Core Blog Hop with Peachy Keen!

Are you  ready for some mid-week fun and inspiration from your favorite cardstock brand?  Look no further... you have come to the perfect spot.  A few designers here with Core'dinations have teamed up with some Peachy Keen Stamps designers to bring you a blog hop full inspiration, so put in a load of laundry, grab your favorite drink and spend some hopping time with us! You know you want to, lol!  And this is a 2 day hop so please do visit us again on Thursday. 

Sooo, let's get started!  You will want to make sure you hit every blog along the way, and may I add, there are giveaways up for grabs!  So here's a complete list of our first day's installment...

Day 1
Core blog: http://www.coredinations.com/index.php/cat...scrapbook-blog/
Nikki Foraker http://scrappinnavywife.blogspot.com
Andrea Amu http://imlivinonscraps.blogspot.com/     *YOU ARE HERE*
Michelle Criswell http://www.scrappinwithmybug.com
April Derrick http://memoryvilla.com/blog/
Leanne Garner http://www.createdbyLeanne.blogspot.com
Debbie Standard http://debbiestandard.blogspot.com/
Raven Baca http://love4stamps.blogspot.com

Today for the hop I'd love to share with you a card set that I created using some way cute stamps that I got to play with in our swap with Peachy Keen stamps.  I had the chance to use an adorable collection called, Bee Happy (PK-244).  I designed two different cards using these super adorable bees...

Aren't they just so stinkin' sweet? 

Tons of other cool product went into making these cards.  Of course I cut out those beehives with my Cricut Expression using the Walk In My Garden cartridge.  Just too perfect for those bees.

Absolutely no patterned paper was used for these designs... strictly Core'dinations cardstock and tons of embossing!  The yellow beehive and the yellow background on the second card is Core Impressions Basic Grey Whimsy cardstock in the "Simon" embossed pattern.  The kraft background and kraft colored beehive is the Heritage Kraft (GX-3100-09) from the Graphic 45 Signature Series Core collection.  The cool hexagon embossing on the kraft was created by using the " So Trendy " Spellbinder's M-Bossabilities folder. 

The paper flowers on these are all from the Petaloo Core Color-Matching Series.  I used the larger Camelia flowers in Tulip Yellow and the Mini florals in Mantis Green and Tangerine.  I added some fine pastel yellow glitter to the centers of all the florals.  All the ribbons here are from May Arts Ribbon.  I used some Grosgrain ric rac in orange and Chevron twill ribbon in both yellow and lime green. 

Here are some more closeup photos...

To make the bees I stamped the images onto the backside of some Snowflake (GX-FB010) Core Essentials with a Jet Black Staz-On ink pad.  All the colors to the bees were added using Spectrum Noir markers from Crafter's Companion!  Love those markers... similar performance and impact as Copics, but very reasonably priced.  On the wings I also added a touch of Sugar Shimmer Fairy Dust glitter from Donna Salazar.  After stamping the images, I cut out around each bee, but I cut off the antennae and if you look close, you can see I added my own with some May Arts black Burlap Twine.  I poked a small hole in each bee head and inserted two pieces each of the twine into the holes.  I secured the twine from the back with some double stick adhesive and then I tied knots at the end of each piece of twine.  It was so much fun to create with and embellish these stamped images.  To complete these cards all I had left to do was adhere the bees to the cards with some foam sqaures for added dimension. 

Well, I do hope that my cards were Buzz-Worthy enough, bwaha-haa!  Get it?  Buzzz... bees?!  Okay, I'm finished, lol!  But you are not... still more stops along the way!  Next you will want to be sure to go to visit,  Michelle Criswell http://www.scrappinwithmybug.com .

Enjoy and remember to come by again tomorrow, June 7th for more creativity with Core cardstock and Peachy Keen stamps.

My Friday Finale!

So excited that it is Friday, which makes me all the more excited to share some scrap-happy things today as well! 
First off, all week long on the Core'dinations blog, we've paired up with the most fabulous company, and a personal favorite of mine too... BASIC GREY!  I can never have enough BG collections, and the same goes for the awesome Core'dinations cardstock offered in Basic Grey patterns now too! 

If you haven’t heard, we have a BasicGrey Core Impressions line that we just LOVE! There are TWO Core Impression packs in this line that are fabulous. The Whimsy Collection is full of bright colors and whimsical patterns that match BasicGrey papers and embellishments. And the Ornate Collection has beautiful blues, greens and pinks that coordinate with BasicGrey papers and embellishments as well. You will be seeing both of these collections in action this week along with LOADS of BasicGrey goodies, too!

Each pack has FOUR embossed patterns in FIVE colors totaling 20 unique sheets and we sell certain sheets individually as well.

And you know it wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t have a giveaway! We are giving away one of EACH of our BasicGrey Core Impressions lines!!!

You have a few ways to win this week.

1.) Leave a comment here on the Core blog all week long! Leave a comment everyday for up to FIVE chances to win!

2.) Head over to our Facebook page for another chance to win!

3.) Make your way over the BasicGrey blog for additionial chances to win, too!

4.) And hurry over to the Facebook page, too! Tell them we sent you!

Now are you ready for some inspiration? Don’t forget to click HERE to get see the gorgeous projects over at the BG Blog and more chances to win win win!

Today was the final day of the swap, and I was pleased to have had two of my holiday layouts showcased using Basic Grey's super cool Nordic Holiday collection!

This first layout is pretty and festive... using some more traditional holiday prints included in the Nordic Holiday line, such as the red and green pointsettia pattern.  I paired it all with some floral embossed green cardstock from the Basic Grey Ornate Core Impressions line and green and white Core Essentials.  Punched border detailing really helps to define the backround texture of the cardstock! 

(Click on pictures to view larger)

Then, I also created the following page, which also leads me to another fun announcement! 

To create this page, I followed an awesome layout sketch for Dec. 9th from the Stuck On U Sketches (SOUS) challenge blog.  This sketch design was created by their own designer, Sandi Clarkson. 

And, I can now announce that I am a new design team member at SOUS!  I am very happy to be joining this fun site with such a great group of talented ladies!  Looking forward to designing with many, many more inspirational sketches in the weeks and months ahead!

Here are some more details of this holiday page...

 I used the BG Ornate Core Impressions in the Olive Cornbread pattern. I painted on some Tattered Angels Glimmer Glaze within the embossed areas to give the cardstock a different look and then I also sprayed on some Glimmer Mist.  This all gave the olive toned cardstock a more golden and glitzy, festive look. I also used May Arts ribbons here... that chevron patterned ribbon is thee coolest and the red really gives a cheerful punch.  The stitched brad and fun feltie ornament sticker embellies are also all part of the Nordic Holiday line!  Finally, I used the Paper Lace 2 Cricut cart to cut out the pretty ornate circular background diecut. I really do love this page and have decided to frame it and gift it to my mom this Christmas.  I know she'll love it just as much as I do!

Before I go, I just wanted to thank everyone who has voted for my cards in the Card Sharks challenge at the Nook!  I appreciate the votes and comments so much.  There is also a little more time left to vote if you can... I believe voting closes at 9am PST Saturday morning (Dec. 10th). 

Vote for me HERE, please! 

Have a terrific and fun-filled weekend!  ;) 

On the BasicGrey Blog Today!

Gosh I am busy today!  I had to put in a day at work and now that I'm home I'm flittering all around the house trying to be an over-achieving mutli-tasker, lol!  I'm trying to vacuum the floors and do some dusting so I can finally start putting out all the Fall decorations.  This could all be put off til the weekend, but truth be told, I just can't wait! Then I'm also working fast and furious on a Cricut project that I started earlier in the week.  I'd like to finish it up tonight to submit it to the latest Cricut magazine call which of course ends tonight.  And on top of that I need to start dinner and of course I HAD to come make a blog post too... not sure how well I'm pulling it all off! 

But onto the purpose of the blog post!  Today there are two neat things being shared over on the BasicGrey blog!  First of all, if you didn't already know, Core'dinations has partnered up with BasicGrey to bring some beautifully embossed cardstock designs, and if you go over to the BG blog, check them out and comment, you could be one of the two lucky winners to receive one of their 2 collection packs (Whimsy and Ornate) being sponsered by Core!   AND second, while you are there you can check out my layout which is featured  to show you how these two collections coordinate so well with one another and the BG collections!  And I'm just going to share my page here too because I also have some detail pix!  Now hurry, and get over to comment because there's not much time... deadline is midnight tonight, Sept. 14th!  Good luck!

SUPPLIES : [OUT OF PRINT] OUT-3327 Odds ‘n Ends, OUT-3315 Reprint, OUT-3316 Etchings, [BITTERSWEET] MET-1554 Glazed Brads, [MARJOLAINE] MRJ-2929 Sticker Alphabet.

BasicGrey Ornate Collection Core Impressions in both Antique Vanity and Aegan Cornbread, BasicGrey Whimsy collection Core Impressions with Simon Black Magic, Core’dinations Core Essentials, Cindy Loo Cricut cartridge.