Another Use for Cardstock

My mom recently gifted me a subscription to Midwest Living magazine. This month's issue features "26 Heavenly Homemade Gifts" and one of them is homemade bread in packages made from cardstock. How cool is that? Click HERE to see a picture of the package, and HERE for a template to make some of your own! What a cute holiday gift idea!

I soooo wanted to share the picture here, but was afraid I'd be violating copyrights, so the links will have to do. Click 'em though! You won't be disappointed!

i {heart} papers Birthday Bash Challenge!

Welcome to the first of this week’s i {heart} papers Birthday Bash (IHPBB) challenges! We’re looking forward to seeing all of your creations, and we’re very happy to have you celebrating with us!

Here are the hosts for each day. Be sure to check their blogs on their scheduled day to find out that day’s challenge. You can also check the main IHP Birthday Bash page at the store. It will be updated daily.

Day 1(10/19): Kate (owner), Sarah Anderson, and Dee Jackson
Day 2 (10/20): Deb/Latisha Yoast
Day 3 (10/21): Gretchen/Lesa Smaligo and Lynn/Asela Hopkins
Day 4 (10/22): Cathleen/Kerri Michaud and Carolyn/Maria Fiscella
Day 5 (10/23): Megan/Chris Veneruso and Kendra/Debbie Fisher
Day 6 (10/24): Tracy/Heidi Van Laar and Amber/Kerry Davis
Day 7 (10/25): Sunday, day of rest (finish up your challenges!)
Day 8 (10/26): PARTY! GRAND PRIZE (winners are announced)

What’s the first thing you do when you’re planning a Birthday Bash? Before you can choose invitations, decorations, etc., you must decide upon a color scheme, so our first IHPBB challenge has to do with color.

Our challenge for you today is to make a card (scrapbook page, 3-D item, etc.) using the colors of our IHP logo: celery, light blue, rose and black. Remember, everything this week has to do with birthday celebrations...so be sure your creation is birthday related!

Before you begin, take a few minutes to review the challenge guidelines! You’ll want to follow these rules to maximize your points and qualify for the opportunity to WIN the prize for today’s challenge and the Grand Prize, all announced on the last day of our festivities!

To qualify for the prize of the day, all you have to do is upload your challenge card/project to Splitcoast Stampers (SCS) and/or Paper Craft Planet (PCP) with the appropriate tag so we can find it. Today’s challenge tag is IHPBB1. The daily challenge winners will be randomly selected at the end of the week.

To qualify for the Grand Prize of being IHP Guest Designer for the month of November, here’s how it will work: Every challenge card/project you enter will earn you points (see below), and one with the most accumulated for the week the Grand Prize winner. So the more challenges you enter, more points you earn — and the better your chances of winning the Grand Prize (and the bigger the value of your Guest Designer box will be)!

You will have until October 25th to post your work, and you can enter as many challenges as you like, but you CANNOT combine challenges in one project. All winners, including the Grand Prize winner, will be announced at the Birthday Bash on October 26th.

Birthday Bash Points

For each project:
5 points for each challenge card/project you make, upload and tag to SCS
5 points for each challenge card/project you make, upload and tag to PCP
2 points for uploading to your blog and linking at least one IHP item used to the IHP website

One time points:

2 points for signing up to receive our newsletter*
2 points for joining our PCP group*
2 points for becoming our fan on Facebook*
10 points if you participate in all 6 IHP Birthday Bash challenges

*When you sign up, or if you are already signed up, a comment on the IHP blog Birthday Bash week so your points can be credited.


I hope you decide to participate! I had a blast making this card set using all of the yummy papers and ribbons Kate sent me from her store! Have fun with it! :o)

Itty Bitty Christmas Release Day!

Seriously, aren't they ADORABLE?! Remember to check all of the design team blogs (including our awesome guest designers MacKenzie Bruckler and Tracey Cuccia) for lots of Christmas-y design ideas! The stamps are available for purchase today and you can find them HERE, if you're interested! Have fun shopping!! Remember, only two(ish) months until Christmas (*gasp!*), so you'd better get crackin' on those Christmas cards!

Pink Cat Studio Sneak Peeks, Day 2

Here are some more fun images from the new Itty Bitty Christmas set that is being released TOMORROW at Pink Cat Studio. Aren't they just adorable? I love the clean lines of all the Pink Cat images. So cute!

Here we have a little gingerbread man:


And here he's shed his costume for a little gift giving. I did a close up of the image so you can see the glitter snow. I just dotted around the image with my glue pen and then sprinkled on the Dazzling Diamonds:

Here's the whole card. I really felt like I needed to get away from traditional Christmas colors for once:

And that knotted silver ribbon? That was totally supposed to be tied in a bow, but I've realized something very important (and tragic)... I am totally bow-tarded. I can. not. make a bow. Sure I could make one separately and then adhere it to straight ribbon, but that's cheating, isn't it? How do you make your "bunny ear" bows? I tried following info on SCS and I still couldn't do it! ACK!

Pink Cat Studio Sneak Peeks, Day 1

It's time for another new release from Pink Cat Studio, and it's also time for CHRISTMAS! Wahoooo! I love Christmas! I'm probably the only person around who gets excited when the snow starts to fall (which it totally just did Saturday morning!!!). This super cute set is called Itty Bitty Christmas, and here are two cards made with it:

Stay tuned for another peek tomorrow and then the set release on Wednesday! Click over to the Pink Cat Studio Blog and the other design team blogs (in my sidebar) for more super cute cards!

Jack's First Haircut

After nearly 18 months of growth, I finally decided it was time for Jack's first haircut a few weeks ago. We talked about taking him to Sport Clips where Darrin and Henry have their hair done, but the thought of me holding him down while trying not to get clipped myself just didn't appeal to me, SO... I did it myself. I've only cut hair one other time in my life.... it was Darrin's hair, outside at his parents house with an old electric trimmer. I don't think I've ever seen his Dad laugh harder than he did that day. Turns out that cosmotology is *not* my God given talent. But all things considered, I think I did a pretty good job on the little man!

For those who have followed my blogs for awhile, you may remember how my hubby gave Henry his first haircut.

I'm not saying we are in competition with each other, but if we were, well, I'd totally be winning. :)