It's Been Way Too Long!

Hi guys! I'm back again. With all that has been going on with the kids being home for summer and then getting them ready to get started again, something had to give or I would have had to start pulling all nighters. Sleep won! I am happy to say that I have tons of new toys to play with and show you though. Since the new catalog debuted, I have been ordering a little here and there so that now, I have LOTS of great new goodies. It is simply ridiculous just how much there is in the new catalog that I simply can't and won't live without. So, without further ado, how about a card or 2?

Since the Summer Mini only has a few days left, I will go ahead and post the cards using those materials that I had made for my open house that didn't take place. I would hate to show them to you later and then no one would be able to order supplies to make them if desired.  Here goes...

 This one really makes a splash, huh? Tee hee hee. I used the Summer Mini set called Summer Splash and one of the delicious new In Colors called Island Indigo. Also included are 2 of the new Designer Printed Brads. They are perfect for a pop of color here and there on your project. That yellow strip behind the main panel is a piece of So Saffron CS that I embossed with the new Stripes Textured Impressions embossing folder. Too fun!

 Next up is a little floral number that was so easy to make. I got the idea for the torn corner accent from a card in the big catalog and couldn't wait to use the idea somehow. I think it gives a nice amount of texture when paired together with the delicate floral images of Love & Care which is a hostess set in the summer mini. Remember, there are no longer levels in the hostess rewards merchandise. This set has a dollar amount assigned to it just as the sets in the front of the big catalog do.

This last one for today is almost an exact CASE from a very talented blogger named Vicki Burdick of the "It's a Stamp Thing" blog. I love her work and the day she posted this delightful card, I knew I was going to make it without changing very much at all. I LOVE how it all came together. The good news about this card is that the only thing on it that will be gone when the Summer Mini ends is the sentiment which comes from the Happy Greetings stamp set. The flower is from the Array of Sunshine hostess set (in the main catalog) and that gorgeous paper is also a hostess rewards offering. It is part of the Cheerful Treat DSP.  I especially loved her idea of embossing the Little Leaves die cut for added texture. I stamped the flowers several times and then popped the layers up on Dimensionals.

Well, that does it for me. I hope you enjoy seeing these cards after such a long wait. Please check back often because while I may have been quiet here, I promise, i have been working on quite a few things that I can't wait to show you. It isn't too late to place one last Summer Mini order so if there are materials used here or just something  you have been waiting to order, please contact me and I will get you taken care of very quickly. We have until the 31st to order from the Mini and then it will be time for the Holiday Mini. Time flies when you're having fun!

New Catalog is Here!

Hi everyone! The new catalog we have all been waiting for is here as of yesterday. There are 241 pages of yummy goodness in this brand new collection and I can't wait to start showing you new ways to use them. Today, I have 2 cards to show you and they both use all of the new In Colors together. I showed them off to my hostess club the other night and I think we are all in looove with this new palette. I feel like the new colors really fill some gaps left by the renovation last year. Wanna see?

 And just one more to celebrate the new catty...

 I absolutely LOVE these new colors. They are so fresh and bright. I think they are perfect for summer and yet when pulled apart and used with other core family colors they are great for the whole year. I can see myself using Pool Party and Lucky Limeade a lot around the holidays and I think Calypso Coral will combine well for Halloween and fall projects.

So, moving along to the cards and their ingredients....The cute little shells in the first card are from a set in the  the Summer Mini called Summer Splash. My sentiment comes from Teeny Tiny Wishes which was carried over to the new catalog from last year (yay!) and I accented with my Scallop Border Punch. A button and some Linen Thread and voila!

The second card uses an image and sentiment from another Summer Mini offering called Sunny Fun. I have really enjoyed using this set so far. It has turned out to be more versatile than I ever thought it would be. Who knew? I stamped and colored the flip flops using my SU! markers (yep, the In Color markers are great!) and then accented the panel with punched strips of the 5 new colors. They were punched with the Dotted Scallop Ribbon border punch. This card was super simple. You could do this same sketch with any strip type image. This will now be a go-to arrangement for me when in a hurry.

Well, that does it for today. I will be back soon with a card that uses some of the fantastic new Scallop Dots Ribbon. It is really neat so check back. Have a very happy 4th of July!

How Beautiful a Day Can Be...

...when kindness touches it. This has long been one of my favorite quotes and now SU has gone and put it in a stamp set.Today's card uses a couple of stamp sets but only one of them has that lovely quote. I am having so much fun with my new goodies. This new catalog is my favorite EVER. I am a big fan of sweet, fun, cute, and simple when it comes to stamping. When I see a stamp for the first time, it either registers as "friendly" or "stiff." This catalog overall definitely checks in on the friendly side. I can't wait until it goes live on July 1st and I get to share it with you. Until then, how about a card using some new paper and colors?

And how about a close-up to see more of that gorgeous flower?

The flower is from the Summer Mini set called Flower Fest. I think SU! might have recycled that name but the images are all new. I punched the largest, back layer with the 2 3/8" Scalloped Circe punch and then hand trimmed the other 3 layers. This required that I stamp the flower 4 times, of course. I stamped it in Calypso Coral ink on the same color of CS and then embossed with clear embossing powder. The layers are then popped up on Stampin' Dimensionals to give texture and depth. I added 2 leaves which are made from the new color, Lucky Limeade, and punched with the Build A Blossom punch. You may remember this punch from the recent Occasions Mini catalog. Well, they brought it back for us in the new catalog and it will now be called the Blossom Petals Builder punch.

The lovely quote sentiment is from another Summer Mini set called Touch of Kindness. This is fun set with several sentiments as well as cute images that could be really fun to color if that is your thing.  I have another card that uses a great flower image from it coming up soon. I even used the brand new colored embossing powder on it too so check back soon.

I am off to my day. It is a busy one so I better hurry. Have a great day and stay cool!

Guess Who Loves You?

Hey guys! Today will be super quick because I am off to hold my baby girl's hand for surgery in a little while. I only wish I could hold her hand during surgery but what I really mean is that I will be holding her hand until they take her back. Ahhhhh!!!!! This is her first time "under the knife" and pretty much the first big procedure either of my kids have ever had. We have been very lucky and now I am a wreck. But enough of that. On to today's cards!

I have 2 cards to show you today. Both use the new Strength & Hope stamp set which is featured in the Summer Mini Catalog. SU! is donating $2 from every sale of this gorgeous set to the Breast cancer Research Fund. BCRF is dedicated to preventing breast cancer and finding a cure in our lifetime by funding clinical and translational research worldwide. So, help SU! make a difference by purchasing this lovely stamp set!

Here is card #1...
That lovely text background behind the blossom is from Strength & Hope. I just stamped it repeatedly in Early Espresso ink onto a panel of Naturals White CS. I cut my flower using the Flower Fun Sizzix die and my Big Shot. This die was part of the Occasions Mini catalog but has been carried over for continued availability. I crumpled the Cherry Cobbler CS and then misted it with water. One more crumple and then it got cut. I love this look! It gives so much texture and depth to the paper.

The sentiment for this card is from the set called Happy Greetings which is in the Summer Mini. I embossed it with White Embossing Powder so that it really stands out.

My second card is pretty much an exact replica of the card you might have noticed in the Summer Mini Catalog photo featuring Strength & Hope. I just loved the look so i wanted to make a copy for myself. I made very few changes so they get all of the credit for the lovely design but I still wanted to share here. Here ya go...
Well folks, that is it for today. I will be back soon with several new cards using various Summer Mini treats. This catalog is just full of fun stuff so check back often. I will be using as many of the new toys as I can manage. Also, I will be posting the retiring list of stamps and accessories from SU! which debuts today. Since I am pre-posting this entry, it isn't published yet but I will share as soon as I can.

You Mean the World to Me Anniversary Card

Hi everyone! I'm back and I missed this place terribly. The last month of school with my kids kicked me in the seat of my pants. My daughter tried out for cheer leading (and made the squad!!) and had to have a physical, 4,067 forms verified and signed, and had to be driven/picked up from school for several days. She is also having surgery this week so we had lots of appointments and running around to get ready for that. My son finished up elementary school which meant there were lots of promotion ceremonies, parties, open houses at his new school, and general celebration on his behalf. This all translates to Mom having almost zero time to do her own work but somehow I managed to fit in a Stamp Club and a Mini Scrapbook Album class. Now, they are home for a while and I have some time to play in my studio. Wanna see a card?

Today's card is actually the anniversary card I gave to my darling hubby back on the 13th of May. We celebrated 16 years years of wedded bliss so I wanted something special to tell him how special he is to me. This is what I came up with...
And the inside of the card...
I wanted something somewhat masculine but the typical fishing/hunting images that are so prevalent for masculine cards don't really apply to him. The new SU! set called The Open Sea seemed just right for what I wanted. The sentiment inside came from the very versatile SU! set called Word Play which is actually on sale through today. The sale is in honor of National Scrapbooking Month which was the whole month of May. When I saw the great savings on that set and several others, I jumped at the chance to get the sets at 30% off since SU! rarely has sales.

But anywho, back to the card...I used a color scheme of Riding Hood Red, Soft Suede, Not Quite Navy, and Baja Breeze. The striped paper is from the Elegant Soiree DSP collection. There is actually a gorgeous DSP collection that coordinates with The Open Sea set, called Nautical Expedition, but I had not ordered yet when I made this card. Both the papers and the stamp set are included in the Summer Mini Catalog.

The tiny tags you see hanging from the Baker's Twine on my card are stamped with words that made me think of my hubby like "loved", "happy", and "friend." I made them by snipping the ends off of Word Window punch outs but the Jewelry Tag punch would have worked well too.

That does it for me today. If by some chance you would still like to order the Word Play stamp set or any other sale items before the sale ends at midnight tonight, please contact me immediately or order through my online site. Orders have to be received by SU! before midnight tonight to get the sale price so hurry. For orders placed directly with me, I am offering 5% off your total (pre-shipping/tax total) order.

Every Day is the Pefect Adventure

Today's card features a sentiment that caught my attention as soon as I saw it in the new Summer Mini catalog. I also love the image because it reminds me of fun, fresh air, and excitement. Wanna see? Take a look...
What could be more fun than a bright red scooter with a jaunty basket on the back? Of course, I say this never having been on a scooter or any kind of motor cycle. I guess I should say, "what could be more fun in theory..." This image is part of the new Summer Mini set called On the Grow. I paired it with a bold color scheme and a little striped grosgrain ribbon for a card that was extremely simple to finish. It could be used as a birthday card or just a friendly hello.

The scooter image as well as the other graphic image in the set are such that they are very easy to color. The shading is already done for you! I used markers on mine here but it also looks great colored with colored pencils or Stampin' Pastels too. I tried both for a little variety when I stamped a few extras to use on future cards in a hurry.

That does it for today. If I don't make it back in time to tell you tomorrow, have a wonderful Mother's Day with those you love. I will be spending my day with my very special family. Enjoy!

Wish Big Birthday Card

Hi gals! I have a card for you today that almost didn't get made. It was one of those where I picked out my materials and sat down to make it but it just wouldn't come together. I finally stamped a new image and it worked. Imagine my dismay when I realized that by the time I had this finished, the stamp set has retired! Well, you are still going to get to see it because I found out that the set I used can still be purchased digitally. So, here ya go...
And the shot from the side...
This card uses one of my all time fav paper combos: the tiny plaid from Pawsitively Prints DSP along with Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, and Pear Pizazz. If you look closely, you can see that the Turquoise portion of the card is a printed paper too. It is from the same DSP collection as the plaid. The whole series is great for basic card backgrounds as well as scrapbook pages.

I stamped the cake and sentiment after coloring the image with markers. This image is part of Bring on the Cake which ended with the recent Occcasions Mini catalog but it is still available in the digital format. For more info on digital stamp images or My Digital Studio, please contact me. I would be glad to tell you how you can tap into this great new way to create.

I added some die cut lettering (Sizzix Billboard Alpha die and my Big Shot) and a few embellishments for a simple but cute, gender neutral birthday card. I love having this type of card on hand for surprise card needs.

That does it for me today. I'll be back tomorrow with a card that I made using the new On the Grow stamp set featured in the Summer Mini catalog. Also, I am expecting a delivery with several new sets and accessories that I can't wait to use here so check back ofetn for brand new cards using new stamps and embellishments for summer. Have a great day!

Celebrate the 4th in the Land of the Free!

Hi guys! Today's card is jumpin' the gun a little but it is never too early to be prepared. One of the new single stamp sets, Land of the Free, in the upcoming Summer Mini Catalog was just too cute not to ink up right away. Take a look...
Isn't that gorgeous? I mean the stamp...not the card. I colored the image with markers which was easy because the parts of the flag are spaced really well. Paired with a few embossed star punches and some DSP from Love Letter and we have a card that is perfect for summer. The sentiment is from Something to Celebrate in the Occasions Mini Hostess sets (Level 2). I tied the buttons on the stars with a little bit of the new Baker's Twine too.

Well, it's off to the weekend. We have plans in several directions today. I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

Wishing You a Wonderful Day

Is there a better wish for someone you care about? It doesn't matter what day it is, when it is wonderful, you have to be happy about it. Well, today's card is one of those that you send for no special reason other than to wish "wonderfulness." Wanna see?
And a close up...
These adorable little kids whose only job is to share the wonderful, are from the delightful new set called, Sunny Fun. It will be available in the upcoming Summer Mini catalog. I chose to color the image in detail but if coloring is not your thing, never fear! It looks good in a solid color or just enhanced in tiny places with a color or 2. I just love to color and those little faces had me giggling right along with them.

I wanted to let the image speak for itself so the rest of my card is relatively simple. I used the 5 Petal Flower punch to create a sunshine and then embossed the sentiment in White Stampin' Emboss Powder. The sentiment comes from the set called Bring on the Cake which is in the Occasions Mini Catalog. Time is almost up to order from this collection so don't miss your chance. After April 30th, it is gone forever. Gasp!

I think I touched on all the major points today. As always, if I missed something let me know and I would be glad to answer. Have a great day!

Best Dad Ever!

Hello everyone! Back today with more Summer Mini catalog previews. Today's card uses a new set that is perfect for those hard to make masculine cards that we all struggle to create. Take a look...
This new set is called Best Dad Ever. I paired the images with a few prints from the Elegant Soiree DSP which can be found in the regular catalog until June 30th. I have never looked at that paper as necessarily masculine but the prints without florals actually work very well. This series of paper coordinates with Basic Gray, Baja Breeze, Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, and Very Vanilla so I used those colors on my stamps too. I used markers to ink up the stamps which is much easier when using several colors at once.

Obviously, my favorite embellishment choices of ribbon, bows, flowers, etc don't work on cards for men so 2 simple buttons finish the card. After I finished, I realized that I could have used a little of the new Baker's Twine or even an Antique Brad to jazz it up too. Maybe next time, I guess!

The new Summer Mini catalog has several new stamps and accessories that will work really well for masculine cards. I can't wait to play with a few and make up some new cards for my stash that can be given to the guys in my life. These types of cards always stump me!

Have a great rest of the weekend! Pop back in tomorrow because I have a new card that features the delicious new Paisley Petals DSP. Buh-bye!