Just Believe

Hi there and happy Monday!  Most of the nation is digging out from the snow storm this past weekend.  A ton of schools and businesses are closed today.  The last time I recall snow like this was the Blizzard of  '82.  Remember that storm?  The really dangerous thing is the temperature, which is -1 with a wind chill of -19 here in St. Lous.  Brrrr!!!  Bundle up if you have to go out!  I'll be in my stamp room all warm and cozy preparing for our Card Buffet scheduled for Saturday.  We may have to reschedule, depending on the weather later this week.  OK, enough chit chat.  Let's get to the card.  I was saving this one for a class but for whatever reason that didn't happen and now the stamp set, Just Believe, has retired.  I really like the layout and there's a chance that it still may make an appearance at some point, only in different colors and stamps. 

All Stampin' Up! supplies used unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Just Believe
Paper: Always Artichoke, Calypso Coral, Vanilla, Always Artichoke DSP
Ink: Always Artichoke
Other: Framed Tulips embossing folder, flower punch from Itty Bitty punch pack, Pearls, sheer ribbon (non-SU!)

That's all for now.  Hope you stamp the day away and, as always, thanks for stopping in today!

Serene Memories

Hi there - happy voting day!  It sure will be nice not hearing all the political mud slinging after today.  I'm just saying!
Above is a card CASE'd from Connie Stewart.  The only thing I changed was the sentiment. How perfect the birds in the tree image from Serene Silhouettes captures that wintery look!  Brrrr 

Stampin' Up! supplies used unless otherwise noted 

Stamps: Serene Silhouettes, Loving Thoughts 

Paper: Glossy White, Night of Navy, White 

Ink: Night of Navy, Marina Mist, Daffodil Delight, Tangerine Tango, Black 

Tools:  Framed Tulips Embossing Folder, 1” circle punch 

Other:  Post It Notes, sponges, acrylic blocks 
Inspiration: Connie Stewart  www.simplysimplestamping.com

That's it for now.  Be sure to vote today and thanks for coming by!
 

Paisley Petals

Hi there!  Real quick post so I can get to bed.  Stamp Camp went really well today.  Tomorrow I have another one.  Anyway..... on to the card for today.  It was a super easy one - and the only stamping done was for the inside sentiment.  Designer Series Paper (retired Paisley Petals) was used.  The base is Bravo Burgundy with an embossed Marina Mist panel (Framed Tulips embossing folder).

That's it for now.  Have a great weekend and thank you for coming by today!

Easter

Hi there and happy Friday!  Boy this week flew by.  Just stopping by real quick to show you an Easter card we made a few weeks ago at the Wednesday stamp group.  Thanks to my friend for bringing the instructions for this cool technique to the group.  Unfortunately, I don't know where she got the idea. (I'll edit later with that information)

Stamps: Your choice for inside sentiment
Paper: Very Vanilla, Pool Party, Lucky Limeade, Everyday Enchantment DSP
Ink: Your choice
Other: Framed Tulips embossing folder, Scallop Trim corner punch, Pool Party ruffled ribbon

Need to scoot to finish some things before the granddaughter wakes up and we get ready to head out for daycare.

Have a Happy Easter and thank you for stopping by today!

Field of Flowers and French Foliage

Happy Friday everyone!  Sorry for being MIA this week.  I've had a busy and fun week, which seems to accelerate time!  Monday our granddaughter spent the night, Tue was our monthly Demo dinner meeting, Wed was spent with the Wednesday Girls, and last night I had dinner at my daughter's house.  So that's why there hasn't been much activity HERE.  So sorry!

Have you ever had  cauliflower "mashed potatoes"?  I've had them twice in a period of a week.  Love them!  I could barely tell that they weren't mashed potatoes.  Plus they are healthier - you get the benefits of those antioxidants!  My friend made them Sat, then my daughter served them last night.  Today I have to go grocery shopping (that necessary chore) so you can bet I'm gonna stock up on some cauliflower!  Enough blabbering about food.  Guess you want to see a card, huh?  Here are a couple of cards I made last Wed.  (Maybe this will help make up for my absence! lol)

Stampin' Up! supplies used unless otherwise noted.
Stamps: Field of Flowers, French Foliage, Bliss (retired)
Paper: Baja Breeze, Soft Suede
Ink: Baja Breeze, Soft Suede
Other: Framed Tulips embossing folder
I'm not sure where the inspiration came from for this card.  One of the Girls brought the idea to the table.

The inspiration for this card came from Sandi MacIver  see her card here - posted Sep 1.   I CASE'd her card except for the Mocha Morning DSP she used.  Since I haven't ordered that DSP (yet), I resorted to making my own DSP.  I did that by stamping Delicate Doilies with Versamark, covered the images with clear embossing power, then used my heat tool.  The rest of the card was made following Sandi's directions.  There were 4-5 of us making this card and they all turned out different.  That's one of the cool things about stamping!

Sorry, people, but I need to get to the grocery store.  I have to buy ingredients for Beef Barley Soup and Apple Dumplings for our family reunion tomorrow.  Love family reunions!  I may post something later (like the rest of my Stamp Camp cards - no promises, though.
Hope you all have a great weekend!  (It really feels like Fall today.  Yeah!)  Thank you for stopping in!

Pocket Silhouettes

Happy Friday - and a long weekend at that!

Another quick post from me today - only this time I have a card!  It is made from the Pocket Silhouettes set, which is a very versatile set.   Unfortunately, there are times when we need sympathy cards.  This set stamped in a tone on tone palette fits the bill nicely.

Of course you could always change out the sentiment for a happier occasion.  I'm not sure where I saw this layout - maybe ChicnScratch or Butternutsagedesigns blog. 

I need to get to bed.  The little one (granddaughter) will be up early and it's after 1 a.m.  Yikes!   I'll be hitting the coffee tomorrow - I mean today. lol

Have a safe holiday weekend and thanks for coming by!

Strength and Hope Great Friend

Happy Friday everyone!  Thought I'd post a card made last week with the Wednesday girls.
A Whisper White 4" x 5-1/4" panel was embossed with the Framed Tulips embossing folder and then layered on an Early Espresso card base.  The focal piece is another layer of Whisper White (edges inked with Cherry Cobbler) on an Early Espresso mat. The butterfly and swirly image are from the "Strength & Hope" stamp set.  The sentiment is from the retired set "Great Friend".  There was some spray used giving it a speckled effect but I don't know the brand or color.  It was something one of the girls had with them.  The color spritzer would achieve the same look but, of course, I didn't have it with me! 

Stampin' Up! supplies used unless otherwise noted.
Stamps - Strength & Hope, Great Friend
Paper - Early Espresso, White
Ink - Bashful Blue, Cherry Cobbler, Night of Navy
Other - Framed Tulips embossing folder, Basic Rhinestones, dimensionals, color spray (non-SU!)

Thanks for coming by today and have a great weekend!

Owl and Pocket Silhouettes cards

Good afternoon!  Thought I'd share with you a couple of things I've been working on today. This will be a quick post - need to get these in the mail. The owl on the first card is made from the owl punch with a few nurse embellishments.  (Inspired by Kay Sha's Nurse Betty Owl click here, scroll down to Sep 4 post.)  The hat is the owl's vest turned upside down.  The cross is made from the Itty Bitty punch pack, trimmed. The leaves are from the bird punch and the sentiment is from Word Play, which is 30% off until the end of this month.  If you'd like to place an order, just contact me.  (contact info on right side bar)  Hope my card brings a smile to my Stampin' Sister's face.

Unfortunately, I also needed a sympathy card.  The following neutral tone on tone card was pretty much CASE'd from Kathy Baffone on our Demonstrator web site. (Sorry!)  I changed very little - just the sentiment and omitted the little stamped butterflies.  I find that neutral tones work really well for most occasions.  The plant image is from the Pocket Silhouettes set (stamped in Crumb Cake), which is matted on another Whisper White piece.  The Framed Tulips showcases the focal piece very nicely.  The sentiment is from Thoughts and Prayers.  All of the edges have been inked with Crumb Cake ink.
 

OK, need to get back to work.  Thanks for checking in with me today!

A CASE of No More Bliss

Hi there and Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!

Today's post is about no more Bliss - a free set that was only available during Sale-a-bration.  I absolutely LOVE this stamp set and hope it appears in the new catalog!  The neutral colors paired with the Framed Tulips embossing folder makes the most elegant cards.  Tamara Bertram's card was an absolute CASE (copy and share everything) except for a couple of minor changes.  click here to view her card - posted Mar 30   The only thing I changed was the ink and stamp for the sentiment.  Wouldn't this make a great gift in a little tote?  You could make up labels with different sentiments so the recipient could customize each card to suit the occasion.  Just don't remove the protective paper from the dimensionals on the backs of the labels.

Recipe
Stamps: Bliss, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Whisper White, Sahara Sand
Ink: Sahara Sand, Black
Other: Word Window & Modern Label punches, Framed Tulips embossing folder, Pearls, dimensionals

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by today!

Let's Rock n Roll

Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you!

This is a busy week.  Friday is the first half day session of Regionals in Branson, MO.  Can’t wait!  We are meeting at 6 AM (you know I’m not a morning person any more don’t ya?) and piling into a van for the drive there.  A van full of women = non stop talking and laughing.  Our drive will last about as long as the training. lol  The things we do for the love of stamping!  It’s just so exciting to meet other stampers and demonstrators!

On top of getting ready for Branson, I’ll be preparing for my Stamp Camp on Feb 26.  The swaps were completed today so now I can concentrate on packing and getting organized for the Camp.  Well, I could prattle on forever so instead, I’ll show you my swap.  The Rock n Roll technique was used for the flower petals. Ink up your stamp with lightest color (Daffodil Delight), then rock and roll edges on the darker color stamp pad (Poppy Parade) before stamping image. Punch out and assemble petals around a 1" circle for stability.

Recipe:
Stamps: Build a Blossom, Just Believe, Inspired by Nature
Paper: Poppy Parade, Daffodil Delight, Whisper White
Ink: Daffodil Delight, Pear Pizzazz, Poppy Parade
Other: Framed Tulips embossing folder, Blossom Petals punch, Itty Bitty flower punch, brayer, 1" circle

Hope you had a great day!

Another Valentine

Hope you’re enjoying your weekend so far.  The midnight oil has been burning in my studio making Valentine cards.  Below is the one for today.  (You didn't think I'd show them all in one day did ya? lol)

The key and sentiment are from the Artistic Etchings stamp set.  I cut out the key after embossing with gold embossing powder. Then I had a light bulb moment (love when that happens – and when it works!) to use hole punches for the tiny areas on the key.  The 1/8” hole punch was used for the top and the 1/16” worked for the bottom area. The heart is popped up on dimensionals.  It just seemed to get lost with the spritzed background so I carefully ran the brush tip of the Cherry Cobbler marker around the edge of the heart. That really made it pop.  It’s amazing what a little ink can do!

 Here's a close up of the key embellishment:

You can't tell that the bottom portion of the key has been punched out. Sorry that it blends in with the white.

Recipe:

Stamps: Artistic Etchings, Punch Potpourri

Paper:  Very Vanilla, White, Cherry Cobbler, Black

Ink: Black, Cherry Cobbler - pad and marker

Tools: Full Heart punch,  Framed Tulips embossing folder,  1/8” & 1/16” hole punches

Other: Color Spritzer tool, Vintage trinkets, Black 1-1/4” striped grosgrain ribbon, gold embossing powder, dimensionals