Celebrate Today!

I am finally getting this posted even though I should have done so long ago. This is a wonderful card designed by Kathy Seals a very talented Stampin'Up demo and friend. We made this at a Shoebox Swap and I just love the soft colors and lacey look. This is the card I decided to give to Rebecca for her 18th birthday with the verse 'Today is God's gift to you..Each day you are God's gift to me' inside. She is my oldest grandchild and we share a special bond since I was her daycare provider until she was almost 6. Then when her family moved away to various Navy bases the bond continued,  she has lived with us for her last year of high school and is going to college locally as her family moved back to this area when she started high school and then moved again last year. I love having her here and although our relationship has changed over the years, she is still my beloved granddaughter.

All of the card supplies are Stampin' Up:
card stock:Whisper White, Pool Party, Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade, Wisteria Wonder & Island Indigo
Ink: Pool Party & Island Indigo
Stamps: Perfectly Penned & Medallion
Accessories: Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer Punch, Lace Ribbon Border Punch and Rhinestones.

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!
Blessings!

Patchwork Possibilities

I want to share with you this linear patchwork design I found on SCS tutorials. I had another style in mind but I guess the pattern was an older one for which I couldn't find the directions. When I saw this sentiment which is one of the stamps in the Stampin' Up set called Word Play I knew that I wanted to use it on Rebecca's graduation card. As I thought about the words I tried to find a card design to accent it and thought about how the future will be a patchwork of moments and events that will shape her life. The paper was a stack pad I have had for a long time so I thought it would blend well on the card. The card stock is SU Creamy Caramel and Very Vanilla, the ink is Soft Suede. Rebecca really liked the colors and design. Anything that brings a smile to her face makes me happy. Next week I'll be sharing the card I made for her 18th birthday on August 29 th which will be a very special day for her. It will also mark the first day of college classes for her.
Thanks for stopping by.
Blessings

Special anniversary August 24th

The summer of 1963 brought the weddings of four couples who were friends of mine plus my own wedding. Of the 5 weddings two couples lost their mates to cancer, one couple divorced (me), one I don't know the fate of and one very special couple celebrate their 48th anniversary on August 24th! This card is for them. Their love and devotion to each other is a testament to a marriage truly blessed. Congratulations to Jan & Tony, may you have many more precious years together!

Card details -- All products are Stampin' Up
Cardstock: Peach Parfait, Whisper White and White Vellum; ink: Peach Parfait, Wild Wasabi, Pretty in Pink; DSP:Beyond the Garden; Stamp set: Oval All. Also: Big Shot, Flower Garden Embossing folder, Scallop Trim border punch, oval punches, aqua pen and sponge. The flowers were colored on the back of the embossed floral image using the aqua pen and sponge to blend and shade.

Thank you for stopping by and have a great weekend!
Blessings!

Black Magic swap

Our quarterly Team meeting featured a Shoebox Swap so I chose to use the Black Magic technique for which  you can find the tutorial on SCS. The images are stamped in Craft White ink and heated with the heat gun then colored with Watercolor Pencils. I gave the stampers a choice of designs from Baroque Motifs stamp set and how ever they would like to color the design. I used brads from the Brights collection to add texture to the card. Cardstock colors are Crumb Cake, Cajun Craze and black. Trim is made with the scallop punch. It was fun to see how the ladies made their cards unique and I was happy that many had never done this technique before.

As always thanks for stopping by and have a great day!
Blessings!

Tangerine sparkle

The embossing class project was to mix a color embossing powder with a sparkling ep or to use one with some texture. I used Tangerine Tango and Iridescent Ice for the first embossing layer. Then I used a retired SU product called Vintage Verdigris for the leaves which are from the Autumn Splender set. I also mixed this ep with the Iridescent Ice to give added sparkle. The new Glimmer brads were a perfect touch to complete the card. The Wild Wasabi layer was run through the Big Shot using Texturz Plates Perfect Details. The card base is Soft Suede as is the ink for the sentiment from the stamp set Something to Celebrate. Additional products are heat gun, Versa Mark ink and Whisper White card stock. This project was a lot of fun once I decided what I was going to use.
Thanks for stopping by, hope to see you again soon.
Blessings!

Melon Mambo Medallion

I'm taking an on-line class to learn more about heat embossing techniques. I know the basics but not sure about adding more colors, layers, etc. The 1st assignment was to use this square card design and to use colored EP to show off a detailed stamp design. I haven't used this stamp set much and thought it a great time to do so. I gave it a summertime feel by using Melon Mambo Embossing Powder which was introduced in the Stampin' Up Summer Mini Catalog. The layer of Melon Mambo card stock was stamped with  another one of the Day of Gratitude set in Versa Mark  and heat embossed using clear ep. I finished the card with the scallop edge punch, a pink & silver rhinestone brad and cut the outline of the medallion to lift it above the white card stock. I really like the smooth shiny look the embossing gives the medallion.

Thanks for stopping by and as always have a great day!
Blessings!

Summer garden

Hello Friends! It is so good to have time to stamp again. The last few months have been very busy family activities and a few weeks visit from Sue and children from Mississippi. Just before they arrived we bought a new 5 burner gas convection oven stove. We had had an electric stove for so long that I had to learn how to use gas as a novice. I just love it and am spending much more time cooking to the joy of my husband who is actually trying new foods. Sue is an excellent cook so we had a lot of variety while she was here. I had gotten out of practice keeping 2 growing active kids filled all day...always hungry!

So now that things have settled down, I am back to stamping! This card was made as a swap for a team meeting recently. I didn't have much time, so took the easy route by using designer paper which is both in the Summer Mini and the new catalog. It is beautiful floral paper in such yummy colors! Beyond the Garden has so many possibilities and I can see myself using it in my albums as well as on cards. My card base is Wild Wasabi as is the paper ribbon and trim for the sentiment which is stamped in W. Wasabi ink on Pink Pirouette card stock like the scalloped layer. The butterfly is from the Strength & Hope set which was stamped in Versa Mark and embossed in Iridescent Ice Embossing Powder cut out and mounted with dimensionals. Oval All stamp set provides the sentiment.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope to keep stamping and blogging.

Blessings to all!

Mother's Day Tribute to Special Women

When Mother's Day comes around each year, naturally thoughts turn to my mother with whom I was blessed to have for 59 years. For most of those years we were able to celebrate Mother's Day together sometimes on the day & sometimes a day before or after. She was very close to me and in her last few years we had to reverse roles for many things. Mother was a Christian dedicated to spreading Christ's love to all she came in contact. For many years she was a vital part of my dad's ministry. She was a "mom" to several other women and they loved her dearly.

I have always believed that any woman who played a vital part in contributing to the life of a child should be honored on Mother's Day. Growing up I had several such mentors in my life: my grandmother who lived with us, my very special aunt who though she had no children of her own gave love generously to my brother and I as well many other children...teachers who molded my academic ethics, a Sunday School teacher who taught the love of Jesus, women with whom I had friendship and could talk over teen issues that I couldn't talk to my own mother about....Then as an adult a woman with whom I came to love as much as my mother when I married her son and later divorced. She remained my "Mom" for more than 35 years later and I had the honor and privilege to be invited to her funeral last summer.

So on this Mother's Day think of all the women who have been a part of your life. If they are alive, say thank you and tell them how important to you they are. May you all be blessed on this Mother's Day!

Easter Blessings

"Christ the Lord is Risen today"....On this Easter Sunday may you know the love of our Risen Savior!

My card is one that we made last week in a class. I don't know the the origin of the design but thank you to the designer for sharing it with us. All materials are Stampin'Up.

Have a blessed and happy Easter!

Peter Cottontail

This card design comes from Ruth Murphy's Stamp Camp on Saturday. I made this CASE later in the day.  It uses the Blossom Petal Punch and Build a Blossom stamp set to make the bunny and the cabbages. This was a fun & easy card to make. The card stock is Whisper White, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue and Pretty in Pink,  Pear Pizzazz Seam Binding Ribbon, Oval punch for paw, black marker & Easter Blossoms stamp.

Surprise Award

Upon receiving this award I must…

1. Thank the person who gave this award to me and link back to their blog. Thanks Peg!
    I feel so special that you would send this to me. See Peg's blog, it's amazing!

2. Share 8 things about myself
     1. I am a Christian
     2. I have two wonderful adult children,  son-in-law serving in the Navy & 5 grandkids.
    3. My husband & I are retired and contemplating a move to warmer climates.
    4. I have been blessed with many friends both nearby and on line through card making
    5. I am trying to declutter my life with meaningless things, making slow progress.
    6. I have been a Stampin'Up Demonstrator for 2 years
    7. Besides creating cards, I make scrapbooks the traditional way.
    8. I have always tried to be the peacemaker, I don't like conflict.

3. Pass this award to 8 other individuals that I have recently discovered:
    Jessie Arellano 
    Amanda Farlinger
    Jan Mata
    Lynn Pratt
    KellyBirrell
    Leena Girsa
    Robin Merriman
    Jessica
These blogs are all great, be sure to visit them.

4. Leave a comment so that they can pass along the recognition.

My son's birthday card this year

Some of my son's many interests are grilling, smoking meats and using his own blends for bar-b-que flavoring and rubs.  Along with other firefighters, he has entered contests and competitions. Last year I used the same stamp set for my son-in-law's birthday because he also smokes meats and grills a lot also.

For Mark's birthday card I chose a little different approach by using watercolor pencils, a medium I rarely use. I really like this paper from the Travel Journal Designer Series Collection, so I paired it with Naturals Ivory card stock and watercolor paper. Other supplies include Basic Black and Chocolate Chip inks, Vintage brad, red twine, red button from Button bouquet, and oval punches.

I know this will bring a smile to Mark's face when he sees it.

Blessings to you!

Delft Blue Tile Technique

When I saw this technique on the Splitcoast Stampers site, I thought I'd like to try it...ok the sample looked so much better than my tiles! I followed the  wonderful tutorial but being as critical of my own work as I am, I'm not thrilled with the look of the 'tiles'. I cut and scored exactly and did my best with using a Jumbo wheel roller to create the tile design and I do like the shade of blue ink I used. I mounted the 'tile' paper on Ballet Blue which I also used as a back drop for my pot of flowers. The stamp is from the set Bloom which will never grow old in my collection of stamps.

Thanks for stopping by & have a great day!
Blessings to all!

Sneak Peek from 2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalog!

Isn't this designer paper just lovely? It will be in the 2011-2012 Stampin'Up Idea Book & Catalog that comes out in July. The Paisley Petals Designer Series paper is some of the prettiest I have seen in quite a while and this is just a strip of one of the beautiful floral prints in the package. Wouldn't you like to have this paper to use now? Well, you can! Starting April 1 & running through April 30, Stampin'Up is offering this dsp along with the Four Frames stamp set which coordinates with the Decorative Label punch already available. Make a purchase of $20.00 and you will be able to purchase these items before the catalog comes out. This offer will be available through my SU web site along with the opportunity to earn these free starting April 1st...no fooling!
This card is a CASE of the one listed on our demo site and I have changed things ever so slightly. I'm sorry the card is crooked, it's hard to scan smoothly when the cover moves the card. The details are as follows: Stamp set Four Frames; card stock Marina Mist, River Rock & Rose Red; dsp Paisley Petals; Versa Mark; Black embossing powder & heat gun; Rosettes & a Rhinestone Jewel. Accessories include: Big Shot, Decorative Label punch, Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Embossing folder & Scallop Trim Border Punch.

Thanks for stopping by, have a great day!
Blessings!

Amethyst Birthday

I just love the Four Frames stamp set that is a preview from the 2011-2012 Idea Book & Catalog which debuts in July. Would you like to purchase this set early? Starting April 1st you can do just that with the promotion that Stampin'Up is offering called Spring is Blossoming. I will have more about this in April.
The frames work perfectly with the Decorative Label punch already available.

I made this card for a dear friend who loves all shades of purple so this year I chose retired SU Almost Amethyst, a shade that is so lovely in my opinion. I used textured card stock and some scrap patterned paper that was given to me. The Almost Amethyst ink is also used to color the white flowers with a blender pen. (for some reason the ink shows up blue on my scanned card). The sentiment is from Watercolor Trio set stamped on White Shimmer paper. Organza ribbon and Dazzling Diamonds trim the card. Other supplies are the oval punch, scallop trim border punch, dimensionals and glue dots to hold the flowers from the Pretties kit.

Denise is a very special friend as well an my mentor and upline...I wish her the best of birthdays and many many more.

Build-A-Bear Baby card

I recently ordered the Bear Hugs stamp which is part of the Stampin'Up Build-A-Bear Workshop collection thinking it would be especially nice for baby boy cards. I paired it with the Pawsitivily Print designer series paper that was part of the original offering last year. The plaid was perfect for a baby boy card. The base card is Confetti White layered with retired Ballet Blue (a favorite that I miss), the DSP and watercolor paper. My little bear is colored in ret. Creamy Caramel, Ballet Blue, Barely Banana and the In-Colors of Pear Pizzazz, Poppy Parade and Peach Parfait. Other products are Only Orange (ret.) ribbon, oval punches, dimensionals, sponge & blender pens.

Thanks for stopping by, have a great day!
Blessings,
Barb

Pot of Gold

I had been to a Team meeting recently featuring a Shoebox Swap where one of our members made a similar card using a blue pot with multicolored button diecuts. As soon as I saw it I thought of changing it to a Pot of Gold,  thus the card.
I used the Top Note Stampin'Up bigz die cutting it in half for the pot. The buttons #5 Sizzlits die, 3/4 " circle punch and a retired button die. Gold and yellow cardstock as well as gold tissue paper was used for the 'gold coins'. Other items used were Big Shot, Whisper White, Garden Green, Basic Black card stock, Garden Green ink and the greeting is from the retired stamp set All-Year Cheer III.

This was a fun card to make using all the die cut items. Thanks for stopping by, have a great day!

Blessings!

No card just message

Hi Friends!
This is an update as to why I haven't been visiting your blogs. Once again my husband has been ill and I haven't had time to make cards or visit your wonderful blogs. He is on the mend we hope so maybe I can get inspired again to make and post cards. He started out with an upper respiratory virus which turned into bronchitis and lung congestion. After 2 different hospital ER trips he was finally diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism and is on blood thinner meds which require frequent blood tests to check the levels. I ask that you keep both of us in thought and prayer...him for recovery and better attitude and me in dealing with the stress.

Thank you for being faithful friends.
Blessings!

Variations of a base card

I had to prepare a card for a Shoebox Swap for Ruth Murphy's quarterly team meeting and it had to be made with products from either the Occasions Mini catalog or the Sale-a-Bration catalog. I chose to use some of the paper from the Ice Cream Parlor Designer Series Paper & Quick Accent Pack, ribbon from the Ribbon & Button Pack and the round scallop stamp For You from the Punch Bunch set. My base card is Confetti White with Wild Wasabi cs. I wanted to make it a Clean and Simple design for the sake of time. The ink is Poppy Parade  which brings a bright pop to the card.

I had left over materials which I brought home to use myself. Always needing cards to send out quickly, I decided to make some birthday and get well cards to have on hand...these can be for male or female. The 2nd card is done in Pacific Point with the 3rd using the birthday stamp coming from the Fun & Fast Notes set. Additional supplies are the regular scallop punch, the large scallop punch and dimensionals.

We had a great time at the meeting making the various cards and projects and sharing ideas, not to mention the good food. A project we did was to stamp a design on a small domino and make a necklace with it...something I had never done before...what a cool idea it was!

Thanks for stopping by, have a blessed day!

Couple of Valentines

You know how there are some stamps that you just never want to part with? This 1999 'From the Heart' Stampin'Up! set is one of them... I bought it used when I first began making cards and every so often pull it out to send love notes to my grandkids. The images of the children remind me so much of the 'olden days' of my childhood!  I hope the kids don't think they are too old for the style but I love these images....granted I rushed to get them done so the coloring isn't my best. I wanted to make sure the cards got to them before Valentine's Day.

The cardstock is Pretty in Pink, Whisper White, Real Red and retired dsp. Ellie's also has the heart stamp from 'Love You Much' and both have sentiments from 'All Holidays'.
I used watercolor paper for the images, various markers, snips, heart punch, scallop punch and dimensionals.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day.
Blessings to all!

Make & Take #2

Using the stamp set "Dreams du Jour" the butterfly and 'Love you' sentiment were stamped in Early Espresso on Very Vanilla card stock.  The flower was colored with  an Aqua Pen dipped in Regal Rose and Crumb Cake and cut out before mounting the flower on Early Espresso punched with the Curly Label punch. A strip of Early Espresso is covered with Chantilly Lace before adhereing to Regal Rose card stock which has a torn edge. Sahara Sand Patterns DSP covers the bottom of the Soft Suede card stock base on which the sentiment is stamped in Early Espresso. The design is similar to the one on page 101 in the 2010-2011 Stampin'Up! Idea Book & Catalog.

Valentine Make & Take

This was one of two Make & Takes we made at Ruth Murphy's Team meeting. My scanner doesn't show the 3 dimensional heart that adds depth to the design. We stamped the heart stamp from "Love You Much" 3 times with Rose Red ink on Whisper White card stock then used the Heart Punch to make the shapes which were sponged and glued together to pop up the heart. The paper is Patterns DSP, Rose Red card stock on which the large flower from "Razzle Dazzle" was stamped in Rose Red ink, pearls and ribbon finish the card. I can always add a sentiment to the card when I decide to whom I will send the card. This is a quick and easy card.

Love Birds Swap

Hope everyone is having a good start to 2011. It sure has been busy for us so I neglected to add cards to the blog. I made this card for the December Team meeting at Ruth Murphy's which was so much fun...Christmas Party, gift exchange, Make & Take, and of course, good friends and good food!

Our swap exchange had to be a current stamp set used as a Valentine card. I had been wanting to try the Crimped Diamond background which I found on Split Coast Stampers as a tutorial. My colors are Whisper White and Riding Hood Red and my stamp set is Northern Hearts Hostess Level 1 from the Holiday Mini Catalog. The only accent is a single rhinestone from Jewels Basic Rhinestones.

My scanner doesn't do justice to the crimped background's dimensions and shine. I  made verticle crimping on this card's diamond center and horizontal on some others to give different effects. Clean and simple style. There is a new Textured Impressions Embossing Folder in the Stampin'Up Occasions Mini Catalog that is called Framed Tulips which will give a lovely frame to this stamp. You can see this folder by clicking on the Occasions catalog picture  on the right of the blog linking my web site to my blog.

I'll be posting the Make & Take cards soon. As always thank you for stopping by & please come again.

Blessings,