So Kind

With Sale-a-Bration going on, I have a feeling I'm going to be needing a few more thank you notes than usual. So I went through my stamp stash to see what was available. One of the first sets that caught my eye was Priceless which I hadn't used in quite awhile. Now seemed to be the time to get it out and give it a good inking! But the next question would be - what colors should I use? Because it's snowing and really cold outside, I thought the basic colors in the Celebrations DSP would remind me of snuggly hats and mittens and playing outside in the snow. I'd been thinking of using the heart from the Priceless set, but changed my mind. To warm things up a little, I chose the butterfly stamp from the set instead. Bet you didn't know my thinking was so convoluted when planning out a card, did you???

Stamps: Priceless stamps and Whimsy Jumbo Wheel

Cardstock: Bashful Blue, Real Red, Old Olive, and Whisper White with Celebrations Designer Series Paper

Ink: Bashful Blue, Real Red

Accessories: Jumbo Handle, 2-Way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds, Old Olive 5/8" Satin Ribbon, and Dimensionals

I'm a little disappointed that I couldn't get a good picture of the swirly design of the wheel to show up nicely on the red cardstock. I took a half dozen pics and threw them all away. (so happy to have a digital camera instead of wasting film!!!)

Hope you like the idea I've shared with you. It's pretty basic, but then most ideas are you know. Remember it's just SIPS - stamps, ink, and paper after all!
So now go on and get all snuggly and stamp a thank you note or two. You never know when you're going to need them.

Have a great weekend. Sharon

Creating Cupcakes

Oh, I'm having fun making cupcakes - you know, the paper kind! I just received my Occasions Mini order with the cupcake set and coordinating punch. What fun!! Now I can stamp cupcakes, punch cupcakes, or stamp and punch cupcakes. The first card I have to share with you is my first time using the punch and set together. I love how it turned out, but realized I had again used one of my retired ribbons. Dog-gone it! Arrrggghh!! Why are all my favorite ribbons retired???? Well, I'm sharing the idea with you anyway. But keep reading farther along, because I'll share an 'updated, current product' version with you too! Hope you like them....


Stamps: Create A Cupcake
Cardstock: Whisper White, So Saffron, Real Red
Ink: Daffodil Delight, Chocolate Chip, Real Red pads, and Chocolate Chip marker
Accessories: Big Shot with Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Build A Cupcake Punch, Sponge quarter, retired Real Red Polka Dot Ribbon, and Dimensionals

I love the soft yellow and red colors together. They always make be feel happy. So I thought this would be a great birthday card for just about anybody on your list.



But I still wanted to work with just the punch and cardstock without the stamping. So for this card, I used only current products, but kept the identical layout as the first one. Here are the changes....

Cardstock: Whisper White, Bashful Blue, Peach Parfait, Chocolate Chip, and Real Red
Ink: Chocolate Chip pad and marker, and Peach Parfait pad
Accessories: Peach Parfait 1/2" Poly Stitched Ribbon, Personal Corrugater (along with the other items mentioned above)


Other than the obvious changes, it's the same card. But somehow it looks so much more subdued. I guess this card would be more appropriate for that prim and proper auntie.

I have to admit that one of my favorite parts of the cupcake punch is the little cherry. Last night at a workshop, we had a very heated discussion about whether the stem should be there or not, (of course it should - these are the high-priced, fancy cherries!), or whether it should be red or brown (you know they dye the cherries during processing so are the stems red too???). Isn't that the kind of discussions you have during your workshops? Got to admit, it was very animated!! How absolutely silly, but oh so much fun too! All in all it was a night of giggles and lots of laughter. How blessed I am to be in a business that I enjoy so much and love the people I share my time with.

Thanks for stopping by today. Hope you'll come back again soon. :)
Sharon

Cheep Talk Sweet Talk

Hi there! Hope you enjoyed your weekend. I've been running around trying to catch up after being under the weather all last week. My Hostess Club ladies are meeting on Tuesday and I've been having a little trouble thinking up something cool for them to do. Guess I'll work on that again tomorrow. But in the mean time, I have a cute little card for you today that I've made up as a valentine. It certainly doesn't have to be a valentine though. By changing the sentiment, you could turn it into just about anything you needed. But since Valentine's Day is right around the corner, why not make another card to share with family or friends?

Stamps: Cheep Talk and Short & Sweet
Cardstock: Tempting Turquoise, Old Olive, and Whisper White with Love Patterns Designer Series Paper
Ink: Pacific Point, Tempting Turquoise, Old Olive, and Rose Red
Accessories: Old Olive 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon

The inside of the card featured a retired sentiment from the Best Yet stamp set. I also added a partial branch on the top and one of the birds on the bottom. (I added the bird after the photo was taken. Thought it was needed!)

Tomorrow is the last day to order the Love Patterns DSP from Stampin'Up! Too bad it won't be available any more because I've been using it for everything lately. Those red and pink patterns have been coming in handy for the seasonal cards right now.

Don't you just love these cute little birds? Adding the heart between them makes them look like lovebirds. Using one bird alone just makes a card look bright and cheerful. And who can't use a little cheering up when the winter doldrums hit? The temps have been in the teens for the past week and I feel like I might never thaw out! My hubby promises the weather will warm up this week and I hope he's right.

Stay warm and stamp a card or two to brighten someone's day!

Sharon

Lots of Hearts

Ok, I think it's officially going to be one of those days! Ooops, make that one of those weeks, or maybe even months!!!! Will I ever be able to get back on track with my life? (weak little sigh) Can you believe I actually started this post exactly one week ago today? I got as far as the title, first line, and the pictures. At that point I was interrupted by my younger sister walking in the door. My hubby had run to the airport to pick her up and I was going to do a quick post. Instead there was a phone call that had to be taken care of, a few last minute items to pack, etc., etc. Then the baby woke up and needed changing from a reeeeeally messy diaper, and feeding, and visiting with my sister, and, and...... Then it was time to leave to go an hour to pick up my older sister, then on another two hours to get farther up north for my dear aunt's viewing Friday night and then the funeral on Saturday. Definitely rushing around like a mad woman, but loved visiting with both of my sisters which doesn't happen very often. And then seeing my cousins and their children and grandchildren too - how wonderful is that?! Why do we only meet from all corners of this country when there is a funeral to attend? I enjoy spending time with my cousins so much! It's a shame we're all so very spread apart geographically.

Oh yes, on with the saga. (You can fast forward here to get to the good parts beyond the story if you want!) On the way home late afternoon on Saturday, I started feeling rather queasy. For those of you that know me personally, you're probably thinking "oh oh, car-sick"! Ah, so was I, that is until we got back to my sister's house and it was all over for me. There was no way I could go any farther at that point. I know, only another hour to get back home and into my own bed, but I just couldn't. Then my younger sister came down with the flu too!!! Oh yuck! So that was two of us that were heaving at my older sister's house. Not a pretty sight - or sound either. Sunday morning my hubby and daughter drove up there together to rescue us and drive us home again. My poor sis had to get on a plane to fly home again that afternoon, and I went straight to bed. Later that afternoon, my hubby came down with it too. This whole week has been spent just trying to feel normal again. Not exactly fun by any stretch of the imagination! Just a final update, my younger sister, hubby, and I are all doing better, and my older sister never did get the flu. Lucky for her!!

Ok, time to move on from that yucky story on to more pleasant topics. And what could be more pleasant than stamping? Today I have a different technique to share with you. When I saw this done, I was blown away with how cool it was. Hope you like it too! It's called embedded embossing. Here's what it looks like...

Stamps: Teeny Tiny Wishes
Cardstock: Real Red, Basic Black, Whisper White, with Love Patterns Designer Series Paper (on special right now!)
Ink: Real Red
Accessories: Full Heart Punch, Small Heart Punch, Bit Shot with Square Lattice Embossing Folder, Word Window Punch, Modern Label Punch, Real Red 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Glue Stick, Sponge Dauber, and Dimensionals




Can you see how the punched DSP and cardstock pieces look embedded into the white cardstock layer? The look is as easy as 1, 2, 3 to achieve, but gives such a different look. Here's how you do it:

1. Punch whatever shapes you want to embed. Use a glue stick liberally to attach punched pieces to the white cardstock.

2. Enclose the white cardstock inside the embossing folder and run through the Big Shot.

3. Take out of folder and admire your work!!

Go on! Give it a try! It really is quite fabulous and I know you'll love it. After it's done, you can go ahead and add some sponging to the edges and put together in your card.

Well, that's it for today. Hope I'll be back to post again tomorrow. Stay warm, stay well, and find some time to relax with stamping!
Sharon

More Filled With Love

Ok, two days in a row!! I'm on a roll now, look out! I told you I'd share a card that uses each one of the components from the Filled With Love Bundle that's on sale right now until the 24th of January. And yes, I'm loving this bundle! The stamps and crisp and bright. The printed paper has great designs. And those Bitty Buttons are just the cutest little things and can be used just about anywhere.

Stamps: Filled With Love
Cardstock: Pink Pirouette, Wild Wasabi, and Whisper White with exclusive Love Patterns Designer Series Paper
Ink: Real Red pad, Real Red and Garden Green Markers
Accessories: Eyelet Trim Border Punch, Bitty Buttons, Linen Thread, Heart to Heart Punch, Mini Glue Dots, and Dimensionals






I haven't used that lacy eyelet border punch in awhile, so had to get it out for this one. Thought it fit the card nicely. I love how the green layer just seems to 'pop' the other colors used to make the card.
And the best part of this card? That tiny heart in the Heart to Heart Punch fits behind the heart Bitty Button just perfect!!

That's all for now. Thanks for stopping by again! Any comments you might leave are greatly appreciated. I love hearing from you!

Hugs,
Sharon

Filled with Love Bundle

Oh my! Can't believe it's been over a week since my last posting! Yikes!! So much for planning on being more regular with my posts. So sorry!! Hope the rest of the year isn't as crazy as the first 11 days of the year has been. We got together at church last week to stamp cards for the soldiers for From Our Hearts. We had a great time and finished 155 cards that evening. Then it was time to get ready for classes this week. I guess that's how I messed up on blogging this early in the year. Too many deadlines. So, that means I'd better get a move on with this blogging since you've been waiting so long. OK?

This is one of the cards my wonderful ladies are making during classes this week. It uses the stamp set and Designer Series Paper that are bundled for sale right now at SU! When you get the stamp set and paper, you get the tiny buttons free. The card I'll share with you tomorrow will be using all of those items together. Just love the stamp set and papers. It makes it so dog-gone easy to get your Valentine cards made in no time at all. Here's the first one....

Stamps: Filled with Love and Seasonal Sentiments

Cardstock: Pretty in Pink, Real Red, Whisper White, and exclusive Love Patterns Designer Series Papers

Ink: Real Red

Accessories: Full Heart Punch, Sponge quarter, Basic Rhinestones, Pretty in Pink 1/4" Grosgrain Ribbon

With the heart punch that fits the heart stamp in this set you can finish this card in just minutes. But I love how clean and simple the look is. Just my style! This card features 2 of the patterns of the DSP. There are 2 more prints to play with, so you can find just the right one for your design.

Anyway, that's it for tonight. Only half of the ladies came for class tonight. The weather outside is icy cold and snowing those fine little diamond snowflakes. It looks pretty, but the roads are the pits so no one wanted to come out tonight. So there's a snow-date make up class next Tuesday. Hopefully the weather will settle down for tomorrow's classes! Have a great evening. And thanks for stopping by again!

Sharon

Happy New Year!!

Hope you didn't celebrate too much last night - just enough to have a good time. And I also hope you've found time to reflect on the past year. This is a great time to go over what was good or bad about the previous year, and how you would change your actions or maybe reactions. It's wonderful that God gives us a chance to make a new start each year and use the time to learn to become better people. Of course we all will have our failings, and yes I'm probably the worst offender here. But the slate is wiped clean and it's time for a fresh start. Take the time to think about who you really want to be a year from now, and figure out the steps you need to take to get to that reality.

One of my goals this year is to lose some of my extra weight that's been added the last couple of years. For me that's going to be a really hard thing to do because I hate to exercise! I know hate is a strong word, but it really fits here. I know I'd feel much better and my clothes would fit better too if I got this weight thing under control. shhhh.... Don't tell my hubby. For some reason when we both watch our weight, he loses his and I just watch mine! How unfair!! And it does get very depressing. So I'm not even telling him what I'm trying to do so he won't be comparing how we're doing on this. So what's your biggest goal for next year? Is it physical like mine? Or is it spiritual? Or is it business related? Let's help and encourage each other to be the very best we can be!

Ok, on to sharing a card with you all! I had looked at the Stamping 411 site earlier in the week, but didn't get around to getting my card made in time. Well, the card's finished, but the link to the site is closed. So I'm just sharing it with you instead. It's still a classic layout that's good for so many occasions. And one I need to get out and use more often! Hope you like it.

Stamps: Friends Never Fade

Cardstock: Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy, Very Vanilla, Always Artichoke, and the new Springtime Vintage Designer Series Paper

Ink: So Saffron and Baja Breeze Markers and Not Quite Navy Pad

Accessories: Curly Label Punch, Vanilla Narrow Grosgrain Ribbon, 2-Way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, and Dimensionals

The two prints I chose for the card is on just one sheet of paper. I thought they went together so very nicely that I had to add a strip of the backside to the card.

The flower accent was colored with the markers then used the rock'n'roll technique on the edges with the Not Quite Navy pad. It gives the flower a bit more dimension. And then adding the glitter really sets it off nicely. Instead of adding leaves, I punched the Artichoke cardstock and layered it behind. It still needed something, so I added the snippet of ribbon.

The card can be used for any occasion at this point depending on what words are chosen for the inside. I think I'll save that decision for later when I need a card at the last minute.

Wishing you a very blessed New Year with all the best that our heavenly Father has in store for you! Let me know what you're planning on working on this year, and I'll keep you posted on any progress that is made in the weight department!!

Hugs,

Sharon