Amber Ink First Birthday Blog Hop!!!!

Happy First Birthday Amber Ink!

Welcome to the Amber Ink Turns 1 Year Old Blog Hop!!!

In December of 2010 I was asked to be a torchbearer for Amber Ink for the month of January of 2011!  I was a little nervous joining such a great crowd of stampers, but boy did I have fun! You can see my previous Amber Ink projects HERE.   Many of the previous year's torchbearers are joining in this fun blog hop in honor of this great occasion!  


I used this darling new Amber Ink digi set named It's a Trainset.  


I made a little mini picture album of my latest adventure with my grandsons,  Cole and Little Lukey.  We went to see Thomas the Tank Engine and rode the Mount Hood Railroad tracks in the traveling Thomas the Tank Engine railcars into the forest of the Columbia River Gorge and back. The boys had a great time and  the weather was perfect!  The Thomas adventure included  all  sorts of little kid type areas set up-- like miniature golf, bouncy houses, craft tables and story time. Cole (age 3) was the perfect age...Little Luke (age 1) just enjoys everything!

Project details:

Stamps: Amber Ink It's A Trainset
Cardstock: DCWV, Bo Bunny polka dots, SU! Real Red
Ink: Copics B 21,23,24,26   R05,08, 29,39   YR 21,23,24   YG 93,95,97  C5,7
Misc: Bind It All, Sizzix tree die, misc plaid ribbon
I cut my cardstock 4 1\4  x 8 1/2 and scored in the middle.  I folded the page in half after adding redline tape to the bottom to  form a pocket. I bound it with my Bind It All and decorated with wallet sized photo's, added a little of the trees/ forest and topped it off with Amber Ink's little train set!

Here you can see the pocket that holds one of our excursion tickets.

Here are a couple of the quick little pages that pull out. There were 4 pages, decorated on both sides. That's me trying to hang on to Lukey for dear life LOL! He is a wiggly little one for sure...and Cole...always ready with a cheesy smile for the camera!

The caboose page!

Speaking of caboose...I guess I am the caboose in this huge blog hop.  If you have come from  Penni's blog (Lazy Cat Cards) then you have arrived at the right station...and now you are at the end of the tracks...Head on over to the Amber Ink blog and check out the scoop!

Leave a comment here and on the main blog and you might win some Amber Ink love. You have 48 hours to leave comments and the winners will be announced this Friday. (You have until 9pm EST on Thursday to leave comments for a chance to win!)...read the small print LOL

At the end of the Thomas the Tank Engine adventure, Cole looked up at me, grabbed my hand and said to me..."It's a GREAT DAY"


Yes, indeed it was.........




Here is a brief message from Amber Ink!


Twelve short months ago
we made our big debut,
So now we'd like to commemorate
our 1st birthday with you!


This flash mob of torchbearers
always light our way.
Won't you please jog along
on our special day?


Leave your comments here and there
over the next 48
On Friday we'll announce the loot
Don't wait...let's CELEBRATE!
 ---------------
I am in awe of the wonderful creativity and imagination the following crafters have to show you today...hop along with me and check it out!

3 Clover's Thursday Challenge #30-Letters!

So sorry if you got this post twice...I messed up a wee bit when posting LOL!

This week at 3 Clovers Thursday Challenge we were to use letters on are creations...not words, just letters.

I chose to whip up this little Bind It All sticky note holder for my new little school teacher Abby! I love this DCWV paper. I could not get a good picture of this for the life of me...don't know what the deal was...I think the camera just loved that ribbon! I love this Bo Bunny ribbon too...wish I could find it again...it is double sided polka dots and ties so easily!

Not a lot to explain. I covered a couple coasters with this fun DP, added some chipboard letters, used my BIA , added some ribbon and stuck a post it pad inside. Simple and cute!

Now...I couldn't wait and have to confess I have peeked at the other creations this week and they are sooooo cute...don't forget to visit Kerry's blog and see what the rest of the girls whipped up!

Details:

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Cardstock: DP from DCWV - The Grade School Stack

Misc: Bo Bunny ribbon, Basic Grey chipboard letters, BIA and chipboard coasters

House Mouse and Friends Monday Challenge-chipboard BIA

Stamping time has been at a premium this week, but I managed to get into the craft room and make a QUICK project for this week's House Mouse and Friends Monday Challenge. The challenge is to use chipboard somewhere on your creation. WHAT????? Chipboard is really not something I have gotten into, so this was a struggle until I decided to get out my new little Bind It All. I made this little sticky note holder and plan to slip it onto the desk of a very inspirational co-worker that has battled some very serious health issues and always seems to have a positive and sweet disposition...I only hope if it were me, I would be a graceful and calm as she...

I used two 4 inch coasters that I bought from Ellen's store. I covered them with scrumptious Bo Bunny polka dot papers in different colors. I actually bought the paper and ribbon on different occasions and didn't realize they coordinated....how fun is that? I love this paper so much I had to go buy it in every color...so hope you don't get sick of it LOL!

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Stamps: Original Stampa Rosa HM stamp Strike A Posey(Monica), Sentiment by Stampin Up from retired One of A Kind.

Cardstock: Bo Bunny

Ink: Memento Black, SU markers for the sentiment, prisma's/oms

Misc: Bind It All, Bo Bunny Ribbon, SU punches

Courtney's Birthday Celebration!

Happy Birthday Cupcake!

Courtney turns 1 today!

Today is a very special day over at Libby's Little Addiction blog. Little Courtney-the star of FROM COURTNEY'S CLOSET CHALLENGE, turns one year old today and her Mama is celebrating in a big way!

Libby has asked some of her blogging friends to help ring in Courtney's special birthday by posting our challenge creations this morning.(of course I told her I would be happy to be on Courtney's Design Team LOL).

Libby will be offering up a chance to win some amazing blog candy to all who participate and create a project this week! Visit Libby's blog to see her creation and her blog candy....she tells us it's great stuff! Join in the fun...and let's party!

You can visit these other amazing bloggers to see their From Courtney's Closet Challenge(FCCC) creations!

Carole Burrage at Mother's Little Helper.
Leslie Miller at Running With Scissors
Maria Gurnsey at Scrappin by M
Melissa Sauls at In Stampin Mode
Nancy Riley at iSTAMP
Rose Ann Reynolds at Paper Delightz
and me!(can you believe who's on this list with little ole me?...woo hoo---some of these ladies have been on my list of original blogs I first started stalking over a year ago...and some I am just discovering and will now be stalking..LOL...they are all just wonderful!) Please visit and leave them a FCCC greeting!

My first try at a Bind It All book! Yikes...this was a lot of fun to make, especially for such a special little girl! I don't think I mangled the chip board or anything...so I am going to say my first one is a success, even though I have learned tricks I will do different on the next one!

The button covered cake actually pulls up out of the holder and says HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

This book is why I have enjoyed FCCC's challenge so much. This challenge has forced me to grow as a stamper by trying new things, and really using my BIG stash of stamps that were waiting to get inked!

Of course, the meeces are checking out the inside of this book!

Stamps: Misc individual House Mouse Stamps inside the book, Streamer stamp(?) , Stampin Up circle sentiment

Cardstock: SU! mint melody, rose romance, purely pomegranate, (all retired I think),very vanilla, and SU! DP inside as well as Heidi Grace DP

Ink: Memento Black and Purely Pomegranate

Misc: Rhonna Farrer Autumn Leaves French Twist Buttons, Mega flower punch, misc bling, Nestabilities inside, Martha border punch, Bind It All, SU! ribbon and May Arts ribbon, cuttlebug alphabet.

Book Size: 5 x 5

The Bind It All Queen! Miss Heidi Fleetwood

Okay, now Heidi is really getting to know my lingo...I wrote a comment on her blog that said something like " I am so impressed and love that cute little monkey"...and Heidi knew I was actually saying "Oh I want this, I want this!!!" Ya know what????? She sent me this as a nice surprise! Heidi is a design team member for High Hopes Stamps. I tell you, she will do them proud! The detail on this is amazing! Heidi's watercoloring is so fine. I absolutely love watercoloring, but haven't given it much of a try. I think I will have Heidi give me some lessons, because she makes her images come alive.

I don't know if you can tell or not, but the leaves and the banana are also clear embossed.

The inside of the book has numerous pages so that I can file cards by month. I think she said this is Martha Stewart DP that she bought at the the Martha section of Wal-Mart! Dang, no Wal-Mart here either. My little hometown is shopping challenged!

Heidi keeps showing me all these wonderful things she is making with her Bind-It-All. I know I am going to have to break down and buy one...I have all these projects running around in my head....



Thank you Heidi...your talent is amazing and your gift treasured!