Five Minute Friday: Hey Chick!

Happy Friday! It's Taylor here today, sharing a fun Five Minute Friday card that Kate whipped up!   How cute is that little chick, all sparkly like that?

Here's a better look at the supplies she used:

Doodlebug Hello Spring, Copics, Chick image from Paper Smooches Green Acres, Memento ink, Stickles, Crepe White ribbon, Square Nesties

Don't forget there is a monster sale going on in the store right now - close to 400 items are  just waiting to get snapped up by you!  Head over and take a look.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Happy Independence Day

Happy Independence Day!  It's Taylor here today, sharing a couple of patriotic cards I spotted on the blogs of the i {heart} papers designers recently.   Deb Felts used the Gourmet Rubber Stamps Happy Independence  appetizer set, paired with Echo Park Dots and Stripes, Ranger distress ink, Shimmer spray , topped it off with some Divine Twine.  Simple and perfect!

Geny Cassady made a great card with her Mint Motif stamps.  She chose School Basics and I've Got Your Number to create the patterned paper using new Memento Dew Drops in Summer Sky and Paris Dusk for the stars.  It's so fun, isn't it?

Before you head outdoors for cookouts and fireworks, be sure to check out the HUGE sale section over in the store.  Close to 400 items are on sale for a limited time...stamps, patterned papers, and embellishments.  Treat yourself!

Last note of "business" - a huge congratulations goes to Leadonna Quick Kimmel!  She's the winner of the $10 gift certificate to celebrate Taylor coming on board as our Social Media Coordinator.  Please contact us for your code!

And remember, however you are celebrating today, stay safe and have fun!

New Paper Smooches in Stock

Paper Smooches released three great new stamp sets this weekend - have you seen them yet?  Squeaky Clean is perfect for your inner domestic diva.

Teen Routine is a definite must have for the teenagers in your life.  It can be hard to make cards for them - but not with this set!

And Space Cadet is out of this world cute, isn't it? All three sets are in stock in the store now!

New Gourmet Rubber Stamps!

Four new Gourmet Rubber Stamps sets hit the store yesterday, custom-packaged for us here at i {heart} papers.  You can't get them like this anywhere else! 

Take a look at:

Pinwheel & Ice Cream

Hydrangea

Root Beer

Cowboy

This card was paired with some Echo Park Sweet Day paper - it's perfect for pinwheels!  And it is in stock over in the store in both a 6x6 paper pad and a 12x12 collection kit.  Also, did you notice that new Memento ink on there?  The pinwheel is stamped in Toffee Crunch, and the sentiment was stamped in Espresso Truffle.

And Kendra made a great root beer set.  I love how she decorated the bottles, too. Puts you in the mood for a root beer float, doesn't it?  They sound like the perfect thing to celebrate Independence Day this week! (And don't forget...Wednesday, July 4 is a postal holiday!)

Hellos, good-byes, new products and a giveaway!

This week, as I’ve been reflecting on the story of BooBoo and how she came into our lives and how things are ever-changing, IHP has undergone changes.   Another guest designer has come and gone (thanks again, Michele!)  and Lynn has stepped down from the design team, as I mentioned yesterday.  But with the good-byes there’s also a BIG HELLO!  We’re adding a new IHP position, Social Media Coordinator, to help me keep up with things.  After almost 4 years of IHP, I have come to realize that I can’t do it all.  *gasp* 

I’m so thrilled to introduce and welcome Taylor Usry to IHP officially!  She’s been unofficially helping with some Gourmet Rubber Stamps samples for me over the past couple months but now she’s officially part of the team!  And I couldn’t be happier.  (I prefer hellos much more than good-byes!)

I want to assure you that I will still be accessible to you for product questions, friendly banter or anything else.  Taylor will be helping me get things posted to the blog, Facebook and Twitter in a more timely manner than I am able to do on my own (packing orders and behind the scenes stuff always takes priority…that’s how your packages arrive so quickly!) and will spotlight more crafty things from the DT.  Generally she’s going to be helping me to help you all stay in the loop and inspired.  And I’m hoping that we’ll be able to get some customer challenges and giveaways going more regularly too once we’re really in the swing of things.  So, stay tuned!

If you don’t already know Taylor, here’s a little bit about her:
“Hello! My name is Taylor Usry, and I live with my husband and two kids in southern Virginia. I’ve been an avid crafter my whole life, but I’ve only been obsessed with paper crafting for the last 9 years or so.  I cannot remember a time when I didn’t have a crayon, marker, glue stick, ribbon, or something crafty in my hands!

I’m often asked if I have a particular style – I’d say it’s eclectic. There really isn’t much I don’t like, or anything I won’t try. I love every aspect of the creative world.  

I’m honored to currently be part of several talented design teams, and am absolutely thrilled to be working with i {heart} papers as the Social Media Coordinator!  You can see my work on my blog.”
And NOW onto the new goodies!  There are new releases from Gourmet Rubber Stamps including 4 sets that have been packaged exclusively for IHP from GRS.   So, for those of you who have been hesitant to buy the complete Diners Set, now have the option of buying a few of the singles packaged together.  My favorite one is this Pinwheel and Ice Cream set.

There are also three new Paper Smooches sets.  I especially the Space Cadet set for all my nerdy friends (you know who you are) and the Squeaky Clean set.  But, if you have a teen, tween or are married to a big kid at heart, then you’re going to need the Teen Routine set.  So…I guess what I’m saying is I love them all.  :)
OK, that’s it for today.  Thanks for sticking with me through all these.  I know it was a LOOOONNNG post!  But, if you’ve read this far, be sure to go over to Taylor’s blog.  She’s going to be doing a giveaway for a $10 IHP gift certificate.  Details on her blog!  GO NOW! 

Have a great rest of your weekend!

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, good night…

I hate, hate, hate good-byes.   I’m really bad at them too.  So, I’m a little teary-eyed as IHP is saying good-bye to DT member Lynn.  I met Lynn at my very first CHA in Chicago at the SCS Cupcake Reception.  We had never met but hung out for most of the night.  A while later, after Paper Craft Planet came to be, we became good friends and she joined my DT.   And it’s been a fantastic ride.  I’m so sad to her let go of her DT roles both for me and other companies, but I know she needs to and that other, more important things need her attention.  I’ll miss her amazing work and witty sense of humor but have fond memories and know our friendship will endure.  This picture from one of our CHA DT dinners is a fav of mine and holds special memories for me.  So, cheers to Lynn!

It’s also the end of the month, which means the end of our guest DT spot for Michele.  It’s been so great to have her join us this month.  She is so sweet and incredibly talented and I hope you continue to follow her over on her blog or on the CAS-ual Fridays blog!  You can see all the great projects she made for us this month right HERE.  Thank you, Michele!

So, just like that…I gratefully and humbly say thank you to two amazing women.  But, it’s not all sad!  Tomorrow I get to welcome our newest addition, our new Social Media Coordinator.  So, stay tuned for news on that!  I’m so excited!

Have a great weekend and thanks, as always for stopping in.

NSR: Reflections

Hello!  A little non stamping post from me today.  Today marks one year that our second dog, BooBoo came into our lives.  (She’s the very scared one on the left here, still on the transport van that brought her from KY to NJ.)  But, as many of you might remember, before we could take her home, she escaped from the van.  Before we could  even put our hands on her, she broke out of her collar and bolted.  We would spend the next 9 days frantically looking for this sweet girl as she was lost and very afraid in the foreign woods of NJ. 
For those nine days my world completely stopped turning, doing overnight stakeouts, sleeping about 3-5 hours a night, not working, barely eating - all for a dog I had never actually met.  (I had been following her story and the need for her to be rescued for almost a month on Facebook and we had finally decided to foster her (in the hopes of adopting if our other dog, Mr. Barbo liked her.  Truth be told I was already in love with her before she even came to NJ and each day that passed, I grew more and more worried and fell more and more in love.) 
We are so incredibly lucky we caught her, thanks in part to lots of volunteers, a lot of people calling from flyers we hung and also to her brother Blaze, seen here.
Now she is my little shadow, her and Barbo adore each other and I can’t imagine life without her.  I guess it’s all part of the cycle of hellos and good-byes.  People, things, animals all come and go in our lives. 

I’ll have some IHP good-byes and hellos over the weekend so please check back!  Thanks for stopping in!