!

NSR: Nothing crafty today…

I’ve been a bad blogger.  But, how could I go off and stamp with this puppy face staring me down?

I’ve been busy trying to track down Mr. Barbo’s history and today I got in touch with one of the pilots who helped to coordinate his rescue flight on Pilots n Paws.  They’er a non-profit group of volunteers and pilot volunteers who help transport dogs all over the country and relocate them if they can’t find homes where they are, to places where they hopefully can.  My little guy came from Danville, IL to NJ.

Anyway, in corresponding with this pilot (whose parents were visiting my pup while he was in the shelter!) we found out that Mr. Barbo (previously known as Sloppy Joe) was kind of a little famous pooch.  His rescue story got some press coverage here and here and here.  You should watch that last video.  He’s so adorable.  See that, I already sound like a proud Momma.  *grin*

Anyway…I’ll be back tomorrow with a Five Minute Friday card – I promise.  I’ll pull myself away from this little face for a mere five minutes.  That’s the best part about FMF – it only takes five minutes!!!

See you tomorrow!  Thanks for stopping by!

Birthday Bash winners!

THE BIRTHDAY BASH IS NOW OVER!  THANKS FOR PLAYING ALONG!

We have winners!!!  Thank you to all who played along in the Birthday Bash!  Our randomly chosen daily winners are:

Day 1: Vicky Dutcher
Day 2: Tara Prince
Day 3: Rachel (Violin28)
Day 4: Jennifer Scull
Day 5: Kas (kasmello)
Day 6: Grandma GG

And our grand prize, Guest DT winner is Sharon Shaffer! Congratulations! You will be our Guest Design Team member for the month of November!

But wait…there’s more! I’ve decided that since you all did such a great job on these challenges that I’m adding additional prizes! SURPRISE!

Our second grand prize winner is Lynn Hayes! She will also be a Guest Design Team member for the month of November!

And, the following people will receive $10 gift certificates just for playing along:  Cathy Seaside Rose, Mary Friedrichsen and Pinky Roth!

Thanks again to everyone who participated in the celebration! I hope you all had fun! Please email me with your shipping information by Wednesday noon EST so I can ship you your prizes!  Unclaimed prizes will be redrawn.

Snowy Greetings

It’s a Snow Day!  OK, well, maybe not quite yet but don’t these little critters look like they’re having a blast with their snowball fight?  I love the little penguin’s face!

I used my new Snowflake A2 embossing folder to create the background, stamped the animals with Palette Noir ink, colored them with Stickles and then cut them out.  I hand tore some vellum to make the snowyscape and popped them up on the mounds.  The tag is my Nesties Ribbon Tag Trio and the greeting is stamped in Palette Cote D’Azure.

Very simple but totally cute, right??

Thanks for stopping by today!  I hope you’re hard at work finishing up your Birthday Bash Challenges!  The deadline to upload is midnight EASTERN TONIGHT!!!!

Meet Mr. Barbo!

As you all are wrapping up your challenge cards for the week, John and I went out and adopted a new dog!  Meet Mr. Barbo!  We named him after something we saw when we were in Vermont a couple of weeks ago.  His original name was Sloppy Joe but that needed to be changed!

So, that’s what going on here.  It was time to fill the void that Bandit left and this new guy is just perfect!  He’s sweet as can be and only about 2 years old.  Once we get to know him a little more I’m sure you’ll hear stories about him. 

Until then, remember you have until midnight Sunday to upload your cards for the Birthday Bash!  Have fun!

Birthday Bash – Day Six (IHPBB6)

Our challenge for you today is to Make a special Birthday Card… Remember, everything this week has to do with birthday celebrations...so be sure your creation is birthday related!

Today's prize pack is: (1) Silly Monsters set, (1) self-adhesive crystal birthday bling and (1) Hero Arts Birthday Sayings set.

Here are the hosts we had this week.  Be sure to check their blogs for inspiration and their takes on the challenge for that day. You can also check the main IHP Birthday Bash page at the store.

Day 1(10/19): Kate(owner), Sarah Anderson, and Dee Jackson
Day 2 (10/20): Deb/Latisha Yoast
Day 3 (10/21): Gretchen/Lesa Smaligo and Lynn/Asela Hopkins
Day 4 (10/22): Cathleen/Kerri Michaud and Carolyn/Maria Fiscella
Day 5 (10/23): Megan/Chris Veneruso and Kendra/Debbie Fisher
TODAY Day 6 (10/24): Tracy/Heidi Van Laar and Amber/Kerry Davis
Day 7 (10/25): Sunday, day of rest (finish up your challenges!)
Day 8 (10/26): PARTY! GRAND PRIZE (winners are announced)

And, here is my card.   I used SK251 as my starting point.  I stamped the cutey monster from Silly Monsters in Palette Noir and colored with Prismacolor pencils.  I popped up his belly for a little extra dimension.  The greeting is stamped in Palette Jardin Moss, which is a perfect match for my Garden Green paper.

The designer paper is from the new Nook and Pantry collection and finished it off with a couple of pieces of Lime Yellow Ric Rac.

Do you like it? Do you want to play along?? I sure hope you do! Remember, you can play along with all of this week’s challenges until Sunday night, midnight EST.

Before you begin, PLEASE take a few minutes to review the challenge guidelines! You’ll want to follow these rules to maximize your points and qualify for the opportunity to WIN the prize for today’s challenge and the Grand Prize, all announced on the last day of our festivities!

To qualify for the prize of the day, all you have to do is upload your challenge card/project to Splitcoast Stampers (SCS) and/or Paper Craft Planet (PCP) with the appropriate tag so we can find it. Today’s challenge tag is IHPBB5. The daily challenge winners will be randomly selected at the end of the week.

To qualify for the Grand Prize of being IHP Guest Designer for the month of November, here’s how it will work: Every challenge card/project you enter will earn you points (see below), and one with the most accumulated for the week the Grand Prize winner. So the more challenges you enter, more points you earn — and the better your chances of winning the Grand Prize (and the bigger the value of your Guest Designer box will be)!

You will have until October 25^th to post your work, and you can enter as many challenges as you like, but you CANNOT combine challenges in one project. All winners, including the Grand Prize winner, will be announced at the Birthday Bash on October 26^th.

Birthday Bash Points

For each project:

• 5 points for each challenge card/project you make, upload and tag to SCS
• 5 points for each challenge card/project you make, upload and tag to PCP
• 2 points for uploading to your blog and linking at least one IHP item used to the IHP website

One time points:

• 2 points for signing up to receive our newsletter*
• 2 points for joining our PCP group*
• 2 points for becoming our fan on Facebook*
• 10 points if you participate in all 6 IHP Birthday Bash challenges

*When you sign up, or if you are already signed up, a comment here so your points can be credited.

Remember, you have until midnight EST tomorrow to upload your projects.  Points will be tallied and winners announced on Monday!

Birthday Bash – Day Five (IHPBB5)

Another very important consideration in party-planning is the menu! The kitchen is usually the favorite gathering place for guests, and food and drink are the main attraction.

Our challenge for you today is to make a card (scrapbook page, 3-D item, etc.) using stamps or papers that feature food and/or drink!

Today's prize pack is: (1) Homemade Treats Borders & Centers 2-3/8", (1) Wooden Stamper 2-3/8" and (1) Lemonade 6x6 Pad.

Remember, everything this week has to do with birthday celebrations...so be sure your creation is birthday related!

Here are the hosts for each day. Be sure to check their blogs on their scheduled day to find out that day’s challenge. You can also check the main IHP Birthday Bash page at the store. It will be updated daily.

Day 1(10/19): Kate(owner), Sarah Anderson, and Dee Jackson
Day 2 (10/20): Deb/Latisha Yoast
Day 3 (10/21): Gretchen/Lesa Smaligo and Lynn/Asela Hopkins
Day 4 (10/22): Cathleen/Kerri Michaud and Carolyn/Maria Fiscella
TODAY Day 5 (10/23): Megan/Chris Veneruso and Kendra/Debbie Fisher
Day 6 (10/24): Tracy/Heidi Van Laar and Amber/Kerry Davis
Day 7 (10/25): Sunday, day of rest (finish up your challenges!)
Day 8 (10/26): PARTY! GRAND PRIZE (winners are announced)

And, here is my card. The only stamped part here is the bear from Into the Forest and the cake from Prehistoric Party. They’re stamped in Palette Burnt Umber and colored with Prismacolor pencils.

I used the A2 Polka Dot embossing folder, Oval Nesties and Play With Owl paper and some scraps from Make A Wish. The little bow is reversible celery/pink satin.

Do you like it? Do you want to play along?? I sure hope you do! Remember, you can play along with all of this week’s challenges until Sunday night.

Before you begin, PLEASE take a few minutes to review the challenge guidelines! You’ll want to follow these rules to maximize your points and qualify for the opportunity to WIN the prize for today’s challenge and the Grand Prize, all announced on the last day of our festivities!

To qualify for the prize of the day, all you have to do is upload your challenge card/project to Splitcoast Stampers (SCS) and/or Paper Craft Planet (PCP) with the appropriate tag so we can find it. Today’s challenge tag is IHPBB5. The daily challenge winners will be randomly selected at the end of the week.

To qualify for the Grand Prize of being IHP Guest Designer for the month of November, here’s how it will work: Every challenge card/project you enter will earn you points (see below), and one with the most accumulated for the week the Grand Prize winner. So the more challenges you enter, more points you earn — and the better your chances of winning the Grand Prize (and the bigger the value of your Guest Designer box will be)!

You will have until October 25^th to post your work, and you can enter as many challenges as you like, but you CANNOT combine challenges in one project. All winners, including the Grand Prize winner, will be announced at the Birthday Bash on October 26^th.

Birthday Bash Points

For each project:

• 5 points for each challenge card/project you make, upload and tag to SCS
• 5 points for each challenge card/project you make, upload and tag to PCP
• 2 points for uploading to your blog and linking at least one IHP item used to the IHP website

One time points:

• 2 points for signing up to receive our newsletter*
• 2 points for joining our PCP group*
• 2 points for becoming our fan on Facebook*
• 10 points if you participate in all 6 IHP Birthday Bash challenges

*When you sign up, or if you are already signed up, a comment here so your points can be credited.

I can’t wait to see what you all come up with!

Birthday Bash – Day Four (IHPBB4)

What’s a birthday party without presents? Whether the wrappings are simple or ornate, they bring an air of suspense and delight to onlookers as the honored guest opens each gift.

Our challenge for you today is to use designer papers and ribbons to create a card, box, or bag.

Remember, everything this week has to do with birthday celebrations...so be sure your creation is birthday related!

Today's prize is: 1 yard of each: 1 1/2" Lace Fuchsia, 1 1/2" Lace Parrot Green, 1 1/2" Lace Turquoise, 1 1/2" Lace White, 1" Bright Green Silk, 1" Lavender Silk, 1" Turquoise Silk, 1" Yellow Silk, 1/2" Venise Lace Daisy Ivory/Purple, 1/2" Venise Lace Daisy Ivory/Berry, 1/2" Venise Lace Daisy Ivory/Olive, 3/8" Black & Yellow Gingham, 3/8" Double Faced Satin Brown, 3/8" Ivory Trimmings/Lines, 3/8" Satin Reversible orange/yellow, 5/8" Polka Dot Brown/Pink/White/Ivory/Hot Pink, 5/8" Polka Dot Brown/Blue/White/Ivory/Turquoise/Aqua, 5/8" Sheer Metallic Silver and 1 Night Light Collection Kit.

Here are the hosts for each day. Be sure to check their blogs on their scheduled day to find out that day’s challenge. You can also check the main IHP Birthday Bash page at the store. It will be updated daily.

Day 1(10/19): Kate(owner), Sarah Anderson, and Dee Jackson
Day 2 (10/20): Deb/Latisha Yoast
Day 3 (10/21): Gretchen/Lesa Smaligo and Lynn/Asela Hopkins
TODAY Day 4 (10/22): Cathleen/Kerri Michaud and Carolyn/Maria Fiscella
Day 5 (10/23): Megan/Chris Veneruso and Kendra/Debbie Fisher
Day 6 (10/24): Tracy/Heidi Van Laar and Amber/Kerry Davis
Day 7 (10/25): Sunday, day of rest (finish up your challenges!)
Day 8 (10/26): PARTY! GRAND PRIZE (winners are announced)

And, here is my card. I used the Starry Eyed paper and embossed the white portion with the A2 Polka Dot folder. I paired it with some polka dot ribbon. I decorated the clay vase with wire stemmed roses with some gems.

I used my Oval Nesties to make the focal point and stamped the greeting from Chelsea Sentiments in Palette Reflection Blue.

Do you like it? Do you want to play along?? I sure hope you do!

Before you begin, PLEASE take a few minutes to review the challenge guidelines! You’ll want to follow these rules to maximize your points and qualify for the opportunity to WIN the prize for today’s challenge and the Grand Prize, all announced on the last day of our festivities!

To qualify for the prize of the day, all you have to do is upload your challenge card/project to Splitcoast Stampers (SCS) and/or Paper Craft Planet (PCP) with the appropriate tag so we can find it. Today’s challenge tag is IHPBB4. The daily challenge winners will be randomly selected at the end of the week.

To qualify for the Grand Prize of being IHP Guest Designer for the month of November, here’s how it will work: Every challenge card/project you enter will earn you points (see below), and one with the most accumulated for the week the Grand Prize winner. So the more challenges you enter, more points you earn — and the better your chances of winning the Grand Prize (and the bigger the value of your Guest Designer box will be)!

You will have until October 25^th to post your work, and you can enter as many challenges as you like, but you CANNOT combine challenges in one project. All winners, including the Grand Prize winner, will be announced at the Birthday Bash on October 26^th.

Birthday Bash Points

For each project:

• 5 points for each challenge card/project you make, upload and tag to SCS
• 5 points for each challenge card/project you make, upload and tag to PCP
• 2 points for uploading to your blog and linking at least one IHP item used to the IHP website

One time points:

• 2 points for signing up to receive our newsletter*
• 2 points for joining our PCP group*
• 2 points for becoming our fan on Facebook*
• 10 points if you participate in all 6 IHP Birthday Bash challenges

*When you sign up, or if you are already signed up, a comment here so your points can be credited.

I can’t wait to see what you all come up with!

Birthday Bash – Day Three (IHPBB3)

When you are hosting a party, you want to create an atmosphere of fun and excitement. Ribbons, streamers, table decorations and special party favors all set the stage for celebrating!

Our challenge for you today is to use IHP embellishments to dress up your card (scrapbook page, 3-D item, etc.), table decoration, or party favor. Remember, everything this week has to do with birthday celebrations...so be sure your creation is birthday related!

Remember, everything this week has to do with birthday celebrations...so be sure your creation is birthday related!

Today's prize is an assortment of embellishments including: (4) 1-3/16" Crocheted Flower Ecru/Mauve flowers, (4) 24mm (approx 3/4") Burst Pearl Knitted Flower Purple flowers, (6) 5/8" Ombre Rose with Pearl Pink/Peach flowers, 1 Assorted Foil pack, 1 Dazzlers - Cats and Ghosts, 1 Indian Summer Woolies, 1 Quill Flowers, 1 Scat Cat Black Felt Border, 1 Self Adhesive Crystal Cute Bugs, 1 Super Snowmen Class A'Peel™ Stickers.

Here are the hosts for each day. Be sure to check their blogs on their scheduled day to find out that day’s challenge. You can also check the main IHP Birthday Bash page at the store. It will be updated daily.

Day 1(10/19): Kate(owner), Sarah Anderson, and Dee Jackson
Day 2 (10/20): Deb/Latisha Yoast
TODAY Day 3 (10/21): Gretchen/Lesa Smaligo and Lynn/Asela Hopkins
Day 4 (10/22): Cathleen/Kerri Michaud and Carolyn/Maria Fiscella
Day 5 (10/23): Megan/Chris Veneruso and Kendra/Debbie Fisher
Day 6 (10/24): Tracy/Heidi Van Laar and Amber/Kerry Davis
Day 7 (10/25): Sunday, day of rest (finish up your challenges!)
Day 8 (10/26): PARTY! GRAND PRIZE (winners are announced)

And, here is my card. It is another 4-1/4” square card. I used the backside of Starry Eyed paper and cut out the circle with my Nesties.

I used a blingy birthday and some crochet flowers. It’s a weird pairing but I kind of like how it turned out. The “happy” from Happy Greetings is stamped in Palette Boudoir Blush.

Do you like it? Do you want to play along?? I sure hope you do!

Before you begin, PLEASE take a few minutes to review the challenge guidelines! You’ll want to follow these rules to maximize your points and qualify for the opportunity to WIN the prize for today’s challenge and the Grand Prize, all announced on the last day of our festivities!

To qualify for the prize of the day, all you have to do is upload your challenge card/project to Splitcoast Stampers (SCS) and/or Paper Craft Planet (PCP) with the appropriate tag so we can find it. Today’s challenge tag is IHPBB3. The daily challenge winners will be randomly selected at the end of the week.

To qualify for the Grand Prize of being IHP Guest Designer for the month of November, here’s how it will work: Every challenge card/project you enter will earn you points (see below), and one with the most accumulated for the week the Grand Prize winner. So the more challenges you enter, more points you earn — and the better your chances of winning the Grand Prize (and the bigger the value of your Guest Designer box will be)!

You will have until October 25^th to post your work, and you can enter as many challenges as you like, but you CANNOT combine challenges in one project. All winners, including the Grand Prize winner, will be announced at the Birthday Bash on October 26^th.

Birthday Bash Points

For each project:

• 5 points for each challenge card/project you make, upload and tag to SCS
• 5 points for each challenge card/project you make, upload and tag to PCP
• 2 points for uploading to your blog and linking at least one IHP item used to the IHP website

One time points:

• 2 points for signing up to receive our newsletter*
• 2 points for joining our PCP group*
• 2 points for becoming our fan on Facebook*
• 10 points if you participate in all 6 IHP Birthday Bash challenges

*When you sign up, or if you are already signed up, a comment here so your points can be credited.

I can’t wait to see what you all come up with!

Birthday Bash – Day Two (IHPBB2)

When you’re inviting guests to your party, you really want an invitation that will grab their attention! One way to do that is to create a cool, funky fold, so...

Our challenge for you today is to make a card using a non-traditional fold. Remember, everything this week has to do with birthday celebrations...so be sure your creation is birthday related!

Today's prize pack is one roll of our very own i {stick} papers red line tape and one Tim Holtz Design ruler - both essential when you're making boxes or non-traditional folds! Our red line tape is so strong that it was originally made for car manufacturers to use to hold plastic car parts together.

Here are the hosts for each day. Be sure to check their blogs on their scheduled day to find out that day’s challenge. You can also check the main IHP Birthday Bash page at the store. It will be updated daily.

Day 1(10/19): Kate(owner), Sarah Anderson, and Dee Jackson
TODAY Day 2 (10/20): Deb/Latisha Yoast
Day 3 (10/21): Gretchen/Lesa Smaligo and Lynn/Asela Hopkins
Day 4 (10/22): Cathleen/Kerri Michaud and Carolyn/Maria Fiscella
Day 5 (10/23): Megan/Chris Veneruso and Kendra/Debbie Fisher
Day 6 (10/24): Tracy/Heidi Van Laar and Amber/Kerry Davis
Day 7 (10/25): Sunday, day of rest (finish up your challenges!)
Day 8 (10/26): PARTY! GRAND PRIZE (winners are announced)

And, here is my card. It is a modified gate fold card but I used my Large Circle Scalloped Nesties and Megabilities Curved Rectangles to create the shaped cupcake part.

I embossed the frosting part using the A2 Polka Dots folder and the cake part using the Diamonds and Dots embossing folder (Quickutz is backordered right now but I’ll have more back in stock soon!) I accented the embossed folders with Cinnamon Stickles on the bottom and Rock Candy Distress Stickles on the top and the cherry. YUMMY!!!

Here is a side view so you can see how it closes. I stamped the greeting from Chelsea Sentiments in Palette Burnt Umber and Boudoir Blush.

Here it is completely open. The bow is made with the pink/brown reversible satin ribbon. Did I say YUMMY??

Do you like it? Do you want to play along?? I sure hope you do!

Before you begin, PLEASE take a few minutes to review the challenge guidelines! You’ll want to follow these rules to maximize your points and qualify for the opportunity to WIN the prize for today’s challenge and the Grand Prize, all announced on the last day of our festivities!

To qualify for the prize of the day, all you have to do is upload your challenge card/project to Splitcoast Stampers (SCS) and/or Paper Craft Planet (PCP) with the appropriate tag so we can find it. Today’s challenge tag is IHPBB2. The daily challenge winners will be randomly selected at the end of the week.

To qualify for the Grand Prize of being IHP Guest Designer for the month of November, here’s how it will work: Every challenge card/project you enter will earn you points (see below), and one with the most accumulated for the week the Grand Prize winner. So the more challenges you enter, more points you earn — and the better your chances of winning the Grand Prize (and the bigger the value of your Guest Designer box will be)!

You will have until October 25^th to post your work, and you can enter as many challenges as you like, but you CANNOT combine challenges in one project. All winners, including the Grand Prize winner, will be announced at the Birthday Bash on October 26^th.

Birthday Bash Points

For each project:

• 5 points for each challenge card/project you make, upload and tag to SCS
• 5 points for each challenge card/project you make, upload and tag to PCP
• 2 points for uploading to your blog and linking at least one IHP item used to the IHP website

One time points:

• 2 points for signing up to receive our newsletter*
• 2 points for joining our PCP group*
• 2 points for becoming our fan on Facebook*
• 10 points if you participate in all 6 IHP Birthday Bash challenges

*When you sign up, or if you are already signed up, a comment here so your points can be credited.

I can’t wait to see what you all come up with!