Category Archives: cards

And an Owl in a Heart Tree

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Ho man…this card…the title…it just gets dopier and dopier:

I {Heart} Hearts

  • I {Heart} Hearts and All Holidays stamp set
  • Whisper White, Pretty in Pink, Pear Pizazz, Chocolate Chip and Daffodil Delight card stock
  • A random scrap of Real Red Designer Series Paper
  • Real Red Classic ink pad; Pear Pizazz Stampin’ Write marker
  • XL Two Step Owl, XL Two Step Bird, and XL Blossoms Petal punches
  • Full Heart and Heart to Heart punches
  • Whisper White 3/8 inch taffeta and Real Red 1/4 inch grosgrain ribbon
  • Big Shot and Lattice Textured Impressions folder

Do you want my honest opinion?  This one needs to go back to the drawing board.  I was thinking of the Partridge in the Pear tree (yes, I have a Christmas Carol hangover) and a goofy owl in a tree/bush made from hearts came to mind.  I think it was cuter in my head.

The Owl’s little “thought bubble” is the wing from the XL Bird punch.

Dopey, dopey, dopey!

 

 

 

A first look at Sale-a-bration

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Lisa’s on the Mainland (crazy girl – it’s snowing there!) and she let me play with some of her Sale-a-bration sets:

Sale-a-bration Sweet Summer

  • Sweet Summer and So Happy for You stamp sets (SAB)
  • Pear Pizazz, Marina Mist, Regal Rose and Whisper White card stock
  • Pear Pizazz, Marina Mist and Regal Rose Classic ink pads
  • Daffodil Delight Stampin’ Write marker; Aquapainter
  • Scallop Trim border punch
  • Paper piercing tool and Mat
  • Brights Designer Buttons; Linen Thread (yay!)

First, let me say that I have promised myself never-never-ever to run out of Linen Thread again!

Now, I have to confess that when I saw Sweet Summer I thought it was cute but I didn’t think I’d be all wonky-crazy about it.  Think again!  I love these flowers, and not to be big-headed or anything but I think they love me too.  That long “wheel-y” looking panel was just randomly stamped, but I think it’s very effective.  And yes, I may be  starting to sound like Jan Tink and “Yes I Love Myself (YILM)”, except that I will never be so audacious as to compare myself to Jan Tink.

Sale-a-bration starts January 25th and my calendar is filling up.  Do you have your event scheduled yet?

 

A card so nice, I made it twice

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If this layout looks familiar, you’re very observant:

Filled with Love

  • Filled with Love stamp set
  • Whisper White, Real Red and Pretty in Pink card stock
  • Real Red and Pretty in Pink Designer Series Papers (from Filled with Love promotion bundle)
  • Real Red Classic ink pad and Whisper White craft ink pad
  • White embossing powder and heat tool
  • 5/8 inch White Satin ribbon; Stampin’ Dimensionals
  • Full Heart and Heart to Heart punches

I used the same layout for the LOVE card and today’s card…matter of fact, the LOVE card started out with these panels.  It took me a while to figure out that the reason I didn’t like how the card was progressing was that the color balance was off, and once I swapped out the colors I was much happier.  I still needed to find something to do with those two panels that were matted and ready to go, and this is the result.

I need some of you “Bow Geniuses” to tell me what I’m doing wrong, because I can’t seem to make these big bows work.  And please don’t judge the quality of  Stampin’ Up! white embossing powder by this sample – I think the humidity from the enormous storm we had last week has spelled doom for my jar.

Did you know that you can purchase JUST the Real Red and Pretty in Pink Designer Series papers during the Filled with Love promotion?  You’ll get 12 pages, 6 of each color, and 2 sets of designs for each color for $9.95  (#124156).  If you’re a local customer, I’m putting in an order on Sunday and will be happy to include the paper or the bundle for you – please give me a call.  Promotion ends January 24th so skeedaddle!

 

Hearts and Flowers

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I’m a little late to the party over the Filled with Love promotion.  With everything that’s been going on, it took a little extra time for me to transition from The Holidays to oh, say, Valentines Day.  Now that it’s a month away,  hearts and flowers have made it to front and center:

Filled with Love

  • Filled with Love stamp set
  • Whisper White, Real Red, and Brushed Silver card stock
  • Designer Series Papers in Real Red
  • Basic Grey and Real Red Classic ink pads
  • Filled with Love Promotion Bundle with Clear Stamps (#124381)
  • Real Red 1/8 inch taffeta ribbon; Grid Paper
  • Bitty Heart, 3/4 inch circle, and scallop border punches
  • Stampin’ Dimensionals; Love Impressions rub ons

Don’t know what my problem was, but I’m glad I’m over it!  I LOVE this group of products for Valentines’ Day!  Love the images, love the papers, love the rub ons…guess you could just say I’m really feelin’ the LOVE!

These little heart-flowers were easy to line up with clear stamps.  I did it first on my grid paper – used the grid lines to space the images evening (3 lines between each one) and make them stand up straight on the panel.  The big polka dot scallops underneath are just circles punched and lined up on the grid paper.  I put a line of SNAIL across the bottom of the panel and placed it right on top of that row of circles.

Love that Grid Paper too!  Check the button on the right panel to get the 4-1-1 on the Filled with Love promotion, but do it by January 24th or it will be gone.

 

 

Moving forward

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Yesterday I put this gorgeous girl on the plane back to Boston:

I’m going to miss her happy voice, her fashion-companion advice, and her company.  She’s back in Boston for a couple of days and then traveling on to Spain for a semester in Sevilla.  We’re excited for her, of course, but it’s always hard for me to say good-bye.  The chocolate-espresso cupcakes with peanut butter fluff frosting at 10pm I can live without!

I found myself in a creative frenzy late last night.  It’s been a while since I could dedicate some time to stamping and I think my mojo was bottled up and ready to fly:

Filled with Love

I’m in a rush this morning – I’ll edit the details later – but this uses the Filled with Love promotion, some rub-ons, and Espresso Taffeta Ribbon.

Be back soon with more!

Punchin’ up some new blossoms

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Wow – do you love the new mini?  The 2011 Occasions Mini has such cool new products – and product suites – that I’ll be inspired for weeks.  Thank goodness for the demonstrator discount 🙂

One of my first purchases was the Blossoms Petals punch.  I love flowers that stand up off the page but I confess that hand-cutting them out gets tiresome.  This punch does the work for you, and there are enough different shapes that you can create all sorts of blooms:

Blossoms Petals punch in pink

  • Thank You Kindly stamp set and Music Notes standard wheel
  • Whisper White smooth and Pirouette Pink textured card stock
  • Play Date Designer Series paper
  • Pirouette Pink, Pretty in Pink and Rich Razzleberry classic ink pads
  • Stampin’ Sponges, Brights Designer Buttons, and Hemp Twine
  • Blossoms Petals punch, Stampin’ Around Wheel Guide

I used the sponges to add some texture to the flower petals with Pirouette Pink and Pretty in Pink ink.  I’m starting to like the Hemp Twine for these buttons, too – I’ve used Linen Thread in the past, but when I ran out of thread I switched to twine.  I like the bulk in the knot, and since that button isn’t going to pass the USPS quarter-inch test I figured I might as well go for broke.  And I think I made a good call on the Wheel Guide – it’s hard to fake it when your lines of music are wavy.

These soft colors seemed to beg for a pop of color, and I started with a little Daffodil but it just wasn’t enough.  Razzleberry was the solution  – and the button and the “thanks” are the same color in person.

I’m gradually resuming my “regular” schedule.  My middle daughter is home through the end of this week and then off to spend the semester abroad in Spain, so I’m enjoying these last few days together.  It was an absolutely gorgeous beach day today and we were all lazy as can be, reading books and watching the whales.  Yesterday was the opposite – we did the Piiholo Ranch Zipline!  I’ll share photos of that soon.

Check out this mini for yourself and see if you can resist all these goodies!

Stampin Up 2011 Occasions Mini

Click here to see the 2011 Occasions Mini

 

Not quite pink and red

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It feels like it’s been such a long time since I’ve had inky fingers!  I have a couple of projects on the desktop that I can’t share quite yet, but here’s a quick and easy Valentine with a different color palette:

  • Cute by the Inch and Woodgrain stamp sets
  • Whisper White, Chocolate Chip and Poppy Parade card stock
  • Baja Breeze and Poppy Parade Classic ink pads
  • Baja Breeze Seam Binding
  • Basic Rhinestone jewels and Stamp-a-ma-jig

Will you forgive me for being so fussy as to use the Stamp-a-ma-jig with Clear Mount stamps?  I am picky, picky, picky about squares being lined up.  I eyeballed the positioning twice and threw the results in the trash twice.  Other than getting my squares in a row, this is a very simple card for Valentine’s Day or just to say I love you.

There’s a Whisper White panel on the inside.  You can write on Poppy Parade with a dark pen or marker, but I like the clean look that the white panel adds.  It has absolutely nothing to do with my vision.  Really.

I got a new Point-and-Shoot camera for Christmas, but as you can see, my photos aren’t much better.  Operator error, or perhaps just Operator Learning Curve.  So much to do and just not enough time in which to get it done!!  I shall persevere, I promise – I like taking photos too much.

Perhaps I’ll practice on Captain Stupidhead.

One last look

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Who doesn’t love to get a Christmas card?  I enjoy them all – store bought, hand-made, with or without letters and photos.  When the first one arrives (usually just after Thanksgiving) I make a mental note to bump the process up on my To Do List.  (List does not accurately describe this document, but that’s a topic for another day.)  Christmas cards are on my mind earlier and earlier each just simply because of the logistics involved in getting everyone together in the same place at the same time…and all in the mood to have a photo taken.  Do you all have families like this?  Next year I’m doing a card in My Digital Studio where I can create my own photo collage and enbellish it.

I have a few cards that I’d like to share with you just because they are hand-made.  It is a special pleasure for me to see that A4 envelope in the mail and know someone has made a card just for me.  Look at these:

Don’t you love these colors?  I was a Color Consultant for this card so I’m particularly happy to have received one of the finished product.

I LOVE the Seam Binding ribbon on this card, particularly because it flattens completely and doesn’t create any USPS mailing issues.

This was a complete surprise, received from a friend I initially met online.  She put so much work into this card – texture from the Big Shot, gold embossing, and hand coloring – a real work of love.

How could you possibly feel Grinchy if you got this card in the mail?  Everything about it is indeed Very Merry.

The combination of these fresh greens and the soft leaves give this card a peaceful feeling that I find really appealing this time of year.  I think I’ve run too many errands, wrapped too many packages, and perhaps eaten a few Christmas cookies too many.

Happy Fourth day of Christmas – Four Calling Birds!!

Merry Christmas

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It’s been a lovely week, despite an unusual sequence of rainy days.  Visitors detest rainy days on Maui because there isn’t much for them to do, but those of us who live here relish the rain, especially those of us who live on the south (dry) side of the island.  Our gardens are dusty, our homes are dusty, and the sound of rain is music to our ears.  After a couple of days, we’re like everyone else; we stare hopefully into the heavens seeking a peek of blue sky and sunshine.  My daughter home from Boston joined the cat at the back door, both hoping for a change in weather.

You would think with all of that “weather” that I would have a load of projects to show you, but I was running errands and baking cookies and wrapping packages instead.  Imagine that!!  We’ve had some lovely, lazy family days but I am ready to get back to the business of stamping.  Here’s the card we sent this year:

  • Medallion and Angelic Joy stamp sets
  • Black Staz-on Ink pad; Marina Mist Classic ink pad
  • Marina Mist, River Rock, Daffodil Delight, More Mustard and Blush Blossom ink refills
  • Aquapainter and Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint
  • Brayer
  • Whisper White and Marina Mist card stock
  • 2 1/2 inch XL circle punch

These are slightly larger cards – about 4 1/4 inches by 6 1/2 inches – in order to enclose a 4 x 6 inch print.  I couldn’t find anyone who prints 3 x 5 inch prints any more, and I wasn’t interested in trimming all the photos I needed.  Next year I’m making my card with My Digital Studio and saving myself a lot of trouble.

The concept is an interpretation of a wreath card done by the extraordinary Jackie Topa.  I posted an early CASE of her project HERE and at that time came up with this idea.  The Medallion stamp is brayered to get even coverage, and the angel image is stamped in Black Staz-on because of all the watercoloring I chose to do.  After over 100 cards, you can believe I was questioning that decision!  I used an inexpensive water color palette to make the job go faster, and I worked with one color at a time:

I watered down the ink from the refills in order to keep it more translucent, and I really watered down the Shimmer Paint because all I wanted was a little sparkle for the angel’s wings.  There isn’t much other embellishment as I didn’t want to fuss with extra postage or cushioning in the envelope.  If I didn’t have to mail these…but hand-delivering them is out of the question, so we’ll just let that thought fade away into the sunset.

Merry Christmas.

 

Visiting Paris (in my dreams)

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I’m not quite sure what got into me, but I had a “Springtime in Paris” sort of moment the other day:

 

Celebrate Paris

  • Artistic Etchings and Fabulous Phrases stamp sets
  • Whisper White, Pretty in Pink, Pink Pirouette, and Chocolate Chip card stock
  • Pretty in Pink, Pink Pirouette, and Chocolate Chip Classic ink pads
  • Big Shot and Elegant Bouquet Textured Embossing folder

Paris seems like the perfect city for a special celebration.  It’s on my list, that growing list of places I hope to visit.  I have a very romantic vision of Paris in the spring, but something tells me it’s not a tropical destination.  I think perhaps I would need to visit in the late spring when the weather turns warm.  And bring a scarf and gloves, just in case.

In case you were wondering, yes, I did mask the Eiffel Tower.  It wasn’t that difficult to cut the mask, and I like the look of that narrow white “shadow” that the mask creates.  I was thinking about the moon when I stamped that ornate circle, but later when I looked at the image I thought of fireworks.  You would need to add a couple more circles to get that effect, but I think it could work.  Maybe Versamark…hmmm.   I’ll get back to you on that.