In Colors? Who knew?!

I have a confession... I do not normally get overly excited about the In Colors.  Not that I don't like them, but since they are usually only available for a limited time I tend to spend my money on the products in the catalog that can be used longer.  I do buy the markers and a mixed pack of the paper so I can share the colors with my customers and also use them in my classes, but overall they don't get a lot of attention from me.  I remember when the latest colors came out thinking they reminded me of ice cream and that they were pretty-end of thought.  Until I made this card!

I started out using the baked brown sugar because I thought it would be a great color for the wood.  This led to pulling out the coastal cabana and crisp canteloupe for the coordinating colors.  By the time the card was finished, I was in love with this color combination! This coming from a girl who usually does not like pastel combos...

Now I'm thinking I need the stretchy ribbon (this stuff is SO COOL) in every color, and I know I need to get more paper!  In Colors! Who knew?!

I liked this card so well it became one of the cards for my stampin' club! Don't you just love the punched out heart? This great design was found here. I noticed after making my card that she used in colors too, just different ones!

I hope I've encouraged you to experiment with the In Colors or at the very least, step out of your color comfort zone and try something new!  Have a wonderful day and happy crafting!

Card Recipe: Paper-crisp canteloupe, baked brown sugar, coastal cabana, whisper white, Ink-soft suede, coastal cabana, Stamp-Hardwood, Teeny Tiny Wishes, Hearts a Flutter, Accessories-heart punch, heart to heart punch, coastal cabana stretch ruffle trim, calypso coral bakers twine, vintage faceted buttons

A little distressed, but it's a good thing!

Hi!!  I think I might finally be establishing a sort of normal routine again!  I finally found time to photograph some of the cards I had made recently, so now I can post them and share!

Today's card is the last of cards we made at my latest stamp club.  I always try to mix things up and we hadn't done a 'guy' card for a while so I decided to pull out Lovely as a Tree.  It tends to be my go-to set for masculine.  And what goes better with a tree than woodgrain?? Maybe some early espresso colored coredinations paper?  I absolutely love this paper!  It has just a hint of texture to it and it's even more wonderful when you emboss and sand it!

I apologize for the washed out pic!  It was very sunny and I just could not get a good pic, indoors or out...  I stamped the tree image in early espresso and the bold detail is gorgeous! Love this stamp!!  I did use a retired brad on the banner, but since I didn't have the new candy dots to match, we made do.

I hope you are having a marvelous week! I celebrated my 29th birthday (again!) yesterday, and my family was so good to me!  Now all I need to do is squeeze in some crafty time and it will be an even better week!  Hope you manage to do the same!!  Thanks so much for stopping by to visit! It makes my day even brighter!!

Card Recipe: Paper-early espresso, early espresso coredinations, sahara sand, very vanilla, Ink-early espresso, Stamp Sets-Lovely as a Tree, Teeny Tiny Wishes, Accessories-woodgrain embossing folder, metallic brad

Another Stamp Club Card-With Sympathy

Hello! So glad you stopped in today! As you are reading this, I am doing my happy dance! Yesterday was the last ballgame of the season! I really do enjoy watching my girls play softball, but the further into summer the games go, the hotter and more humid it gets... and for some reason, the league board rejected my idea of icy cold tubs to soak in, instead of the hot and often sticky bleachers that currently serve as seating. Complete lack of vision if you ask me! ;)  So now I only have to go out in the nasty sticky air if it's something really urgent!  But enough of that, you came here to see something crafty!

This is the second card I created for my stamp club meeting.  I try to change things up a bit and allow for personal interest when I can.  For example, my card is a sympathy card because I often need one when I don't have time or mojo to create.  But by using the Loving Thoughts stamp set, the ladies can turn this into a birthday, anniversary, thank you, or thinking of you card, simply by changing the sentiment.  This is why I LOVE coordinating stamp sets! No guessing whether the font will fit in the space or if it will match the style of the stamped image...

I'm also enjoying the versatility of the DSP.  I picked Gingham Garden because I love the bright cheery country patterns, but as you can see, they can easily be converted to a different style with the right stamp! I am also so happy that pear pizzazz and island indigo have made a comeback into the new catalog! Love these colors!!

Well, that's it for me!  Thanks so much for stopping by and happy crafting!

Card Recipe: Paper-Island Indigo, Daffodil Delight, Whisper White, Gingham Garden DSP, Ink-basic gray, island indigo, pear pizzazz, daffodil delight, Stamp Sets-Apothecary Art, Loving Thoughts, Accessories-Labels framelits, Big Shot

A Play Date with Label Love

This past Friday was a play day for me.  I have been busy trying to catch up with my cleaning and organizing,  running the girls to softball and the library, keeping up with the lawn and gardening, and other less than exciting chores.  So I decided to give myself a day off.  Of course, I still had to stop to make meals, but other than that, I played all day with my craft stuff.

I'm a little shocked to admit that this was the first chance I had to use my new goodies from the new SU catalog.  Usually, I'm ripping into them as soon as they come out of the box!  I also needed to prepare some cards for my upcoming stamp club meeting, so this was the perfect excuse, not that I really needed one!

This card is FULL of new goodies!!  The fabulously grungy paper is Epic Day DSP from the This and That collection.  These coordinate with all of the wonderful goodies for the SU version of a Smash book and I am loving this specific line!  I also broke out the stamp set Label Love and it's coordinating punch.  I was also in need of some more masculine birthday cards and I think this one will work nicely.  It's a pretty basic card, but I think sometimes the simple designs show off the papers the best.

I had originally set this day aside to go with my parents to the VA clinic for Dad's appointment, but the Dr cancelled the visit, so now I have a day free.  Just might have to take the time to create something fun!  

If you are interested in any of these products, feel free to shop my online store found here!  

Well, I'm off to do something productive, whatever that may be... Have a wonderful day and happy crafting!

Card Recipe: Paper-crumb cake, very vanilla, Epic Day This & That, Ink-basic gray, crumb cake, Stamp Set-Label Love, Punch-Artisan Label

Happy Anniversary- Saleabrate!!

Well, hello there! I am so glad you popped in for a visit today!  Things have been quite uneventful this week, which is perfect for spring break!  I even managed to get a few scrapbooking pages finished using MDS!!  But today is not about my current projects. Nope, today is all about my wonderful ability to procrastinate and then realize that I goofed again...   In February, my stamp club made a card using the beautiful paper that was available for free during Saleabration...key word being WAS available...as in 'not available now that I'm getting around to posting this'... Sheesh! Have I mentioned lately how crazy things have been for me lately?!

So, today I am sharing the card we made at club that features the lovely, but no longer available, Sycamore Street DSP!  It also has a very pretty ribbon that was also a free item during  SAB... not that this helps you if you don't already have it...

I borrowed this layout from someone, but unfortunately, I do not remember who...  I decided to use the postage stamp punch to make the fish tails on my banners, and really like the interesting edge!

If you are a follower and frequently read my posts, you know that I have been alluding to a very crazy few months.  You also know that my Mom has not been feeling the best and that I also recently relocated my classroom to a new building.  It was during this time of major stress that I realized that I needed to make some drastic changes to my life because I was becoming more unhappy with each passing day.  So I made the HUGE decision to make this my last year of teaching at the preschool.  I have turned in my notice and will officially be unemployed as of May 17th.  While the initial thought of this scared me to no end, I must admit that in the past week I have found an inner peace that has not been present for me in a very long time.  No, I don't know where I will be working next, or even what I will be doing, but I also know that God has a plan for me and He is guiding my steps.  In the meantime, I will be crafting my little heart out and spending some much needed time with my family.  I'm also letting those rusty wheels in my head spin and I have some really fun ideas floating around up there.  Before I finish this post, I want to share something I found on Pinterest...

I hope you allow yourself the same! Happy crafting!

Card Recipe: Cardstock-pool party, whisper white, tangerine tango, Sycamore Street DSP, Ink-island indigo, Stamp Set-teeny tiny wishes, Accessories-Sycamore Street ribbon/button set, oval punch, scallop oval punch, postage stamp punch

Anything But a Card Challenge 15

Hello! So glad you stopped in today! It has been a WET and nasty day in southern Indiana. The perfect day for curling up with a good book or crafting, or if you are as fortunate as I was, taking a nap!

There is a new challenge posted at Anything But a Card Challenges.  This time, we are encouraging you to think spring! Of course, if you follow our challenge blog, you know that things are never as simple as this...  We like to get as creative as possible and Carla, our fearless leader, has taken the Spring theme and made it even more open ended!

"For Challenge 15 we are asking for something Spring-y or spring colors, or Alice in Wonderland!  I know it may seem like a strange combination, but that's how it works in my mind! :)  I think it's probably the rabbit/Easter thing."

So there you have it! Get your thinking caps on and see where this challenge leads you.  We would love to see your creation, and if you are so inclined, the team would love it if you checked out their creativity for the week.

I will be posting my project on Week 2, so be sure to stop back in to see the inspiration for the second week as well!

And just so you have something to look at on my blog this week, I created a card for my most recent club meeting that fits the theme of the challenge.  Yes, I know this is a card and the challenge very specifically is Anything BUT a Card, but since this isn't a DT post, I'm bending my rules a little!!  Feeling a bit rebellious at the moment... Hee! Hee!

This card was inspired by a card I saw on Pinterest.  You can see that card here.  She has a great tutorial on how to create her card.  Since I was using mine for a club project, I simplified it using punches instead of the oval framelits.  I also made mine a standard sized card so the ladies could use the envelopes they already have on hand.

I hope you have a most wonderful week and find lots of time to be crafty!!

Card Recipe- Cardstock-Baja breeze, whisper white, pink pirouette, Stamp Set-Wacky Wishes, Ink-Baja Breeze, pretty in pink, early espresso marker, Accessories-extra large and large oval punches, 2 1/2" circle punch, small heart punch, decorative label punch, wisteria wonder bakers twine, perfect polka dots folder, big shot

Glitter and Framelits, and Folders...OH MY!

So, are my fellow American crafters still eating turkey?  As much as I love Thanksgiving, I think I've had enough turkey to last me till next year!! 

I'm busy trying to get our house ready for Christmas and the girls are 'working' on cleaning out their closets and reducing their inventory of stuff in their room!  Not sure they will be finished by Christmas eve...

Today I'm sharing the last card from my stamp club.  What would a Christmas card be without glitter, framelits, and embossing folders?? The colors are not what I would normally use, but I decided to use the color coach to add some variety!  I really like the colors together!

When the Holiday catalog came out, I was instantly drawn to the set Evergreen.  I love the two step stamping giving so many options!! I spritzed the main image with vanilla shimmer smooch, but of course that doesn't photograph nearly as shimmery in person.

I was having some trouble with the bottle of smooch trying to clog up and stick.  It was getting quite frustrating trying to use it, but then I remembered the new Stampin' Spritzer bottles that were waiting for a purpose.  I emptied the contents of the vanilla smooch into the spritzer bottle and it worked like a champ! Now I have to be careful not to saturate my card when spraying...

I hope you are still managing to find plenty of crafting time during this busy season!  I'm sure trying to squeeze in as much time as possible!!  Have a wonderful rest of the week and happy crafting!

Card Recipe: Cardstock-pink pirouette, soft suede, whisper white, Stamp Set-Evergreen, Ink-certainly celery, soft suede, Accessories-dazzling details, vanilla shimmer smooch, perfect polka dots folder, Petals a Plenty folder, Labels framelits, big shot

I'll be done in 'snow' time...

It is almost Thanksgiving!! I can not wait!! Spending the evening with my wonderfully fun, ginormous family, and lots of wonderful food! Dressing and pie, here I come!!   Then Friday brings another smaller Thanksgiving with DH's family.  Still plenty of food and fun though!!  Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, but amazingly enough, I do not make cards to send out.  Might have to add that to the list for next year!

I do however send out a ton of Christmas cards and usually am still making the last few during the final week before the big day! But not this year, I am almost finished making my stash of cards!!  Hopefully this will give me time to make some of the gifts I have pinned...

Today's card is another card from my stamp club.  This is also an easy card to put together, but looks so pretty!

I inked the raised embossed snowflakes with whisper white craft ink and finished off the centers with rhinestones for a little shine!

Well, that's it for me!  I have some desserts to make!! Hope all of you in the US have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Card Recipe: Cardstock-whisper white, bashful blue, Stamp Set-Bells and Boughs, Ink-chocolate chip, whisper white, Accessories-Northern Flurry embossing folder, basic rhinestones, big shot

Oh, scrap! It's a Christmas card!!

Well, hello there! Yes, I'm posting on a Wednesday! Shocking!! I've actually had some cards ready to post, but needed to wait until after my club met to share them with everyone.

I am normally a true blue procrastinator.  Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow? Or for all the Gone with the Wind fans... I'll worry about that tomorrow...  But somehow, the most unusual thing happened this year! I decided to use up some of my older Christmas DSP and also found some wonderful Christmas card sketches to use and the next thing I knew, I had quite the stash of cards ready to be mailed!!! As a courtesy to my fellow procrastinators, I will not rub in their faces reveal how many cards are in said stash, but I am quite confident that I just might be finished by Thanksgiving!!  Now, shopping on the other hand is not quite so finished...um...like barely begun... But hey! What would the week before Christmas be without a few panicked shopping trips?!

I designed 3 Christmas cards for this month's club because the ladies love getting some ideas a little earlier so they can order their goodies for their cards.  I went with one incredibly simple card and two that had a little more detail.  This way they could decide how much time they wanted to invest in their card making.  I borrowed the design for this card from Amanda.  Pretty much CASEd it actually... But hey, why change a great thing?!

This card came together so quickly, it was almost ridiculous! Like, 'you could make all your cards in one day', ridiculous!! While I used the new Be of Good Cheer DSP, this would be a fabulous design for using up those scraps! Hence the title of the blog post...

Well, that's it for me today! I am looking forward to our annual Girls Day Out at the Christkindlemarkt (a local arts and crafts festival) this weekend.  Lots of shopping, laughing, eating, and wine tasting! Woo! Hoo!  

Happy crafting!!

Card Recipe: Cardstock-whisper white, gumball green, Be of Good Cheer DSP, Stamp Set-Teeny Tiny Wishes, Ink-cherry cobbler, Accessories-postage stamp punch

Now that's my idea of quilting...

Hi! I am so glad you stopped in today because I am sharing a 'quilting' project we made at my stamp club meeting.  No, I didn't develop amazing sewing skills overnight! A shudder just ran down my spine thinking about that one!  But I do have a super easy way to give the feel of quilting to a card without touching a needle and thread.  

When I opened the package of Orchard Harvest DSP, I loved all of the great colors and fun patterns.  The country fabric style made me think of quilts.  So I set out to make my own.  This is by no means an original concept.  I have seen versions of this all over blogland and can't really credit any one person.  So if you've ever made a card similar to this, consider yourself credited and thanks for the inspiration!

I started with a 4x5 piece of cardstock (color doesn't matter, scraps would be fine) and attached 1 1/4" squares of different patterned paper.  It works a lot better if you start in one corner and work across and down at the same time.  Then I lined up the piece on the top note die and ran it through the big shot. Taadaa!    It can be made even more authentic with faux stitch lines from a marker or run it through the big shot inside an embossing folder.  I decided to keep this one simple.  I did however emboss the early espresso piece to dress it up a bit.  So there you go, your very own quilted card!

I hope you week is full of crafty goodness and thanks so much for visiting my little blog!

Card Recipe: Cardstock-island indigo, early espresso, very vanilla, Orchard Harvest DSP, Ink-early espresso, Stamp Set-Curly Cute,  Accessories-vintage wallpaper folder, top note die, large oval die, island indigo ruffled ribbon

Wrapped up in fall!

Hello! I hope your weekend is off to a wonderful start!  I have my upline Stampin' Up meeting today, so my morning will be full of crafty fun!

I really got into the fall theme for our latest stamp club meeting!  All three cards featured goodies from the Holiday Catalog and were perfect for fall!  

I don't normally do a whole lot of creating with Halloween but the Googly Ghouls stamp set (also part of the Ghoulish Googlies Bundle) was just too cute! The bundle is perfect for making little treat bags so I made sure I put it on my preorder.  When I saw the adorable mummy card at  Robyn's Stamping Hood , I knew I had to CASE it!

 

The 'wrapped' background is an easy technique but looks so awesome.  I started with a piece of whisper white cardstock in the size that I wanted the layer (sorry, didn't write down the measurements...).   I cut 3 strips about 1" wide  and the same length of the layer with the paper trimmer. Then I did some very unscientific or mathematical cutting.  Just make sure that the one side is wider than the other. Hope that makes sense.  This does not have to be even and actually looks better when it's a little wavy.  Before adhering the 'wraps', I inked all of the edges with basic black ink, then alternated the strips onto the layer.  The rest was pretty basic.  Don't you just love the little googly eyes (or is that just the preschool teacher coming out?)!

Thanks once again for stopping by and I hope you find some time to be crafty this weekend!

Card Recipe: Cardstock-whisper white, basic black, pumpkin pie, Ink-basic black, stazon black, Stamp Set-Googly Ghouls, Accessories-lots of punches: word window, modern label, scallop circle, and 1 3/4" circle, googlies, basic black scallop dots ribbon

Masculine cards don't have to be scary!!

Hello! I am half way through my first week of school and they haven't made me run for cover yet!! hee! hee! I managed to get my three projects prepared in time for my club meeting this past weekend! Nothing like working under pressure!! The day was so unusually beautiful and cool that we changed locations and went outdoors to a local park.  We ladies sat at a picnic table in a shelter house to get crafty while our children played together on the playground.  Fun for everyone!!  As a payment for their babysitting duties, I took my girls to the local ice cream shop after the meeting for some yummy treats!  I was a little bummed that they didn't have mango flavored Dole whip as the flavor of the week and consoled myself with a pineapple sundae! Oh, the sacrifices I make...  But enough of that!

I had something interesting pointed out to me at our club meeting.  I have never considered myself a great creator of masculine cards.  It is always so much more natural for me to go with whimsical or flowery when I make cards.  Because of this, I always have plenty of feminine and kids cards on hand, but have to make sure I actually have guy cards when the occasion arises.  This led me to the assumption that I am not good at the manly design.  I started off our club saying "I always struggle with guy cards..." and one of the ladies started to laugh. When I stopped, she said "You ALWAYS say that and then show us these great cards!" Hmmm... So now I am going to change my mindset on masculine.  I think it is so easy for many of us to say "I'm not good at..." when we really mean it's not our favorite style.  After all, I live in a home where the estrogen outnumbers the testosterone 3 to 1 (the dog and cat cancel each other out), so I tend to go girly.  But seriously, isn't masculine a lot simpler?  (I know... stay with me for a minute!) Find some manly paper, slap on a sentiment or image, and the embellishing is minimal. I usually do embossing on my cards anyway so really the only difference between the card below and a girly card is what I DIDN'T put on it!  This partially explains my blog title today.

The other explanation of my title lies in the paper.  I used Howlstooth and Scaringbone DSP for this handsome card!  Yes, Halloween colors on this paper!! But don't you just love the manly prints in this pack?!  They remind me of some blazers you might find in a second hand store!  I adhered the alternating vanilla and patterned strips onto black cardstock, then embossed them with the houndstooth folder.  The chevron folder added some texture to the basic gray strip, and the brad (from antique brads collection) was the perfect finishing touch.

So no more excuses! Repeat after me-"Masculine cards are NOT scary!" Now go make something manly!  Have a great rest of the week and happy crafting!

Card Recipe: Cardstock-Howlstooth & Scaringbone DSP, very vanilla, basic gray, basic black, tangerine tango, Ink-stazon black, Stamp Set-Word Play, Accessories-houndstooth & chevron folders, decorative label punch, antique brads

CAS and CASE

Today's card is the last of my stampin' club cards.  I already had a design in mind and then I saw Tiffany's card.  I loved the clean design and how simple it was to put together. I swapped the butterfly for a flower and changed the sentiment stamp, and colors, but other than that, it's pretty much a CASE.  This is also a great card for using up scraps and I'm sure I will be using this layout a lot!

Card Recipe: Cardstock-whisper white, pink pirouette DSP from subtles stack, certainly celery, Baja breeze, Ink-soft suede, Stamp Set- Curly Cute, Accessories-corner punch, little leaves sizzlit, Boho blossom punch, silver brad from metallics collection

Birthday Smooches

My stampin' club met this past weekend and we had a great time!  I was so excited to show off some of the new DSP and stamps from the 2012/13 catalog!

This is one of the three projects we created.  I absolutely love the Memorable Moments stamp set! Such an easy way to make a birthday or anniversary card more personal!

The red buttons on my card are retired.  This way the ladies in the club could have their choice of the flower shaped buttons from the brights button collection. Plus it was good excuse to use some of my older SU buttons!!

Card Recipe: Cardstock- tempting turquoise, daffodil delight, whisper white, Summer Smooches DSP, Ink- stazon black, tangerine tango, Stamp Set-Memorable Moments, Accessories-labels framelits, big shot, scallop trim border punch, brights buttons, white bakers twine

I also wanted to share a personal photo today.  Every year, my girls and I attend several of our local library's summer programs.  Even though my oldest is now in middle school, she still loves seeing the performances.  Last week, the program was 'Zeus, Poseidon, and Percy'.  It was an introduction to mythology and the Percy Jackson series.  DD #1 was so excited when the presenter picked her to dress up as a Greek warrior.  After she put on the gear, he teased her that she must be an Amazonian warrior.  That's my girl!

Got a busy day today...both girls to the dentist in the morning, and a double header at the ball field this evening!  Hoping for some cooler temperatures!!!  Have a great day and happy crafting!

To be or not to be (manly)...that is the question...

I LOVE the new DSP Comfort Cafe!  The beautiful floral patterns resemble fabric and caught my eye immediately.  Then I checked out the opposite patterns... muy macho!!  How awesome is that?!  So now I can create girly OR manly using the same paper!!  I knew that this was a paper I needed to share with my stampin' club.  So I used an old Page Maps sketch and literally put this card together in minutes!

This also uses one of the new in colors, summer starfruit.  Not a gorgeous color on it's own, but it looks great paired up with so many combinations!  Yes, I pulled out Lovely as a Tree again! So great for manly or winter cards! My image was stamped in soft suede, then colored with the pastels.

Card Recipe: Cardstock-summer starfruit, very vanilla, soft suede, Comfort Cafe DSP, Ink-soft suede, pastels, Stamp Set-Lovely as a Tree

I almost forgot to give an update on the Father's Day card!  So I have this huge smile on my face as DH opens his card and he says "Thanks! This is really cool! I like the tools on there."  Me-Don't you notice anything special on there?  (Blank look from DH-you know the one that says 'I know I should have the answer for this, but I have no clue...') "Look at the sentiment.", still smug smile on my face... "OH! You used that stuff I wanted to throw away!  It looks really cool on there, like wood shavings."  Alleluia!!  We have made a break through!!!  In the future, he may actually believe that I'm not crazy or a hoarder when I save something from the trash or recycling...maybe...  Hey a girl can dream!  Have a great day and happy crafting!

Stamp Club

Enjoy ordering Stampin' Up products?  Want hostess benefits without having to hold a workshop?  A stamp club might be just what you're looking for!  I am starting a new stamp club in August and still have 2 spots open.

This stamp club will have 6 members and each member will have a turn at being the hostess.  There are a few requirements to join, but they are so simple.  Each member of the club commits to be in the group for 1 year.  We meet every other month starting in August.  When we have a club meeting, I will provide the supplies for 3 projects and a little gift for each club member. If you are not in my area, you can be a virtual member and I will send the projects to you. Each member is also required to order a minimum of $25 (before tax and shipping) in product.  This way we will always have a $150 'party' and each hostess will get the minimum benefits.  Each member also receives a free copy of the Idea Book and Catalog.

August is also the first month to order from the NEW Holiday Catalog which you will receive for free as a club member!

If you would like more information or are interested in joining, please leave me a comment and I'll get back to you as soon as possible!