OSAT Monochromatic May

Welcome to May's "One Stamp at a Time" (OSAT) blog hop!  For those who may not know, OSAT is a group of crafty folks that have found each other on Facebook and have now started a monthly blog hop.  If you came to my post organically, please follow the hop to see what other goodies were made for your viewing pleasure.  If you have arrived via my buddy Maggie Mata, thanks for hopping in!!

Our theme for this month is Monochromatic.  I chose Gold, Crumbcake, and Vanilla.  See what ya' think:

 

 In addition to this card, I also made this bookmark gift set...

 

 

 

For the card I used the flower from the new Stampin' Up! You've Got This stamp set and the butterfly and sentiment from the new Best Thoughts set.  All images embossed in gold; the butterfly and flower fussy cutted for added dimension.  I finished the images with Crumbcake watercoloring.

 

For the bookmark set, the flowers and vines were stamped from the new SU! Floral Wings set.  I also used the new I Think You're Great set for one of the bookmarks.  My main inspiration for this project was the new Neutrals Designer Paper Pack, especially the pages with the beautiful handwriting over a variety of colors and tones.  I used that page as well as the floral page (both in gold, of course).  I punched the tops of the bookmarks with a  few different tag punches and tied them with gold embedded bakers twine and gold sequin trim.  Butterflies were punched with the Bitty Butterfly punch.

 

So that's all that I have for you today, but I'll be back with more tomorrow and even more this weekend, so please do visit again... But since the day is still young, there's so much more for you to see if you click the "Next" button below!  Go ahead, you know you want to...

 

 

And just in case you've been wandering around and you got lost, here is a map of the hop...

 

James (you are here)

Wynne

Tina

Megan

Martie

Holly

Lori

Diane

Darla

Eva

Justin

Andrea

Elizabeth 

Debbie

Maggie

Well that's really all...thanks for joining us and I hope to see you again!  Soon!  And often!  And I hope that you leave comments!  And that they're nice!  Or at least neutral!  Just not mean!  That'd be great!  Thanks!  Oh, and tell your friends!  They might like my stuff too!  Unless they're mean!  Then don't tell them about me!  Lol!  I should have stopped about 41 words ago!  Now I've gone too far!  I've been drinking coffee and blogging again!  Dang it!  I said I wouldn't do that to you any more!  I'm Sorry!  I should go now!  Bye!

 

 

 

OSAT - Hoppy Mother's Day!!

Welcome back!  Thanks for joining us for this month's Mother's Day hop! 

Perhaps you are coming from the very talented Holly Stene...weren't her projects gorgeous??  I've been following Holly through my entire Stampin' career and I'm very happy to be linked with her blog.  If you haven't visited her yet, click HERE to check it out, but then be sure to continue on to the rest of the hop-hosts to see their creations that were made just for your viewing pleasure.

Here is my first offering for you.....

This is a color combo of Coastal Cabana, Blackberry Bliss, and Basic Gray.  The card came together as a happy accident as I was brainstorming for my project and glanced down at my creation station to see the makings for what turned out to be my finished product.  My motivation for creating was my wonderful wife and mother to my children...and she also happens to be my Stampin' Buddy!  I invited her to create something for you, and she made this awesome card set and basket...

Isn't it adorbs!?!  Thanks Sweetie!!XOXO (link to more awesomeness in the sidebar...visit Paper Paradise!)

Well thanks for stopping by!  Now continue hopping on to Diane Squires at StampandEmbellish.com to get some more inspiration for your own Mother's Day projects!  Just push the button...you know you want to...

And after you're done there, keep going and visit my other Stampin' friends...

 Darla

Eva

Tina 

Elizabeth 

Andrea

Megan

Debbie

Holly

Maggie 

Wynn

Martie

Justin

Hope you had fun and I'll see you in a few days!

Awesome Adventurous Curious Goat - Creative Blog Hop

Hello, friends! Today I have a special treat!  I know...You're saying, "But it's Monday.  Why are you posting on Monday?  You never post on Mondays.  Shouldn't you be at work?"  To which I reply, "Yes, I am at work, and yes, I realize that it's Monday.  I said that this is a special treat!" 

This is a post for a Creative Blog Hop!!   I was nominated all the way from Canada by the sweet and talented Krista Frattin  at stampindolce.com to participate.  Hope you shoot over to her blog and check out her amazing projects!  This hop has been described as a sort of creative "chain letter" and my two nominees will be below.   But first, here's my card! I have to admit, (off the record; don't tell my others) I think that this is my favorite card so far...hope that's ok to say...I know its taboo as a parent (Lol)...anyways...

Isn't it fun?!?  I finally got the Adventure Awaits stamp set (more on that to come in a future post)and paired it with the Adventure Bound DSP.  The goat is From the Herd but his curiosity got the best of him and he snuck in to the scene. Hope you like him as much as I do!

So part of the hop is to answer a few questions. Here I go..


1. WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?
 A LOT! Well, for me at least. I keep pretty busy with a more-than-full-time job, doing my part to raise 3 daughters, taking care of my lovely and wonderful wife (actually letting her take care of me ;-) and now I'm a stamping hobbyist.  Aside from that, my current stamping commitments include a place on the Design Team at the weekly challenge site of Can You Case It and a monthly blog hop, but specifically I am looking ahead to Mother's Day...there are 3 Moms in my life, so I have a lot of brain storming and creating to do!

2. HOW DOES YOUR WORK DIFFER FROM OTHERS IN YOUR GENRE?
 Well...I'm a Dude!! Lol!  As I have come to realize, we of the male persuasion are definitely the minority!  I would have to assume that this reflects in my work.  I like to have fun with my designs, I like to "think outside of the box" and try things that may be unconventional, and since I'm new to this art, I think that I offer a fresh perspective to a lot of the products and techniques.

3. WHY DO YOU CREATE WHAT YOU DO?
It all started because I wanted to be allowed to hang out in the craft room with my awesome wife.  There had always been a sign on the door that said "Only Ye of Crafting Blood May Enter" and I always thought it was just a gimmick until one night when I grabbed the door handle to go in and it scorched my hand!  Suddenly there was a fog that filled the hall and an eerie voice resonated through the walls..."Thou have awakened the Keeper of the Kraftroom!  As an Uncreator, you are to remain banished from this realm!"  The thought of being separated from my wife for another night was just too much, so I replied "Keeper, I humbly request permission to enter.  I am pure of heart and creative of brain.  I hereby accept the oath of Creativity.  Paper and Ink will be as my Food and Water and without these I shall surely perish."  I knew that the Keeper was doubtful as I could hear it in his tone when he answered "I have heard your kind before.  They take me for a fool and attempt shenanigans just to enter the Sacred Room of Kraft.  I should smite thee NOW!!"  I knew that I couldn't outrun him, since the fog was so thick that I couldn't even tell which way was out. But it didn't matter, because I was serious and sincere. "Keeper," I said, "If I will never be allowed to enter the Room of Kraft, then strike me now!  A life without Crafting is a life that I cannot bear!" After a long pause, there was a rumbling and the fog started to dissipate.  Suddenly, I found myself standing in the hall, with the door to the craft room wide open.  I walked in slowly, still in disbelief over the ordeal that I had just gone through.  As I passed the door, there was a note taped to the Do Not Enter sign.  It read, "With great creativity comes great responsibility.  Start a blog and post your cards to Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.  You shall call yourself Stampin' Stud to commemorate the epic strength and courage that you showed tonight.  I'll be watching you.  Now that you have vowed to create, you must continue until the end of your days...or face my wrath.  Regards, Keeper"

Aside from that, I just like to have fun, strive to impress my wife and hopefully make her proud of me (or just not embarrass her. Lol!). 

4. HOW DOES YOUR CREATIVITY WORK?
Ummm...Pretty random, I guess. Sometimes I have an idea for a finished product, but mostly I just get inspired by a stamp set or DSP.  I try to keep the project simple and limited to one or two stamp sets.  Usually, if I need to make a project and don't have a vision, I will just pick a few stamp sets, sit in the comfy craft room chair, listen to some Christian hip hop, and stare at the stamps for a while until something clicks.  By the time I start making something, I usually have a vision of the end result.



And now it's my turn to nominate! 

Jeanna Bohanon

 

I met Jeanna at the Stampin' Up! Leadership Convention earlier this year, and not only is she hilarious, caring, and kind, she is also extremely talented!  I am so blessed to be surrounded by amazing skill and heart.  Jeanna will be posting her Creative Hop post on March 30, 2015, so remember to visit stamptimesomewhere and see the great stuff she comes up with!  I'm know I'm excited...

 

Once again, big thanks to Krista Frattin for thinking of me for the hop.  It was a lot of fun and I HOPe to do it again sometime!

 

 

 

 

Adventure Awaits Photopolymer Bundle

$27.95

From The Herd Clear Stamp Set

$17.95

(Hashtag) Hello Clear-Mount Stamp Set

$17.95

Table by StampinBuddy. Try it FREE.

OSAT Showers Bring Spring Flowers...or something like that...

Hello, again!  Today we have a very special treat for you...a Blog Hop!  In fact, it's my very first!  This has been brought to you by a group of creative stampers that was formed on Facebook known as "One Stamp At a Time" (aka OSAT). Some days, that's my motto, especially when stuck on a never ending stack of swap cards or invitations that were super cute when I designed them, but by the 34th identical sentiment they kind of lose their appeal... anybody feel me on that one?  Anyways...for those of you who arrived here via Megan T, thanks for participating in the Hop!  For those who may be starting here; at the bottom of my post there is a link to the very talented Holly Stene, so please take the time to continue on and check out what she and those after her have created for you this week. Now, on to my card...

This week's theme is Spring Flowers.  I'm in California, so Spring may have a different meaning for me than it does for y'all on the East Coast or anywhere else that has a true Winter.  I can only imagine how nice it must be to start getting temperatures in the double digits again,  especially when we barely go out when our temps drop into the 50's! Lol.  I do, however, miss a lot of the things that other climates have going on; playing in the snow, White Christmas, affordable housing, and most of all -- visible season changes.  I always hear beautiful tales about how gorgeous the landscape is when the seasons change, and I have never had an opportunity to experience it myself :-(   So this week, I visualized Spring Flowers as a refreshing pop of brightness and color after a long and dreary Winter.  See what you think: 

 

 

I really enjoy look of water coloring mixed with the emboss resist, and I thought that both the sentiment and the image from Stampin' Up's Indescribable Gift stamp set fit the Spring Flowers theme perfectly. 

 

Hope you enjoyed my card and I really hope that you click the "Next" button below to visit Holly and see what she made for us. See you there!!

 

 

 

 

Just in case, here is a complete list of the Hoppees:

Eva

Elizabeth

Debbie

Tina

Megan

Me

Holly

Darla and Nancy

Andrea

Diane

Martie

Justin