Sweet Finds into Sweet Treasures

Good Morning Sweets!

Jessica Kephart here from { www.homespunelegance.blogspot.com }to Share some Fun and Fabulous Finds to Alter and create One of Kind Gifts!

Each project will be featuring some super SWEET TWISTS that I've challenged myself with and Challenge YOU TO CREATE!

• These are all Sweet gifts to give to your friends and family
• They all costs UNDER $5.00 to Make! <--------Um that's pretty Sweet! Right?
• Some SWEET FINDS from the totally FREE to the FABULOUSLY FRUGAL to stampcycle into something totally spectacular!  

My first project is a Box & Card Set for any Occasion!

{Click Photos To Enlarge}

Let's Start with the Box Lid and Base:

See Photos for Cut and Score Lines

To finish off the Box simply Tie off with Coordinating Ribbon and a Stamped Tag

For the Cards You'll Need:

Scootin By Image and Sentiment Set

Let me tell you a little Secret my sweet friends!! 

This ADORABLE stamp set is in the Clearance and Retired Stamp Section of the Sweet Stamp Shop Right now!! So once this darling set is gone, it's gone!!

4 Card Bases & 4 Envelopes
4 Matts cut slightly smaller than card base
4 Coordinating Papers from Box Lid cut to size
4 Scraps from Box Lid Cut to size with Stamped Images (Scootin by)
4 Banner Tags cut from Scraps of Box Base (turned over to use Kraft Side) stamped with your     Sentiments (Scootin By)
8 pieces of Coordinating Scraps of Ribbon (I Matched mine to the Card Matt)
A Stapler

On the inside of the Card I used 2 pieces of White Cardstock (Cut into 4 Pieces) for the writing and to coordinate it with the Cards, I simply stamped the image onto a piece of scrap first, and then onto my card so that it was super light and not to distracting.

Here are a few ideas for totally FREE {Or very close to} PAPER sources:

• Always Throw away that phone book you get each year? Snag a few pages out of it before throwing it in the Recycling Bin! HELLO! Free Paper! 
• Wrapping Paper - Save that Super Cute Wrapping Paper to re-use! 
• Don't get Plastic at the Grocery Store! Get Paper! Better for your Stash & the Environment!
• Magazines, Newspapers, Old Books, Tissue Paper, Crepe Paper, 
• Clean out your Shredder! Ummm super cute Gift Box Lining!
• Product Packaging! They make their packaging SUPER CUTE! Use em!
• Wallpaper and Vinyl Samples and Sample Books are GREAT sources for free Paper! When I was little, my Momma and I used these to make over my Doll House! 
• Paint Chip Cards! These are FAB sources for Bookmarks & Hombre Projects! 
• Maps <------- My FAVORITE right now!!

Stop by My Blog Today to check out more Fabulously Frugal Finds! 

What are YOUR FREE SOURCES OF PAPER?

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Challenge Me Friday

Hello Sweet Peeps!

It's Tracy here with the first Challenge Me Friday post!  Every Friday I will be introducing you to a fun challenge blog and offer advice on how to enter challenges, where to find challenges, and why to enter challenges.

Today, I will be discussing the reasons why I like to enter challenges...and why you are going to want to enter in them too : )

1.  I love a good challenge because they help me to think outside the box, use supplies that I may not otherwise use, and give me lots of inspiration!

2.  It's a great way to get your name out there and meet other people.

3.  Most of the challenges out there offer a great prize if your card is a winner or sometimes just for entering!  Yay for prizes!
4. It's so fun to see how everyone interprets the challenge and how many different types of cards there are.

 I decided to make a card for the Runway Inspired Challenge.

The inspiration for this week straight from the runway:

source: fashionising.com

 This Runway Inspired Challenge is a challenge where you use a photo as the inspiration for your card.  I pulled the silver/gray, light purple, and coral color from the photo and used those colors on my card.  This color combo is awesome!

Wanna see the card I made to play along in the challenge?!?!

Here it is.....

Those flowers from the Lil Sweet Peps set are my favorite!  They are so easy to cut out and you can layer them for a different look.  

I have a little secret for matching the coral mat to the coral flowers.  I used the same ink (Hero Arts Pale Tomato) to ink the edges of a piece of white card stock as I did to stamp the flowers.  That way the colors are exactly the same and I didn't have to find matching paper!  Cool, huh?

Lil Sweet Peps

Scootin' By

Thanks for joining me on this Challenge Me Friday and I hope that you have been inspired to join some more challenges!  Let me know what challenges you love to participate in!  I would love to see what you are making!

*Don't forget about the Use What You Have Challenge going on right here on the Sweet Stamp Shop Blog.  There is an awesome prize up for grabs that you are going to want to win!

~Tracy

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Sweet Saturday Challenge 2

Happy Saturday!

I hope your weekend is starting out fabulous! Looking for something to do this weekend? Why not play along with our challenge :)

So let me first thank you all for being so patient with us. We try to inspire you all in so many different ways sometimes it is difficult to figure out how to get it all to you without overwhelming you! Originally the game plan was to have a Thursday Challenge. However, we really felt like the post was so long and maybe just a bit too much. Enter Saturday to save us! From here on out the challenge will start on Saturday and end on Thursday at midnight.  We will also be announcing the winners with the new challenge.

Alright now let's get to this week's challenge!

Image Credit

Inspired by an Album Cover

If you remember from the first week I said we would be trying out all kinds of different challenges and this is one of them :) Ready for the inspiration parade?! I am!

Nicole using You Light Up My Life Digi

Anita using It's Raining

Jaime using Across the Miles

Ellen using It's a Man's World

Misty using You Light Up My Life Digi

Kelly using Scootin' By

Stephanie using God Bless America and Sweet Victoria 

Aren't these girls just amazing?! I love how differently each of us was inspired. Now I can't wait to see how you'll be inspired!

Interested in another free digital stamp to play along with? Nicole drew up this uber-adorable image for you to get inky with, so fun! Please be respectful of Nicole's design and use this stamp to join in the challenge. Also please review the Terms and Conditions.

Download Digital Stamp Here

The Rules

1. Create a new project using the Album cover as inspiration (edited 09/09/2012 as I cut and pasted the previous rules and forgot to update it :( My bad!)

2. You DO NOT have to use Sweet Stamp Shop Stamps to play along (although we would sure love to see 'em if you've got 'em!)

3. Upload your new project into our Flickr group and tag it with SSSweektwo. 

4. You can enter the challenge a total of 3 times. Each entry must be a new project. 

5. You can combine your entry with up to 3 other challenges. 

6. Submit your project by Midnight Eastern Standard Time on Thursday September 13th. *Changed it to a two-weeker. You now have until midnight on Friday September 21st*

The Prizes

One random winner will be chosen to receive one in stock stamp set (in varying sizes). If you are an international winner you will have to pay shipping costs.

Every week we will select a Top 4 to feature. At the end of the month we will put together the Top 16 and giveaway a spot as a guest designer here on the blog! 

Speaking of Winners . . . .

I am thrilled to announce Sweet Stamp Shop's first ever Sweet Tarts!

In no particular order . . .

duffyma_1999 (Michele) - Absolutely adorable little lady bugs!
mprantner (Miriam) - That sentiment on vellum is "so cool!" 
momma_audrey - Sweet little slices of gorgeous!
samanthamann11 (Samantha) - Heart buttons + Fluff Beard = Precious Gnome!
You four ladies will have your name thrown in the hat to be a guest designer here on the challenge. The lucky name will be picked at the end of the month :) and don't forget your winner badge too!

Last but not least our random winner of the stamp set is. . . . .

Mel9252  (Melissa Shea)!!!
Congratulations to all of you! Mel9252 Please email me at Kelly@Sweetstampshop.com with your shipping information by next Saturday September 15th. And we'll get a special set right out to you! 
________________SALE SIDE NOTE!

We're also extending our sale on the pre-orders 

(cause you guys have been awesome and 

pre-orders are flying in!) 

If you'd like to pre-order any of the new sets (they'll be

shipping by the end of next week!) use coupon 

code: PREORDER for 30% off the new stuff. 

Sale now good through Tuesday! 

(Once we get the sets in they'll be back at 

full price!)

Reminder of the new stuff.... 

Dream Ocean

3x4

Haunted House 

4x6

It's Raining

3x4

Head over to the shop to 

grab your pre-order 

HERE

Thank you all so much for playing along with us! Cannot wait to see your fabulous creations for this week!

XoXoKelly

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New Sweet Challenge! Come join us!

Hello Crafters! 

Today is the day! Are you ready for our first Sweet Stamp shop weekly challenge?! It's Kelly here to introduce you to it :) I cannot even tell you guys how excited we are to be sharing this with you! So without further ado the first weekly challenge is  . . . .drum roll please . . .  

Paper Piecing! 

Sweet Stamp Shop stamps are perfect for so many things but oh to paper piece them :) Makes me happy! I would like to note that you DO NOT have to use Sweet Stamp Shop stamps in order to play along. we understand everyone has a different stash and sometimes a certain stamp is just *perfect* for the challenge. However we would love to see what you create with our stamps too :) You don't currently own any Sweet Stamp Shop Stamps?! *Shock and Awe* there may be a way for you to get one *wink* keep scrolling*

Are you ready to see some SWEET projects from the design team? I sure am!

Let's start with the super sweet illustrator herself, Nicole! Using Sweet Tart and Packaged Pretty 

The fabulous Misty using The 'Core' of It 

The amazing Jamie using Sweet Tart 

Little old me, Kelly, using Happy Bugs, Furry Friend Forever, and Melvin and Vernie 

Lastly, we have the fantastic Michelle using Sweet Tart

Aren't these girls unbelievable?! Seriously, their talent is off the charts :) You can visit each of our blogs by clicking on our names or our inspiration photo. Spread some Love!

So did you happen to notice that adorable Sweet Tart image?! Would you maybe like to use that adorable Sweet Tart image? 

Okay, you twisted my arm LOL! Because Nicole is so sweet and generous she is giving away a free digital stamp for the challenge! Just click on the Download link below the photo. Please be respectful of Nicole's design and use it to play along. Also, please check out the terms and conditions too. 

Download Digital Stamp 

Besides her gorgeous inspiration project Michelle did something else amazing for you guys! She turned that digital stamp into a cut file! I know, right?! How super awesome is she? You can download the cut file from Michelle's personal blog. Thanks for being so SWEET Michelle! 

So we have inspiration, we have digital stamps, we have cut files, we have . . . rules . . .ack, I know, but we have to have some kind of game plan :)

The Rules

1. Create a new paper pieced project

2. You DO NOT have to use Sweet Stamp Shop Stamps to play along (although we would sure love to see 'em if you've got 'em!)

3. Upload your new project into our Flickr group and tag it with SSSweekone. 

4. You can enter the challenge a total of 3 times. Each entry must be a new project. 

5. You can combine your entry with up to 3 other challenges. 

6. Submit your project by Midnight Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday August 28th.

Now more fun stuff :) What can you win?

The Prizes

One random winner will be chosen to receive one in stock stamp set (in varying sizes). If you are an international winner you will have to pay shipping costs.

Every week we will select a Top 4 to feature. At the end of the month we will put together the Top 16 and giveaway a spot as a guest designer here on the blog! 

Are you guys as excited as I am? I can't wait to see all your wonderful projects streaming through our flickr group *squeeel* Need some more inspiration?! Okay good, because Ellen is here to share another paper pieced masterpiece with you! 

Take it away Ellen :) 

Hi Everyone! 

Ellen here with a little altered project for you today using the fun new Mermaid Stamp set called Under the Sea.

This is such a great set and can be used for a variety of projects. When I saw the seaweed,  I instantly thought of making my own flower.

I stamped the image in a variety of colors and then cut them out. Then I layered them and added a button and bow. 

Isn't that candle just gorgeous! and how creative is she? Seaweed flower? Completely beautiful! I hope you guys have been super inspired and will help us kick start this weekly challenge off fabulously! Don't forget to head over to the flickr group to upload your projects!

Hope you have a SWEET day!

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