Well, would you look at that?!!

Woohooo!!  15,000 visits!!!

That is just amazing!!  I am so humbled that so many people actually want to see my creations and read my ramblings! 

And, as promised if I hit 15,000 visits, I'm adding to the blog candy!

You can never have enough paper, right?  Especially coordinating paper.  Especially holiday paper with those just around the corner...

This is the retired Stampin' Up! 12x12 Designer Series Paper Collection "Holiday Thyme".  It's 12 sheets of double sided, heavy-weight, coordinating paper.  This is by far one of my all-time favorite Stampin' Up! paper collections. 

And keep in mind, this blog candy can continue to grow and grow until 11/30!!  I'll add something more for every additional 1000 hits.  And I'll also add something if I hit 100 followers and then something more for every 25 followers after that. 

Sooooo...if you want to see this candy GROW spread the word!! 

For info on how you get entries into the drawing, SEE THIS POST. 

For your entry into the drawing, please be sure to leave your COMMENT ON THIS POST. 

BLOG CANDY!!!!!!

**** EDITED - BLOG CANDY IS NOW CLOSED ****

Thank you to all who participated!!

So, I noticed I'm quickly approaching 15K hits and was thinking it's about time I offered some blog candy!!!

So here's what I'm gonna do...

I'm going to start with some candy...

It's a beautiful 147 pc set of coordinated patterened papers, stickers, chipboard, and alpha stickers with a family theme.

I will give everyone who comments on this post by 11:59pm EST November 30 an entry to win this candy, which will be drawn randomly on December 1.

Everyone who is a follower will get an entry also.

And, everyone who posts about my blog candy will get another entry.  Please make a unique comment to this post with the link to where you posted.  If you post more than one place (your blog, a forum *where allowed*, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) make a separate comment for each link.  I'm leaving it up to you guys to a) give yourselves as many entries as you want by commenting on separate comments - as in, I'm not going to comb thru looking for comments that should count as 2 entries, and b) I'm trusting you guys to not "cheat" for entries - but none of my followers would do that because you are all a great bunch of people, so this is a moot point!  LOL!

If you post about my blog candy in your sidebar, come back and comment AGAIN with the link for another entry.

Now, I'm guessing the blog candy posted above isn't a TON of incentive to keep coming back soooooo...tell ya what I'm gonna do...

As soon as I hit 15K hits, I'll add something to the pot.  What is it, you say?  You'll just have to stay tuned...

For every 1000 hits after that, I'll add something else!!

Aaaand, if I hit 100 followers, I'll kick in something else!

AND, for every 25 followers after that I'll kick in more!!!

CRAZY I tell ya!!

I'll keep adding per the criteria above until we hit 11/30!!!

See, the way I see it, yes it's fun to see hits and comments and followers, but for every person who reads this blog I'm also exposing them to all the Design Teams I'm on and great sites I've got listed in my sidebar so it's a virtual lovefest for everyone involved!!! 

World Wide Hug!!

Heidi

Well, would you look at that!  The first milestone has been achieved:  15K hits.  As promised, here's the addition to the candy pot:

Stampin' Up! 12x12 Designer Series Paper "Holiday Thyme" (retired!)

See this post for the candy details.

And here's the addition for hitting 16K views!!!  Click here for info...

All I Have Seen Stampin' Up! set

Aaaaaaand, the addition for hitting 17K views!!!!  Click here for info...

2 epoxy sticker sets

Only a couple more days left...we're getting really close to the 100 followers mark.  Will I be adding another little somethin' somethin' before 12/1??  We'll see...

I'll keep adding to this post as the candy grows! 

Torendi People's Choice 3rd & Last Round - PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE VOTE FOR ME!!!

Note - This post will stay at the top until Nov. 3. 

Please scroll down for the most recent post.

Edit:  Thank you to everyone that voted in the competition.  It was brought to the Torendi team's attention that there were ways to cheat the system and vote multiple times.  So, as a result, the poll was taken down.  They will be figuring out another way to choose their team.  If anyone out there has a suggestion for how they can impartially make their choice, please pass it on.  Not that I wanted an outcome like this but whew!  It does make me feel a bit better that it really may not have been that my card was THAT much worse than the others.  Thank you again to every one of you that voted for me.  I am soooooooo humbled!  I'll keep you posted on the outcome. 


It's the third and final round of Torendi's People's Choice competition. 

Thank you to all who have voted for me in the first 2 rounds!!  Now I REALLY need everyone's support this round because only the top 2 vote getters will get the coveted Design Team positions. 

I absolutely love the whole Momiji / Kawaii / Japanese Pop Culture papercrafting scene and Torendi's blog itself and to be a part of their amazing Design Team would be beyond AWESOME!!! 

So, here's my final entry.  Whadayathink? 

I had a couple of other "punny" ideas rattling around in my head like the last couple entries I made but something just drew me to making this balloon. 

I drew and cut out a balloon and then glittered each section with that yummy Martha Stewart super fine glitter.  IRL this balloon is just about the most sparkly, bright, gorgeous thing you've ever seen! 

And, can you tell the balloon is the front flap of the card with the Cosmo Cricket Earth Love paper as the back/inside flap of the card?

I'm loving my little woven basket, too. 

The little paper airplane flying out from behind the balloon is a nod to Torendi's logo.

Of course, had to make it sparkly to compete with the balloon.

The card sentiment, "rethink" is actually from the barcode strip off one of the Cosmo Cricket Earth Love papers.  How's that for rethinking?  Ha ha ha!

Details: Paper - Cosmo Cricket, American Crafts, DCWV, Bazzill; Martha Stewart fine glitter; Stickles; unknown wire.

So, once again, HERE'S WHERE I BEG FOR YOUR VOTES. 

Only the top 2 vote getters will be offered the Torendi Design Team positions and I would REALLY love to be one of them.  So I really, Really, REALLY, R-E-A-L-L-Y need your votes.

All I'm asking is for 3 clicks from you...click once HERE, then once on the Torendi sidebar to select my name (Heidi Myers), and then a third click on "VOTE". 

Please?  Please?  Please?  With sugar on top?  And a cherry?  How about with some Edward on top?  That's my brand of sugar!!!  Or some cherry-licious Jacob?   But I digress.

Thank you ever so much for all your support!!!

Humbly yours,

Heidi

Cheech & Chong

We're getting close to Halloween so this week's Pink Ninjas prompt is costumes. 

In 2000, the hubs and I went as Cheech & Chong. 

I have to say those were the best costumes we've ever been!  Notice how even my mustache is off-center, just like Cheech??  LOL!

The word "DREAM" was printed on the paper, I just thought it was appropriate to add in the "NICE" and "S" in honor of Cheech & Chong's movie.  Also, had to do the low rider roof-liner dingle balls.  LOL!

Yeah, that just ain't right!  (And, yes, that IS how pale I am!  I practically glow.  It's sad.)

Be sure to check out the Pink Ninjas blog to see what the amazing Design Team made for your inspiration. 

And come play with us!!!!!  We love to see what you make!!

Have a great Wednesday!!

-  Heidi

p.s.  Shameless trolling for votes...please vote for my Torendi People's Choice entry.  See the sidebar or the post at the top of the blog for the details.  Only the top 2 vote-getters make the DT.  Please help me!!  Thank you!!!

My Treat

Hidy Ho Neighbors!

This week on Spunky Scrappers the prompt is Tricks or Treats.  I went the treats route with an ode to one of my fave treats, the Mother's Iced Lemondade cookie.

Doesn't that almost look like a bag of cookies??  I did cut my bag apart to use on this.  Oh, gee, darn, just had to finish off the bag to make this.  Oh, well!!  LOL. 

This is the top of the bag which I stitched to the layout.  The backgroud paper, btw, is an 8x8 DCWV stack paper.  I fussy cut the "most beautiful" words and flowers so I could tuck part of the cookies picture behind it. 

Aren't these little typewriter key letters cute?  They were a RAK from the lovely Miss Monica over on Memories Always-Forever!!!  LOVE THEM!!  Thanks, Mon!

Pop on over to Spunky Scrappers to see what other design team members made for this prompt for your inspiration. 

And, exciting news happening on Spunky Scrappers!!  Brianna is taking the site from a ning to a blogspot so it'll be much easier for people to participate and enjoy all the fun, spunky prompts Brianna brings you every week. 

AAAAANNNNNDDDDD, to make Spunky Scrappers just THAT much more fun and inspiring, Brianna is adding 4 to 6 more scrappers to the design team!!!  Check out her call on the Spunky main page. 

Hope you are having a great Tuesday!! 

Be sure to check back in here later today for my Torendi Round 3 entry.  THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who voted for me to keep me in the running!!!  Round 3 is the last round and at the end, only the top 2 vote getters will make the design team. 

- Heidi

So Sushi Me! That's How I Roll! PLEASE VOTE!!!!

~~~~~Post will stay at top until Mon. 10/26.~~~~

Please scroll down for Unity Friday Friends With Flair.

I want to thank everyone who voted for me in last week's round 1 of the Torendi People's Choice Competition!!  I made it to round 2!!!  If I can survive this round there's only one more to live through.  :o)

So, here's my week #2 entry.  Hope you like it.  Went down the sushi road this time.  Loving the Cosmo Cricket Earth Love papers.  Mushrooms are so adorable!!

Like my little sushi roll?  It's made with beads.  I tried to make it look like a California roll with the crab, avocado, cucumber, and masago in it.  I'm pretty proud of this if I may say so myself.  LOL!

I was pleasantly surprised at how much less the pen bled on the chopstick than I expected!  That's a good thing, of course, or I wouldn't have been able to put the sentiment on the card! 

So, once again, I stand here before you PLEADING for your votes. 

This is a Survivor-like competition and the two designers with the fewest number of votes at the end of next Monday (technically Tuesday morning) will be "voted off the island".  Please help me to stay!!  There are some SERIOUSLY popular designers competing so EVERY SINGLE VOTE I CAN GET SOOOO COUNTS!!!  I feel like I've got at least a few more cheeky "torendi" cards in me!! 

For those of you who didn't see last week's post...

Torendi is a super cool website dedicated to the new, fun, fresh and exciting side of paper crafting. Torendi means "trendy" in Japanese.

Check out the Torendi site! They have some of the most ADORABLE and fun products in their store. (Look at THIS cupcake stamp! And I want some of THESE tapes. And who doesn't love Cosmo Cricket and Bam Pop!?) Their gallery and blog are just teeming with amazing and trend forward ideas. And they offer SCRUMPTIOUS monthly kits.

Thank you again for stopping by.

Please pop on over to the Torendi site to cast your vote!!

Heidi

Details:  Paper - Cosmo Cricket, Stampin' Up!, The Paper Company; Stampin' Up! circle punch; Zig Millennium pen; Unknown beads, corrugated paper; chopsticks.

Wanna Win Some 7 Gypsies??!!!! I do!!!

Check out the 7 Gypsies Week festivities over on Blue Moon Scrapbooking!!!!! 

Every day they're giving away some 7 Gypsies and showing off some amazing samples.  They're also having awesome sales on 7 Gypsies stuff in their store!!!

Look what you can win if you give a shout out to their 7 Gypsies fest today!!!

O.  M.  G.  That's unbelievable!!!!

So, head on over to Blue Moon Scrapbooking NOW for your chance to win!!!!!

- Heidi

Love At First Sight

Happy Monday!! 

Time for another installment of SPCC:

Such a pretty combo this week. 

I haven't scrapped any baby pics of my daughter yet and this color combo seemed just perfect.  She's 15 days in this pic and it's one of my all time faves.  (She's only turning 4 years old this week so I'm not that far behind, LOL!) 

The design of this layout is this week's Sketchy Thursdays sketch:

I love how the Basic Grey papers coordinate despite being from different collections.  And I promise that the background paper is very close to the Creamy Caramel color even though it looks closer to a white in the picture.

Have I mentioned how much I love ribbon and trim?  I hoard it!  I especially love grabbing all the yumminess that comes out at winter holiday time. 

It's hard to see the complete subtitle in the full picture, too,because it gets swallowed by the dark shading of the paper. 

Details: Basic Grey paper, cardstock alpha, & trim; Trim/Ribbon - Michaels, EK Success; Prima flowers; American Crafts rub on alpha; unknown pearls.



Be sure to check out what gorgeous creations the SP Divas made for your inspiration.  Hook up your own entry with Mr. Linky for your chance to win these adorable items from Sammye Jo from 62 Cards:

So stinkin' cute!!! 

Hope you are having a great Monday! 

Heidi

p.s.  Today's the last day to vote for my sushi roll card (see card in sidebar) in Round 2 of Torendi's People's Choice competition.  Thank you so much to all that have already voted!  I would really love to have the opportunity to show you my card for round 3!!  Voting for Round 3 begins Tuesday evening!!!!  The 3rd round is the last round and only the top 2 vote-getters get Design Team positions so I really appreciate every single vote!

Crop-toberfest on Scrap That!

Check out the fun goings-on over on Scrap That! this weekend!!!!

There are tons of fun games and challenges, and lots of cropping and chatting.  What more can you ask for for your weekend fun??!! 

So, go!!!  Head over to Scrap That!  Have some croptastic fun!!!!

AND if you become a member over on Scrap That! and mention my name HERE both of us will get 30 extra points for the crop!!!  Woohoo!!

That's what I'm doing this weekend!

Heidi

Rock On!

Happy Friday Friends With Flair!!!

How exciting...Hip Hop Thursday was back!  Cool!!!  That was really missed.

So, I'm sooo lovin' the October KOTM.  So many great images.  The first one that drew me in was the guitar.

I have several pics of my son over the years posing with his guitar and putting on his rocker attitude so I just had to use the guitar image for this.

I mean, really!  How stinkin' cute is this??

And unfortunately my pic doesn't do it justice but this K&Company rub on is FABULOUS!!  It's sparkly, it's got quite a bit of dimension (very raised), and it also came with the gems.  Thank you to my great friend Diana for knowing this rub on is so me!!! 

So, can you tell that my layout design was inspired by this Sketchy Thursdays sketch?  (Can you tell it's my all-time fave so far??)

I started with that guitars and stars triangle piece across the page with the photo centered over it just like the ribbon and pic in the sketch...at some point while choosing my background paper the triangle rotated and the pic migrated to the point. 

And I am SO loving my rediscovery of eyelets recently.  They truly do add quite a good bit of interest to a layout and in this one's case, I think give it that hard and edgy look the layout needed.

Details:  DCWV paper; Unity Stamp Company stamps; StazOn Ink; K&Company glitter rub ons & gems; Stickles; Making Memories eyelets.

Be sure to check out the Unity Stamp Company blog for this weekend's Garage Sale!!  It's back and it's as good as ever.  Some AMAZING deals to be had!!

Have a great Friday!!

Heidi

p.s.  Super shameless begging for votes again...please vote for my "That's How I Roll!" beaded sushi roll card in the Torendi People's Choice competition.  See THIS POST for the details of the card.  Mwah!!

Xmas Eve

Is it ALREADY Thursday??!!  Man, this week flew. 

So, it's time once again for another dose of Sketchy Thursdays!!!!!

OK, I know I say it everytime, but isn't this one YUMMY??!!!!!

I started out intending to make a fall or Halloween layout and somehow I ended up with a Christmas layout.  This is a pic of my kids admiring the spread laid out for Santa last Christmas Eve...cookies they made, milk, letter to Santa, along with our Advent Calendar and a snowglobe that plays Christmas Carols. 

I just HAD to play with some recently acquired Art Glitter.  This is Chunky Vintage Glass Glitter in silver.  And it is CHUNKY.  This pic is just about real-life size so you can see just how chunky it is.  And, although the pic doesn't do it justice, it is SPARKLY!!! 

One of my biggest weaknesses every year is the holiday ribbon aisle in Michaels.  They have THE BEST ribbon selection and it always seems to be on sale so you just CAN'T avoid buying some.  Although I REALLY wish I would've bought another spool of this one.  It's so pretty.  I love that the edges are fluttery. 

Details:  Paper - Me and My Big Ideas, The Paper Company; Art Glitter glitter; Heidi Swapp chipboard alpha; Making Memories alpha stickers; Glitter Mist; Michaels ribbon; DMC floss; unknown button.

Head on over to the Sketchy Thursdays site to see what amazing creations our hugely talented design team cooked up for your inspiration this week!!! 

Don't forget to play along with us.  This week you have a chance to win the November Kit from Scrapbook Kit Club.  A little sneaky peek...

I'm telling you it is SO hard to give away all these amazing prizes and not be eligible to play for them!  Our sponsors are THE BEST!!!!!

Have a great Thursday!!!

Heidi

p.s.  Have you voted yet on Torendi???  Please, please, please vote for me!!  Voting ends Monday 10/26.

Little Piggies and Mommy's Little Pole Dancer & Drag Queen

Hey all! 

First, I want to thank everyone for supporting me and voting for me in the first round of the Torendi Challenge!  I've made it through to round #2!!!  I have made the cutest (IMHO) card and can't wait to reveal it for you later tonight!!  I just need to survive this week and next!!! 

On to today's business...

It's Monday (OK, so it's Tuesday...I'm a day late!!) so it's time for your next installments of SPCC and Spunky Scrappers.

LITTLE PIGGIES

This week's SPCC Color Combo:

At first glance this one brought to mind fall for me.  But this week's color combo had a twist...we also needed to use our sponsor's product on the layout. 

DRS Designs, a rubber stamps and more vendor, sponsored this week's color combo and they generously provided each SP Diva with free stamps to use on our projects!! 

One of the stamps I chose was the cutest little piggie sooooo that made me immediately want to scrap some pics of my kids playing in the rain on a warm summer day. 

You can see the progression of "piggieness" in the pics from top to bottom.  Note how my son's underwear went from white with a blue design to dark brown!!! LOL!!  I didn't mind...they had a blast and they didn't ruin anything that wasn't either washable or replaceable!  I think they were most surprised that mommy allowed them to do this!!! 

I splashed some "mud" (watered down brown paint) on the flower the title piggies are dancing on, as well as on all the piggies to make it look like they were playing in the mud. 

I colored the two chipboard elements, the flower and the flourish, by taking Stampin' Up! ink pads directly to the chipboard and rubbing it all over until they were completely covered.  Then I covered each with Crackle Medium to give them shine and a cracked finished (like dried mud). 

Can't forget to note that the design of this layout is an early Sketchy Thursdays sketch...one of my faves!!

Head on over to the SPCC site to check out the inspiration from the rest of the SP Divas. 

DRS Designs is offering this week's winner a $15 gift certificate to use in their online store!!  They have some seriously cute stamps so you are really going to want to get in on this action!! 

Details:  Paper - DCWV, Stampin' Up!; DRS Designs stamp; Ink - StazOn, Stampin' Up!; Chipboard - Fancy Pants, Stampin' Up!; Ranger Crackle Medium; American Craft white pen; Stampin' Up! marker; Zig Millennium pen; Making Memories felt alpha stickers, paint; Stampin' Up! ribbon.


FUTURE JOBS LIST (not!)

Monday is also time for a new Spunky Scrappers prompt!  This week's prompt - Top 10 Lists. 

OK, so I didn't go for a "traditional" Top 10 list...this is more a Top 10 in Hell List:

See, I've been waiting for the perfect opportunity to scrap this particular picture for a while now.  It's so funny.  It's like the picture you never want to see of your kids when they're older and understand what they're wearing/doing.  (AGAIN with the incredibly embarrassing pics!!  Poor kids!  But remember, sometimes mommy laughs AT you.  I just can't help it!!)  I always thought the title would be something to the effect of "Mommy's Little Pole Dancer & Drag Queen".  (I'm going to hell, aren't I?  LOL!)

So, my Top 10 List is 10 future potential jobs this pic brings to mind.  Most quite shudder-worthy, some very tongue-in-cheek.  And at the very bottom I wrote, "So Proud".

As you will notice, this is another non-12x12 layout.  I had an irregularly sized piece of leftover patterened paper so I just went with it without trying to make it fit any conventional layout size.  It's quite freeing and makes things much simpler. 

Be sure to pop on over to the Spunky Scrappers site to play along with the Top 10 prompt and see what the Design Team made for your inspiration! 

Details:  Paper - American Crafts; Sassafras Lass journal card; Making Memories alpha stickers; Zig Millennium pen; thread.

Thanks for stopping by today!!

Heidi