Last Chance. . .

. . . to take advantage of Sale-a-bration! You still have time to place your order and earn free product. Just click on the Shop Now link to my SU website in the right-hand column of this blog. If you prefer, feel free to call or email me with your order before 10:00 pm Central time. On another note, it is going to be a beautiful Spring day here today~~in the 70's and sunny. Time to open the windows and let the fresh air into the house. Have a great day!

One More Easter Card

This is the final Easter card for this year. The card is quite simple, but it truly represents what Easter is about. While creating this card, I did not want the entire piece of white cardstock embossed. So I cut a piece of cardstock to the size I wanted left blank. I used that piece of cardstock as a buffer between the cardstock I wanted embossed and the Sizzix texture plate. After it went thru the Big Shot, the texture showed up, although not as deeply as the rest of the card. So I then glued two pieces of the same size cardstock together and placed that between the texture plate and the white cardstock. If you look closely, you can see there is a very faint embossing behind the cross, but it worked fairly well. Next time I try this, I will place three pieces of cardstock between the plate and the cardstock I want embossed--and hope the texture plate doesn't crack! The cross (which I cut out after stamping the image) is from the Special Blessings stamp set and "Happy Easter" is from Teeny Tiny Wishes. (I highly recommend Teeny Tiny Wishes if you are looking for a good greeting stamp set.) And now it is time to make some Easter favors. Enjoy the rest of the day.

Easter Cards

I posted a couple Easter cards awhile back, but last night I realized I still needed to make a few more. The two cards here are quite easy to make, especially if you have limited time. The bunny image on the card to the left was stamped using a Stampin' Up set from many years ago. I just think the little bunny is too cute to not be used again and again. Of course I am sure that many of you recognize the chocolate bunny which is a stamp from the current Occasions Mini catalog. Not the best lighting for seeing detail on the cards, but I used the diamond texture plate and my Big Shot to create the backgrounds. If you ever need to make a last minute card or two, simply matting a stamped image and adding a little bow or some embellishment makes for a pretty card that the recipeint will think you put a lot of time into making. And no worries if you don't have a bunny stamp for your Easter cards. A stamped flower image of any kind works, too. Have a great Sunday!

Sending You Sunshine

This is my second entry for Denami's challenge. I used Stampin' Up Night of Navy and So Saffron cardstock, various SU markers and the Boho Blossoms punch for the cardstock sunshine. The seagulls, the sand gravel, the greeting and the tropical hut/palm trees stamps are all from Denami. I wouldn't mind vacationing on a little island like the one on the card~~so long as there is a scrap store on the island too! Have a great evening and if you are staying in tonight, try and find yourself a little stampin' time.

Birthday Scrapover

I can hardly believe it, but our daughter will be 35 years old in May! Where did the years go? I wanted to do something special for her and asked if she and some of her friends would be interested in spending a weekend here~~no children, no cooking or cleaning~~just relaxing, scrapping and being waited on. A few of the girls will spend the night and a few will only come for one of the days. Plans are not finalized, but I am in the process of thinking about menus, favors, make & takes and who knows what else. If you have any great ideas, feel free to share! On the topic of birthdays, I wanted to take this opportunity to let you know that in addition to classes, I also host stamp and/or scrap parties in my scraproom. A "party" can be as simple as just having a place to stamp, scrap and enjoy the company of your friends for a few hours. Or, a "party" can consist of planned stamping/scrapping projects and include pizza and snacks. The fee varies for these "parties" based on specific requests, number of attendees, length of time, etc. If you are looking for a fun and unique way to celebrate a birthday or special event, this might be a great option. Feel free to contact me and we can talk about your upcoming celebration. Happy weekend!

Quail Card

As a reminder that Sale-a-bration ends soon, I wanted to use a stamp set that I received for free during this sale. When I first saw the "Happy Together" stamp set (pg. 72 of the IB&C), I was immediately reminded of our years in Arizona. Our backyard was constantly visited by quail. Together with retired DSP and the Hostess Level 1 stamp set "Picture This" from the Occasions Mini Catalog, I created this card. The quail on this stamp set are just too cute! You have until the 31st to take advantage of SU!'s Sale-a-bration. Just remember that when placing your order you must use the Item Numbers listed in the Sale-a-bration catalog (versus the item number in the IB&C) to insure that your chosen products are indeeed free! Have a great day and find yourself some stampin' time.

With Sympathy

A very simple sympathy card, but interesting way to use your stamps and/or punches, etc. This technique, Scherenschnitte (scissor cut) stamping, requires that you stamp an image on black cardstock using Versamark and then emboss that image. You cut the image out and adhere it embossed side down on a neutral colored card front. You can then add other die cut, punched or stamped images. I used the cross from the Special Blessings stamp set for the cross. My cutting skills leave a little to be desired, thus the reason for a simple image. The swirl is from the Sizzlet Swirls Scribbles die. And the greeting is from Teeny, Tiny Wishes~~one of my often-used stamp sets. While doing this technique, I thought that the cross from Special Blessings looked beautiful with the clear embossing on it. If I wasn't specifically trying out this technique, I would have adhered the cross with the embossed side up. Maybe that will be my next post~~same card, but using the embosed side of the cut-out image. Good night all.

Denami Challenge

I wanted to try a challenge for Denami Designs. We were given a card sketch and it was up to individuals as to what you would do with that sketch. I have a very limited supply of Denami stamps, but this castle reminds me that my home is my castle. With that in mind, I started on the challenge. This is a great card for someone who just moved into their new "castle". With the exception of Nami's stamp and the paper clip, all other supplies are from Stampin' Up: Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip & Close to Cocoa cardstock; Chocolate Chip Ink; Stampin' Up markers; pink taffeta ribbon; and dimensionals. I used the retired stamp set "Right At Home" for the greeting. Speaking of my castle, I played enough this morning, so it's time to start cleaning my castle!

Ribbon Organization

I love ribbon! And my ribbon collection is growing. Last night I was in my scrap room sorting thru and organizing my ribbons. You know those photo boxes you see at craft stores? Those boxes are my ribbon organizers. The ribbons are sorted by color and on the tab on the end of each photo box I adhere cardstock punched flowers, one for each color. For example, my red and yellow ribbons are in one box. On the end of that box I have a little yellow and a little red flower. For me it is a great way to keep my ribbons sorted and since I purchased the photo boxes on sale, it is an inexpensive way to do so. As I was sorting thru my ribbons, I got a little sidetracked and made this pretty card. My inspiration was a roll of SU's discontinued So Safrron ribbon together with a little sunflower I had made earlier in the week with my electronic die cutting machine. In addition to the ribbon, I used a variety of supplies, including a retired SU! background stamp. I should go finish that ribbon organizing! Have a great evening.

A Chocolate Bunny Story

We had a beautiful spring-like day here yesterday~~sunshine, 61 degrees and no winter coat. How wonderful it felt! I had spent the day shopping and looking at Spring and Easter displays everywhere I shopped. And that was a good thing as those displays reminded me that I do have a few Easter cards I need to make and send. As I drove by a Fannie May candy store, I reminisced about past Easters. Easter Sunday began with all of us going to church~~my sister and I wearing all of our new clothes, including Easter bonnets! Every Easter my mom and dad would get new outfits for us, everything from shoes to "shortie jackets". We were so proud of our Easter ensembles and would eagerly await the arrival of my grandpa, aunt and uncle so they could see our pretty new outfits. Not only that, but we knew we were each going to receive a Fannie May solid chocolate bunny from my Aunt Helen and Uncle I. The new coats, dresses and shoes and those chocolate bunnies were a tradition in our house for many years. When I first saw the chocolate bunny stamp in the Occasions Mini Catalog, I knew I had to have it. It reminded me of special times and people I loved very much who are no longer here.

So here's my first Easter card using SU's Chocolate Bunny stamp. The card was made using the Sending Love Specialty Paper and Pretty In Pink, Very Vanilla & Chocolate Chip cardstock. Someone in my family is going to be reminded of those Easters past and smile when they open this card. I wonder if my Aunt & Uncle realized that 50 some years later, those solid chocolate Easter bunnies would still lovingly be remembered as if they were received yesterday. (Sometime I will tell you about the year my sister, brothers and I were so disappointed when we opened a fruit/cream Fannie May egg~~lol!) Find yourself a little stampin' time ~~and share a precious memory.

Last Two Weeks of Sale-a-bration

Just a reminder that this annual sale ends on March 31st. If you need or want Stampin' Up supplies, now is the time to place that order. For every $50 you spend, you will receive a free item from the Sale-a-bration catalog. You can shop online at my Stampin' Up website or give me a call. Don't miss out on this opportunity for free SU product! Have a great day and find yourself a little stampin' time.

Weekend Rubber Stamp Show

Over the weekend I attended a rubber stamp/paper-crafting show in St. Charles, IL. It was great as I spent the day with my daughter and her friend, Nikki, and my friend, Regina~~with all of us blowing our budgets~~LOL! One of the highlights of the show was meeting Nami from Denami Designs and her husband, Gary. She had a great selection of rubber stamps that she designs and other supplies. And yes, I did purchase some of her products. Those of you who read my blog or know me~~know my love for anything tropical. She had a tiki stamp which just screamed my name! (I heard others calling my name, but I pretended I did not here them!) I created this card using that stamp. There is room under the bow for a sentiment, but I just have not decided which one to use. Due to my unfaltering favoritism of SU! cardstock and ink, I again used my Melon Mambo/Green Galore color combination along with SU's embossing powder, ink and markers to color in the little tiki hut and palm trees. Speaking of markers, we also learned about and played with Copic markers. Prior to getting my SU! markers, I had purchased about 10 individual Copic markers and I liked using them. But I purchased the SU! markers as I could get a whole set for far less than I would pay for Copics. I still am satisfied with my decision and in my opinion, one of the best purchases I ever made thru SU. A little hint for those of you who like to color in your images (and I am sure many of you already know this), if you emboss your image before coloring it, it is much easier to stay inside the lines. Have a great day!

Bright & Cheerful

After dealing with bronchitis the past week, I am back to feeling pretty good. In fact, I even joined in another card challenge. The guidelines for this challenge were that you had to use SAB items, one neutral color and one embellishment. For every SAB item used you were able to use one color. Since I planned on using the Vintage Labels and Whimsical Words stamp sets, my two color choices were Melon Mambo and Green Galore. In addition to those items, I also used my Sizzix Movers & Shapers die and the Curly Label Punch. The sentiments on Whimiscal Words were too large for the frame I used from Vintage Labels, so I inked only the word "Wish" from one of the sentiments using my Stampin' Up markers and centered that in the stamped frame~~thanks to my stamp-a-ma-jig. (I honestly would be lost without my stamp-a-ma-jig. And when I first purchased it~~long before becoming a SU demo~~I thought it was useless!) My one embellishment is the polkadot Melon Mambo grossgrain ribbon. This is a very simple card, but I think it is the perfect card for a Spring or Summer birthday. Have a wonderful day.

Sounds of Spring

As I was reading the paper this morning, the sun was shining and I could hear birds singing! Then my husband pointed out that the jonquils are starting to peak up from the ground. How refreshing after what has seemed like a long winter. That's the great thing about Spring--so many new beginnings. And speaking of new beginnings, we will be attending the wedding of a special couple in mid-March, so this was the perfect time to try to create their wedding card using the Stampin' Up! Pretties Kit. This kit contains many embellishments including hat pins with clutches; various flowers that can be dyed to coordinate with SU's exclusive colors; pearls; rhinestone brads and more. The wedding colors are pale yellow and brown, so I used Barely Banana, Chocolate Chip & Shimmery White cardstock together with Chocolate Chip Ink and ribbon. The heart image is from the Ever After stamp set and the greeting is from the Special Blessings stamp set--both of which are in the 2010 Idea Book & Catalog. And of course--the hat pin with pearls and other beads. Well, I better begin doing something around the house--LOL! Have a great day and find yourself some stampin' time.

Cute Baby Card

Now how cute is this card? Very cute~~if I say so myself. There was a challenge on one of the message boards I frequent and you had to use this "frame technique". It peaked my interest, so for the first time, I participated in one of the challenges. The worst part of the challenge--not being able to use my Scor-Pal! The scoring had to be done using your trimmer and a bone folder. (I will say that I goofed up a couple of times before I was somewhat happy with the one I used on this card.) But don't worry, when we do this card in one of my classes, you will be able to use my Scor-Pal! Have a nice evening.

Color Challenge

I received the Simple Flower embosslit die today, so I had to try it out. Before I started, I had decided that I was going to use Kraft cardstock no matter what! It happens to be one of the colors that I rarely--very rarely--use. So that in itself was a little challenge to myself. I first made a little 3x3 gift card and that looked pretty nice. So I went on to bigger and better things--a 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" card. Aside from the size, I used all of the same elements. I am pleased with it and the color combination of Real Red, Kraft & Black. Find yourself some stampin' time and while you are at it, challenge yourself to use a color combination that is not at all you!