the best things in life

The best things in life really aren't things... but sometimes it takes a few things to help make the good stuff happen. 

Giving myself time to relax and let go of stress is definitely a good thing. Quiet time with my stamping goodies does just that. Sending a hand-stamped card to brighten someone's day is also one of the good things in life, so it works out quite nicely! 

After distressing the edges of the 4 x 5-1/4" Certainly Celery layer, I stamped my greeting (Feel Goods) in Lucky Limeade ink, and adhered that layer directly to my Certainly Celery card base. 
Even though coordinating stamp sets and Framelits are technically "things," I would have to say they might just lean towards being one of the best things in life simply because they make my crafting time easier and more enjoyable.  :}   For this card I used the Secret Garden stamp set and Framelits. The flowers are stamped in Calypso Coral ink onto Whisper White card stock, and the leaves are stamped in Lucky Limeade ink onto Certainly Celery card stock. One flower is adhered directly to the card, another has 1 Dimensional under it, and the third flower has two Dimensionals under it. 
Besides quiet stamping time for yourself, what are some of the "best things" in your life?

Happy Mother's Day!

Today is such a special day... A day for thanking our Moms and all of the Mother figures in our lives who have guided us, prayed for us, and taught us to be who we are today. 

One of the best things about stamping your own cards, is that you can create a one-of-a-kind card that fits the personality of the receiver. My Mom loves the vintage style, and really loves cards with lots of layers. I worked on this card quite a while yesterday to get it "just right." Hope she likes it! 
I started with a Pretty in Pink card base. To that I added a layer of Tea For Two DSP, which I dry embossed in the Lacy Brocade Embossing Folder to double-up on the quilted look. Then came the layers... 

For the two sentiments I used two different stamp sets - You're Amazing and Teeny Tiny Wishes. Both sentiment layers have Crumb Cake ink sponged around the edges, and the larger sentiment also has a little spritzing on it with a Lucky Limeade marker. 
Since my darling angels that made me a mother are begging for breakfast, I'll give you the shorthand version for the rest of the layers.  :} 

Delicate Doilies Sizzlit, Lucky Limeade card stock

Hearts a Flutter Framelit, Tea For Two DSP

Pretty in Pink button, Lucky Limeade Baker's Twine

Pretty in Pink grosgrain ribbon,  Paper Daisy

Papillon Potpourri stamp set, Elegant Butterfly punch, Bitty Butterfly punch

Basic Pearls 

Happy Mother's Day to all of our mothers, in our homes and in our hearts, and to all those who have "mothered" us through the years. God bless you!  

the return of Soft Sky

It will be a few days before I get my goodies from the "new Cattie pre-order," but I'm too darn excited about some of the colors that are retuning. Sooooo, I got into my vault (aka "paper-crafting stuff I'm hoarding"). I pulled some Soft Sky card stock, retired ribbon, and retired DSP from my vault, and paired them with this week's Mojo Monday sketch to create this pretty card- 

I might be getting a little obsessed with the Papillon Potpourri stamp set, but it's so pretty, and has punches that coordinate! Technically it's Groovy Guava in that retired DSP, but I think it works nicely with Calypso Coral on this card. I'm so happy Calypso Coral is moving into our "core" colors!

To add a subtle look of four "boxes," I added score lines an inch apart on the Whisper White card stock.   **Tip: Before adhering punched butterflies (or flowers) to your project, curl the edges up slightly to add more interest. 

So how do you start playing with these fun new colors like Soft Sky if you don't have a vault of retired goodies??? All you need is a good color combination! Here's what Soft Sky looks like when paired with Pumpkin Pie and Wild Wasabi- 

Love this color combo!! I see a lot of "boy" cards in my crafting future using these colors. 
FYI - those Pumpkin Pie brads are on the "chopping block." The retiring accessories are available only while supplies last, so be sure to shop now before all the good stuff is gone!   ;) 

FREE shipping on all of your scrapbook supplies!

It's been a while since I shared a "taditional" scrapbook page, so I have a pretty SPRING scrapbook layout to share with you today! 

The 12x12 pages are Certainly Celery card stock, and the three stamped chevron images that are stamped directly onto the pages in Lucky Limeade ink are from the Oh, Hello stamp set. All of the DSP on this two-page layout is from the Tea for Two package... I love how it all coordinates!
Remember in yesterday's post I said my card was inspired by a scrapbook page? Well, check out the title of this page! This is what gave me the idea for the card.  :}   

supplies used for the banner: 

Pretty in Pink grosgrain ribbon

Tea for Two DSP 

Crumb Cake, Calypso Coral, Early Espresso, Certainly Celery, Pretty in Pink, and Very Vanilla card stock

stamp sets: Hearts a Flutter, Occasions Alphabet, and Oh, Hello

Framelits: Hearts a Flutter

punches: 1-3/4" Circle, Petite Pennants, Petite Curly Label

more supplies used on this page: 

Labels Collection Framelits 

Elegant Butterfly and Bitty Butterfly punches

Vellum card stock

Lucky Limeade Baker's Twine

Soooo, now that you want to scrapbook some of your Spring photos, how about getting FREE shipping on those supplies???  Yahoo!!! 

Remember, some of the colors I used on my scrapbook layout are retiring, so shop now before they're gone! Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Happy shopping!  :}

a fun color combination

While I was playing around with different color combos for my Spring Cards class at the bakery, I came up with this fabulous winner: Certainly Celery, Early Espresso, Lucky Limeade, and Calypso Coral. 

I really like how the Calypso Coral pops against the softness of the Certainly Celery. The Calypso Coral card stock layer needed... something. So, the Honeycomb Embossing Folder came to my rescue. And the layer of Tea for Two DSP at the bottom of the card was the perfect print. I tied Lucky Limeade Baker's Twine around the card twice, and then tied it into a bow before adhering my focal point.

Don't you hate it when a great stamp set goes unused for a while? Me too! I hadn't played with the Best of Everything stamp set in way too long, so I'm glad I was able to dust it off and ink it up! My Lucky Limeade and Early Espresso markers inked the "branch" image, which worked out great as a "little Spring tree" for this card. After stamping the flower image in Calypso Coral onto the same color card stock, I snipped it out and used it on my card instead of a button or brad. 
So what do you think? Is this a color combination you would like to try for a Spring card? I challenge you to try it! Maybe even start with a favorite card sketch and grab a stamp set that might just need a little stampin' action.   ;)   Have fun! 

you're swell

You really are swell... so swell in fact, that you should see one of the easiest cards to make, ever!   :} 

I was inspired by a card in our demonstrator magazine - Stampin' Success. The layout is the same (and yes, I have the simple card sketch at the end of this post - yay!), but I changed everything else. It was a hit at my last card class down at the bakery.   :}
I started with a So Saffron card base, and the DSP layer measures 3-7/8" wide by 5-1/2" tall. 

I stamped the chevron-oval image from the Oh, Hello stamp set in Calypso Coral ink onto the same color card stock, then punched it out with the Curly Label punch. A skinny strip of Lucky Limeade card stock and a 1" punched circle of Early Espresso card stock add more necessary layers.  ;) 
The greeting (from the Ciao, Baby! stamp set) is stamped in Lucky Limeade and punched out with the Petite Curly Label punch. After adhering the layers together, I attached them to my card with Dimensionals. 

Isn't this about the easiest card ever??? I'll bet you're already planning some cards to make using this sketch. Have fun stamping!!

a pretty Thank You card

Hello stamping friends! It's finally warming up a bit (close to 60 degrees this weekend!!) and the snow is melting. That means it's time to stamp some "thank you" cards with a springy theme.   :} 

We made this card in my class at the bakery last weekend. Don't you just love the butterflies?! I'm so glad the Bitty Butterfly punch came out in the Spring Catalog. It layers nicely with the Elegant Butterfly punch. Speaking of that Elegant Butterfly piece... notice the chevron image stamped onto the Calypso Coral card stock??? I used the oval-chevron image in the Oh, Hello stamp set to stamp with Calypso Coral ink onto the same color card stock, then punched out the butterfly. Easy peasy  ;)
And speaking of punches, I used four of them on this card! Layered under the butterflies is a circle of Tea for Two DSP. The 1-3/4" Circle punch centers perfectly over the stitched-circle image on the DSP - yay! And layered under the circle is a bit of Early Espresso card stock punched out with the Decorative Label punch. 

A strip of the Tea for Two DSP is adhered to the card after tying some grosgrain ribbon around it. I stamped the stitched-chevron image in Pretty in Pink, and then stamped my greeting (in Calypso Coral) so that it slightly overlapped. The layers of punched pieces are adhered to the card with Dimensionals.

I hope it is beginning to look like Spring wherever you are. If you have a minute, I have a little Friday Freebie on my Facebook Page today. Have a wonderful day!!

family first

Hello again stamping friends... long time no "see." The past two months have been so topsy-turvy for me and my family! One of the great things about this job, is that I can fit it around my life. With Christmas, school activities, Scouts, church, packing boxes and loading UHauls so we could close on our house, and comforting my children consuming our days, I decided to take some time off from stamping. I'm so glad I could be there for my family! And now I'm slowly easing myself back into my crafting obsession.  :}  In fact, I have a lovely Valentine's Day card to share with you today!

This is just cute, cute, CUTE! And it went together pretty fast. I started with a Pretty in Pink card base and added a strip of Tea For Two DSP. Then I tied on some Pretty in Pink stitched grosgrain ribbon. I stamped my greeting (Seasonal Sayings) in Calypso Coral ink.

The Hearts a Flutter Framelits made it super easy to die-cut six hearts... three from the Tea For Two DSP, and three that I stamped first using the Hearts a Flutter stamp set. The hearts are adhered to a layer of Crumb Cake card stock, which is layered over Lucky Limeade card stock, and then attached to the card with Dimensionals.

I hope you are feeling the "love" and it keeps you warm on this chilly day!

a "sweet" color combination

Here's another card we made at my birthday card class at Wildflour Bakery: 

Not only did all these new stampers get to enjoy some sweet desserts, I introduced this "sweet" color combination to them - Pool Party, Calypso Coral, and Gumball Green. I discovered how nicely these colors play together while fooling around with some card stock scraps. I LOVE how my card turned out! 

The tiny little scalloped strip of Gumball Green card stock is punched out using the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch. And the Calypso Coral layer is dry embossed through the Big Shot using the Fancy Fan Embossing Folder.
After stamping the sentiment (from the You're Amazing stamp set) in Gumball Green ink onto the same color card stock, I used my Big Shot again, but this time with a Framelit from the Apothecary Accents collection. And once I had my die-cut layer, I punched two tiny holes for the Printed Brads. Before adhering to my card with Dimensionals, I tucked three 1/2" wide strips of DSP behind the Gumball Green card stock. Super cute!!  :)
Thanks for stopping by to see today's birthday card... I'll have another one for you tomorrow. Happy Monday!!  ;}

a simple card sketch + a few reminders

What a beautiful day! I can't wait to run around outside with my boys. But first, I gotta share some creative stuff  :}

I found a neat blog with some great card sketches. They're not fussy, and therefore, easy to recreate! The clean and simple card sketch 192 caught my eye, so I had to whip up a card.

To keep things simple, I started with a 3-1/2"x5" pre-cut, pre-scored Note Card (love these things!). I added a 3"x4-1/2" layer of Calypso Coral card stock (using Dimensionals).

Before I added the Whisper White layer, I used the Simply Scored to score two lines an 1/8" apart. The Calypso Coral DSP is die cut with the Big Shot using the new Apothecary Accents Framelits. I did end up adding three embellishments, but they're super simple. The Calypso Coral Baker's Twine is tied around the cupcake wrapper before adhering it to the card with a Dimensional. I used a 2-Way Glue Pen to add Dazzling Diamonds Stampin' Glitter® over the "frosting." And a Whisper White brad adds a very subtle detail.

Before I sign off, I have two reminders... 

After you open your My Digital Studio program, click on "Help," and then click on "Check for Updates."

And last but not least, click here for details on how you can win some BLOG CANDY.

Thanks for stopping by... Have a wonderful day!!!  :} 

 

fun colors

Good morning! I hope you all had a nice weekend. Ours was busy, as usual. The highlight was last night's Blue & Gold Dinner for Ben's Cub Scout pack. Good food, funny skits, and great family time   :} 
Today's project is a nice, simple card we made at my last Team Meeting. I love it because it's super easy, and you can make it in minutes, without leaving a mess in your craft room. 

The Peach Parfait card base has a top-fold. I scored the Whisper White layer at 1/4" and 1/2". The heart image from the Sprinkled Expressions stamp set is stamped in (from the bottom) Poppy Parade, Calypso Coral, and Peach Parfait. I used the same color markers to ink the sentiment stamp. For a simple embellishment, I added a brad from the Everyday Enchantment Ribbon & Brad Pack. Then I attached the Whisper White layer using Dimensionals.
That's it! Super easy!! And what makes it even more awesome is that the stamp set and brad were free! Yeppers, they are Sale-A-Bration choices  :}  You can earn these items free for yourself by placing an order online or by calling/emailing me with your order.

Happy stamping! Enjoy the rest of your day  :}

another sketch challenge

I am having so much fun with these blog challenges! It really does a good job stretching my creativity. And while using the uber-pretty Everyday Enchantment DSP goes a long way to make such a lovely card, I think this sketch is pretty awesome, too. 

There's not a lot of stamping on this card... guess I'll have to stamp some pretties on the envelope  :}

I stamped the background image from Elementary Elegance in Poppy Parade ink onto the DSP. The sentiment from Fabulous Phrases is stamped in Poppy Parade ink onto Calypso Coral card stock, then punched out with the Curly Label punch.

Adhered to each piece of card stock (punched using the Postage Stamp punch) is a tiny medallion. I scored 1/2" x 6" strips every 1/4" using the Simply Scored Scoring Tool to create the cute little medallions. I also added a brad to the center of each before I adhered them with a liberal amount of adhesive.

Here's a close-up of all the details-

If you like this sketch, you can find more great sketches to try on the Stamping 411 blog. There are some good basics there for stampers at all levels of experience  :}

Well, thanks for stopping by today - have a wonderful Thursday!!

February Team Meeting

Last night I got to meet with my team - they are a super fun group of girls! We always have such a good time stamping and chatting  :}  Here's one of the projects I had for them-

I took pictures of the front, back, and side so you could get a better idea of how stinkin' cute this little pouch is. And it's super easy to make! All you need is a 6"x6" square of DSP, a Simply Scored™ Scoring Tool, and some ribbon to tie the top closed. This pocket-pouch would be a great hostess gift (wink, wink - I'd be happy to come make one at your house), a cute Valentine for a co-worker's desk, or a nice little thank-you.
The front pocket has a punched flower (Mixed Bunch stamp set; Blossom punch) and the back pocket has a little notecard for a nice message. During our meeting we discussed other treats you could include, like little chocolates- yum!
Something to think about... joining Stampin' Up! is like joining a big family. A family that likes to stamp and create, and share ideas! A big "thank you" to Becky Roberts for sharing this pocket-pouch goodie  :} 
I hope you enjoyed this cute little project... I know my "girls" did. Contact me anytime, if you have questions or would like to know more about joining Stampin' Up!

Mojo Monday sketch challenge

I really liked the awesome sketch on the Mojo Monday blog this week! It's a great layout, that you can add as little or as much as you want to. I used my Sale-A-Bration goodies to play along:

Ink: Soft Suede          Designer Series Paper: Everyday Enchantment

Card Stock: Poppy Parade, Soft Suede, Calypso Coral, Very Vanilla, Lucky Limeade

Accessories: Everyday Enchantment Ribbon & Brad Pack

Tools: Curly Label punch, Stamping Sponge, Paper Piercing Tool

Did you know you can curl up the ends of the organdy ribbon? Just run your Snips (closed) along the length like curling ribbon. Here's a closer look:

Isn't that a fun look??? It's pretty easy to tell what my favorite Sale-A-Bration goodies are... do you have a favorite yet?

eventful morning

There's nothing like trying to grab a few extra minutes of sleep, only to jump out of bed at the sound of scraping metal coming from the front of your house. I live in a nice neighborhood, with lots of nice neighbors, and a few "not-so-nice" neighbors. One of my "not-so-nice" neighbors backed up his large delivery truck and got stuck at the end of my driveway. While I was getting dressed so I could go speak with him, he and his friends got the truck un-stuck, and then he drove off.  Not nice  :(  Here's the damage he left behind:

I am so very thankful to live in a nice community with such a nice police department. The officer that took my report this morning was so friendly and helpful.  Hmmm... I might just have to send a thank-you card to the police station...

Anywho... on to more pleasant things!
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this card! It's one of the cards from my "Oh Scrap" class, and works perfectly for the theme challenge on the Paper Players blog - using flowers.

You know how you end up with all those skinny strips of Designer Series Paper? This is a fun way to make sure those little coordinating strips of paper don't go to waste!
All of the 1/2" wide strips of paper on this card are from the Berry Blossoms DSP. The three flowers (stamped in Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade, and Wisteria Wonder) are from the coordinating Fruit & Flowers stamp set. I snipped each flower (I do love the 'fussy-cutting'), attached each with a Dimensional, and added a Rhinestone to each center for some fun bling. The sentiment from Elementary Elegance is stamped in Early Espresso.
I wish you could see the card in person... it's even cuter than what I can capture with the camera! Here's a view from another angle:

Love it! So stinkin' cute  :}
Do you have a favorite flower stamp or technique? I'd love to hear about it - feel free to leave a comment on your favorite way to use flowers on your projects.

on a roll...

Good morning! I guess I'm on a roll with these blog challenges  :}  It's fun, and it "wakes up" my creativity for the day. For today's project, I'm using the Sketch Challenge CCMC186 from the "Create with Connie and Mary" blog. I already knew I wanted to play some more with my Sale-A-Bration goodies, and this card sketch was perfect.

Lots of SAB goodies got to play today... the Fresh Vintage & the Elementary Elegance stamp sets, Everyday Enchantment DSP, and Lucky Limeade 1/8" Organdy Ribbon.
I wanted to do something a little different for my focal point, so I used a chipboard butterfly from the Merry Medley package of On Board Chipboard. When I cover chipboard with paper, I like to use the Anywhere Gluestick. I feel like it's the easiest way to get good "coverage." I also like to use the sanding block and skinny little files from the Distressing Essentials Kit to smooth the edges.

I wanted just a little texture for the bottom section of DSP. So after I stamped the greeting in Poppy Parade ink, I dry embossed the DSP using the Houndstooth Embossing Folder and my Big Shot.

Then I turned the embossed piece of DSP over to the back and gently smoothed it out with a Bone Folder, so I could have just the right amount of texture.

I hope you find a few moments today to let your creativity flow... it always brightens my day when I get a chance to make something pretty!  :}

another blog challenge - MOJO225

I'm having a little fun trying out different blog challenges  :)  Today I made a card using the Mojo Monday 225 sketch:

 For the block sections, I used the  gorgeous Everyday Enchantment Designer Series Paper. I LOVE the colors in this paper: Lucky Limeade, Pool Party, Peach Parfait, Calypso Coral, Poppy Parade, Very Vanilla, and Soft Suede. I stamped the "postage stamp" image from the coordinating Fresh Vintage stamp set, in Calypso Coral and punched it out with the Postage Stamp punch. Then I sponged a little Soft Suede ink around the edges. A bit of Calypso Coral 1/8" Organdy Ribbon adds a nice, feminine touch.

Have you found a favorite Sale-A-Bration item yet (or two, or three, or...)?? There are lots of ways to get some freebies for yourself! Head on over to my Stampin' Up! website to learn more...

Sale-a- Brate good times, come on!

GOOD MORNING! The wait is finally over... Sale-A-Bration 2012 begins today!! Woohoo!!!  :)
Like the new blog design???!  Of course you do - you love all of my designs  ;)  I used My Digital Studio and the FREE One Big Sale-A-Bration CD to create the new look (inspired by the notebook on p5 of the SAB catalog) for my blog. *LOVE*
One of my favorite features about using MDS is that it's so easy to create multiple projects, with just a little tweaking, without starting each one from scratch. For example, I loved my blog design so much, I decided to make it into a birthday postcard. How??? Easy!
After creating my blog header, I selected all of the "elements" (minus the blog name) and grouped them together. Then I just did a copy and paste onto the bottom of the "page" I was working on. All of the "pages" are then saved as a jpeg file on the computer. Sooooo... I opened a new project - a postcard - and added my picture like any other photo.

Ta dah! After positioning my "photo" where I wanted it, I added the butterfly and birthday greeting "stamps" in the corner. For the backside of the postcard, I used the same patterned DSP, at a low opacity, so it would be coordinated and pretty  :)
Stay tuned throughout the coming weeks for more projects - both digital and traditional - using wonderful new pretties from Sale-A-Bration.
Want some freebies for yourself??? You can choose one FREE Sale-A-Bration product for every $50 you spend (not including tax and shipping). Want more freebies? Host a workshop during Sale-A-Bration to earn more FREE goodies. Contact me today to schedule a playdate with your family and friends.

click here to start shopping

a color challenge

Well, I guess one good thing leads to another... I decided to try another blog challenge. This one is a color challenge from the "Create with Connie and Mary" blog. When I saw the color challenge - Peach Parfait, Calypso Coral, and Lucky Limeade - I got really happy. I have made a TON of projects using this color combination! In fact, these are the main colors in my Catalog Display area. Want to see???

If you see any dust, could you just ignore that?  ;)  Someday I'll get around to the dusting... someday...

Now, I could have linked to several previously posted projects I made using Peach Parfait, Calypso Coral, and Lucky Limeade... but where's the fun in that? Since the Creative Elements stamp set I used for yesterday's project was still sitting on my desk, I used that to make today's card for the CCMC185 - Color Challenge.

Isn't it pretty??? It's a wee bit over the top, but not really complicated. The Peach Parfait DSP has the swirly background stamped in Calypso Coral ink, as well as spritzing with Calypso Coral and Lucky Limeade markers using the Color Spritzer Tool. I stamped the flower in Calypso Coral ink onto Very Vanilla textured card stock, and then lightly colored it in using a Blender Pen and Peach Parfait ink. For the butterfly, I used the "rock-and-roll" technique (Peach Parfait and Calypso Coral ink). After snipping out the butterfly, I sponged the edges with Crumb Cake ink so it would stand out a little more. The sentiment is stamped in Calypso Coral ink onto Peach Parfait card stock. And I couldn't resist adding a small Pearl to add one more finishing detail. Fun challenge!!

Well, the snow is really coming down now. I guess I'll force myself to hunker down inside all weekend and stamp... I'm thinking some scrapbooking is on the agenda. What are you doing this weekend? I hope you find time to create a few projects of your own!  :)

Lucky Limeade and Calypso Coral

It's no secret that I love playing with all of the fabulous colors that Stampin' Up! has. Every year I am like a kid on Christmas Eve waiting to see the new In Color collection. In July, five new colors (Lucky Limeade, Calypso Coral, Pool Party, Island Indigo, and Wisteria Wonder) were released.
I love how nicely Lucky Limeade and Calypso Coral "play" together  :)
Both of the today's cards use these colors and the Array of Sunshine Hostess stamp set.

 This card pulled double duty as a team meeting project as well as a class project. It is a GREAT layout... so easy to create with. The sentiment is from the Word Play stamp set.

Crumb Cake makes a nice, neutral background for these bold colors. The sentiment is from the My Friend stamp set.

Well, I'm off to add the finishing details to my Spooky Village houses... I can't wait to share them at my Technique Tuesday class tomorrow night! It's going to be soooooo much fun  :)