Sites of the week

Hooray, it’s the first Saturday in July and time for a new SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY!

I am absolutely loving all the creations you are making with each of the sketches! I hope that you are having as much fun playing with them as I am. What do you think of the monthly format? Wish it was still weekly? I would love to hear your thoughts because I am already thinking about next year’s format. Yes, really! Don’t go thinking of me as all super organized or anything now…seriously!

Thank you to Stamping Bella for being last month’s sponsor. I have sorely missed playing with all my Bellas as my stamping time as dwindled down. I have a large box full of them and some of those new ones are screaming to join them!

Of course, we have another great sponsor this month…MY FAVORITE THINGS! You know ‘em and love ‘em and the SFYTT Sisters have lots to show you with ‘em today, too! But first, let’s see the sketch…

There is so much you can do with this sketch! I already have a scrappy version that I am cookin’ up in my head. For now, I will let Fred Bear do the cookin’…

I might be on a little bit of a paper pleating kick, or maybe it’s all about being a one trick pony having been sick lately! Either way, I like it.

Detail shot of the button/twine combo on the end of the paper pleating…

Are you interested in being a Designer of the Month? I choose each D.O.M. from previous month’s entrants. This month, I would like to welcome SFYTT fan DEBBIE CARRIERE…

A little about Debbie in her own words…
Hello, my name is Debbie Carriere and I am very excited that Jen asked me to be the July Designer of the Month for SFYTT! I am a stay-at-home mom of 3 wild kids (ages 6, 3, and 2), wife of 10 years to a great husband, and paper crafting addict. I was introduced to stamping as a scrapbooker, but since joining the blogging world just about a year ago I am hopelessly addicted to cardmaking (not to mention blogging!). Most nights after the kids are in bed, you will find me creating in my “scrap room” until after I should have gone to bed! I also love to spend time outdoors, playing with my kids, reading, drinking coffee. I am looking forward to seeing all the fabulous creations for this month’s great sketch!

Here’s Debbie’s oh-so-cute card using one of the stamps from the Pure Innocence line {a personal fave o’ mine}…

Want a little more inspiration? See what all the SFYTT Sisters have come up with…

Amber Hight
Amy Sheffer
Carole Burrage
Jen Tapler
Jodi Collins
Kerry Johnson
Megan Lock
Susan Liles
Terri Moore

Kelly Lunceford has stepped down from her SFYTT post as she prepares for the arrival of sweet lil’ one. Please go give her some SFYTT love and let her know how much she will be missed!
Sony Christoph is playing with us this month! Glad to see you got some stamping time, Sony!!

1. The SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY {SFYTT} will be posted on the first Saturday of each month on www.iheart2stamp.com at 8am EST and will stay open to participants until the last day of the month, unless otherwise noted.
2. This is for fun! Interpret the sketch as you wish and embellish as desired. There are no vendor restrictions, but we would love to see you use the sponsor’s stamps!
3. Each month we will have a Designer of the Month that will be chosen from past month’s participants.
4. Come and play with us on each and every sketch! On Christmas Day 2011 a prize package worth over $200 will be given away to one very lucky and loyal SFYTT stamper that participates in EVERY sketch for the year.
5. To be eligible for the prize package, you must complete ALL of the sketches by each of the deadlines AND link your creation to the link system on that month’s sketch post (the first Saturday of the month). Everyone except for SFYTT Sisters are eligible for the prize package, including Designer of the Month and international players.
6. When posting your sketch creation on your blog, please post the sketch and link back to the sketch post on www.iheart2stamp.com. When posting to online galleries, please use the keyword “SFYTT.”

Ok, your turn now…

Hooray…it’s the first Saturday of the month and time for another SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY! I hope that you all have enjoyed all the sketches so far this year. We are just about 1/2 way through the challenge to complete all of the sketches for the year. See the deets below to see how you can be entered for a chance to win a HUGE prize on Christmas Day 2011!

Thank you to last month’s super fabby dabby doo sponsor…YOUR NEXT STAMP. I {heart} them!! This month we have another wonderful sponsor…

STAMPING BELLA!

Ready for the new sketch? Here ya go…

Here’s my card using one of my favorite images of all time ever, KING OF THE WILD THINGS…

Not very king-ish is he? I decided that a little pink would be cu-uuute! Mix that up with some fun girly{ish} papers and it’s more like QUEEN of the Wild Things!

Are you interested in being a Designer of the Month? I choose each D.O.M. from previous month’s entrants. This month, I would like to welcome SFYTT fan {and my friend}, JOANNE BASILE…

A little bit about Joanne in her own words…
I’m a mom to two very busy little boys and a home daycare provider. I always joke that I don’t get to buy pink clothes for little girls, so instead I like to dress up my stamps and get girly. I’m blessed to design for My Favorite Things and I love teaching classes at a few local stores here in Massachusetts. I try to find at least a few crafty moments in any given day - I swear it keeps me sane from the crazy busy that is my life! I’m thrilled to be here playing with Jen’s SFYTT this month, they are always a go-to sketch for me!

Isn’t this Bella card from Joanne just so sweet?…

Want a little more inspiration? See what all the SFYTT Sisters have come up with…

Amber Hight
Amy Sheffer
Carole Burrage
Jen Tapler
Jodi Collins
Kelly Lunceford
Kerry Johnson
Megan Lock
Susan Liles
Terri Moore

Sony Christoph is taking some time off to work on school and life. She emailed me that she hasn’t had a home cooked meal in a month! Anyone in the Los Angeles area want to bring this special SFYTT Sister some home cooked love?

1. The SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY {SFYTT} will be posted on the first Saturday of each month on www.iheart2stamp.com at 8am EST and will stay open to participants until the last day of the month, unless otherwise noted.
2. This is for fun! Interpret the sketch as you wish and embellish as desired. There are no vendor restrictions, but we would love to see you use the sponsor’s stamps!
3. Each month we will have a Designer of the Month that will be chosen from past month’s participants.
4. Come and play with us on each and every sketch! On Christmas Day 2011 a prize package worth over $200 will be given away to one very lucky and loyal SFYTT stamper that participates in EVERY sketch for the year.
5. To be eligible for the prize package, you must complete ALL of the sketches by each of the deadlines AND link your creation to the link system on that month’s sketch post (the first Saturday of the month). Everyone except for SFYTT Sisters are eligible for the prize package, including Designer of the Month and international players.
6. When posting your sketch creation on your blog, please post the sketch and link back to the sketch post on www.iheart2stamp.com. When posting to online galleries, please use the keyword “SFYTT.”

Ok, it’s your turn!…

Happy first Saturday of the month! It’s time for another great {sponsored} sketch! I’m glad to see many of you have been playing along each month for a chance at the grand prize. Of course, you can jump in at any time for fun…that is what this hobby is all about, right?!

Thank you to all our previous sponsor’s including April’s UNITY STAMP CO. I have a few Itty Bitties to send out to…

#32 Katy with THIS great Unity creation. Katy, just send me an email with all your info and I will get those sent off to you soon.

Our sponsor this month is the fun and fresh…YOUR NEXT STAMP and they have a special offer just for our SFYTT fans…

Are you ready to play along? Here’s this month’s sketch…

Here’s my interpretation {as loose as it may be} of the sketch using Birthday Surprise and Tea Time Fhiona sets…

Detail…

Are you interested in being a Designer of the Month? I choose each D.O.M. from previous month’s entrants. This month, I would like to welcome SFYTT fan and Your Next Stamp DT Member, Kerri Michaud…

A little about Kerri in her own words…
Hello! My name is Kerri Michaud and I am thrilled to be the SFYTT May Guest Designer! I adore Jen’s sketches, and I’m so excited that Your Next Stamp is the sponsor this month! I have been stamping for almost 3 years now, and I have loved every minute of itJ I’m a stay at home mom to 3 children, ages 8, 6, and 3, and have been married to my wonderful husband, Barry for 11 years. Yes, Kerri and Barry or as some of our friends call us-CareBear LOL! Besides stamping, I have been attempting to learn how to use my camera. I have taken a couple of online photography classes, and am having so much fun! I am a reality t.v. junkie, and a lover of most crime shows. I look forward to seeing all of your beautiful creations this month using Jen’s fabulous sketch!

Here’s her darling card…

This month brings us a new SFYTT Sister…Jen Tapler! Please give a her a very warm welcome. You can visit her blog, as well as all the other sister’s blogs for more great SFYTT inspiration…

Amber Hight
Amy Sheffer
Carole Burrage
Jodi Collins
Kelly Lunceford
Kerry Johnson
Megan Lock
Sony Christoph
Susan Liles
Terri Moore

1. The SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY {SFYTT} will be posted on the first Saturday of each month on www.iheart2stamp.com at 8am EST and will stay open to participants until the last day of the month, unless otherwise noted.
2. This is for fun! Interpret the sketch as you wish and embellish as desired. There are no vendor restrictions, but we would love to see you use the sponsor’s stamps!
3. Each month we will have a Designer of the Month that will be chosen from past month’s participants.
4. Come and play with us on each and every sketch! On Christmas Day 2011 a prize package worth over $200 will be given away to one very lucky and loyal SFYTT stamper that participates in EVERY sketch for the year.
5. To be eligible for the prize package, you must complete ALL of the sketches by each of the deadlines AND link your creation to the link system on that month’s sketch post (the first Saturday of the month). Everyone except for SFYTT Sisters are eligible for the prize package, including Designer of the Month and international players.
6. When posting your sketch creation on your blog, please post the sketch and link back to the sketch post on www.iheart2stamp.com. When posting to online galleries, please use the keyword “SFYTT.”

Now it’s your turn! Happy stamping and good luck!!

It’s the first Saturday of the month and time for another SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY!

I see that many of you have been playing along each month to be eligible for the GRAND PRIZE at the end of the year! See details on that below

Thank you to last month’s sponsor, Amber Ink. The winner of the $15 gift card to Amber Ink is…

#80 dj {www.cardspaperandscrapbooks.com}
dj…email me {link to the left under my pic} and I will get you all set up.

This month we have another AWESOME sponsor. Thank you to UNITY STAMP CO. for sponsoring SFYTT in April! I have a few stamps from their Itty Bitty collection that I will be sending to some lucky SFYTT participants that use Unity stamps.

Have fun with this sketch…

I had a lot of fun playing with the set, Family Dynamix {co-branded with Bella Blvd!} and my favorite color combo…

Are you interested in being next month’s DESIGNER OF THE MONTH? I choose each D.O.M. from previous month’s participants. Already on the hunt for May!

Please welcome Jen Shults, April’s DESIGNER OF THE MONTH!!…

A little about Jen in her own words…
Hi there! I’m SO excited to be the SFYTT Guest Designer this month! My name is Jen Shults and I started stamping about 2 years ago. My style changes a lot depending on my mood and the occasion the card is for. I like clean layouts with lots of color (with a base in neutrals - I LOVE brown) but also really enjoy making grungy funkier stuff every once in a while. Of all the parts of card making I think coloring is my favorite though I do enjoy the challenge of learning new techniques - lately I’ve been working on expanding my colored pencil skills with some different styles that don’t use odorless mineral spirits but instead use burnishing and color mixing. Outside of stamping I’m mom to two little ones, Evey is six (seven this month) and Ben is four and they definitely keep me on my toes. I’m the wife of a very patient and creative man who encourages my crafty creative outlet. This month will mark our 11 year anniversary. On the career front I am a full time middle school art teacher and really love that I am able to teach a variety of mediums to kids that are of an age where they understand more complicated concepts but aren’t too afraid to take risks and try new things. Outside of card making I also enjoy portrait drawing and pencil sketching. I can’t wait to spend the month with you and see all of your fantastic creations with Jen’s AWESOME sketch!

Her beautiful card…

This month brings us a new SFYTT Sister…Terri Moore! Please give a her a very warm welcome. You can visit her blog, as well as all the other sister’s blogs for more great SFYTT inspiration…

Amber Hight
Amy Sheffer
Carole Burrage
Jodi Collins
Kelly Lunceford
Kerry Johnson
Megan Lock
Sony Christoph
Susan Liles stay tuned for Susan’s card. She has been busy with a family emergency.

Did you notice a couple of names missing from the list above? Amy Rohl and Leigh O’Brien have stepped down from the team to spend more time with family. I cannot say enough GREAT things about these 2 designers. Leigh and Amy…you will be missed!

1. The SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY {SFYTT} will be posted on the first Saturday of each month on www.iheart2stamp.com at 8am EST and will stay open to participants until the last day of the month, unless otherwise noted.
2. This is for fun! Interpret the sketch as you wish and embellish as desired. There are no vendor restrictions, but we would love to see you use the sponsor’s stamps!
3. Each month we will have a Designer of the Month that will be chosen from past month’s participants.
4. Come and play with us on each and every sketch! On Christmas Day 2011 a prize package worth over $200 will be given away to one very lucky and loyal SFYTT stamper that participates in EVERY sketch for the year.
5. To be eligible for the prize package, you must complete ALL of the sketches by each of the deadlines AND link your creation to the link system on that month’s sketch post (the first Saturday of the month). Everyone except for SFYTT Sisters are eligible for the prize package, including Designer of the Month and international players.
6. When posting your sketch creation on your blog, please post the sketch and link back to the sketch post on www.iheart2stamp.com. When posting to online galleries, please use the keyword “SFYTT.”

Thank you to our previous sponsor’s: The Cat’s Pajamas, Anita Be Stampin’ and Amber Ink.

Now it’s your turn…

Yipppeeee! It’s the first Saturday of the month, so that means it’s time for another SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY! So, here it is {just be sure to check all the deets, INCLUDING HOW TO BE ENTERED TO WIN $200+ IN STAMPING GOODIES, below!}…

A huge thank you to our previous SFYTT sponsors: The Cat’s Pajamas {January}, Anita Be Stampin {February}.

The winner of February’s $25 gift certificate to the Anita Be Stampin store is…

#51 VICKI LYNCH
{Please email me, Vicki. Link under my pic over there on the left}

Of course, we have another fabulous sponsor this month! March’s sketch is sponsored by…

Here’s a little about AmberInk…
AmberInk was started by a mother and daughter team. Amber lives in the East, Pam lives in the West. Amber is an Emmy nominated children’s animator and illustrator, who creates from her Brooklyn, New York studio. Although they do carry some clear stamps, the company runs by the premise that their customers are more brilliant than patient. If you’ve been a diehard clear or rubberstamper, they can even help you with the transition to digital. And don’t worry about asking a silly question, because as a retired public high school teacher, Pam has already seen it all. Check out the ever-increasing tutorial links, which you can find on the homepage. Hailing from the Hawaiian Islands, the Aloha Spirit is alive and well at AmberInk.com.

AmberInk has generously donated a $15 gift certificate to one lucky March SFYTT participant that uses one the adorable {or NAKED!} AI images. Good luck!

So about my card…
I made my card on Thursday so that it would be done, photo’d, edited and posted on time. Now, I already mentioned that it wasn’t my favorite card of all time yesterday and that was for several reasons. First, it took me FOREVER to color. The image isn’t that complex, but I was {apparently} having some issues! Then, I tried to cut out the blank space of the image and totally messed that up…royally. Since it took me so long to color, I didn’t want to toss it and have all that time wasted, so I did a little CPR on it to getting it looking at least good enough to put on the card. Next, I my sewing machine did a little “over sewing.” I tried doing a zig-zag stitch and the paper didn’t want to move through smoothly so…well, it just wasn’t pretty like I wanted it. Now, we have all created cards that aren’t our favorite and that’s ok. BUT… last night I went to post the sketch on Facebook and realized…I DID THE WRONG SKETCH!!! Seriously people, I did the WRONG sketch!! I had spent a good portion of the day hammering out details for April’s sketch and, well, that’s the sketch I did. When that was realized I had to remake the card. I still didn’t want to have to re-make the ENTIRE thing over again, so I salvaged the main image panel and worked in the rest of the details. Of course, there wasn’t any natural light to be had so that I could get a decent picture, therefore, I am waiting to take the pic this morning, edit it and put it

right here.

Luckily, I have another GREAT Designer of the Month who did do the right sketch. Please welcome…

Shelley Dupont

A little about Shelley in her own words…
Hi! I’m so honored to be this month’s SFYTT guest designer!! My name is Shelley Dupont, and I live just outside Calgary, Alberta. I am a hairstylist, and have owned my salon for 12 years. I have 2 daughters aged 9 and 5 1/2. After my youngest was born, I sold my salon and my husband built me a salon in my home, and have been loving that ever since! I have been known to even craft a little in between clients! LOL! I started stamping 6 years ago, and love to craft a little everyday. I love paper piecing, buttons and my copic markers!

Shelley’s card…

1. The SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY {SFYTT} will be posted on the first Saturday of each month on www.iheart2stamp.com at 8am EST and will stay open to participants until the last day of the month, unless otherwise noted.
2. This is for fun! Interpret the sketch as you wish and embellish as desired. There are no vendor restrictions, but we would love to see you use the sponsor’s stamps!
3. Each month we will have a Designer of the Month that will be chosen from past month’s participants.
4. Come and play with us on each and every sketch! On Christmas Day 2011 a prize package worth over $200 will be given away to one very lucky and loyal SFYTT stamper that participates in EVERY sketch for the year.
5. To be eligible for the prize package, you must complete ALL of the sketches by each of the deadlines AND link your creation to the link system on that month’s sketch post (the first Saturday of the month). Everyone except for SFYTT Sisters are eligible for the prize package, including Designer of the Month and international players.
6. When posting your sketch creation on your blog, please post the sketch and link back to the sketch post on www.iheart2stamp.com. When posting to online galleries, please use the keyword “SFYTT.”
7. Check out the SFYTT Sister’s links just below to see more creations using this month’s sketch and sponsor’s stamps.

Amber Hight
Amy Rohl
Amy Sheffer
Carole Burrage
Jodi Collins
Kelly Lunceford
Kerry Johnson
Leigh O’Brien
Megan Lock
Sony Christoph
Susan Liles

Ok, now it’s your turn!