Easter Wishes - Stepped Up

Yesterday I made an Easter Card and I liked it and it would be great for mailing, but I told you I would step it up into a little fancier card and so tonight all of the ingredients are the same except for a flower and pearl on the cross, a small butterfly and a ribbon. 

As a reminder here's the one from last night.


And now for tonight's version!  Both are great cards, this just shows you that you can keep going on a card and change it's look to a fancier card.

Give it a try sometime - when you think your card's completed - see what else you could add to step it up a level.

See you tomorrow!

Easter Wishes

Easter is really late this year, or I would be way behind schedule on my Easter cards!  This is one of my ideas, but I have several others up my sleve, so I won't stop here.  Another demonstrator shows how you can make a really prety card and then add to it and make it better,a nd then even add more and make it really great.  I was really happy with this card until I saw it on the computer screen and then it looked very plain, so I think I may follow the step it up plan and work on this card or one like it for the next several nights and see what we end up with - it may even make the cut to be my Easter card..

I used Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive and the same DSP as last night, Cottage Wall.  It is retired, but there's a paper out there that would be just as pretty.  I made the cross with the lattice die and the Big Shot and Easter Wishes comes from the All Holidays set, raised from the card with dimensionals after punching with the Curly Label.

Enjoy and come back tomorrow to see what I do to take this card a step up.

God's Blessings

Tonight's card goes back to one of my favorite designs - the Joy Fold card.  Card stock is Whisper White, Old Olive and Rich Razzleberry and the DSP (designer series paper) is Cottage Wall from the 2009-2010 catalog and retired, but it was one of my favorites.  I love pulling out some of these old papers and falling in love with them all over again.  The stamp sets are God's Blessings and On Your Birthday.  I used the Decorative label punch and the three circle punches 1/2", 3/4" and 1". 

Now I just need someone with a birthday!  While I'm checking my calendar, why don't you pull out some paper and make a card!  Have fun and I'll see you tomorrow.

Fun Flowers

I just love the new Designer Big Buttons in the Mini Occasions Catalog.  These are in the set called Sweet Stitches.  I used Melon Mambo, Tangerine Tango and Daffodil Delight, but the set also includes Chocolate Chip.  I used taffeta ribbon to make the flower centers.  The holes are large enough to allow the ribbon to easily pass through.  Buttons come four each of three designs for a total of 48 buttons.  At 8.95, these are just great buttons!

I drew the stems and leaves with a marker and used the brayer to add the grass at the bottom.  Card stock colors are Bashful Blue, Melon Mambo, Pear Pizzaz and Daffodil Delight.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up!, but I think it may be retired.  I simply don't have the energy tonight to run back upstairs to find the set name.  I will add it tomorrow after I make my next card.  I will post it at the end of tomorrow's post, so if you need to know be sure to read to the bottom tomorrow.

This was really fun and something different.

See you tomorrow!

Embrace Life

I can't believe it!  It really is Day 85 of my 100 day challenge - believe me I am as shocked as you are that I've really created and posted something for 85 consecutive days!  It's really a great feeling, for a couple of reasons, #1 I've stuck to something, even on days I didn't think I could do it, but I did and #2 I only have 15 more days!!!!!!!  I will certainly continue to post, but I won't guarantee it will be every day.  I guess we'll just have to wait and see.  I know I've got some other things that I really need to concentrate on, but this has been a challenging and fun ride.

I used Greenhouse Garden and cased a card from last year's catalog, but I think my real inspiration came from Bill and I working in the garden all weekend.  We filled in two more beds with dirt, I got my potatoes planted and just general spring garden stuff.  We have bluebonnets this year for the first time at our new house, so it's nice to be outside and today was especially beautiful with a cool breeze and light clouds!

Today's card base is Rich Razzleberry, with Pear Pizzaz and Whisper White layers.  The ribbon is Rich Razzleberry 3/8" taffeta, the sentiment is from the set Embrace Life (seems obvious) and DSP is from this year's catalog.  Hope you enjoy and that this card encourages you to stamp and garden!

See you tomorrow!  Happy Crafting -

Beary Best Friends

Some time ago Stampin' Up! began a joint venture

with Build A Bear and the first stamp set was Beary Best Friends.  Not many of the ladies in my stamp club were of the age for Build A Bear to be of interest and so I held off getting the set and then those cute little bears stole my heart when I began to see samples out on the net, so I ordered it and then like way too many others once it arrived I didn't have a use for it and so it joined my other sets on the shelf and was soon forgotten.  I saw it tonight and thought it's past time  these two little bears jump out of their box and appear on a card and so here they are.  A cute little boy bear giving a gift to a  sweet little girl bear - maybe his sister, maybe his little girlfriend, that part of the story we will just have to guess about!  And so I close with this card "just for you."

See you tomorrow for Day 85 of my 100 day blog challenge!

Wish Big

No body says Happy Birthday like Sock Monkey!  In this case he's surrounded by an extra party hat and multiple packages plus a cupcake in his hand.  I love the sentiment "Wish Big" from Word Play.  I think that's what he's doing here - Wishing Big and telling you to do the same!  This will be a fun card to send that someone for their for their special day.

One of the best things about Sock Monkey is he comes with so many accessories, with even new ones in our current catalog.  He's a very versatile monkey, ready to help you celebrate almost every occasion!

Enjoy - See you tomorrow!

Merci

I have a very special friend who loves Paris!  Actually I have several friends who love Paris, but one in particular made me laugh so much this week on a day I felt so lousy!  We did it all by text and laughed like crazy women.  I have had a much tougher time with this last surgery and as my mom always said (many others too) "laughter is the best medicine and so after an hour with her I was much improved.  And so I made a special thank you to her using my Chic Boutique set - particularly the Merci and the Eiffel Tower. 

And so to her I say Merci and to all a good night! 

A Simple Hello

Sometimes, creating is made up of looking at things you have laying around and combining them to make a finished product.  That is exactly what I did today.  I'm sure you remember the card that just wouldn't come together a few nights ago - you know the one with the sock monkey, a bird, a turtle, a dog and a cat and still no really completed card!  Well, today I saw the background card and thought it would make a really  neat note card, all by itself  with just a simple "hello."  And so today's card was complete with just a quick stamping of hello and punching it out with an oval punch.  This set is rough type and unfortunately it is retired.  I really like it and so it will continue to be used by me - if you want to do a similar card you can use any alpha set to create the hello.

So that's it for tonight - see you tomorrow.

Bundle of Love

Tonight I made a tag for a baby gift.  I used Baja Breeze for my tag and, but any color could be used to change for the particular baby.  I made the hanger our of some wire that SU used to sell.  The little onesie is from the Baby Tees wheel and the Bundle of Love is from the set Baby Bundle, both are in the 2010-11 Catalog and Idea Book on page 79 along with the tag I cased.

The back could be used for a greeting, to and from or maybe even as a shower invite with the date, time, etc. a stamp that is included in Baby Bundle.

Hope you enjoyed tonight's creation.  See you tomorrow. 

Chocolate Bunny and Easter Eggs

Good Evening,

Tonight's post will be very quick as I need to get back to the couch after making a quick card and posting. Surgery went very well today and hopefully we'll move on to the next treatment soon, but for now here comes one of my favorite stamps from last year.  I know it's retired, but not in my life.  I've always loved Chocolate Bunnies - got one every year as a child and this stamp brings back wonderful memories.

A couple of nights ago I posted a card I made with the Big Shot and the large scallop circle.  By folding a    4 1/4 x 5 1/2 card and sliding it down on the scallop allowed for the fold.  I got the idea that night by picking up a blank card I had on my work table.  I started to use it and had stamped the grass when I decided to change the color paper and so tonight to speed up the process I used it tonight.  I stamped a chocolate bunny and some eggs (Nature Walk), added them to the card and the sentiment "Every day holds the possibility of a miracle. -Elizabeth David.  This makes several cute children's Easter cards in a row and tomorrow, I'll try to head in a different direction. (no promises, but I'll try- BIG smile)  Unfortunately, the Chocolate Rabbit stamp and the Kiwi Kiss (card stock) are both retired products, but all the rest is current.

And so now I close and head back to resting.  Hope you enjoy the card and I'll see you tomorrow.

Happy Easter from Sock "Rabbit"

This is a fun Easter card with the Sock Monkey in disguise.  He's got his Easter Bunny ears on and his basket of eggs, but under all of that he's still Sock Monkey!

Tomorrow is surgery day and Bill worked my fingers to the bone (heehee) today moving rocks and making flower beds and so my card is about all there is to this post.

I will return tomorrow with another card.  Have a great night and happy stamping.

Thank EWE

This will be a very short post.  I'm having surgery again Monday so we've been busy trying to get work done around the yard and house.  It's not that it's that disabling, but I can't lift my arm that high for a while and so I'm exhausted.  I painted my hubby's office in his new garage "Manland".  I still have more to do tomorrow, but got a good start on it today.  We're driving into town tomorrow after church to pick up some things left behind in the garden shed and garden, so tomorrow will be busy too. So enjoy my card and I'll be back tomorrow with another something!

Tonight I decided to make a special thank you and it's for a friend who loves sheep - so this card was easy and fun to make.  I love these sheep and I'm so thankful for my friend, Deb reminding me that I hadn't made one in a long time. Well, I'm back into them now and who knows when I'll get my fill and stop again.  I just hope there's always going to be someone to remind me to start making them again.

I love that they can be used in place of the common you.  So Thank EWE Sally for your precious gift and Deb for reminding me how much I love making sheep.

Until tomorrow - I'm off to bed early tonight! (Smile)

Believe in Miracles

Last night I used my set A Good Egg for the first time and I couldn't resist using it again today.  This time I made three little chicks with three color shells, but had the chicks a different color and used the sentiment "Believe in Miracles." The background paper is from the Sale-a-bration catalog (ends 3/31)  The sentiment is not SU, but is a stamp I've had in my stash for a long time and it just fit this bunch of mixed up chicks.

Enjoy - have a good weekend and I hope you find some time to stamp, paint, sew or whatever you enjoy.

Day 76

You Crack Me Up!

Do you have a friend that makes you laugh?   There are some people in my life that just being with them is fun and laughter is so spontaneous.  Well, I made today's card thinking about them and how much joy they've added to my life.

The set I used is one that I wanted as soon as I saw my first Stampin' Up! catalog - A Good Egg.  I waited a long time to get it and then I've never used it.  But tonight as I looked through the catalog for inspiration I saw this set and thought it will never be right for me at Easter, but it sure makes me think of people that "crack me up" and so here's my card.  I used one of my favorite in colors for this year - Poppy Parade and whisper white.  I stamped the broken egg part twice on DSP (hostess level 1 set) and then cut them out.  I stamped the egg on whisper white after coloring the outline with markers and cut it out.  The rest is pretty self explanatory. 

Now, will I send this to just one of my laughing buddies or will I make a bunch of them and cover my bases.  After all I don't want to hurt any feelings and I'm blessed with a number of very funny friends!  I think I'll take the pressure off and just add this one to my stash!

St. Patrick's Day

Tomorrow is the day we all wear green and if we're not Irish, we pretend for a day we are.  We drink green beer (most of us don't, but some do) and Chicago actually dyes the river green for the day!  If we forget to wear green we're subject to being pinched!  All in all it's a day for fun and frivolity!  In the spirit of the holiday I made a card that is meant for each of you.  My inspiration came from a quick trip to Walmart, where they were selling shamrock plants.  Really cute plants, with little white flowers, but instead of buying one I thought of my card for tonight.  And so here it is - Garden Green and Whisper White.  The shamrocks are small hearts, vase is the ornament and the sentiment is punched out with the word window and layered on the modern label.  Ribbon is whisper white taffeta.

I hope each of you has a great day - and enjoy your card.

Day 74

Sock Monkey or not?

What a night!  I'm telling you I've thought every thought and looked at every stamp set and tried a dozen different things and I really don't have much to show you, except that this doesn't always come very easily.  And tonight that's an understatement. The first thing I did was make a sock monkey and cut it out.  I wanted to use the stamp thanks a bunch from the same set and so I stamped and colored bananas and cut them out.  I needed a background and then I decided I didn't like the colors on this monkey, so I set him and his bananas aside. 

But I then had the idea to do a background using my brayer, so I cut a mask and began to "bray."  I liked my background and added the grass and then the real trouble began. 

I stamped and cut out a turtle, but didn't really like it. 

Then I stamped and cut out a bird, but didn't really like it.

Then I stamped a pheasant and cut it out and, well, you know I really didn't like it. 

So I pulled out the sets C is for Cat and D is for Dog and tried them, alone and together and you guessed it, I really didn't like them either. 

Finally I put the Sock Monkey and his bananas on the the card and there we are!  I didn't glue him down, so at this point, who knows how this card will turn out! I've created and created, but really don't have anything finished, but it's day 73 and I've posted all of my possibilities and can't wait now until Day 74 - it's got to be better!

What I want everyone to learn from this is, that everyone has stampers block at some point - you just keep trying and then you put everything away and come back another day!

Happy Stamping,

 

Bring on the Cake

Happy Birthday  2 Ewe!  Actually on my card you see the sheep, it's not spelled out!  I love this set Bring on the Cake  and a big reason is a love this outlined stamp so I can fill in the colors.  I used Basic Black Craft Ink after I used the embossing buddy and clear embossing powder.  This gives a cool look and it makes it easier to color in the letters.  I did use the #2 from the Best Friends #s (retired) and the ribbon retired last year.,but the party hat is from Sock Monkey (he was kind enough to loan it out) and the sheep of course is from the Scallop Circle and Five Petal Flower punches.  I used the Shimmery White card stock for the sheep, after all it is her birthday and she would want to be dressed up!  (smile)

Card Stock for card is Marina Mist, Whisper White and Pacific Point.  I used Crumb Cake to sponge along sheep edges and Melon Mambo, Regal Rose and Pacific Point markers to color in BIRTHDAY!  A fun card for a fun young friend.

See you tomorrow, Happy Stamping -

Day 73

Eat Chocolate

Today's post features one of my favorite things; however, compared to my mom I don't like it at all.  My mom was the consumate chocoholic!  She loved all sweets, but, she never passed up a piece of chocolate.  I miss her and I dedicate this card to her memory.  Mom has been gone now for nearly a year - I'm sure chocolate sales have suffered dramatically!

This is the new Eat Chocolate stamp set from the Mini Occasions catalog - sales from this catalog endApril 30, so you still have time to add this fun set to your collections.  It has four stamps - I used two for this card.  I stamped the background paper with the so much CHOCOLATE so little time stamp with Early Expresso. I stamped off on scrap paper before stamping on the Whisper White.  Card stock is Crumb Cake, Early Expresso and Whisper White.  Ribbon is Early Expresso 3/8" Taffeta.  I used the corner rounder punch for the corners.  Fun card - now I've got to go find some chocolate - I think I have some kisses in a bowl downstairs - so off I go - have a great chocolate filled evening.

Happy Stamping,

Day 71

Sheep Bookmarks

What a great day - couldn't ask for more perfect weather!  Bill and I had another busy day finishing our fence.  We enlarged the fenced part of our back yard, last week we dug the post holes and set the posts and this week we added the pickets.  Painting it white is now in my future, but for right now I'm just thrilled to have it up.

We have 2.5 acres and I would love to have sheep, but not in our future for more than one reason!  And so tonight I made some little sheep for my Day 70 creation.  Actually a friend ask me the other day when I was going to make some more sheep, she really missed seeing them.  I thought about it and it's been a long time since I made any.  I've been trying to come up with an idea for a bookmark and tonight this just popped into my mind and I made several.

After showing them to Bill, it occurred to me that you could do them in pink or blue, change the sentiment and make a cute tag for a baby gift.  Or I guess mix the colors and they could be used for any gift, but for me they're bookmarks.

The card stock, punches and ribbons are all Stampin' Up!  The scripture sentiment comes from a set that no longer has any identifying mfg.'s name. 

Got to go - don't forget to change your clocks! 

Happy Stamping,

Bluebonnet Beds

Today ends a week of early rising and lots of gardening!  I spent two days this week cleaning out beds at our old house as we prepare to sell it.  Spring is always a time of major cutting back of grasses and cleaning out beds, but with two houses it has taken on a life of it's own. 

Earlier this week I posted pictures of my work in Bellaire as my creation and tonight I'm doing something similar. The bluebonnets we planted a number of years ago come back every year and they're beautiful right now.  They always seem to bloom earlier than the ones out in the countryside.  They say they will be sparse this year because of the drought, but in the city with regular watering this year they are beautiful.  Many of the them were growing in the grass that needed to be cut and so I dug them up and transplanted them to beds at our new house.

I don't know if they'll grow and survive out here, but I'm hoping they will and so tonight you get to see the beds I planted.  I will keep you updated on the bluebonnet progress.

This is the end of very long week and so I close with a wish that everyone will have a fun and restful weekend.   See you tomorrow with some crafty little something!



Day 69

Happy Birthday

I made a birthday card for a very special friend - I would love to tell you more about it, but I'm not even sure the name of the stamp set(s).  I could run back upstairs to find out, but I'm really to tired and I think you can see that it's a very happy little card.  Every woman loves flowers and I hope these will be pleasing to her.

I've had a long week, working in the yard(s) and tomorrow is going to be another busy day and so for tonight - I say good night!  Tomorrow is another day and we'll see what I can create.

Happy Stamping,

Day 68