Happy St. Paddy's Day to you!!

Yup, I'm back today 'cuz I totally forgot today was St. Patrick's Day and I had received a card from one of my customers and friends. It's such a cute card for the holiday that I wanted to share it with you.


I don't know where she bought the shamrock print paper, but isn't it just darling? All the shades of green make it easy to coordinate with just about any green cardstock you might have. And just maybe I might be needing another die or two after looking at this. We'll see....



Now when you look at the inside of the card, take a moment to read the sentiment. Very nice, right? She said she printed it out on her computer to compliment the card. I think she did a great job on this and I was just tickled 'green' to have received it! Wish it was easy for me to come up with great sentiments like this. Some people really have a talent for finding just the right words for any occasion.

Well, hope you enjoyed this little extra pinch of a golden idea sent your way. Thank you Gayle for the lovely card and inspiration. Wishing you all the luck of the Irish!

Top o' the day to you!
Sharon

True Friend 411 Sketch

I've been busy making samples and cutting cardstock for the projects the From Our Hearts Stamping Ladies will be making tomorrow night. It's so exciting thinking of our soldiers getting these cards and sending them on home to their families! It's such a rush to be able to do something for others and not expect anything back from it!!! Anyway, it's been interesting getting away from the Christmas cards and working on Valentine's Day and other general cards. I finally caught up with the Stamping 411 blog sketch here, and thought I'd do one quick. It's a lovely sketch, but I was interrupted too many times to really give it my best. So I guess this is just second best instead.

Here's my card, minus the piercing I was planning on doing. When I got off the phone, I just taped it all together. Unfortunately I wasn't using my Snail Adhesive as usual which is easy enough to pop off if you don't like something. When I saw my mistake, it was either rip (and I mean that literally!) off the layers and start over, or just leave it as is. You can see I just left it for today.

Stamps: True Friend and On Your Birthday

Cardstock: Certainly Celery, Rose Red, Always Artichoke, and Whisper White cardstock with Georgia Peach Designer Series Paper (retired)

Ink: Rose Red pad, and Certainly Celery and Rose Red markers, and Whisper White Craft Pad

Accessories: Soft Subtle Mini Brads, White Taffeta Ribbon, Sponge Dauber, and Scallop Circle Punch

That's about it for today. It's back to card planning for tomorrow night. I'm hoping the ladies can make 100 cards this time. That's the goal anyway. We'll see how it goes, and give you an update later.

Happy stamping,

Sharon

Post Thanksgiving

I don't know about you, but yesterday we just sort of 'vegged out' around here. Hubby was grazing the left-overs and I was right in there helping him! lol There's just something so tasty about those lovely turkey left-overs! In fact, it's the best reason for cooking that huge turkey dinner!

So today I'll share with you a couple of cards that I played around making yesterday. Yes, I really did do something - and it wasn't shopping! I stay away from the stores the day after Thankgiving like it's the plague!! The unruly, pushy crowds make me very uncomfortable. I guess I don't need the items on sale that desperately!! So instead, I started my cookie and candy making for Christmas and then I stamped trees! These are two very different styles of trees, but they're both Christmas cards. What do you think?

This first one is made with that old standby - Lovely As A Tree and surprisingly doesn't even use the evergreen! This set has been used for so many different occasions and holidays! A truly versatile stamp set that should be in everyone's stamp stash.

Stamps: Lovely As A Tree and Four the Holidays

Cardstock: Soft Suede, Real Red, Old Olive, and Very Vanilla

Ink: Soft Suede

Accessories: White Gel Pen (for snowflakes and coloring snow in under each tree), 1/4" Real Red Grosgrain Ribbon, and Sleigh Bells Ribbon (from the Holiday Mini Catalog)

Very simple card, but it looks nice and wintry - just right for the holiday season!

This second card is much more modern and funky looking. Even the colors are updated!

Stamps: Patterned Pines

Cardstock: Rose Red, Old Olive, Pretty in Pink, and Whisper White

Ink: Rose Red

Accessories: Frost White Shimmer Paint, Word Window Punch, Fire Round Rhinestone Brads, Sponge quarter, and Dimensionals

I sponged the Shimmer Paint directly onto the little corner stamp and it shows up nicely on the Rose Red cardstock. I hadn't really cleaned the snowflake stamp from using it on the background, but sponged Shimmer Paint on that too. It gives a pretty pinkish shimmer to the snowflake on the top layer. hmmmm.... It was so pretty, I just might have to work on using it on another card idea!

Well that's it for today. After raking a few leaves this afternoon, I planned several projects my friends and I will make for the soldiers on Tuesday. It's getting time to get these cards in the mail for the "From Our Hearts" group. I hope there'll be a good turn-out with lots of ladies stamping their little hearts out! I'm looking forward to this as we always have a great time together!

Happy stamping, and don't eat too many of the left-overs. Save some for tomorrow...

Sharon

Love Those Ornaments!

Yes, I really, really do! This is one of those awesome SU! stamp and punch combos that just makes me happy!! (doing the happy dance here!) Both items are great by themselves, but when you put them together, it's magic! So I just have to keep going back to the combo and creating something new with it. This time I used the Petals a Plenty embossing folder to add some texture to the background. Then for a touch of bling, I sponged on just a bit of the Champagne Shimmer Paint. It really makes the embossing look so pretty and elegant. Adding the layer of Brushed Gold cardstock and the ornament punched from the gold cardstock too are the finishing touches.


Stamps: Delightful Decorations
Cardstock: Real Red, Very Vanilla, and Brushed Gold
Ink: Real Red
Accessories: Ornament Punch, Big Shot with Petals a Plenty Texturz Impressions, Champagne Shimmer Paint, Sponge quarter, Gold cording, and Dimensionals

Did you happen to notice the tiny strip of gold cardstock on the card? It's just one of those skinny strips that get discarded when trimming layers. You just never know when those little strips of cardstock will be just what's needed on a card. Honestly, I don't save all of the little scraps, just the specialty paper ones like this Brushed Gold. It's just too pretty to throw in the garbage. What a horrid thought! But if I saved everything, there wouldn't be room in the basement for me anymore! LOL
Hope you enjoy the idea. It really doesn't take much time to put together once you have the idea! I just might be doing a few more of these for sending out myself.

Have a great week,
Sharon

On the mend...

Hey, I'm back again! Not really great today, but certainly on the mend. After I finish posting today, I'm actually going to tackle the backlog of emails I haven't looked at since last Friday. I'm almost afraid to see how many are there, and what all I need to take care of. Yikes!! It's mind-boggling just thinking about that task. Ok, so then I won't! Think about it, that is. I'll just enjoy my time here with you today, and be thrilled that I'm on the road to recovery. Slowly, but it really is happening, thank God!

Last Saturday morning before being tackled by the flu bug, I had some ideas I was playing with, and this is one of them. I wanted a simple card for Christmas, that still looked nice and not too plain. This is what I came up with on that morning as the 'bug' was flexing it's muscles for a take-over.

Stamps: Dasher, Many Merry Messages, and Winter Post (inside of card)
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Real Red, and Old Olive
Ink: Soft Suede and Old Olive
Accessories: Horizontal Slot Punch, Sleigh Bells Ribbon (Holiday Mini Catalog), and Dimensionals


As you can see, there are very few accessories used, and really aren't very many layers either. So I would classify this as a clean and simple card. And it really doesn't look too plain to me at all. Let's get some feedback here, and let me know what you think about this card. Does it need anything else? Buttons, punches, brads, more layers???? Or can clean and simple rule the day here?


I also kept the inside simple, but added just a bit of pizzazz with the skinny strip of cardstock. You know all those little bits that get trimmed off to make layers? Why not add to the inside of the card for some added interest? Most times I do some added stamping inside my card to carry a theme throughout the card. With this one, I grabbed the reindeer from the Winter Post set to coordinate with Dasher. It's smaller and not as elaborate so I thought it would be a good accent.
Of course, it's a totally different style from Dasher, but I still think it works together to form a pleasing look.

Well, that's it for today. Now on to all those emails awaiting my attention. I figure that'll wear me out too much to get any stamping in today. Can you believe it's been a week since I've held a stamp in my hand? A whole week since my fingers had the blush of ink on them? Oh, you've really got to be SICK to stay away from your stamps for a whole week. Maybe I should stamp instead of checking emails. Ah, no. That would NOT be a good idea. Remember, I'm supposed to be running a business here. Just in case you've contacted me to place an order or you're dying to be a hostess for me, I'm going right now to check my mail. Be patient, I'll be right there.....

Sharon

Still Battling the Bug

Yes, I am still battling the bug, and I think I'm winning. Sometimes I'm not too sure - like in the middle of the night every time I drift off to la-la land the coughing starts up again. Oh fiddle! This is NOT fun! But you didn't come here to hear me complain, did you? So, looks like I'll be hitting the archives to find something I made that didn't make it here before now. (creak, rummaging around, crash, stumble) Hey look, I think I found one! Whatcha think?

This little gem was created when I first got my Jumbo Snowflake punch and the co-ordinating Simple Snowflake stamp. I thought this one was ok, but I've gone on to make cards I like better than this. But I do have to show you something, don't I?!

Stamps: Simple Snowflake and Many Merry Messages
Cardstock: Brocade Blue, Bashful Blue, and Shimmery White
Ink: Brocade Blue
Accessories: Brocade Blue Wide Grosgrain Ribbon, 1" Circle Punch, Jumbo Snowflake Punch, Ice Circle Rhinestone Brads, and silver glitter glue (non-SU!)

I had this cool idea of layers of snowflakes, all the same, but still all different too. Just like a for-real snow storm! Oh well, (shrug) it really did make sense at the time. To keep the snowflakes 'the same', I used Brocade Blue to stamp the punched snowflake, and off-stamped Brocade Blue for all the background snowflakes. Because it really needed just a touch of another shade of blue, I used a Bashful Blue punched circle behind the snowflake to hold it together and make it stand out a bit more. I had thought of using Dazzling Diamonds glitter for the card, but liked the thought of a dimensional glitter glue instead. Not sure it really worked out as planned. Maybe one of these days I'll get ambitious and try this idea over again. Or maybe you could do that and link here so I could see your take on the layers of snowflakes idea!! Yeah, I like that even better! Give it a try and let me see what you come up with.

Well, the coughing has been causing problems with the typing. I think it's time to give it a break and get back to the "bug battles". Hopefully tomorrow I'll be a little better and posting again.
Keep those prayers coming, I can use them and I know they're helping!

God bless,
Sharon

Different Style Ornament card

I really do love the new ornament set and matching punch that's in the new Mini Catalog. And I've been playing with this set on a very regular basis since it was delivered to my dungeon. But... there are other ideas for making cards with ornaments out there. And this is one of the projects made at classes this week.

This card looks really involved, and yes there are a few extra steps to make the card, but I think it's all worth it to get something that looks like this. Right? Isn't it cool?

Stamps: Season of Joy

Cardstock: Rose Red, Always Artichoke, and Whisper White cardstock with Rose Red Patterns Designer Series Paper

Ink: Rose Red

Accessories: 1 3/4" Circle Punch, Eyelet Border Punch, Sponge quarters, Gold Cording, Always Artichoke Narrow Grosgrain Ribbon, Mat Pack and Piercing Tool, and Dimensionals

The main idea for this card is making a mask with a circle punched out. All the stamping and sponging is done through the mask. Isn't that a fun idea?

Speaking of fun ideas - I'm starting a monthly class called the Punchy Class. There are so many wonderful, silly, and fun ideas using our great punches. I thought it was time to share some of these ideas with my customers and students. So it's on the schedule for October. If you're in the Detroit area and are interested in classes, get in touch with me and I'll give you all the details. I'm sure you'll have fun and learn something new besides! It's a win-win situation for everyone!

Hope you'll join me!

Sharon

Easy Peasy Halloweeny

Hi all! Yah, I don't think that's really a word either, but who cares. It sounded like it went together nicely! Anyway, my friend Anita loves doing craft things, especially ones that are super quick. She bought a Cuttlebug Embossing Folder and had no ideas for it. So she embossed a piece of Pumpkin Pie cardstock and said "Here, do something fast and easy with it". So that's just what I did. This one's for you, Anita! Hope you like it. It sure fits the bill for fast and easy!

Stamps: Batty for You

Cardstock: Pumpkin Pie and Basic Black

Ink: Basic Black

Accessories: Black Twine (retired), Black Gingham Ribbon, 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" Circle Punches, and 2 tiny googly eyes and a Cuttlebug embossing folder

Since Anita had already embossed the one layer, all I needed to do was add the ribbon and folded card. Then stamp the little bat guy on pumpkin and punch him out. Layer onto another punched piece. And hang it all onto the gingham ribbon.

Can it actually get any easier than this??? And I thought it was darn right cute to boot! I may have to borrow her folder and make a few more of these for the "From Our Heart" group. Wouldn't that be great?

"Hey Anita, can I borrow it for a bit?"

Stamping and sharing the fun,

Sharon

Scenic Christmas Card

I am having such a great time making Christmas cards now. There's no pressure and the deadline is so far down the road that I can really enjoy making them and coming up with different ideas. So much nicer than what I usually do - start sometime after Dec. 1st and finish and get in the mail hopefully before Christmas! How about you? What's your card-making schedule look like? Are you done already?!? If you are, don't gloat too much, ok?

This card is so my style. It's going in the pile to make multiples for mailing. It's so clean and crisp, it reminds me of crisp winter days after a fresh snowfall. With just a touch of glitter for some bling and a red brad for pop, it's just right!

All stamps and materials by Stampin'Up!

Stamps: Scenic Season, and Many Merry Messages, and God Bless 2 for the Bible verse(retired)

Cardstock: Old Olive, Real Red, and Very Vanilla

Ink: Always Artichoke

Accessories: Circle Scissors Plus, Word Window Punch, Bold Brights Mini Brads, 2-way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter

Seems like I'm really giving that Circle Scissors a workout lately. It all started with one little circle, but then I had the extra 'hole'. When I used the 'hole' on this card, I really needed another 'hole' to work with. So then I had an extra circle. So.... What a funny way to make yourself use up those scraps! Except with circles, it never really ends! I still have extra circles and 'holes' left to play with. Wonder what will be next???

Leave a comment on what you think I should do with them. You never know when your idea might just be a winner!

Winner, did you say????

Yes, stay tuned (and leave your comments!). There will be a post about an up-coming drawing soon. And you sure wouldn't want to miss out on winning a freebie, would you?

Check in tomorrow for another great idea and more info on the drawing.

Happy stampin'

Sharon

Autumn Days Ideas

Wow, I can't believe this week is just about done. Where did the days go? Things certainly haven't slowed down for summer yet. I wonder when that might happen? It's kinda funny. Here it is just the first few days into summer, and instead of stamping with a summer theme, I've been using the new Autumn Days stamp set. It's going to be available July 1st, so we need samples! Lots of samples!! So that's why I've been focused on autumn instead of summer. Look at what I've been doing...

All stamps and materials by Stampin'Up!

Stamps: Autumn Days and Think Happy Thoughts

Cardstock: Kraft, Soft Suede, Rich Razzleberry, and Naturals Ivory

Ink: Basic Brown, Soft Suede and Rich Razzleberry

Accessories: Corner Rounder, AquaPainter, Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware, 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" Circle Punches, Dimensionals, and Taupe Grosgrain Ribbon (retired)

I wanted to get the feel of a harvest wreath on the card, so used the wheat and tall branch to frame the card. Lately I've been seeing so many ideas using the new sets, and really fell in love with the color combo of Soft Suede, Rich Razzleberry, and Kraft. I figured I should give it a go and came up with two samples. I might have to do a few more too!

Here's my next attempt with this set and color combo. I changed it up with several different stamps, accessories, and a different layout to give it a totally new look.

Stamps: Autumn Days and Teeny Tiny Wishes

Cardstock: Rich Razzleberry, Kraft, Soft Suede, and Naturals Ivory

Ink: Rich Razzleberry, Soft Suede Classic, and White Craft ink

Accessories: Big Shot with the Top Note Bigz Die, Soft Suede Dotted Grosgrain Ribbon, Modern Label Punch, Sponge Dauber, and a Creamy Caramel Button (retired)

I seem to be having a problem lately. Usually I don't use retired items on my cards, but sometimes they just seem to be what the card needs. Nothing else I have on hand is quite right. How frustrating when I only want to use new stamps and supplies and it just doesn't work out that way. Oh well, this is for all my great customers who have purchased these items in the past. Now you know they coordinate with the new! So get ready to get those orders placed when the new catalog is live! Only 5 more days!

And that means there's still 4 1/2 days to get your last minute orders in on all those retiring stamps and accessories that you don't want to be without! You can order online 24/7 by clicking on the online order button on the right side of the blog. Or you can call me or email and I'll be happy to help you out. :-)

Sharon

Where's summer?

I sure thought we were getting close to summer. Yesterday was lovely, but what happened? It can't decide if it wants to rain or not. As soon as the concrete dries up, it rains again just enough to make everything wet. This is a good day to hide out in my stamping dungeon. And if I turn on enough lights, I can pretend the sun is shining, sort of. So my brilliant idea for today was to post an autumn-looking card. If you're sittin' in the dungeon with a fleece jacket on cuz you're so cold, you might as well pretend it's fall. So....

Here is my post for today. I think I mentioned awhile back that I do love autumn. And that means this new set, Autumn Days, is going to be a favorite of mine. And don't you love it with these new In Colors? I used both the Soft Suede and Dusty Durango on this card and they seem perfect for this set. Can you almost feel the crispness in the air? Oh yeah, I sure can!

As usual, all stamps and materials used are by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Autumn Days, Teeny Tiny Wishes, Itty Bitty Backgrounds, and On Your Birthday

Cardstock: Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, and Dusty Durango

Ink: Soft Suede and Dusty Durango

Accessories: Soft Suede Dotted Grosgrain Ribbon, Small and Large Oval Punches, Mat Pack and Piercing Tool, and Dimensionals

I really like shodow stamping (or stamping multiple times without re-inking) and it works so nicely with these pine cones and needles. It gives you more depth on the main image, and also a wonderful frame on the inside of the card.

You know, we are so lucky that SU! color coordinates all it's products so nicely. It's so nice to be able to find cardstock, ink, and ribbon that all match without having to hunt around in different stores to find something that matches. And just think, if you're one of my customers, you get my know-how too! How great is that?! I'd love to hear from you and help you get what you need to stamp your 'art' out!

Have a great 'cool' day,

Sharon

Playing with the new stuff...

But I can't show you just yet! Isn't that horrible? No, I'm not toying with your emotions. My camera batteries are dead! Oh woe!! How can this be? It just can't be happening now. But sadly, it is the truth. So until this problem is rectified, I'll have to post a card I made last week before my new friends (insert stamps and accessories!) came to live with me. Sorry! But it really is a nice card anyway.

See, isn't this a lovely little number? I was looking for something springy (is that a word?) and this is what I came up with. I think brown and pink and such a wonderful color combo, so that was my starting point. The "Branch Out" set is so adorable, just about anything works when you use it. Several times I've noticed people using a Jumbo Eyelet for the tire swing so that was added too. All in all, I think this card passes muster and is mail-ready.

All stamps and materials are by SU!

Stamps: Branch Out and Teeny Tiny Wishes (New - love this set!!)

Cardstock: Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip, and Whisper White

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Mellow Moss, Pretty In Pink, Basic Black, and Regal Rose (tiny butterflies) and White Craft ink for background

Accessories: Pewter Jumbo Eyelet, Crop-a-dile, Word Window Punch, Soft Subtles Mini Brads, Dimensionals, and Pink Pirouette Striped Grosgrain Ribbon(retired!)

Well, I hope this tasteful goody will tide you over until I can take care of the battery situation. Have an excellent Sunday! I wish you God's blessings and peace!

Sharon

My new goodies are here!

Yes, it's here! Finally! I was too broke (or cheap) to expedite the order so I've been waiting forever. My new catalog (wonderdful!), and new stamps, cardstock, ink, and ribbons, oh my! Goodness, I'm almost hyperventilating 'cuz it's all so wonderful! Everything looks so much better in real life instead of on my computer. The colors are so rich and warm I want to cuddle up with them. Ok, maybe that's going just a touch too far. But it was fun sitting down to make a card with the new colors right away.

I purchased the new set, Autumn Days, because I love fall and everything associated with it. So this one was a must have! Such lovely images - wheat, berries, pinecones, a leaf, and pheasant. Everything needed to work some autumn magic.

All stamps and materials by SU!

Stamps: Autumn Days and Teeny Tiny Wishes (also NEW)

Cardstock: Naturals Ivory, Soft Suede and Crushed Curry (love these!)

Ink: Soft Suede, Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango, and More Mustard

Accessories: Dusty Durango Dotted Grosgrain Ribbon (new), Modern Label Punch (new), Linen Thread, Earth Elements Mini Brads, Sponge quarters, Dimensionals, and AquaPainter

Isn't it funny that the first time I use this lovely ribbon, I use it on the plain back side and don't even show the polka dots. They were just a little too white for the looks of this card. But the ribbon was then too plain, so I tied on the linen thread to give it some interest. Just right!

Hope you enjoy this sample. If you'd like to get one of the new catalogs, talk to me! I'm ordering lots to share with other stamping addicts. You need to see this new catalog with the luscious samples and goodies throughout! Many, many new stamps and accessories you're gonna love. Starting July 1st, you can see it online and order directly from my website.

And if there are any retiring stamps that you still want, go directly to my website here and order before they're gone. You're running out of time!

See ya later,

Sharon

Mojo Monday Week 90

Yes, yes. Here I am way late again. It's not that I'm not paying attention to the calendar. I know it's already Thursday. But class week's are just a little crazy with people coming and going. Throw in a doctor's appointment or two, waiting to get refills at the pharmacy, and I just run out of time! What can I say?! But I hope you think this sample is worth the wait. It was fun making it, but the sketch was a bit harder to work with for me. Sometimes they just come together, and sometimes I've got to keep switching cardstock and DSP and layers to get something I'm happy with. Enough about what I think, the real question is - what do you think???

Boy, am I ever going to miss this Baja Breeze color and all the wonderful accessories that match it! Oh my - the withdrawals have started already, so I had to make one more little card with it before I put it away on the back of the shelf. But not too far away that I can't sneak it out when I need another fix!
All stamps and materials by Stampin' Up!
Stamps: Great Friend and (Versatile Verses - retired)
Cardstock: Basic Gray, Baja Breeze, Pretty in Pink, and Whisper White cardstock and Walk In The Park Designer Series Paper
Ink: Basic Gray and Baja Breeze Pads, Not Quite Navy and Regal Rose Markers
Accessories: Mat Pack and Piercer, Eyelet Border Punch, Scallop Circle Punch, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, Silver Mini Brads, Flower Fusion Too, Sponge Quarters, and Dimensionals.
If you notice, on the leaf images, I stamped twice with one inking both on the front and inside the card. I love how this gives a tiny stamp a little more fullness to fill in the area.

The accessories made such a big difference bringing this card together. It just looked so bare and boring without the brads and little felt flowers.

Now don't put your retired stamps and papers and other goodies away and forget them. They

need a little lovin' too! Get them out and enjoy them! Remember, you used to love them and

reached for them all the time. Dust them off and

give them a little ink to revive them. They will be ever so grateful to you!

BTW, if you'd like to order any of the lovely stamps, etc. that will be gone at the end of this month, please get with me soon to get them ordered before they are lost and gone forever. You know you'll be kicking yourself for not getting that set you've been debating about. Now's the time!!
Happy stamping...

Sharon

Go Red Wings!

Here it is on Saturday night and I'm blogging away again. I guess I need to get a life or something. The two guys in my life are watching the Red Wings playing another play-off game. I really should be up there watching too, but it seems like whenever I watch, they lose. So it's really better for all involved that I stay away from the game tonight. Anyway, I made a card I just have to share with you! See...


You didn't want to miss out on this card, now did you? Of course not. I wanted to make the card look like a sunny, summer day with blue skies and puffy white clouds floating by. I don't know if you can see the white clouds, but they're there! I sponged on some white craft ink with a sponge dauber, and they look real nice. The leaves in the tree are two different greens to look more realistic, and the grass was put on with the edge of the ink pad with a few extra blades of grass from a marker. What a fun card to make!

The oval was cut out with my Coluzzle which SU! doesn't sell anymore - boo hoo! After the oval was cut, I used the Sanded background stamp to give it some texture. It stamped right through the oval to give me a frame inside the card. After I sponged around the cut edge, I closed the card and sponged some more on the inside. I really like the different look this gives to the inside of the card.

All stamps and materials by SU!
Stamps: Branch Out, Sanded, and And Many Mower
Cardstock: Bashful Blue and Whisper White
Ink: Basic Gray, Bashful Blue, Green Galore, Garden Green, Close To Cocoa Classic Ink Pads, Summer Sun, Baroque Burgundy, and White Craft Ink Pads, and Green Galore Marker
Accessories: Coluzzle Set (retired), Sponge Dauber, Scallop Oval Punch, and Dimensionals

Hope you enjoyed tonight's post. Now I have to sneak up and see how the Red Wings are doing. Shhh... Don't tell anybody. I don't want to jinx them!
Have a great evening!
Sharon

Morning Glories

Hi all. After doing the watercoloring with the embossing technique on all the roses, I just didn't want to quit! The technique is really addicting with the color just 'blooming' in front of your eyes. It has to be one of the most fun techniques I've done in a long, long while. So of course, I had to find another open image that would work and then play some more! Look what I found to color! Whadyah think?

Oooh, ahhh, just gorgeous, if I do say so myself! This Morning Soft set seemed to be just the perfect one to try. And what a lovely watercolor look when finished! This time I purposely bled the color out of the lines to get a very soft look instead of cutting the image out and layering, so it really has a different look than the roses. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to part with this card and send it on to someone else! How awful of me... LOL

All materials and stamps by Stampin' Up!

Stamps: Morning Soft and Think Happy Thoughts

Cardstock: Orchid Opulence, Lovely Lilac, and Shimmery White

Ink: White Craft pad, Ballet Blue pad, and Ballet Blue, Lovely Lilac, Orchid Opulence, and Garden Green ReInkers, and Summer Sun Marker

Accessories: Heat Tool, Clear Embossing Powder, AquaPainter, 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" Circle Punches, Scallop Circle Punch, Filigree Designer Brad, Eyelet Border Punch, Bashful Blue Taffeta Ribbon, White Gel Pen, and Dimensionals

Here's a close-up of the detail on the flowers. Didn't the colors blend and smooth out to a fantastic look? I think the colors are just scrumptious. Now I feel the need to go and make even more of these. Sorry if I'm boring you with these - I just can't seem to help myself! LOL

Maybe I need to get out my technique booklet and find something else to fixate on for awhile. I can only do so many of these before you scream "Enough!"

And on that note, I'll bid you good day!

Enjoy...

Sharon

Ice Cream Social Time

It's almost that time of year when our church always has it's Ice Cream Social to say thank you to all the neighborhood folks that deal with all the traffic and parking all year long. And you certainly can't have an Ice Cream Social without quarts and quarts of strawberries to put on the ice cream! So I seem to have strawberries on the brain lately. That's what led to making this card in celebration the the sweet, luscious and juicy strawberry. Yummmmm!

Since we have the darling little Tart and Tangy stamp set, this seemed the perfect time to use it. I thought about just stamping and cutting out a whole pile of strawberries, but wasn't in the mood for all that cutting. Instead, I got out all the punches and punched my way to strawberry oblivion! LOL

All stamps and materials used are Stampin' Up!
Stamps: Tart and Tangy, Full of Life, and Really Retro
Cardstock: Certainly Celery, Baja Breeze, Very Vanilla, and Riding Hood Red
Ink: Basic Black pad and Ruby Red, Certainly Celery Markers
Accessories: 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" Circle Punches, Scallop Circle Punch, Designer Label Punch, Flower Fusion Too, Riding Hood Red Taffeta Ribbon, Styled Vanilla Hodgpodge Hardware, and Dimensionals


It was fun adding the strawberry accent inside the card too. I thought that really added to the overall fun look of the card.
Now after working with all these strawberries, I've really got a taste for some and wish I had them in the house. They'd be great for a little snack or a side with dinner. Hmmm, guess I need to go back to the fruit and veggie market! (I was just there 2 hours ago, but forgot to buy any of these little juicy treasures!) Boo Hoo!
Oh well, I'll dream on and try to quit drooling all over my card!
Have a pleasant stampin' day,
Sharon

Balloons, and More Balloons

Last week Thursday was my scheduled downline meeting. Our swap was to be a pop-up or pop-out type of card. After trying several ideas and not having much luck with them, I finally tried an idea using the Window Sheets that are featured in the Occasions Mini Catalog. I wasn't sure how they would stand up to embossing, but they worked beautifully! The idea was to have lots of balloons floating when the card was opened. Here's what I did...

This is the closed card, almost on the plain side. Very circumspect, understated, and proper. The cardstock is Brocade Blue with a layer of Walk In The Park DSP. I only added one balloon to the cardfront to give a hint of what's to come. Then I added a half sheet of white cardstock to the inside. It has an extra fold in the crease so I could attach the window sheet balloons.

Can you see the difference between the stamped and colored ballons on the white cardstock, and the window sheet balloons that I colored, embossed, and cut out?? It's really fun when the card opens and these extra balloons are just floating there!

I ended up using just blues and greens for the card so it could be a little more on the masculine side, but could really be given to anyone. It was interesting playing around with this to get the look I wanted. Now I'll have to try this idea again with other stamps. Maybe butterflies or snowflakes!

All stamps and materials by SU!

Stamps: Crazy for Cupcakes, On Your Birthday, Itty Bitty Backgrounds, and Celebrate Everything

Cardstock: Brocade Blue, Whisper White and Walk In The Park Designer Series Paper

Ink: Stazon Jet Black, Brocade Blue, Night of Navy, and Always Artichoke pads, and Brocade Blue, Night of Navy, and Always Artichoke Markers

Accessories: AquaPainter, Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Window Sheets, Always Artichoke Narrow Grosgrain Ribbon, Paper Snips, Dimensionals, Large Oval Punch, Scallop Oval Punch

Well, that's about it for today. For those of you downline that didn't make it to the meeting, you missed out on some wonderful swaps...

Have a great week,

Sharon

Mojo Monday # 88

Hey, I'm trying something new! I've never used one of the Mojo Monday sketches to plan a card before. This is the first, maybe of many. We'll see. I was surprised how easily the card came together when I had a sketch to plan the layout. I wanted to use the Walk In The Park Designer Series Paper because I love the prints in this kit. So, TA DA! Here it is...


What do you think? You can see the sketch here.
It was really fun to plan a card around someone's sketch with no restrictions on stamp set or colors, or anything.
All stamps and materials by SU!
Stamps: Fun & Fast Notes and Absolutely Fabulous
Cardstock: Baja Breeze, Basic Gray, Whisper White, and Walk In The Park DSP
Ink: Stazon Jet Black, Baja Breeze, Sage Shadow, So Saffron, and Regal Rose
Accessories: Vintage Mini Brads, AquaPainter, Big Shot, Pennant Die, 1 3/8" Circle Punch, and Baja Breeze Striped Grosgrain Ribbon

Isn't it great having Designer Papers that all coordinate together? Just mix and match the prints to get the look you want! Sometimes it's hard to choose which ones I want to use! Such a difficult problem to have. I wish all my problems could be so difficult! LOL

The scalloped circle behind the little bird used the Pennant Die. None of the other scalloped circle dies or punches I had were the right size but this one is perfect. Love having all these tools so I can find just the right one to use.

So why don't you give this Mojo Monday sketch a try and have fun with your stamping today.

Hugs,

Sharon

Slow Going...

Yep, that's me right now. I'm so impatient to get thoroughly back to normal that this recovery process is frustrating. I thought I'd bounce back so much quicker, but it is taking awhile. I actually have been spending time down in the dungeon, but most of the work I've been doing is like Laundry (ewww), deleting junk emails and getting caught up on the real ones, and a little housecleaning around my stamps. I know, if you looked around here, you'd never believe that last little bit, but it really is true. I'd been on a stamping frenzy getting ready for class this week(which never actually happened!), so things were rather scattered about the table. And that last was an understatement by far! :) Anyway, I needed a card and it seems I never have just the right card sitting around finished. Now I wonder, why is that? So I put on my thinking cap and made a new card yesterday. Oh, it's great to be stamping again!!! The feel of wood and rubber, the thump of stamp on paper, the ribbons and other pretties. Ahhh..... Maybe that's what's been wrong this week - stamping withdrawals! Ha! I knew there was a reason for this weakness I've been experiencing lately! Better bring on the stamps!!!

Oh my... After all that, this is the card I made yesterday. It's fairly simple, but sweet just like the person it's meant for. There couldn't be a sweeter person out there.
All stamps and materials by SU!
Stamps: Thoughts and Prayers
Cardstock: Pink Pirouette, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, and Whisper White
Ink: Chocolate Chip and Old Olive Markers
Accessories: Pretty in Pink and Chocolate Chip Taffeta Ribbons, Large Oval Punch, and Sponge quarters.
Looking at this card before it went out in the mail today, I think I should make a few more of these to have on hand. It really is pretty, even if I have to say so myself. Maybe I'll get a couple more made while it's still fresh on my mind.
Have a super Saturday!
Sharon