VC Rocks ABC Blog Hop - July 9&10

Welcome to another VC Rocks Blog Hop! If you've been hopping along, you should have arrived from Mary's site, Mimi to Jett. If you'd like to start at the beginning, click here.

Our theme this month is ABC, which means Anything But a Card! I have decided to share yet another of my pieces from my Seasonal Frame class series, which just finished it's second year. This one is our summer frame and features products from our Occasions Mini. (You can click on the picture to see it larger). Luckily for us the stamp set I used, Nature Walk, made it into our brand-new 2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalog! Woo Hoo! Sadly, the coordinating DSP, Botanical Gazette, did not. Booo. However, you can get it for My Digital Studio! Woo Hoooooo!

The colors used here are Cherry Cobbler, Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, So Saffron and Very Vanilla. I also used a Chocolate Chip Craft Pad with clear embossing powder for two squares (butterfly and bee), and VersaMark with clear EP for the eggs and plant. I added some Moonlight Smooch ink on some wings and one of the eggs for a little shimmer.

Accessories used were the Scallop Trim border punch, antique brass jumbo eyelet, Decorative Label punch, Blossom Bouquet triple-layer punch (LOVE IT!), 1" and 3/4" circle punches, 1 3/8' and 1 1/4" square punches, Aqua Painter, Chocolate Chip Jumbo Brad, Certainly Celery button (retired), Chocolate Chip grosgrain (retired), Very Vanilla grosgrain, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, Big Shot, Basic Pearls, Crop-a-Dile, Stampin' Sponge, Glue Dots, Stampin' Dimensionals, Sticky Strip and SNAIL adhesive.

BLOG CANDY: A random poster will get a prize! This time, I'll use the Blossom Bouquet Triple-Layer to punch every color in your chosen color family, or a few colors, or whatever you want. LOL I'm flexible.

Thanks for stopping by! Click on one of the GORGEOUS buttons below (yes, I designed them ;o) to back up or hop to the next blog. Your next stop is The Stamping Tree House! Carey will have something awesome, you can be sure.

Happy Hopping-

Shari

Playing with Jack

On VC Rocks this week, we have a challenge to make a page all about "one." One color, one stamp, one sentiment, one accessory, one person. So far, I've done three pages on My Digital Studio with some favorite pictures of my pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow.

My Digital Studio is fun! It's great for designing your layouts, because you can tweak to your heart's content without wasting any paper or accessories. Once you have it the way you like it, you can re-create it with physical products, or have it printed! Don't forget that you can make DVDs with video and music included, cards, calendars, the list goes on and on.

The brilliant Ellen Kemper said something a couple weeks ago that stopped me in my tracks: "Will your kids want to inherit a bunch of heavy books, or a few CDs?" Wow, I'll bet you can answer that one in a hurry. My kids will be inheriting both. I still love a physical scrapbook! But I love that I can plan sizes for the pictures I'll need to print out for my layouts.

You can order MDS online anytime, day or night! Click on the "Feeling Inspired?" button in the right column. From that page, click on Shop Now at the top right, then Digital Designing on the left. The program comes with TONS of digital stamp sets and accessories, plus Stampin' Up! adds new downloads every Tuesday! You can get MDS express, and if you want all the artwork later, you can add on the expansion pack to get the rest. There are SO MANY GOODIES for MDS! It can be addicting - you have been warned.

Happy Stampin' & Scrappin'

Shari