A Sweet Gift

Hi there!  Just wanted to show you this adorable business card holder that Pam D'Urso made and sent to me!  It also came with a pretty card but I accidentally deleted the photo from my camera and I don't have time to take another one today.  Isn't it just too cute?  Speaking of Pam, I'm in the midst of getting ready to hit the road to her house for some stamping FUN!  Pam has invited the Pieces of Heart Stampers and adoptees for a girls weekend!  It will be crazy fun!  Thus the reason for this abbreviated post. Sorry!  I'll be back with a post on Monday.  Must run.  Thank you for coming by today and have a great weekend! 

Oh, Hello

Hi there and Happy Memorial Day!  A big thank you to our military (past and present) for keeping our nation free!  Hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend.  I've been in cleaning mode.  Not fun but very necessry.  I've neglected things around here way too long!  Enough about that.  Here's information about the card today that was made at Carla's Buffet.  The stamp set used is Oh, Hello, which appeared in the Stampin' Up! Spring catalog - and is carrying over into the new annual catalog!  Oval Framelits were used to cut out the two larger ovals and a punch was used on the butterfly image.  The bottom Cherry Cobbler portion was embossed with the Honeycomb embossing folder.

All Stampin' Up! supplies used unless otherwise noted:
Stamps: Oh, Hello
Paper: Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, White
Ink: Early Espresso, So Saffron
Other: Taffeta ribbon, honeycomb embossing folder, framelits, oval punch

Sorry for the quick post but must get back to work before I lose my cleaning mojo!  lol   Safe travels to those on the road and thanks for including me in your travels via internet today!

Patterned Occasions Get Well

Hi there and happy Friday!  This week sure went fast.  Ha!  They all seem to go fast these days!  So, I won't waste your time - just get right to the card du jour.  This sample was made at Carla Spradling's Card Buffet back in February.  Unfortunately, some of the products are no longer available since they were Sale-a-bration (SAB) items.  The Band-Aides from the Patterned Occasions set were stamped, then cut out and popped up on Dimensionals.



All Stampin' Up! supplies used unless otherwise noted
Stamps: Patterned Occasions (SAB), Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Summer Starfruit, Sycamore Street DSP (SAB), Sahara Sand, White
Ink: Calypso Coral, Island Indigo, Summer Starfruit
Other: Word Window punch, Sycamore Street button pack (SAB), linen thread, Scallop border punch, corner rounder, snips, Perfect Polka Dot embossing folder


Must run to get started packing for a trip to Pam D'Urso's "Little House on the Prairie Retreat"!  The Pieces of Heart team members (and adoptees) will gather at Pam's for a weekend of stamping FUN!!!!  We are having a shoebox swap - a one layer card.  Yikes, what a challenge!  It's OK, I have mine ready to go.  Pam mentioned that we will also be playing Bingo.  Played that at her sister, Penny's, retreat in Texas a few years ago and it was a lot of fun.  OK, really must run.  Have a great weekend and thank you so much for stopping by today!

Artistic Vintage

Hi there!  Found this card posted on Joan Robertson's blog here while surfing the internet and decided to CASE (Copy And Share Everything) it.  Joan has some informative videos, including a series on how to "step-up" a card.  If you get a chance, take a look.  Some of the products used will soon be retired - in just a little over a week!  So sad.  It's always difficult to say good-bye.  

All Stampin' Up! supplies used unless otherwise noted
Stamps: Artistic Etchings, French Foliage (both sets retiring)
Paper: Crumb Cake, Vanilla, Wisteria Wonder
Ink: Black StazOn, Crumb Cake, Sahara Sand, Wisteria Wonder
Other: Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder (retiring), Wisteria Wonder 3/8" Ruffled Ribbon (retiring)

Remember - you only have until May 31st to order the retiring products!  Well actually, Stampin' Up! is extending the time period through June 3rd (or while supplies last).

That's it for now.  Thanks for checking out the blog today!  

Be Happy!

Hi there!  Yesterday I planned to have some maintenance done on my car, which didn't quite pan out -  our son came by for a visit.  That beats out car stuff any day!  It was good to see him up and about since his knee surgery last Thursday.  And, of course, mom fed him lunch.  Nothing wrong with his appetite!  lol 

Today's card is one that I made at Carla Spradling's Card Buffet.  The Honeycomb embossing folder is the perfect background for those cute bee images from the Spring Sampler set (retiring Jun 3rd).  The sentiment is from Memorable Moments. 

All Stampin' Up! supplies used unless otherwise noted
Stamps: Spring Sampler, Memorable Moments
Paper: Black, Daffodil Delight, White
Ink: Black, Daffodil Delight marker
Other: Honeycomb embossing folder, Black Scallop Dots ribbon, Dimensionals

OK, must run.  Thanks for stopping by today!

Another Peacock!

Hi there!  I was having fun over the weekend with the peacock single stamp from the World Treasures stamp set.  I should have just gone ahead and purchased the whole set since I really like all of the images.  What was I thinking?  Anyway....back to the card.  The top layer was embossed with the new Modern Mosaic embossing folder after cutting out the middle section with the Labels Collection Framelits. (Hint: You always want to do your embossing last so that the raised areas don't get flattened.)  The peacock was stamped on a 2-1/2" circle and colored with markers.  The Gumball Green panel is popped up on Dimensionals.  My ribbon treatment consisted of twisting some Midnight Muse and Summer Starfruit satin ribbon.  Something different - at least for me.
The embossing folder will be available for purchase on May 31st when the new 2013-14 Stampin' Up! catalog makes its debut - a day early!  Actually, you'll be able to order from all three catalogs that day!  I don't think that has ever happened before.

All Stampin' Up! supplies used unless otherwise noted
Stamps: World Treasures Peacock - single stamp
Paper: Midnight Muse, Summer Starfruit, Gumball Green, White
Ink: Midnight Muse, Summer Starfruit, Gumball Green markers
Other: Labels Collection Framelits, Modern Mosaic embossing folder, satin stitched ribbon, Dimensionals

My heart goes out to the families in Oklahoma trying to pick up the pieces (no pun intended) after a tornado hit the area.  Is it just me, or does it seem that we are having more devastating tornadoes these days?  Seems like the country is just having weird weather in general.

Well, must run for now.  Thank you for visiting today!  You're visits are always appreciated!

Mosaic Peacock

Hi there and happy Monday to you!  I spent some time in the studio over the weekend and this card was one of the projects.  The Crumb Cake panel was in my scrap bin - something I had brayered and threw aside.  I pulled it out and used the new Modern Mosaic embossing folder that will be available in the new Stampin' Up! catalog May 31st!  Love it!  I double embossed the panel with the Delicate Designs embossing folder following Dawn Olchefske's tutorial, which can be seen here.  Dawn didn't use any tabs on her Big Shot.  I found it necessary to use at least one tab and build up my shim for the Designer Frame embossing folder for my machine.  Each Big Shot is different so you'll have to experiment.  The peacock image (a single stamp from the World Treasures set) was stamped in Midnight Muse and colored in with Summer Starfruit and Gumball Green markers.

Sorry for the quick post but I have errands to run today.  Thank you so much for stopping by!

Let's Face It!

Hi there!  Another week has flown by.  I had planned to post on Thursday but a turn of events changed that plan.  (This is a little long so if you don't want to read personal material, skip on down to the card information in the next paragraph.)  Our son was scheduled for out-patient knee surgery at 2:30 pm on Thursday.  We were on our way to the facility when our DIL contacted us saying they took him into the OR (at 1:30).  The surgery was about forty-five minutes and went fine.  We waited for him to go to his recovery room so we could see him.  DIL had to leave at 3 pm to be home when our granddaughter got home from school.  Surprisingly, they let DIL go back to see him before she left.  When she came out she was upset because they told her that our son was experiencing some throat spasms after having the breathing tube removed and he was having difficulty breathing - his oxygen level was in the 70's.  They told her he'd be in there for another 2 hours.   Hubby and I did not get to see our son until 6 pm when he was taken to a room to stay overnight for observation.  Talk about a nerve wracking wait!  I let DIL know that son was being kept overnight.  She came back to the hospital with their daughter in tow.  Hubby and I finally left about 7:30 pm with our granddaughter, who was spending the night with us.  Friday our son was released so I went to pick up DIL (she went home with a friend), then headed to the hospital.  After making sure son was in their car OK and kissing everyone goodbye, I headed back into the hospital to visit a friend who had been admitted on Tuesday.  Once I got home, I crashed and burned - took a six hour nap!  Thanks for hanging in there for this portion of the post.  I try to refrain from posting too much personal information because you're here for stamping. 

So with that in mind, let's get to the card.  This was one of the samples on our Card Buffet, which could be either a birthday or a Father's Day card.  The buttons were made by punching out a black 3/4" circle, then punching a 1" circle around the negative of the 3/4" circle, to make a ring.  Glue that ring onto a 1" circle.  Make "button holes" by punching holes with a 1/8" hand-held punch.

All Stampin' Up! supplies used unless otherwise noted

Stamps: Wacky Wishes 

Paper: Black, Daffodil Delight, Pink Pirouette, Real Red, White

Ink: Black

Tools:  Bird punch, 1” circle, 3/4” circle, 1/2” circle, 1/8" punch, corner rounder

Other:  Linen thread, White gel pen, Dimensionals, threader

Inspiration: Sandy Allnock    http://sandyallnock.com  posted Apr 27, 2012

Time to go back to bed.  Thank you for coming by today!

Elegant Eleanor

Hi there and happy Wednesday!  Gosh, I can't believe the week is almost over already!  Where did the time go?  Seems to be the way of life these days.  Hope you're having a good week.

Mary Hoganmiller had this card on her Apr 5th blog post, which I chose to CASE (Copy And Share Everything).  I used a different embossing folder, changed the ribbon treatment a bit, and chose not to put a sentiment on the front.  Guess those small changes make it my own!  lol

All Stampin' Up! supplies used unless otherwise noted  

Stamps: Everything Eleanor 

Paper: Certainly Celery, White 

Ink: Certainly Celery, Pink Pirouette 

Tools:  Elegant Lines EF (retiring May 31, 2013), scissors 

Other:  3/8” Certainly Celery taffeta ribbon, 1-1/4” two-tone Pink Pirouette ribbon (both retire May 31), pearls – large & medium 

Inspiration: Mary Hoganmiller    http://www.stampinmary.com   posted April 2013

Must sign off for now get some tasks crossed off the to-do list before heading out to Carla's Card Buffet later.  Thanks for coming by today! 

A Special Wedding

Hi there!  Well yesterday I was about ready to head to the airport to pick up our daughter and her fiance by 9:15 am.  She called to let me know that their flight was delayed for a mechanical malfunction.  They had to catch another flight and didn't get in until 4:45 pm!  What a long day for them!  They were so happy to be home.  We'll go out for brunch (or dinner) another day.  At least I got grocery shopping out of the way while killing time!  lol

Isn't the above card gorgeous?  It has so many intricate and lovely details. (Disclaimer here - not all products are Stampin' Up!)  A friend made it for me when we were at the Crop for the Cure last month.  It definitely isn't a card you just slip into an envelope and mail.   A special card should go to a special couple.  Hmmm, our daughter perhaps when she gets married next year?  We'll see!

That's it for today.  Need to work on some new projects for our June Card Buffet.  Hope you're having an awesome day and thanks for stopping in!

Oh, Whale!

Hi there and happy Monday to you!  Hope all you moms had a wonderful Mother's Day.  I had a quiet day relaxing after a hectic week.  Saturday we had a wonderful turnout for our Card Buffet.  Thank you ladies so much for a fun day and for your support!  Funny story - I mentioned to some friends sitting at one of the tables that my youngest daughter and fiance were visiting her sister in FL to check out the beaches for their wedding.  Then one of the gals at the next table (who I met about a month ago) asked my oldest daughter's name.  She told me they went to high school together and just recently connected on Facebook!  That is so funny considering we moved from that school district over 25 years ago.  Small world, huh? 
Well back to the above card, which was on our Buffet last month.  I just love this Oh, Whale! set.  (It will only be available for a couple more weeks.  Get it while you can.)  The set contains several different sentiments.  I chose the "get whale soon" for the inside of the card.

All Stampin Up! supplies used unless otherwise noted. 

Stamps: Oh, Whale! 

Paper: Pacific Point, White, Daffodil Delight, Sunshine & Sprinkles DSP – wave pattern (2013 Spring catalog) 

Ink: Marina Mist, Pacific Point, Black Sharpie 

Tools:  Cloudy Day Embossing Folder, Happy Whale Sizzlit, Itty Bitty Flower punch, Edgelits – Finishing Touches, stylus (to use on flower), Stampin’ Pierce mat 

Other:  Pearls - small for eye (color with Sharpie) and medium size for center of flower, Dimensionals, glue pen, Dazzling Diamonds, glue dots, clear blocks 

Inspiration: Sandi MacIver   http://stampingwithsandi.com  posted Jan 30, 2013 

It's another busy week of running.  Today I'll be picking up my daughter and her fiance from the airport.  Then we're going out for a belated Mother's Day brunch.  Hope you have a great week.  Thank you for visiting today!

Blooming Kindness

Hi there.  Unfortunately, this week seems to be the week for sympathy cards.  My good friend's mother passed away so I sent the above card. 

All Stampin' Up! supplies used unless otherwise noted
Stamps:  Blooming with Kindness, So Sorry, Blessings from Heaven (inside sentiment)
Paper: Crumb Cake, Early Espresso,Vanilla
Ink: Crumb Cake, Early Espresso
Other: Dotted Scallop Ribbon border punch, Crumb Cake taffeta ribbon, negative shape of Labels Framelits used as stencil, Essentials Paper-Piercing Pack

Sorry this is so short today but must tackle some items on my To-Do list before leaving for the visitation this afternoon.
Thank you so much for stopping in today.  Your visits are much appreciated.

Upsy Daisy - Best of Flowers

Hi there!  Hope your week is going well.  I intended to post much earlier but that didn't happen.  I've been busy with different projects and making sure everything is ready for our Card Buffet this Saturday. 
Today's card is from Sally Nusbaum's Card Buffet last month.  The Best of Birthdays set was used for this project.  (Stampin' Up! is presenting a Best of... set each month throughout the year to commemorate their 25th anniversary.)  The Upsy Daisy stamp from the set was first stamped with Daffodil Delight ink and then repeated with Pumpkin Pie and Tempting Turquoise inks.  The sentiment is from the You are Loved set, which is retiring the end of the month so get it while you can.

All Stampin' Up! supplies used unless otherwise noted
Stamps: Best of Birthdays, You are Loved
Paper: Vanilla
Ink: Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Tempting Turquoise

Gonna sign off now and go to bed.  Thanks for coming by today!

Feeling Sentimental and French

Hi there!  The Stampin' Up! Feeling Sentimental stamp set was a freebie during SAB (Sale-a-bration).  I didn't have a chance to use it until this past weekend.  The French Foliage stamp set and First Edition Designer Series Paper used will be retiring May 31, 2013.  (Get them while you can!)   Sandy Mathis was the inspiration for this card.  You can view her card here.

All Stampin' Up! supplies used unless otherwise noted
Stamps: Feeling Sentimental, French Foliage
Paper: Crumb Cake, Black, Vanilla, First Edition DSP
Ink: Crumb Cake, Black
Other: flower punch from Itty Bitty punch pack, pearls

It's a busy week - making final preparations for our Card Buffet on Saturday.  So I must get back to it.  Thank you for visiting today!  Do come back.

Tick, Tock Another Clock....

...Clockworks sample, that is.  Hi there and happy Monday to you!  Hope your weekend was great.  It rained here all weekend, making for some gray days.  I was having fun at a two day crop so it didn't bother me!  The Clockworks card was a CASE (Copy And Share Everything) of Erna Logtenberg's card, which can be seen here.  A few minor changes were made - making it my own.  Had to use the Stamp-a-ma-jig to get the clock face positioned correctly.  I feel that this card makes a great masculine birthday card - or even a  retirement card.  What do you think?

All Stampin' Up! supplies used unless otherwise noted
Stamps:  Clockworks, Bring on the Cake
Paper: Gumball Green, White
Ink: Gumball Green, Midnight Muse
Other: Snips, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Dimensionals

Must run now to meet my daughter and some friends for lunch.  Have a great day and thanks for coming by today! 

Wish Big!

Hi there and happy Friday!  Today is our youngest daughter's birthday. Happy Birthday, Baby Girl - we love you!!!   I made the above card for her.  The sentiment is from Word Play.  (I sure will miss that set when it retires the end of this month.)  The body of the mouse is from the wing of the Bird punch and his tail is double-punched from the owl punch (along one side).  A circle from the Itty Bitty punch folded over about one third of the way made his little ear.  I made a template for the cheese and just punched holes at random.  I meant to put a rhinestone in the star but forgot.  Oh well.

All Stampin' Up! supplies used unless otherwise noted
Stamps:  Word Play
Paper: Crumb Cake, Daddodil Delight, Real Red, White
Ink: Black, Crumb Cake
Other: bird punch, owl punch, circle punches, Real Red 1/8" taffeta ribbon

Need to scoot to pack up for a crop this weekend.  Thank you so much for visiting today!  Have a great weekend!

Time to Take Note

Hi there!  It was a very busy day today so this will be short so I can complete some tasks before turning in early tonight. 
The above notepad was another make n take project at the Stampin' Up! Regional held here in St Louis last month.  The color combination is basically the same as yesterday's card, with the exception of Calypso Coral and More Mustard.  The gray cover was scored in both directions at every half inch.  It adds a bit of dimensional interest - along with the clear vintage faceted designer buttons.

OK, that's it for now.  Thanks for dropping in today!

Regional Clockworks

Hi there and happy hump day!  Had to run a few errands this morning.  What a beautiful day!  That is supposed to change tonight or tomorrow with temps dropping down into the 50's.  Oh well, it will be summer soon enough!   Now for the card.  It was one of the make n take projects Stampin' Up! provided at the St Louis Regional.  My first impression was ehh, so-so.  It has a young, funky flair and is not "my style" of card but it has really grown on me. So much so, that I ordered the stamp set!  I like the color combination and the unique way the Bakers Twin is wrapped around the card front, too.  A stencil was used to make the Gumball Green border and circles, which we made by using a scrap piece of cardstock and punching out circles in a random pattern.  Gumball Green ink was then sponged on with a dauber.  We finished the card with a little stamping and embellishing.

All Stampin' Up! supplies used unless otherwise noted
Stamps: Clockworks, One in a Million (sentiment)
Paper: White, Gray, Pool Party
Ink: Gray, Pool Party, Gumball Green
Other: Pool Party Bakers Twine, Naturals Designer Buttons, 1-1/4 circle punch, sponge daubers

Must scoot to tackle a few items on my to-do list.  Hope you enjoy your day and thank you for stopping in to visit!