Sassy Studio Designs August Release!

I can't believe it is August 1st already, where has the summer gone?

But on a happy note it is release day at Sassy Studio Designs. Lindsay has some fantastic new images as well as some fun digi papers being released this month. Hope you will join us later at the release party, you can find the link on the SSD blog starting at 7pm EST. The theme of our party this month is "A Very Merry Un-Birthday Party."

Everyone knows you can't have a party with out presents! We are holding a blog hop with presents. So as you hop along to the Sassy Studio's DT blogs, leave a comment on each one. Each blog will select a random commenter to win one SSD image of their choice. Fun right? So leave those comments. Your next stop is Amanda's blog. You are in for a treat, I've seen some sneak peeks from her and she has some fun projects to share.

This first card uses The White Queen (she is not a new release), but the patterned paper with the crowns is. I thought a Queen needed her crown, so this image worked perfectly with the new paper. I apologize to all the Alice in Wonderland buffs, my son informed me I colored her wrong, that she should be all white. I have never seen or read AIW, so I had no idea. Better add that movie to my "to see" list.

And look at this little cutie, this is Cinderella from the Little Honey's line. I couldn't wait to get her colored and sparkly. I adore Disney princesses and was over the moon when I saw her. I made her into an easel card, the sentiment inside reads "Cinderella is proof that a new pair of shoes can change your life." I probably went a bit overboard with the rhinestones, but she is a princess! I won't give it all away, but there are several more Little Honey's being released tonight, along this same line. They are awesome!

Here is another of the fabulous digi papers released today. This image was the limited time freebie at the Paper Craft Planet party celebrating 300 members. If you didn't get her that weekend, she will be released for sale today.

Thanks for dropping by, hope to see you at the party later on. Hop on over to Amanda's blog next.

One last party treat for you, a cake recipe. Can't have a party without cake! Here is my mom's recipe for Irish Raisin cake. It is a bread like cake, it is amazing toasted with butter. Gotta love any cake that can pass for breakfast food!

Irish Raisin Cake

4 cups flour

1 cup sugar

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

3 eggs beaten with 2 tablespoons of milk

1 pint sour cream

2 cups raisins

Combine dry ingredients and mix well til blended. Add egg mixture and sour cream and mix well. Dough will be very heavy and stiff. Fold in raisins. Pour into a greased and floured tube pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then turn oven down to 375 and continue baking for 45 more minutes. Allow to cool slightly before removing from pan.

Enjoy! Let me know if you try it.

Sherri in the Snow

Here is my entry this week for week 4 of Tuesday Morning Sketches month long first birthday celebration. This week's challenge was to pick a sketch from the past year (I'm using #12) and to make a Christmas card. Fun challenge!

This image is Sherri from Rubber Romance. She is one of my favorites. Love the giant snowflakes behind her. She looks so cool and glam, I don't know why, but I always think of Christmas shopping in NYC when I see her.

I used pastel colors for her for the Cupcake Craft challenge #101 (Pastel Christmas).

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you are having a great weekend.

Card Recipe:

Stamps: Sherri from Rubber Romance, sentiment from Amuse

Ink: Memento Tux. Black

Paper: PTI ssw, Pink Pirouette, Certainly Celery, Provo craft polka dot

Embellishments: copics, cuttlebug embossing folder, stickles, EK success border punch, SU ribbon, dimensionals

American Hero

TGIF! I made this card just in time for the Verve Project Parade this month. The theme is My Hero. I have a bunch of heros in my real life. I'm always amazed by the strength people have in various situations.

But the hero this card is going to is the soldier my family and I have adopted in Afghanistan. We send him cards weekly and a package monthly. It is really such a small thing to do, but makes us feel good, and is a great learning experience for our children. He actually sent us an email thanking us with a picture of his family, it was wonderful for our children to see him, it really gave them a sense of who was receiving the packages and cards we are mailing. Put a face with his name.

This has been my "go to" set for his cards. It is a newer set from Verve called American Hero. I was mainly doing red, white and blue cards, but after seeing the samples on the Verve Project Parade, I was inspired to change it up a bit. I used Wednesday's SCS sketch challenge (SC291) for the layout.

I hope he will enjoy this card and know how much his service means to us. Thanks for stopping by today, I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Card Recipe:

Stamps: Verve American Hero

Ink: SU Night of Navy, PTI Ripe Avocado

Paper: PTI Vintage Cream, Ripe Avocado, SU Night of Navy, October Afternoon Fly a Kite

Embellishments: nesties, sponges, dimensionals, MS seam binding, PTI button and twine, K and Co. rhinestones

CDAC Embellishment Challenge

Designed2Delight is sponsoring one of the CDAC embellishment challenges. The challenge is to make your own embellies, you can find it here. So many fun choices. I'm going to show you one of my faves. It's quick, easy and green (recycles) something you are sure to have around. Stop by CDAC, pick up your free image and join the fun!

First, here is my finished card with the free digi, Cup of Posies, Faith created for this challenge. Isn't it a great digi image?!
Next here is a close up of my home made chipboard photo corner.
I decided to make some of my own chipboard embellishments, because lots of times I buy a set of chipboard embellishments just for one or two shapes, and the rest sit unused. This way I can make what I need, in which ever color I need, when I need it. So easy and convenient! And the best part I use something I always have on hand, light weight cardboard. Think empty cereal boxes, snack boxes and things like that. To make the most of the piece of cardboard I'm using, I cut a bunch of shapes at once. You can see here, I've used SU and Martha Stewart punches and PTI and Nestability dies to cut some shapes out.For the next step, coat your cardboard with a good sticky glue. I use Mod Podge and a paint brush to do this.
Sprinkle glitter over the piece, shake excess off and let dry. After it is dry go back and repeat the glue and glitter, so it will be fully covered. Use the glitter over a tray like this or paper plate, so you can pour excess back into the bottle. There you have it, glittery chipboard in any shape and color!
Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you will join us for this challenge on CDAC. And check out all the links below for some great tutorials to make all different sorts of embellishments.

**Make-Your-Own Embellishments Blog Extravaganza**

The Designed2Delight Lead Designers have been busy!! Follow all the links below to view 9 different tutorials for 9 different embellishments (on 8 different blogs) that YOU can make YOURSELF!!

Designed2Delight.com

Don't forget to stop by the Designed2Delight Digital Stamps group on Crafter's Digital Art Center for the details AND a FREE Digital Stamp!!

Jane ~ Make Your Own Buttons Tutorial

Lola ~ Make Your Own Felt and Fabric Flowers Tutorial

Faith ~ Make Your Own Faux Prima Flowers Tutorial

Kathy ~ Make Your Own Chipboard Accents Tutorial

Debbie ~ Scalloped Punched Paper Flower Tutorial

Robin ~ Stitching with Beads Tutorial

Michelle ~ Scallop Punched Flower/Medallion Tutorial

Michelle ~ Ribbon Frame Tutorial

Sherrie ~ Make Your Own Ribbon Roses Tutorial

Cupcake Honey Sneak Peek!

How did it get to be Thursday already? Wow time flies! I wanted to treat you to a little sneak peek of Cupcake Honey. She will be released on August 1st, from Sassy Studio Designs. Isn't she yummy?

I do love my cupcakes! I had to use this Basic Grey Nook and Pantry paper with her, just perfect for the image. I actually just bought a new cookbook, Hey There Cupcake. It has all sorts of fun cupcakes in it. There is one that looks like peas and carrots, too funny!

Stop by the Sassy Studio Designs blog today for the Dare to be Sassy Thursday challenge. It is anything goes this week. Enter for your chance to win two SSD images.

The sketch for this one is Midnight Madness sketch #64 from this week (MMSC64). Once again I went somewhere between the fancy and the simpler sketch. I left off the flourishes, the ribbon tabs are a fun touch. I'll have to remember to use them again!

Card Recipe:

Stamps: Cupcake Honey from Sassy Studio Designs, sentiment from Stampendous

Ink: Printer, Palette Noir

Paper: PTI ssw, SU Baja Breeze, PTI Lemon Tart, SU Regal Rose, Basic Grey Nook and Pantry

Embellishments: nesties, copics, SU ribbon, stickles, Crystal Effects, pink gems

Have a Mice Day!

Hi, thanks for stopping by today. I have two cards that I made with the Mice Day image from Designed2Delight. This was the freebie for the week for participating in the Delightful Inspiration challenge. You have til tomorrow night to complete a card with this week's image. If you missed out on starting at the beginning of the month, you can purchase this image and play along and get next week's image just for creating with this one. Fun, right?

I thought Mercy's Tuesday sketch challenge for this week was perfect for this image (MTSC84). I also played along with the Double Delight Challenge (DD4) which was for buttons and blue this week. Check out all of the entries on the Delightful Inspiration Progressive weekly challenge blog.

This second card is a bit of a joke. One of my good friends has had a mouse in her apartment recently, so I made this to mail to her. I hope she gets a kick out of it! I used the Splitcoast Stampers sketch challenge from last week for the layout (SC290). I cropped the flower out of the image to focus on those little mice! I'm also entering it into the Sentimental Sunday's (challenge 13) It's all fun and games (my sentiment here fits the bill perfectly I think).

Card Recipe:

Stamps: Mice Day from Designed2Delight

Ink: Printer

Paper: PTI ssw, gp110, SU Rose Red, PTI Ripe Avocado, October Afternoon patterned paper from the Thrift Shop collection

Embellishments: copics, nesties, dimensionals, PTI ribbon, SU mini brads

Some Sunshine

My blogging buddy Karli posted about a sketch challenge for Cardabilities, (sketch #7). Karli is on their Design Team and she is super dooper talented! I thought it looked like a fun one with the double border on the side, so I wanted to try it.

I just received this card kit in the mail from my secret sister card kit swap partner on SCS. We swap card kits (all the makings for a card, the stuff all coordinates) with each other. I don't know who she is yet, I'll find out in August, but she really has fantastic taste. All the kits have been so much fun and just my style. Thanks so much secret sis, you are the best!

This card is headed out tomorrow to my Chemo Angel buddy. I'm sure she could use a bit of sunshine. Thanks for stopping by today. Hope you are having a wonderful week.

Card Recipe:

Stamps: CC Designs Polka-Dot Emma, Sentiment from Pink Cat Studios

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper: Blue and patterned unknown, PTI ssw, Pumpkin Pie, Yoyo Yellow

Embellishments: copics, spica pens, PTI green button, other buttons unknown, dimensionals, EK Success border punch, nesties label punch