I love a chance to upcycle or recycle glass jars. Some are so well shaped and with a little touch of creativity, they can add the perfect decor detail to any room.

With Valentine's Day around the corner, I felt the need to come up with some home decor to get us in the mood. (Yes, I know we just passed Christmas/Hanukkah and New Years...but holidays are always fun!)

I decorated a spare bottle (formerly the olive oil holder) with Ultra High Gold Wow Embossing Powder and our Sexi Hexi clear stamp. In two easy steps, I had a beautiful vase.

For the added "Valentine-detail", I melted Vintage Candy Cane embossing powder and poured it into our Ornate Heart silicone mold. I attached it to the vase and voila! Ready for a single stem red rose and baby's breath.

It'll be beautiful on my vanity!

Hello, friends! For most of us in the US, it’s time for students to go back to school. To me, the “Back to School” season reminds me of fresh paper, freshly sharpened pencils, A-B-C’s and 1-2-3's.  The basics really…that make us remember a simpler time.
This month, we continue with an amazing designer showcase from the ever-so-talented, Erika Taylor. Following her inspiration, the team of designers from “7 Girls & a Smoking Gun” will be bringing you amazing projects using “the basics”.

ERIKA TAYLOR Designer Showcase
As luck would have it, Erika was next in line to showcase her talent. She is a mixed media artist and oozes talent. Erika’s projects, for those of you that are beginners in crafting, is inspiring and something to reach for as you learn how to apply multiple techniques.
You can start by learning the basic techniques that follow this project, and you can literally layer the methods and powders for a similarly stunning effect.
Erika say’s this project was a labor of love…

Happy day, friends! Can you believe how quickly 2012 has passed? WOW! We're halfway through the year! I can't believe it's Summer in the U.S. I'm kicking off my boots and slipping on the sassier, open-toed heels. That's really where my fashion sense stops. I can wear all one color in fairly basic pieces, but then it's all about the bling. Since I'm this month's showcase designer, I brought that same love of shoes to paper. I used Suzy West's Pantry Collection - Paprika on the heel and I used Angel Wings and Neutral Ultra Shimmer on the insole. The stamp is from Suzy's Love Beyond All Measure set. 






Speaking of accessories, have you seen some of the things built for Steampunk? I happened upon a Steampunk convention once (next to a LEGO convention of all things). It was the most brilliant event! I was so impressed with the twist of Old and New. 

This month, Anne, brings us her touch of talent with Graphic 45's Steampunk Debutant. I absolutely ado…

“For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul.” Doesn’t this quote from Judy Garland just make you sigh? *sigh*

I hope you all had a terrific week. I’m not even sure if Valentine’s Day is completely global, but what a fantastic excuse to wear red, steal a kiss, indulge in champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries, stop and smell the overly priced roses, and remember the moment (or moments) you fell in love.
The 7 Girls and a Smoking Gun design team at WOW! Embossing Powders shared so much passion this week in their love of crafting, that we were bursting with projects! Playing with Embossing Powders, Pretty Papers, Our handy-dandy heat guns, Stamps...We were loving every minute of it!

Each lovely lady posted a sneak peek of a sweet little project created with V-Day in mind and if you followed the links to their blogs you found tutorials, inspirations and smiles. (I have the blogs posted again at the end.)

And then, like the cal…