Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Stampin' Up! Loyal and True

I didn't do this one for a challenge...I did it for our country. We owe our military people so much.


This is for my husband, my brother, other relatives, friends, my classmates who were killed, and ALL those who have served, are serving and will serve. God Bless America.

Thanks for looking! 

Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Securing a B.S. Degree!


  AND
are the two challenges I am entering tonight. Please notice that Joy of Sets Challenge #JOS002 - The Letter S is only their second challenge. I wish them much success in their new venture and hope you will check them out.

Stamp Ink Paper #109 Sketch Challenge from Lisa is one of my favorite challenges...so here goes...



I created this for our friend who decided to attend college online to get her B.S. She has been in the work force for many years and was nervous about doing this. I believe she is graduating with honors this Friday! The colors are not my favorite, but Mossy Meadow and Hello Honey were her college colors!

I used Sunshine Sayings for my sentiment on the front; Swirly Bird for my envelope front; Beautiful You for my dancing woman who is tossing her graduation hat (from the March 2016 Paper Pumpkin kit); and sentiments from Beautiful You on the inside, as well as sentiments from This Little Piggy. I used the paper piecing technique for her dress using a piece from Delightful Daisy DSP. I also used that DSP on the outside flap of the envelope.

Our friend wasn't going to attend the graduation ceremonies, but I'm so glad she changed her mind and, hopefully, she'll receive her card in time to affirm her decision!

Thanks for looking!

Monday, July 24, 2017

Stampin' Up! Label Me Pretty (stressed)!

Today was a very stressful day. It started out with my making a card and I really messed up the front...I was stamping directly on it, using masking tape and a clear mount stamp. It didn't stamp properly and there was no way I could line it up again. You'll see why in a minute. 

Then we had to leave at noon to go to Florida Cancer Specialist on an emergency basis. My husband's port area was extremely swollen and red.  We got there at 12:30, the doctor was out of town, the covering nurse didn't show up for 40 min. Once she saw it, she explained that one of the oncology nurses would take his temperature, do a culture, and then administer an antibiotic via his port. An hour later I went to find out when they were going to take his temp and do the other stuff. It was totally chaotic there. It's a big place and they are understaffed. Almost all of the 150 chairs were occupied. Long story short, we finally got out of there at 3:30 p.m. One nurse thinks he is in need of having the port removed and a new one inserted. We are hoping she is wrong and that a week of antibiotics will do the trick. This is the third time it has happened within a year. 

When we got home, the roofer was here trying to find out where the leak in our lanai roof is coming from. He and our son were unsuccessful. They caulked every nook and cranny they could find. Now we have to keep track of what direction the rain is coming from when it leaks again. We have a refrigerator and TV out there so that is our concern as we all know electricity and water don't mix!

So, with all that behind me I decided to give the card a try again. With minimal struggle, I finished it.


My color choices of blue, green, plum and berry colors came from...

My colors are not as bright as their example but I worked with what I had...Perfect Plum, Berry Burst, Emerald Envy and blue scraps I had from a wedding card I made years ago. The DSP is from Kaiser Craft "Coastal Escape". (I needed an escape after today!) That was the easiest part...figuring out the colors.


made it easy for me to place my pieces. The dots are from the new SU Glitter Enamel Dots, the circles are punched. It was 


that gave me a run for my money. I took the small "Thank you for caring" stamp and colored each word by itself with a Sweet Sugarplum marker, trying to line it up with my Misti. This is where I probably should have used the Stamp-a-ma-Jig! Mary will let me know for sure! I did it on a strip of Whisper White that just fit in the space where I had messed up. Tomorrow I'll work on the inside.

I learned three things today:

1. I need to order the Stampin' Up Regals markers (I didn't have Perfect Plum).
2. I need to practice using my Stamp-a-ma-Jig with clear mount stamps.
3. I love the Label Me Pretty bundle.

You can order those three things by clicking on the catalog picture at the top left, which will take you to my online store.

Thanks for looking and thank you for caring!

Sunday, July 23, 2017

Stampin' Up! Just Add Color!

Just add color...and that's what I did...Colour INKspiration #13 
Image may contain: plant, flower and nature
had just the colors that I love and 


is how I saw my card come to life.


 

fit my card perfectly. All products are current Stampin' Up. I used Wild Wasabi for my card base. The top portion is cut from the new DSP, Just Add Color. The bottom two panels are from the new DSP Color Theory and I used Berry Burst and Fresh Fig pieces. I colored the teapot and tea cups with Lemon Lime Twist, Berry Burst, Fresh Fig, Wild Wasabi and Sweet Sugarplum markers. I handwrote the sentiment.

YOU are my cup of tea and I thank you for looking.

If you are interested in any of these products, just click on the "Catalog" above left!





Saturday, July 22, 2017

Happy Birthday, Pearl!

Today I made a birthday card for Pearl. Here is Pearl with Perry...say that ten times fast...lol.


Speaking of ten, that's exactly how old Pearl will be July 30. (She was six in this photo and Perry had just been diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma on our trip north in the RV.) I hope she likes her card...



I tried to color Bella (SU Bella and Friends) to look more like the color of Pearl but I had already sponged the Very Vanilla with Blackberry Bliss so that didn't work out. I made my own DSP for the envelope flap from the Tuscan Vineyard stamp set.

Pearl and Bella are the cutest dogs I know...next to Finn!

Thanks for looking!


Friday, July 21, 2017

Stampin' Up!: Make a Medallion

Yesterday I made a partial card with the group. I used Dapper Denim, Peekaboo Peach and Sweet Sugarplum for my colors. I waited until today to stamp the image because I had lost my ability to line up the two stamps. I had already made cards using this so I don't know what my problem was. I think I fixed it though. I might make one more tie dyed card and then I'll give it a rest!


Thanks for looking!

Thursday, July 20, 2017

Stampin' Up! Ribbon of Courage

Today we had a small card group gathering. Most of our ladies are out of town. Barb, Lynn and I enjoyed a light lunch of spinach salad, garlic bread and Magnum ice cream bars.

I'm posting their cards...we made others but I am choosing not to show them yet for a specific reason, which will be disclosed in another post.



The top card is one of Barb's and the bottom are two of Lynn's. I really liked the way Barb angled her angled ribbon! 

Lynn is the queen of dots and dashes in our group. I always look forward to how she will incorporate those. I think it made her mat for the art panel stand out. 

It's funny, the Make a Medallion stamp set would not cooperate with us today. We just couldn't seem to get it lined up correctly and there was no alcohol involved! 

I will finish my card later to see if I can successfully line it up and hopefully post it tomorrow.

Thanks for looking!

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Stampin' Up! This Little Piggy

This Little Piggy did not go to market, nor did she go "Wee, wee all the way home!" 


I love this new stamp set by Stampin' Up! The DSP is new from the "Be Merry" selection. The inside sentiment is from the retired Stitched with Cheer stamp set.

Challenges entered:




Thanks for looking!



Sunday, July 16, 2017

Christmas in July!

Today I chose colorthrowdown #451 for my color challenge.


It's funny, looking at the image CTD#451 has, you would think summer. But, yet, it's Christmas In July at Dragonfly Journeys #96! My card...



I was inspired by Jari Francis and I thank her for the inspiration. Merry Monday Christmas Challenge 2nd Annual Linkup has a challenge for Christmas cards during the summer. It ends August 31. I chose their challenge #224, as I think this could fly as a masculine card.

All product is Stampin' Up! My card base is Garden Green cut at 4 1/4 and folded at 5 1/2. My Cherry Cobbler mat is cut at 4 x 5 1/4. I then stamped a piece of 3 7/8 x 5 1/8 Very Vanilla with the Sheet Music background stamp using Memento Tuxedo Black ink. My flowers were cut with the die from Colorful Seasons. I colored them with a Real Red SU marker. The ovals were die cut from the Layering Oval Thinlits. I used a Pink Pirouette marker to make the hidden Mickeys and color the fins, Santa hats, lips and ornaments on the fish. The stamp set for the fish and sentiment is the retired Fa La La La Friends, stamped in Garden Green. 

This card makes me happy and would be perfect for someone who lives in the New England states!

Thanks for looking!


Friday, July 14, 2017

Stampin' Up! High Tide

Do you think the sentiment is the focal point on this card? I hope so because I'm entering it in Mod Squad Challenge - Make the Sentiment the Main Focal Point.

My card base is Night of Navy. The DSP is from the retired Color Me Irrisistible. I sponged it with Night of Navy and wiped it off, making it look like rain from a storm. The stamp set I used is High Tide. The lighthouse is a two-step stamp, stamped first in Night of Navy and then stamped in Cherry Cobbler. Then I used a mask of the bottom of the lighthouse so I could do the waves in Night of Navy. The beacon of light was stamped in Night of Navy as were the bird(s). Sahara Sand was used to give it a slight beach effect. The sentiment was stamped in Night of Navy. The squares are from Layering Squares dies, one cut in Whisper White, the other in Real Red. 

I am hoping the sentiment shines beyond the lighthouse as I think it's a beautiful one.

Thanks for looking!


Wednesday, July 12, 2017

The Color Purple

Purple is my favorite color, as I might have mentioned before. LeAnne at The Paper Players PP352 
has a color challenge right up my alley! Mod Squad Challenge needs to have the sentiment be the focal point. I wish I could have found a CAS challenge that my card fit into, but alas, there was none this week that I could find. My layout was inspired by MFT's Sketch #341
Sketch Challenge 341 #mftstamps
All product is Stampin' Up. My card base is Rich Razzleberry and the Whisper White mat is punched with the retired Corner Trio Punch, sponged with Sweet Sugarplum. I used the Layering Oval dies to cut my Sweet Sugarplum and Berry Burst ovals. For the sentiment I used the Stitched Shape Dies. I cut the larger square on Rich Razzleberry. The smaller sentiment square is stamped with Berry Burst on Whisper White card stock. The sentiment is from the Eastern Beauty stamp set.


This was a quick and easy card and I thank the above challenges for helping me decide what to make today. I hope you will visit their sites.

Thanks for looking!



Tuesday, July 11, 2017

HOT!

It is so hot and humid in southwest Florida. With that in mind, I decided to make a birthday card that represented that. Global Design Project #095 Theme Challenge 

is about kids. 

What kid doesn't like to stay at a hotel, go to the pool, go to the beach and wear flip flops?



My card base is from Office Max. The direction signs were done on my computer and cut with my trimmer. I sponged them to match the font colors (black, Berry Burst and Tranquil Tide).

From Stampin' Up I used the hardwood background stamp and cut the boards to make it look like a fence. The clouds were done with a Darice embossing folder and the sea grass is from Rubber Stampede. I tore a piece of Sahara Sand cardstock to make it look like a dune. I used Stampin' Up Fresh Fig and Lemon Lime Twist markers to color the flip flops, fussy cut them and adhered them with dimensionals. They are headed to the beach!  

On the inside, I just sponged Sahara Sand, Pool Party and Soft Sky from the bottom up. I used the Colorful Season stamp set for the beach chair and stamped it in Lemon Lime Twist and Fresh Fig. I used Day at the Beach stamp set (retired) for the sand pail/shovel, sun and the flip flops on the front. The sentiment is from the retired 2017 SAB Tasty Trucks.

If I were to remake it, I would place the chair and pail differently. The pail looks so much bigger than the chair! Oh, well, our 9 year-old Godson won't care...he will just want to make sand castles at the beach or his birthday!

Thanks for looking!

Sunday, July 9, 2017

Back in the Card Room Again!

Today my goal was to clean up my card area so that I could make a card for the Sunday Stamps SSC156 Tall and Skinny Challenge


Once I cleaned up the area, this is what happened ...
I think Tini missed me while I was gone, but only because I had stuff piled on her blanket! 

The end result of my labor was this...


All product is Stampin' Up with the exception of the DSP. My card base is Rich Razzleberry and the measurement is 6 x 6 3/4, scored and folded at 3 3/8. The DSP was given to me by a friend and it measures  5 7/8 by 3 1/4. 

I stamped the rose and leaves on Shimmery White paper in Tuxedo Black using stamps from Rose Wonder. I "watercolored" the rose with Rich Razzleberry and Dapper Denim using my blender pen. The leaves were done the same way with Old Olive. Then I fussy cut them out. The sentiment is from Thoughts and Prayers, stamped in Fresh Fig, edged in Lemon Lime Twist.

The inside...

was stamped with Versa Mark and heat embossed with silver embossing powder using the sentiment from the retired Love & Sympathy stamp set.

It's good to be back home with our kitty and son. I'm also happy not to be limited to a Paper Pumpkin kit!

Thanks for looking!


Tuesday, July 4, 2017

Happy 4th of July! Today I wish I had a red, white and blue card to show you, but I didn't even think of that when we left FL June 13. Sadly, we will have to head back Thursday. We have had a wonderful time with our family and friends and hope we can do it again...maybe even sooner if my husband's oncologist will stretch his chemo out a week in August/September.

In the meantime, I made two cards yesterday that were the same cut/fold. We are off to our daughter's today so I knew I wouldn't have time to make a card.


I used the butterflies to kind of hold the flaps down. I used the inside of the envelopes from my April 2017 Paper Pumpkin kit for the DSP. The sentiment came from Number of Years. I had just a tad of Lemon Lime Twist paper left so I pieced it together and put the black strip across the inside and used a scrap of Whisper White for the banner.

Thanks for looking!

Monday, July 3, 2017

Stampin' Up! Paper Pumpkin Alternative for March 2016 Kit

I am anxious to get home to my card room! However, this trip has been wonderful for us with friends and family as well as using my kits!

My friend, Mary Deatherage, made this card and posted it this morning. Click on the blue link to admire it!

So, I just had to CASE it because I had no challenges I wanted to enter. Et voila...

I used sentiments from the Avant Garden 2017 SAB set, which is retired. The large butterfly is die cut from Silver Glimmer paper using one of the Butterfly Thinlits. The solid silver butterfly is cut using the retired Butterfly Embosslits. I had pre-cut them before our trip. My card base is basic black. The DSP is from the envelopes from the PP kit. All measurements can be found in Mary's post.

I'm hoping Mary will have a chance to see it and give me pointers on how to get it to stay closed :-)

Thanks for looking.

Sunday, July 2, 2017

Math Could Be Fun!

If only they had made us create cards in math class, math could have been more fun. I always wondered why I had to learn fractions, sizes of triangles, geometry and the like...well now I know! Sketch Saturday #470 by Alex was a mathematical challenge for me. 

Things haven't changed...I'm still working with the same colors and March 2016 Paper Pumpkin kit. I still have only one punch and stamp sets from various kits. I did have a "celebrate" stamp from the Any Occasion SAB 2017 set so I was able to pick Just Us Girls #400 Word Week Challenge.
 
I had no idea how to measure anything for this sketch challenge so I just eyeballed everything and hoped for the best. When I have time, I will try to find out how to make the measurements perfect.


Thanks for looking!

Saturday, July 1, 2017

Arsenic and Old Lace

My card for today's challenges had to have something to do with the letter "A" and the sketch challenge and stamp set both began with that! Just Add Ink #366 - Just Add "A" led me to As You See It - Arsenic and Old Lace - Challenge #153 by Amanda.


It has been awhile since I have entered a challenge. However, the other night I held my first class, which was a challenge doing a new technique with 3 newbies. I posted that today in case you want to look.

So for my second post today for the above challenges, here's my card...


The stamp set I used was Avant Garden from Stampin' Up 2017 Sale-A-Bration. The butterflies were pre-cut before I left home, as was the "thanks". I used Bermuda Bay for my card base and flower stamp. 

We are back at my sister-in-law's in Gloversville, NY, so I have time and space to create. This card is for our friend in Keeseville who gave me my first opportunity to teach a "class". She said she doesn't look at my blog unless I post the link in Facebook, so I should be safe showing y'all this!

Thanks for looking.

My First Class

While staying with our friend in Keeseville, NY, she, her granddaughter and daughter-in-law wanted to make a card. I had looked at Kim Jolley's Tie Dye Tutorial for a card background in the morning and decided I would teach them that. They had never made a card before so they had lots of questions. We all learned from the experience and we all had fun. 


We only had 4 ink pads but the backgrounds all turned out differently. Here are the cards we created.


This is mine up close...

This technique was so much fun and my friend gave me a bunch of coffee filters so I can continue to make more once we get back to Florida.

Thanks for looking!

Pammie's Inky Pinkies Challenge #2411

Welcome to another PIP Challenge . Here is what I created for it... I just love the background digital from our   awesome sponsor ... This w...