You Mean the World to Me

Yesterday my husband and I celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary.  I thought this sentinment was very appropriate for an anniversary card.  Life gets so busy sometimes that you often don't tell your loved ones just how much you love them and how important they are in your life.  I always tell my husband that he's stuck with me! 

In addition to using the Word Play stamp set, I also used the Open Sea set.  I inked the stamp with Sahara Sand, stamped off once, then stamped again to create a very light background.  If you thought you missed out on the Open Sea set from the summer mini catalog, don't despair.  It ended up on the Stampin' Up hold over list and is still available.  It's a great set for making masculine cards.
 
Today my husband and I are headed to College Station to visit our oldest son at Texas A&M.  It's our first time to see him since we dropped him off one month ago.  Yesterday I baked cupcakes to take so we can celebrate his birthday belatedly.  Oh to be 19 years young again--wouldn't that be nice?  We have tickets to the football game, way up at the top of the stadium.  We're not big football fans but my husband wants to experience an A&M game.  They are going to be playing Oklahoma State University and my friend, Donna, offered to loan me an OSU shirt to wear. Hmmm, don't think I'd be allowed to sit on the A&M side wearing it.  We'll have to find ourselves a couple of maroon shirts to wear to the game.  It will be great to see James and spend the weekend with him. Do you think I'll cry again on Sunday when I have to say "good-bye"?  Probably so.

Have a great weekend!

Rushing the Seasons

Does anyone out there feel like they are always being asked to rush through the seasons.  Here in San Antonio we have had record heat for the whole summer and it's difficult to think that today is the first day of Autumn.  And do I have an Autumn card to show you?  No.... I'm having to move forward and start thinking about Christmas.  On Monday evening I went to my CyberStampin' Group meeting and swapped this card.  The new Frostwood Lodge DSP (124002) contains the perfect patterns for beautiful Winter/Christmas crafting.  My card is a center step card that I found on Julie Davison's blog.  She posted a free tutorial on how to make this type of card.  I really like this technique because your card stands up so nicely for display.  I don't know about you, but I love to display the cards I receive on my fireplace mantle or on the shelving in my craft area.  Without further ado, here is my card.

If you haven't purchased any of the new Silver Glimmer Paper (121790) it's a must item for your Christmas cards.  In fact, it will dress up your Halloween cards too.  I won't mention the other holiday the glimmer paper would be perfect for, but you know which one I'm talking about (hint:  it falls in the month of February. 

Thanks for stopping by!  Now go stamp something. : )

Spice Cake Butterflies

This card was inspired by a layout in the Idea Book & Catalog on page 90.  The new Spice Cake DSP is my all-time favorite paper from Stampin' Up.  I just love the patterns and the color combinations. Another favorite of mine is this new stamp set called Kindness Matters.  It's a small set but still so very sweet.  I decided against putting a greeting under the butterflies.  I liked the simplicity of this layout.

Don't forget the Retired Stamp Sale tomorrow.  Come early for the best selection.  I'm sure there will be lots of good stuff that you can't live without!  I should be spending my evening sorting through stamp sets and other retired items I have in my inventory.  I probably won't be able to part with as much as I really should.  You just never know when you will need that one retired stamp set.  Yeah, right!  I can barely get around to using all the current stuff I have.  Good intentions..... I was reading another stamper's blog and she wrote about PSS, Procrastinator's Stamping Syndrome.  I'm quite sure I suffer from this, how about you? 

I'll be back before the weekend is out.  Unless my PSS gets the better of me!

Where did the last month go?

Does anyone else out there feel this way?  Somehow August just flew by.  Can't even remember what seemed to keep my busy, all I know is that another month is gone.  On Sunday night I decided to CASE a few projects that I had saved in my computer files.  Thank you to all the wonderfully talented stampers out in blogland for the great ideas.  Here is what I managed to put together.

This first one is a Side Step Card and uses the Wicked Halloween stamp set.  How fun is this?  I think I will have to make a few more of these and send out a few Halloween cards this year.  I tried to track down the originator of this card using the Wicked Cool set and it appears that credit should be given to Patti Lee of Patti's Creations. 

The next creation is a 3-D project using the Fancy Favor Box Die.   This was a CASE from Dana Newsom.  Stay tuned for further spooky variations.

The third and final project is another 3-D treat.  This is a CASE from Pink Buckaroo Designs.  I had intended to make these last year but never quite got around to it.  Thank goodness I still had these anti-bacterial hand santizers in my stash. Do these have an expiration date?  A smidgeon of the Frightful Sight DSP was put to use, along with the House of Haunts stamp set.

Here's the inside:

Sorry to have been away so long.  Thanks for stopping by. 

Retired Stamp Sale!

If you live in the San Antonio area, then be sure to check out this Retired Stamp Sale next Saturday, September 10th, from 9 a.m.to 3 p.m.! I'm participating with our Cyber Stampers group.  It will be held at my upline's studio.  The place will be PACKED with demonstrators selling retired stamps, paper, accessories, and more for your crafting needs at awesome prices! There will be stuff that you NEED and even stuff that you can use for your holiday shopping list!

The address is 4750 View Drive and COME EARLY!!  Please park on the street and walk down the driveway to Gail's Studio (located behind her home).

Flight of the Butterfly

One great thing about being a SU demonstrator is having access to great stamping ideas.  Every month Stampin' Up puts together projects that can be demonstrated at your workshops.  This simple card was one of those and it was a breeze to put together.  Not much stamping involved here.  I made two variations--one with a Pretty in Pink card base and the other in Wisteria Wonder.  I used two new sets, Delicate Doilies and Friendly Phrases.  The doily behind the butterfly was cut from the Flirtatious DSP and covered with Dazzling Diamonds. 

Have you ever noticed what happens when you work with glitter?  It's guaranteed to end up all over your workspace.  A number of years ago I taught Art at my church's Christian school and whenever we used glitter the whole room would be covered with it.  You can never have too much glitter on your project!  (Those of you who craft with your young children can relate to this.) What fun!

If you would like to have a workshop and make a cute card like this, feel free to contact me.  Visit my Stampin' Up Demonstrator Business Website to get all the information. 

Sew Sad to See You Go

It was a disappointment when this stamp set didn't make it into the new Idea Book & Catalog. Here is another card I made for submission to the Artisan Award contest.  I was undecided whether to put a greeting on this or not.  Maybe I would have added a birthday greeting.  In order to make the tape measure pleat, I used my bone folder to break the fibers of the cardstock, similar to the faux suede technique, separated it and used the top, stamped portion.  It was much more pliable and easy to fold with just the top layer.

Not only was I sad to see this set go away, I also miss the Sweet Stitches DSP.  If we can't have sewing themed stamps we will just have to content ourselves with the Delicate Doilies Set and the Flirtatious DSP.  Stay tuned for a look at a quick and easy card with a doily theme.

Don't forget--only one more day to take advantage of the $99 Starter Kit!  Contact me if you have questions.

The Wild, Wild West

Earlier this year I entertained the idea of entering Stampin' Up's Artisan Award Contest.  Ideas swirled in my head but when it came time for the rubber to meet the road, or should I say cardstock, I faltered.  I think it takes alot of confidence in your artistic abilities to put your work out for everyone to critique.  For me, I just procrastinated too long to get my 3-D ideas put together.   This card was one that I put together with the intent to submit to SU.

Can you say "Yee-Haw!"  When you live in Texas you have to have a few cowboy stamps in your collection.  I used the Out West stamp set and the Woodgrain background to create this card.  If you would like to add this stamp set to your collection, head on over to my SU demonstrator website to place your order.  Thanks for bellying up to my blog!

Just Add Cake, SSSC127

This is my first attempt at the Sweet Sunday Sketch challenge.  I decided to use the Just Add Cake DSP and my Patterned Party Stamp set.  The papers in this pack contain an interesting combination of colors.  I'm more of a bold color person, so I chose the Wild Wasabi for my card base.  Unfortunately, I didn't have any Peach Parfait ribbon so I used retired Pumpkin Pie taffeta ribbon instead.    On my second version I omitted the second DSP layer and ribbon for a more streamlined (less fussy) look.

The second card is the one I prefer. How about you? Also, don't forget there are only a few days left to join my group as a SU demonstrator for $99. This mini kit is available until July 31st and it includes the FREE Christmas Keepsake project.  

Order Starter Kit Now!

Please contact me if you have any questions.  Thanks for checking out my blog today.

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue

My mother made a request for a Wedding card a week or two ago for a cousin who is getting married.  Poor Mom--she has little confindence that I can get a card to her in time. I'm notorius for making lots of cards and never sending them out.  Every time my mom visits she asks for cards and we never get around to sorting through the boxes of my handmade cards that stacked around the house.  Won't she be surprised to see that I can follow through!   I cased this card from another SU demonstrator, Teresa Giordano, with a few changes.  My Big Shot and new punches were put to use.  I used the stamp set Occassional Quotes (retired) and my Lots of Tags sizzlets for the greeting.

   

Had a great time with my stamping friends on Thursday making Christmas cards.  Oh, I mean I had a terrible time (wink, wink)--my friend Linda was not feeling well enough to go and we were instructed not to have a good time without her.  The fudge was delicious, though.  I'll post the start of our Christmas card stash in the next few days.  Next month we are planning to make Christmas gift bags. 

Stay tuned.  I've been busy scouring the interweb (family joke there) for challenges to keep the creative juices flowing.  Thanks for stopping by.

MOJO Monday 200

Not so sure I'm liking the final product for this sketch challenge.  It just looks like it needs something more.  Send me an email with any suggestions for improving this card.  I had pulled out my Big Top Birthday DSP to use with the Patterned Party stamp set but the DSP seemed too busy for this layout.  Instead I took inspiration from the colors and used the Tagtastic Hostess set for the greeting.   For the next few weeks I'll have to take pictures with my cell phone.  I had momentarily forgotten that my son had taken our good camera to Michigan.  Thank goodness this technical dinosaur of a mom figured out how to solve this problem.

Today I am celebrating Christmas in July with a few friends.  We are going to get started on our Christmas cards.  I made fudge to take with me.  Yum!  Why is it that the only time you have fudge is at Christmas--unless you take a trip to Mackinac Island in Michigan where it is a summer staple.  

Posy Punch Take 2

Here are two more of the cards I created with my new Posy Punch hostess set.  I am making duplicates so I can mail them out to a few of my special friends.  The plan is to make one more card for the set. 

Yesterday I sent my oldest son, James, off to Upper Michigan to visit with his Grandma and uncles.  We were up at 5 a.m. to get him to the airport for his flight.  It's rather quiet around here.  Just a little preview of what it will be like this fall when he heads to college.  I'm very excited for him but yet a little sad that he is leaving the nest.  I'll be praying that he makes the right choices and he won't wait 'til the last minute to do his classwork. 

Posy Punch meets Raspberry Lemonade, SSSC126

This week I decided to begin developing my stamping style.  I always check out the Sweet Sunday sketch at the sweetest thing blog.  On Friday I received a shipment of new SU stuff (yeah!) and the Posy Punch Hostess set called to me for this challenge.  I haven't ordered much for DSP from the new catalog so I pulled out my most favorite retired Raspberry Lemonade DSP.   Love Melon Mambo and Rich Razzleberry.  I am making cards for a special friend who is a Mary Kay consulant.  She has a number of out-of-town customers and I thought she might like a few thank you cards to include with their orders.  You can earn your very own Posy Punch set by hosting a workshop or placing a qualifying order through my Stampin' Up Demonstrator website. 

Getting Creative

It's been too long since I've posted.  Like most of you know, life has a way of getting in the middle of our best laid plans.  Plus, I have been lurking on my favorite stamping blogs to get all the news from the SU Convention last week.  Every year I say that "next year I'm going to go" and then when registration rolls around I feel like I can't justify the expense for myself (and my crazy obsession!).   This past weekend I took the opportunity to get creative again and use a stamp set that I earned during Sale-a-bration.  I used the Creative Elements stamp set with a color combination that I always love seeing used.  My Pure Poppy hasn't been on my list of favorite colors, but paired with So Saffron and Basic Black it takes on an Asian feel. 

If you would like to earn free stamp sets, now is the time to join my Stampin' Up team.  The Starter Kit is only $99 until the end of July.  In addition, the Stampin' Start program has been newly refresed to offer greater rewards than ever for being a consistent Stampin' Up Demonstrator.  Don't delay!  You can find all the information at my Stampin' Up Demonstrator Website.  Thanks for stopping by.

Happy 16th Birthday

Happy Birthday, Michael!  Today is my son's 16th birthday. He gets to share his special day with Dad since it is Father's Day.  The birthday card I made was a CASE from Mo Mama Stamps.  I changed the colors a little and used the seal of approval from the Grunge Rock stamp set instead of the No. 1 stamp from the set.  Michael loves music so I thought this card would be appropriate for him.  He really doesn't care so much about the card as much as what his birthday gift is.  Typical boy!

Card Recipe

Stamp Sets:  Grunge Rock, A to Z

Inks:  Basic Gray, Basic Black, Wild Wasabi

Cardstock:  Basic Black, Wild Wasabi, Whisper White

Accessories:  White Baker's Twine, Basic Glimmer Brads

Thanks for stopping by!

Celebration of Summer - Sketch Challenge PPA98

 

Thought I'd take the time today to try out the Pals Paper Arts Sketch Challenge.  This is the first time I've used this fun set, Summer Splash, from Stampin' Up's Summer Mini Catalog.  I used markers to ink up the surf board stamp and tore the Crumb Cake cardstock to simulate beach sand.  This set begs for bright colors.  It almost makes me want to head to the beach.  We've been having such hot weather here that splashing in the ocean would be somewhat of a relief.  Hope you're enjoying your summer, wherever you live!

Stamp Sets:  Summer Splash, Touch of Kindness
Ink:  Pear Pizazz, Tempting Turquoise, Pumkin Pie and Basic Black markers
Cardstock:  Tempting Turquoise, Pear Pizzazz, Pumpkin Pie, Crumb Cake
Tools & Accessories:  1-3/8", 1-1/4" circle punches,  BigZ XL Tasteful Trim Die, Big Shot, Paper Snips and Stampin' Dimensionals

Remnants of Graduation

Here is the graduation announcement I made for my oldest son.  A gate fold card seemed ideal for including not only the announcement but also his photo. Since his high school mascot is the Mustang I used the Stampin' Up retired set "Wanted".  In anticipation of the big event I had stockpiled the Brilliant Blue cardstock in order to match the school colors. Needless to say, I was very pleased with the end result.  The graduation cards offered by the school were not a good quality like they used to be.

Stamps:  Wanted Set (SU), Woodgrain background (SU)
Cardstock:  Brilliant Blue, Whisper White, Basic Black, Brushed Silver
Ink:  Brilliant blue
Accessories:  1-3/8" scalloped circle punch, 1-1/4"circle punch, 3/4" circle punch, Modern Label punch, silver brad, SU dimensionals

Thanks for stopping by!

Out of the Frying Pan and into the Fire

My teen sons would definitely laugh at this post's title.  They believe I am a dinosaur when it comes to anything related to the computer.  My latest endeavour to start a blog may seem challenging to me but they will see it as more evidence of their mother's incompetence on the computer. I plan to prove them wrong (even if it kills me!). 

A very special thanks to my friend, Karan Branigan who offered the idea for this blog's name.  It is such a clever way to incorporate the name of our city's beloved Alamo into a blog name.

Stay posted for upcoming creations.