Memorial Day Weekend

The Memorial Day weekend is here and many of us will be attending parties and parades, working in our gardens and enjoying the beautiful weather. I wanted to take a moment to remember what this weekend is all about--commemorating the men and women of the United States who died while serving our country. Because of them we are able to enjoy our freedom. Thank you to the brave men and women who have died while serving our country and to the families of those who miss their loved ones each and every day. And to the men and women who continue to serve and/or have served in the past~~you are appreciated. I hope all that read this post will take a moment to remember and be grateful that we live in a great country.

Happy Birthday Reagan!

We will be going to a birthday party for special little girl who will be two years old. She went to Disney World for the first time a couple of months ago and loved it. Since the theme of her birthday party is Minnie Mouse, I went to work with my Cricut and made this cute card! I used the Disney Mickey Font cartridge which has a limited selection of characters and the phrase, "Oh my!" Of course, as I was making the card, I wished I had purchased the Disney Mickey & Friends cartridge because it has so many Minnie images on it. But I am sure Reagan will enjoy this card. I know her Mom and Grandma will enjoy it! And I do, too! Happy crafting!

SU! Product Update

The problem with retiring cardstock continues. Unfortuantely, some of you might have already received textured cardstock in place of the smooth you ordered. SU updates their backorder list on a daily basis, but it does not tell us if textured cardstock is being substituted. However, the backorder update does indicate if a product is no longer available. Following is a list of cardstock that "has been depleted and is no longer available". 101563: Sage Shadow card stock (8-1/2" x 11") 102837: Only Orange card stock (8-1/2" x 11") 107079: Sage Shadow card stock (12" x 12") 107101: Close to Cocoa card stock (12" x 12") In addition, this item from the recently released Summer Mini is no longer available: 119833: Old Olive Polka-Dot 6" x 6" Designer printed album. If you have any questions, send an email or give me a call. Have a great day!

Strawberry Dreamsicle

When I received my Denami order in the mail, I knew that I had to use this paper to make a ice cream bar card. At first I was going to make an orange dreamiscle, but the orange cardstock I have didn't seem right. As I looked at the images in the SU Tart & Tangy stamp set, the strawberry was jumping out at me. Melon Mambo was my color of choice for the card with accents of Gable Green. The scallop circle punch was used to "bite off" the corner of the dreamsicle and for the bottom layer of the strawberry embellishment. I colored the stamp with my SU markers and there you have it! A nice refreshing card for warm summer days. Happy stampin'!

Dance Recital card

This evening we are going to see our 5 year old granddaugher's first dance recital. Her group will be dancing to the song "Friend Like Me" from Aladdin. Her constume is pink and black, so I made her card in the same colors. I used my Cricut and the Plantin Schoolbook cartridge for the greeting. The stamp is from Amuse and the cardstock and ribbon is from SU. Have a great day and find yourself a little stampin' time.

Rock & Roll

I wanted to make a card using the Rock & Roll technique. The flower image is from the Greenhouse Garden stamp set on page 94 of the IB&C. It is a two-step stamp and I definitely needed my stamp-a-ma-jig when using it. For the Rock & Roll Technique you will need two ink colors--one darker than the other. I used Summer Sun and Pumpkin Pie. Completely ink the stamp using the lighter ink. Then roll the edges of the inked stamp around the darker ink pad. Be sure to use the lighter ink first as you do not want the darker ink to be left on the light ink pad. I then stamped the center of the flowers using my Stamp-a-ma-jig for placement of the center and also the stem. The leaves were made using the two-step bird punch and the butterflies are from the Butterflies embosslit die. And to be honest, the only reason the butterflies are on the card is because I smudged ink on the card just as I was tying the bow--not an oops, but rather an opportunity to embellish! Hope everyone had a great weekend.

Stamping Off

Did you ever stamp off? I was stamping last night, (actually I was cleaning my scrap room but got distracted) and realized that I had not used the "stamping off" technique in quite some time. In order to keep it simple, I used the Close As A Memory stamp set and Perfect Plum ink and cardstock. I also used my Stamp-a-ma-jig for placement. If you have never tried this technique, get out a simple stamp, some practice paper and try it. I inked the floral stamp and stamped directly on the Whisper White cardstock. Using my stamp-a-ma-jig, I placed the image where I wanted it next and without inking the stamp again, I stamped on the WW cardstock. I repeated the same steps, inking the first image and then stamping the next image without inking up the stamp. When I had the images all stamped, I then inked up the sentiment stamp and added that to the card. This technique produces a variety of looks as you can see from the Pretty In Pink "Thinking of You" card I made using the "stamping off" technique and the same floral stamp.

I changed things up for the card on the right by using a deeper color ink together with a different stamp for this technique. As you can see, the "stamped off" image using Regal Rose ink produced a more obvious image rather than the subtle "stamped off" image using softer colors. And the great thing about these cards is that I used colors that will remain once the color renovation takes place July 1st. Happy stamping!

Ready Set Recline

Earlier this week I played with a couple of Amuse stamps I recently purchased. Needless to say, the cabana stamp caught my eye immediately. And then when I saw the "ready set recline" stamp, I knew I needed them both. I stamped the cabana on Whisper White cardstock and after punching a scallop circle in the Bordering Blue cardstock, I adhered the stamped image to the underside of the card front, centering it inside the scallop circle. I colored in the stripes and chair with my SU Bordering Blue marker (Did I ever mention how much I "love" my SU markers?). After tying the ribbon onto the card, the card still needed something and the Denami palm trees stamped in black ink were the perfect addition. This will be used as a Father's Day card for someone, but it would also be perfect for get well wishes or happy birthday greetings. As a matter of fact, I made a similar card using Barely Banana cardstock and I sent that to my son-in-law who was having some hand surgery. On the Barely Banana version, after stamping on the Whisper White cardstock, I punched the image and adhered that to the front of the card using dimensionals. The next time I make this card, I will use bright colors for that Key West look.

3x3 Matchboook Card

I needed a small gift card the other day and quickly made this matchbook style card. After cutting a piece of Pale Plum cardstock measuring 3" x 6", I scored it at 2 1/2" and at 5 3/8" and embossed the front panel with my Big Shot and embossing folder. I stamped the image on a piece of Whisper White cardstock measuring 2 3/8" x 2 3/4", being sure to stamp the image closer to the bottom of the WW cardstock. When adhering this piece of cardstock to the inside center panel of the card, I positioned it closer to the bottom of the middle section. Fold the top flap, punching two holes closer to the top of the fold so that when you attach the ribbon, the front panel of the gift card slips under the flap--just like a matchbook. SU sells envelopes measuring 3 1/4" x 3 1/4" that are perfect for this card or any card that has a finished size of 3 x 3. As a reminder, this size card is too small to be mailed according to the US postal regulations.

Happy Sunday!

Today is going to be a busy day around here. Jen & Sydney are coming to visit--YEAH! Then Jen and I are going to Regina's CTMH open house. After some creative and enjoyable time with Regina, we will return for a little card making. A friend of mine purchased the Texture Boutique so we are going to play with it and teach her some of the fundamentals of card-making. Since this friend will be going to Florida for a week, I thought that a tropical themed card is in order. While she is gone, instead of sending a postcard to someone, she can send a card she made all by herself! For his card I used Certainly Celery & Pumpkin Pie cardstock and ink--both remaining colors with the upcoming color renovation. The tropical leaves are from the Paradise set on page 97 of the IB&C and "Thinking of You" is from the Sincere Salutations set on page 143. Now I did not think I wanted or needed the Tropical Party stamp set that is in the Summer Mini, but after making this card, I decided I definitely do want it! While Jen adn I are creating, John is going to take Sydney shopping for bedding plants. This has become a tradition ever since we moved back from AZ. They shop for the plants and she helps Grandpa plant them, while getting a few rides in the wheel barrow. We will all be creating today!

Denami Color Challenge

Here is my entry for Denami's Challenge. I used Denami's Flower Vine Swirl inked wth my SU Tempting Turquoise, Pixie Pink & Gable Green. The individual swirls were mounted on coordinating cardstock and then on black cardstock. The pretty pink ribbon is also Denami's and coordinates perfectly with my SU ink and cardstock. I matted this on a white cardstock base and added a little clear laquer and white sparklettes and there you have it!

Was I Teasing Jen About A Skunk?

I just posted yesterday the cards I made for Jen and Mark using the skunk theme! Well, we had over 3 inches of rain during the night and there is water everywhere. Because of that rain, I am sure many animals were displaced. While reading the paper this morning, my husband says, "There's a skunk walking across the backyard!" Sure enough, there it was. We live in a ranch house, so we do not have a deck for skunks to hide under, so I am not worried about that. But, when it is dark and I let our lab, Cody, outside, you can be sure I will be making sure he stays close to the house!

Jen & Mark have had a few skunks around their new house. So one day Mark had to go out and try and figure out where the skunks are hiding under their deck. Jen called and was describing Mark at his task and both of us were laughing and saying we wouldn't want to be on a skunk hunt. Jen even put a little Beanie Baby skunk on the deck railing and asked Mark to pose for a photo. Well, shortly after that I was checking out Amuse stamps and they had a skunk stamp and a greeting stamp to go with it. I told Jen I was making Mark a Father's Day card using a skunk image but she did not know I was making her a birthday card, too. I used a variety of products for Jen's card starting with, of course, SU cardstock. The flower and greeting stamps are CTMH. The ribbon is SU and I used SU markers for coloring the flowers.

Mark's card is fairly simple. Again, that cute little skunk takes center stage and the red ribbon adds just the right amount of color. The great thing is that the saying on the sentiment stamp used inside of both cards is, "Have a scent-sational day"! When Jen opened her card she was really laughing. But she did not show it to Mark because he would figure that I would be giving him a skunk card, too. I always find it so awesome that one little stamp--when used with different ink, cardstock and embellishments--can be just perfect for a variety of occasions. Jenny's birthday card is so pretty and feminine and Mark's Father's Day card is very masculine. Have a nice evening!

Clean & Simple Father's Day Card

Masculine cards seem to be a little more difficult to create. But this one is quite simple. I used the Happy Everything stamp set for the "happy" section of the greeting and Teeny Tiny Wishes set for the "father's day" part. The stamp from Teeny Tiny Wishes actually says "happy father's day", but I used my Night of Navy marker to ink just "Father's Day" on the stamp. The corner ticket punch was used for all the corners and I punched out circles using a simple hand punch to ad texture to the background. This is a perfect card for a special man in your life or your child's life that you want to recognize on Father's Day even though he is not your dad or your child's dad. I will be using this card for one of my brothers, as they are both great guys who should be recognized for all they do all the time. Happy stampin'!

My Project Is Complete!

And now I can share what I have been busy doing the last couple of months. I wanted to do something for Jenny's 35th birthday that would be special and a surprise. I scrapbooked photos from the day of her birth up until now. The first step was gathering all the old photos. Years ago, I learned that the reason many of the older photos were yellowing was because they were not mounted in acid-free albums. So I had removed them back then, but never sorted the photos. When I decided I would make these albums for Jen a couple of months ago, the sorting process started. And it was a huge process! You see, I did not put dates on the backs of all of the photos, so I was wracking my brain trying to remember what years the photos were taken. I always thought I would remember the dates, but I sure was wrong! Good thing my son, Matt, was able to remember years--thank you, Matthew! When all photos were sorted to the best of my memory, how was I going to scrap them? I finally decided that for Jen's albums Stampin' Up's Soft Subtles cardstock would be the base pages. And I would embellish the pages using coordinating colors from the Soft Subtles collection, together with stickers and journaling circles. As I started adhering photos to the cardstock, I realized that I had to be selective in choosing photos or Jenny would need an entire bookcase to hold her albums. When all was said and done, Jenny now has three photos of captured moments in her life. One photo album is strictly Christmas. For that album I used Rose Red and Mellow Moss for the base pages. So today I gave them to Jennifer. She seems to be really thrilled to have all of those captured moments in one place. And her daughter, Sydney, was too funny as she was looking at photos. When Jen pointed out a pic of me--35 years ago--Syd said, "That's Gay? She had blonde hair!" And I was thinking at least she didn't say, "Gay was skinny!" So I had a great Mother's Day and Jen had a fantastic birthday. And at the end of this day, I will pat myself on the back and say, "Gay, you raised two wonderful children who continue to flourish and share their goodness and love with others." I am one proud Mom! Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day

The sun is shining, birds are singing and I will be spending the day with my family. The day can't be more perfect than that--although I will miss my own Mom on Mother's Day. She will be spending the day with my two brothers in AZ. My sis-in-law is having a cookout for all of them. Thank you, Linda! So to all of the moms, aunts, grandmas and all women who have chldren in their lives~~Happy Mother's Day!

Class Schedule This Month

Due to the fact that SU is running low on current cardstock and that we do not yet have any cardstock in the new colors, I have decided to not schedule card or scrapbook classes this month. There is nothing worse than introducing projects using materials that may not be available for you to purchase. I will be doing a scrap night, so please mark your calendars and join me for an evening of scrapping and/or stamping. And as always, I am available should you want to schedule a private class. Happy stampin'!

Happy Birthday Jenny!

It is hard to believe that our first born is now 35 years old! Jenny was a delight and a daughter to be proud of from the minute she was born. God truly blessed us! So, Happy Birthday, Jennifer! We love you very much.

SU! Cardstock Going Fast! FYI

Believe it or not, the Stampin' Up! cardstock that was retiring with the new catalog on July 1st is running out long before expected. As of today, when you place an order with SU, you just might be getting substitutions in place of the items ordered. SU announced: "we will be substituting textured paper for some of the smooth colors--including card stock in 8 ½ x 11 as well as 12 x 12--where the smooth is no longer available. You will notice these colors go on backorder, and we will be filling as many of those as possible with textured card stock. Because the demand for each color varies, we are unable to provide a list of what colors of card stock will be substituted with textured, or at what point that will happen." This is causing a few problems and I just wanted you to be aware that you might not get what you order. I know that I would be upset if I placed an order and did not know this was a possibility.

Mother's Day Card

We got a lot of scrapping done on Saturday and then I continued to scrap on Sunday. But this morning I cleared a space on my island so that I could create one more card for Mother's Day. The cute little flowers are from the Itty Bitty Stamp set in the new Summer Mini and the stems of the flowers are from a stamp in the Happy Together stamp set on page 72 in the IB&C. I alternately stamped the direction of the stem to achieve the look of the flowers blowing in different directions. When the stems were stamped, I then used my Stamp-a-ma-jig to place the flower blooms on the stems. I used Regal Rose and Elegant Eggplant ink and cardstock and added touches of Sunflower Yellow ink and butterflies. The Regal Rose ribbon is a long-retired ribbon, but I had one length of it left. No better way to use it than for a Mother's Day card. This is a square card that measures 5 1/4 x 5 1/4 and fits into one of the medium square SU envelopes sold on page 168 of the IB&C. I'll be back later.