Celebrate Your (Mon)Day...

Happy Monday, everyone! Today's the last day of the final 3-day holiday weekend of the summer...so it's been filled with a little work and a little play...all mixed up so far...but definitely no time to sit around and be bored!

I recently won a set of stamps from Debbie at Paper Sweeties that I couldn't wait to start using...so fun! Little did I know until I contacted her to say "thanks!" that this is a brand new set, due to be released in the Paper Sweeties store on September 15 - so I did make sure it was okay for me to show part of the set to you now. :)  There are multiple sentiments within the set, so you'll see more cards using it in the future, too.

Once again I pulled out some of my new Graphic 45 papers and added some shabby touches...

Months ago I sat in front of the tv crocheting little flowers, some single layer, and several double and triple layer - and "put them away" - and then couldn't find them the next time I wanted one (insert red-faced shame emoticon here).  But they were found last weekend, hiding in the wrong storage basket...and now reside in their little zippered pouch in the basket with the fabric flowers...where they should have been all along.  Here's a cream single-layered one, layered over some gathered tea-dyed crochet lace trim and under a blue paper rose...

and here's one of the sentiment stamps from the new Paper Sweeties set...love that all the sentiments in this set are a mix of text styles.  I especially like this particular sentiment because it opens up the possibilities for the use of this card - it's appropriate for a birthday, wedding, anniversary, or any other day that's cause for celebration...

Supplies:

Patterned papers: Graphic 45 A Ladies' Diary collection      Sentiment stamp: Paper Sweeties

Dies: Sizzix Flowers Branches & Leaves; My Favorite Things Royal Leaves      Chipboard sentiment chip: Studio G

Scalloped lace: The Funkie Junkie on Zibbet      Paper rose: Prima      Pearls: Recollections

Miscellaneous: hand crocheted flower, tea stained crocheted lace trim

And I have a second card to share today - a frilly little pretty using some new Echo Park papers. 

When it first came out, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the Martha Stewart Doily Lace punch...so I purchased it as soon as I saw it hit the stores.  It's gotten a lot of use the past few years, but about a week ago, I punched down through a piece of paper, and heard a crack...the punch was dead...and the paper inside it irretrievable, even after all sorts of pries and pokes and pleas.  Not only did something(?) inside apparently die of old age (and probably overuse), but the heavy plastic housing broke.  Funny how you miss something once it's gone...I went online last week and got one shipped to me in two days.  So, of course, I had to check out the new punch to make sure it works, right? 

It does...

This is a pretty simple flower cluster ...a piece of white lace trim gathered so it becomes "frilly," a piece of heavily gathered tulle, topped with a small yellow rose and a couple Prima mulberry leaves...so I "gussied it up" a bit by taking a cue from a recent wedding photo I ran across, and scattered some tiny pearls randomly around the tulle layer...

Once again, my favorite scroll die topped with bits of pearl flourishes to go with the lacy paper edges...

Supplies:

Patterned papers: Echo Park For the Record 2/Documents collection

Dies & punches: Martha Stewart Doily Lace punch; Memory Box Elegant Scrollwork die

Pearls: Recollections      Paper flowers, leaves: Prima      Sentiment stamp: Papertrey Ink

Miscellaneous: cotton eyelet trim, tulle, crocheted lace, handcrafted stick pin

Thanks so much for visiting today...I hope your week is starting with a smile!