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

A Little Plaid Thanksgiving

Boy, I sure don't know where the time has gone lately, but it's been slipping by really quickly!  I've been busy with some card making and planning ahead for classes.  There's always so many great ideas floating around out there, sometimes it almost gets overwhelming seeing them all.  But we can always stand to look at one more, right?  Today's card is a Thanksgiving flip card.  I'm enjoying using the two flip card Thinlits sets from Stampin' Up!  I just can't stay away from them.  Truthfully, they're too much fun not to use!!  Here's my latest sample...

Stamps:  Truly Grateful and Four You
Ink:  Pumpkin Pie and Chocolate Chip pads with Chocolate Chip marker
Paper:  Pumpkin Pie, Chocolate Chip, and Very Vanilla cardstock, and Sweater Weather Designer Series Paper
Accessories:  Big Shot with Label Card Thinlits, Labels Collection Framelits, Sponge Daubers, and Natural Trim Ribbon

I just love how easy it is to make these flip cards!   And if you have the Labels Collection Framelits, you can die-cut the smaller label and it matches up perfectly. 

The plaid DSP was attached to the cardstock before it was cut - easy peasy!  The skinny strip of the herringbone DSP was added at the last minute because it needed something on the left side of the card to balance with the right side.

I wanted to add something on the back of the flip to finish the 'thankful for...' on the front side.  I found the perfect match with the thankyou sentiment from the Four You stamp set.  I used the Chocolate Chip marker on just the 'you' part of the stamp and it was just what I was looking for.

Hope you  like this idea and it gives you some ideas of your own.  Thanks for stopping in.  Your comments are always welcome.   Have a great week.   Sharon

Harvest of Thanks Times Two

In keeping with the cooler weather today, thought I'd slip into a thankful mode and share two card versions of the Harvest of Thanks stamp set that I did recently.  We made lots of Thanksgiving cards for our service men and women a week ago and I really got into the autumn colors and all on the cards.  Here are two of the cards we made this last time...

 

Stamps:  Harvest of Thanks
Ink:  Crushed Curry, Cajun Craze, and Early Espresso markers, and Early Espresso pad
Paper:  Cajun Craze, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, and Very Vanilla
Accessories:  Big Shot and Deco Labels Collection Framelits, Woodgrain TIEF, Sponge Daubers, Paper Snips, and Dimensionals

It was fun coloring the turkey on this stamp with markers.  What made it really interesting is that I really don't know what color a turkey actually is.  Hmmmm.  Does anyone really care?  I figured as long as I stuck with autumn colors it would be ok.  So that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

 

This version is a little different in layout and color.  I used a retired DSP but I don't remember the name - sorry.  Wish I had more of it though, because the colors and prints are so pretty. 
The little flag of DSP on the side of the image is from the current Sweater Weather Designer Series Paper.  Just love the prints and color combo on this paper - it's so perfect for fall!

I die-cut a layer of Chocolate Chip cardstock to frame the main image.  It seemed a little plain so I added a some dots & dashes with a gold marker from last year's holiday catalog and I liked the look.   The gold added a subtle sheen of glitz to the card.   The sentiment was stamped with Basic Black ink using the Thankful For... stamp set from last year.

That's it for my offerings today.  Hope you like the layouts and try using them for some of your cards soon.  Happy stamping.    Sharon

Autumn Accents

Wow!  Can you believe it's September already?  We're getting our oldest grandson ready for preschool starting on Thursday.  Oh my, I'm not sure I'm ready for that!  Didn't think this would be a problem with grandkids, since I'd already done all this before with my own kids.  But it's funny how this is dredging up those memories and I feel I'm reliving them all over again.  Those grandkids are sure growing up fast!  But I guess that's what it's all about.  And since it's autumn time again, I've been focusing on Thanksgiving for the cards the ladies will be making tomorrow night for our soldiers.  Since Thanksgiving is one of my very favorite holidays, it hasn't been a problem coming up with ideas.  Thought I'd share with you...

Stamps:  Tags for You
Ink:  Pumpkin Pie, Cherry Cobbler, Always Artichoke, and Gold Encore
Paper:  Really Rust(retired), Always Artichoke, Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Cherry Cobbler, and Very Vanilla
Accessories:  Big Shot with Autumn Accents Bigz Die, Holiday Frame TIEF(retired), Label Bracket Punch, Corrugator(retired), Champagne Shimmer Mist Paint(retired), Sponges, Copper Cording(retired), and Dimensionals

Did I ever mention how much fun it is to design these cards because I can use all kinds of current and retired materials together.  Just play around with whatever looks good together and not worry about whether it's current or not.  It's good to get out the retired items that I couldn't bear to part with and give them a new chance to be special again.

On this card, I love the leaf accents that are corrugated and then sponged to bring out the texture.  And with this card, it seems to be all about texture with the embossed layer, the leaves, and the punched sentiment with a tiny bow embellishment. 

Hope you enjoyed this look at some current items and a little blast from the past.  Thanks for stopping in today.  Come back soon.  There's more I'd love to share with you.  Sharon

Sneak Peek Thankful

I'm not sure why some weekends I just need to veg out and don't have an ounce of ambition to me at all.   Last weekend was one of those times and I feel like I missed an opportunity to get lots of things done.  Instead I only got around to doing the basics of some laundry, dishes, and picking up.  Most of the time I should have been creating, I was sitting and staring into space or wandering around trying to think of something fabulous and coming up with a big, huge blank.  Yuck!!  I finally made one card that I think is worthy of attention.  It was made with one of the new sets from the Holiday Catalog that you'll be able to order from in just a few more days (August 1st)!!  Here's the sneak peek for you...

Stamps:  Harvest of Thanks
Ink:  Cajun Craze pad, Cajun Craze, Always Artichoke, and Crushed Curry markers
Paper:  Naturals Ivory, Cajun Craze, Crushed Curry, Always Artichoke, and Very Vanilla
Accessories:   Big Shot with Apothecary Accents Framelits, Square Lattice TIEF,  Early Espresso 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Piercing Tool and Essentials Paper Piercing Pack, and Dimensionals

Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday of mine because the idea of taking time out to thank God for all the blessings He has given us is very important.  I know I get easily caught up in all the busyness of life and get lax in giving thanks, so this is a great reminder to be grateful.  So it's no surprise that this was the very first stamp set I purchased from the Holiday Catalog.  I wanted to have lots of texture and layers on the card without it being too overdone, and I think that worked out with the embossed Crushed Curry layer tucked between the other differently shaped layers.

I love how the main image looks colored in with the markers to enhance it.  I didn't really work on getting shading on the image because the way it's made the highlights happen automatically.  I also decided not to give it lots of sponging like I normally do for autumn cards, but kept it clean and simple. 

Hope you like this idea and give it a try.  I've got to get my creative juices going and come up with more ideas using this set.  Thanks for stopping by to see what's new.  Remember, ordering from the Holiday Catalog starts on August 1st!       See you again soon!     Sharon

Another Wonderfall Card

I can't seem to leave this awesome stamp set and die combo alone.  I keep grabbing it and making cards in all kinds of different color combos and layouts.  This layout today is similar to the earlier card posted, but there are definite differences.  Can you spot them?

Stamps:  Wonderfall and Teeny Tiny Wishes
Ink:  Cherry Cobbler, More Mustard, and Chocolate Chip
Paper:  Very Vanilla, More Mustard, Chocolate Chip, and Cherry Cobbler
Accessories:   Big Shot with Autumn Accents Bigz Die and Woodgrain TIEF, Word Window Punch, Modern Label Punch, Early Espresso 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, and Dimensionals

Don't you just love the woodgrain TIEF?  It is so fabulous and gives this card the perfect background.  And the different prints on the leaves are so much fun!!  It really makes the card special.

The background here is very simple.  Just a layer of More Mustard, then add sections of Cherry Cobbler and Chocolate Chip then run it all through the Big Shot.  Instant fabulous!

Hope you have fun trying something like this.  If you'd like to order any of these products to be able to make this card yourself, just click on the ordering button on the right and place your order.  In a little over a week, you'll get all these fun products delivered right to your door and then all you need to do is find the time to play!  Let's get started right away.  Happy stamping, Sharon

Canned Pears

Here it is Sunday already!  Wow, the week went by so quickly for me.  But I found time today to check out the Saturday Sketch at the Stamping 411 blog here.  I had an idea when I saw the sketch, but try as I might, it just wouldn't come together.  Even my hubby thoughtfully suggested since it wasn't working, I should pack it in and try something else.  So that's what I did!  I still have lots of components sitting on my table though.  Who knows when they might actually become a card or something else?  Anyway, here's what I ended up making with their sketch.  If you check, you'll see I still didn't end up using the sketch as they showed it, but it's close.  Sort of...  Oh well, maybe next time.

Stamps:   Perfectly Preserved and Pursuit of Happiness
Ink:  Summer Starfruit, Cajun Craze, and Midnight Muse
Paper:   Summer Starfruit, Midnight Muse, Soft Suede, and Very Vanilla with Orchard Harvest DSP
Accessories:  Big Shot with Cannery Framelits, Dimensionals

I'm still not sure about the colors working together, but I used the DSP herringbone print as my color guide so they should work.  Maybe the prints are too much together, is that it?  Or maybe I just haven't been spending enough time creating lately and my confidence is shot.  Maybe I should go back and stamp some more.  Yeah, think that's what I'll do...  See you later - Sharon

Gently Falling Again

Goodness! I just can't leave this stamp set alone! It keeps calling out to me that Christmas can wait just a little bit longer and I can play with my leaves just one more time. Or maybe two, um, or even three more times. Who knows, I'm just not ready to move on yet!

Stamps: Gently Falling and Grateful Greetings

Cardstock: Not Quite Navy, Cajun Craze, Very Vanilla with Well Worn Designer Series Paper

Ink: Not Quite Navy, Cajun Craze, More Mustard, and Early Espresso

Accessories: Simply Scored Scoring Tool, Big Shot with Square Lattice Embossing Folder and Scallop Squares Duo Bigz Die, Stamp-a-ma-jig, Scallop Oval Punch, Large Oval Punch, and Sponge Dauber

Have I mentioned the Simply Scored Scoring Tool yet? Well let me tell you - it's simply fabulous! I can't tell you how many gate-fold cards I've made since getting this tool. It makes it so easy to do any scoring you need, whether it's just scoring the fold on a regular card, a fancy fold card, or one of the fan-fold paper medallions that are so much fun to make! This is one of the best purchases I've made in a long while! Hmmm, I wonder if SU! might come out with a certain addition to this tool (hint, hint) that I'd love to have. We'll just have to wait and see.

Back to the card now. I just love the Well Worn DSP with these leaves. I've used a couple of different prints from this paper pack with the leaves and different inks. All I can say is 'yummy'! So many great prints in this pack and they are perfect for those masculine cards you always need. It's a good DSP pack to have on hand.

If you look closely, you'll see the outlines of the leaves shows up rather lightly. I didn't add it until after the cardstock had been put through the Big Shot with the Square Lattice Embossing Folder. That way the details only showed up on the upper texture of the cardstock. I chose to use a Stamp-a-ma-jig to get them lined up just the way I wanted. And then adding the sponging over this just enhanced the detail of the embossing perfectly.

Hope you enjoy the latest in the never-ending usage of my Gently Falling stamp set. Yes, right now it's at the top of my absolute favorite stamp list. Wonder what's going to push it out of the top spot? You never know! Stay tuned for the continuing saga, blah, blah, blah.

Sharon

Falling Again

Oh, not me - I'm not falling. At least I don't think so! Instead, I'm talking about leaves from the Gently Falling stamp set that was used on this card. Have I mentioned how much I love this time of year? Well, yesterday was definitely not one of those fall days that I love so much. It was so windy outside it could almost knock you over. It would be called one of Pooh's blustery days I think. I was at a friend's house and we were sitting in the kitchen visiting. As we were talking, we kept seeing her heavy patio chairs go zooming across the deck. It was so funny! At first we thought we were seeing things and maybe her husband was playing tricks on us! But no, it really was that windy outside. Definitely a good day to be inside and doing a bit of stamping with a friend too!

Stamps: Gently Falling and Grateful Greetings

Cardstock: Early Espresso, Crumb Cake, and Very Vanilla with Spice Cake Designer Series Paper

Ink: Crumb Cake, More Mustard, Bravo Burgundy

Accessories:2 1/2" Circle Punch, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch, Mat Pack and Piercing Tool, Gold Brads, Sponge Dauber, and Dimensionals

You might be wondering why I chose to use Bravo Burgundy on the card as it's not one of the colors on the Designer Paper. Well, it's like this. I tried the outline stamp with Soft Suede, Early Espresso, and even Cajun Craze and none of them looked the way I wanted. This was the last color I tried and decided to stick with this one. It actually looks browner on the card than it does in the photo. Wonder why that is?

The addition of the outline stamp inked with Crumb Cake on the background was the perfect touch to give it some interest without drawing too much attention to it.

Well, hope you're enjoying your Sunday. After the bustle and bluster of yesterday, today's nice a quiet - just right for a Sunday afternoon. Have a great week and I'll be talking to you soon.

Sharon

Gently Falling Leaves

Hey there peeps! Glad to be back with another post. All's quiet in the grandson's room so maybe I'll get this post finished while he naps. At least that's the plan. We'll see how it goes. Today's card uses the fabulous Gently Falling stamp set from the Holiday Mini. I just love this set. I think fall is my favorite time of year with the crisp air, crunchy leaves on the ground, and the wonderful colors of autumn. So on with today's look at some 'colorful' leaves.

Stamps: Gently Falling and Grateful Greetings
Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Pool Party, More Mustard, and Very Vanilla
Ink: Pool Party, Lucky Limeade, More Mustard, Crumb Cake, and Early Espresso
Accessories: Stamp-a-ma-jig, Metallic Brads, and 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon



You really don't have to use the Stamp-a-ma-jig to use these wonderful 2-step stamps, but on this occasion I did. This strip of printed paper that I made is really just a small part of the whole. I randomly stamped an entire sheet of Very Vanilla cardstock, then was able to cut portions of it to use on 10 different cards. This idea is called a "One Sheet Wonder" and makes it so very easy to make a good number of cards quickly.
The layout of the cards I made wasn't all the same as this one, and the layering colors I used weren't just these two that I used on this card either. But that's what makes this "One Sheet Wonder" idea work out so nicely.

By the way, did you notice that I added a few speckles onto the Crumb Cake card base? That's a quick way to fix a boo boo like dropping a stamp onto a totally finished card. Yes, that's what happened. The card was all done and ready for picture time. I was just cleaning up the last of the stamps when I dropped it right on the card. Yikes! Instead of throwing it away, I just inked up a little corner of a stamp with the Early Espresso ink and added a few more spots. Whew!! Now if I hadn't told you that was from a mistake, would you have guessed it?

Thanks for stopping by today. I can hear the munchkin grunting (instead of talking) over the monitor so it just a matter of time before he gets a little impatient with waiting for me. It's been a busy week with a workshop and classes going on, but the weekend looks a little more tame. So hopefully there will be another post or two on the horizon!
Sharon

Leaves of Gratitude

Last night it seemed as though nothing was going right and I ended up having a full-blown melt down. (sorry honey!) So I gave up and ended up going to bed at 7:30. I've just been too tired and stressed lately to function normally at all. Anyway, that's why I was up at 3:30 am finishing the card and now it's being posted at this unbelievable time of day (or is it still night, hmmm). Anyway, the card came together nicely finally and I'm happy to share it with you.

Stamps: Day of Gratitude, Falling Leaves, and Netting

Cardstock: Sahara Sand, Riding Hood Red, Lucky Limeade, Early Espresso, and Whisper White

Ink: Riding Hood Red and Lucky Limeade

Accessories: Big Shot with Houndstooth Embossing Folder, Scallop Trim Border and Corner Punches, Word Window Punch, Modern Label Punch, and Dimensionals

I hope you can see the stamping on the raised portions of the embossed background. That technique gives the card much more depth to the embossing. Love the look and so glad I tried it!

I had tried different ribbons, brads, buttons, but nothing seemed to look right on the card. Lastly I just added the strip of Early Espresso cardstock and really liked that splash of dark to offset all the brighter colors.

Hope you like the clean and simple look of the card. Once I got some sleep, I enjoyed making it! Thanks for stopping by for a look-see. Have a great day!

Sharon

Cards for Soldiers

Last week our small group of ladies got together to stamp cards for our soldiers as usual. What wasn't usual was that right before we got to church to do this, the power went out! We decided to go with the flow and worked on the cards anyway. Let me tell you, it was quite interesting! We moved the table so that the sun was shining on it so we could see what we were doing. Sort of anyway. We weren't able to get as many cards made as usual, but we sure had fun trying! Here's one of the cards that we made that night...

Stamps: Autumn Harvest (retired) and a nonSU word stamp

Cardstock: Old Olive, Whisper White, and Dusty Durango (retired) and Dusty Durango Pattern Designer Series Paper

Ink: Basic Brown (retired), Watercolor Crayons

Accessories: Aqua Painter, Big Shot with Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, Dusty Durango Polka Dot Ribbon (retired)

Love all the layers on this card. Especially how they are all assymetrical. I think it makes it a little more interesting. Don't you? And yes, almost all of the supplies here are retired! You're not imagining that at all. I think this is a great way to use all my retired supplies that I can't use at my workshops anymore. 'Cuz I'm sure not going to throw them out. They're still good and I really miss some of the colors and stamp sets. So today is a short walk down memory lane just remembering some of my old favorites. I'll work on getting back on track with current products right away!

Have a lovely Sunday. Rest, relax, and rejuvenate! Spend some time with family and friends like we'll be doing later! It's the best way to spend the weekend. We're running up to Frankenmuth shortly to celebrate a few birthdays and have a yummy chicken dinner. Doesn't that sound like fun? (Happy Birthday Heather - in case you're checking this!!) Enjoy the day...

Sharon

Here Turkey Turkey

Okay, I think I've turned the corner on Halloween ideas and now we're moving on to turkey time! Yeah, my very favorite dinner - turkey and stuffing and all the trimmings, expecially that pumpkin pie! oooooh yummmmmy!! Wow, I think I've gained a few pounds around the middle just thinking about it!! So let's get our minds away from the loaded Thanksgiving table and on to a card idea.

I've seen some cute turkeys floating around out there in the blogosphere, and just played around with some ideas to get this chubby guy. Can't decide if he needs some tweaking or not. Usually there's a problem somewhere if I'm not satisfied and it's bugging me. I'll keep thinking on it and if you have any suggestions, they would be welcome. Maybe I could even send you a drumstick as a thank you for your help! lol


Stamps: Grateful Greetings (love this set!!!)
Cardstock: Peach Parfait, Chocolate Chip, Naturals Ivory, More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie, Cajun Craze, Crumb Cake, and Cherry Cobbler
Ink: Chocolate Chip
Accessories: lots of PUNCHES! Scallop Circle, Scallop Border, Ticket Corner, Boho Blossom, Horizontal Slot, 1/4" Circle, 3/4" Circle, 1 3/8" Circle, 1/4" Square, Owl Punch, White Gel Pen, Sponge quarter, Chocolate Chip Grosgrain Ribbon (retired), and Dimensionals





What a mess! It looked like most of the punches I owned were strewn across my table by the time this was made.

Looking at him, I'm thinking maybe the head is too big on this turkey. Okay, I know the head is too big for a realistic turkey, but is it too big for this one??? Maybe that's what's throwing me off on him?! I guess that's one I'll have to think on for awhile longer it seems. Or maybe I'm just making way too much out of this turkey altogether and I need to get over it!

Anyway, thanks for stopping by and sharing a few minutes of your day with me. See you soon!
Sharon

Faux Copper Thanksgiving Card

Wow, what a week it's been trying to get our little grandson back on some sort of a schedule after vacation. Can't say I got much accomplished this week other than getting the Christmas cards made to send to our soldiers. The ladies made 174 cards on Tuesday night. It was an absolute stamping marathon!! And now that everything is in envelopes with a label and packed up to mail, I realized that I never took any pictures of all the different cards that we made. So sorry! One of these days I'll get everything done in the correct order - like taking pictures and then packaging up to mail! lol

Oh well, I still have something to share with you though. I'm getting ready for stamping classes next week, and have a card to share that we'll be making next week. The idea came from Marie Shaughnessy and I was thrilled with her idea. She used our Brushed Gold cardstock and altered it to be more like the lovely Copper cardstock we used to have a couple of years back. I sure miss that rich color for fall cards, so Marie's idea was a winner as far as I'm concerned! Here it is...


Stamps: Autumn Splendor and Grateful Greetings
Cardstock: Old Olive, Cajun Craze, Naturals Ivory, and Brushed Gold
Ink: Basic Brown (retired), More Mustard, Cajun Craze, and Old Olive
Accessories: Big Shot with Finial Press Embossing Folder, Styled Vanilla HodgePodge Hardware, Designer Label Punch, AquaPainter, Early Espresso Satin Ribbon, Spritzer Tool, Mat Pack and Piercing Tool, Sponge, and Dimensionals




After dry-embossing the Brushed Gold cardstock, it was sponged with layers of Cajun Craze ink. This gives it the vintage look of pressed copper. Next time I might try using a bit of turquoise and/or green inks on it to give it more of an aged feel. Anyway, I love the look and intend to use it again!

I also sponged a bit of Cajun Craze and Early Espresso inks onto the HodgePodge Hardware piece and wiped it down afterwards. Unfortunately, the camera didn't really pick up much of the antiquing on the vanilla finish. It's funny how sometimes the camera picks up every little nuance of color, and then the next time the image looks so flat. Oh well, just another bit of proof that I'm not a professional photographer!

Thanks for stopping by today. Hope you like this idea and give it a try. It's really worth the effort to make this lovely cardstock! Have a great day!
Sharon

Another Leaf Card

Yes, yes, it's leaves again today. I seem to be stuck on leaves right now. Maybe it's the cooler weather? Who knows. (shrug) I was wanting to make another card for Thanksgiving using the French Foliage set, but I was looking to make it a bit more masculine than yesterday's version. So here's the latest. Do you like it as much as yesterday's card? Let me know what you think...

Stamps: French Foliage, Woodgrain, and Teey Tiny Wishes

Cardstock: Crumb Cake, Pear Pizzazz, Cajun Craze, and Very Vanilla

Ink: Crumb Cake, Cajun Craze, Pear Pizzazz, and Chocolate Chip

Accessories: Sponge quarter, Kraft Taffeta Ribbon (retired), and Cutter Tool

My most favorite part of this set is that the leaves are substantial, but not entirely solid. It's so much fun to layer them all over each other, but you can still see each leaf without it getting muddy looking. Did I mention this is one of my very 'favoritest' sets?? If that's not a word, I think it should be!

The woodgrain background stays with the tree/leaf idea so it was the perfect choice. The colors are bold, but still within the bounds of natural. Do you think it meets the masculine challenge?

Thanks for stopping by. I love to hear your ideas and comments. Now get those stamps out and start inking! Time to get going on all your fall and winter ideas.

Sharon

Apple Cider Thanksgiving

I have a real quick card to share with you today. This is one of the cards we made last Tuesday when we got together at church to make cards for our soldiers. I love the chance to get out some of my favorite retired Stampin' Up! cardstock and Designer Papers. And that's exactly what I did with this card. Hope you like...


Stamps: Falling Leaves
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Really Rust (retired), Chocolate Chip with Apple Cider Designer Series Paper (retired)
Ink: Chocolate Chip, and Really Rust (retired)
Accessories: Big Shot with Square Lattice Texturz Impression Folder, Modern Label Punch, Word Window Punch, 1" Circle Punch, 1 1/4" Circle Punch, and 1 3/8" Circle Punch, and Dimensionals

Again I've used one of my favorite embossing folders to give the background some wonderful texture. What would I do without it?? Guess I don't really want to know! lol

I really love using the circle punches to accent the circles in the DSP. Nice compliment. And there's just something about these colors that makes me feel cozy and think autumn and apple cider. Ah well, I've just about used up my excess of Really Rust cardstock, so I'll have to move on to something else now. Anybody have any Really Rust cardstock just sitting around that they don't want or need? I've got more Apple Cider DSP that could really use some Really Rust cardstock. I'd be happy to use it for our card-making evenings at church. We make cards to donate to "From Our Hearts" and we could really use more. Contact me if you want to get some off your hands. :)

Thanks for stopping by today. I value your comments, so take a moment to say hi!
Sharon

Thanksgiving Wishes

It's been a crazy, fun, busy, happy, long weekend and it's drawing to a close. Good thing too 'cuz I'm just about dead on my feet. It's so wonderful seeing family again after more than a year, and weddings are always fun. So roll that all in all into a long holiday weekend, and you have a fantabulous several days! I was sorry to see everyone go, but that gave me a chance for a little stamping! This past week I've been putting together the projects my 'church ladies' will be making for our soldiers and actually finished planning and packaging 2 more projects tonight. I think that makes 6 in all that we'll be stamping tomorrow night. That is unless I have a quiet day tomorrow and can sneak downstairs during my sweet grandbaby's nap time. We'll see..... But I thought I'd quickly share with y'all one of tomorrow's projects. It's sort of new and old all mixed in together.

Stamps: Autumn Days, Woodgrain, and Seasonal Sentiments (new mini)

Cardstock: Mellow Moss (retired), Soft Suede, and Naturals Ivory with Wanted DSP (retired)

Ink: Mellow Moss (retired) and Soft Suede

Accessories: Sponge Dauber, Soft Suede Polka Dot Ribbon, and HodgePodge Hardware clip

I love finding ways to use up my retired stash of supplies. There's certainly nothing wrong with them, and honestly, Mellow Moss is one of my favorite colors. I've had a hard time not reaching for it many times. But, when making cards for our soldiers, I don't think they much care whether a ribbon or cardstock is retired or not. As long as they have a hand-made card to send home their love and caring, well, that's all that matters in my book.

So I hope you don't mind too much that there are days when I share retired items. And who knows, maybe you have those very same items sitting tucked away on a shelf and this will give you an idea to use.

Hope your night is quiet and God gives you restful sleep, and then you're ready and rarin' to go first thing in the morning. Have a great day tomorrow!

Sharon

Country Blessings

Ok ladies, I have a couple versions of a Thanksgiving card for you today. One is the original I made for the ladies to make on Tuesday night, and the second one is using up an extra stamped piece from Tuesday night. Got that? And I also need to apologize for the carpet background on the pictures. I'm all set up for a used stamp sale and there's not an inch of table space left anywhere! (where have all those stamps come from??? YIKES!) I haven't done a sale for the last 4 years, and it sure looks like it! I sure hope some of these sell so I can get a bit more organized. But I digress....

I did find two of the cards from Tuesday that missed the box that was mailed out, so I thought I'd share with you. One of my main plans with making these cards for the soldiers is to use up retired cardstocks, DSP, and accessories that I have on hand and just fill in with current products. Plus this gives me a chance to use some of my favorite retired stamp sets too! All in all it is a win-win situation for me and the soldiers, don't you think??

So for this first card, I used a special set we were able to buy from SU! and also get a magazine subscription too. Needless to say I was rather shocked when I looked at the copyright date to see how long ago it had been - 2006!! But I still love the artwork of this set and will probably keep it forever. Oh yeah, I was going to show it to you, wasn't I???

Stamps: Country Blessings, Holidays and Wishes, Itty Bitty Backgrounds, and Canvas (miss all of these so much!!)

Cardstock: Sahara Sand, Always Artichoke

Ink: Basic Brown, Always Artichoke, More Mustard, Cajun Craze, and Sahara Sand

Accessories: Aqua Painter, Metallic Eyelets, Crop-a-dile, Linen Thread, and Sponge Dauber

So on this card, about the only things current are the two cardstocks, most of the ink, and Linen Thread. The other goodies are all retired, but you can use this idea using current stamps quite nicely.

Now the 2nd card was just put together with a left-over stamped piece from Tuesday and extra cardstock I have sitting around. The ladies used one of our retired naturals cardstock - I think this one is the white tone. I had just a small strip of Always Artichoke and put the card together differently to utilize what I had. The background was changed to the current Sanded set. Not bad for using up what was available, was it?

I think the soldiers will enjoy using these cards to send Thanksgiving wishes home to their families. At least I hope they do! And speaking of Thanksgiving, I want to take a minute to thank you for stopping by and checking in with me. I'll try to be a little more consistent with my posting. Now, you noticed I said 'try', didn't you? Some days I'm just to 'fried' to get down to the stamp cave and try to create something. But I'm sure you all know how that goes in your own lives too. So take a bit of time to relax and enjoy the weekend.

Sharon

The latest in the 'bug battles'

And no, I don't think I'm winning the battle at this point. Just in case you've been worrying about my state of health, I saw my doctor this afternoon for the 4th time in 6 1/2 weeks. She promptly sent me to the hospital to get a chest xray to check for pneumonia. Yup, that's the latest mutation of this bug. I'm just not sure how much more I can take of this! Arrrgghh!!!! Just what's it gonna take to land a 'knock-out punch' to this bug? I promise you that this blog is a bug-free zone. I washed my hands and sprayed disinfectant all over so there should be no lingering germs here trying to sneak out!

But other than that, life does go on. The five ladies who were available for stamping all got together last night to make the cards for "From Our Hearts". We enjoyed making the cards and really enjoyed eating the wonderful Pumpkin Roll that Shirley made. Oh, it was sooooo yummy!! And we were able to get 50 cards made in less than 2 hours. They are all packaged up with envelopes and clear envies too!!!! What a terrific accomplishment ladies! I'll start planning the projects for the next stamping night out.

Anyway, with all that's been going on, I haven't had too much time to do my own designing. When I was cleaning up the other day, I came across a leaf that was all watercolored up and just sitting there all by itself. It really needed to be joined with a card after all this time by itself. So this is exactly what I proceeded to do. I think it's much happier now, don't you agree?

I chose to use the swirled Texturz Plate and Big Shot to give the card some interest. It reminded me of leaves swirling down from the trees. Also the complete card was cut from the Scallop Square Die. Doesn't it make a really cute card?

The leaf still looked a little lonesome, so I stamped up the acorns from Autumn Splendor and colored them to coordinate. Added the greeting from Grateful Greetings set and a bit of Kraft Taffeta ribbon, and that's about it. It was really quite quick to put together. I need just a few more Thanksgiving cards, so maybe a couple more of these would do the trick.

Have a great day - whatever is left of it anyway!
(stomp, stomp) Hey, I think I got another one of those bugs!
Sharon

Another Autumn Card

Maybe I'll get back to my stamps tomorrow. Still didn't feel up to it today and had absolutely no creative urges. So instead here's another card from last Saturday before the bout of flu really kicked in big time. I've been trying to use some of the techniques that I haven't used in months. Sometimes even years! Have you heard of the 'cracked glass' technique? That's how the main image on this card was created.
Here it is. Isn't it just about perfect? As I was looking at it just now, I had this image of kids out playing football in the street and having it sail into a livingroom window with a huge crash! Does that sound like fall to you? Or is that more spring-time and baseball? hmmm.... Anyway, back to stamping and this fun technique.







Stamps: Autumn Splendor, Define Your Life, Itty Bitty Backgrounds, Grateful Greetings, and Teeny Tiny Wishes
Cardstock: Taken with Teal, More Mustard, Really Rust, and Very Vanilla cardstock with Autumn Meadows Designer Series Paper
Ink: Chocolate Chip, More Mustard, Taken with Teal Classic Pads, and Chocolate Chip Craft, and Versamark Pad
Accessories: Heat Tool and Glassy Glaze Embossing Powder, Twill Tape, Scallop Edge Punch, Buttons Latte', Sponge quarter, Mini Glue Dot, and Dimensionals

The colors used on the card are taken directly from the colors in the Autumn Meadows DSP pack. I had never used teal with fall colors before I saw this paper, and now it's one of my fave color combos! Did you notice the little speckles of color on the main image? Again it's a mix of the colors from the paper. Got to love it!

To make the 'cracked glass', stamp your image, color if you want. Then ink the entire piece of cardstock with a VersaMark pad, load it up with the Glassy Glaze E.P. and heat. Repeat this til you get a lovely, smooth, shiny surface. Then I put it into the freezer for 10 - 15 minutes. Take it out and 'crack'. I sponged on a bit of ink so the cracks show up nicer.

Also added a strip of DSP to the inside of the card, along with the acorns and speckles to make it special.

There, that's about it for today. Hope I have a bit more energy tomorrow so I can think about stamping again. This whole week has really been the pits. Things can only go up from here, I hope!!

Have a lovely weekend,
Sharon