Planning a secret garden tea party…

I will never forget my friend (and tennis partner) Erin's bridal shower. It was the most luxurious and exquisite party I had been to that wasn't a wedding. The location was something out of the secret garden, and it was decorated like a fairy tale. Everything was done to the nines. Looking back on the photos today, I am inspired to plan my own "Secret Garden Tea." Here's a look at the inspiration.

Here's just a small peak – there were actually 7 tables in the backyard of a gorgeous home in Sea Pines Plantation on Hilton Head Island.

Here's a shot of the incredible table top. The fine china, silver, linens, & hydrangeas all made for a classy and stunning table top, an image straight from Southern Living. Check out the enormous cheese platter. That was just a snack for us when we sat down. The 40 plus guests were treated to a 4-course meal by local cater & owner of Mainly Sandstone.

All 40+ guests received this as a party favor: our own personal bouquet of flowers! (We also received a bar of soap that I still have packaged perfectly. It's too pretty to use.)

I am going to start planning my upscale tea and take advantage of all the fine china, crystal and silver I received for my wedding. I am going to make my own invitations and favors, and I'd like for it to be all "secret garden" like this one. Revisiting this wonderful event for my friend has truly got me planning!

Anthonette Chavez created a tea party invitation, which has inspired and reminded me to forgo my usual favorite sites like Fine Stationery, Wedding Paper Divas & Tiny Prints, and create my own handmade invitation.

What should I do for favors or food? Any ideas for this – please share them with me!

S’ Mores!

Graham crackers, Hershey's chocolate bars, and marsh mellows – is there anything better? Maybe if you add a little raspberry to the mix! Some people have a preference about the ratio of one ingredient to another. Me, I think the graham cracker is the least interesting part, so the ratio of chocolate and marsh mellow needs to be pumped up. The gooier the better, preferably I am eating one that drips all over my face and shirt.

Amber Zimmerman created this super cute tin called a "S'mores Survival Kit". You could give as party favors for a kids birthday party, or sending your kid off to camp this summer. It could even work as a hostess gift at a summer BBQ.   Amber stamped Snoopy from Peanuts Beagle Scout – it adds a lot of personality to the kit.

Have you had a chance to check out this Peanuts Beagle Scout collection yet? It is too cute! It's a great set for upcoming summer crafting projects – check it out.

As you know, this is a crafting blog and not a cooking blog – and I don't dare cross over. However, I did find an excellent recipe for S'Mores with raspberries. And I thought I would share it with you here. Doesn't the picture at the top look divine?

Enjoy! http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/raspberry-smores-10000001084995/index.html

Fancy Starbucks!

I saw my first ever Starbucks TV commercial yesterday. Their final message to viewers in the 30-second spot is: "It's bigger than coffee." I couldn't agree more! For some people like my husband, Starbucks has become a part of life. He goes there every day. Not just on weekdays before work, but even on Sunday. He bounces out of bed at the crack of dawn, anxious to get his fix and see his friends. And by friends, I mean the people that work there. He knows them all: Randy, Dawn, April, they're all on a first name basis and chit chat what's new in life.

Amber Zimmerman fancied up her Starbucks cup. You know they make the plastic, reusable Starbucks cups – they look exactly like the throw away ones. Here's an idea: instead of meeting your friend at Starbucks for a cup of coffee, get a couple of the reusable Starbucks cups. Fancy up the cup to make it extra special - like Amber's shown below. Brew some Starbucks coffee and throw it in the extra special, fancy cup you've just made and VOILA! You've saved money and it's really cute. I think this is a great way to share a cup with your friend.

Amber has stamped with "Smirk Caffeine Confidents" here and colored up the adorable characters to bring them to life.

 

What a clever idea, Amber. Thanks for it! See the commercial I was referring to here & let me know what you think of Starbucks! Are you addicted like my husband? 

 

This was posted to Polkadots On Parade Wow Me Wednesday #48!

Close to My Heart Party

I am sure many of you have heard of "Close to My Heart", a scrapbooking and stamping company. They have products that are designed for beginner to expert crafters, they carry stamps, inks, beautiful papers, embellishments, brads, adhesives, and thousands of products. Actually, the variety of what they carry is very impressive and Thursday night, I had the opportunity to see their quality.

Their idea books are full of inspiring designs. Here's the Spring/Summer 2011 Cover & a few of the designs that I thought were cute. You can see them all here: http://www.closetomyheart.com/Products/Online_Idea_Book.aspx

Similar to "Tupperware parties" or "CaBi shows", there are Close to My Heart consultants that help hostesses throw parties and sell Close to My Heart products at your home. On Thursday, I tested it out at my house. Our consultant Jen was enthusiastic and led us in a great project of making book mark corners.

First, we enjoyed some wine and I cooked some food, then we sat around my dining room table and crafted. Lisa said she wasn't a crafter, but turns out she's a closet crafter…. Her corner bookmark turned out so cute.

Here's Kendel stamping & one side her bookmark.

It was such a relaxed and fun environment. Here I am stamping & having a good time!  Karen, too!

In the end, Kendel and I ordered a BUNCH of products for the PSA Essentials craft room. We got a distressing tool, several different paper packages, a set of inks, and my favorite: a tool to clean your stamps!

Anyone can have a Close to My Heart party. The best part about it is that the consultant works with you, you two decide on the project you want to create, and she brings everything! And your guests have the opportunity to purchase Close to My Heart products in a very comfortable setting. I'd recommend this highly! Go here to find out more: http://www.closetomyheart.com/What_We_Do/Be_a_Hostess.aspx

Let us know by leaving a comment - have you ever been to a Close To My Heart party?

Taking care of business! (Winners announced)

The winner of the License Spotlight Week blog candy is Tanya!  I use random.org to generate a number for the winner.  I was excited to see that the winner was Tanya because she is a faithful reader and often leaves comments.  I appreciate that so much!

The winner of Shout Out PSA Blog Candy is La La (Lauren) at http://scrappinwithlala.blogspot.com/2011/03/psa-stamp-camp.html.  Congrats!

I will be in touch directly with the winners, or feel free to contact me at libby@psaessentials.com.  As always, don't despair if you aren't Tanya or Lauren.   Clearly, we like giving PSA Essentials away and there's more to come!

License Spotlight – Day 5: Hello Kitty & Blog Candy

Yesterday, I introduced to you our Hello Kitty license. I had so much great stuff to share that I couldn't fit it all into one day! Stephanie Jones designed some great projects to illustrate how you can incorporate the Hello Kitty into your paper crafting. I can honestly say that Kelley and Stephanie helped transform my opinion of Hello Kitty and have shown me that you can do grown-up, adult designs with this character. It's a fresh perspective for me, since I used to associate Hello Kitty with lunch boxes. It really never occurred to me that she could be used in these ways!

Stephanie Jones created this soft and romantic feeling card using Hello Kitty from Summertime Fun. This would be a perfect notecard or a great card to send in the summer.

 Stephanie also created this sweet baby card. It would be great to welcome someone in the world! The Hello Kitty is from Summertime Fun, the bathing suit almost looks like a onesie, doesn't it? And, I like how she's rotated her just a little (like she's being cradled) and colored her up – even in her cheeks.

Kelley Eubanks created this Freindship one from Hello Kitty Garden Club. I am liking the way she's colored up the outer ring of the stamp. The bright pink pops off the craft paper. And she's framed the stamp perfectly inside the pink paper, which matches the rose embellishment. The rose coordinates with the sentiment and the stamp – it all works beautifully together!




I hope you've enjoyed this amazing week of licensed designs. I love our PSA Original designs, but after this week, some of the licenses have taken over.

BLOG CANDY!  Please leave a comment today and tell us which is your favorite licensed Peel & Stick stamp set and why? We will choose one lucky winner at random to receive that pack. Be sure to check out the entire week posts, if you haven't already, so you can make your decision!

 Supply Spotlight:

1. HK with Drink. Cardstock:  Spring Rain, Stamper's Select White (PTI), Patterned Paper:  Lemonade 6x6 Pad (BasicGrey), Stamp:  Hello Kitty 'Garden Club' (PSA Essentials), Tools:  1-3/8" Circle Punch, 1-1/4" Circle Punch (SU!), Image coloured with Copic Markers, SKETCH FROM CPS - #202
2. HK Beach Babe: Cardstock:  Aqua Mist, Stamper's Select White, Spring Moss, Lemon Tart (PTI), Patterned Paper:  Polka Dot Parade 8x8 Pad (PTI), Stamp:  Hello Kitty 'Summer Fun' (PSA Essentials), Image coloured with Copic Markers, SKETCH FROM CPS - #204
3. Stamps - Hello Kitty Garden Club by PSA Essentials, sentiment from Green Thumb by Papertrey, Paper - Kraft, White, and Hibiscus Burst by Papertrey, Ink - Black by PSA Essentials, Jenni Bowlin Fountain Pen by Ranger, Vintage Photo Distress by Ranger, Other - Marvy and EK Success circle punches, May Arts Natural String, Zots glue dots, Copic Markers, Stampin' Up corner rounder and dimensionals, Recollections Boutique Fleur Floral Embellishments

License Spotlight – Day 4: Hello Kitty

Hello Kitty, the adorable female bobtail cat, was first produced by the Japanese company Sanrio in 1974. She made her debut on a coin purse. Today she's on Jumbo Jets, video games, music videos, apparel, school supplies, and even has her own theme park! The Hello Kitty trademark is global, and its licensing earns up to $500 billion dollars annually. That's one popular character.

We are lucky at PSA Essentials to carry the Hello Kitty license. We have 8 adorable Peel & Stick packs, each themed differently. We have her gardening, enjoying summer activities, playing sports, going to school, and holiday ones. See them all here: http://www.psaessentials.com/hellokitty.htm. Our designer Kelley Eubanks created some great cards to show you how creative you can be with Hello Kitty. They aren't just for little kids! Grown ups can play with them, too.

First she designed a graduation card. The primary colors here are a perfect choice. I can see giving this to Molly for her Kindergarden graduation, or elementary school graduation. She's stamped Hello Kitty from School Days Peel & Stick stamps. I love the ribbon here, too!

Kelley also created this card for sending encouragement to a friend or family member. I haven't seen our designers use the Hello Kitty with the umbrella. And to be honest, when I first saw that stamp I thought – I wonder what you would use that one for? This is just the perfect way to use it and now it all makes sense to me! I love how Kelley's colored her up too. And in signature Kelley Eubanks style, she's used some twine.

Kelley also created this bright, primary one. The stamp is from Hello Kitty On-The-Go. I love how she's matched the colors in the stamp to the colors of the paper. Even the embellishment coordinates with Hello Kitty's hair bow. The sentiment sure is a lot of fun, too!

Tomorrow will be our last day featuring our licenses and I have one more day of Hello Kitty for you! Until then, have a great day!

Supply spotlight:
1) Stamps - Hello Kitty School Days by PSA Essentials, Paper - Daffodil Delight by Stampin' Up, White and Pure Poppy by Papertrey, Ink - Black by PSA Essentials, Jenni Bowlin Fountain Pen by Ranger, Paris Lights by Superior, Other - Offray ribbon, Marvy and EK Success circle punches, Doodlebug Jewel, Stampin' Up dimensionals, Tombow mono, R29 Lipstick Red Copic Marker


2) Stamps - Hello Kitty Garden Club by PSA Essentials, Healing Touch Sentiments by Papertrey
Paper- White by Papertrey, Ink - Black by PSA Essentials, Jenni Bowlin Fountain Pen by Ranger
Other - Aqua Divine Twine by Whisker Graphics, Stampin' Up corner rounder, Copic Markers, Doodlebug Cupcake Jewel


3) Stamps:  Hello Kitty On the Go.  Others: Stay tuned!

License Spotlight – Day 3: U.B.U

Have you ever driven down the highway and seen a minivan or SUV with stick figures representing a family stuck to the back? There's the Dad, the Mom, one kid holding a soccer ball, another holding a football, a little baby, and maybe a dog or a cat? That's U.B.U! (Correct pronunciation is: YOU BE YOU). My friend Erin Carmines loves the decals so much – I can't wait to get her one someday. U.B.U. just has cutest characters – designed to represent YOU and your family. We've got it licensed and have 9 Peel & Stick packs – there's definitely something for everyone here.

Jennifer Holmes illustrated all the great things you can do with our U.B.U. Peel & Stick stamps. Up first is this adorable card. She started with her sentiment "Brew up some fun" and coordinated it with the girl holding a beer and flag in the U.B.U. Happy Hour stamp set. How cute!

Next she created a party favor. Wouldn't this be great for a young boy's birthday party? It's a pencil cover. She's stamped from U.B.U. All Star. The little boy is holding a football. So, so creative!

Jennifer has taken a completely different direction with this last card. She's created an adorable wedding card. She's stamped the couples from U.B.U. Bicycle Bride and given them a little color. She's also stamped "Living Happily Ever After" from Smirk Kiss Me Now. I love how the flowers and hearts pop off the card. She's tied the ribbon on this card so perfectly! I also love that Jennifer uses die cutting to create a card that isn't a box. Isn't it refreshing to see a card in a different shape?

It's hard for me to choose my favorite U.B.U Peel & Stick pack, so I am just going to show you two of my favorites. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the U.B.U Happy Halloween. When you stamp each one out in a line on a card, you have the most adorable card you've ever seen. (Just go back and look at Carly Robertson's cards last Halloween). I am also a huge fan of Peppermint Swing for the holidays (mostly because I like that little girl in the stocking). Tell us what you think of U.B.U. today, or which is your favorite of ours in the collection. See all of them here: http://www.psaessentials.com/ubu.htm

Supply spotlight:
1) Project: Brew Up Some Fun Card,  Stamps: UBU Happy Hour Peel & Stamp Pack (PSA Essentials), Very Vintage Labels No. 1 (Waltzingmouse Stamps), Tiny Treats: Halloween and Polka Dot Basics (Papertrey Ink), Paper: Stamper’s Select White and Hawaiian Shores cardstock (Papertrey Ink)

Ink: Smokey Shadow and Fresh Snow (Papertrey Ink), Tools: Labels One die (Spellbinders), Other: foam mounting tape, Copic markers, Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers)

2) Project: Football Pencil Party Favor, Stamps:  UBU All Star Peel & Stick Pack (PSA Essentials)

Paper: Stamper’s Select White and New Leaf cardstock (Papertrey Ink), brown cardstock, Ink: Enchanted Evening (Papertrey Ink), Tuxedo Black Memento (Tsukineko), Tools: 1 ¾ inch and ½ inch punches (EK Success), classic circle die (Spellbinders), Other:  football digital image (Silhouette), pencil, foam mounting tape, Copic markers

3) Project:  Happily Ever After Wedding Card.  Stamps: UBU Bicycle Bride and Smirk Kiss Me Now Peel & Stick Packs (PSA Essentials), Fresh Alphabet (Papertrey Ink), Paper: Aqua Mist, Stamper’s Select White cardstock (Papertrey Ink), Ink: Smokey Shadow (Papertrey Ink), Tools: Labels One Grand Nestabilities die and classic long rectangle die (Spellbinders), Other:  Copic markers, Fresh Snow luxe satin ribbon and silver sheer metallic ribbon (Papertrey Ink), foam mounting tape.

License Spotlight – Day 2: Peanuts

Who doesn't love Snoopy?! Charles Shultz, the mastermind behind Snoopy and the Peanuts characters, is one talented man. He's also one of the most licensed! Peanuts debuted in seven newspapers in 1950 and sold into its 2000th newspaper in 1984. It's one of the world's most recognized comics with over 17,000 original strips published. At PSA Essentials, we are so happy to have licensed the adorable family. We have 8 Peel & Stick stamp packs for Peanuts – there's something for everyone. See them all here: http://www.psaessentials.com/peanuts.htm

Designer Julia Aston used stamps from Peanuts Beagle Scout here. What makes the stamps extra special is the way she's colored them up! It really brings the characters to life. She's also stamped "Gone Fishin'" from an original design by PSA Life's A Beach!

The next card is about the cutest thing I have ever seen…. Here's Snoopy on his typewriter with the sentiment "Miss You". I would love to send this to a family member who isn't nearby. I am thinking of my nephew's Jack, Brendan & Kevin who live in Chicago.

Up next, Julia created this "Cowabunga" card. Julia did something really cool here- she stamped with the outer ring from Peanuts Cowabunga Peel & Stick stamps, and added the inner sentiment "Live from the Moment" from PSA Dare to Dream. This is such a great example of how our stamps are interchangeable! And how cute is the Snoopy surfing?

See closer here how interchangeable they are. The outer ring on the above card is from Cowabunga:
And the inner sentiment, "Live for the Moment" is from PSA Dare to Dream.  I love these cards today and am so happy to share Julia's great work!

Supply spotlight:

1. Card stock: (white) Papertrey Ink  Patterned Paper: (Text Style Green Boutique) Papertrey Ink  Clear Stamps: (Snoopy & Woodstock fishing from Snoopy set, Gone Fishin' and fish from Life's a Beach set) PSA Essentials.   Dye Ink:  (Tuxedo Black) Tsukeniko (Antique Linen Distress) Ranger Industries  Fibers: (aqua mist saddle stitched ribbon) Papertrey Ink, Dies: (square Nestabilities) Spellbinders   Color Medium: (W2, R05, E31, BG13) Copics  Tools: (circle punch) Stampin' Up (stapler) Close to my Heart
2. Card Stock:  (white, Fine Linen) Papertrey Ink. Clear Stamps: (Snoopy at typewriter) PSA Essentials. Dye Ink: (Tuxedo Black) Tsukeniko (Antique Linen Distress) Ranger Industries  Dies:  (square Nestability) Spellbinders  Color Medium: (YG91) Copics  Other: (Miss You Label made with P Touch Label maker) Brother
3. Card Stock: (white) Papertrey Ink (yellow, green, blue) Coredinations  Clear Stamps: (Snoopy on surf board, Cowabunga circle sentiment, from Snoopy set, Live for the Moment from Dare to Dream set) PSA Essentials.   Dye Ink: (Versafine Onyx Black) Tsukeniko  Dies: (pinking circles Nestabilities) Spellbinders  Color Medium: (Y17, R35, YG23) Copics  Tools:  (scallop edge punch) EK Success
   
    

License Spotlight - Day 1: Smirk

Every day this week, we will be featuring our licensed Peel & Stick stamps! We have dozens of designs that we license. They range in style and taste, but there's truly something for everyone. One of the spunkiest of ours is Smirk. Smirk has sassy sentiments and witty characters. Take our Peel & Stick pack "Martini Mix" for example. There's a sentiment in the pack: "Party Princess" and another one: "Rehab Rebel." The "Fashionista" Peel & Stick pack has "will work for handbags" and "hell on heels." All of them are so fun to play with!

To show us what you can do with these designs, Carly Robertson created three cards using Smirk stamps. All of the cards would be great to send to girlfriends.   I would love to send this one to my friend Danielle from high school. Dan & I bonded junior year as we discovered a mutual love for the mall. Dan had a Jeep Wrangler, we'd put the top down, blast JAMIN' 94.5, and cruise up to the Burlington Mall. I still love shopping with her, only now our tastes have changed and she lives in downtown Boston, so we stroll Newburry Street.

The next card is super cute- I just love the cupcakes and the way she's colored up the girl. The sentiment is perfect, and it would also be a great card to send a friend as just a hello.

Do you have a friend you frequently get together for coffee with? This is the perfect sentiment: "What's said over coffee, stays over coffee." There are so many ladies who get together for regular coffee time (or wine time) and if you are one of those – I think this is the perfect stamp sentiment for you! The chocolate brown colors here are a perfect choice. I am also loving Carly's use of patterned paper here!

Tell us what you think of our Smirk Peel & Stick stamps today!

Supply spotlight:

• Friendship: Stamps: Smirk Caffeine Confidents (PSA Essentials) pattern paper (A Muse Studio and October Afternoon), tag (office supplies)
• Cupcake: Smirk Many Moods(PSA Essentials) , card stock (A Muse Studio), markers (Copics), cupcakes (Martha Stewart)
• Caffeine Confidants: Smirk Caffeine Confidents (PSA Essentials) pattern paper (A Muse Studio), ribbon (My Minds Eye and A Muse Studio), rhinestones (Hero Arts), tag (office supplies)

Winner & More Contests

Last Thursday's Luck of the Irish  blog hop was certainly fun and we hope inspiring. I was so impressed with the designs.  I've choosen the winner of the custom stamp, 3 Peel & Stick packs, 2 inks and alignment tool and have announced it on Facebook.   Was it you?  "Like" us and find out who won!   Find our Facebook page right here!

Also, more contests coming up!  This week at PSA Stamp Camp is our  "License Spotlight". We will feature designs that use Licensed PSA Essentials Peel & Stick stamps - Smirk, U.B.U, Hello Kitty, and Peanuts.  At the end of the week, just leave a comment and let us know which licensed set is your favorite, and we will choose one person at random to receive that pack!  Good luck and enjoy!

Thanks to all that participated in the Luck of the Irish blog hop!

Monday Inspiration Challenge – 3/21

Welcome, all of our new followers! Let me introduce you to Monday's at PSA Stamp Camp! Each week, I post an inspirational image here on the blog. Readers have a week to create a paper craft inspired by the image, whether it be a card, a layout, or just about anything that strikes your fancy. Last week, I showed an image from the latest Expressionery.com catalog. The idea of transforming a blank white picture frame matte was exciting to me – and several others! Take a peak.

Anne Swanson came up with this tribute to her Chi-Omega friends. She stamped using our Greek Chi-O line of stamps! I love how she's tied the bow, the colors are perfect and it just all works together. The picture of them captures their time in college, perfectly. And I absolutely love this hair.

Next Stephanie Jones painted her blank white matte, and then added some finishing touches to the bottom right. She's a big Skellanimals fan – and used the saying "I've got time to waste" and the lips from PSA Frenchie. Super cute way to transform the matte.

Lastly, I created this SUPER simple matte stamping from Rosettas.   That's me and one of my bff's, Danielle at my wedding. 

For this week's challenge, let's see what you do using patterned papers. The paper can be ANY pattern at all, here are a few great examples. Send the image to libby@psaessentials.com by 5 pm EST on Sunday, 3/27/11 and it may be featured here a week from today!

We will be announcing the winner of the Luck of the Irish blog hop this week and have a great week of projects lined up! Stay tuned.

PSA Essentials Luck of the Irish Blog Hop

Who's with me drinking green beer today? I am making Irish soda bread, corned beef and cabbage for my in-laws, The O'Regan's. With St. Patrick's Day, I am not sure how many people are sending cards except for my mother-in-law (affectionately known to Molly as "Mema"). She never fails to send a card to Molly on this and every other holiday. If you are like Mema and send cards for every occasion, including St. Patrick's Day, this blog hop is full of inspiration and is for you!

We have some really talented designers showcasing their work on the hop. To play along and enter to win "The Luck of the Irish", hop to each of the blogs and leave a comment telling the designer what you like about her work. Leave a comment here and also become a follower (if you aren't already!) We will choose one lucky person at random to win a custom stamp, 3 Peel & Stick packs, 2 inks & 1 alignment tool. That's a retail value of $150 – good luck!   To qualify to win, you must comment on each blog & be a follower of PSA Stamp Camp!

Our talented designer Mara Campbell made some great cards to represent PSA Stamp Camp on this hop! What is St. Patty's Day without shamrocks? She's stamped using PSA Essentials Dare to Dream.

Mara also created this adorable U.B.U. St. Patrick's Day card. I love the way she's stamped each girl from U.B.U. Peel & Stick stamp sets and lined them up perfectly in a row. Now there are 8 women celebrating St. Patty's day in different ways! My favorite is first one, holding the beer in one hand and the flag in another. Can you say beer drinking contests?!? You've got to love it! Note all of the details in this card here: From the ribbon, scalloped punched paper, the distressing tool on the green polka dot papers, and the embellishments. A lot of work went into this one.

Lastly, Mara created a St. Patrick's Day card to give to your sweetheart. The sentiment "Lucky in Love" is so perfect, isn't it? I feel lucky that I am in love with my husband Mike. And I feel even luckier that he loves me, too. The stamp is from Smirk Kiss Me Now. So cute! Note again all of the detail in this card.

Your next stop on the hop is a very talented designer, Kelley Eubanks at http://www.myfrontporch-kelley.blogspot.com/ 

If you get lost along the way, here are all the stops on the hop! Happy Hopping and St. Patrick's Day. Hope you have the luck of the Irish!

• PSA Stamp Camp: http://www.psastampcamp.blogspot.com/
•  Kelley Eubanks:   http://www.myfrontporch-kelley.blogspot.com/
• Gini Cagle: http://ginicagle.blogspot.com/
• Jeanne Streiff - http://inkypaws.blogs.splitcoaststampers.com/?p=14037
• Jessica Morales: http://www.kinderstampo.com/
• Kandi Phillips: http://www.kraftykandikrafts.blogspot.com/
• Kim Moreno- http://www.scrapbookresumes.com/KimMoreno/
• Linda - http://pkod.blogspot.com/
• Lisa Silver - http://silverstamping.blogspot.com/
• Mara Campbell - http://www.loveyourmotherearth.blogspot.com/
• Marie Ramirez - http://www.absosweetmarie.blogspot.com/
• Michelle Bertuzzi: http://jirokenscrapbookcorner.blogspot.com/
• Sharon, Prima - www.prima.typepad.com
• Stephanie Jones - http://pinkstarcreations.blogspot.com/
• Tracy Shultz - http://whoistracy.com/myhead
• Tracy Weinzapfel/Helmar USA- http://www.helmarusa.typepad.com/

Hello, Baby!

The birth of a child is so exciting. It seems like yesterday that my daughter Molly was born, but it was 18 months ago. How the time has flown! She's such a little person now. The other night when I asked her: "Molly, do you want to get out of the bath and go to bed? She looked at me very seriously and said: "No, mommy." Sorry, Molly – I shouldn't have asked! I didn't know you were really going to tell me what you thought about it.

How do you welcome a baby? My friend from camp Amanda Tarter just had a baby boy named Ryder. Wouldn't it be fabulous to send her this card? Designer Kelley Eubanks stamped "It's a Boy!" over and over using the stamp from the PSA Carriage collection. The little outfit stamped is also from that Peel & Stick pack. Kelley's hooked on twine right now. Does it show in the two cards below?

The next card, also by Kelley, is a great gender neutral. It would be great to give at a shower when you don't know the baby's gender. The orange, blue and yellow on the white background is a perfect color combination, each element pops off the page.

Stephanie Jones used her PSA Essentials personalized Peel & Stick stamp to create this adorable card to welcome a girl. Her personalized stamp reads, "From the Jones Family, With Love." Inside the card, she can write a note to the new parents welcoming the baby from her family! It's personalized stationery, even more personalized!

Share blog links today with cards or crafts you have created to welcome babies! Or leave us a comment today letting us know about a new baby you are welcoming soon!

Supply spotlight:

1. Stamps - Carriage by PSA Essentials, (star) Space Ship and Rockets from My Cute Stamps, Paper - Kraft, Vintage Cream, and Harvest Gold by Papertrey, Ink - Brown/Turquoise by PSA Essentials, Jenni Bowlin Brown Sugar by Ranger, Vintage Photo Distress by Ranger, Other - Stampin' Up Dimensionals and corner rounder, May Arts Ivory String, EK Success and Marvy circle punches, zots glue dot
2. Stamps - Carriage by PSA Essentials, Everyday Expressions by The Paper Studio, Paper - White by Papertrey, Ink - Black by PSA Essentials, Reflection Blue by Superior. Other - Glossy Accents by Ranger, Stampin' Up Corner Rounder, Copic Marker - y15 Cadmium Yellow, Orange Divine Twine by Whisker Graphics, Orange Zest button by Papertrey, Zots glue dot
3. Stamps:  Custom Outer Ring, Carriage (PSA Essentials), Cardstock:  Sweet Blush, Lavender Moon, Dark Chocolate (PTI), Paper:  Happy Spots (PTI), Tools:  1.75" Limitless Layers Die Collection, Banner Borders Die, Mat Stack 2 Die (PTI); Spots & Dots Embossing Folder (CuttleBug), Miscellaneous:  Pearls (BasicGrey)

Note Card Sets

I recently gave out Oscars to our design team.  Mara Campbell was awarded with the "Best Series Card Maker" and now you are going to see why.  She has an unbelievable talent for creating sets of note cards, thank-you notes, every day cards, and little tags.  She starts with one, and then carries the theme over to the next.  When I was in art school, our professors used to encourage this.  I had one professor Takeshi Takahara, who was particularly into diptychs and triptychs.  Wonder if Mara took a class with him…

Here's a simple tag set.  She's stamped using PSA Cupcake – the flowers, purse and butterfly are all from that Peel & Stick pack.  You can tell that this set isn't labor intensive, she's cut and layered different papers, stamped and punched out, and layered again.  These would make great birthday gift tags!

Check out this bright "Thinking of You" card set that Mara created using PSA Rosettas. Wouldn't this be great to package up and give as a hostess gift?  Or give it to a friend who's going through a hard time.  I love the colors here, it would sure brighten someone's day.  Also, the contrast with the cardstock and the black is very striking.  She stamped the "Thinking of you" from PSA Dare to Dream.

Here's another set.  Great colors again, so bright and cheery.  She's used PSA Cupcake and the sentiment "Skip the cake, eat the icing" from PSA Dare to Dream. (Such a versatile Peel & Stick pack!)  Cute how she's topped the cupcake with a little gem.

Mara was really busy helping us out with HSN, and I was bummed not all of her hard work could go on air.  She's done one more set for us and the colors are a little more fall. She stamped using PSA Frenchie.  I absolutely love the consistency and order that are in these card sets.  They are different, yet cohesive – such a great package.