Happy 2016 and Holiday Thanks - Stampin' UP Artisan Blog Hop

Welcome BACK to the 2015-2016 Stampin' UP Artisan Design Team Blog Hop! 
I am so blessed that I get to create and inspire with these amazing Stampin' UP products and share with you all here for another wonderful year! Remember that every other Thursday, all 20 of us from all over the world will post on our blogs an inspiring project for you! Be sure to get Google Translate so that you can read in your language all about how they created their projects too. Please keep hoppin' thru them all....you do not want to miss anyone of these amazing ladies!

This week is an "open to create" week but to stay within the parameters of goodies from our Artisan box. I first opened the Shine On Specialty Designer Series Paper from the NEW Occasions Catalog (Coming out January 5th) and fell in love with the pops of neon colors and silver foil bling on Kraft cardstock! Just so me AND perfect to complete a task on my to-do list too!

This first card is perfect for a 2016 Happy New Year's card if you send those out. Gives someone a nice way to start the year out! I even think it would be perfect for a birthday card! Just change the age to whatever you need. It also features the Shine On Specialty DSP, the Large Numbers Framelits Dies and the Balloon Bouquet Punch. I added with Cucumber Crush and a sponge dauber to make the balloons more dimensional with shading.

Then I needed some quick Christmas Thank You cards for gifts received last week. I still like to maintain the Christmas theme in my thank you cards so I pulled out my Tree Punch with these. In keeping with the color theme of Bermuda Bay, Cucumber Crush, Kraft, Silver and Smoky Slate, I mixed them up to create two different cards with the same layout. All I had to do was add Silver Glimmer Paper, Smoky Slate Thick Baker's Twine, Silver Metallic Sequins and Everyday and Cherry on Top Washi Tape. The greeting "Thanks" comes from the NEW Sunburst Sayings Stamp Set. (I love that set!) I just stamped right on the DSP with Archival Basic Black Ink.

I hope this inspires you to send a happy 2016 or some thank you cards!

Thanks for stopping by here and if you leave a comment then thanks for truly making my day!

Inspire. Create. Share. That's what I love to do.

Cindy

Now on to one of my dearest friends and Artisan Design Team sister for life.....Connie Collins! She will blow your mind!

Follow our brand new Pinterest board *here*. 

Built for Free Using: My Stampin Blog

Fancy Friday - Quick & Easy Christmas Tags

Welcome back to the Fancy Friday Blog Hop!

My fancy friends and I are back with some NEW fancy friends too! We loved working with each other so much that we decided to continue on with an all new blog hop to inspire you in fun new ways! Then a few of us had to take a break so we invited some new FANCY friends to join us and make the blog hop a little longer for your enjoyment! These are a group of past and current Artisans that have become fast friends thru the Artisan journey.

 Each month on the last Friday, we will bring to you new challenges of all kinds (color,sketch, stamp focus, etc)! This month will be one week early due to the holidays. This month we are having fun with Fancy Last Minute Christmas Tags! I don't know if mine classifies as FANCY but they are definitely LAST MINUTE as well as QUICK & EASY!

Everything you need is right here:

Scalloped Tag Top Punch

Tree Punch

Kraft Cardstock cut to 2" x 4"

Merry Moments Designer Series Paper Stack

Real Red 1/4" Cotton Ribbon

Whisper White Baker's Twine

Paper Snips

Stampin' Dimensionals

Memento Tuxedo Black Ink Pad

To and From Stamp from Festival of Trees Stamp Set

They are super quick to make! I made these 10 tags in about 25 minutes! The most time consuming part was tying the perfect little bows!

Thanks for stopping by my post for the Fancy Friday blog hop!

Inspire. Create. Share. That's what I love to do.

Cindy
You saw Sarah Sagert's brightly colored card before me and now move on to 

Jennifer Timko's snowflake popping card by clicking on the next button below! 

If you keep scrolling down my blog, you can see my first Blog Post for the 2015-2016 Stampin' UP Global Artisan Design Team!

Season of Joy - 2015-2016 Stampin' UP Artisan Blog Hop!

 Welcome BACK to the 2015-2016 Stampin' UP Artisan Design Team Blog Hop! 

Yep! Don't pinch me cause I love this dream...
I cannot believe that I get to type those words again above!!!!! I am still in shock!!!!! 
Getting that phone call was probably one of the most amazing blur of moment in my life! Seriously! I remember seeing the Utah phone number show up on my phone, answering it and it was my dear friend Becky Cowley from last year's team on the other line. (which to me was super cool to just talk to her because she works at SU now) But also on the phone were Sean Douglass and other friends on the SU Concept Art Team! SHUT UP! I started to FREAK OUT jumping up and down right there in my work office! I had been selected to be on the Artisan Design Team for the 3rd year in a row!!!!! OMGeez! And then they popped the BIG question......would you like to be Team Lead this year? I literally dropped my phone! That right there....meant the world to me! To lead this amazing group of talented ladies has been a new dream come true! I am completely honored and SO excited! We are already chatting daily and building a strong bond of friendship across the globe!

A little bitty about me...
I lead a very fulfilling life here in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia that includes my strong faith, my family and friends, everything Disney and being creative! I have been married for 22 years to my high school sweetheart and we have two wonderful daughters; Megan and Allison. All thru my life, I have been very artistic and crafty. I even have a degree in Art Education which combines my two favorite things: art and teaching! I love to teach or inspire others to find their own creativity! Over 11 years ago, I came across Stampin' Up at a workshop and fell in love with their top quality products that perfectly coordinate together. I really love to dabble in everything from stamped cards, gift packaging, scrapbooking, Project Life, and home decor. You will find my style to be graphic yet clean and simple with a flair for crafty, functional fun! 

Get to the good stuff...

I am so blessed that I get to create and inspire with these amazing Stampin' UP products and share with you all here for another wonderful year! Remember that every other Thursday, all 20 of us from all over the world will post on our blogs an inspiring project for you! Be sure to get Google Translate so that you can read in your language all about how they created their projects too. Please keep hoppin' thru them all....you do not want to miss anyone of these amazing ladies!

Now on to my first official project cause I know you came to be inspired......
I wanted to still do a little Christmas cause it is ONLY mid-December after all. I also wanted to use some new products that will be available on January 5th in the new Occasions Catalog! See that Blushing Bride Glimmer Paper? It is SO pretty!

I bought this mini tree trim in silver and green at the "bullseye store" and wired it into a circle shape. Then punched bows out of the Glimmer Papers with the Builder Bow Punch. I used hot glue to assemble the bows for a secure hold and glued them to wreath. They make a cute ornaments for my friends. I made some white Almond Bark covered pretzels to fill up the Petite Cafe Gift Bags. See the "ornament theme" here?

Thanks for stopping by here and if you leave a comment then thanks for making my day!

Inspire. Create. Share. That's what I love to do.

Cindy
I am so beyond happy to type these words again.....now on to one of my dearest friends and ADT sister for life.....Connie Collins!

Follow our brand new Pinterest board *here*. 

Here is the whole 2015-2016 Stampin' UP Global Artisan Design Team:

Allison Okamitsu – http://nicepeoplestamp.blogspot.ca/

Amy O’Neill – http://amyoneillblog.com/

Chantal de Kaste - http://www.loveforstamping.blogspot.nl/

Cindy Schuster - http://www.nutmegcreations.blogspot.com/

Connie Collins – http://www.constantlystamping.com/

Inge Groot - http://patternedpapercrafts.blogspot.com/

Jennifer Frost - http://www.jenniferfrost.blogspot.com/

Jessica Williams - http://thepapercaper.com.au/

Jessica Winter - http://kunterbuntestempelwelt.com/

Joyce Fowler - http://www.craftwithjoyce.ca/

Kimberly Van Diepen - http://stampinbythesea.com/

Krista Frattin - http://www.stampindolce.com/

Marisa Gunn – http://dzinesbymeg.typepad.com/

Michelle Long – http://stampin365.com/

Rachel Grandin-Torchet - http://dontworrybecrafty.com/en/

Shannon Lane - http://crushoncolour.blogspot.com/

Steffi Helmschrott - http://stempelwiese.de/

Sue Plote - http://thispinkrooster.blogspot.com/

Susan Wong - http://stampingsusan.blogspot.com/

Valerie Moody - http://stampingwithval.com/

Christmas Pines with Creation Station Blog Hop

 

The Creation Station Design and Blog Hop is back this month! I was beyond thrilled to be asked to join this group of talented women for a monthly blog hop to inspire you with creative top of the line projects with a theme from all around the globe! We hope that you hop thru each blog and leave comments as we all love to hear praise about our creations!

This month we were to cover the most wonderful time of the year - "Christmas" (duh!) and feature a holiday product of course. I picked the Peaceful Pines bundle set!  I really find value in a stamp set with matching framelits. Always a win win situation! I have been waiting to use it and I am so happy to report that I LOVE IT! Which makes me happy that it will continue to be offered after the Holiday Catalog comes to a close on January 5th. Yippee!

Few of my favorite things on the first project:

The color combo of Cucumber Crush, Smoky Slate, Basic Black, Gold AND silver as well as Whisper White. I love the mixed metallics in this combo!

The stamp image from the Peaceful Pines Stamp Set. I stamped in Cucumber Crush and then using my Aqua Painter, I added some watercolored ink to the tree. Absolutely love having a matching framelit for this tree too! Makes it so easy!

Using the Washi Tape as a layer. This gold striped version from the Winter Wonderland Designer Washi Tape.

Few of the my favorite things on the second project:

Gift Bag Punch Board - need I say more? It is a must have!

The Gold Satin Ribbon as the backdrop to the tag. Love working with this ribbon!

I used the Christmas Greetings Thinlits "Jolly" and cut out the double L's for just a simple JOY. Leave enough of it to glue them together using the Fine Tip Glue Pen.

Thanks for stopping by my post for the Creation Station blog hop!

Inspire. Create. Share. That's what I love to do.

Cindy

I am a Cindy sandwich today between two Jens! You saw Jennifer's awesome project before me and now move on to Jen's incredible project by clicking on the next button below! 

Jennifer Downey

Jen Arkfeld