Another Christmas card & progress

My blues have lifted some and thanks Lorie & Becky for your kind words on my last post. I find as I age that pre-Christmas has become a nostalgic time for me, some years more than others. This year has brought family changes once again with my daughter Sue & family moving to Mississippi and not being able to spend special time with them. You would think I would be used to their being far away, but I was spoiled having them close by for 3 years. On a happy note Rebecca lives with us now so she could finish high school here. She and her boyfriend decorated our tree and it looks lovely. She will be leaving in the morning to spend Christmas with her father's family but will be home Christmas night. Hopefully, my son Mark will be with us for part of the day and we may even get a short visit from his son if all goes well.

This card was made from Stampin'Up Cherry Cobbler card stock embossed with the Textured Impressions Petals-A-Plenty folder. The bells are from Bells & Boughs stamp set. I used markers and the 'huffing' method to stamp them then accented in Stickles glitter. The inside is stamped with "welcome Christmas into your heart" from the set Heard from the Heart...a simple yet meaningful sentiment.

I pray that all of you will welcome Christmas into your heart and remember the true meaning of Christmas. Too often we get caught up with all that is expected of us by others and not what God wants us to do. Christmas is afterall the birthday of  our Lord, Jesus Christ. May you have the peace that only He can give.

Hugs and blessings,
Barb

Christmas Card 1

A few days before Christmas and no I am no where near ready! Spiritually, yes but physically no! Each year I say I will decorate early, bake and get everything ready. Well all I can say is that I did make every card that was sent to family and friends, though none were elaborate. This was one of the cards I made this month. The stamp set is called Christmas Postcard made by Stampin'Up. Would love to have made each card colorful but time made me decide to stamp them all in Cherry Cobbler to match the card stock and designer paper from Deck the Halls. The inside is Whisper White paper for the sentiment and is trimmed in the designer paper. A Jewel Basic Rhinestone adds a touch of "bling" to the poinsettia.
Hopefully, I'll post the other two cards I made in a day or so. Have a blessed day!

Thankful Reflections!

With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, I wish all of you my faithful friends a blessed Thanksgiving and coming year. Without the support of you, I would not have this blog or cards to share with you. You have blessed me with your friendship, love and understanding.
This has been a very busy time for me so I haven't kept up my entries as I should. This Thanksgiving will be a special time for my family as my daughter Sue, son-in-law Sam and grandchildren Ellie & Roman will be moving to Gulfport, MS area where Sam will be stationed for at least 3 yrs. For us this means that spending special times with them will be limited and we will all miss the family gatherings. I have had the privilege of watching Ellie & Roman grow for the past three years and shared their triumphs and joys. Hearing them say "Grandma, I love you" and the hugs that accompany the words are blessings beyond compare. I wish them happiness and success in their new school and neighborhood.

With the move, came changes for us here at home. Our oldest grandchild, Rebecca, has come to live with us so she can finish her high school years at the school she has become a part of. Being in the military brought many different schools for her and it has been so nice that she could stay in the same area for all four years of high school. I enjoy having her company although she isn't around much what with school, her job and her boyfriend. We share a special bond that began the day after her birth and has continued through the years spending most of her baby, toddler and preschool years with me as day care provider.

I am very thankful that my husband's health has been better and he is able to enjoy feeling well. My health is good and that is a blessing for me.
Most importantly I am thankful for all God has given me especially the love of His son Jesus Christ. 

Now to describe my card which was made a stamp camp that my upline had. All Stampin' Up products: Stamps-Autumn Splendor, Grateful Greetings & Woodgrain background stamp; card stock- Peach Parfait, Chocolate Chip & Confetti White; ink- Peach Parfait & Chocolate Chip; accessories- Autumn Spice DSP, Victoria Crochet Trim, Antique Brads, scissors to cut out acorns and blender pen.

Blessings to all!

Swap for Stampin'Up Regional

This is a swap for my first Stampin'Up Regional to be held in Baltimore, MD on October 2, 2010 which also happens to be World Card Making Day. While 36 swaps may not seem like much to seasoned swappers, it is more than I have ever made before.

I chose Wild Wasabi for the main layer and added it as the oval frame for my sentiment which was stamped in the Wild Wasabi ink. I used the Elegant Bouquet embossing folder on Whisper White card stock adding some color to the flower centers by dotting with Melon Mambo marker and Crystal Effects. The Melon Mambo butterflies  which were made with the Embosslits Beautiful Wings kiss the flower stems. The flower in the stamp from Oval All is accentuated by outlining in Melon Mambo marker and colored lightly with Pretty in Pink.

With summer winding down toward crisp fall weather, I wanted to make one last light summer card to savor. I hope you like it. Thanks for stopping by.
Blessings!

Special birthday

Tomorrow is my oldest granddaughter's 17th birthday so I gave her several pads of patterned paper to look at and choose what she might like me to use on her card. This floral from Basic Grey was one she said she liked. This being my inspiration I began planning. I chose the Stampin'Up set called Bloomin' Beautiful because it always makes a lovely card...The single flower is done in Soft Plum (ret.), Perfect plum and Always Artichoke stamped onto SU Shimmer White paper sponged with Soft Plum and accented with Stickles Diamonds. The card is over sized (6x6) Soft Plum textured with the words 'bloom' stamped on the left side and sparkle beneath the flower. To finish I used white organza ribbon I had in my stash and a stick pin made from the SU Pretties Kit with pearls and crystals.

Rebecca and her younger sister enjoy making cards with their mom or me, so I wanted to make this a very special birthday card. Rebecca has become a lovely young woman so I want her to know how special she is to us. I rarely stamp sentiments inside of my cards trying to write something especially for the recipient letting them know this card is just for them. The inside is Whisper White with a border of the floral paper and stamped with "may all your wishes come true" from the Heard from the Heart set. The rest is a personal note to Rebecca.

Those of you who are grandmothers know how special and unique each grandchild is just like our own children are. For those of you who still have grandmothers here of earth, you are treasured beyond measure in their eyes.

Blessings to all today and everyday!

Special anniversary card

On August 24th a very special couple is celebrating their 47th wedding anniversary. I say "special" because theirs is truly one of those rare and special marriages. They were high school sweethearts who have been "soul mates" ever since. Jan & Tony, you are the greatest!

The card has an Elegant Eggplant base with the lovely Level 1 Hostess stamp Because I Care as the image on Whisper White framed with designer paper "Lap of Luxury" as a frame. The hydrangea is stamped in Elegant Eggplant and Always Artichoke, accented with Pretty in Pink, Lovely Lavender markers and Dazzling Diamonds.Narrow ribbon and a gem finish the design which came from a class that I assisted with. The sentiment is from Hugs and Wishes.

School Day Friends

Yesterday I attended our team post SU convention meeting, an event that is always fun. For the 'Shoebox Swap' I decided to use this stamp which is in the Greeting Card Kids set. I just love the images of cute children and couldn't wait to make a card with one of the stamps.

Do you remember your first day of school each year with the excitement of seeing friends and meeting new kids? There were always new shoes, new dresses in my case, a new bookbag & lunchbox...dating myself?...you bet! Yes, those were the 'good old days'. Now school starts in August or sooner, kids (boys & girls) wear shorts and sandles but the excitement remains the same from generation to generation. There are friends to see, so much to learn and hopefully a good year for all kids!

Products are all Stampin'Up:
Stamps: Greeting Card Kids, Fundamental Phrases
cardstock: Naturals Ivory, Night of Navy, Cherry Cobbler and watercolor paper
Ink: Basic Black, various markers
Accessories: Spiral Border Punch, Aqua Pen, Paper Piercing Tool, Crystal Effects for the apple

I hope this card has evoked some memories for you as it has for me. Thanks for stopping by! Until next time....Have a blessed day!

Sympathy card

I really like "Thoughts and Prayers" stamp set from Stampin'Up because it is so versatile. This time I am using it in soft pastels. I have paired it with reitred Barely Banana textured paper, scraps of dsp from a few years agao and Very Vanilla. I colored the tree with markers using the 'huffing' method to stamp on the cs. Then I accented the leaves with Pretty in Pink marker. The tree inks are retired Mellow Moss and Close to Cocoa. I sponged the background in Mellow Moss.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your weekend!

Water spritzed floral

This is another card from yesterday's class, one that came from the SU Convention that Denise attended. Using watercolor paper the image was stamped by inking the stamp with SU Markers, then spritzing the stamp with a mist of water to give a muted look to the image. Bashful Blue cs was added then torn with the watercolor paper to give a ragged look. Pear Pizzazz ribbon and a Not Quite Navy button were added to the cardstock then mounted on Not Quite Navy. The Spritzer tool was use with NQN marker to add dimension. I have not added a sentiment leaving it to be added when I decide on how I will use this card. The stamp set is Just Believe a brand new set from the current 2010-2011 Stampin'Up! Ideabook and Catalog.

Soft smudged background

This card was made at a class yesterday. We took Soft Suede reinker smudging it onto Whisper White cardstock with a wet sponge giving the paper a variety of shades. The Medallion was stamped with Versa Mark. Craft White was used to accent the center of the medallion and for the words which come from a Level 1 Hostess Set called Afterthoughts. Whisper White cs and Soft Suede cs provide the framing.
The techinque of sponging the ink on the cs gives an unusual background for the stamp making your card a one of a kind look.