Just a little "Thank You"

Isn't this image just adorable?!! This is from A Flower for All Seasons.....one of the sets you can earn from Sale-a-Bration.....which is how this set came to be a part of my collection. I had always thought it was just so sweet, but somehow it just never made it onto my order sheet. Well, now I own it and you can be sure I'll be sharing! Reminder: there are only a few days remaining to earn YOUR free sets because Sale-a-Bration will soon be over! Contact me (or your demo) today before it's too late! Sale-a-Bration ends Wednesday, March 31,

On my screen, this looks a little darker than the real card, but it still sets off that little centerpiece image. The image was stamped onto a small piece of Watercolor Paper in StazOn Jet Black Ink and then colored in with markers and my blender pen. Everything on this card is current, with the exception of the DSP shown on the envelope flap and the bottom portion of the card. I seem to have a TON of DSP, but unfortunately, very little is current....this is from a Mat Pack that was a Hostess Level 1 earning in a recent catalog.

Thanks for stopping by today.....hope you have a bit of Spring in your area. Enjoy!

Stamps: A Flower for All Seasons, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Inks: StazOn Jet Black, Chocolate Chip

CS: Whisper White, Chocolate Chip, Apricot Appeal, Watercolor Paper

Markers: Certainly Celery, Always Artichoke, Summer Sun, Apricot Appeal, Chocolate Chip, Going Gray, Bordering Blue

Misc: Blender Pen, 2-Way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds (centers of flowers are dotted with glitter), Eyelet Border Punch, Wide Double Stitched Grosgrain in Chocolate Chip, Mat Pack DSP*

Please Note: ALL materials used to create this sample are from SU!

*retired

Bring Back Springtime!

Those sunny 70 degree days seem to be behind us.....at least for now! (I KNEW it was too good to be true!) Today it was gloomy, rainy (just what our NJ rivers do NOT need right now!), and chilly. Not really cold, but certainly not warm! Guess it could be worse....we have been known to have March snow storms, so at least it didn't snow today! Still, last weekend was a tease, and I know I'm not alone in wishing for more of that fabulous weather. So, my card today is my version of wishing Spring will make a comeback.....soon!

This card features Herb Expression....it's one of the very first stamp sets I purchased from this year's catalog...and I really haven't used it in months! And I love what you can do with this set. For this card, I colored directly on the stamp with markers and stamped twice before "re-inking." So simple, but I love the way it came out....quick and easy, too!

Stamps: Herb Expressions, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Inks: Elegant Eggplant

CS: Kraft, Certainly Celery, Natural Ivory

Misc: Certainly Celery and Lavender Lace Markers, Double Rectangle Punch, Elegant Eggplant Grosgrain Ribbon

Please note: ALL materials used to create this sample are currently available from SU!

Disclaimer: I think this may be a CASE, but I'm not sure. If you happen to have created a card like this, please let me know so I can give you credit!

Spring has Sprung!

....well almost! After all the snow and last week's flooding, we have had an unexpected treat from Mother Nature here in NE New Jersey.....sunny skies, and 70 degree weather! OK, so it might be a tease, but it's such a welcome reprieve from all the nasty weather of late....even the trees are budding and the crocuses are spouting up. And since Spring is officially here tomorrow, it is soooo welcome!

So, you know what that means, don't you?.....a Spring-themed card is in order and that's the challenge for this week's Bloggers' Challenge: Think Spring! This card....and yes, it's pink again! (For a non-pink gal, I seem to be on a pink streak!!).......is so simple and soft and was oh, so easy!

For the center panel, the flower was stamped onto Vellum paper.....it takes a few minutes for the ink to dry, so if you decide to duplicate this card, be sure to set it aside. The cut out flower and leaves were created with my Big Shot, of course, and the Birds and Blooms Sizzlet. The edges were all sponged to give each layer a bit more definition, and the Clear Crystal Brad was added to the center. To assemble, the stamped vellum was layered ink-side-down against a layer of Whisper White....I just used a Mini Glue Dot in each of the upper corners to secure the Vellum, and if you hide them in an image, they barely show! In this case, the card base is Pretty in Pink instead of my normal neutral color.

Stamps: Eastern Blooms, Kind Thanks

Inks: Pretty in Pink, Basic Gray

CS: Pretty in Pink, Whisper White, Regal Rose, Certainly Celery, Vellum

Misc: White Taffeta Ribbon, Round Clear Crystal Brad, Cropadile, Mini Glue Dots, Pop-Up Glue Dot, Birds in Bloom Sizzlet, Big Shot, Stamp-a-ma-jig

Please note: ALL materials used to create this sample are currently available from SU!

Disclaimer: This was inspired by another sample that I saw online, although I cannot remember the source.

That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by!

The Luck of the Irish

This card was designed for a class, but the class never happened. So, I thought I'd share....and since I wanted to wish you all a blessed St. Paddy's Day, it is the perfect time!

Bearing in mind that this was a "demo type" card, it's really quite simple, but I love the way it came out! The shamrock in the center of the flower was a Dollar Bin find, stamped in White Craft and punched out with my 1" Round Punch. This was layered onto a slightly larger circle created with the 1 1/4" Round Punch and dotted with a Garden Green marker. The petals are none other than 2 of the smallest of the Daisies #2 Die and my Big Shot. Add in some of that green ribbon left over from awhile back (Wild Wasabi) to form the stem and petals and all layered upon a simple Whisper White background that was impressed with the Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder.

Kinda cute, don't you think?!! This second photo shows the inside.....I used Charming and Teeny Tiny Wishes.

Thanks for stopping by today.....hope you have a wonderful green day!

Stamps: Non-SU; Charming, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Inks: Garden Green

CS: Garden Green, Whisper White

Misc: Flowers, Daisies 2 Die, Big Shot, Corner Rounder, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, Wild Wasabi Double Stitched Ribbon (Retired), 1" & 1 1/4" Round Punches, Garden Green Marker

Please note: ALL materials used to create this sample are from SU!, with the exception of the shamrock stamp (non-SU!); the ribbon is from SU!, but has retired.

It's a Birthday Challenge!

I LOVE birthdays....celebrating birthdays is celebrating life! A long, long time ago, a co-worker who was much older than I was (I was about 20, she was about to retire), told me that it's a privilege to grow old. Obviously that statement has stayed with me over the many years since I heard that, and I have come to realize how true that statement is over and over again! So, I may ache a bit more in the morning, or have a few more grays, or more wrinkles (they're all laugh lines....really!!).....but I'm here and I can celebrate each day; and it sure beats the alternative, don't you think?!!

Well, no today is not my birthday, this is for someone else. But you know how as we all age, we all complain just a bit about feeling older? Remember what I said in that first bit.....remember to CELEBRATE!

This is the first time I've used that fun birthday cake from Happy Moments.....this set will soon be gone! Did you earn yours yet? This is part of this year's SU Sale-a-Bration offerings and will only be available until the end of this month....so you've got to act quickly to add this to YOUR collection! The outline images in this set are so fun and funky...and easy to work with! (Contact me today to earn yours!)

For this card, I combined Regal Rose and Melon Mambo....one of my favorite color combos this year....and I'm not really even a "pink" loving gal! The background paper used on this card is actually from a Hostess Patterns Pack that is no longer available. These papers are just fabulous to have in your collection! Since I have this set unmounted for clear blocks, the birthday cake and greeting were both placed on my clear block at the same time and stamped together....how cool is that?!!....no Stamp-a-ma-jig needed!! The image was simply colored in with markers and the flower centers and the white portion of the cake are "colored in" with Dazzling Diamonds Glitter. So fun!

Thanks for stopping by today....it was fun to participate in a Challenge again, it's been a while! And if you haven't done so already, be sure to check out the other Bloggers. You know they always come up with the most amazing things....you are bound to be inspired over and over again!

Stamps: Happy Moments

Inks: Basic Black

CS: Whisper White, Melon Mambo, Regal Rose

Markers: Melon Mambo, Regal Rose, Bordering Blue, Pretty in Pink (candles), Summer Sun (flames)

Misc: Corner Rounder, Round Pink Crystal Brad, White Taffeta Ribbon, DSP Patterns Pack in Regal Rose (retired), 2-Way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter

Please note: ALL materials used to create this sample are from SU!

With Sympathy

Recently, the mother of a good friend and neighbor passed away....she was 99 years young! Can you imagine? Not sure I can, but just think of what she had witnessed throughout her life....all the changes, the progress, the technology, the trends and style changes. It's just mind boggling. Although I had never met this friend's mom, I understand she was spunky right till the end....and only just thought of herself as "getting old" about a year ago! Gotta love that attitude!

Unfortunately, I was packed and all ready to leave for the weekend when I heard the news. So, although I was unable to attend the funeral, a card was necessary to let her know I was thinking of her. So, I whipped this up pretty quickly.

I just love this flourish (but, you should already know that by now!), and used it as my background on the Whisper White card base. But, I have to admit that I made a mistake.....you see, I was in a hurry and grabbed my Bordering Blue ink pad, but had intended to use Brocade Blue instead. Oh, well! It still turned out nicely, even if a bit softer than I had planned!

The Bordering Blue cardstock bottom shows off a Martha Stewart border punch and a retired greeting set, that I simply cannot part with!

Stamps: Friends 24-7, Warmest Regards

Inks: Bordering Blue, Night of Navy

CS: Whisper White, Bordering Blue

Misc: Martha Stewart Deco Shells Border Punch, White Taffeta Ribbon

Please note: All materials used to create this card are from SU, with the exception of the border punch.

Thanks for stopping by today!

A Card for a Friend

A good friend of mine is going through a very rough time....so, what better way to show her that I care? A card may seem like such a small thing, but it's tangible proof that someone cares. Never underestimate the power of something as simple as a card.....especially a hand-made card!

Although this is the card I made and sent to her, it is very much inspired by something I saw online, but unfortunately I don't know the source.

Check out that big white flower focal piece.....it's a plain white silk flower from the Pretties Kit that was rolled....yes, rolled!.....with the Very Vintage Jumbo Wheel in Rich Razzelberry. If you've been to any of the craft stores, you may have seen the pretty printed flowers....now you can make your own! Actually, this idea has been around for some time, but I totally forgot about it until I attended a stamping event sponsored by my upline last month. So simple.....just lay the flower down on a piece of paper (our Grid Paper is perfect for this...it's just the best for so many things!) and roll away. Stunning and simple!

As you can see the "F" for friends was stamped and cut out and mounted over "forever" from Fundamental Phrases, a staple word set that is a must have! That cute little flower, from Vintage Vogue, was stamped in Pale Plum and the edges rolled into Rich Razzleberry. Then the simple little tag finishes it all off.

Hope she liked the card....but more importantly, I hope it showed that I care! (It's also another sample for her to have for her shows and classes.) Have YOU sent a card to someone special lately?

Stamps: Vintage Vogue, Tiny Tags, Fundamental Phrases, Very Vintage Jumbo Wheel

Inks: Rich Razzleberry, Pale Plum, White Craft, Mellow Moss

CS: Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry, Pale Plum

Misc: Cottage Wall DSP, White Satin Ribbon, Rose Red Mini Brad, Medium Jewlery Tag Punch, Silk Flower from Pretties Kit, 1 3/4" Round Punch

Please note: ALL materials used to create this card are from SU!

Thanks for stopping by today!

More Square Scallop Square Die Bags

Hi, there! Yes, it has been a very long while since I've posted anything. My apologies! But, I have come to a decision.......I always feel guilty when I post something if I have not met a challenge that I usually take part in. And truthfully, there really are only 2 Challenges a week that I try to meet. Sometimes my week is so full....with various projects that I've committed to completing, and, well, just everyday stuff...you know, life! So, my decision is that I will try to post much more regularly and if I meet a Challenge, then it's a bonus....if not, oh well. I'm no longer going to stress over the small stuff...right?!

And there have been a few projects on my plate....my son's wedding invitations have been completed and mailed. Whew! And then I had promised myself that I would make these two bags to give as gifts for some very special people in my life who had early February birthdays.....and I only just finished them and gave them last Friday! YIKES! I'm so lame!

Fortunately, the ladies loved them, and said they were worth the wait. This first one in burgundy is probably my favorite size. It was given to the mother of a good friend and sister demo....her Mom's birthday was February 4th. So, since it was for a senior I thought these prints would work well. I loved the color combo when I saw it in my local quilt shop and they have a bit of a vintage feel with those small floral prints. It's a great size for carrying just that little extra something.

This next one was a challenge in itself! It's 4 squares tall and 4 square wide and has a number of pockets inside....which were the "challenge!" This one probably uses my favorite combination of printed fabrics so far...what do you think? It just may be the perfect size for traveling to various stamp-related meetings and there's even room inside for swaps!

Oh, and I used the extra squares from the maroon printed bag along with a few left overs I had from my last projects and made a wine bag....now that was FUN! Of course, I don't have a photo....I put a bottle of wine in it and brought it to my sister's house, where I spent last weekend.

So, that's a recap of my most recent projects. I have to admit that I have also been stamping....and I'll share some of those things very, very soon!

Thanks for stopping by and for your patience!