Snowflake Medley Countdown, day 3

 Goodness! I can't believe we are already half way through the release week! I must say, THANK YOU for all your sweet feedback on the new stamp set! I am so excited for you all to use it this season. And I have to give special thanks to my husband who has been quite positive about the fact that my mantle is COVERED in Christmas cards and gifts and projects! I know in about a day or so he will be probably make me take it down, but for now, I am really enjoying the Christmas cheer in my house! Now if ONLY he would let me start playing Christmas music, we would be set! :)

OK, incase you are stopping in for the first time... here's the info on my NEW stamp set:

"Snowflake Medley" is releasing at Papertrey Ink's online store on Sept. 15, retailing for $15.

Here's more info and projects from count down DAY 1, and DAY 2.

 This project was a special present for my sweet 5 year old son.  He is all into making his room "his own." So he has his own art, toys, posters etc. And at Christmas he LOVES decorating his little 3 ft tree, so I thought it would be fun to make a little sign to hang on his door.

 I made the sentiment on my computer- and used my favorite color combo. (As you probably expected by now!) PTI Pure Poppy, Ocean Tides, Aqua Mist, and I used the Making Memories Journal block again.

 I loved hanging the snowflakes. AND if this was for my daughter, I probably would have had a ton more layers, glitter, bling etc on all of these... but I was trying not to over do it- so the project didn't feel all tooooo girly. (Don't worry! We have lots more layer frenzies coming up before the week is up!!! Awesome projects ahead! Don't miss it!)

 When I told my son I made him a present, he was SO thrilled, and when I told him it was for his door, he was EVEN more excited... and the smile on his face when I read the words on the sign to him was absolutely priceless. What a treasure it is to watch a child believe wholeheartedly in something-- and quite magical when it is believing in Santa. My little sweetheart insisted on being in the picture, too. SO, here he is. Worth every bit of glue, every bit of creativity, worth the hours it took just to design the set... so worth it, right here in this moment. I sure am a blessed mama.

SO, ARE YOU READY FOR A PRIZE?!?!

TODAY'S GIVE AWAY: 

Winter Cheer Stamp Set (retail: $24)

(This stamp set couples perfectly with Snowflake Medley! It features some awesome images and the lyrics of vintage tunes. With a slightly distressed touch, you will find it adds SO much to your projects!)

 As I am designing stamps for next year... what type of stamp sets or themes or ideas would you love to see? What's the next stamp set YOU would love to see released?? I want your input!! Leave a comment on this post before Sept 15 and you are eligible to WIN! A random number will pick the winner, and winner will be announced on the morning of Sept. 15 by 9am. 

Have a day worth remembering!

 Smiles, Tiffany

Snowflake Medley Count Down, Day 2

 In the words of our dear stamping queen, Nichole Heady... "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Month!" In the Papertrey Ink world that is most certainly true! I hope you have been enjoying all the sneak peeks and such. I love the exciting buzz that spurs on during a count down week.

So what's up over at my blog??? Well, here's the news!

My newest stamp set, "Snowflake Medley" is releasing Sept. 15 at the Papertrey Ink online store for only $15! This set is a MUST-HAVE for all your holiday crafting!

Check out the DAY 1 Count Down Post.
And be sure to check out the awesome showcase of my set by Betsy Veldman, too!

I have fun thinking of little gift ideas to create with this set as well. I LOVE it when you can coordinate your card, tag, wrapping etc. So fun- and easy to do in mass production for all the friends, school teachers, co-workers... you know how it goes.

 Before I go ANY further, I am just going to mention the obvious elephant in the room. There is NO SNOW in ANY of my pictures. Why??? Because I live in FLORIDA! Snow is something you spray onto the window pane, and in September, well, let's just say I was lucky to get an overcast day so I wouldn't melt outside taking pictures. Never the less... please use your imagination and dream up the crisp frosty air, and glittery white blanket of God's gorgeous snow flurries... Because if you use your imagination, I think that it makes these projects even better! ha! :)

>>> OK, back to the fun stuff. The first project shown is a fun idea to put together in bulk. This is a coffee bag with window opening and I dressed it up with my new favorite stamps and dies.  First of all, who DOESN'T want coffee for a gift??? (OK, actually... ME, because I do not do coffee or caffeine, but I am a weird one since everyone else is a coffee addict.) OR, why not put in your home baked treats, or better yet, if you run out of time... just put some store bought treats in this bag and you will get the same happy reaction, because honestly, the bag is too cute NOT to like whatever is inside. :)

 SO, as you might expect, if you stopped by yesterday's post... back to my favorite colors: PTI's Pure Poppy and Hawaiian Shores, with the addition of Kraft and some cream.
>> I also have to give a shout out for my awesome Tim Holtz musical notes tape. LOVE that stuff!!! It just adds an artistic feel in a quick and simple way.

 All right, it's true, I have become madly in love with mason jars along with the REST of the world!! This jar would be great to have out with treats for guest to grab and nibble. I am thinking you could not go wrong with a combo of Pretzel M&M's along with some Peanut Butter ones in the mix.  Of course this could be a great party favor, or the beverage glass at a Christmas party for guests (and it would be awesome to put guests name right on the tag!

 I put some good old fashioned peppermint sticks in there. I could barely keep my 5 year old son out of the jar long enough to get a picture. You know, it's not that easy to find peppermint sticks in September, UNLESS you happen to have a Cracker Barrel around the corner. (My moment of brilliance for the day.)

I just LOVE this larger snowflake stamped in an aquamarine ink with bright red glitter.

Well, this morning,  I couldn't seem to get away from my craft supplies and now I have several more fun things to share later on this week as well. Don't miss it! Lots to see and inspire you!

AND.... TOMORROW will be a SPECIAL PRIZE DAY!!! Come on back-- tell your friends-- share the link... it's all good! I will be giving away some fun stamp sets to get you in the Christmas mood!

Nothing But Grace,
 Tiffany

Snowflake Medley Count Down, day 1

 Hello Everyone!
   I can't believe September is here and Christmas is around the corner. With my new stamp set releasing this week, I dug out the Christmas movies to get the creative juices flowing. My son was thrilled to watch Home Alone today, and of course, who could ever leave out "Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas".  Well, without further or do..... here are the stats on my new stamp set!!

"Snowflake Medley" will release at Papertrey Ink's online store on Sept. 15, retailing for only $15!!
>> This set features seven slightly distressed snowflakes of various sizes. And seven is quite enough in the crafting world to create a gorgeous blizzard!

>> This stamp set will also feature coordinating DIES!! (Woo Hoo!) And it actually complements my set "Winter Cheer" which released this time last year.

>> I MUST say, I had SUCH a blast putting all my projects together for this week. I couldn't stop crafting! These stamps and dies lend themselves to so many fun options! SO, get ready for a count-down PACKED with projects and ideas for the upcoming holiday season.

Now, onto a few details for this card...

 OK, I am absolutely IN LOVE with this color combination... PTI's Pure Poppy and Hawaiian Shores... then add a little of the black and cream to enhance the sophistication of the piece.

The sentiment was one I printed on my computer, and I must say-- I really like the modern and casual font mixed with the distressed snowflakes. It creates a nice balance.

The patterned paper you see is actually torn out of a pack of journaling blocks from a set by "Making Memories". This pack is called "5th Avenue", and I got it at CHA a few years back. Honestly, it's one of those things I always pull out and WANT to use, but can't quite make it work... WELL, this release was perfect and you will be seeing more soon! :)  Just add a little stitching, some bling, and snowflakes and voila!! I just love this card!

 Here's a fun gift bag I put together. I have a great coordinating card to share with this later on in the week.

 I love the soft lace on top of the Kraft color and texture! OH Yes, and the glittery chip board is a MILLION times better in person, too!

>> You will note that this project features: PTI Pure Poppy, Aqua Mist, and Dark Chocolate.

>> The title frame is stamped with the distressed snow flurry from my "Winter Cheer" stamp set. I LOVE using these sets together! (In fact I will be giving away a complimentary set of Winter Cheer later on in the week... so be sure to come on back!)

Well, it's about to turn into a WINTER WONDERLAND around here! SO, be sure to stop back over and check out more crafty inspiration each day this week! OH Yes!! And I will be throwing in some fun Give Aways as well! Come back and see!!

Hope your day is MERRY and BRIGHT!
 Sending Smiles, Tiffany

Introducing Nativity Silhouettes and Additions

Hello Everyone!
I must start off with a big thank you for all your sweet and encouraging comments about my new stamp sets. I have been so blessed by check out Nichole's blog, and Lisa Johnson's as well to see such positive feedback. I just wanted to say THANKS!

A run down from on what's going on this week...

• Nativity Silhouttes retails for $24 and releases on Oct. 15 at Papertrey Ink.


• Nativity Silhouettes Additions retails for $15 and releases on Oct. 15 at Papertrey Ink.


• The Nativity Silhouettes die is only $4 and adds so much to easily make 3-D effects on your projects! Don't miss out on that!

Check out my earlier posts from Monday and Tuesday as well.

I love the traditional colors and warmth this card has. PTI ripe avocado, spring moss, and scarlett jewel really make such a lovely color combo. This card showcases the majority of the Nativity Silhouettes set (though there is still more in that set to be utilized!)

I love the gentle touch of the dove floating over the sentiment. I just love thinking of the quiet peace of Christmas Eve. I am sure that very night when Christ was born was cool and silent... how beautiful the stars must have been... how glorious the angel's voices! For me, Christmas Eve is so restful as all the gifts are wrapped, projects are done, house is clean, and we often attend a candle light service at church. My husband and I love to cuddle in bed with hot chocolate and watch a favorite Christmas movie. In the midst of the hurried season that Christmas usually is, it is so nice to stop, pause, and remember WHY we celebrate this holiday. What a gift from the Lord that He sent His Son for us.

Happy blog hopping! I don't know about you but this release is REALLY getting me in the mood for Christmas! My son has already started asking for hot chocolate each night. I think we have a wonderful season ahead of us- and I earnestly pray that you do, too!

Nothing But Grace,

Tiffany

Nativity Silhouettes release

Welcome back to the Papertrey Ink countdown for the October 2011 release. I am so excited to have TWO Christmas stamp sets releasing this month.

• Nativity Silhouettes retails for $24 on Oct. 15 on the Papertrey online store.



• Nativity Silhouettes Additions retails for $15 on Oct. 15 as well.

These sets feature a complete array of distressed silhouette images allowing you to create the Christmas story on your cards, scrapbooking pages, and other projects. Nativity Silhouettes features the Holy Family, stable, two angels, two shepherds, sheep, stars, donkey, cow, starburst and sentiments. (Yes! All that!) The Additions set allows you the opportunity to add the wisemen, camel, palm trees, and other sentiments as well. You will love all the options offered with this set!

Check out my sneak peek from yesterday.

Today's card features PTI's Ocean Tides as a card base. I am really liking the light gray card stock instead of white which is more muted for the humble and quiet nature of the images.

I am also enjoying using pattern paper that is not necessarily designed for Christmas and jazzing it up a bit. On the flowering vines on the pattern paper I added tiny rhinestones to give a little extra twinkle. I thought it came out pretty elegant. You will notice the sentiments feature a very popular and modern font which is great to use with any type of Christmas project.

For the inside of the card, I finished the other side of the stable and added more sheep. (I love these sheep.) And the angel directs your eye to the sentiment featuring some traditional and familiar Christmas lyrics.

Don't forget to stop by and see what the other PTI girls have in store for you! Check out: Nichole Heady, Beth Silaika, Dawn McVey, Maile Belles, and Melissa Bickford. You won't be disappointed!

Nothing But Grace,

Tiffany

Introducing "Nativity Silhouettes"

Greetings dear bloggers!
I hope you have been enjoying some cooler fall weather. I feel like I just finished decorating my house with fall frills and now I am already getting my head ready for Christmas! Just yesterday my four year old son and I were counting and reviewing our Christmas movie collection. We have to hide them in the master bedroom closet or my son will insist on watching Christmas movies all year long. :) SO, I counted and was quite impressed that I have 23 Christmas dvds in my stash. I think I will be ready for some Christmas cheer this year!

Well, I am thrilled to introduce a new Christmas stamp set coming your way via Papertrey Ink.

>> Nativity Silhouettes will release on Oct. 15 at Papertrey's online store.
..... This set retails for $24 and also has a matching die set as well. AND there is a fabulous additions set with some wonderful images as well. The set features distressed silhouettes from the Biblical Nativity scene. You will LOVE having this set for many Christmas seasons to come!

Today's card features some cool and wintry colors. I am still in purple mode after decorating my daughter's nursery, and actually used many of the same papers and embellishments to create this card. The blue pattern paper is from Glitz, and the bling and cardstock is all from Hobby Lobby. The "Holy Family" images have coordinating dies. I stamped some blue stars from the set on the pattern paper to give it a Christmas feel. The purple tones make me think of royalty, which is quite fitting for the baby Jesus. He may have been wrapped in swaddling clothes and surrounded by barn animals, but I thought some royal colors and elegant bling would be fun!

Don't forget to check out the other PTI gals and their new products as well: Nichole Heady, Maile Belles, Melissa Bickford, Dawn McVey, Beth Silaika, and Heather Nichols.

Hope you enjoy the PTI count down... see you again soon!

Nothing but Grace,
Tiffany

Introducing "Winter Cheer", day 5

Can you believe it is the last day of the PTI September count down!? There have been so many beautiful projects across the blog scene, and it is definitely getting me excited for Christmas! Bring on the Christmas movies, the music, the cookies and hot cocoa! Well, it may only be September, but I am a big fan of Christmas, so I am happy to get in the holiday spirit early. :)





"Winter Wishes" will be released Sept. 15 at Papertrey Ink for $24.





This card features a cool winter feel with PTI colors in Spring Moss, Ocean Tides, and Ripe Avocado. I love the peaceful and quiet look of a snow covered forest.

Well, now that the release is finally here, I look forward to unveiling the pics of my baby girl's nursery. Let's just say it is a "Vera Bradley" inspiration and I had a blast putting it all together. With fun stories behind the creation, and maybe a pic or two of my sweet little lady, you won't want to miss my next post!

Happy PTI shopping, and hope to see you back here soon!

Nothing but Grace,

Tiffany

Introducing "Winter Cheer", day 4

Ho Ho Ho!! It's time for day 4 of the PTI September count down. (Ok, I will try to tone down my cheesy Christmas euphamisms.) Check out the info on my upcoming stamp release, for a set that holds lots of nostalgic flavor!





>> "Winter Cheer" releases on Sept. 15 with Papertrey Ink for only $24!

This card features a sweet vintage digital image of "old saint nick" compliments of Graphics Fairy. PTI colors are New Leaf and Pure Poppy. I liked the edgy and modern color of the light green ribbon to partner with the traditional image.

The sentiments in this stamp set switch out to give you a lot of options, and the snow flakes can help finish off any project with a bit of cheer.

Nothing but Grace,

Tiffany

Introducing "Winter Cheer", day 3

All right, I must say, I am loving the fun feel for this card! It's already DAY 3 of the PTI count down for the upcoming September release. Here are the stats on my new stamp set coming out in just a few days!

>> "Winter Cheer" releases with Papertrey Ink on Sept. 15, retailing for $24.
>> This set has a vintage/grunge style that will jazz up so many projects and give a fresh and modern feel to your stamping for the season.


This card features the PTI perfect match colors: New Leaf, Spring Moss, Raspberry Fizz, and Pure Poppy. The bright pink Christmas tree reminds me of the scene in the "Charlie Brown Christmas" cartoon movie where Charlie Brown searches for the perfect tree and finds a lot full of brightly colored aluminum trees. The hand drawn and glittered scallops bordering the background piece give a nice funky touch as well. Just love that.

I hope this card leaves you singing... Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la... because a great Christmas card should leave the tunes of the season skipping in your heart!

Cheers,
Tiffany

Introducing Winter Cheer, day 2

Greetings!! I hope the PTI count down has been getting you revved up for Christmas! It will be here before we know it! And you might just find that "Winter Cheer" is the perfect set for your holiday projects. It has a great vintage twist, and actually several images that can be used all year round.

"Winter Cheer" releases on Sept. 15 at Papertrey Ink, retailing $24.

Today's card features a fun Santa image I snagged from the Graphics Fairy. Love that site! And the vintage Santa seemed to pair up so nicely with the other images in my stamp set. This card features PTI pure poppy, Aqua Mist, and True Black.

More to come with Winter Cheer!

Tis' the season... Tiffany

Introducing "Winter Cheer"

Hello sweet bloggers!
The summer flew by and it is already time for the Papertrey Ink September release! You might have noticed that I have been a bit MIA from my blog lately.... My summer was quite busy with my third trimester of pregnancy... we traveled quite a bit in June, spent a good deal of time decorating my baby girl's nursery and lots of nesting. Plus, my 4 year old son kept me busy with swim lessons (very rewarding to say I taught my son to swim-- and got a tan in the process!) My sweet little girl was born on Aug. 23. It's been two weeks, and yes pictures of my sweetie and her adorable room will follow the PTI count down. I had an AMAZING labor/delivery, and my girl is SUCH a gift from God. Wow, what a blessing. More on her later! BUT for NOW... let's talk stamps, shall we?!

"Winter Cheer" is available for purchase at Papertrey Ink on Sept. 15
>> It is a fabulous grunge/vintage set with many versatile stamps-- retailing for $24.

I think I am going to get a LOT of use out of the snow flurry blackground stamp (and why not use it year-round?! Perfect for a masculine card!) I love the color combo of the light pale blue with silver and the PTI Pure Poppy ink.

Get ready for some more "Winter Cheer" coming up each day of the count down!

Full of Cheer,

Tiffany

Christmas Glitter

Christmas is just around the corner! Hooray! I absolutely LOVE this time of year! Even though I have a list of crafty projects piling up, I still want to spend my nights eating treats and watching holiday movies by the glow of my Christmas tree. *Sigh* Though, I haven't been inking up any stamps lately, I have been getting my creative fix while decorating my new home. What fun to be in our new home just in time for the holidays! Last year, we didn't have any room in our temporary housing situation. We did bring our stockings, but that was about it! This year, I had a blast decorating!
...
Above you see the view as you walk in my front door. I love my Willow Tree Nativity! I always want people to be greeted with the heart of the holiday as they walk in the door. :) The hallway behind leads to the back of the house with the family room to the left, kitchen table to the left and kitchen to the left before you reach the end of the hallway.

Above is some garland leading to the guest bedrooms hallway. And directly to the right is the "Family Wall" with my new array of family pictures. I need to change the artwork hang at the top. It was Thanksgiving art compliments of my favorite little short person. :) I added garland, bows, a Christmas bear, and new florals to the wall to change it up for the season.

This garland (above and below) is over the kitchen windows that face out to the back yard. My Christmas colors are Copper, Gold, and Burgundy. I would love to have all Copper, Dark Chocolate, and Bright Green, but I am only changing things gradually to ease the budget a bit. :) It's amazing how after nearly 7 years of marriage, I have accumulated so much Christmas stuff... and well, just stuff in general! But that is another topic. :) This garland has lights, which I forgot to turn on for the picture. :)

I love my tree! It is LOADED with glitter, sparkled, and memorable ornaments that represent special parts of our lives!

AND.... drum roll please...... I have a FIRE PLACE!!! Woo Hoo! I love love love it! Growing up we had a fireplace (yes, even in Florida!), but since being married, this is the first time our stockings have ever hung on a real mantle! Hooray! Garland with lights and florals coordinate with the Christmas tree. I love our fireplace- it's so classy, with white trim to match the crown moulding all throughout the house. :)

We also bought a live Christmas wreathe from our neighbor to support a school fundraiser, and I was excited to bring the wonderful scent and fresh look into our home over the fireplace! :) I

On the wall adjacent to the fireplace, is a vinyl wall sentiment we put up. I think it speaks very much to our story, and the way God has always cared for us, even when we didn't know how or when He would do so. And the Christmas Story demonstrates the love within our Heavenly Father's HEART. He loved us so much, that He sent His Son, Jesus, into this world to reveal God's heart to us, and pay for our sins on the cross. What a wonderful reason to celebrate.

Here's a simply table centerpiece, followed by other bits of decor around the house.

A little ribbon and a poinsettia on the lampshade go a long way. :)

I hope you are having a beautiful season! I am so grateful for my many, many blessings, and this is a great time of year to praise God for it!

Cheers, Warm Winter Wishes, and Merry Christmas!

Love Tiffany