CHD Awareness Week

Happy Sunday to you all! I have a very, very special post today, that is near and dear to one of our own {Little Paper Shop} design team members. Allison Fillo is known to MANY in the stamping world, she's a truly great person (and a blogging genius!), and she has taken up the mantle of a wonderful cause that Julia and the rest of the LPS team are helping her to promote, starting right now!

I will let you read the whole story directly from Allison's words - she's the one who knows it, and lived it, this is her baby (in more ways than one). I remember following her story on her blog and Facebook as it was unfolding, crying for her and thinking how unbelievably strong she and Avery both were. Here is what she said -

From Allison:

As I alluded to earlier this week, today is a special day for me and the {Little Paper Shop} team. Julia was so sweet to allow me to design a stamp set for charity in recognition of Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week which starts today!

Long-time followers of this blog know that my youngest, Avery, was born with Transposition of the Great Arteries the Christmas before last. She had two surgeries (one when she was eight hours old and the major open heart surgery [the arterial switch] at two weeks old). She spent an additional two weeks in the hospital and then was sent home with an excellent prognosis. Little did I know before I had Avery that 1 in 100 babies is born with a congenital heart defect. Much has been done in this last generation to diagnose and repair CHDs however much remains to be done.

This digital stamp set, titled "Broken Hearts for Broken Hearts", will be available at the {Little Paper Shop} for a donation of five dollars. All the proceeds (save any PayPal transactions fees) will be donated to the Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton to aid in research and the purchase of specialized equipment.

This stamp set not only reflects the cause but I think also fills a niche for those bittersweet moments of love.

Give a card to your lovesick teen, make up from a fight with your partner or just celebrate Anti-Valentine's Day with your girlfriends!

I would love to see any creations made with this set (which will only be available for a limited time)!

I have included SVG and GSD files for those of you lucky enough to own a cutter! KUDOS: I only came up with the idea to create this stamp set just over a week ago.

I am so fortunate that I have an indulgent team to work with who came through with creations to promote this stamp set. Thanks so much ladies...you are a fun bunch to work with!"

You can find Allison's amazing set right HERE at the {Little Paper Shop} webstore. A mere $5 gets you all the images, the files for your cutter, and one HECK of a great feeling, I have to say! And here is my contribution to the cause, so to speak, using this week's sketch from the Mojo Monday blog {MOJO124} - I got some great inspiration from the Mojo Makers, one of them even used hearts on her card, thanks for the ideas ladies!

Here's the sketch:

Lastly, links to the rest of the LPS design team. Check out their blogs for more inspiration from these wonderful images.

• Little Paper Shop Blog
• Julia
• Pam
• Allison
• Bonnie
• Cindy
• Jennifer (me!)
• Julie
• Heather
• Ann
• Silvia

Lots of Store News!!

Hello and Happy Friday! I am running behind in so I don't have a card for you today as planned, but stop back tomorrow because I'll have it done by then! In the meantime I wanted to share some great news and info from a couple of the stores I work with!

From Susana's Custom Art and Card Design - NEW PRODUCTS are hitting the store shelves as we speak, with much more to come!! Now in includes the new Ultra-Fine Flower Soft -- amazing for adding texture and color to smaller spaces. Also NEW Magic Mesh in 3 weaves - this is a revamped product that's thinner and much easier to work with. Will go through punches and works with die cuts too! Finally new SMOOCH colors are here, and the Smooch Spritz that goes along with them! On both the Smooch and the Ultra-Fine Flower Soft -- Susana has a DEAL, 8 for the price of 7 when you buy them as a set! It's there at the top of each category so check it out!

Also, please stop by the Little Paper Shop blog today to see the stamp set {Garden Gate}, which we are featuring this week. We could all use a little extra inspiration and eye candy, right?

A Prettie Wedding Card

Hello stampers! Well, it's Wednesday already, which is Paper Pretties day; with a new blog hop and challenge each week! This week we have a sketch challenge! My favorite!

Here is my contribution to today's inspration parade:

I stamped Time For Cake in Memento Tuxedo Black ink on PTI white. The cardstock is Blush Blossom. DP is from Target $1 spot and also DCWV glitter mat stack. Ribbon is from my stash. Did you notice the PERFECT bow??? It's the Bow Easy! Love love love it! The amazing Suzanne Dean has an easy-to-follow video tutorial showing how you too can create perfect bows with this simple tool! Check them out at Susana's store. Added a new glitter button from American Crafts to top it off and this card is ready to go!

I incorporated a color challenge (actually two) with this week's card too, fun fun! The Pink Elephant is always one of my first stops when I'm on a challenge hunt, and this week's was PINK (TPE52)! Um, yes, LOL. I'm all over that! I wanted soft and sweet for this card, and I have also been really loving the Copic Colour Challenges lately, really great combinations and of course I ALWAYS use my Copics! This was a nice, subtle combo, CCC49, which was perfect with these blushing pinks. Here is the swatch for reference:
That's it for me! You can head over to The Paper Clip when you're through here for more info and inspiration. Or, if you are just starting the hop here at my blog, head on over to Christie's blog to start from the beginning.

TIOT53 - A New Sketch

It's Tuesady!! Today we have another fantastic Try It Out Tuesday challenge from Susana's Custom Art and Card Design to jump start your creativity! This week's challenge {TIOT53} is a SKETCH!! It's been a long time since we've had a sketch, so here we go!

Well I am still just head-over-heels in love with The Aurora Collection by Victoria Case for SCACD! I'm giving everyone equal time (at least once, heehee) so for my image today I chose Aurora with Butterfly.

She sure looks like she's having FUN! I stamped my little darling Aurora in Memento Tuxedo Black ink on PTI white cardstock and colored with Copic markers. Then I cut her out to size with Classic Oval Nestabilities and put her together the mats and layers. The rest is all patterned paper and Prima flowers! I know she's MUCH BRIGHTER than you usually see from me, but I'm working on expanding my "box". :) Gooooo color! heehee.

Be sure to check out the SCACD store blog for lots more sketch inspiration today! Make it a good one and stamp happy, I will see you tomorrow!

LPSC53 - {In Love} With A Sketch

Happy Monday out there!! How are we today?? I know I'm doing great and I have a fun project to share this morning! As you know Monday over here is all about the {Little Paper Shop}, and today we have a sketch challenge for you! Here is the sketch {LPSC53}:


I came across this fun inspiration over on Melissa's blog, and even though it was from last week I absolutely had to play along with it. Just such fun with all the textures and colors, really an amazing shot. Check out this GORGEOUS photo and let the ideas flow (photo is courtesy of A Creative Mint)!

So, for my project today, I started off by stamping this beautiful sentiment from the new set {In Love} in Memento Tuxedo Black ink on PTI white. I overstamped the outline hearts with Pale Plum ink and then cut the finished image out with Classic Circle Nestabilities, layered the scallops behind, and added clear Kaisercraft rhinestones on each scallop! I embossed the Pale Plum background panels with the D'Vine Swirl embossing folder. The DP is from Stampin' Up (Rich Razzleberry). All the specialty brads are Making Memories, the flowers and ribbon came from my stash (I think the ribbon is Amercian Crafts, and they have lots of cool new stuff out these days, Susana carries a lot of it if you need a peek).

Be sure to visit the LPS store blog and the other DT members to see all the inspiration with this week's sketch! AND, if you play along with our challenge you'll be entered to win LPS stamps!! Check out the details on the LPS store blog this morning - you have until Sunday night to enter by linking up on this week's post on the LPS store blog and the winner will be announced there next Monday morning. Can't beat free stamps AND an excuse to use them and do more stampin'!

ALSO, we have a FREE DIGI IMAGE available each month to everyone that is registered in the LPS Forum. If you are not registered run over there right now and register (it's free) to get the newly released February digi! This is what it looks like, and can find it for download here.

Last thing before I go, HUGE news of a SALE from the {Little Paper Shop}, today is the last day, Julia has a coupon code available for all orders, just enter "WINTER" for 15% off everything!