attitude of gratitude

It's no secret that I love social media (totally addicted). And while I really do enjoy reading all the posts in November of what everyone is thankful for, I never could quite get into it. I certainly agree with expressing thankfulness for the blessings in our lives, but does typing it while waiting at all the red lights on your commute really count? Is it enough?   
One of my stamping friends introduced me to an interesting blog a while back. And one of the posts on the blog is encouraging an "attitude of gratitude." She encourages card-makers to create a card expressing their thankfulness. I thought it was a fabulous idea! You actually tell a live person in your own words exactly why you are so thankful to know him/ her. Old fashioned? Maybe. Needed in today's world? Desperately. 
I thought I would start with a group of people - the teachers at the grade school. I am so blessed that my boys can attend such a great school with high expectations and a dedicated staff.  

To my River Rock card base, I added only one layer (Very Vanilla) and one embellishment. I scored two vertical lines 1/4" apart for the tiniest hint of texture. The leaf from the Wonderfall stamp set is stamped in River Rock, More Mustard, and Cajun Craze ink for a sort of ombré effect. And the sentiment (Blessings From Heaven) is absolutely perfect for this card. 

I've used this card sketch before - I just love how easy it is when you want a clean and simple card that you can create quickly. You might be wondering why I would want to stamp such a simple card to carry my message...  Well, I like the idea of sharing the "attitude of gratitude" so much, that I thought I would stamp a whole basket of these (therefore needing a quick design!) to leave in the teacher's lounge, so that others can continue the message of thankfulness. I hope they like them :) 

For those of you who would love to design a digital card right from your iPhone and send it to your loved ones... now you can!!! 

The new Simply Sent App from Stampin' Up! is now available in the iTunes store... and it's FREE!  Waiting for the school bus just got a lot more fun!!  ;} 

how about a card sketch on this chilly day?

Oh my goodness!! It's 32º outside right now!! Quite a change from playing outside with the kids yesterday... BRRRRR! Well, if it's going to be this cold outside, I might as well post a Christmas card! 

To "dress up" the Crumb Cake layer, I added two score lines - easy peasy! The sentiment (Wacky Wishes hostess set) is stamped in Crumb Cake ink. 

I stamped the ornament images (Ornament Keepsakes stamp set) in Crumb Cake, Garden Green, and Cherry Cobbler ink, and then die cut them with one of the Holiday Ornaments Framelits.

Don't you just love making quick, simple Christmas cards?! This layout is a "go to" for me when I want a clean design that I can put together in minutes. And because I love you all, here's the card sketch... 

Don't forget to "Pin It" to save for later! And stay tuned later this week... I'll be sharing a special card using this same template. Have a fabulous Monday!!  ;} 

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  :}