Papercraft Star's First Anniversary Blog Hop Sponsored by Tradefish Designs!

Welcome to Papercraft Star's First Anniversary Blog Hop sponsored by Tradefish Designs. In celebration of our First Anniversary and in honor of Father's Day as well, our theme for this Papercraft Star Hop is "For The Men We Love".  You should have arrived to my blog from my pal Regan's blog.  If you didn't, I suggest you start at the beginning over at Papercraft Star so you don't miss a single stop on the hop... go here now to start. (I'll wait :-) )

Our Design Team has created some fabulous projects that feature stamps from Tradefish Designs, a company devoted to creating stamps with masculine themes, imagery and sentiments. We are especially happy to partner with TradeFish Designs for our Anniversary Hop as both the company and stamp designs are owned by our very own Cecilia Stephens too! We have a fabulous prize for our Blog Hop randomly selected winner as well; the entire May 2011 Release Bundle of Tradefish Designs Stamps
(a $55.00 value!).... to qualify for the prize do the following:

Be a follower of Papercraft Star.

Be a follower of Tradefish Designs.

Leave a comment at every stop along the hop.

You have the entire week, June 19 through June 25, 2011 to participate in the hop and leave all your comments (that's plenty of time to visit all the stops along the way!!) Here is the list of the hop stops - just in case you get lost...

Papercraft Star

Jan

Kim

Regan

Beth (You are HERE!)

Tradefish Designs

Papercraft Star

I created this fun card using masculine stamps from our sponsor, Tradefish Designs.  There has been a real niche open to stamps that are specifically designed for the men in our lives and I can't tell you how excited I am to have an opportunity to showcase these new stamps in the projects I have created this month for Papercraft Star.

Now, with regard to the hop...don't forget to leave a comment at every stop and to qualify for the great prize from Tradefish Designs, you must be a follower of both Papercraft Star and TradeFish Designs too!

Your next stop on the hop is TradeFish Designs

I've also entered this card into these fun challenges...

Wags and Whiskers: One for the Boys

Glitter Geeks: Male/Father's Day

Secret Crafter: Something From Around the House

Simply Stamped: You've Got Male

Paper Creator's Crafts: One for the Men

Bugaboo Stamps: It's a Man's World

Imaginisce February Color Challenge and Blog Hop

Welcome to the Imaginisce February Color (photo inspiration) Challenge and Blog Hop! We are so excited you joined us today because we have some fabulous inspiration for you, using some darling colors! But first... you should have arrived to my blog from Amy's blog, if you didn't then please go back to the Imaginisce blog and start from the beginning of the hop (so you don't miss a single thing!)

If you are in-it to win-it...  (a totally rocking I-Top package OR a smokin' hot Imaginisce paper collection, both valued at over $75.00 each), then here are the details you need to know!  To be eligible for this prize, you must LINK up your challenge project on the February 1, 2011 post at the Imaginisce blog by Friday February 25. Your project must include at least 75% Imaginisce product. Now, should you decide not to participate in the challenge (but ummm... why not??) then you still have a chance to win an I-Bond with accessories just for participating in the hop! To be eligible, you must comment at each designer's blog and then back at the Imaginisce blog.

Here is our inspiration photo for the challenge:

Photo Credit: Amy Atlas Events

Aphra chose the challenge and I am just so excited about what the Design Team has created and what YOU are going to create as well!

I think I squeeled just a little bit when I saw the inspiration photo (I still love banners!!) and couldn't wait to create a card using it and the Imaginisce Enchanted paper collection and some crystal Hot Rocks (attached with my I-Rock) for a little added glam.

Next on your stop is Cari's blog so hop along to see the fantastic project she has to inspire you.
Don't forget to leave COMMENTS on all of the blogs in order to eligible for the fabulous hop prize... and join us in the challenge too!

Papercraft Star Tags of Christmas Blog Hop

Happy Holidays and welcome to the Papercraft Star Tags (and more) of Christmas Blog Hop sponsored by Catherine Pooler. We are so happy you could join us for this special event!

You should have arrived here from Kristina's blog. If not, please start at the beginning of the hop at Papercraft Star so you don't miss a single thing, especially since this is the last stop on the hop! :-)

During this hop, we hope that you'll find a wealth of inspiration among the beautiful projects our Designers have created especially for you! To add to the fun, we've got fabulous prizes along the way at many of our Designer's blogs and you'll be entered to win a full month subscription to Club InBox by our generous sponsor Catherine Pooler, if you are a follower of Papercraft Star, visit every blog and leave a comment with all of our Designers! You have until midnight (Eastern Time) on Saturday December 25, 2010 to leave all your comments and be entered to win the Grand Prize. We'll draw the winners of the prizes and announce them beginning Sunday December 26, 2010.

If you've read any of my recent posts lately you know that I have been having some serious mojo issues these past few days, especially when it comes to holiday projects... I'm just outta ideas!  So, to create this tag, I searched through papercraft magazines (many of them) and came across one that had a felt Poinsettia created using Papertrey Ink large and small leaf dies. (I'm so sorry that I don't remember which magazine or what designer though!).

I cut the leaves from Pure Poppy and Spring Moss felt and simply arranged them into a flower that resembled a Poinsettia. I used my glue gun to adhere them together onto a piece of felt I cut using my 1 3/4 circle punch. I then added pearls and glass beads for the center of the flower.  I attached the flower and printed paper to a tag I cut using my Cricut. Stamped the sentiment, inked the edges, added an eyelet and ribbon and I was done.  Whew! I do believe that this will be the LAST holiday project I create this season... and I feel RELIEF!  (I'm really not ba-humbugging the holidays...promise, just the thought of doing even one more holiday project!).  :-)

At any rate, I sincerely hope that you enjoyed the Papercraft Star Tags (and more) of Christmas Blog Hop! We are so glad you could join us during this special, but hectic time of year! Again, this is the last stop on the hop, and to be eligible for the Grand Prize, you must comment on all the stops... so if you missed any, just return to Papercraft Star and you'll find a list of all the blog stops along the way!

Happy Holidays to you and yours and thank you again for joining us for the Papercraft Star Tags of Christmas Blog Hop!

First Annual Papercraft Star Thankgiving Week Blog Hop

Welcome to the First Annual Papercraft Star Thanksgiving Blog Hop Week sponsored by My Favorite Things. Our Designers have come together to celebrate this special holiday by creating projects inspired by Thanksgiving and all that we are thankful for in our lives, including you!

You should have arrived here from Jennifer's blog.  If not, please go to Papercraft Star to start from the very beginning of the hop, because you don't want to miss a single thing and to be eligible for the Grand Prize you must comment on all the blogs.  Not to mention that many of us are also offering prizes at the blog stops as well.

During this special week of Thanksgiving we hope that you'll find a wealth of inspiration among the beautiful projects our Designers have created especially for you! To add to the fun, we've got fabulous prizes along the way at many of our Designer's blogs and you'll be entered to win our fantastic $25.00 Gift Certificate by our generous sponsor My Favorite Things, if you visit every blog and leave a comment with all of our Designers! You have until midnight (Eastern Time) on Saturday November 27, 2010 to leave all your comments and be entered to win the Grand Prize. We'll draw the winners of the prizes and announce them beginning Sunday November 28, 2010.

This is the first time in more years than I can count that we'll get together with extended family in my hometown to celebrate Thanksgiving. My Aunt Sally is hosting the event for our family and I decided to create a small Hostess gift for her as a way of showing my appreciation for her efforts to ensure we could all celebrate together this year. As my way of thanking her, I'll present this bottle of sparkling wine and thank you card to her on Thanksgiving Day. I created the bottle wrap in a snap with my Cricut and the Plantin Schoolbook Cartridge, and used matching products to create both the thank you card and envelope as well.

Please note: Some crafters have asked me how I created the bottle wrap with my Cricut. It was so easy with instructions I found in the November 2009 issue of CardMaker magazine. I have re-typed those instructions from the magazine for you right here just in case you don't happen to have that back issue you can refer to. The design is by Kimber McGray. Thank you Kimber! If you would like to create your bottle wrap... here is a mini-tutorial that I made to get you started...

I also plan to cook up some favorite family dishes to pass at the dinner as well. 

My Aunt isn't the only one I want to thank this holiday season however, I also want to thank you! So, in addition to having the opportunity to win the Grand Prize (as well as prizes along the hop), I am offering a $15.00 gift certificate to one follower who comments here at Runs With Scraps during the hop. For a chance to win this randomly selected prize, just make sure you are a follower of Runs with Scraps and leave me a comment before the end of the week! I'll draw a winner on Sunday November 28 and announce the winner soon after.

I do so hope you enjoy the hop! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours and thank you again for joining us for the Papercraft Star Thanksgiving Week Blog Hop, your next stop on the hop is Catherine.

Better Living Through Scrapbooking Blog Hop

It's the super awesome, first ever Better Living Through Scrapbooking Blog Hop and you won't believe the fabulous prizes and blog candy you can win during this event!  If you arrived here from Angela's blog then you are on the right track... but if not, go right here to the Better Scraps blog to begin so you don't miss a single post.  You must comment on all the blog stops along the way to be eligible to enter the grand prize and you have from now until Saturday, October 2 to comment!

For this event, the Designers at Better Scraps were given the opportunity to create whatever our crafty hearts desired, so I'm betting that you'll see a wide variety of projects sure to inspire you all along the way! 

Left to my own devices, I decided to create this Ashley Newell inspired card with the new Fine Linen cardstock and ribbon that was released by Papertrey Ink this month. The richly colored cardstock coordinated perfectly with the sweet Old World Cabbage Soup by Jillibean Soup.  I used my Gypsy with the Gypsy Wanderings cartridge to create the leaves and flower center for the accordion flower. I bent the small petals for dimension and ran the leaves through my Cuttlebug and an embossing folder to add texture.

Better Living Through Scrapbooking has a fabulous prize pack up for grabs during this hop, thanks to Plaid! We will be giving away a Mod Podge starter pack, plus a selection of FolkArt paints, stencils and some Extreme Glitter as well! This prize pack is worth $50 retail, and we'll award this fabulous prize to one randomly selected blog hop participant that comments on ALL of the blog posts during the hop.

 
Okay, so here's the deal, make sure you comment on this blog post before you leave, become a follower here too if you would and then make your way to the next stop on the hop by visiting Brenda's blog right here. Don't forget, you have until Saturday October 2 to comment on all the blogs along the hop! (In case you get lost along the way, here is a list of all the blog stops.)

BetterScrap
Angela
Beth (you are here!)
Brenda
Candy
Chelsea
Kas
Kim
Katie
Michelle

Have fun on the hop and do enjoy the rest of your weekend!

(P.S. I also entered this in the Tuesday Morning Sketches challenge this week for handmade flowers and http://crazy4challenges.blogspot.com/ for some bling, and the Anything Goes Challenge at  http://onestitchatatimechallenge.blogspot.com/ and http://www.charismacardz.blogspot.com/, the Flower Power challenge at  http://scrappyfrogschallenge.blogspot.com/, the Dimension Challenge at http://sentimentalsundays.blogspot.com/, the Embossing challenge at http://stampinsanity.com/blog/ The Color Throw Down challenge (although I opted to use only two of the colors.)

Supplies Used:
Cardstock: Fine Linen, Ripe Avocado (Papertrey Ink)
Patterned Paper: OldWorld Cabbage Soup (Jillibean Soup)
Fibers: Rustic Cream Button Twine, Fine Linen Twill Ribbon (Papertrey Ink)
Stamps: Mega Mixed Messages (Papertrey Ink), Flourish background Stamp (Hero Arts)
Ink: Coffee Archival Ink, Antique Linen Distress Ink, Big & Bossy Embossing Ink (Ranger),
Embellishments:  Craft Tags Brown Bag2 (Paper Accents), Pearl (colored with E35 Copic Marker (Hero Arts)White Doiley (Wilton)
Other Tools: Gypsy, Gypsy Wanderings Cartridge, Cricut Expression (ProvoCraft), Crop-a-Dile Corner Chomper (We R Memory Keepers), Distress Tool (Tim Holtz), Clear Embossing Powder (Ranger), Scallop Punch (Paper Shapers), Cuttlebug with Embossing Folder (ProvoCraft)

BBTB2 Runs with Scraps Blog Hop Winner

I'm excited to announce the winner of the recent BBTB2 blog hop!  

GiGi said... I love your card. Right now my favorite cart is Happy Hauntings! I'm having lots of fun creating Halloween stuff! :D

Gigi is the winner of a $17.50 gift certificate to My Favorite Things. 

Since Gigi also left her email address with her comment, I'll be sending her the gift certificate today (as soon as I finish this post in fact)!

I sincerely thank everyone who played along with all of us at Bitten by the Bug2 by creating their own project with the apron cut!  I also thank all of you who stopped by here during the week-long blog hop, left comments and become followers as well!

Hope you are all enjoying the last days of summer and this long holiday weekend!

BBTB2 Blog Hop, Blog Candy & a Challenge

Wecome to BBTB2's Weekly Challenge and end of the month Blog Hop.  This week was Penny's week to select the challenge cut and she chose the apron cut on the cartridge From My Kitchen.  Penny is also hosting this week's challenge at Bitten By the Bug 2 and it just so happens that she is the person right in front of me for the hop, so if you didn't arrive here from Penny's blog, then you should start at the beginning at BBTB2 so you don't miss a single stop (or chance to win the blog hop goodies) along the way.

Since I recently did a card using this exact cut, I decided instead to use the apron on the new Country Life cartridge (it is my new favorite by the way!...cute, cute images all of them!).  I also used the new Kitschy Kitchen 6 x 6 patterned papers from Melissa Frances to complete this card.

Now before you run off to the next stop... let me tell you about what you can win right here at Runs with Scraps.  This week I am giving away a $17.50 gift certificate to one of my favorite places to buy stamps... My Favorite Things.  To have a chance to win, all you need to do is sign up to be a follower of this blog (if you aren't already....but umm, you are, right??!!) :-) and leave me a comment right here telling me what your favorite Cricut Cartridge or Die Cut is.  It is THAT easy to enter to win... I'll draw and announce the winner on Sunday September 4! 

Now after you do those things, go ahead and hop on over to Jeri's blog - as she is the next stop along the way!

Enjoy the hop and don't forget to join us for challenge!

Supplies Used:
Cardstock:  Kraft, Pure Poppy, Stampers Select (Papertrey Ink)
Patterned Paper: Kitschy Kitchen (Melissa Frances)
Stamps: Classic Messages (Hero Arts)
Ink: Antique Linen Distress Ink, Archival Coffee Ink (Ranger)
Fiber: Fresh Snow 3/8 inch Twill (Papertrey Ink), Button Twine (Studio Calico)
Embellishments: Pearl Stick Pin (JBS) 4 inch white Doilies (Wilton)
Other Tools: Medium Scallop die cut (Papertrey Ink), Cricut Expression, Country Life cartridge (ProvoCraft)

Lawn Fawn Cards for Kids Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to the Lawn Fawn Hearts Cards for Kids Blog Hop! We have all come together today to make cards for a wonderful cause, Cards for Kids! We hope to encourage you to also make cards for this great cause and have fun along the way as well. So please hop along with us, and make sure to leave comments as there will be prizes for commenters and participants! So let's get going! Also, if you are lost in the hop, you can always start at the beginning at the Lawn Fawn blog. Thank you so much for hopping with us today!

I made the same card for all the boys on the Cards for Kids list. I put this card together using cardstock from Papertrey Ink, as well as the Just Because Cards cartridge and my Cricut Expression.

For the girls I created cat and dog cards (only the dog card is pictured) from the Going Places cartridge.  I made a similar card for a Bitten By the Bug 2 Design Challenge and it was cute, quick, easy and lacked the bulky embellishments that are difficult to mail, so it was a perfect card to make enough for all the girls on the Cards for Kids list.

I really enjoyed making these cards for the children who are struggling with life-threatening illnesses. My next project is to make enough cards for all of the siblings of these great kids.  I really hope that today's blog hop has inspired you to join in the fun of creating these cards for such a worthy cause! 

Now, just to remind you of where you are at in the blog hop. You are on the right path if you arrived here from Laurie's blog.  Your next stop in the hop is Michelle.

Enjoy!

Christmas In July Blog Hop!

Merry Christmas in July and welcome to the first ever Papercraft Star Blog Hop!  If you arrived here from Dawn's blog then you're on the right track, if not, then you don't want to miss a thing... so go ahead and start right here at Papercraft Star to begin the hop! There are lots of Christmas (in July) inspiration pieces and chances to win some sweet blog candy all along the way that you don't want to pass by! Once you return to my blog... you can finish this post and enter to win the candy here!

I have to admit that I don't even have air conditioning here (gasp, sputter, hiss), so it was very hard to think "cold" winter months and the holidays... but a trip to a favorite scrapbooking store provided me with just the inspiration I needed to complete this card. (In other words they had Christmas cards there that gave examples of the embossing folders for sale at the store, so I lifted the idea to create my take on one of the cards I saw there).

I actually used 12 x 12 cardstock that was in the wedding section - but it looks shiny and holiday-like to me!  I cut the cardstock down to 8 x 8 to create this monochromatic 8 x 4 card.  The trees I cut using my Cricut and some winter cartridge that I can't for the life of me think of the name of (it's Winter Woodland!) and I forgot to write it down... ooppsss...  At any rate, you get the idea.  Three trees, embossing, scoring, some ribbon, some pearls and WHA-LA...it's Christmas in July!  Whoot Whoot! On second thought, I guess it could also be an outdoor wedding in July if it weren't for the snowflake embossing on the center tree... hmmm?

Anywhooo.... on to the Blog Hop... The blog candy I have in store for you here is a $20.00 gift certificate to My Favorite Things (I just love their fun stamps and they have lots of other wonderful papercrafting goodness there too!). 

All you have to do to win this blog candy is leave a comment on this post and tell me when you are going to participate in a Papercraft Star Challenge!! (grin) (if you aren't a follower yet and you wanna do that... I'd love that too... but you don't have to be a follower on my blog to win!!)
Once you have left your comment for your chance to win... it's time to move onto your next Papercraft Star Christmas in July Blog Hop Stop (say that fast three times...geez!)....

Now off you go to visit Christy's blog!

BIG Blog Hop Announcement!

Howdy!  Hope you had an awesome weekend!  I just wanted to take a moment to let you know what we are cooking up for this coming weekend over at the Papercraft Star Challenge Blog so you can mark your calendars!

Friday July 23 through Sunday July 25 the Judges (myself and Kristina) along with all 11 of our Papercraft Star Design Team will be hosting a big blog hop complete with lots of papercrafting goodness prizes to give away.

Make sure to visit the Papercraft Star blog on Friday July 23 to begin the hop!

Mini Blog Hop and a couple of Giveaways too!

It's tax day today...so in case you have to pay in (or even if you don't) here's a little something-something to take your mind off taxes for a moment..

It's a GIVEAWAY here at Runs with Scraps and at Kristina's World too! I am so excited to tell you all that I have partnered up with my BBF (Best Blog Friend), the beautiful and extremely talented Kristina for this mini-blog hop and double giveaway! You won't believe what she's got for you on her blog too, so as soon as you are finished here, be sure to visit Kristina to enter her giveaway as well!

There are several ways to be entered to win, so let me 'splain...

To enter my giveaway all you have to do is sign up to follow my blog (if you are not already a follower), link this post on your own blog (if you have one), and leave me a comment on this post telling me that you did. That's it.

Then hop on over to Kristina's blog to sign up for her giveaway, become a follower and leave her a comment on her post. Make sure you tell us in your comment that you have been to both places and your name will be entered again for both prizes!

The giveaways and mini blog hop will be open until midnight Wednesday the 21st. The winner(s) will be announced on Thursday the 22nd.

Now, on to the best part...take a look at the giveaway package here at Runs with Scraps:

Included are:

Assorted Buttons

Black and White fabric flowers

Assorted Ribbons

6 x 6 assorted paper pack ( a mix of brands)

6 x 6 Nerdy Bird patterned paper Wee Bundle

16 pieces of 8 x 8 patterned paper in black and white patterns

12 pieces of 8 1/2 x 11 chipboard (perfect thickness for use with your Cricut or other Die cutting machine)

1 Textile Cuttlebug Embossing Folder

1 Fiskars Embossing Stencil

1 Zutter Display-it-All

1 alterable clipboard

1 sheet Dear Lizzy (American Crafts) adhesive backed 12 x 12 fabric

15 sheets of the newly released 12 x 12 patterned and glitter Dear Lizzy (American Crafts) paper

Okay, so remember to follow me, leave a comment here and then put your rabbit ears on and hop on over to Kristina's blog right here, as fast as you can!  Oh yes and Happy Tax Day!!