Happy Birthday, Sara

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My Sara turned 21 last month…in Spain.  I’m sure it was wonderful, although not quite the thrill it is to turn 21 in the U.S.   It was a little challenging for her dad and me since we didn’t feel confident sending her birthday gift through the mail – a 21st birthday present should be something to remember, and entrusting such a gift to the Spanish postal system made me nervous.  So Sara has to wait until she’s back in the U.S. before she gets her gift, and we sent this card to let her know we were thinking of her:

Sara - Birthday Bliss

  • Bliss (SAB 2011), Charming and Well Scripted (retired mini) stamp sets
  • Whisper White, Pear Pizazz and Baja Breeze card stock
  • Pear Pizazz, Marina Mist and Night of Navy Classic ink pads
  • Vanilla Smooch Spritz; Stampin’ Sponges
  • Pear Pizazz Seam Binding
  • Pearl jewels

My little point-and-push doesn’t pick up the Smooch Spritz but trust me when I say it’s there.  I’ve discovered that if you want a nice, even Spritz you need to press the plunger with complete authority.  No hesitation here, my friends.  If you hesitate, you get blobs.  This isn’t such a big problem with Vanilla but it doesn’t work for me with Gold and Log Cabin.  Bloppy.  Blech.

The flourish stamp was inked in Marina Mist, then sponged with Night of Navy around the edges.   The butterfly is cut out and attached with a glue dot for just the tiniest bit of lift.  Yes, you guessed it; this is a One Stamp Card.  When the stamp costs $.98 (International rate) one should be enough – and we don’t want to give the Spanish post office any excuses for delaying these birthday greetings.

Owl Multiplication

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I turned my back for just a little bit and look what happened:

Orderly Owls

All of a sudden there was a flock of owls!  (HIJACK:  I have a thing for collective nouns, and I found a website that claimed the correct term for an assembly of owls is a Parliament of Owls.  Love it.)

These owls descend from THIS website, although they’ve mutated ever so slightly.  They’re so much fun to do that I’ve become slightly addicted.  They have the added benefit of being just the right size to stuff with a little wad of cash, which is the Gift of Choice for every graduate I know.  I made a couple in school colors for some of my favorite members of the Class of 2011, but I’m not showing you those just yet because they haven’t been delivered.  I’m trying to figure out how to put a mortarboard on them, but if they’re to be delivered before the Grads head off to school I’d better get moving.

One Pear Owl

These just crack me up!!!

Sweet Cherry Blossom Birthday

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I’ve gone through my shelves and pulled all the sets that are on the Last Chance list.  There’s a decent-sized stack, and they’re sitting rather forlornly together in a basket on the floor of my stamp studio (the Room Formerly Known As Sara’s Bedroom).  I’ve got plans for those stamps this month, and since I’ll be away for a bit in June I thought I’d better get cracking:

Cherry Blossom Birthday

  • Eastern Blooms and Sincere Salutations stamp sets
  • Whisper White, Early Espresso and Pink Pirouette card stock
  • Early Espresso, Pink Pirouette and Regal Rose Stampin’ Write markers
  • Early Espresso Classic ink pad
  • Pretty in Pink 1/8 inch taffeta ribbon
  • Pearl Jewels
  • Crop-a-dile
  • Frost White Shimmer paint and the Aquapainter

I cased this card from Alli Ohran, making a very few minor changes.   I don’t use a lot of Crystal Effects because in Hawaii it seems to take an eternity to dry, and I’m not a patient person so I stick my finger in it and smudge it and get all cranky about it.  Well.  There’s a self-disclosure for you!!  Anyway, I used Frost White instead and although you don’t see it well in the photograph I assure you it is there.

Cherry Blossoms are such romantic flowers, appearing in almost misty pink clouds that linger briefly on the trees and then begin drifting away.  I think pink is a very romantic color, too, so this card really gets my “awww gee whiz” feeling going.   To me, it fits to keep such a romantic image simple, although it would be easy to imagine this dressed up with lots of layers, background stamping, vintage lace and bling.  Another time.  Maybe.

 

Once a Maui Stamper, always a Maui Stamper

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We shared a bittersweet evening a couple of weeks ago.  Kellie and her family are moving to the Mainland.  Their reasons are good and of course we all support them in this move, but the truth is we don’t like it.  Kellie’s loving, gentle presence and her inspired projects bring such light to our demonstrator meetings!  We couldn’t let her leave without getting together for some laughter and lovin’.

Being SU demos, we had to have a project:

Pillow box owl

I know.  Can you stand it?  This isn’t an original idea – it’s an absolute CASE (Copy And Share with Everyone).    I saw them on Jill Hilliard‘s blog and she in turn credited Card a la Carte, where you can find details on construction.

My plan was for all of us to make these at Kellie’s Aloha party, but I hadn’t even made a sample – I just had the link.  You should have seen us sitting around my dining table:

Maui Stampers go tech

Well, now you can see us!  Everyone scrolling through their smart phones, looking at the pictures and instructions.  (And Kellie in the background trying to sort out a mini-crisis!)

Peggy and Crystal with the punches

Peggy and Crystal got busy with the punches.

Robbie's eyeballs

Robbie got a little punchy herself!  And we were all so happy to see Cheryl feeling back to normal.

Lisa & Kellie

Lisa and Kellie – and Lisa, you’d better watch out for that dino behind you!!  Kellie has been packing for weeks, if not months.  Every time I’d see her she’d tell me how she was improvising because this item was packed, or they’d sold that item (little things, you know, BEDS).  When she came in she laughed and told us she’d brought her adhesive with her:

Kellie & her adhesive

Kellie, we’re sorry you’re leaving Maui but we know we’ll be seeing you soon in Salt Lake!  And remember…once a Maui Stamper, always a Maui Stamper.

Aloha Kellie

And don’t forget that these are for the CRAFT ROOM, not the garage or the garden or any of that secondary stuff!  Love you.

A card for Kellie

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Did you notice the card in Kellie’s hand the other day?

Robbie's tulip card

Those are Robbie’s beautifully manicured fingers, btw, because SHE made the card (and my fingers look like I gnaw on them, which I don’t, they just LOOK that way.)

Robbie put a lot of love into this card and it shows.   I want to tell you a little story about Robbie.  When she first started coming to classes (before she was a demonstrator) she would always come with her friend Frances.  The two of them would sit together at the table, and Robbie would carefully follow whatever Frances did.  One day she shared with us that in junior high school she’d been in an art class, and at the end of the first term, Sister put her arm around Robbie’s shoulders and said “I think we’ll move you to Home Ec class, dear.”  Oh, those Sisters!   I told Robbie that Sister meant well, but she was Wrong.

So don’t let anyone tell you you’re not creative!  I’m sure Sister is gliding around heaven these days, looking down with love and saying “I’m so sorry, dear… I was wrong!” 🙂

Sunny, happy yellow

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All this yellow is guaranteed to bring a smile:

5th Avenue Flowers

  • 5th Avenue Floral and Fabulous Phrases stamp sets
  • Whisper White, Wild Wasabi and Daffodil Delight card stock
  • Ice Cream Parlor (SAB) Designer Series Paper
  • Early Espresso Classic ink pad; Versamark ink pad
  • Daffodil Delight and Peach Parfait Classic ink refills
  • Early Espresso Stampin’ Write marker
  • Wild Wasabi Embossing powder, Embossing Buddy (A MUST), heat tool, powder pal
  • Aquapainter; Piercing tool, template and mat
  • Subtles and Filigree brads
  • Early Espresso 1/8 inch taffeta ribbon
  • Big Shot and Petal Cone Bigz L die
  • Large oval punch

I love this flower from the 5th Avenue set.  It’s one of my favorite to watercolor because of all the sections there are to play with.  I don’t have any training in watercoloring and I think it shows, but that doesn’t keep me from doing it!

Vintage sailboat

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A successful experiement:

Vintage Sailboat

  • Sail Away, Wonderfully Worn and Occasional Quotes (Level III Hostess) stamp sets
  • Naturals White, Naturals Ivory and Soft Suede card stock
  • Soft Suede and Poppy Parade Classic ink pads
  • Stampin’ Sponges
  • Antique buttons and Linen thread
  • 1 1/4 inch square punch

I was afraid this would be too boring.  Instead, it makes me think of an old fashioned sepia photograph.  The sailboat is stamped on Naturals White cardstock and I used Stampin’ Sponges to brush just about every surface except the sails so that they would pop out.   The banner and background are Naturals Ivory, which makes the white stand out even more.  The perfect “V” at the end of the banner is made using the corner of the square punch.   There’s a little tiny flag at the top of the mast, and I colored it with the Poppy Parade marker, but I didn’t get the proportions right and so the banner covers it up.  Shoots, it’s only paper.

Holding my place with Pretty Postage

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It’s June, and the tantalizing Last Chance lists of stamps and accessories have been announced.   Stamps are available through June 30, but accessories are available only as supplies last.  There are still lots of juicy bargains in the Clearance Rack, and some of the Last Chance accessories are discounted too!

To see the stamp sets that will retire June 30 at 11:50pm MST (that’s 7:50pm HST!) click HERE

To shop the Last Chance accessories, click HERE

Anyone who places a minimum $50 order through my Online Store will receive an invitation to an exclusive event the beginning of July where you’ll be treated to as much new product from the brand new 2011-2012 Idea Book and Catalog as I can put my hands on.   Trust me, you won’t want to miss this event!

I have just a little something to show you:

Sweet bookmark

  • Pretty Postage stamp set
  • Whisper White, Rich Razzleberry, and So Saffron card stock
  • Play Date Designer Series paper (Last Chance!)
  • Old Olive Classic ink pad
  • Rich Razzleberry Stampin’ Write marker and a Blender pen
  • Big Shot and Circles #2 Originals die
  • Postage Stamp and 1 3/4 inch Scallop Circle punches
  • A Ginormous paper clip and my hot glue gun

I made a bunch of these clips for my hostesses.  I adhered DSP to some chipboard and cut out circles with the #2 originals so that the top of the clips would have some substance.  Everything else was pretty simple and my project went together very quickly.  I did drag out the glue gun to put the circles together – there are two sets of So Saffron Scallop Circles for each clip, and I used a BIG ol’ blob of hot glue to make sure everything stayed stuck together.  Including my fingers, of course.

Now go shop the Last Chance!

 

Tango Bird Day

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I was looking for a birthday card recently but every card I picked up seemed to say “Thank you” on the front of it.  Either I need to stop making so many thank you cards or just send more of them out.   I went on a birthday card binge:

Tango Bird Day

  • Cheep Talk, A to Z and Crazy for Cupcakes stamp sets
  • Very Vanilla, So Saffron, Tangerine Tango and Marina Mist card stock
  • Marina Mist Classic ink pad; Versamark ink pad
  • Tangerine Tango and So Saffron Stampin’ Write markers; Blender pen
  • Tangerine Tango Embossing powder, Embossing Buddy (A MUST), heat tool, powder pal
  • Subtles brads and Rhinestone jewels
  • Big Shot, Petal Cone Bigz L die, Framed Tulips Textured Impressions Embossing folder
  • Circles #2 Originals die; 1 3/8 inch circle punch
  • Stampin’ Dimensionals, Stamp-a-ma-jig

When I embossed the A to Z alphabet I was REALLY impressed with the Tangerine Tango Embossing powder.  Every single letter is perfect!  I’m crossing my fingers that Stampin’ Up! has more colors of embossing powder in the 2011-2012 Idea Book and Catalog.  (This is the time of year when I let my imagination run wild.)

That Cheep Talk birdie is so sassy, and I needed just the right sentiment to go with it.  I found the curved greeting from Crazy for Cupcakes and knew it was the one.  I stamped it in two parts and used the SAMJ to align them, because the curve of the message was a little too round for my circle.   Now that so many of my stamps are clear mount I don’t use the SAMJ as much as I used to, but there are times that it’s the only thing that will do the job – and this was one of those times.

Today is my daughter’s 21st birthday.  I’ll share her card later as I don’t want to spoil her surprise.

Sara

Happy birthday, Sara!  I hope you get to wear a crown today.

Peggy’s slippers

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OK, I need to explain something right off the bat.  In Hawaii, they’re called slippers.  Rubber slippers, to be more precise, and pronounced Rubbah Slippah.  Not thong, zori, flip-flop, sandal, or anything else.  There, got that off my chest.

Peggy's Slippers

Peggy made this card for me, and I know the cardstock is Whisper White and Poppy Parade, and the slippers are from the Sunny Fun stamp set in the Summer Mini.  She embossed them with our new Wild Wasabi embossing powder, and I have to tell you that this stuff is awesome.  It’s a fine, detail powder and the color just pops! (Be SURE to use your embossing buddy!!)  She used Stampin’ Write markers to color in the details on the slippers, and the embossing makes it much easier to stay inside the lines.

The standard slippah is black, plain black.  It’s what kids in school prefer and Longs Drug Store has an entire aisle with black slippahs in every possible size, teeny baby foot to big daddy foot.  When you walk in rubbah slippahs, you don’t slap them against your heel, you let them drag just a little bit.  And if you’re feeling sullen or tired or just real mellow, you let them drag a lot so that they almost shuffle along the ground by themselves.  Old surfers put their names or initials on their slippahs so they don’t get grabbed by mistake from the pile by the door.

These, however, are not standard slippahs.  These are Lah Dee Dah, Look at Me, (dare I say it) Mainland slippers.  You could even let these slippers slap your heel.