Thank you for joining us for a very special blog hop today. Today we celebrate

the birthday of our "head nut" Nikki. Nikki is the owner and designer of

Paper Piecings by Nikki where you will find wonderful paper piecing patterns.

This hop is dedicated to our fearless leader from her design team

Each of the DT member's has created a special card for Nikki including a

special message on the back side of the card. The cards have all been placed

in a book and sent to Nikki for a memento of her first Design Team members.

Please take the time to stop in and visit each of

our DT sisters blog and make sure you leave some comments for the DT. We all

depend on those comments to help us improve our work.

If you have arrived here from Kimberly, you are in the right place, if not you may

want to start from the beginning: Mandy

And here is my card to Nikki:

 I can't believe how far this amazing woman has come this year. She's created so many wonderful designs, I've truly lost count. She's started her own magazine full of inspiration - a line of stamps to support and accent her amazing designs and the list goes on. She is truly an inspiration to me. For me, this has been an incredible year. Speaking personally, I feel I have grown so much this year as a papercrafter. Being part of this talented group of women, who Nikki has hand-picked, has been a dream come true for me. I have learned so much from each and every one of these talented and caring ladies. I am honored to be part of this design team - and doubly honored to be part of this hop to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NIKKI.

Thank you for stopping by to help us all celebrate! Please leave me a comment and a way that I can come visit you!

Now hop on over to my incredibly talented sister, Linda, to see her card for Nikki!!

Here is the full line up in case you get lost along the way

Mandy ~ http://lovestoscrap11.blogspot.com/

Liz ~ http://tryin2craft.blogspot.com

Kimberly ~ http://scrappingrookie.blogspot.com

Patti ~ http://pattilynncreations.blogspot.com YOU ARE HERE

Linda - http://www.lindascreativity.blogspot.com NEXT

Mindy- http://mindyscreations11.blogspot.com/

Amanda- http://thescrapoholiccandyshop.blogspot.com

Barb - http://mommaducksblog.blogspot.com/

Charli- http://charlirapp.blogspot.com/

Ashley- http://theglamoroussideofscrapping.blogspot.com

Kimi/Pam - http://lovebugcreations3.blogspot.com/

A few of my favorite projects from the past year!

Make sure you check out Nikki's store for some brand-new designs - and some brand-new coordinating stamps!!!

www.paperpiecingsbynikki.com

Campin' Crazy Blog Hop with the Paper Piecings By Nikki Design Team

Welcome to Paper Piecings By Nikki's Bi-Monthly Blog Hop! This time our Design Team Members are using Nikki's Campin' Crazy File. This file is so much fun!

If you arrived here from Nikki you've come in from the right place. If you'd like to start at the beginning, you can start at Nikki's blog. (www.paperpiecingsbynikki.blogspot.com)

I created a number of scrapbook layout with this file - it is just amazing. I still have a couple more in mind. I'm making a 'campin' scrapbook - for a trip we hope to make with our little grandest daughter Lexi. I don't have the book make yet, but it's in the process. I will also be making a little album for Lexi, so that she can keep it with her.

This is my grandest daughter, Lexi's page.  She's just 5!

Of course, my favorite page is 'smores'. I know a lot of people are intimidated by the 'faces'.  They think they are difficult to achieve.  BUT, Nikki has come out with some adorable face stamps for her creations.  They are in two sizes, and there are sets for people and for bears.   You can take a peek at them HERE.  

Next up on the hop is my very talented sister, Linda.

If you get lost along the way, here is the whole lineup.

Nikki - www.paperpiecingsbynikki.blogspot.com

Patti - www.pattilynncreations.blogspot.com (you are here)

Linda - www.lindascreativity.blogspot.com (next up)

Liz - www.tryin2craft.blogspot.com

Ashley - www.theglamoroussideofscrapping.blogspot.com

Blog Candy....Blog Candy....Blog Candy...

For a chance to win $10 in paper piecing files from Nikki, all you have to do is:

1. Hop along and become a follower of each blog along the way
2. Leave a comment at each blog
3. Follow Paper Piecings By Nikki on facebook
4. Follow Paper Piecings By Nikki's blog - paperpiecingsbynikki.blogspot.com

The winner will be announced at our next hop on July 3rd.

WINNER....WINNER....WINNER of the $10 gift certificate from our last hop is:

Hollie Settlemoir Becker - Please contact Mandy or Nikki with your file choice(s). Congratulations!!!!

Positive Thoughts Cards at Getting Cricky

Good Morning and Happy Father's Day to all the amazing Dad's out there.

Today we are featuring the "Positive Thoughts" stamp set at Getting Cricky.  If you are not familiar with this stamp set, please take a look.  This is one of my favorite and most used stamps sets I have.

Positive Thoughts

Kristal Andrew Designs is definitely my go to place for stamps.   The quality is the best I've found and I haven't yet had a stamp that has lost it's 'cling' or sharpness.  They are just amazing.  Speaking of 'amazing'...Kristal has come out with another set of stamps "Beautiful Thoughts" that is, in my opinion, another 'must have' set.  It is definitely a sequel to 'Positive Thoughts' and the sentiments on it just make me smile!  Take a look:

Beautiful Thoughts

My Granddaughter LOVES the butterflies on this set.  She used them as a background on her Father's Day card to her Daddy (my eldest son).  She said her Daddy makes her as happy as butterflies flying over the flowers.  LOL

Here are my two projects for today

I got this little lamb piecing file at Paper Piecings By Nikki.  The paper is from a paper pack I got from Close To My Heart, called "Dotty for you".  The twine and sentiment came from Positive Thoughts.  I think this sentiment is perfect for the little lamb.  Gosh, life is just so short - it's so much easier to 'forgive' and just get on with the work at hand.  Lexi always asks, "Nana do you forgive me?"  Usually it's after she breaks something or spills something....and I always say, "Yes, Lexi, Nana forgives you."   She'll hug me and then look over her back as she walks away saying, "Okay then, it's over and forgotten."   LOL   How I wish I could be like her when I grow up!

My second card is also a piecing from Paper Piecings By Nikki and my very first attempt at making a tear bear and using that awesome mulberry paper.  Now, don't laugh too hard.  When I got done with him, he wasn't exactly as in envisioned he'd look like - but I loved him anyway.  He looked a little worn and worried, so I stuck him on this rocket and Kristal's "Positive Thoughts" stamp set "Brave is Beautiful" seemed the perfect sentiment - after all - what wouldn't we all do for love...lol  

Lexi thinks this little bear looks worried.  I think maybe he's having second thoughts.  Either way, I think he's pretty cute.

Now, if  you'd like to see more "Positive Thought" inspiration, please head back to Getting Cricky.  The Incredibly Talented Amy Voltz has some awesome designs for you.  I can only hope that my work will be as beautiful as hers is one day.  This lady really puts the 'professional' in her designs.

Make sure to check out Kristal's new stamp designs at Kandrewdesigns.  I just received the new 'sewing' set and it is just amazing.  Also, Kristal is giving away $140 worth of stamps - all you have to do is take a picture of yourself with your re-usable coffee cup and submit it.  You have until the 14th of July to do so!  Good Luck everyone - and happy crafting!!!

Get Wild Blog Hop at Getting Cricky

The Getting Cricky Design Team is hopping again.  This time we are featuring some of our favorite little kiddo's and their super awesome projects.  We have been looking forward to this hop all month and our 'little ones' have been too!

If you've arrived here from Jenny and Lucy's page, you are in the right spot.  If you'd like to start at the beginning, please start at Getting Cricky with Kristal and her boys!

My grandest daughter, 5 year old Lexi, is my biggest and best crafting buddy.  Since I am her 'day care' provider, I have the privilege of crafting with her almost every day.   Here's our first project:

When Kristals new set "Beautiful Thoughts" arrived in the mail, I read all the stamps to Lexi.  When I read this sentiment "Today I will be happier than a bird with a french-fry", Lexi knew just what she wanted to make.  We used the Art Philosophy cartridge for the french fry box and the 3 Birds on Parade cartridge for the bird.  Lexi wanted to make her own bird (who looks remarkably like her pet duck "camo") and her own box of fries (marked with an "m", so we know where she eats).  She was so proud of how she colored in the lines and used Nana's sharp scissors to cut it out with. She wanted to make her's all herself, so it was "Hands off, Nana".  I made mine a bit different using some tulle and the new twine that Kristal is carrying in her store! I think the twine is definitely 'french fry' looking.

Lexi finished her container with a large chocolate chip cookie and gave it to her mom. Her mom is a corrections officer at our local jail, and Lexi said that her "Mom doesn't get a chance to smile much working with bad guys," so she wanted to give mom a smile.  I think it was PERFECT!

Beautiful thoughts

Lexi loves the little butterflies on this set and has added them to almost everything she's made lately.   Next up is another picture of her pet duck "camo".  She used all the little tiny fruit that came on the "Even More Food For Thought" stamp set.  She placed them all over her large acrylic block and used it to stamp her background paper.  I love, love, love this idea!

Lexi and I do a lot of paper piecings together.  I have a basket of misc. pieces that were left over from this and that - so she made her own paper piecing duck.  She was pretty proud of this picture.

Even More Food For Thought

Can you see all the little fruit in this set.  Perfect background material, don't you think?

Well, here is the rest of our lineup.  Please hop along and then check out the awesome giveaway Kristal is offering on her blog!!!   $50 worth of stamps!!!!

COFFEE FOR EVERYONE

HUGE GIVEAWAY

Next up is Gloria with her adorable grandchildren...Don't miss this!

Coffee for Everyone: HUGE giveaway!!!!!

Head on over to Getting Cricky for a HUGE giveaway!!!

Kristal Andrew posted this:

Hello to all my AMAZING friends! I'm SO excited! Today I swung by Starbucks and asked them about bringing in my own cup to save the environment from all that un-necessary packaging that will just be tossed the minute you finish the joe! Guess what? This week they  have a BOGO tumbler that you can bring back in to have your coffee made-so NO more wasted plastics! I am SO happy!
So I decided to celebrate the Love of GREEN coffee with a FUN contest!
FREE & GREEN!!!!! 

In my quest for reducing packaging to leave a smaller carbon footprint on this earth, I asked Starbucks about bringing in a cup, and they sold me TWO eco-friendly resuable tumblers for 14.99! They are BUY ONE GET ONE this week! This means every time you grab a cold coffee you can SAVE the earth from unnecessary plastic packaging that will sent for a hundred years under the earth! TOTALLY awesome! Send me a picture of YOU with your reusable COFFEE mug (any type/brand) and I'll enter you into a drawing for 50.00 worth of STAMPS!!!!


---------------


WOW...I'm sending my pic right now...  Here it is:

Love my purple polka dotted ceramic travel mug!  

Make sure you enter today!!!   Good Luck!

Enter Here

Anniversary Card

Today I created a cute little anniversary card.  I got this cupcake paper piecing from Paper Piecings By Nikki.  It was a free file and so cute!  I used Kristal Andrew Design Stamps "All in the Family" stamp set for the sentiment.  This is definitely a 'must have' set!  Here's what it looks like:

Here's my card!

If you want to see other projects made with this stamp set, go take a peek at Getting Cricky - A great place to find inspiration ALWAYS!!

Getting Cricky - More Food For Thought

I am so excited to show you a project I made with Kristal Andrew's 'Even More Food For Thought' stamp set.  This is one of her new releases and I am having so much fun creating with it.  This is what the set looks like:

I don't know about you, but I am always asked to bring something to a cookout - or a dinner - or something, and I like to make it look special.  I created three tags to attach to goodie trays this summer.   Here's a peek at one....

I made this to attach to a big jar of m&m's.  I am bringing this to a friend of mine who has gone through some tough moments lately.  I love the sentiment and it's just perfect for the occassion!!!!!

If you'd like to see the other tags I made, please check out today's post at Getting Cricky...and be sure to check out the other projects using this stamp set!!!!

Did you know that Kristal is carrying TWINE now in her store - while supplies last.  I was able to snag a bunch of colors!!!  It is very high quality twine - and at $5 a 100 yard roll, it is a deal!

Thanks so much for taking a peek at my project today!!!

Simply Sunday Challenge at Getting Cricky

WOW!!!  It's that time of the week.  It's the Simply Sunday Challenge here at Getting Cricky.  Our theme this week?  SUMMERTIME    As part of this amazing Design Team, I have a secret for you!  STAND BACK and WATCH OUT!  Kristal Andrew Design Stamps has a whole bunch of surprises in store for you this summer.  Some of you may know that she has recently released a bunch of new stamp sets.  I have used two of these new sets in my projects for today.  The first is "Even More Food For Thought".

Aren't these fantastic????   I can't wait to use the "Plum Crazy" stamp for a photo layout of my hubby's Plum Crazy colored GTO!!!!  Here's a card I made using this new stamp set.

Another amazing set that will be available for pre-order soon, is called "Beautiful Thoughts".  If you are a fan of Kristal's "Positive Thoughts" stamp set, then you will HAVE to get this new one.  One of my favorite sentiments is "Today I will be happier than a bird with a french fry".  My project uses the sentiment, "Kindness Returns".  The simple teddy bear is perfect for this simple but true sentiment.

I used the same paper palette from Close To My Heart.  The 'Dotty For You" paper pack was featured last month and I have to admit, I bought several.  These papers just seemed to 'scream' summertime and I had to use them on these cards.

You may notice that I have some twine on these cards.  This is another surprise from Kristal Andrew!!!  She is now carrying twine and at $5 for 100 yards, it's a steal.  Very heavy and fun to use!

Thanks so much for taking a peek at my projects for this Simply Sunday Summertime Challenge.  Can't wait to see what you all come up with.  Make sure you check out all the new stamps available - and keep your eyes out for some new releases!!!!  It's going to be an exciting summer at K. Andrew Designs and Getting Cricky!!!