Monday, March 31, 2014

TWO CARDS TODAY

Last week kind of got away from me.  I've been making lots of Easter cards mostly for the Independent Living Center where my mother lives, but others as well.
 

This is one that I made using the Stampin' Up! Backyard Basics stamps and dies sets.  This has been a really great set to make cards.  I used the SU  "tulip" embossing folder for the card base.   
 
 
Our Yahoo group had a color card swap using green and white.  This is the card I made to send to my partner. 
 
 First I used a Spellbinders Classic Square die to cut the window.    Then I ran the front of the card through the Cuttlebug using the Swiss Dots embossing folder.  I had the stamped design out last week to make the birthday cards so decided to use it again.   I stamped it in Garden Green on the white square that had been removed from the "window" and then matted it on Garden Green card stock.  I stamped the sentiment on white card stock and then cut the piece with one of the two-piece tags from Spellbinders.  The Green tag is the other die from that two-pieces that go together.
 
I'll try to get cards up each day this week.  (And I won't try to do an April Fool's for you tomorrow.)   Thank you for stopping by! 
 

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BROTHER!


Cards for the guys are hard for me but I thought this one would work in brown and no flowers so I made three of them.  My mother's friend wanted birthday cards for her nephew and her son-in-law.  My brother has a birthday today so I sent one of them to him.
 
The embossing folder is from Sizzix.  The Chocolate Chp dotted dp is from Stampin' Up!  The stamp is from SU Pocket Silhouettes.  I used one of the other designs from that set to add a little decoration on the lower left hand corner inside.
 
Thank you for stopping by today!  Please be sure to stop back again tomorrow.


Tuesday, March 25, 2014

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY


 
Last Fall one of my mother's friends asked me to make some special occasion cards for her family members.  I didn't make all of them at once but wanted to give them to her more as she needed them.  Her son and daugher-in-law's wedding anniversary is coming up soon so this is the card I made for her to send them.
 
The stamp set is from the Apothecary Art set and it works with one of the SU die sets.  I used Copic markers to color the image and used my Stamp-A-Ma-Jig to line up the sentiment in the space provided.  The Cuttlebug Dotted Swiss embossing folder was used on the top portion of the white mat.  The fancy border on the lower edge is from Stampin' Up!  It really makes a very pretty edge for a special card.
 
We got snow over night - not much but enough to make some of the side highways slippery for drivers this morning.  My husband drives a school bus and to be even more careful than usual.  What is with this weather????  It's supposed to be SPRING! 
 
Thank you for stopping by today!  Your comments are always appreciated!
 

Monday, March 24, 2014

SPRING TULIPS

 
 
 
Back to the SU Backyard Basics stamps set.  Spring weather can't really be too far away, can it?  We had two fairly nice days last week but now the temperature has dropped to a much cooler degree again.  Easter cards can be so fun to make after a long Winter because of the soft colors which are so often used for coloring flowers etc.
 
To begin I embossed the front of the white card base with the Stampin' Up!  tulip folder.  For this card I stamped, colored and die-cut five tulips.  I arranged the three tulips holding them in my fingers and then carefully added the two yellow tulips on top while still holding all of them together.  I rotated my hand so that I could add dots of Tombow Mono Adhesive Glue to the backs of all the pieces while they were still being held.  I wanted them all to intersect at a point. 
 
All 5 tulips were carefully added to the card.  Using a Spellbinders die I cut the sentiment after stamping it first on white card stock.
 
As you can tell from all of the cards using this basic design, tulips are probably my very favorite flower for Spring even though they don't last long outside with the typical windy days when the tulips are in bloom.  This set has made it so easy making a quantity of cards for the Independent Living Center.
 
Thanks for stopping by!

Friday, March 21, 2014

CROSSES OF HOPE

 
Last year I believe I posted a picture of a card made like this from when I attended a Stampin' Up! workshop.
 
 
So this year I wanted to use the same basic design again, but for this card I chose to use the tulip embossing folder on the front of the Melon Mambo card.  I cut a white oval with a Spellbinders Classic Oval Die.  While the oval was still in the die, I lightly sponged Melon Mambo ink over the exposed area.  The cross was stamped on a piece of white card stock using the same ink and added to the oval using foam dots.  The green sprigs were punched from the bird punch and I shortened the stems and tucked them under the cross with a tiny bit of glue.
 
Thank you for coming by today!  I hope to have something new for you again on Monday.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KRIS!


Backyard Basics - Stamp Set and Die
 
My friend, Kris, is celebrating her birthday today and I hope she has time to do something very special.  This is the card I sent to her.  The main idea for it did come from Pinterest, but I changed it up to make it my own.
 
The card is a top fold 4 1/2" x 5 1/2" card.  I embossed only a portion of the front of the card with the Swiss Dots folder.  Two scored lines were added just below the embossing.  I found the sentiment in the Stampin' Up! "Blooming With Kindness" stamp set and it fit nicely in the area at the bottom of the card.
 
The floral design was one I had stamped and cut out with the matching die several weeks ago and I wanted to get it used.  It was colored with Pretty in Pink and Garden Green markers.  The white layer that I added it to was cut with one of the dies in the Spellbinders Floral Doily Motifs.  The banner was made from a piece of the Pretty in Pink dp.
 
 
If anyone is interested in purchasing the Backyard Basics Stamp Set and Die Bundle, I do happen to have an extra set.  Just let me know if you would be interested.  The set has six great stamps and six matching dies.  To be honest when I first saw it I didn't think I wanted it............but I am really glad I have it!!!
 
Thank you for stopping by!  Your comments are always appreciated!

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

HAPPY EASTER

 
I have been having such fun with the Stampin' Up! Backyard Basics stamp set with matching dies.  Anytime I don't have to cut out a stamped image is fine with me.  By adding these to a white mat, the white edge that the dies leave is hardly noticeable.  Actually it shows up more on this picture than in real life.
 
The tulips were colored with Daffodil Delight, Melon Mambo and Wild Wasabi.  The sentiment is also from Stampin' Up! but from the retired Easter Blossoms set.  After adding the top layer to a mat of Wild Wasabi, I attached a strip of Melon Mambo ribbon around the piece and then tied a small knot from a separate piece of the ribbon.  The entire piece was then attached to the front of the Melon Mambo card base.
 
Remember, I have an extra set of the Backyard Basics stamps and dies, so if you would be interested in purchasing them, just let me know.
 
Thank you for stopping by today!  I love reading your comments and appreciate your taking the time to tell me what you think of my posts. 
 

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

FUN WITH GRANDCHILDREN


One of our daughters has four children and their school is on Spring Break all week.  The oldest two daughters have things going on during the week but the other two children came on Sunday to stay between our house and the other Grandmother's.    Taryn has been making cards here for several years and that was the first thing she wanted to do after breakfast on Monday morning.  These two pictures show Taryn and Tucker with the cards they made.
 
In anticipation of things they like to do, I made sure I cleaned my craft table so it would be easier to spread out.  Taryn loves running things through the Cuttlebug and will use any excuse to be able to run things through the Xyron instead of using tape to attach things to her card.  She has definite ideas of how she wants to do things and plans each side of her card very carefully before doing anything.
 
I brought out some Easter stamps that I had never used before, and since they were larger than some that I have they were easier for her to color after stamping them with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.  Of course with Easter Bunnies she wanted "grass" and knew that I had the Martha Stewart punch that "makes grass".  She wondered how she could make the sky blue so I showed her how to swirl blue ink on with a sponge.  The last time she was here she made a card with clouds and she wanted to know where the "cloud things" were - meaning the dies.
 
The inside and back of the card were decorated just as nice with some punched birds and butterflies that she found on my craft table so her card took some serious time to complete.  She even drew a house on a hill with a stamped car driving down the driveway.
 
Tucker also enjoys playing with my stamp things but being a boy was much quicker making his card.  He used some of the same stamps but didin't care about so much detail.  The highlight on the front of Tucker's card was an Easter train stamped from a Taylored Expressions stamp set.  He wanted the train on tracks (of course he did) so I tried my best to use a black marker to give the illusion of some train tracks.  The train was stamped on a separate piece of card stock and cut out so that it could be on top of the tracks.
 
It was fun working with each of them individually.   Later yesterday we mixed up a double batch of cut out sugar cookies using Easter designs.  Today we baked them but they had to leave before we got them iced.  The other Grandma made some icing and they will decorate them at her house.

Monday, March 17, 2014

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY


I don't believe I have a drop of Irish in me, but to my friends and those who follow this blog who ARE Irish............HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!
 
My brother-in-law is Irish.  I don't always make a card for him, but I had a last minute thought to do it on Friday.  He and my sister have two sons so I made cards for their families too.  It's a very, very simple card but inside I stamped a very nice Irish Blessing for them.  I had some very cute St. Patrick Day stickers that were teddy bears so I decorated the back of their envelopes with them.  So sorry that the cards may arrive late since they all live out-of-state but at least they will know I was thinking of them.  I'm sure there will be some green beer today.

Thank you for stopping by today!

Friday, March 14, 2014

PRAYING FOR FRIENDS

Thoughts and Prayers stamp set
 
While I had the Thoughts and Prayers stamp set out to make the sympathy card for my mother to use, I decided to make a second one with the other stamp in the set.  The picture is a little light.  I used Pear Pizzaz and Pretty in Pink markers to color the image and sentiment.  A small dot of Melon Mambo was placed in the center of each flower.  Pretty in Pink butterflies were added using the Embosslit "Beautiful Wings".  This layer was added to Pear Pizzaz and Pretty in Pink mats before adding it to the white card base.
 
Thank you for stopping by!

Thursday, March 13, 2014

PPA 195 COLOR CHALLENGE


 
Blessed Easter Stamp
 
When I saw this week's color challenge (PPA195) I knew it was one that I could make since I was already in the process of stamping a lot of this design to use for the Independent Living Center where Mother lives.
 
The dotted mat is dp from an SU pack that I had and the color was perfect.  I don't think the card needs any further explanation.
 
Thank for stopping by!

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS


Stampin' Up! Thoughts and Prayers Stamp Set

Recently my mother had asked me to make a couple of sympathy cards for her to have on hand.  This is one that I gave her to use.
 
The idea came from a card I saw on Pinterest although the card I saw was tall and narrow which left a lot of white space.......more than I wanted to use.  I loved how they stamped just the portion of the design and stamped it upside down and coming off the side of the white mat. 
 
For the sentiment I used one from the Thoughts and Prayers set.  The butterflies were made from the Beautiful Wings Embosslit.
 
Be sure to come back tomorrow for this week's PPA 195 Color Challenge.  Thank you for stopping by!

Monday, March 10, 2014

BLESSED EASTER - CAS

 
I had hoped to get more than one card made on Thursday.  I did stamp off this design several times though and colored four of the images so I did make some progress to some more cards but this is the only one finished.  Once again, I used the new Stampin' Up! Blessed Easter single stamp.  I love this design.  Because I would really like to make Easter cards for all of the residents where mother lives, I need to get started early on getting them done.  Wish me luck!
 
The front of this card was embossed with the Swiss Dots folder.  I chose the SU Pretty In Pink dotted dp because I like it with the dotted embossing.  The flowers were colored with Pretty In Pink and Pear Pizzaz markers.  I don't think it needs any further explanation.
 
The Stampin' Up! Sale-A-Bration is going on right now through the end of March.  With every $50.00 in merchandise ordered you can choose a free product from the Sale-A-Bration brochure.  The Blessed Easter stamp is in the Occasions brochure.  Both of these are available to view on the Stampin' Up! website.  Items can also be ordered from the regular catalog to qualify for a free item from the Sale-A-Bration promotion.  Let me know if there is anything you would like to order.
 
Thank you for stopping by today! 

Friday, March 7, 2014

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SISTER!

 
Stampin' Up!
Petite Petals stamp set and Punch bundle
 
One of the newest bundles from Stampin' Up! is the Petite Petals stamp set and punch.  The punch certainly makes it a lot easier than having to cut out all the flowers.  I chose this card to send to my OLDER sister.  (I don't think she watches my blog, but if she does then she is likely to let me hear about it.)
 
I saw a card which had used the Petite Petals in an arrangement like this.  I chose to stamp the flowers with Wisteria Wonder and then punched them out.  The branch was done using the Bird Builder punch.  I chose a different embossed background for it and also used a different layout for my card.  The dotted dp was a scrap I had on my table that had come from an SU dp package.
 
As a final touch I added the very tiny SU pearls to the center of the flowers.  I hope to get back to a more regular schedule now that my tax preparations are behind me.  Thank you for stopping by today!  I love hearing from you and appreciate your comments.
 

Thursday, March 6, 2014

NO CARD YET..........

Last week I finished all of the work on our tax return and it is filed.  That felt so good.  But I'm still feeling a little "down" following the funeral of our special friend on Monday.  Yesterday I needed to work off some of the residule feelings I was having so I really dug into my office/craft room.  It was amazing (and not in a good way) at some of the things I found.  Needless to say there is a  lot going out to the garbage and recycling!!!  One of the things I accomplished was better organizing my Stampin' Up! stamp sets.

I freed up one of the shelves on the bookcase unit that I was storing the Copic CIAO markers inventory.  Now all of my new clear stamp sets can be lined up neatly so I can see all of the title at a glance. And yet the markers are organized in a box so I can easily access them.



One of the funny things I found were OLD income tax returns and paycheck stubs which I had decided to save at one time just so our daughters could see how different "incomes" were when we were first married.  It was time that they get tossed along with the other "saved" items.  When I found them in the paperwork that had been saved, my husband and I did  have a good laugh and were in awe at how we had managed to pay for our home when the daughters were very little and have the good life that we did.
 
Today is a new day and if I am not mistaken, my friend would want all of us on our Yahoo group to "carry on" and make the most of each day.  So today is going to be a day that I get at least one card made......hopefully more.
 
Thanks for stopping by and "listening". 

Monday, March 3, 2014

FAREWELL TO A SPECIAL FRIEND




Today I have to say farewell to a very special friend.  Those of you who follow my blog know that I belong to a group of ladies who meet each year in June.  Last Thursday, the "mother" of our group died and today we have to say our final good-bye to her.    I am so glad that six of our group will be attending the funeral together to honor our love for her.  She was a truly wonderful lady who had a wonderful sense of humor and a really big heart.  Our group shared many good times together - not just making cards, but sharing meals, feelings, prayers and most of all laughter. 


This picture is from last year's lunch we shared at Biaggi's before all of us parted ways to head to our own homes.


God was good to us by blessing us with a day when weather didn't prohibit our special plans.  Six of us were able to visit our friend on January 28.  Even though we knew it would be the last time we saw her, it wasn't all sadness.   We enjoyed visiting, laughing and had a really special lunch together.  She leaves us with an emptiness in our group and will be missed!!! 

One of the cards made on  this  vi.deo used this stamp from the Flowing Flowers set.  This isn't a two-step design and I wasn't sure...