CASE Challenge from SUDSOL

Good afternoon, my friends! Did you have a good weekend? I must say, I am certainly keeping busy!!! :) PHEW.

Ginny asked about SUDSOL, and what it stood for. It's Stampin' Up! Demonstrators Sharing OnLine. :) SUDSOL. It's a group for demonstrators only, who share business tips and challenge each other and help each other. :)

Last week's challenge was of a card found in our demonstrators' magazine, Stampin' Success. So, I can't show you the card. But trust me, it was rather boring. I didn't like the original, and I'm not overly-thrilled with my version. :D But it's sparkly, and I like that. :D

 

So, I used Midnight Muse as the background - I really like that color. :) I put the brushed silver and gold through embossing folders, to get the feeling of different paper - here's a close-up of them. I think one of the things I REALLY didn't like about the original was its simplicity. I mean, I like simplicity, but not THAT much. :D And y'all know me by now - I need to have SOME texture on it. This gave that, plus a little bit of depth. No flatness here! :D

 The background is spritzed with Gold Glow and some Frost White I mixed up. Then there's the rhinestone "star" at the top of the "tree". :D And that "Greetings of the Season"? I really love the beautiful word images in this set. I hope it makes it into the new Idea Book for next year, too!!! :)

OK,I'm outta here. I hope you have a WONDERFUL day! And that you are making the time to STAMP something!!! :)

Friday is just for you today! :)

Good Friday Morning! Are you having a great day? Do you have big plans for this weekend? It's going to be GLORIOUS weather here in middle Tennessee. The trees are lovely, the sun is shining, and the sky has been truly BLUE. :)

Today's card is one I designed especially for you. I wanted to do something to show you how the new Illuminate pad works. I made sure my music staff roller was completely cleaned off, then inked it up in the Illuminate pad and rolled it on that Midnight Muse. Think Frost White Shimmer Paint meets VersaMark - it's a soft, shimmery white. It didn't quite have enough sparkle for me, though, so I used a spritzer with alcohol and Frost White Shimmer Paint in it to add just a bit more shimmer.

NOTE: That "tidings of comfort & joy" is from the WORD PLAY set, which is one of the stamp sets that Stampin' Up! is selling per stamp right now. It's such a fun stamp set! If you don't have a lot of money to invest in the whole set, I'd highly recommend taking a look at getting a few of the stamps from it while you can get them "piecemeal". :)

Here's the "recipe". If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask me!

Card stock: Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler, Midnight Muse, Brushed Gold

Ink: Illuminate, VersaMark

Stamp set: Word Play

Accessories: corner rounder, dimensionals, Music Notes standard wheel and handle, heat tool, gold embossing powder, Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Delights

That hardest part of anything I use it on is waiting for Dazzling Delights (or Crystal Effects!!!) to dry without putting my finger into it. :D

OK, I'm outta here. I guess I was kind of wordy today! LOL I would love to hear from you about the 12 Weeks projects I've shown so far this year in your email; please let me know what you think. :) I feel like I'm whistling in the dark. :D

Have a WONDERFUL weekend! Take the time to STAMP something - the holiday season starts NOW! :D

Did you miss me? :)

Hi, y'all! Sorry I didn't show up on Monday; between being sick and incredibly BUSY, I just didn't get a chance to blog. I do apologize, but every now and then, one needs to breathe. :)

Are you on my email list? If not, leave me a comment with your email address, and I'll add you in; this Friday, I'll be sending out the third in the TWELVE WEEKS OF CHRISTMAS emails. I'm HOPING to do video, if I can stop coughing long enough to tape it. :D If not, it'll be another picture tutorial - but I can't wait to share it. :)

Today's card is another SUDSOL challenge card; this challenge was to take a designated card from the Idea Book and change it up a bit if you wanted - or straight CASE it. Mine? Except for the layout, TOTALLY different. :D

Card stock: Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Brushed Gold

Ink: Cherry Cobbler

Stamp set: Greetings of the Season

Accessories: Big Shot, Labels Collection Framelits, white gel pen, corner rounder, Be of Good Cheer DSP, 1-3/8" square punch (to dovetail the ribbon), Dimensionals

It's definitely different from what I normally would do, but I like it. :D

OK, I'm outta here. Trying to pace myself; so much to do, only so much air my lungs will take in at this moment. :D Have a WONDERFUL day, and be sure to make the time to STAMP something!

Faux Mother-of-Pearl

It's FRIDAY!!! And it's only two day's until Kenn's birthday! (If you want to leave a comment to wish him a Happy Birthday, I'll pass them on!:D) Happy Birthday, Love!

Anyway. :D This isn't HIS card. It's another challenge card from SUDSOL, on a technique - they pick it, you do it and design your card around it. And I really like how this came out!

Card stock: Whisper White, Elegant Eggplant, Wistful Wisteria

Stamp set: Easy Events

Ink: Black Stazon, Wistful Wisteria

Accessories: Scallop Edge Punch, dimensionals, Frost White Shimmer Paint (Yes, it's that time of year when you should ALL invest in another bottle of that stuff! It's wonderful!), brayer, Wistful Wisteria and Elegant Eggplant Stampin' Write Markers

And I designed our Christmas card this week. :D It's gonna take some time to crank them out - but when doesn't it!?!??! :D

OK, I'm outta here. have a WONDERFUL day, and be sure to TAKE the time to stamp something! ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND!

Last Monday

Good Wednesday morning! How are you today? I have to go to my doctor's today; I cannot tell you how much I despise going. Not looking forward to it, but it's a necessary evil if I want to continue to get my medications. And MAYBE she'll help me with this awful cough!

ANYWAY. :D If you missed the free night last Monday, you missed a lot. You can go check out my review blog today for the second item I made; Monday's review was for the first. :D

We had a great time. We ate, and chatted, and checked out all the samples I brought back from Chattanooga, and looked at the cards I've made recently, and then we made this card - and I gave a handout for it, too!

The color's a TINY bit off - it's always hard with Very Vanilla and my monitor. :D The other colors are Early Espresso, Cajun Craze, Riding Hood Red, Always Artichoke, and More Mustard.

It was a fun, relaxing evening together.

I hope you can come to the next class;you can always check out my online calendar to see my schedule. And I'd LOVE to do a girls' night out with your group, or have a private class with you, or even have a party - just pick a couple of nights where nothing's showing on that calendar, and let me know! :)

OK, I'm outta here. Have a WONDERFUL day, and be sure to make the time to STAMP something!

Another Sketch Challenge Card!

Good Monday Morning!

Gravy, has my weekend been SLAMMED with stuff. And I'm coughing, STILL, and UGH. :D

Anyway. Today's share is a card that I did for a SUDSOL challenge; it was a sketch, and this is what I came up with.

Card stock: Pacific Point, Whisper White

Ink: Pacific Point, VersaMark

Stamp sets: Teeny Tiny Wishes, Chock Full-O Cheer

Accessories: Silver glimmer paper, 1-3/8" square punch, 1-3/4" circle punch, 2;1/2" scallop circle punch, white embossing powder, clear embossing powder, heat tool, Smoosh Spritz, basic rhinestones, Dimensionals

If you have ANY questions on how or what I did, please don't hesitate to ask! And YES, Ginny, that lovely Silver Glimmer Paper *is* a Stampin' Up! product. :D It's VERY sparkly!!

Have a WONDERFUL day! Be sure and make the time to STAMP something!!

Decorating Canned Gifts

Good Friday Morning! Goodness, how did we get to the first Friday in October already?!??!?!

Today, I'm doing a crossover post; if you didn't know, I started a review blog a few months back. Today's post is a review of this lemon curd; if you're interested, or just curious :D, please go check out Life's Little Pleasures! :) (Punches, DSP, and twine are © Stampin' Up!®)

Do you see what I did?!?!? Using the big shot and the scallop circle die, I cut that fabric for the lid insert in 30 seconds. And you can cut 5? 10? at a time. It will depend on your fabric thickness and what types of fiber you use. My mom got a fabric remnant box at a garage sale; I picked out the ones I wanted to use, and we passed on the rest of the remnants to someone else. But I got like 200 or so lid inserts from just a few remnants!

The label's just as easy. Because the curd needs to be refrigerated, none of the adhesives will easily stick to the jar. So, I used the decorative label punch and the modern label punch, with Whisper White card stock and Summer Smooches Designer Series Paper for the label. I hand-wrote the name of the contents, and the date of its making, onto the label and put them together with some SNAIL. I punched a 1/8" hole on either side, and used Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine to go through and tie the label on the back of the jar.

SUPER easy, and that was just without any planning. You could DEFINITELY get coordinating Stampin' Up! fabric and DSP for ALL your gifts. These would also make great merchandise for a fall bazaar, if you have things to sell!

OK, I'm OUTTA here. :D Have a WONDERFUL weekend! Be sure to take the time to STAMP something! :)

The Design That Didn't Make It

Good Wednesday! :) Hope you're having a great week! :) This post should be short and sweet compared to Monday's. :D

So. I haven't shown you the original swap design that I had almost done before I realized the stamp set was discontinued. And this isn't it, either. :D This is what I tried, to salvage ALL the card stock I had cut already! But I didn't like it ENOUGH to do a professional demo swap, you know?

Anyway. :D Here's the recipe; if you have ANY questions about how I did anything, please don't hesitate to ask!

Card stock: Crumb Cake, Cajun Craze, So Saffron, Very Vanilla

Ink: Chocolate Chip Craft, Cajun Craze, Garden Green, So Saffron, Bashful Blue, Crumb Cake

Stamp sets: Lovely as a Tree, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Accessories: Big Shot, Woodgrain texturz folder, modern label punch, sponges, dimensionals, clear embossing powder, heat tool, SNAIL

That's it! :D Have a WONDERFUL day! Take the time to stamp something!!!!

Ink Pad Maintenance

Good Monday Morning! How was your weekend? Mine was JAM-packed. Again. :D

Today I want to talk about something that I'm concerned about. Not WORRIED, per se, but I don't think it gets enough attention. And that's your ink pad maintenance.

Granted, your ink pads will last a LONG time. Especially the NEW ones; all you'll need to do is ink them once in a while. But you DO need to do that.

Currently, I'm seeing very few people purchase the re-inker when they purchase a new stamp pad. I usually hear, "I'll do it later" - and I'm guilty of that. I mean, that IS another $2.95 I can spend on something else. (Usually DIMENSIONALS, right, Mary?? :D)

But when Stampin' Up! does their color shift - and they WILL be doing one soon, I have a feeling! - you don't want to be stuck without your favorite color. AND the color batches change over time; unless they go back to the original formulas on purpose, which they did several years ago, you really can't tell too often how much they drift away from the original color. But OH, do they! For instance, the Real Red had become more pink than red, and you couldn't see it until the new formula of either card stock or ink arrived at your house.

I can't suggest this enough: if you have a favorite color of ink, purchase the re-inker at the same time as your stamp pad!

Re-inking is SUPER easy. And I have pictures to help you! :D
First, make sure you use the same color re-inker as your stamp pad. This one is Sahara Sand; the first re-inker I grabbed was Basic Black. SO not good! So double-check. Better safe than sorry! :D

 Now, open your pad and squeeze some drops of ink onto your pad. Don't forget the edges; they'll dry out faster than the middle of your pad. Even if it doesn't seem to be absorbing at first, let is sit. Then try one more drop where it didn't seem to be absorbing; you might be surprised at how quickly it gets sucked in this time! :D It takes a bit of priming, especially on the old pads. The new foam ones, I haven't had one dry out enough to have to re-ink yet.


 I remember the first time I ever re-inked my pads. It was maybe three or four years after I'd started stamping; I thought my images were still inked beautifully. :D Imagine my surprise when I stamped after re-inking!!!!

Now, another thing you can do to maintain your older pads, AND keep them from drying out too quickly, is  - well, see this little thread? It's acting like a wick, to bring ink from your pad out to where the air can dry it. And it looks messy, and if you're trying to use your pad to put ink directly on your paper, it can cause a little problem. So let's get rid of it.

Seriously. Just take your paper snips and cut it off. Or anything you cut string or ribbon with.

If you want, you can clean your pad case with a damp paper towel, I don't worry about the insides of my cases - and sometimes, not even the outside! :D I watercolor, and know that I can "clean" the case and use the ink when I do so.

 OK. I'm glad I got that off my chest. :D If you take care of your tools, they'll last you a long, long time - and you can use that money it would take to replace them for other fun things. Like GLITTER! (Right, Amy?!?! :D)

I'm OUTTA here! Have a wonderful day! Be SURE to take the time to STAMP something - QUICK! We're headed for CHRISTMAS!!!!! :D

SUDSOL Sketch Challenge Entry

Good FRIDAY Morning! Have you had a good week? I got notified today that the things I ordered for my prize are on their way here. I'm so excited! LOL!

Today, I'm showing off the card I made to meet the sketch challenge with SUDSOL this week. I really, really like it!

Now, I will tell you this: the red glitter paper scallop isn't securely stuck down. I'm out of Tombow Multi, so until I get it, there's not a lot that will make it stay down. But I really like this card!

Here's the "recipe" - if you have ANY questions about what I used, or what I did, please let me know!

Card stock: Whisper White, Real Red, Early Espresso, Silver Glitter Paper, Red Glitter Paper

Stamp sets: Lovely as a Tree, Come to Bethlehem

Ink: Whisper White craft, Always Artichoke

Accessories: Early Espresso Stampin' Write Marker, 3/4" circle punch, white embossing powder, Embossing Buddy, heat tool, Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details, Silver Sparkle Dazzling Details, Snail, Dimensionals

The card's on an easel, and it's at my eye level, so the top of the card is slanting away - that's why it seems a bit fuzzy in focus. :)

OK, I'm OUTTA here! It's going to be a busy, wonderful weekend here - hope it is for you, too!!! And don't forget to make the time to stamp SOMEthing!

New Stamp Set

Good Wednesday Morning! Are you loving the weather?!?!?!?! I am. :D Cool and crisp, and suddenly I'm getting a hankering for soups and cozy PJs. :D

So, I got this brand-spankin'-new stamp set this weekend; you might have seen it in the Holiday Mini. :) It's SEASONAL SAYINGS, from page 34.

And I'm working on another post, and I see my scrap paper, and I think, "I need to make a fall card with these colors."

And here it is. Just for you. :)

Card stock: Whisper White, Cajun Craze, More Mustard, Bravo Burgundy

Ink: Cajun Craze, More Mustard, Bravo Burgundy

Stamp sets: SEASONAL SAYINGS, LOVELY AS A TREE

That's IT. Nothing special, nothing else. :) What do you think?

OK, I'm outta here! Have a WONDERFUL day!!! And be SURE to make the time to STAMP something!

Well, you'll never believe it!

As my dear friend and professor, Dr. Marsha Ellis-Smith, would say, "Well, slap me naked and hide my clothes!" :D Why? Let me tell you the story. :D

Saturday was the Chattanooga Regional Stampin' Up! Demonstrators Convention; it was a one-day seminar for demos and their guests; we get to stamp, learn some fun things, get fun prizes, and meet with other demos from the region.

As most of you know, I was gone most of this week; because of that, I wanted to get my swaps done for the group I'm online with (I know I've mentioned SUDSOL before; it stands for STAMPIN' UP! DEMONSTRATORS SHARING ONLINE.) before we left for our trip. I did one design, and got 20 cards almost done before I realized: I'd designed it with a stamp set that was retired, and I'd not pulled it out of my collection! AUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, back to the drawing board. And the above is what I came up with. (It's pretty ME, right? Christmas and both heat and Big Shot embossing? :D)

So, back to Regional. There's a basket where you can put your swap cards; they post them for everyone to see, and I'm not sure what else they do with them.

Except pick a winner for design.

The person who was choosing couldn't choose just one. She chose two.

AND I WAS ONE OF THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm so danged excited! Ladies (and gentlemen!), you can now tell everyone that YOUR Stampin' Up! demonstrator is an award-winning designer. Yup, got a prize and everything.

I still am in shock, but can't wipe the smile off my face. :) It was a total fluke that I put a card front in the basket. I did another design for general swapping, and swapped them all out before I could put one into the basket. There are so many people at Regionals, and this was my second-choice design - I expected NOTHING. :D

So. I'm gonna go work on what I want for my Christmas cards, because that's what I'm going to use my prize for. How incredibly blessed am I?!?!??!?!

Have a WONDERFUL day! And be SURE to make the time to STAMP SOMETHING!!!!

Happy Fall!

It's another beautiful Monday morning! :D Are you ready for your week? Can you BELIEVE it's the last week in September?!?! I can't.

I went to a Stampin' Up! regional get-together this weekend; once I've got my head on straight, I'll probably be showing things from it to you. However, I'm trying to get ahead with my posting right now, so it might be a little bit before I actually get to the recent things. :D

Do you remember the card I posted on the 12th? The one we did with the hostesses, that had the leaves from LOVELY AS A TREE on it? Well, I had the card stock cut for one more card, and decided to show you how versatile that little layout could be. :) I flipped the card, so it's now a horizontal layout, and embossed the Soft Suede with the Perfect Polka Dots (I seem to be using that one quite a bit, don't I?) for some texture. The pear basket stamp is from the ALWAYS THANKFUL stamp set. I just used my Aqua Painters to color it, same as the other one. I centered the image on this one, versus placing it in the bottom right corner - but otherwise, the card's the same thing!

Can you tell I'm ready for fall? :D

OK, I'm outta here. SO much to do, and never enough time to do it in. :D Have a WONDERFUL day, and be SURE to make the time to STAMP something!

Be Well, Mary!

I hate saying goodbye. Don't you? One of my favorite songs is Boyz2Men's "It's So Hard" - you can listen to it by clicking on the title, if you don't know it. (I love a capella music, anyway. :D)

ANYWAY. Earlier this month, it was time to say goodbye to a dear friend and a great customer, Mary. She retired and moved to Iowa to be nearer her son and his family. And I'm SO glad she was able to do that; they're great people! :) But I miss Mary.

This was my little gift for her; I didn't spend a lot of time fancying up the topper, because those are the In Color dahlias, and I wanted her to feel free to take that tag apart and use them. :D

So, you see here another use for those great gusseted bags that are in the Holiday Mini. They're really nice bags; I was impressed with them! They're not going to tear or break easily, so you can load them up if you want. :)

OK, I'm outta here. Have a WONDERFUL weekend, and be SURE to make the time to stamp SOMETHING! And don't forget the ribbon special going on this month! If you want to take advantage of it, order now!!!!!

Trick or Treat!

Happy Wednesday! Are you having a good week? :) I really hope so - and that this weather sticks around. No more HOT days, please!!!!! :) (It IS the middle of September; surely it's got to be closer to fall weather, right?!?!?)

This little project is something we did at our hostess party. I wanted something that was super easy to do; some of my friends make treat packages for their office mates, and I wanted to show that it didn't take a LOT to make something really cute. :D

So that ghost? The owl punch, turned upside-down and with the feet trimmed off. Yup. that easy. Googlie eyes - and you can't beat the deal on them, just $2.50 per package! - finish off the ghost. We used the "Happy Halloween" stamp from TEENY TINY WISHES and embossed it with black embossing powder on Tangerine Tango card stock. We punched a hole through and used stitched Early Espresso ribbon to tie the bag closed. We have some wonderful fall ribbon; you can use whatever strikes your fancy. :D I didn't tie a bow, just a single knot, so it was easy to get into the candy apple for the person I gave it to. :D

I'll show you Friday what I gave Mary as a parting gift. She left over a week ago. MISS YOU, MARY!!!!!

OK, I'm outta here. :) Have a wonderful day! Be sure to make the time to stamp something!

Sixteen YEARS!

 Good Monday Morning!

Well, we made it. Kenn and I, that is. :) Made it to celebrating SIXTEEN YEARS together. In some ways, it seems like just yesterday that we were saying, "I do." In others, not so much. :D

ANYWAY. Because of everything going on around here (I'm in Missouri when you read this!), I decided to use MY DIGITAL STUDIO to make my card.

Seriously. You need to try this program out. You can do so for FREE for 30 days; check out the button on the sidebar there! It's SO easy to manipulate things, to design whatever YOU want. The words on the front are from various digital greeting sets I've purchased; I just mixed and matched and moved until I got what *I* wanted.

Oh, and in case you didn't know, our wedding colors were black, white, and red. :D (VERY me!!! :D)

For the inside, I used two stamps in MDS, then typed my message. It really couldn't be any easier! I printed off both the front and the inside, and matted them - I did use the retired ticket corner punch above, but YOU know it's one of my favorite tools of all time!

I used the  Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder on the very front of the card, to give it just a bit of texture.

So, now you've seen my anniversary card for Kenn. :D And know that we're working on year #17. And my wedding colors. If you've been around for a while, you might even know me better than I know myself... :D

Have a WONDERFUL day! Be sure and take the time to stamp something!

Christmas tag with Hostesses!

Good Friday Morning! Have you had a WONDERFUL week? I surely hope so! There's been lots flying around here, I assure you! :D

This is a fun tag we made last Friday night. It's a brand-new stamp set, called STYLIN' SNOWFOLK. It's SO much fun to use! :) (The "Merry Christmas" is from TEENY TINY WISHES. I'm telling you, if you haven't gotten that stamp set you, you really should!!!! SO versatile!!)

Colors are Cherry Cobbler, Basic Gray, Bashful Blue, Whisper White, Early Espresso, and Gumball Green. It's one of the tags from the Two Tags Die. And the snow? Allllllll covered in Dazzling Diamonds glitter. I LOVE THAT STUFF! And this uses the Big Shot, too, and we all know....
I ♥ My Big Shot!
:D
Have a WONDERFUL weekend! Be sure and take the time to STAMP something!

Fall Card with Hostesses!

Good morning! How's the week going? Are you enjoying it? :)

Today's share is one we did at our Hostess Party on Friday night. It was our last night with our friend, Mary; I've mentioned that she's retired and moving to be near her son and his family. I'm thrilled for her, but I'm SO going to miss her!

Anyway. :) It's that lovely woodgrain embossing folder again, done on Soft Suede with Soft Suede ink "highlighting" the texture.

We stamped the leaf from LOVELY AS A TREE in Chocolate Chip craft ink, then embossed with clear powder. I like doing that, because it give me a little ridge when I'm using my Aqua Painters, so the color doesn't go all over the card stock. :)

We used a little bit of Smootch ink on the acorn after we colored it in with Soft Suede; I didn't like that SUPER dark look. The pearlized surface is really reflecting the light back, so you can't even tell it's been colored! :D

Add a little sponging around the outside of the focal piece of card stock, and there you have it! :) I really, really like the woodgrain!!!! (Not that you could tell or anything.... :D)

OK, I'm outta here! Have a WONDERFUL day, and be SURE to take the time to STAMP something!

Christmas is Coming!

 Happy Monday! :) Did you have a good weekend? Did you STAMP anything? :D

Hey! Did you know I have two other blogs? You can find them in the blog list on the right side of this page. :)

Well, it's getting to that time: decide on your card design, and start in on them! :D Some of you make lots of different ones, I know; some of us make one - and make a silly amount of them. :D No matter how many times I count, I always, ALWAYS have to pull out my supplies at least twice more. And then I usually still need more, but refuse to pull it all out again. :D

I really like this one. I was trying to do something else, which turned out to be a complete DISASTER, and then decided to play with this one. :D Not too bad, right??? (Please agree...! :D )

Here's the "recipe"!

Card stock: Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler, Brushed Gold

Stamp set: Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink: VersaMark

Accessories: designer label punch, Antique Wallpaper embossing folder, Northern Flurry embossing folder, Big Shot, Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details, Cherry Cobbler embossing powder, modern label punch, heat tool, MY DIGITAL STUDIO 2 (WISHES & GREETINGS, CHRISTMAS LODGE)

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me! :) Have a WONDERFUL day! Be SURE to make the time to stamp SOMEthing!

Fall Florets Card

Good Friday Morning!
It's the last day before your weekend - has your week SEEMED shorter?? :)

Today is my 16th anniversary. Through lots of ups and lots of downs, Kenn and I have been through it TOGETHER. I'm SO blessed to have him!

Today, I'm showing you how to mat that curly label punch. Click on the photo to get it to enlarge! It's super easy, and you can change up its looks so easily!

So, I used the FABULOUS FLORETS set, along with the TRUST GOD set, to make this card. The colors are More Mustard, Cajun Craze, and Always Artichoke - with a little Very Vanilla card stock in there, too. :)

I really like the way this turned out. It's beautifully rich in real life. I'm SO ready for fall weather!! :)

So. Have a WONDERFUL weekend, and be sure to make the time to STAMP something! :D

Blessing Others

Happy Wednesday! It's a short work week; are you happy about that? :D

I want to encourage you today to do acts of kindness for others. It doesn't take much, but it sure makes you feel GOOD. :D

I have a friend who's an author, mother, wife, reviewer, makeup artist, and just plain BUSY. She posted on Facebook that her September was jam-packed, and she needed chocolate to get through it.

So guess what I did? :D Yup. I took her chocolate. It was only three Turtles, but she knew I listened. And sometimes, isn't that all we really want??

I took a Top Note diecut (Crumb Cake) and ran it through the woodgrain embossing folder. (Yes, Becky, you DO need that folder!!!!) I layered an Early Espresso modern label punch onto the designer label punch in Cherry Cobbler, and then embossed the "God Bless You" from TRUST GOD with white embossing powder. It was fast and easy - that's a 5x7 cello bag from Stampin' Up!, too. It took very little time or money to bless my friend. I love doing little things like that - even if I'm having a rotten day, it changes my attitude to do something for someone else!

OK, I'm outta here. :) Have a WONDERFUL day, and be SURE to make the time to stamp SOMEthing - and give it away!

Shark!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HAPPY LABOR DAY! I'm sorry this wasn't up first thing this morning; I honestly thought I'd preset a post, but I guess I just THOUGHT about it. Sheesh. :D

So, this is another birthday card, this time for my nephew, D. His birthday isn't until the 14th, so I feel pretty good about getting it all ready. :D The last I heard, he wanted to be a marine biologist, and loved sharks. (What 10-year-old-boy doesn't?!?! :D) So, this is specifically for him.

I have to admit, I had no clue where to start. So I searched for "punch art shark", and this is one I came up with - you can see her original here.

Of course I tweaked it a bit. ;D And I LOVE LOVE LOVE my background on this card. The color is Pool Party - what else?!? :D I took some plastic wrap and bunched it up - I've been teaching this easy technique for YEARS! - and used it to dab VersaMark onto my card stock. Then, I took Iridescent Ice embossing powder and poured it all over. After heating it, I used Shimmery White card stock to make "bubbles".

Tell me what you think! :D Punch art is so much fun - it's so fun to take something like oval and heart punches and make them into an animal! :D

OK, I'm outta here. Got to get busy so I have more stuff to show you! :D Have a WONDERFUL day! I hope you make the time to STAMP something today!!!!

A HAPPY card! :D

Phew. Just in time! HAPPY FRIDAY!!! :)

D: if you're reading this, don't show it to the kinder, unless the card's already been received. Which would shock me. :D

This weekend is my 5-year-old niece's birthday. A. told me during their visit that she wants to become a paleontologist. And she wanted me to tell her everything I knew about dinosaurs.

Heavens. LOL!

So, I found this video on making the little hatchling; I did tweak it a tiny bit, and got one of the paws in the wrong place, but I think it's just too cute for words! :D

The colors are Certainly Celery, Daffodil Delight, Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Basic Black, and Melon Mambo. I used the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder and the Hearts framelits for the base card; the "happy birthday" (which I squished a little! ) is from TEENY TINY WISHES. If you DO try this one, know that I made her spike longer, to make her a little more feminine, and that I used the largest circle punch for the egg, and just cut it. :D It worked, I think! (I'm an AWFUL scissors-user!!!!)

OK, I'm outta here. Tomorrow is September 1! EEK! The year is FLYING by - I hope the weekend doesn't. :D Have a WONDERFUL day! Be sure to STAMP something!

Isn't it time for there to be HAPPY happenings?

I know you're getting tired of seeing them, but my need for sympathy cards continues. I liked that color combo so much last week, I decided to go there again. And I already had the woodgrain embossed piece. I used More Mustard on the leaves on the tree; some of it's more intense than the rest, which gives it that great varied look. I'm so glad Stampin' Up!®'s not gotten rid of LOVELY AS A TREE; it's a perfect set for sympathy cards.

If you have any questions about this card, please ask me! :)

Have a wonderful day! Be sure to stamp SOMETHING! (And send it to me! I need happy mail! LOL!)

Monday with Gratitude

 How was your weekend? Did you accomplish lots - or did you take the opportunity to enjoy your family, maybe get some rest? :)

Today's share is a card I made just to share with you. If you've heard my story about joining Stampin' Up!®, you probably know that, when I first started stamping, I thought I'd love to color. AUGH! :D It's soooo time-consuming; anymore, if I'm making a card for my own use, it has to be fast and easy. That's one of the reasons I love SU!; no matter what your style, it works with SU! :)

So, without further ado, here's the recipe. :)

Card stock: Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White, Crumb Cake, Certainly Celery

Ink: VersaMark, Cherry Cobbler, Crumb cake, Wild Wasabi, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue

Stamp sets: Always Thankful, Trust God

Accessories: Early Espresso Embossing Powder, heat tool, Aqua Painters, piercing tool, piercing mat, piercing template, Snail adhesive.

If you have ANY questions about how I did something, please ask! And remember: you can see any photo in the size I uploaded it by clicking on it. :)

OK, I'm outta here. It's one of THOSE days, where nothing I touch seems to be turning out right. But I have too much to do to not DO. LOL!

Have a WONDERFUL day! Be sure to take the time to stamp SOMEthing. (Or someONE, if your day's like mine.... :D )

More sympathy!

Good Friday Morning!

Well, I seem to be getting to that point in life where friends and family are either losing loved ones or being lost more often. :( So these types of cards are more necessary for my personal use than ever.

I really, REALLY like this one. It's the woodgrain on a scallop circle diecut card, with the ridges hit with Crumb Cake ink. The tree from LOVELY AS A TREE is embossed with Chocolate Chip craft ink and clear embossing powder, as is the "With Sympathy" from TEENY TINY WISHES. The banner is made with More Mustard; I used my Aqua Painters and Garden Green, Bashful Blue, More Mustard, and Crumb Cake inks to color in the medallion. I think this card is serene without being gloomy.

OK, I'm outta here. Rough week. Thank you for continuing to come to my blog! :) Doing things to share with you helps me stay connected.

So, now YOU take the time to STAMP SOMETHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Scraps!

Good morning! I hope you're having a great week.

It's definitely been an interesting, exhausting, emotional one here. I'd like you to meet our family's newest addition, my niece, Naomi. :) Isn't she beautiful?!?!

OK, now back to work. :D

I made this card with things I'd already punched or cut; the only thing that wasn't done was the "Merry Christmas" modern label. But that was simple enough to put together! :D


The gingerbread are stamped and embossed, and cut with the Big Shot! (Hey, I haven't done this one in a LONG time! Ready?!? :D I ♥ My Big Shot! SOMEONE, make me a bumper sticker! :D)

Colors are Early Espresso, Winter White, Cherry Cobbler, and Gumball Green. :D

If you have any specific questions, LMK. :D

I'm outta here. Have a WONDERFUL day, and be SURE to take the time to STAMP something!

Monday with Woodgrain

Good Monday Morning! How are you today? Did you get a chance to stamp anything this weekend? I didn't.

We didn't have a very good weekend. Please pray for my family as we walk through a devastating loss together. Thank you!

This is a card I put together in about five minutes this morning. I can't decide if it's going to be a sympathy card, or just a "Thinking of You" card. I've got SO many cards! If you want to purchase any, just let me know!!! :)

So, this one uses the woodgrain embossing folder in a quite different way than I showed you last week; I thought it complimented the tree quite well. :D I colored the stamp with Stampin' Write markers - those colors are Island Indigo, Pool Party, Wild Wasabi, Real Red, Crumb Cake, and Whisper White. The stamp set is EASY EVENTS. It's the same fold as the sympathy card I showed you - I think Monday last week? Maybe the week before. :)

ANYWAY. I'm outta here. I hope you have a WONDERFUL day, and be SURE to take the time to STAMP something!!!!

Fun with embossing folders, Day 2!

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Have you had a good week? Big plans for the weekend? Gonna STAMP something? :D

This is the second new embossing folder to finish out the week, Holiday Frame. It's Night of Navy again, but I inked the top of the embossing with Whisper White ink, and then embossed it with the Iridescent Ice EP. The star inside, as well as the saying on the modern label punch, are from COME TO BETHLEHEM; they're both embossed with Silver EP.

I really like this card and its simplicity. What do you think? I wish we still sold the silver cording; that would add a nice touch. And it's much more sparkly IRL. :D

OK, I'm outta here. Busy weekend; I'm performing some historical monologs at the Wilson County Fair on Friday and Saturday! Come see me! :)

Enjoy your weekend. Be sure and take the time to stamp something!

Fun with embossing folders, day 1!

Good Wednesday morning! How is your week going? Are you having a good one? Done any STAMPING this week?? :D

So, I spent Tuesday afternoon designing *just* for you, my dear blog readers. I'm still recuperating from being gone last week, so it was a little touch-and-go when I started. But I came up with two cute little projects for you, one today and one Friday. I hope you'll let me know what you think! :)

Today's does use a non-Stampin' Up! die, the bare tree. I received it from a dear friend several years ago (Thanks, Becky!), and don't get a chance to use it too often. Since it's for my personal gallery, you get to see it! :D

The tree is embossed with the new Woodgrain embossing folder; it's Soft Suede card stock, and I inked the embossed ridges with Soft Suede ink. The swirls on the Night of Navy are from SCENTSATIONAL SEASON; they're stamped with Whisper White ink and embossed with Iridescent Ice EP. The owl is punched with Very Vanilla, and sponged just a bit around the edges with Soft Suede. The heart/beak is punched from Pumpkin Pie. The Googlie Eyes are so fun; I love to just shake the whole package and watch them dance! :D The moon is a 1-1/4" circle punched from Very Vanilla; I pushed it into Very Vanilla ink, and then embossed it with clear; it looks pretty realistic IRL! :D

So, what do you think? :D

I'm outta here! Lots to do today! :) Have a wonderful day, and be SURE to make time to STAMP something! :)

It must be genetic... :D

Today I want to share with you my treasures from the past week. Yes, my two youngest nieces love to PAPERCRAFT. Actually, all the kids do - but these treasures are from them. :D

 

The trove of treasures!

 

 

This one is from my dear, sweet niece, A. She handed it to me the FIRST day I got to visit with them! the front is beautifully decorated, too, but this is the part that's super special. :)

 

This is from niece M. It's a camera! See? She made this for me the last day we spent with them, after I and Uncle Kenn spent time outside taking pictures of them. And I know you can't see from this photo, but it says:

say ch

ee

se

Too adorable for words, right?!?!?!

 

Again, from niece A. The flowers under the birds are their nests. Isn't that CLEVER? Thinking outside of the box!

 

This final one is also from niece A. It's my portrait! Be sure to enlarge the photo to see it. I had to "sit completely still" while she drew it. ;)

The reason I'm showing you more from A. than from M. is that M. tends to draw with pretty light pink crayons, and it just doesn't show up too well. :/ But they both blessed me with lots of artwork. Even my 3-year-old nephew, N., got into the act the last day; if you look at the first photo, there's a dark blue folded piece in the down left corner. He drew on it for me, then folded it up until it was throw-able and came in and hit me in the chest with it, and laughed uproariously. :D

OK, I'm outta here. Have a wonderful day! Be sure and take the time to stamp SOMETHING, will ya?!?! :D

Sad need

 Good Friday morning! I hope you've had a wonderful week!

Today, I'm sharing a sympathy card. One of my best friends from Ohio lost his father last week, much more suddenly than his family thought. We can't go up to pay our respects, so I needed to make a card for him.

I feel like this color combination isn't too somber, but is enough so for the need. It's Whisper White, Gumball Green, and Early Espresso. The stamps are from BLESSINGS FROM HEAVEN. I really like that stamp set; it's very versatile. I embossed the front verse with the new Early Espresso embossing powder from the Holiday Mini.

The designer series paper is from the BE OF GOOD CHEER pack. This side isn't necessarily Christmas, but I like it anyway. :D

There's plenty of room to write on the inside, too, so I will take my white gel pen and try to come up with something to say that doesn't sound like empty words. It's so difficult to know what to say - I'm glad he knows I'm praying for him, and that we love him. There's not much else I can do.

OK, I'm out of here. Enjoy your weekend! Be sure and take the time to STAMP something!!!

Santa Basket!

Happy Wednesday! Have you enjoyed the CHRISTMAS IN JULY shares so far? This is the last one; that's right, there were FIVE projects for the night!

This basket is actually from Lisa Young, a fellow demonstrator. She's got lots of awesome projects! I modified some of the decor, but kept most of it the same. :)

The colors are easy: Real Red, Whisper White, Very Vanilla, Pretty in Pink, and Basic Black card stocks. Super easy!

I used the new Snow Flurry Bigz die; I don't care much for the snowflakes on their own, but they're stunning when you stack them!

We did his eyes the old way; Lisa's used glitter brads for them, too. I love using the red one for his cherry nose, but I like his eyes my way. :) I do have to tell you: I cannot, for the life of me, cut his mustache the way she did. I like hers MUCH better! :)

OK, I'm outta here. :) Have a wonderful day, and be sure to make the time to stamp something!!!!

Holiday Collection Framelits Card

Welcome to another Monday. :D Did you have a good weekend? Did you STAMP anything???

This card is the fourth project from our CHRISTMAS IN JULY stamp camp. It uses SCENTSATIONAL SEASON and CHOCK-FULL-OF-CHEER, vanilla and peppermint scratch-n-sniff powders, and the Holiday Collection Framelits. Don't forget your white gel pen! (Reminds me, I need to get a new one...) :D This is such a fun technique! You can use it with any of our framelits. :)

Are you beginning to wish you'd come??? Yeah, I thought so. :D

OK, I'm outta here. A house full of kids to enjoy today! :D Have a wonderful day, and be SURE to take the time to STAMP something!

Another ornament to share!

It's FRIDAY! Do you have big plans for the weekend? Are your kids back in school? Most of the kids around here headed back this week; a few go back next week. So I'm sure families all around me are trying to get back into their routines.

Me? I'm going to be finalizing cleaning and packing, waiting for my sister and my eight nieces and nephews to arrive Sunday. :)

Today's share is an ornament we did at the CHRISTMAS IN JULY stamp camp. That's the new cotton ribbon in the Holiday Mini; you can easily stamp on it, so we did. :D The inside is a piece of Crumb Cake card stock, rolled with Music Notes and cut into strips - which are then curled and inserted inside. There's a little champagne glass glitter in there, too.

Super easy, and you could brighten it up if you wanted with different colors. I kind of like this muted ornament; it would look classy on a tree with white lights! :)

OK, I'm outta here! Enjoy your weekend, and be SURE to take the time to STAMP something!

Don't you have to smile back?

Welcome to Wednesday! :D And AUGUST! Happy Retirement to my dear friend, Mary, who has been my faithful stamping companion for the last three? four? years. She is going to be moving away from me soon, and I will miss her enormously - but I'm grateful for her friendship, and that she has a wonderful family to enjoy now. God bless you, Mary and Ev, as you start a NEW chapter in your lives. I love you!

Now, then, before I start bawling :D, meet today's project. He's a snowman made from Crystal Effects. Isn't he beautiful?! Doesn't he just make you smile? So super easy! You could make a BUNCH of these; they're even kid-friendly projects! If you make them, be sure to store them between layers of waxed paper so they don't stick to each other. :) And keep them as dry as possible while storing.

OK, I'm outta here! Enjoy your day - and be SURE to make the time to STAMP something!