It is Thursday which means it is time for the Create with Connie & Mary Challenge.  This week we have a sketch challenge!  The sketch was a perfect one for me to incorporate the adorable little skunk from the Hey Love stamp set.. 

First the sketch.

Here's what I made using the Hey Love set and the sketch.

The patterned paper I used is from the All My Love DSP.  Once again Stampin' Up! created a beautiful pack of paper.  Lots of beautiful designs that can be used for all kinds of occasions. In addition to the Hey Love stamp set, I used the Forever Lovely set for the floating hearts.   It looks like I used a couple of different ink pads for the hearts but I only used one, Lovely Lipstick.  The stamp is a Distinktive stamp.  The way it is made creates the different shades.

Be sure to check out what the other members of the design team created for this challenge.  I know you be inspired by their creations!

Product List

Hey Love Cling Stamp Set [148644] $19.00	Forever Lovely Photopolymer Stamp Set [148624] $21.00	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708] $6.00	Lovely Lipstick Classic Stampin' Pad [147140] $7.50
Basic Black Combo Pack Stampin' Blends [147942] $9.00	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock [140272] $7.75	Lovely Lipstick 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [146970] $8.50	All My Love 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper [148576] $11.00
Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies [145372] $30.00	Layering Circle Framelits Dies [141705] $35.00	Whisper White 3/8" Classic Weave Ribbon [144159] $7.00

Welcome to the Stamper's Dozen Blog Hop!  This month we are sharing projects celebrating Sale-A-Bration.  What is Sale-A-Bration?  Sale-A-Bration is a Stampin' Up!® promotion for the months January thru March.  In the US, when you place a $50 order (before shipping and tax) you can choose a gift from the Sale-A-Bration brochure.  

On my card today  I am using 2 Sale-A-Bration choices, Botanical Butterfly Designer Series Paper, Part of My Story stamp set, and the adorable otter from the Hey Love stamp set  in the Occasions catalog.

Don't you think the Hey Love otter and the part of My Story were made for each other?  The otter looks like he is thinking about someone he cares about.  The otter was simply colored using Stampin' Blends.  The black and white check paper is one of my very favorite designs in the Botanical Butterfly DSP. The genius thing about this pack of paper is that one side has beautiful butterfly designs and the other side black and white designs.  

I used the Stamparatus to stamp the sentiment.  I used the hinge step technique.  I positioned the stamp on the Stamparatus,  inked and stamped and then moved the plate to the next step on the hinge and repeated.  It is one of many cool techniques you can do using the Stamparatus.

Here's a look at the inside of the card.

I used another sentiment from the Sale-A-Bration set, Party of My Story.  I love how it coordinates so well with the sentiment on the front of the card.

Here is a list of all the stops on the Stamper's Dozen Blog Hop.

Stamper's Dozen January 2019 Blog Hop

1. Patty Chenail – Stampin’ In My Flops
2. Carol Payne – Carol Payne Stamps
3. Kelly Acheson – A Stamp Above
4. Laura Milligan – I’d Rather BEE Stampin’
5. Debbie Naylor – Unfrogettable Stamping
6. Joanne Cantrell – Keep It Simple, Stampers
7. Bonnie O'Neill – Bonnie Stamped
8. Jodi Reinert – Stamp with Jodi
9. BJ Peters – StampinBJ
10. Rachel Yurkanin – Stamping with Rachel
11. Sharon Hashimoto Burkert – As the Ink Dries
12. Judy Garza – Creativity Released

Product List

Hey Love Cling Stamp Set [148644] $19.00	Part Of My Story Cling Stamp Set [149719] $0.00	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708] $6.00	Crumb Cake Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack [144601] $9.00	Real Red Dark Stampin' Blends [147934] $4.50
Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [121045] $8.50	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730] $9.75	Botanical Butterfly Designer Series Paper [149622] $0.00	Real Red 3/8" (1 Cm) Cotton Ribbon [146925] $7.00	Apron Builder Framelits Dies [145661] $29.00

Have you seen  the Hey Love stamp set?   I had to buy this adorable stamp set and I know that I will be able to use it for more than just Valentine's cards. I like this set so much that I chose it to be my first Product Spotlight.   

I can easily identify all the animals except for this little guy.

My best guess is that he is a gopher or maybe a prairie dog.  What do you think?  Whatever he is, he is pretty darn cute.

Isn't this sweet?  I love the Balmy Blue Gingham Gala DSP paired with Real Red.  I did some quick coloring on the critters using Stampin' Blends and layered them using the Layering Squares Framelits.  I used the #2 square framelit (#1 being the smallest square) and the #3 scalloped square framelit (#1 being the smallest).  

I used the Whisper White Note Cards.  These note cards are made with Thick Whisper White card stock so they are a nice heavy weight card base.  They also come with an envelope and are mailable.  They are priced at $6.50 for 20 note cards and envelopes, a great deal!

Hope you enjoyed today's card and a look at the Hey Love stamp set.  

Product List

Hey Love Cling Stamp Set [148644] $19.00	Tabs For Everything Photopolymer Stamp Set [143907] $17.00	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708] $6.00	Crumb Cake Stampin' Blends Markers Combo Pack [144601] $9.00	Balmy Blue Stampin' Blends Combo Pack [148544] $9.00
Real Red Dark Stampin' Blends [147934] $4.50	Whisper White Note Cards & Envelopes [131527] $6.50	Real Red 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [102482] $8.50	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730] $9.75	Gingham Gala 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper [148554] $11.00
Layering Squares Framelits Dies [141708] $35.00	Stitched Labels Framelits Dies [146828] $33.00	Real Red 3/8" (1 Cm) Cotton Ribbon [146925] $7.00

Ready for the Create with Connie & Mary Color Challenge?  Here we go!

Love this bright combination of colors!  

I used the Forever Lovely bundle to create this card.  The only real tricky part about this card is I had to inlay the Call Me Clover little leaves and hearts.  Yes, those die cuts are tiny but using the Take Your Pick Tool made it SO much easier.  

I think the large floral stamp in the Forever Lovely set is so pretty and so I had to stamp the inside of the card with it.

I made 2 versions of this card one with Calypso Coral ribbon  and one without.  

Not sure which I like better.  What do you think?  

Product List

Forever Lovely Photopolymer Bundle [150580] $47.50	Call Me Clover Stampin' Pad [147139] $7.50	Calypso Coral Classic Stampin' Pad [147101] $7.50	Night Of Navy 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100867] $8.50
Calypso Coral 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [122925] $8.50	Call Me Clover 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [146969] $8.50	Take Your Pick [144107] $10.00	Calypso Coral 3/8" (1 Cm) Satin Ribbon [148804] $6.00

Not sure how I feel about the name of this bundle of products, Dear Doily (Dear Doily stamp set and the Doily Builder Thinlits Dies)  but I am sure how I feel about the bundle.  It is beautiful.  Here is my first play with the bundle which was inspired by the sample in the 2019 Occasions Catalog.

I love the background created by die cutting the doily dies 4 times.  It takes a little time to cut the die 4 times but the results were worth it.  The flower and sentiment are both in the Dear Doily stamp set. I colored the stem using an Old Olive marker  and the flower with a Real Red marker.  I did stamp the flower twice to add more red to the card.  The flower was cut out using the Doily Builder Thinlits. The red bow is also a die in the Doily Builder Thinlits.  Perfect for when you do not want to tie a tiny bow.

I also used the Rectangle Stitched Framelits to cut out the frame and the Whisper White piece.  Those framelits are the best!  I would say they are a definite must have.  I wanted to have a double stitched Real Red frame so I used 2 framelits to cut it out.

I cut the Whisper White using the smaller rectangle and fit it in the frame for the completed piece.

Love that there are options!  

Below my signature I have a list of all the products I used to create this card.  The products are already linked to my online store so it is easier for you to shop!

Product List

Dear Doily Cling Bundle [150616] $51.25	Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad [132708] $6.00	Regals Stampin' Write Markers [147155] $30.00	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock [140272] $7.75
Basic Black 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [121045] $8.50	Real Red 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [102482] $8.50	Rectangle Stitched Framelits Dies [148551] $35.00	Red Rhinestone Basic Jewels [146924] $7.00

Here's the final part of my look back at 2018!  I am picking just 2 projects per month for October thru December.  

In October I used the  Barn Door stamp set and the Sliding Door Framelits for the first time!  For some strange reason that I cannot even explain I was intimidated by the sliding door.  I am happy to say that there was no reason for it and I am so happy I got over it because I love this cute card.

In October I also became a fan of the color combination of Mint Macaron and Blackberry Bliss.

November brought us the Snow is Glistening stamp set and the Snowfall thinlits.  In this post I wanted to show how the Snowfall thinlits could be used after Christmas.

Beautiful Baubles bundle continued to be a favorite in November.

In December my love for the Peaceful Poinsettia bundle was made pretty clear but this one is my favorite.

I also shared a few sneak peeks and they all are favorites but this one is extra special because it taught me a new color combination.

Here are a few more of my favorites; Pumpkin Take Out Box, Hand Delivered birthday, Snowfall Thinlits Criss Cross card, Another Beautiful Baubles card, Country Home, Butterfly Gala, Needle & Thread bundle,  Apron of Love, and Peaceful Poinsettia bundle.

If you missed it, you can find part 1 of Looking Back on 2018 HERE and part 2 HERE.

2018 was a great year and 2019 is shaping up to be even better!  I hope you will continue to follow me here on my blog, Facebook, and Pinterest.  

Today is the first day of the Stampin' Up! Occasions catalog and the start of Sale-A-Bration!  This year's Occasion catalog is one of the very best.  One of the stamp sets that just made me smile is Hey Love.  I just love the adorable animals.  When I bought this set I wanted to find ways to use it for more than just Valentine cards.  I decided to use it for this week's Create with Connie and Mary sketch challenge.

I paired the alligator from Hey Love with one of the sentiments from Amazing Life.  

I used the bright and bold Happiness Blooms DSP.  This paper makes me happy,  I love the designs and the cheerful colors.  If you got this card in the mail wouldn't it bring a smile to your face?  

Be sure to check out what the other members of the design team created using the sketch.  All the cards I saw were so different from each other but unified by the sketch.  Thanks for stopping by.  If you are not currently working with a Stampin' Up! demonstrator and would like to see the Occasions and Sale-A-Bration catalogs, contact me and I will get them out to you.

Product List

Hey Love Cling Stamp Set [148644] $19.00	Amazing Life Photopolymer Stamp Set [148750] $21.00	Call Me Clover Stampin' Pad [147139] $7.50	Night Of Navy Classic Stampin' Pad [147110] $7.50	Night Of Navy Light Stampin' Blends Marker [144036] $4.50
Shaded Spruce Light Stampin' Blends [147936] $4.50	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock [140272] $7.75	Call Me Clover 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [146969] $8.50	Happiness Blooms 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper [148795] $11.00	Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies [145372] $30.00
Rectangle Stitched Framelits Dies [148551] $35.00	Night Of Navy Medium Baker's Twine [146336] $3.00

Welcome to the Inspire, Create & Share Blog Hop!  This month the theme is Sale-A-Bration.  Sale-A-Bration starts on January 3 and runs until March 31, 2019.  During Sale-A-Bration you can choose  a free gift from the Sale-A-Bration brochure for every $50 (US dollars before shipping and tax) purchase.  This year  there are SO many great choices.  You can choose from stamp sets, specialty paper, dies, kits, DSP and embellishments.

It was a difficult trying to decide what to use for the blog hop. I finally decided on the Hello Cupcake stamp set and the Organdy Ribbon combo pack.

January is a time I need to  replenish  my supply of birthday cards and the Hello Cupcake stamp set is perfect for that.  This 10 piece photopolymer set is a great mix of images and sentiments. Here I stamped it in Balmy Blue and So Saffron.  One of the reasons I chose this color combination is that I could add the cute little bow which was made from another Sale-A-Bration choice, the Organdy Ribbon Combo Pack.  This pack of ribbon has 1/4" organdy ribbon in 5 colors, Balmy Blue, Daffodil Delight, Grapefruit Gove, Highland Heather, and Lemon Lime Twist.  These colors also coordinate with the Gingham Gala 6" x 6" DSP in the Occasions catalog.  

If you need quick and cute birthday cards, the Hello Cupcake stamp set is a sweet choice!  Now it is time to hop on over to see what Cynthia at a Crowning Creation has created for you.

If you are not currently working with a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator and would like a copy of the Occasions and Sale-A-Bration brochures, please contact me and I would be happy to send them to you. 

Product List

Hello Cupcake Photopolymer Stamp Set [149714] $0.00	Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad [147084] $7.50	So Saffron Classic Stampin' Pad [147109] $7.50	Balmy Blue Classic Stampin' Pad [147105] $7.50	Real Red 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [102482] $8.50
So Saffron 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [105118] $8.50	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730] $9.75	Gingham Gala 6" X 6" (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper [148554] $11.00	Rectangle Stitched Framelits Dies [148551] $35.00	Organdy Ribbon Combo Pack [149623] $0.00

Ready for part 2 of some of my favorite projects of 2018?   This time I am limiting my choices to 2 per month. 

You know I love black and white DSP (Designer Series Paper).  Last April there was the Petal Passion DSP and it was the best!  Made this card for the Create with Connie & Mary Challenge.

I was a big fan of the Birthday Blooms stamp set which has since retired.  On the post I also listed some other posts featuring this stamp set.

In May a lot of the projects were focused around products that were retiring.  This card used the Petal Passion DSP.

This one featured the retiring colors Wisteria Wonder and Soft Sky.

In June we welcomed new colors!  Love the new purples, Highland Heather and Gorgeous Grape!

I know this one is similar to the one above but I had to pick this one.  It features the return of Poppy Parade.

Clean and simplish Beautiful Bouquet card. 

Playing with color using Lemon Lime Twist, Granny Apple Green, Highland Heather, and Gorgeous Grape.

August brought us the limited edition bundle, Blended Seasons and also some sneak peeks from the Holiday Catalog. The first sneak peek featuring the Beautiful Baubles bundle.

It was hard to choose which was my favorite Blended Season project.  I chose this one because I love to make little treat projects.

September brought the debut of the Holiday catalog!  Another Beautiful Baubles card in a non traditional color.

Dashing Deer bundle and the Under the Mistletoe DSP

Here are a few more projects that made me very happy;  Magical Day Pocket card, Petal Passion Gift Card, Sweet Soiree Specialty DSP and Embellishment kit, Sweet Soiree Pocket Card tutorial, Last Chance Purse, Sharing Sweet Thoughts, Accented Blooms for the Stamper's Dozen Color Challenge, Rooted in Nature, Sharing Sweet Thoughts Split card and tutorial, Wild About Flowers,  Hello Lovely Lipstick,  Accented Blooms, Paper Pumpkin Broadway Star,  Jar of Love,  Tropical Chic,  Varied Vases Pocket Card,  Painted Glass Butterfly,  Tropical Escape DSP and tutorial,  Hanging Garden Half Pocket Card,  Animal Outing,  Blended Season,  Blended Season and the Black Magic technique,  Peaceful Poinsettia half Pocket,  Peaceful Poinsettia bundle, and the  Painted Harvest.

In a couple of days I will conclude the Look Back at 2018.  

Taking a look back at some of my favorite projects of 2018.  

In January of 2018 I was definitely crazy about the Charming Cafe bundle.  In this one post  I featured 3 different cards using the bundle.  Here's one of the cards.  You can check out the other two here.

Still love this adorable mermaid paired with some gummy sharks for a fun treat.  Check out the post here.

Took a little break from the 2018 Occasions catalog and played with the Oh So Eclectic stamp set and dies  in this post.   

There is something about stripes and florals, that make me so happy.  This card features the flower dies from the Support Ribbon framelits and the sentiment from Ribbon of Courage.

This card was a challenge for me.  This was for a color challenge using Melon Mambo, Calypso Coral, and Rich Razzleberry. I ended up loving the card but it took me a while to get to that point.  You can check out the post here.

I love a glittery card and Heartfelt Blooms (SAB) stamp set was a perfect one to use this technique. 

Triple Time Stamping and the Heartfelt Blooms stamp set was another favorite of mine in February 2018. 

Magical Day bundle made it on the list again with this fun treat made using the Lots to Love dies.

Still love this big, bold image and sentiment in this card.

In March I played with the  Blossoming Basket bundle a lot.  Here's my favorite.

I loved making this mini book using the Paper Pumpkin kit, May Good Things Grow.  The pictures were from my mother in law's 99th birthday.

This post is getting really long .  Here are some other projects to check out; cute punch chick and basket, Blossoming Basket bundle, a pretty little birthday card using the Sweet Soiree Embellishment kit, and another big , bold flower from the Beautiful Day stamp set.

Come back tomorrow for part 2 of the best of 2018.