Be My Valentine & an Award

Hi Stamping Friends!
Have you seen the Stampin' Up! Occasions Mini Catalog yet?  What a great mini this one is---full of fun images and exciting accessories that are ideal for all sorts of different occasions!  There are so many fabulous products I want to order from this catalog.  I had such a hard time choosing what to pre-order.  I wanted to order it all!!  But since that wasn't in the budget in December, I refrained and only ordered a few things.  That of course will change when Sale-A-Bration begins.  I plan to spend a pretty penny on a quite a few items!!  It's a good thing I worked yesterday!  Here is a card I created using some of my new goodies...

BE MY VALENTINE

This card uses an A La Carte stamp from the Occasions Mini called Be My Valentine.  I love the flower design in the heart.  I also used a new Letterpress Plate called Heart Pressed.  I love the Letterpress Plates!  They add color and embossing all at the same time!!  The card base is Blushing Bride layered with Crumb Cake that was embossed with the Heart Pressed Letterpress Plate.  The Blushing Bride scallops were made with the Tasteful Trim die that was in the Holiday Mini catalog, but is still available for purchase.  The Pear Pizzazz polka dot DSP comes from the Patterns Pack.  I stamped the Be My Valentine image in Blushing Bride and Pear Pizzazz.  I cut just the sentiment out of the Pear Pizzazz and layered it onto the Blushing Bride heart.  The flowers were punched out with the Boho Blossoms punch.  I finished it off with a piece of Blushing Bride stitched poly ribbon.

For this card I used three challenges:

Color Challenge:  COLOR THROWDOWN #125  Pear Pizzazz, Kraft, Blushing Bride

Sketch Challenge:  DIVA COFFEE BREAK DESIGNS #211

Recipe Challenge:  4 CRAFTY CHICKS #21  Use ribbon, brads, and pattern paper

If you would like to receive a copy of the Occasions Mini catalog, email me and I will get one in the mail to you ASAP!

And now on to my fun award!!

I received this Stylish Blogger award from two Stampin' Addicts "pretend" stamping friends and fellow bloggers, Cindy at Heart's Delight and Jennifer at Stampin' on the Fly.  Thanks gals!!  What an honor to have my little 'ole blog noticed by anyone other than me! 

There are three simple rules for this blog award:

1. Thank the person who gave you the award and include a link to her blog.

2.  Share 8 things about yourself.

3.  Pass the award on to 8 stylish bloggers and let them know.

So here goes... 8 things about me:

1.  I have never received a traffic ticket of any kind.  I am a HUGE rule follower!

2.  I LOVE to read!!  I will read anything... cereal boxes, road signs, directions.  Yes, I'm one of "those" people that actually reads the acknowledgements and introductions in books.  I read a book in a day once.  What a glorious day that was!

3.  I married a truck driver turned landscaper who has now since decided to become a preacher.  I'm thinking God's getting a great big laugh out of this one.  Me?  A preacher's wife?!  Whooda thunk?

4.  Hubby and I both come from Dutch descendants, thus all the vowels in our last name.  De Leeuw means "the lion" in Dutch.

5.  While attending Cal Poly Pomona to become an elementary teacher, I worked at an Albertsons grocery store in the bakery department.  Back when everything was made from scratch.  Back when I could eat a hot glazed donut and chase it down with a warm cinnamon roll and never gain a pound.  Those were the days!

6.  Growing up, I was extrememly shy.  In the second grade I never even played on the playground.  For the whole year I just stood and watched all the other kids play.  Boy how things have changed since then!!

7.  I love being a Stampin' Up! demonstrator!!  I have met some of the most amazing people through stamping.  The gals that come over and stamp with me are lovingly called "the stamp ladies" by my family.  I can't wait to meet some of my "pretend" stamping friends someday.  Hopefully at a SU! function in the near future.

8.  I have never, ever passed on a chain letter.  And I am still alive to admit it!!

So with that being said, I am not going to follow rule #3 of this award and pick 8 other bloggers (which is really hard to do becasue I am such a rule follower!).  Simply because I could never narrow it down to only eight.  There are so many talented stampers out there and they are all so stylish!!  So if you are a stylish blogger and want to tell others 8 things about yourself, then by all means, grab the award and go for it!! 

Be sure to check in tomorrow.  I will be sharing my Sunday Favorites which is where I link to some fabulous Stampin' Up! projects I've spotted on the net this week.

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Stamping!