Today was a warm and humid day.  I just got home from getting haircuts and taking Riley for a walk.  Now I have a few projects I want to work on.  First, I need to get a graduation card done for my neice.

But before I get started, I thought I’d post a few pics I never had a chance to post yet.  These cards are quick and simple ones that I made a few months ago to fill that raffle basket I donated.  I made several other cards too but I guess I didn’t take photos of the others.  So here’s the ones I did get photos of:  

stamps- SU! Everyday Celebrations, Cookie Crumbs Cupcake Occasions

sentiment from SU! You Make Me Happy

stamps- SU! Thoughts and Prayers

stamps- SU! A Flower For All Seasons, AmyR Friends Sentiments

stamps- SU! Embrace Life

I just listed the stamp sets I used this time.  I don’t remember the names of all the papers and I don’t have time right now to look up all the papers and accessories.  I am usually more organized about that but like I said, I was trying to make up a bunch of cards quickly for a donation.  If you need more info, leave me a reply and I’ll try to answer it.

Have a good night!

Hello friends! 

It is late and I have a sleeping puppy in my arms but I wanted to share this card yet tonight.  I made it recently for a nephew’s birthday and I thought this set would be a good one to use with the warmer weather we’ve been having and the bugs that have returned with it!

I bought this set quite a while ago and just now mounted it.  It is one that I’ve always thought was fun to use when stamping with friends who have it.  Here I paired it with some retired dp which is also a favorite.

I hope you are enjoying the Memorial Day weekend!  We had a nice picnic with family and it sure tired Riley out.  She slept the whole way home and slept all evening.  Have a good night!

stamps- Enjoy Every Moment, Bugs & Kisses, Small Sayings, AmyR Birthday Sentiments; paper- White, Black, Red, Bashful, Summer Picnic dp; ink- Palette Black Noir, Bashful, Olive, Pumpkin, Real Red; accessories- Photo Corner punch, gel pen, pop dots.

Don’t ask me what these two things have in common.  Nothing really.  They are just two projects left from the gatherings I recently attended that I haven’t shared yet.

This first one was a tutorial on Splitcoast a few weeks ago.  It is rare that I try a tutorial right away, but I thought this was cool and tried it the day the newsletter went out!  You can find the directions here. 

I didn’t use markers on my project, though.  I never seemed to have good luck with regular markers on shrink plastic.  Instead, I stamped the outline with Stazon ink and colored the image with colored pencils.  This way it doesn’t smear when you roll it up to insert it into the glass ball.  This was a fun project to try and it is kinda cool to see it shrink inside the ball.  

The shrink plastic was cut with my Nestabilities and then I outlined the edges with faux stitches using a fine point permanent marker.

stamps- Warm Words, Soft Summer; ink- Stazon Black; accessories- colored pencils, thread, glue dots, hole punch, shrink plastic, Labels 3 Nestabilities, clear glass ornament. 

The second project is another 6×6 recipe card.  This time I decided to scrap the pie crust recipe my MIL used to make.  It makes the best pie crust, IMO!

This is a very simple page but I was short on time (and mojo!) LOL.  I love the decorative paper, though, with the rolling pins on it!

The Whipper Snapper pie was stamped twice…once on the recipe layer and again on a piece of silver cardstock.  Then the pie pan was cut out of the silver paper and paper pieced on the first one. 

stamps- Whipper Snapper Homemade Pie, SU! It’s All Good, Karen Foster Snap Stamps; paper- Red, White, Black, Silver, dp- Creative Imaginations; ink- Memento Black, Real Red; accessories- Copic markers, Photo Corner punch, Scallop Circle punch, Flower punch, button. 

Have a great day!

Here’s another project from one of the gatherings I recently attended that I wanted to share with you.

This was my Shoebox project that I prepared for the ladies at my table to make at the Syracuse gathering.  I had this idea running through my head for weeks (ever had that happen? LOL).  It didn’t turn out exactly how I envisioned but I was pleased with it in the end.  My apologies to my tablemates, though…I thought I had Artichoke paper for my card base.  But I couldn’t figure out why it didn’t match my Artichoke ink.  Duh!  It really wasn’t Artichoke paper…I accidentally pulled the wrong color!  Aaagh. 

The card base has the fold at the top…and the bottom of the front is folded up to form a pocket for the bird to sit in.  It is kinda like a pocket card only the whole thing would be upside down and the sides are not attached.  Make sense?

The bird and flowers are a Sizzix diecut.  They have a branch attached to them so we had to cut the bird and flowers apart.  The bird has 2 layers of cardstock to make it sturdier.  I wished I had some of the Tim Holtz Grunge paper…that may have made a nice, sturdy bookmark??  I haven’t tried that stuff yet…maybe next time.

The flowers and sentiment on the top were stamped with Basic Brown and watercolored.

You can click on the thumbnails below to see the magnetic part and how the bird is used.  I diecut a heart and folded it in half for the wing…then attached some Basic Grey magnetic snaps which are sticky back and easy to apply.

stamps- Friends 24-7; paper- supposed to be Artichoke but I think I pulled Handsome Hunter??, Sage, Choc. Chip, Cameo, Blush, DCWV Green Stained; ink- Basic Brown, Coral, Artichoke; accessories- Sizzix Bird w/Vine, QuicKutz flourish, heart Nestabilities, SU! Photo Corner punch, Cuttlebug Spring Floral, Basic Grey Magnetic Snaps, Scor-Tape.

And here’s a photo of another one I made several weeks ago for that raffle basket I made up.  This one has a bit of bling for his eye.

Thanks for stopping by….have a blessed day!

Yesterday I lost my best friend to cancer. 

I will miss her terribly.  She was also my “stamping buddy”.  And whenever I needed someone to talk to, she was the one I called.  I’ll miss that. 

Please pray for her family.  I am thankful that she is no longer in pain and she is now resting comfortably “at home” with our Lord.

I typed this up last night…just before I heard the news.  I considered delaying the post, but it just seemed fitting to how I am feeling so instead I revised my text a bit.

One thing that has been on my mind a lot the past few months (since Linda found out she has cancer) is the importance of my friends.

Here’s a project I recently made while thinking of my friends.

This frame was made for Tracy, a friend who I don’t get to see often (only once a year).  When I went to the WNY SCS Spring Fest near Buffalo, NY, I helped her with a few little things and she invited me to stay with her.  So I made this for her and I hope she knows how much I appreciate her friendship!

Below are some close-ups.  You can click on each photo to see a larger view.  The frame was sanded to give a bit of a distressed look.

Sorry I don’t have much to say today.

I wish you a blessed day….please go call a friend and say “hi”.

stamps- Friends 24-7 and wheel, Define Your Life, Three For You, Embrace Life; paper- Vanilla, Bravo Burgundy; ink- Basic Brown, Bashful Blue, Not Quite Navy, Artichoke, Bravo Burgundy, Guava, Banana, Choc. Chip; accessories- Large & Small Oval punches, felt flower, brad.

hugs,

Wow…that title brings back memories of Sesame Street.  LOL. 

These are a few of the giant clothespins I decorated for a 3D swap I was in at the gathering I went to in Buffalo, NY.  (I have several other projects to share from both gatherings I went to recently.  I’m still playing catch-up and I’ll try to get them posted soon!) 

I started with some giant wooden clothespins and white-washed them with watered down acrylic paint.  Then I decoupaged the designer papers on the front and also applied them to some chipboard coasters.  The coasters were then used to die cut the bird, branch and flowers.  The only stamping on these are the words which were stamped with Stazon ink.  Some ribbon and bling were added to finish them off.

Sorry this is short again!  I have to finish up some little card inserts with a bible verse that we are including with a small gift for the ladies at church on Mother’s Day.  And I also still need to get my own Mother’s Day cards done and in the mail…tomorrow.  LOL. 

stamps- Embrace Life; paper- SU! Afternoon Tea; ink- Stazon Black; accessories- Cuttlebug Flower die, giant wood clothespins, white acrylic paint, decoupage glue, chipboard coasters, Sizzix Bird w/Leaves & Flower die, glue dots, Scor-tape, ribbon, gemstones (cell phone bling). 

On Friday night another friend and I went to spend some time with our dear friend, Linda.  We had such a nice time visiting and helping her prep for a workshop.  We came up with 2 very simple cards but I thought they were so pretty.  We all decided to make this one and I wanted to share it with you. 

I have also been making several other simple cards for a basket raffle donation.  Maybe I will share a few of those later. 

Did you know that you can search for simple cards on Splitcoast?  And they even have some challenges for them.  I was recently helping another demo friend search for some simple cards that she could make with a non-stamping group of ladies and stumbled upon a whole bunch of cards labeled CAS, for “Clean and Simple”.  You can just search the Splitcoast gallery for “CAS” and it will show them all.

I have no idea where this Top Note design originated, but I love it and thought it would be a great start on our card!  The top note die is cut, then turned 90 degrees and cut again.  Then the two ends of the designer paper are flipped to the reverse pattern.  So cute!  Linda thought it would look nice with a little white space left between the cuts and I agree.  She also wanted to use her bird die and we liked it left all white.  I used the inside of the leaf and popped it up on dimensionals for the bird’s wing.  Linda had some tiny stick on pearls for the eyes which really set it off.  Then I punched some flowers and added some Liquid Pearls to finish it off.

No stamping on this card…gasp!

paper- White, Not Quite Navy, Saffron, Kraft & Not Quite Navy designer papers; accessories- Trio Flower punch, Bird w/ Leaves and Flower Sizzix die, Top Note die, stick-on pearl, Liquid Pearls.

Can you believe that I still haven’t opened my new SU! catty?  I know!  Crazy!  But when it came, I promised myself that I would not open it and take a peek until I mounted & used a set that I purchased from the last catalog.  I can’t believe I never mounted this set, Upsy Daisy, until now!  It’s so pretty!

When I made this card, I thought of my friend, Diane, because the last time I stamped with her at an SCS gathering, she used this technique.  It has been a long time since I’ve done it (well, besides the gathering) so I was anxious to try it again.  I started with some Shimmery White cardstock.  The stamp was inked with Ruby Red, Regal Rose and Mellow Moss markers.  Then I lightly spritzed the paper with water before stamping the image.  The result is a nice, slightly blurred watercolor effect.  I waited until it was dry to stamp the words with Not Quite Navy ink.

Remember I said that I had another card to share with paper piercing?  Well, this is it.  I was really pleased with how it turned out.  I only used portions of my brass template that I wanted to pierce on the top right and lower left corners.  Then I added some straight lines of holes with my SU! mat pack.

I also found a roll of Regal Rose ribbon that was uncut….probably from last years Valentine special??  So I added a strip of ribbon and a flower that I made with an SU! flower punch. 

So how do you like the new SU! catty?  I’ve been a bit disappointed with the last few but I am sure there will be a few must-haves!  Off to check it out….

stamps- Upsy Daisy; paper- Shimmery White, Moss, Not Quite Navy, Marigold; ink- Ruby Red, Regal Rose, Moss, Not Quite Navy; accessories- American Traditional Scroll Border piercing template, SU! mat pack, Regal Rose ribbon, button, SU! flower punch.  

What do you do when you are pressed for time and need to get 20 cards done by yesterday?  Browse the Splitcoast gallery!  :0)  I don’t very often CASE a card but when crunch time comes, it sure is nice!  Sadly, I usually don’t have time to check out the gallery.  I should try to more often…there are so many wonderful cards over there!  This is not an exact copy, but it’s close.  You can see the card that inspired this one here.  I just loved the colors she chose!  I changed my blue to Not Quite Navy though…I love Olive and NQN together!  And I used Shimmery white cardstock to make it sparkle. 

After I had all my pieces cut, stamped and colored, I began to think I was nuts!  (er…nuttier!)  Oh what fun I had cutting out Mary & Joseph….yeah…fun…that’s the word.  ha ha.  Joseph’s feet were the worst part.  DH jokingly told me to have him walking in snow so I wouldn’t have to cut them out.  Somehow I don’t think that would look right.   LOL.

Well, I am happy that they are done & IN THE MAIL.  I am working on one more card design (no, I’m not done yet…sigh).  I’ll share that with you later.  Have a great Friday!

stamps- City of David; paper- Old Olive, Not Quite Navy, Shimmery White; ink- Palette Black; accessories- Copic markers, Labels 2 Nestabilities, paper piercer, Stickles

I have a few photos of projects that I haven’t had a chance to share yet and this is one of them.  I figured I better get it uploaded before it’s too late.  This will be another short & sweet post…I don’t want to sit in this chair too long.  I must have done something to my back because it’s killing me.  So I will be resting tonight instead of getting some things done I had planned.  :0(

A friend needed a few thank-you cards and I didn’t know if they would be going to some males or females so this is what I came up with.  I am really loving my diecuts lately!  The only stamping done here was the words and the flourish on the pumpkin.

stamps- Baroque Motifs, Spring Solitude; paper- Wasabi, Rust, River Rock, Vanilla, Apple Cider dp; ink- Rust; accessories- Cuttlebug Pumpkin Harvest folder and Pumpkin Spice Combo, Raffia, Nestabilities Labels 1 and Double Ended Tags, brads