Punched Pumpkin Card

Every year I try to make at least one fall card with multiple leaves swirling around just like they are outside my window.  This year is no exception, and this is one of the cards I've made.  We got some pumpkins from the pumpkin patch and they looked so nice on the front porch.  Then came the attack of the hungry squirrels!  Oh my, what a mess!  Maybe I should make a card that's half eaten like the real pumpkins on my porch - NOT. 

Stamps:  Fall Fest, Good Greetings
Ink:  Mossy Meadow, Pumpkin Pie, Cajun Craze
Paper:  Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White with Color Me Autumn DSP
Accessories:  Big Shot with Fun Fall Framelits, Decorative Dots TIEF, Extra Large Oval Punch, Mossy Meadow Stitched Ribbon, Sponge quarter, and Dimensionals

This is an easy card to make because of the stamp set and Framelits that coordinate so you don't have to hand-cut all the fun leaves.  That makes it so easy to have those leaves swirling about in the wind.

For this card I punched three ovals, embossed them, sponged them, then made them into a pumpkin.  Just love these types of pumpkins!  So fun and simple.  The stem on this pumpkin isn't a bit of cardstock like I normally would use.  Instead it's a short length of ribbon knotted and tucked under the pumpkin.  Easy peasy with a little added interest.

The sentiment is from the Good Greetings set that Hostesses can earn free with a $300 party.  This is above and beyond the regular benefits.  But there's a catch - the offer is good only until the end of October.  Let me know if I can help you plan a quick party, even a book party, so you can take advantage of this offer!

Thanks for stopping by today.  Hope you liked this clean and simple card idea.   Sharon

Seeing Stars for Christmas

It always amazes me how differently cards will look just by changing the colors used.  I had originally made a card for the ladies to make for our military last month.  I used a retired designer print that was Cherry Cobbler which I just love for Christmas.  I liked the simplicity of the card so I redid it using current DSP.  The difference is almost like day and night, so I thought you'd like to see the two versions.  The first card uses the current products and here it is...

 Stamps:  Bright & Beautiful
Ink:  Lost Lagoon
Paper:  Lost Lagoon, Whisper White, Silver Glitter Paper, with All Is Calm Specialty Designer Paper
Accessories:  Big Shot with Stars Framelits, Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack, Glue Dots, and Dimensionals

This version of the card is very frosty and serene with the snowflake printed paper with multiple blues for a background.  The star layer of glitter paper in silver adds to the look with extra stars in the glitter paper to accent the whole card.  I liked the small stars added to the sentiment strip on the bottom to brighten it up too.

Here's the original card using Cherry Cobbler for the card base and Very Vanilla Champagne Glitter Paper for the accents.  This card looks very rich and elegant compared to the other card shown.

All in all, this is a simple card sketch to work with and is very versatile.  Just change the images and paper used and you can use this idea for almost any occasion.  Hope you give this idea a try.  I'm sure you'll find lots of uses for this sketch.  Thanks for stopping in today to see what's new.  See you soon......     Sharon

Wondrous Autumn Wreath

My wonderful Hostess Club ladies met last week, and one of the stamp sets we worked with was the Wondrous Wreath.  One of my favorite plusses about this set is the framelit set that matches it.  Using both items together, it's so easy to layer on a wreath anytime.  I wouldn't want to cut out this wreath to make multiple cards, but now we don't have to!!  The first card I made with the set was for Thanksgiving.  This is a favorite holiday for me as it really sets the stage for our thankfulness for Christmas and all God has done for us.  We can never be too thankful!

 Stamps:  Wondrous Wreath and For All Things
Ink:  Crushed Curry, Cajun Craze, and Elegant Eggplant
Paper:  Naturals Ivory, Elegant Eggplant, Very Vanilla, and Moonlight Designer Series Paper Stack
Accessories:  Big Shot with Wonderful Wreath Framelits Dies, Dazzling Details Glitter, Dimensionals, and a retired Purple Hemp Twine

I just love fall colors and this combo always seems so elegant to me.  So I thought it would be perfect for this lovely wreath.  When I was looking through my stash of ribbons and embellishments that I could use with this card, I came across some really old purple twine that has to be about 10 years old, but it was the perfect match.  No matter what else I tried on the card, this just worked the best.  So there you have it.  I was trying to use only current products on the card, but sometimes you just have to go with what works the best.

This stamp set is another of the photopolymer type, and was very easy to work with.  Each of the wreath layers and the framelits to cut out the wreath all have a tab on them for easy placement.  It really did work out well and was simple to do.  Thanks SU! for coming up with another winner!!

I can't wait to try out wreaths for all the seasons.  I'm sure this is one set I'll hold onto and use for a good many years to come!  Thanks for checking out what's new for today.  Hope to see you again soon.   Sharon

White Christmas

Ok, here we are with a Christmas card idea.  I loved the White Christmas stamp set as soon as I laid eyes on it.  Of course it didn't hurt that I loved each of the ideas shared with this set in the Holiday Catalog either!  So I went with those same soft colors from the Catalog and made my first card with this set.  Here's what I came up with.  What do you think??

Stamps:  White Christmas and Good Greetings
Ink:  Stazon Jet Black, Soft Suede, Real Red, Pool Party, and Sahara Sand
Paper:  Whisper White and Pool Party
Accessories:   Big Shot with Lucky Stars TIEF, AquaPainter, Glue Dots, Frosted Sequins, and Dimensionals

This turned out to be a soft and serene winter scene.  The color washed into the background is so delicate.  I kept the color softer on the trees and bird too.  All the sequins are attached with Glue Dots.  That seems to be the easiest way to attach them.

This set is so easy to use because it's made from photopolymer.  That way you can easily see where you're placing different items, like the bird and bear.  So simple - wish we'd had photopolymer to work with years and years ago!!   Hope you give this set a try - it's fabulous!!

Thanks for stopping by again.  I want to wish you all a fantastic fall!  Sharon

Halloween Holiday Home

First off, I want to thank all of you who have continued to check in here even when I wasn't up to blogging.  It's been hard lately dealing with everything going on, and I haven't been able to keep it all balanced and going forward for months now.   Hopefully I can start getting back in the groove and enjoying life again.  Ok, enough of that.  Now it's time to share some card ideas, right?  The card today is from a set in the Holiday Catalog that is so much fun.  It's such a versatile stamp set, it was hard to decide what to make first.  Hope you like this idea...

Stamps:  Holiday Home and Frightful Wreath
Ink:  Pumpkin Pie, Cajun Craze, Stazon Jet Black, and Craft White
Paper:  Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black, Daffodil Delight
Accessories: Big Shot with Homemade Holiday Framelits, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Sponge quarters, and a Post-It Note

Isn't this card fun?  The circle was punched from a Post-It Note and used to mask in the moon.  Both Pumpkin Pie and Cajun Craze were used to lightly sponge in the sky area so the moon would show.  Then the bats were stamped in - maybe too many??  Or maybe just enough.

The houses were stamped with White Craft ink then die-cut with the Homemade Holiday Framelits.  (love having framelits to match!!)

The inside sentiment I used is from the Frightful Wreath stamp set - nice big sentiments to fit across the whole card.

That's it for this easy Halloween card.  Next time I use the set, I'm thinking I'd like to try a Thanksgiving card.  We'll see.   Thanks for stopping in one more time to check on me.  Hopefully I'll be better equipped to post on a more regular basis.  Talk to you soon...        Sharon

Kinda Cool and Eclectic

Oh, I'm lovin' the new Kinda Eclectic stamp set.  Woo Hoo!  It's pretty fabulous if I do say so myself.  All of the pieces will work nicely with other stamps as lovely soft background additions  or boldly stand out as they do on this card.  Hope you like it!

Stamps:  Kinda Eclectic
Ink:  Daffodil Delight, Basic Gray
Paper:  Daffodil Delight, Basic Gray, and Whisper White
Accessories:  Daffodil Delight Seam Binding Ribbon, Pearls Basic Jewels, and Dimensionals

Don't you just love how the Basic Gray and Daffodil Delight colors go together to make such a "sunshiney" card?  It always makes me happy seeing these colors together!

This card actually used all but one of the stamps in the set.  I'll get around to using the gorgeous leaves on something else real soon.  They are just too pretty to ignore!

 I really love the dotty stamp border in this set.  I thought it might be hard to line up, but it was so easy with the clear-mount set I have.  Instead of adding more texture to the card with tons of layers or embossing, I just relied on the different textures in the stamps themselves.  Really cool if you ask me.  To change things up a bit, I decided to attach the layering at a slight angle to give it more eye-appeal.  Set on straight it looked just a little too staid.  Then I added a pop of pearl to the butterfly and it was good to go.
 
Hope you liked this idea.  I know I need to keep this set out on my table and play around a little more with it.   Enjoy!!    Sharon

Summer Silhouettes times 2

Seems like I'm grabbing my Summer Silhouettes stamp set more and more often lately.  There's just so much good stuff in this set with the solid images and 2-step stamping pieces.  And don't forget that simple border stamp that can be used to advantage on many cards.  So today I have two totally different card ideas to share with you.  I'm only going to give the full product list on the first one.  The 2nd one will be a little sketchy on that, but it's pretty self-explanatory.  And you're so smart, I'm sure you'll figure it all out easily! 

 

Stamps:  Summer Silhouettes, Work of Art, and A Dozen Thoughts
Ink:  Blushing Bride, Rose Red, Pear Pizzazz
Paper:  Blushing Bride, Whisper White, and retired DSP in Pear Pizzazz
Accessories: Pear Pizzazz 1/4" Cotton Ribbon

As you can see, it's a clean and simple card, but not boring at all.   I just love the swashes of color as the base for the stamping done with Blushing Bride ink.  The color is soft enough not to overpower the rest, but pulls it all together for a finished look.

I needed to use a retired Designer Paper because I don't have all the new ones yet.  Just can't buy everything I want make that need in the first month or two of the new catalog coming out.  Sure would like to, but it's just not feasible.  Too bad!

Here's the 2nd card I have for you using the Summer Silhouettes stamp set.  Have you noticed the difference in looks from the first card?   Yep, just a little difference here and there!  This one uses a lot of last year's retired In Colors - in fact I just realized that it uses all five of them - Midnight Muse, Gumball Green, Summer Starfruit, Primrose Petals, and Raspberry Ripple.   Yes, I miss these colors, but I still own them and get them out every once in a while to play so they don't get too lonesome!

That's it for today.  It's a little short I guess, but at least it's posted!  I'll be back with more ideas from class and Hostess Club soon.  Hope you're enjoying your summer.  The little guys are having a blast and keep me running.  Check back in again soon.     Sharon

Work of Art #5 Birthday

Ok, last one of the series.  And I'm so tired right now that this post is going to be very short and sweet.  Let's get right to it.....

Stamps:  Work of Art, Gorgeous Grunge, and Endless Birthday Wishes
Ink:  Crushed Curry, Melon Mambo, and Bermuda Bay
Paper:  Whisper White, Melon Mambo, Crushed Curry, and Bermuda Bay
Accessories:   Big Shot with Starburst Framelits, Itty Bitty Accents Punch (star), 2 3/8" Scallop Punch, 1 3/4" Circle Punch, Rhinestones Basic Jewels, and Dimensionals

I kept the colors all bright and happy for this birthday celebration card.  The colors carry through on both the inks and cardstock pieces.  The stars punched from each of the colors add a festive touch.  And who doesn't like the touch of sparkle from the rhinestones on each star?

Have you seen this new birthday photopolymer stamp set yet?  Both the cake image and the sentiments are from the Endless Birthday Wishes set.  It's going to be one of those sets that gets used over and over again because of all the mix & match sentiments in it.  Love it!!!

The layering of the main image was finished off with the starburst in Crushed Curry. It just made the scalloped Melon Mambo layer stand out even more.

Don't you love the addition of the bits of speckles from the Gorgeous Grunge tying all the components together?  It reminded me of confetti at a party.  I had thought to add bits of the other two colors, but that seemed too much.  So this is it - 3 stamp sets and 3 colors to make the card.  Fun, fun, fun.  And that's it for me tonight.  I'm off to bed to get rewound and we start it all over again at 6am.  Ta ta...       Sharon

Work of Art #4

Back again here with the latest installment of ideas using the new Work of Art stamp set.  Yes, I still think it's a fabulous set and love using it.  It's so simple and can be used in so many different ways.  Today's card has the images stamped in a very straightforward manner.  No quirky ideas or anything of that sort, just simple stamping.

Stamps:  Work of Art and Simply Celebrate
Ink:  Coastal Cabana and Bermuda Bay
Paper:  Whisper White and Bermuda Bay
Accessories:  Watercolor Wonder Washi Tape, Rhinestone Basic Jewels

Isn't this card pretty?  I love the clean look of it and the two colors of Coastal Cabana and Bermuda Bay are fun and breezy.  To jazz up the card a little, the strip of Washi Tape is the easiest idea ever!  Talk about something that's so quick to do but has a little pop - adding the gold of the Washi Tape is too cute.  A little added sparkle from the rhinestones and you're finished in only minutes.

As I mentioned, just simple stamping and not much in the line of layering or embellishments.  Just a clean and simple card.  Oh yeah, this was totally a CASEd idea too.  Unfortunately, I thought I had seen this idea on Stampin' Connection and spent the last half hour looking for it to give credit for the idea and I couldn't find it.  (Couldn't believe there were so many pages of ideas for this set!!!  Wow)   But I never did find the idea.  Sooooo, if this is your idea, let me know so I can give you credit.

Thanks for stopping by for the latest installment of the Work of Art saga.  Hope I can stop at 5 ideas and don't get too bogged down with this one set.  There are lots more new stamps out there to play with and I need to get cracking!  Have a wonderful week.  Hope you're not getting quite as much rain as we are lately.  But I guess we needed it.  Unfortunately, the grandboys really want to get out and play on the playscape.  Oh well, indoor fun for now.   Have fun!      Sharon

Work of Art #3

Ok, I'm back with the latest idea using the new Work of Art stamp set.  In case you haven't figured it out yet, I just love this set and all the fun things that can be done with it.  Today, we're going back to an idea that's similar to the first version I shared.

Stamps:  Work of Art and Yippee-Skippee!
Ink:  Hello Honey, Tangelo Twist, Garden Green, and Pool Party
Paper:  Pool Party and Whisper White
Accessories:  Subtles Candy Dots, and Lg Corner Rounder(ret)

This is actually the first card idea I tried out with the new set as soon as I got my little hands on it.  I had seen something online using the wider swoosh as a sun and I just went from there.  The sun is actually stamped 3 times to get this look.  The overlapping of the stamping doesn't seem to be a problem with the look because everything else also has multiple overlapping going on too.

The flower is the squiggle stamped 3-4 times with a lot of overlap.  The stem is just stamped once, but the leaf is the heart stamped twice and overlapped in the center.  Isn't that a cute idea?

I love this sentiment from the Yippee-Skippee! stamp set.  It just says it all!  And it doesn't have to fit any special day - just any day will do fine!  I think it makes a perfect thinking of you type of card.  I mean, wouldn't it add a little bit of 'happy' to your day if this came in the mail to you?  I'd love to get something besides bills in my mail.  (grin)

Ok, enough editorializing here.  Time to get this posted today.  Thanks for stopping in today.  Hope you're enjoying this series as much as I am.  Have a great day!         Sharon

Work of Art Take 2

Hey, I promised there would be a series of cards using the fabulous new Work of Art stamp set, and here I am with the 2nd in the series.  This time I'm focusing in on the large swoosh of color type of stamp.  Hmm, did that last sentence even make sense?  Oh well, keep reading and check out the card and it will probably make sense.  If not, boy, guess I'm not thinking straight today.  Let's check it out...

Stamps:  Work of Art, World of Dreams, and A Dozen Thoughts
Ink:  Island Indigo, Mossy Meadow, and Stazon Jet Black
Paper:  Island Indigo, Mossy Meadow, and Whisper White
Accessories:  Corner Rounder, and that's it

In case you haven't noticed, this is a really simple card to make.  Although 3 different stamp sets were used, the sentiment and black silhouette stamps are interchangeable with so many different stamp sets.  So that means you could do this idea in a million or more different versions depending on colors and stamps used.  Now what could be more versatile than that?

I've actually done this card using the retired Midnight Muse and Gumball Green ink and it ends up being a little brighter.  The Mossy Meadow is a yummy green, but a little on the dark side for this card.  Hmmm I might just try making it again using Old Olive with the Island Indigo.  What do you think?  And what other color combos should I try??  What about fall colors and maybe the tall weedy looking stamp from the same World of Dreams set???  Yes, I think the options might just be endless!

That's it for today.  Glad you stopped in to see what's new.  Come on back for the rest of the series.  You might just decide you need to own this stamp set too!  You can always order it (or anything else!) directly from me.  I'd be happy to help you out.  Have fun stamping!       Sharon

You are a Work of Art

 If  you are looking for the most versatile set in the new Stampin' Up! catalog, check out Work of Art.  I think this stamp set will be my new go-to set for the next few months.  I've already made 5 totally different cards using this stamp set.  And I'll be sharing them with you for the next 5 days.  Sound like a good idea to you?  Hope so, 'cuz that's what I'll be doing.  So here's the first one. 

Stamps:  Work of Art
Ink:  Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie,
Paper:  Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry, Very Vanilla, and Pumpkin Pie
Accessories:   Elegant Butterfly and Bitty Butterfly Punches, 1 1/4" Scallop Circle Punch, Lg Corner Rounder(ret), Very Vintage Designer Buttons, Old Olive 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Brights Candy Dots, and Glue Dots

This card was so much fun to make!  The flower is made from a squiggle stamp that is stamped repeatedly.  Just keep one end of the stamp centered and stamp around in a circle.  How simple is that!  Depending which end of the stamp is in the center, you get a totally different looking flower.  With stamping the other end out, the flower has a very feathery look to it. 

The stamp set has several different sentiment to it, so I didn't need a separate sentiment set to make this card.  Easy peasy when it's all right there in the set for you!

The only really addition to the card were the different punches used.  I chose two of the card colors to make a layered butterfly for the corner where it looked a  little bare.  Butterflies are always a nice addition.  I also added a Razzleberry scallop of cardstock underneath the button accent to make it stand out more.  And that's about it.  Quick and simple, but fun with an artistic flair from the loosely stamped flower.

Thanks for sliding by to see what I've been stamping today.  I'll have another card for you tomorrow that uses the same set with totally different look to it.  Come on back and check it out.  See you soon,     Sharon              
ps - Happy Father's Day,  honey!

New Blendabilities

Oh.  My. Goodness!  The new Blendabilities markers that Stampin' Up! is introducing in the new catalog are absolutely fabulous!  I can't wait until they are available in August so I can get my hands on some more colors.  I was able to preorder a few colors - just enough to get me hooked!  Now I really need some more!!  My fabulously talented downline Jan Tink had several of us over for a learning session on how to use these markers.  It was definitely helpful!  I'll share the card we all made together.  Then give you few pointers that I picked up from her and also from just playing around on my own.

Stamps:  Blended Bloom, and Blooming with Kindness
Ink:  Memento Black and Cherry Cobbler  pads, Basic Black marker, and Pumpkin Pie and Cherry Cobbler Blendabilities marker sets
Paper:  Cherry Cobbler, Basic Black, and Pumpkin Pie
Accessories:  Basic Black 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Rhinestone Basic Jewels, Sponge, Paper Snips, and Dimensionals

 Boy, no matter how many pictures I tried, none of them did credit to the card, not even close!  The colors of the flower are so beautiful and almost seem to glow!  And happily, once you got the idea of how to use the new marker sets, it was surprisingly easy to do.  That's something I really appreciate.  I mean, if something looks lovely, but takes hours to get it made, I'm not sure if I have the time or the inclination to do it more than once.  But I've already done 2 more cards using these markers and been quite happy with the results.

Tip #1:  Instead of starting with the darkest color and adding lighter over it, Jan suggested laying down a layer of light, adding the medium shading tone, then adding the darkest color tone.  Finally, going over it all one more time with the lightest color to blend.  This seems to give a better blended look when I used them in this way.

Tip #2:  When you're cutting out a project like this one, go over the cut edges with a black marker when finished cutting.  As you can see, this is something I didn't realize until I started taking pics of the card.  There a lots of little white edges that show up terribly in the pics.  Bummer!  Now I'll be prying this card apart and doing little edge touch ups when I'm done here.  But this certainly gives you an idea how wonderful these Blendabilities marker sets are!  Can't wait til August when I can get some more colors to play with!   Yahoo!   Happy stamping - Sharon

Almost Father's Day

Yes, the time keeps right on moving along whether I'm keeping up with it or not.  It's shocking to see that Father's Day is coming up this weekend already.  Where has the time gone?  Since it's time to consider all the wonderful things our dads and grandpas have done for us over the years, I thought it was appropriate to share a Father's Day card that I'll be giving to my hubby this year.

Stamps:  The Open Seas and Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink:  Night of Navy and Cherry Cobbler
Paper:  Night of Navy, Cherry Cobbler, and Whisper White
Accessories:  Big Shot with Arrows TIEF, Word Window Punch, Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine, and Dimensionals

 Yes, this stamp set has been around awhile, but it's still a go-to set when I need something masculine.  And what could be more masculine than a Father's Day card I ask you!?  The layout I chose to use is very basic with a good number of layers.  With using Night of Navy and Cherry Cobbler  colors, we ended up with a clean and crisp look to the card.  Just right for the stamp set I used.

The tiny Night of Navy layer under the sentiment was embossed with the Arrows TIEF to give just a little more interest and texture to the card.

And what would I ever do without the Teeny Tiny Wishes little sentiment?  Those little sentiments are just the perfect size to add on just about any card, and they cover just about any sentiment you might need.  Definitely a must-have stamp set.

Well, that's it for today.  Just wanted to say hi to my sister Connie for telling me to get back to my blogging.  Thanks for the push and if I fizzle out again (or is that 'when'), make sure you give me a nudge back into it again.  Alright?  Thanks for stopping by today.  I always appreciate hearing from you.   Happy weekend!          Sharon

Yellow and Gray CAS Card

I'm thinking that one of my new favorite color combos is that of Daffodil Delight and Smoky Slate or Basic Gray.  They are so clean and crisp together and can fit any kind of card.  The card layout I've used today is very versatile, but with these colors and the pretty embossing it's very feminine.

Stamps:  Yippee Skippee
Ink:  Basic Gray
Paper:  Smoky Slate, Whisper White, Daffodil Delight, and Basic Gray with Watercolor Wonder Designer Series Paper
Accessories:   Big Shot with Delicate Designs TIEF, Daffodil Delight Seam Binding, Bitty Butterfly and Elegant Butterfly Punches, Rhinestone Basic Jewels, and Glue Dots

I just love how pretty this card came out!  So feminine and sweet looking.  The Delicate Designs lace embossing along the top is such an elegant touch to this simple card, and really makes it special.

I had planned on using either Flower Shop or Petite Petals as the accent on the card.   But on further review, I decided the butterflies were a better fit with the overall card look. 

Changing up the sentiment could lend this card to many different uses.  If you have the components to make this, try it with other colors of cardstock and designer papers to get something altogether different.   Just a really nice and happy card style to have on hand.  Give it a try and let me know what you think.  Happy stamping,    Sharon

Patriotic Stars for You

Again I have used a retired stamp set that I will miss a lot.  The Simply Stars stamp set was such a basic set to add stars to a project whenever needed.  Today's card is very patriotic with it's red, white, and blue theme.  It kind of shouts out - God bless America!

 Stamps:  Simply Stars, and Gifts of Kindness
Ink:    Night of Navy and Cherry Cobbler
Paper:  Very Vanilla, Night of Navy, and Cherry Cobbler
Accessories:  Big Shot with Stripes TIEF, Large and Small Star Punches(both retired), Word Window Punch, and Dimensionals

I used the Stripes embossing folder to go with a stars and stripes theme.  The colors of Night of Navy and Cherry Cobbler gave the card a slightly more vintage feel instead of a brighter red and blue.

Some of the stars are raised with Dimensionals, but not all of them.  I liked the differences of height to give it more interest.

With all the national holidays coming up, I thought it would be good to have a few of these on hand.  Hope you like this clean and simple idea.  Very quick to do when you're in a time crunch.  Thanks for stopping in again.  Have a great week!        Sharon

Playscape on Steroids

I mentioned a few days ago that there was a huge building project going on over here.  Friends have asked how the building went, when they got finished, and how the boys are enjoying it.  Well..... 


It's actually not even finished yet.  And it's not because they haven't been working at it for hours on end.  I thought you might like seeing a couple pictures to give you an idea of the magnitude of this playscape.

We own a double lot and as you can see the structure is taking up a fair amount of the 2nd lot.  See the little playscape the boys had originally there in the background?

This is the bare-bones structure.  None of the decking and just a few of the side slats are already done.

The weather has NOT been very helpful at all!

One of the slide pods has been installed here and a little more of the west tower construction has been roughed in

Here's mama and the boys checking out the work done that day before they went home.  This kind of gives a good idea of the size again.

Many more hours were spent working over the weekend and on Tuesday evening.  Coming along nicely, but still more work to be done.  And then Tuesday night was still more rain of course, so the work was suspended for today as everything was a little muddy.  Still need the swings attached, the decking on the bottom of both towers, and little touches to finish it all.
Whew!!  What a lot of work the three of them did to get this built.  But the boys are sure gonna love their playscape!

Happy Congratulations card

Today's card reminds me of outdoor parties in the summer with the pretty paper lanterns hanging from the fence and shining in the dark.  The set used is from the Occasions Catalog that will be retiring from Stampin' Up! on June 1st.  So there's a few more days left to get this happy stamp set that's waiting to help you get the celebration underway.

 Stamps:  Happy Congratulations
Ink:  Island Indigo, Calypso Coral, Pool Party, Strawberry Slush, Pistachio Pudding and Baked Brown Sugar, with Early Espresso marker
Paper:  Whisper White, Coastal Cabana, and Baked Brown Sugar
Accessories:  Big Shot with Woodgrain TIEF, 3/4" Circle Punch, Gold Baker's Twine, Paper Snips, and Dimensionals

Isn't this great?  It looks like the decorations are all ready for a luau.  The fence is made by making lines with a marker on a piece of Baked Brown Sugar cardstock, embossing it with the Woodgrain TIEF, then snipping each 'board' with a pointy top to look like a privacy fence.

The party lanterns are stamped with different colors of ink onto Whisper White cardstock then punched out with the 3/4" Circle Punch.  A length of Gold Baker's Twine was attached to the fence, then the lanterns were attached with a Dimensional under each.


The inside of the card was stamped to mimic the card front.  And the wording that is part of the set would work well for a graduate, Father's Day, or maybe even a retirement party.  This is one set that is a lot more versatile than you  think when you first see it.

Thanks for coming by to see what's going on here.  Hope you liked this idea and give it a try.  You can always change up the lanterns to fit any color scheme you might need.  Happy stamping,    Sharon

Rev Up

It's the last time to share a card using the "Rev Up The Fun" stamp set that is retired.  I'm so sorry to see it leave the line-up as it's a great card both for men and teens.  My 4 year old grandson likes it too.  He stamped up a few sheets of paper for his own race cars!  The card I have to share with you is from last week's class.  It was pretty much a class to say goodbye to colors and stamps that would no longer be available.   So here goes...

 Stamps:  Rev Up The Fun
Ink:  Real Red and Basic Gray pads, Real Red and Bermuda Bay markers
Paper: Real Red, Bermuda Bay, Basic Gray, and Whisper White, with I Am Me Designer Series Paper
Accessories:  Big Shot with Circle Collection Framelits, 2 1/2" Circle Punch, Neutrals and Brights Candy Dots, and Paper Snips

 I used the colors from the DSP to decide the card colors.  I loved all the arrows in the DSP to suggest movement on the card.  The tire tracks fit nicely on the punched white layer and the sentiment fit perfectly underneath them.  The Candy Dots were just added for fun.

Everyone seemed to like this card even though they had to cut out the card!  Yes, I know we're all getting spoiled by all the wonderful punches and framelits that do all the work for us!!  But sometimes you just need to get out those snips and do some fussy cutting to make the card perfect.

This card was made earlier in the month when we got together to make cards for the military.  I chose to use a combination of Whisper White,  Pacific Point, and Smoky Slate.  The Arrows Textured Impressions Embossing Folder was used to give the background some interest.  (Guess I really like arrows and Candy Dots with this stamp set, don't I ?)

Anyway, there you go for today's share - and it's a two-fer-one deal at that!  Hope you have this set already because it's totally sold out.  Bummer!   Thanks for stopping in today to see what's new.  (or old, I guess)  I have more coming up later in the week, so come on back again.        Happy stamping,   Sharon

Sunny Birthday Flip Card

Don't you love making flip cards now that Stampin'Up! has made the Thinlits to die-cut them?  It's so easy to do them now that you don't have to get out your ruler,  Exacto knife, cutting mat, pattern, etc, etc.  I always loved the look, but they just took too much time to put together.  Today's card is one of my favorite birthday cards.  Hope you like it too.

 Stamps:  Sketched Birthday, and Really Good Greetings
Ink:  Stazon Jet Black, Daffodil Delight, Chocolate Chip, Island Indigo pads, and Island Indigo marker
Paper:  Daffodil Delight, Whisper White, with Gingham Garden Designer Series Paper
Accessories:  Big Shot with Label Card Thinlits, White Chalk Marker, Gingham Garden Washi Tape, AquaPainter,  2-Way Glue Pen, and Dazzling Diamonds Glitter

I used cardstock measuring 8 1/2" by 5 1/2" for the card base.  The extra end of the cardstock is tucked over the Thinlit while it is being cut.  This way you get a slight line for folding another whole flap on the card.  I love when you end up with an easy tri-fold card this way.

The card base is Daffodil Delight, so it's very bright and happy looking.  The Gingham Garden DSP is a perfect match for the card.  I thought the front of the card needed some attention, so I added a strip of the pretty Washi Tape and then added stitch lines with the White Chalk Marker.  Doesn't it show up nicely on the Daffodil cardstock?

The slice of cake was colored in with an AquaPainter and coordinating ink colors.  I added a bit of sparkle on the decorative frosting on the cake edge and the candle flame.  I also continued with the stitching line around the white layer using the Island Indigo marker to frame it in a little.

Hope you like today's card idea.  I didn't get outside to get pictures of the playscape like I had planned  because it started raining yesterday.  Maybe tomorrow - we'll see how the weather goes.  Sure can't get it finished if the weather won't cooperate.  Thanks for stopping by today.      Sharon

Daughter's Mothers Day Card

Hope you enjoyed your Mother's Day yesterday.  My daughter and I decided that we'd postpone our celebration for a couple of weeks as the entire weekend was spent getting started on this huge playscape they are building in our backyard.  I'll try to get some pics to show you the project!  The neighbors have all been by to comment on it and wonder when we're moving into our new house!  Did I mention that it's huge!?  Anyway, we'll get to our special dinner in the future, but we did exchange cards, so I can share with you the card I made for her.

 Stamps:  Wildflower Meadow, and non-SU! sentiment
Ink:  Calypso Coral
Paper:  Calypso Coral, Basic Black, and Naturals White
Accessories:  Big Shot and Wildflower Meadow Embossing Folder, Sponge Dauber, Dimensionals, and retired fabric brad from previous catalog

I haven't shared anything using this coordinating stamp and embossing folder yet.  But that doesn't mean I don't like them, or use them!  In fact I made some cards for the military using the combo just recently.  Since the stamp is so large, it's easy to make a bundle of cards very quickly and easily.  Just stamp the full image,  line it up in the embossing folder, and voila!   It looks fabulous!  The skinny layered black is a great accent to give the card a little contrast from all the Calypso Coral.

I didn't have a Mother's Day stamp that I liked for this card, so I borrowed one from a friend that fit perfectly.  And the little fabric brad was just the right finishing touch for the card.  It was fancier than a button, so it even dressed up the card a little bit more.

Thanks for stopping in to see what's new.  Hope to have more to share tomorrow.     Sharon

A Tree for Dad

 I've had it with the snow lately, so thought I'd move on to a tree card for father.  Trees in full leaf are a sure sign of summer, so let's do some pretending that there's no snow on the ground and it's warm and sunny outside.  We needed to make cards for Father's Day already to send on to the military.  I know, it's hard to think that far ahead, isn't it?  But we already made a bunch and sent them last week.  So today's card was one of the many styles that we stamped over a week ago.  If you like the idea, you've got lots of time to make it for your dad!   Or you could use the idea for any masculine birthdays you might have coming up. 

Stamps:  Look Up To Father
Ink:  Early Espresso pad and Pear Pizzazz, Garden Green, and Early Espresso markers
Paper:  Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, and Very Vanilla cardstock with Old Olive DSP
Accessories:   Big Shot with Circles Framelits, Sponge Dauber, and Dimensionals

It's amazing what you can do with a single stamp!  The stamp used is from the Occasions Catalog and is still available until the end of May.  Both the tree and the sentiment are all on the single stamp.  I cut them apart so they would be more versatile - either use them together or separately!  The tree on this card was colored with markers to get the trunk colored in differently than the green leaves and grass.  The leaves were colored with the Pear Pizzazz marker and then thumped with the Garden Green marker.  I liked how the leaves looked with the two colors instead of just one.  Can you just see how nice this would look with multiple colors for fall?  Just gorgeous!

That's it for today.  Short and sweet.   I need to hustle and get ready for church this evening.  I love all the services leading up to Easter.   All these services are somber and then there's the grand celebration of Easter.  Truly glorious!!   Thanks for stopping in today.  Hope your Easter preparations are well underway.  I'll be doing lots of cooking and baking on Saturday to get finished.  If I don't get another post in before Easter  -  I wish you and your family a very blessed Easter!          Sharon