Farewell to Elements of Style

This is one of my favorite stamps sets and have used it in Island Indigo for my swap for Baltimore Regional Stampin' Up Convention. Instead of it being a sympathy card I added "Life is a matter of moments" stamp from the set and coordinating ribbon on the bottom. Unfortunately I gave them all out not saving one to keep and add to the blog.
This card was done in Pool Party which is being added to the Color Refresh lineup....such a pretty shade. I added tiny pearls to the hummingbird's eye and to the flower for accent. Cardstock and ink are Pool Party on Whisper White. The sentiment is from a retired set that I keep because of it's script design.
Am I going to sell Elements of Style because it's retired? Not for a long time! I'll continue to use it for my own cards....it is just lovely to work with.

Blessings and Happy Stamping,
Barb

Baby shower invitation

My granddaughter is giving a baby shower for a special friend and co-worker. She chose the style and together we came up with the design using Holly's theme. We cut the top off a sealed white envelope and ran the bottom through the crimper, then sponged the top & bottom with retired Pretty in Pink ink and trimmed it with ret. Mellow Moss ribbon I had a whole spool of. Inside she used the tree from "Thoughts and Prayers", the booties and verse on the envelope from ret. Bundles of Joy from the Spring catalog and a 1994 stamp of the baby. All ink is Stampin'up including Chocolate Chip, Pretty in Pink, Mellow Moss and Blush. Card stock is Whisper White and Crumb Cake.
It has been almost a year since I updated my blog. So many of the cards I have made have not been my own design so I haven't added them here or else I made them and sent them with taking a picture of them....my mojo hasn't been working well lately. I hope to do better in the future.
Summer is finally here and I pray that it finds you well and safe. With all the horrendous  weather across the nation and devastation it has caused, being well and safe is a wonderful thing.

Take care, God Bless and Happy Stamping!
Barb

Stampin' Up! convention swap

I thought I would post my convention swap before I can' get on the internet once again! Ever since the horrible storms of a week ago did so much damage to this part of the country and many others, getting on the net has not been easy....not sure what the cause was and is still, but hit & miss seems to be the order of the day.

With the help of my good friend Dodie, I now have 100 swaps completed and the additional 50 partially made. Simplicity is my middle name so I went with this great new stamp set called "Forever with You" stamped in Island Indigo on Whisper White and embossed with the Textured Impressions Square Lattice folder, then mounted on a layer of Island Indigo which is layered on Whisper White for a crisp look. I wanted to give the card a Sampler design look.

I am so excited to be going to Stampin' Up convention for the first time and next week this time will be almost touching down in Salt Lake City, first time in Utah also. I hope to see many of my fellow demonstrators that I have become friends with on line. I will be happy to swap with all of you.

Have a great day and hope everyone has a good and safe week.

Blessings,
Barb

Simplicity

I made this card for the Shoebox Swap at a recent meeting. I like the simple versatility that the Stampin' Up set "Fabulous Florets " gives. After stamping Wisteria Wonder flowers and Wild Wasabi stems, I used the Textured Impressions Square Lattice folder with the Big Shot to give a textured needlepoint look to the card. Adding a simple ribbon and rhinestone centers to the flowers completes the card. I like the idea of using this simple design to make the card suit whatever occasion you need, whether it be birthday, get well, sympathy, friend or thank you. Finish the inside the way you want and you have the perfect card you need.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Blessings,
Barb

Mark's birhtday card 2012

When I was deciding how to make my son's 47th birthday card, I knew I had to use the motorcycle stamp I had bought especially with him in mind....not sure why it sat on the shelf for so long, but it did! Finally I will use it. At first I planned to add it to the front of the card, but once I decided on the color scheme, paper and added the glitter paper stars, their really wasn't any room left....so the inside was a decorated as the front. His Harley is a red Firefighter's Edition that was made after September 11, 2001 and has been very special to him. He has ridden it south to Key West, Florida, north as far as North Dakota, west to California and everywhere in between. All of these trips have been with at least one other firefighter, sometimes many and meeting up with others across the country. He has had 25 1/2 years service as a career firefighter, was a cadet in high school and also a volunteer for several years. He is retiring but not before giving the county another 2 1/2 years before hanging up his gear. As you can tell I am very proud of him as a son, dad and mentor to others.

All products are Stampin' Up, thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Blessings,
Barb

Stampin' Up New Year Begins!

June 1st is now the beginning of a new catalog year for Stampin' Up! At our "Stampers with Sparkle" Team meeting, several new stamps and accessories were highlighted with a Shoebox Swap. These are samples of the cards we made.

Card 1 features some of the 2012-2014 In Colors of Gumball Green, Summer Starfruit, Primrose Petals and Raspberry Ripple. The stamp set is the new Betsy's Blossoms and the sentiment from the Petite Pairs stamp set. Also used was the 1-3/4" Scallop Circle and Scallop Edge Border punches.

Card 2 features the new In Color of Midnight Muse as well as other new In Colors using one of the Designer Series Papers in the new International Bazaar group. The stamp set is the new World Treasures set which also includes a beautiful peacock stamp. Gumball Green Stitched Satin Ribbon and Rhinestone Basic Jewels finish the card.

Card 3 uses Midnight Muse as the only color accented with Whisper White. The new Fancy Fan embossing folder gives wonderful texture to the second layer with the center design cut with one of the new Apothecary Accents Framelits run through the Big Shot. The shape corresponds with one of the new Layered Labels. A simple yet elegant card!

I hope you like the new Stampin' Up products as much as I do. This is only a sample of the many new products for you to see in our new catalog.

Blessings,
Barb

Valentine and more!

Denise and I came up with this Valentine version of the Thank You card swap she made for her SU Leadership Conference. This is such a versatile design that can be used for any theme by changing the colors and sentiment. The card uses the new Labels Collection Framelit Dies, the Edgelit Adorning Accents Dies and the Adorning Accents Textured Impressions Embossing Folders all available in the Occasions Mini catalog promotion now in progress.

We embossed the scallop edge on white cs 4" x 1 3/4" then using the scalloped die to cut the red & white cs together lining up the cutting die with the embossed scallops before cutting in the Big Shot. The red piece is 4' x 1 1/2" & the white is 4" x 4 3/4". Your finished white layers should be 5 1/4" when finished. The labels are made with the larger in red cs then embossed with the dots and the smaller cut from the Glimmer Paper. The sentiment is from the You Are Loved stamp set cut with the matching punch and trimmed with a rhinestone.
Card stock is Whisper White and Real Red, ink is Real Red as is the satin ribbon.

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

Valentine swap

This Valentine was my swap for a RemARKable Team meeting held by Janet Wakeland a few months ago. The theme was Valentines so I decided to try out the new Stampin' Up Cherry Cobbler embossing powder. My base card is Whisper White as is the paper I embossed the heart on. I then cut the heart shape and placed it on the Cherry Cobbler layer that is embossed with the Framed Tulips folder. It's finished with a simple Organza ribbon. The stamp set You Are Loved is one of Shelli's Signature Collection sets and is perfect for not only Valentine's cards but any card that you want to give a loved one.

New Year ..Fresh start !

While it is still January, I am hoping to get a fresh start with posting again. The past several have not been the easiest for me due to increasing leg pain and difficulty walking. When I finally saw the orthopedic specialist, I learned that the pain was sciatica due to stenosis of the lower spine. I had this sciatica before many years ago but not to this extent, apparently the degenerative discs had narrowed to the point that the nerves were severely pinched. Anyway, I am feeling much better and hoping to do a better job of making cards and posting. Thank you for following my blog and hopefully I will give you cards worth looking at!

The theme for our Team meeting in January was to use something from the new Occasions Mini or the Sale-a-bration catalog. Of the 5 who attended 4 used the same theme for the Shoebox Swap...like minds...hmm! We all used the same paper collection from the SAB called Everyday Enchantment which is so pretty with all it's soft colors and patterns.

My card is a CASE of SU demo Kay Kalthoff changing the color scheme slightly. I used Pool Party cs for my base and frame, Fresh Vintage stamp set, Calypso Coral, Lucky Lime and Pool Party markers on the stamp and the Calypso Coral organdy ribblon from the Everyday Enchantment Ribbon & Brad Pack. All the items are featured in the annual Sale-a-bration Promotion on going until March 31. Any item can be yours with each purchase of $50. in Stampin' Up product.

Thanks for stopping by and may you be blessed in 2012!

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.