Glittery Ribbon of Hope | Calling All Sistahs

It's the 17th of the month, and you know what that means.  It is time for your Calling All Sistahs reminder to do your monthly self-exams and schedule your yearly mammograms.  This is my birthday month, so I get to make that oh-so-joyous appointment for my yearly "girly" check-up.   I usually schedule my yearly visit to the ob/gyn on my birthday month.  Last year I went early due to some bleeding issues. I was still 39 at the time, and we were more concerned with my "issues" than my breasts.  (I cannot believe I am telling y'all this, but I have learned that we women NEED to start the discussion and help each other to get diagnosed and treated as early as possible.  

Because  I turned 40 since I last saw my ob/gyn, this will be my first time having a mammogram.  Why am I telling you this?  In part it is to make this topic less of a taboo and get the conversation started.  But, an even bigger reason is accountability. You see, I would love to stick my head in the sand and pretend that cancer cannot touch me, but the truth is.... it can.  There is a greater truth though that I am clinging to.  Early detection gives a better chance of survival and HOPE is stronger than FEAR!   So, Monday morning I am calling my doctor and making that appointment.  I was going to give myself until my birthday at the very end of the month, but I am doing it this week in honor of my friends Michele and Colleen.  Both have breast cancer milestones this week and both are doing FABULOUS, because they detected their cancers early and acted quickly!  You have my permission to ask me if I made my appointments next month on the 17th, if I don't post results before then!

Speaking of Michele, she is sharing the results of her 6 month check-up on the CAS-ual Fridays Stamps blog today.  She will also be explaining a little more about the Calling All Sistahs blog hop.  If you missed my post last weekend, I was asked to be the Calling All Sistahs Blog Hop Coordinator and I said YES!  Before you head on over there I have a card and quick video for you. 

To watch this video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KIcLr_Fo4Q 

Now go on over to CAS-ual Fridays to read Michele's announcement and join us next month in a meaningful blog hop.

Stamps: Frankly (CAS-ual Fridays Stamps)
Ink: Cotton Candy (Colorbox - My Favorite Things) 003, 025, 026, 022 (Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers)
Paper: Black Glimmer Paper, Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper (Stampin' Up!) Craft a Board (Essentials by Ellen) Solar White (Neenah)
Accesories: Double Note Fri-Die, Hope Fri-Die, Ruffled Ribbon Fri-Die (CAS-ual Fridays Stamps)

Stamp of Approval | Beautiful World | Feature Day

It's finally time to reveal the new Stamp of Approval Beautiful World collection.    Parts of this collection remind me of the popular coloring books for adults, so I decided to make my own "coloring page" on a card.

Direct link for video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJtS64_bVCI

Be sure to go to cpstampofapproval.com for more details and to sign up for the wait list.  If you would like to see more sneak peeks, check out what other designs are showcasing today.

APRIL 16TH: 

1. Catherine
2. Lisa 
3. Kelly
4. Ingrid 

Stamps: Enchanted Garden (Sugar Pea Designs for Stamp of Approval) Geobuilders (Catherine Pooler Designs for SOA Beautiful World)
Ink: Twisted Citron (Distress)  Tuxedo Black (Memento) 50, 52, 70, 31, 003, 25, 26, 80, 81, 82 (Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers)
Paper: Whisper White (Stampin' Up)
Accessories: MISTI; Masking Paper (Inkadinkado) Mini Ink Blending Tool

ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Marker 080, Violet

ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Marker 081, Light Violet

ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Marker 082, Purple

ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Marker 025, Pink

Memento Ink Pad, Tuxedo Black

Inkadinkado Stamping Mask Paper, 5x7, 12 pk

ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Marker 050, Yellow

ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Marker 052, Bright Yellow

ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Marker 070, Orange

ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Marker 031, Cobalt Blue

ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Marker 003, Fluorescent Pink

ZIG Clean Color Real Brush Marker 026, Light Pink

Ranger Distress Ink Pad, Twisted Citron

Ranger Ink Blending Tool, 1 Inch Round

My Sweet Petunia MISTI Stamping Tool

My Sweet Petunia Mini MISTI Stamping Tool

From Quilts to Cards

Many of you know I am both a quilter and a card maker.  I typically share my quilts on my blog on the weekends and cards during the week days.  What you may not know is I use what I learn from both mediums often cross-over in my designs.  Clean and Simple cardmaking has translated well into Modern Quilting.
Recently Catherine Pooler challenged me to make a quilt card. I LOVE when my "two worlds" collide!  Of course I took her up on the challenge, and suddenly  my mojo was flowing fast & furious! A good challenge will do that.

At first I was going to just make a card using the flying geese pattern, but as I read some of the comments under her post I realized that people had questions about design and I had the answer because of my quilting experience.  Today is my day to teach in the StampNation classroom, so I decided to film a video on Color Theory, Contrast and Design.  It ended up being a long video, and it got me to thinking.  Is this something YOU, my blog reader, would be interested in?  Would you like to see a video series on how quilting and card making over lap for me?  Would you like quilting design tips that you could apply to your cardmaking and vice versa?  Please let me know in the comments below, and share any other questions you have below that you would like me to answer.


Here is a peek at the cards I made with the tips I shared.  You can see both videos and full cards HERE if you are a StampNation member.

9 Patch

Flying Geese

Flying Dutchman

Hope & Strength

This card was made for a fellow blogger, Chaitali, who lost her mother to breast cancer.  Her story touched my heart, as did the stamp set she made in her mom's honor.  She is just one of the many stories you have shared that have touched my heart.  

Stamps: Pink Power, Forever in our Hearts (Verve)
Ink: Spun Sugar (Distress) Onyx Black (Versafine)
Accessories: Stitch Film Strip (Pretty Pink Posh) Leanna Butterfly Die (Simon Says Stamp) Clear Embossing Powder (SU) Pink Crystals (ki)

Sunshine, Showers and Flowers

The challenge this week at StampNation is a unique one, inspired by Spring.  This week is my week off for creating a card for the challenge, so I don't have a sneak peek to show you.  Instead of creating a card for the blog using this challenge, I am working on the new Stamp of Approval release coming SOON, as well as a few other projects for later this month!  In fact, my deadline for SOA is today, so all my creative energies have been focused on that.  Since I don't have a card to share with you, I'll share the graphic I created for this week's challenge at StampNation instead.  ;) 

Isn't this adorable?!!!  Can you guess what the challenge is?  Check out the challenge forum for all the deets, plus you can see the amazing work our design team is sure to have come up with.

When I am done with the new release, Inspiration Nation cards and my project for CAS-ual Fridays stamps, I am going to have to come back to this challenge and create a card or two or three! These pictures just make me happy, and I would love to create some card that reflect that!  Talk about some happy mail!  Cards that are inspired by this challenge are sure to bring a smile to anyone's heart.

BIG Announcement

I've been sitting on some pretty exciting news and today I finally get to share it with you!  Some of you may remember me telling you about the design team call for CAS-ual Fridays Stamps.  Clicky here and here if you want to read all about it.  I decided to give it a try and applied for a position.  

The application asked for several things, one of them was an answer to the question: "Why are you applying?"  Of course I mentioned how much I love CAS-ual Fridays Stamps, and would jump at the opportunity to work with Michele and her girl Fridays design team.    But, then I mentioned something that was on my heart: The biggest reason I want to join your team though is to be a part of your Calling All Sistahs campaign.  As you know, your story touched my heart and I have jumped whole-heartedly into the idea of reminding our sistahs to "check yo-self".  What you don't know is how your story has impacted me personally.  I would love the opportunity to share that story...

Guess what?!!!!  Within 48 hours I had an offer to do something AH-MAY-ZING with Michele!  She asked me to help her run the Calling All Sistahs Blog Hop so that she can include even more people and reach even more sistahs!  She told me to take as much time as I needed to decide.  It took me one flat second to reply YES! YES! YES!   I didn't even know what it would entail, but I already knew I wanted to be a part of it.  My heart's desire is that nobody would ever have to suffer and die from breast cancer again.  Until there is a cure, early detection is still the best first line of defense.   There is also power in women joining together to take charge of our health.  

You can read my announcement on the CAS-ual Fridays blog HERE.  Thank you so much, Michele, for asking me to help in your great cause.   I look forward to working with you and your team to make this campaign grow!   If you are here from the CAS-ual Fridays blog and want to see my Calling All Sistahs posts, I'll list them below.   If you are new to the Calling All Sistahs campaign, I'll include that link too.

Facing My Fears

Catch It Early
Ribbon Of Hope
Kick Cancer's Butt
Think Happy Thoughts

Calling All Sistahs Campaign
Calling All Sistahs Blog Hop Coordinator Announcement

Now for the fun part for you!!!  Michele is giving away a $50 gift certificate to celebrate all the new girl Fridays announced on her blog this week as well as the two positions she announced today!!!  All you have to do is leave a comment here, then go leave some love for the other newbies announced over the past week.  Thank you again, Michele!!!

Beautiful Damask Birthday

I've been cleaning off my desktop and clearing out my computer files in preparation for filing our taxes, and I came across this card I made just before going to my StampNation collaboration retreat.  It's one of my favorite cards from 2015, but I don't think I ever got a chance to share it.    I'm not sure if it is the soft way the colors blended in the background, the glittery-ness & sparkle added or the pretty script on the sentiment.  Probably all 3 combined.

Whatever the reason, I love this card, and wanted to share it with  you.  To create the background I sponged on inks starting with yellow and moving on to my pinks.  Then I used a stencil to add a layer of white embossing paste.  Before the paste dried I sprinkled on some glitter and shook off the excess.

Affiliate links used when possible.

Stamps: It's Your Birthday (Simon Says Stamp)
Ink: Blushing Bride, Melon Mambo, Pink Pirouette, So Saffron (SU) Black (Memento)
Paper: Dazzling Diamonds glimmer paper, Whisper White (SU)
Accessories: Dazzling Diamonds Glitter (SU) Mini Damask Stencil (Dreamweaver Stencils) Stitched Rectangle Die (Lil' Inker Designs) White Embossing Paste (Dreamweaver)

StampNation Sneak Peek (plus new SOA peek too)

Are you ready for another StampNation sneak peek?  When I chose this photo for our inspiration challenge this week I had the Young At Heart stamp of approval collection in mind.  There wasn't enough space to fit it in for that release month, so I moved it to April.  If you want to see the photo, along with the fabulous design team samples, be sure to check out the Challenge forum at StampNation today.  You can also scroll down to the bottom left corner of the home page to see a peek at the last 3 challenges posted.  ;)  Here is my sneak peek.  Hope you find it totally fabulous.

Happy Mail and a Thank You

Yesterday I received some happy mail from upline, Dawn Griffith, and I have YOU to thank for it. I was one of her top 10 in sales last month thanks to all of you who took advantage of the final month of Sale-A-Bration!  THANK YOU for continuing to support my business!!!!  Here is the card that Dawn sent me.

Created by Dawn Griffith

This card reminds me of my Washi Tape Christmas card, flipped on its side and done in happy bright colors.  I love the little washi tape punch she used for the birthday sentiment.  I need to order that, but keep forgetting.  Thank you, Dawn, and thank Stampin' Up! customers for giving me the best Sale-A-Bration ever!

Sew Saturday | OMG | April Goals

My sewing goal for the One Monthly Goal (OMG) quilt challenge is to complete my Arts Walk challenge quilt.  Arts Walk is in late April, and our guild will be showcase improv quilts using one of the fabrics below.  We can include any other fabric we want.  The only other rule is that it must be at least 20" square.

Here was my progress as of April 1st.  I still have a ways to go, but as long as my sewing machine doesn't malfunction again, I should be good to go.

What is your One Monthly Goal for April?