Retired, but not forgotten...

Okay, yes these are retired stamps, but they were some of my favorites at the time. The little accordion book is a retired SU kit, but would be really easy to make on your own. I'll put pictures of my daughter in it sometime.

OKAY, I've received some really sweet e-mails and posts lately asking me to start posting again. To be honest, I stopped because my number of hits were tiny and I wondered why I was really doing it. I still wonder, but I'll try and post to honor those that enjoy my cards and find some inspiration. If you like what you see, please pass the link/word around and maybe my numbers will start up again. :)

Enjoy.

Have you sent someone special a card today?

--Deb

For the Girls...

Heather, Dena, and the girls...this post is for you. :)

Greetings stampers.

It was brought to my attention that I had not posted here since last fall. I was surprised that people actually stopped by and checked still checked things out. I don't have any customers, so I began to wonder why I was doing it. I still wonder why, but I guess why not? Hope this card inspires you.

Have you sent someone special a card today?

Upsy Daisy

Upsy Daisy is EASILY one of my favorite SU stamp sets of all time. It's can be used for just about any occasion, during any season and will always look great since it's goof-proof.

The first two cards I made for a swap I'm in, and the third is a CASE from SU. The third one I added a little Diamond Dust bling on the tips of the flowers. Be sure to double click on the images to see the cards up close.

Well, I hope to start posting once a week again now that the kids are back in school and routines are in place. Be sure to check back next week, I have some more AWESOME samples that I can't wait to share with you.

Have a great week.

Have you sent someone special a card lately???

Deb

Happy! Happy! Happy!

Greeting Stampers!
I only have a minute, so I'll just mention that Sock Monkey is from the new SU catty being released at Convention this week. My upline called me and did a walk-thru of the new catty, and it sounds FANTASTIC!!! I can't wait to get the new one in my hands to see for myself.
I hope you are able to use my card as inspiration and create something you're proud of.
Have you sent someone special a card today???
Deb

From the Ashes...

Last year, my stamping friend, Susan, and her family lost their summer cabin to a horrible fire. The cabin had been in the family for decades and was the center of MANY great memories. Sadly, last summer they were unable live there. After thousands of round trip miles this winter overseeing the rebuilding, Susan and her family are finally able to spend time at the cabin again creating new memories. Nothing was salvageable from the cabin (even the cast iron pots melted), but they did manage to use some of the beautiful old trees that surrounded the cabin (that had to be removed according to local ordinances) to have custom woodwork done.

When change is forced upon oneself, it can really test what you're made of. I admire Susan for her strength and tenacity when she was thrown this curve-ball. She mourned the loss of the cabin, but took the opportunity to design another cabin with the potential to create more great memories with her family and friends. From the ashes...will rise laughter and happiness once again.

I spent many hours looking for the perfect cabin image to make a card for Susan. I was thrilled to find this stamp on eBay from a vendor in Canada. The greeting is from PTI's set "Boards and Beams", CS is from SU, the ink is Pallette hybrid brown, and I watercolored using SU inks. The edges are roughed up using an edge distresser, and finally hemp and green shades of cross-stitch floss was knotted in the corner for a rustic look. I hope she likes the card. :)

Have you sent someone special a card today???

Deb

John Lennon...

...was a wise man. The SU stamp set "Full of Life" is one of my most recent favorites. The quote states, "LIFE is what HAPPENS to you while you're busy making OTHER PLANS." That is so true. No matter what your current definition of "LIFE" is, like happy surprises or tragic surprises, LIFE is what keeps us on our toes, keeps us going, and makes us stronger. So, enjoy LIFE and all it brings before you.

This SUPER CUTE little clip board is the brainchild of my friend and upline, Dena. She's a stamping goddess and truly gifted when it comes to stamping. This uses the Chipboard Basics from SU (love them) and everything else is SU too. Give this little project a try, I guarantee you'll be pleased with how easy it is and the fantastic results you'll get.

Have a super week!!!
Have you sent someone special a card today???
Deb

Boards and Beams.

Greetings Stampers!!!
I seem to have a need for a lot of 'new home' cards lately. My best friend is moving, and I have friends that will be building new homes after being destroyed by the recent devastating weather around here. I specifically ordered this PTI stamp set just for that reason. The greetings in this set are fantastic and fit all occasions regarding home owners.
The colors used were SU River Rock (embossed with the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder) and Elegant Eggplant, Copic markers and PTI polytwill ribbon finished off the card. That's it...super easy. Yes, this is a card that screams my simple style, I hope to branch out a step outside my comfort zone for layouts. We'll see, I'm still in a creative funk.
Thanks for stopping by and check back soon.
Have you sent someone special a card today???
Deb

Where oh where did my mojo go, oh where oh where could it be???

Greetings Stampers!!!
I thought I would share this little gem I made at a class a couple of months ago. As I've mentioned before, I'm not a big fan of rub-ons. However, I do like the SU ones for some reason; I've just had better luck with them than I have with others in the past. That goes to show you that SU has great quality supplies.
Inside the candy tin (please excuse the horrible pictures) are little note cards and envelopes made of vellum cardstock and embellished with a rub-ons too. Finally, a white May Arts ribbon ties it all together. What a cute little gift for someone. Maybe a hostess gift, shower gift, neighbor gift....and so on.
Anyhoo, I hope to be posting more regularly now that summer has settled in. I actually sat down at my stamp desk the other night and discovered my 'stamping mojo' is completely gone. I attempted to create a few things, and they were awful!!! So, I'll keep working on it, browsing the blogs and SCS and hope to get my mojo flowing again in the near future. :)
Have a great week and check back soon!
Have you sent someone special a card lately???
Deb

Building an Ark...

...might be a good idea around here. Does anyone have easy to follow directions???


If you've seen any national news over the last week, you've probably seen what is going on here . Water, water, everywhere. As if tornadoes weren't scary enough to deal with, now our area is about ready to float away. Our town has been on the national news frequently showing the 500 year flooding (nothing like this has ever been recorded in the history of the record keeping).


We've been blessed and our house is okay (we dodged the bullet twice), but I have friends, customers, and acquaintances that have lost EVERYTHING. Their homes have either washed away, basements collapsed in, or are damaged beyond repair and will have to be torn down.


We had the National Guard posted throughout town, the Red Cross (saints in my opinion), and FEMA here for the last week getting help and financial aid to many. My kids thought it was "cool" to see the soldiers "protecting us from the water". President Bush will be touring the area tomorrow to see the devastation for himself.


My good friend has a customer who has thousands of stamps that were soaking in her basement in the disgusting sewage-laced water for days. If you know any way she, and others, may be able to salvage her stamps, please post you ideas so I can let her know what to try. I think diluted bleach might be okay, but the stamps will have to soak for a while to seep in and kill the nasty bacteria. The effects on the rubber may be too harsh. Please let me know.


Well, sorry to be a "Debbie Downer" posting sad news again. Let me tell you, we are SO READY for nice and DRY weather around here!!!


Now, on to regularly scheduled programming...it's time to stamp and post again!!!!!!!

These SUPER CUTE cards were made by Chari a very talented stamper I met at convention last year. I love her creative ways of blocking out the greeting and using embellishments. Thanks Chari!!!

I'll be getting some stamping time in and plan on posting soon. STAY TUNED...

Have you sent someone special a card lately?

Deb

Nature's Fury.

Hello Everyone.

I know I wasn't going to post for a few weeks, but I wanted to post and ask for your prayers.

Sunday afternoon and evening, we had tornadoes rip through our part of the state, one of them being categorized an F5 (the worst category with winds over 200mph). This tornado measured up to 1.2 miles wide and traveled for 43 miles across three counties. Over 400 homes were completely destroyed, over 200 were damaged badly, and the high school is pretty much gone. As we were seeking shelter in our basement, the small town of Parkersburg was almost wiped off the map.

These storms hit very close to home only a few miles away. I know families who had their homes literally blown away while they were in the basement being thrown against brick walls like rag dolls, stoves were crashing down only inches from their children hiding in the basement, and metal pipes, cars, glass and everything imaginable were flying in the air all around them. Debris has been found as far away as Wisconsin! Here is the link so you can see the damage if you wish to.
http://www.kcci.com/video/16395381/ (it takes a minute or two to load)
http://www.kcci.com/slideshow/weather/16393589/detail.html

Devastation comes in all forms and sizes from Hurricane Katrina to small town Iowa, and the Red Cross is always there to help. If you wish to make a contribution our local Red Cross that was there to help only minutes after the storm hit, here is the address:

I hope you are all safe and Mother Nature is being kind to you. If you live in an area that can have tornadoes, please take a few minutes and come up with a family plan if case you're ever in the same situation. If the weather is threatening, please prepare batteries, water, flashlights, cell phones, radios, thick sole shoes (for walking after the storm on glass and debris), bike helmets to protect your heads, if you have small children put them tightly in their car seats (take the seats out of the cars and take them downstairs), thick blankets to cover from flying glass and wood/metal shards flashlights, purses/wallets and so on. There isn't any time to prepare once the sirens go off, so be prepared beforehand. Just run and seek shelter.

It's times like these that make us realize how precious life is, and everything else is replaceable. Take some time to reflect and appreciate all you have in life and hug those you care about.

See you again in June.
Deb

Life.

I haven't forgotten about you all, life is just getting in the way of my having fun.

My son had a nasty flu bug that lingered for a week, then I got the nasty bug that wiped me out for almost a week. Then to top it off, we've had TONS of rain here and water seeped into our basement storage room and we didn't know it until over a week later (we don't go in our storage room often). Our basement has never had water before, so we had no reason to worry or check anything, well now we know differently. YUCK!

On the bright side of things, we all seem to be healthy now and I'm embracing this whole storage room fiasco. I'm going through every box and getting rid of a lot of stuff via a garage sale in tow weeks and the garbage. I really like organizing things and getting out my label maker, ask any one of my friends and they'll agree. :)

Now, as I look at my calendar, I realize that our family is going into what I call "crazy season." School ends in a few weeks, dance practices and recitals, both kids have birthdays and parties coming up, swimming, tennis and t-ball lessons...and so on. I think what I need to do is take a blogging break for about a month and get the summer "crazy season" off to a start. About mid-June, things should be calming down, I'll be able to get to my stamp desk again (it's buried in storage room stuff), and I'll come back to blogging. I enjoy it too much to stop. :)

So, I'll see you again mid-June.

Have you sent someone special a card lately???

Deb

Flowers and Ink Inspired.

Okay, I'm still trying to learn how to make sketches. This time, I couldn't get a frame around the image I created. Over time, I hope to get it.

This sketch is totally inspired/cased by a card http://flowersandink.blogspot.com/ Flowers and Ink's Christina Fischer created. She gets total credit for my sketch today. I love her style; so clean and beautiful!!! Be sure to link to her blog and see the beautiful card she created. :)

I have cards to show you, however we had to send our new camera in to have a 'goobie' removed from the mirror' thingy'. Anyhooo, I don't have much to show you today since I don't have a camera this week.

I'm also going to be busy this week making swaps for my trip to Milwaukee this weekend. My upline and three of us are headed to SU regionals and I can't wait. I love seeing everything and everyone. The creativity at these events is awe-inspiring!!! In the next weeks I'll be showing you the many swaps and goodies I receive. :)

Have you sent someone special a card lately???

Deb

Stunt Show Dreams.

Funny story.

When we went to Orlando in February, we spent two days at the Magic Kingdom. The first day was at the Magic Kingdom followed by a day at MGM Hollywood Studios. The theme this year at the parks is "Year of One Million Dreams," so you hear a lot about your dreams coming true.

Well, as we were leaving Magic Kingdom, my three-year-old son and I have this conversation:

son: "Mom, did your dreams come true today?"

me: "Yes, they did. Did yours?"

son: very matter-of-factly, "No, not yet. They will when I see the car and motorcycle stunt show tomorrow."

Needless to say, after the stunt show the next day he was telling us and those around us "His dreams just came true!" IT WAS SO FUNNY AND CUTE!!!

Are you living your dreams?

Okay, subject change. I made todays cards with the SU set Live Your Dreams. It's a nice and versatile set that can be used for many occasions. All of the supplies are current and can be found in the catalog and Occasions Mini. If you want specific colors and supplies used, let me know. I know the pictures are dark.

Have a great weekend and send someone special a card today.

What's in Your Mailbox???

What's in my mailbox??? I wish I could say something exciting, but it seems that all we ever get is junk mail. I signed up for some list that was supposed to limit my junk mail, but I haven't seen any results of it yet, and sadly probably never will.
Gladly, this little mailbox will never see any junk mail. This cute little mailbox is from Target. I wish I had gotten another one, but these things always seem to go fast. The supplies are all SU, some current and some retired, but you get the idea. I had fun doing this little project, and I usually don't care for altering too much. This went fast and painless, and I'm generally pleased with the results.
Have you seen the new SU InColors for next year??? They are very bright, tropical and fun, I'm excited to see them in person. Splitcoast Stampers has a link to a few blogs showing the new colors, be sure to check it out. They resemble a peacock blue, kiwi green, light Cool Caribbean'ish blue, bright orange, old Rocket Red'ish (if you remember that from long ago) and a pretty light pink. I'm excited to see the pink in person-I'm not a big fan of Pretty In Pink; it's dated and too bright. Can you imagine the wonderful ribbons and papers that they will release too?!?!?!??! I also read that SU will be releasing a straight scallop punch to use on the edges of paper; no more using a corner punch along the side of your paper. Yippee!!! My dear friend and upline is on the cruise now and I can't wait until she gets back and tells me all of the scoop. :)
That's it for today, have a great week!!!
Have you sent someone special a card today???
Deb

Backgrounders.

What can I say other than "I love background stamps!!!" I have many of the SU ones, both retired and current, and I have quite a collection of Cornish Heritage Farm EZ Mount Backgrounders too. Sometimes, I can't find a designer paper that trips my trigger, however I always know that I'll have a background stamp that will work. Easy as Pie!!!
This card uses 'A Light Unto My Path' by SU as well as SU ribbon, inks and cardstock. The Woodgrain background is from CHF stamped in River Rock-very subtle.
So stampers, I challenge you to get out your background stamps and see what you can come up with.

edited to add...

...whoops, I'm trying to figure out how to put a signature on the blog without the square frame thingy...oh well, you get the idea for now. :)

Let the Grilling Season Start...

...or maybe NOT!!!
It all started out as an innocent idea. The weather today hit about 50 degrees, so hey why not grill some burgers. We are all so ready for spring here since it has been such a nightmare-ish winter. I was outside taking the Christmas garland off our railing (I figured that since Easter was two days ago, and the snow is pretty much gone now in most areas, it was time) and thought I would grill while I was outside with the kids. I saw on tv once that you can turn the heat up on high to burn off any goobers on your grill burners. I also thought this would be a good way to freshen the burners up after a long winter.
Well...WRONG!!! I lit up the grill and after a few minutes (as I was removing the garlands) my daughter states, "Mom, look at all of the smoke and flames." She is usually a loud child, but for some crazy reason, she says this so matter-of-factly that I was shocked. SO, without showing how totally freaked out I was to see the black smoke and flames shooting out of the bottom of our Weber Gold. I know not to open the lid and let in more air, I know not to pour water on a grease fire, so that means get the FIRE EXTINGUISHER!!! Holy crap, do I remember how to use one of these things??? Well, I rip the whole thing out of the wall (including the holder, screws and some dry wall) run back outside and burst a few shots of powder on the fire. As I'm doing this I'm thinking "What are the neighbors thinking???" The fire goes out and there is white powder everywhere. I guess grilled burgers are out of the question tonight.
I call my husband and tell him to "nix the burgers from the grocery store, the grill was on fire."
As it turns out, the grill wasn't degreased when we last grilled. So of course it would start a fire. That would have been nice to know before I started this whole ordeal.
So tonight I think I'll try some yoga to mellow out. Okay maybe not yoga, how about a card with yoga on it. I guess I'll 'Take a Deep Breath' and try grilling again in the future-as long as I have my fire extinguisher handy and my husband has degreased the burners.
The super cute images are from My Favorite Things stamp company. The ribbon, cardstock and black brads are from SU. The flower die cut is from Cuttlebug, and I can't remember who designed the decorative paper.
I hope you all have better luck grilling this season.
Have you sent someone special a card lately???
Deb

She's All That!!!

Who's all that you may ask??? Julie B. that is.

Julie created these SUPER CUTE cards using the SU set 'She's All That'. I love the different looks and occasions you can achieve using this set and different embellishments. Thanks Julie!!!

I most likely won't be posting until after Easter since I'll be busy with family and a birthday party this weekend.

I hope you have a pleasant Easter. It might snow here. At least our Easter eggs will be dyed and will show up in the white snow. :) "Hey kids, put your snow pants and parkas on, it's time to go outside and hunt for eggs in the snow." Just kidding, our kids will be hunting inside this year. Bummer. Oh well, Easter isn't all about eggs and chocolate.

Have you sent someone special a card today?

Deb

Friendly Flowers Everywhere!!!

How cute are these cards??? They were made by my good friend Dena. She's a SU goddess and just earned the cruise to Hawaii next year- solely based on sales! That's amazing!

Dena created these super cute cards using the set Friendly Flowers available in the Occasions Mini available this spring. The colors, embellishments and emboss resist look so much better and brighter in person. I've had a hard time taking pictures lately since it 's been so dreary around here. I need a better set up to take pictures, oh well.

Once again, I encourage you to get out your most cherished embellishments and USE THEM!!! Also, have you had a chance to make any cards using my Sketch Challenge #1? Give it a try and see what you come up with.

Have a great week and send someone special a card today!

Another Great Essence of Love Sample.

Thanks Liz!!!

Have you sent someone special a card today?

Here is a Better Version of BMSC#1

Inaugural Blue Moon Sketch Challenge.

Thanks to Jen del Muro for her help getting me started with the sketch challenges. Be sure and check out her blog at http://iheart2stamp.com/ and see her awesome sketch challenges and fantastic cards.

This sketch challenge looked better in Word, so as time goes on I'll learn how to tweak things for a more polished look. :) In the mean time, please use this and see what you come up with. As you create cards using this template, please send me a jpg picture and I'll post it. Use the name BMSC#1 in the title and I'll know where to post it.

I'm still having problems with posting more than one picture. I get kicked off the broadband connection for some reason. I'll keep chugging away at it and hopefully I'll be able to post more pictures in the near future.

Have fun and I hope to see your cards soon.

Have you sent someone special a card lately???

Deb

Does Anybody Know....

...how to post sketches in a blog?


I have a few sketches to share and post, but I cannot figure out how to post it on to Blogger. What program do you use? Word, PSE, a drawing program or something else? I have a sketch created in Word, but Blogger won't let me cut a paste. I can't get the sketch converted into a jpg as it was created in Word and is seen as a text document and not jpg. If you know how this is done, please post you e-mail address under comments and I'll contact you. I would love to post sketch challenges for you, but can't figure it out. GGrrrrrrr.

In the mean time, here is a beautiful card made by a stamper I met at convention. Liz, created some beautiful cards using Essence of Love from the SU Occasions Mini Catalog. Be sure to check back for more samples and maybe even a sketch challenge.

Have you sent someone special a card today???

Deb

Why Me???????

Okay stampers. I've been trying for days to upload cards and everytime I do, I lose the images and get kicked off the broadband connection. AAUUGGHH!!!!! I'm trying to post a couple of times a week and not having any luck. Please keep checking back and I'll have my husband get things squared away for me. Stay tuned...

In the mean time...

Have you sent someone special a card today???

Deb

Life is Beautiful.

Yes, Life is Beautiful, even with the winter we've had.

Okay, I seem to be ready to blog again. Between our family vacation, catching up and computer issues, I hope to be able to post more regularly again. I've been able to get some stamping done lately, however it has been for swaps and mass production. I'm done with swaps for a while, or at least until regionals in Milwaukee approach.

This card was fast and easy! The pink is from Bazzill and is from their textured line, the black and white CS is from SU. The ribbon and white rub-ons are also from SU. I actually used the rub-0n on the black ribbon-amazing!!! Rub-Ons are amazing little creatures. I honestly can say that they aren't my favorite creative medium, however they are gaining my respect due to their amazing versatility and ease-of-use. BUT, I seem to have sporadic luck with them when it comes to the image coming out unscathed. I've worked with rub-ons for many years way back when I taught craft classes, and they have improved over the years, but I still really don't care for them. I always seem to have an issue and then the whole image is ruined (which can be fixed with an eraser). Anyhooo, yes I'll continue to own rub-ons, yes I'll keep using them (sometimes), yes I think they are pretty, yes I think they are super versatile....but they will never be my craft medium of choice. I hope you have better luck with them than I do. :)

Have a great week and I'll post again in a couple of days.

Have you sent someone special a card today???

Deb

We're Out'ta Here!!!

Greetings Stampers.
Sorry for the long absence, we decided to get out of here and go somewhere warm for seven days. Thinking it was time to introduce the kids to the wonders of Disney World, why not go to FLORIDA!!! Yes, we escaped the white snow for the white sand of Siesta Key Beach and Disney. Aaaahhhh heavenly bliss. We had a great time, but I feel as though I've neglected my lovely blogging friends. I'll be posting again as soon as I get the suitcases unpacked and house duties caught up-say about Monday or so. :)
Have a great weekend, get some stamping done, and be sure to check back soon.
Have you sent someone special a card lately???
Stamp On Sisters!!!
Deb

Our House Was Under Seige...

...with the FLU. It's been a rotten couple of weeks, but we've all had the flu and hopefully we're all done now. Now on to the fun stuff!

These are the swaps I did last month to send out to a group of sweet ladies I met at convention last summer. I really like this stamp set, but making these swaps about killed me and I only had to make 36. I was in the middle of a creative funk and had a hard time coming up with something. When I was done, I realized that all of my cards basically used the same template. Grrrrr. But they were done and there was no going back.

For some FRUSTRATING reason I can't get the text at the top of the post before the pictures. Sometimes Blogger really drives me crazy!!!

Anyhooooo, I hope you've had a chance to get some stamping done and manage to stay healthy. I'm heading to BUNCO tonight to get out of house. If you haven't had the chance to get together with friends, drink a beer, and play BUNCO, you're really missing out. It's a hoot!!!

Have you sent anyone special a card today???

Stamp On Sisters!!!

Deb

Flu.

Hi Stampers.
I haven't forgotten about you. I have tons to post and show you, however the flu is going through our family and my time is limited. As soon as everyone is healthy and I have a minute to myself, I'll be sure and post.
Have you sent someone special a card today?
Stamp On Sisters!

Need Some Inspiration???

Greetings Stampers!!! I hope you are enjoying the weather where you are, because we're getting lots of snow and VERY frigid below zero temperatures. It's the perfect day to stamp!!!
I worked on my blog this morning and added a ton of new blog links that are some of my favorites. Please check them out when you have a few minutes, I guarantee you'll be inspired.
Also, be sure to check back tomorrow as I'll be posting a card. With the weather being so crummy, I've had quite a bit of time to stamp.
Have you sent someone special a card lately?
Stamp On Sisters!!!

Hey Cupcake.

Hey Cupcake... How cute are these stamps??? I normally don't do images that are so 'cutesie' but this set from Cornish Heritage Farms was too 'cute' to pass up. Be sure to check out their website to see the whole Kim Hughes set. http://www.cornishheritagefarms.com/index.php/cPath/376 They also have great background stamps!!!

Other supplies used are SU cardstock, Cuttlebug swirls embossing folder, MM brads, SU Word Window Punch, the greeting is from AMuse, May Arts ribbon, Copic Markers, Hybrid ink, and finally Copic Spica glitter pens for the little hearts. Be sure to click on the image to enlarge it and see the details.

I had to laugh when my daughter saw this card; she said she "wanted to eat it all up." I guess in the eyes of a six year old, that's a sign of approval. I hope to be able to get some stamping done this week as we are expecting two big snowstorms in the next four days. I love stamping when the weather is crummy. :)

Have you sent someone special a card lately?

Stamp On Sisters!!!

Dig Out Your Favorite Embellishments!!!

I've had some time to do some stamping lately, and have been able to come up with some creations.

I'll admit, I'm not a fan of SU's Groovy Guava, but I really like it when it's paired with Ruby Red and the new Designer Papers. Embrace Life is the stamp set used, and the greeting is from Endless Creations. I used my Crop-A-Dile to create the little embossed dots along the botton of the card. Copic markers, SU chipboard, jumbo eyelets, guava colored ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon, and the Giga Scallop Punch were used to complete the card.

It sounds like a lot of materials, but I've decided to actually use my supplies, and not hold on to them for a rainy day. Do you do that? If so, get them out and use them!!! I guarantee you'll have fun seeing what you come up with. It's also a great way to inspire you to think outside the box if you've been in a funk lately.

I hope this card has inspired you to dig out your embellishments and use them. Have a great day!

Have you sent someone special a card lately?

Stamp On Sisters!!!

Life is Full of Infinite Goodness.

Greetings stampers.

This week I finally had some time to sit a stamp a bit. The first card uses the SU set 'Infinite Goodness' which is a level 2 hostess set this season. I love the rustic charcoal-like sketches in this set, the lend themselves to watercoloring very well. If you click on the image to enlarge it, you'll see that the blueberries have a touch of purple in them, that happened when I lifted off some of the watercolor Brocade Blue ink off of them. it was a nice surprise. The cardstock is SU textured Wild Wasabi, and Bazzill caramel colors. Watercolor paper was used for the image, and it was embossed using a rectangle Spellbinder die. The striped designer paper is from MME (I think) in one of there little matte packets. Finally I sanded the edges of the designer paper and tied a vanilla taffeta ribbon knot on the side. Many times when I make a card, I don't put a sentiment or greeting on it until I decide to use it. I like having the flexibility when I need a card to send, so I'll put the greeting on it at a later date when I use the card.

The second picture is of our son who fell asleep under his bed the other day. He was having a bit of a meltdown, and when I went to check on him, he had fallen asleep under there. There are days around here that I wish I could crawl under my bed and sleep too. :)

My new catalog order should arrive next Monday, I hope to get some time in to dig in and see what I can come up with. Have a great week stampers and I'll post again soon.

Have you sent someone special a card lately?

Stamp On Sisters!!!

Two Cups of Friendship.

I like to think that there are always two cups of coffee on my table ready to be shared over good conversation and maybe some card making of course. I'm really not a coffee drinker per se, but it's the thought that counts, right? :)
Sorry the image is so poor, I don't have a very good light source today. If you click on the picture, you'll be able to see the details better. The mug stamp is from AMuse, the background is from Cornish Heritage Farms, the oval shadow is from Memory Box, and the greeting is from Wordsworth. I filled in the mug with Copic Spica Glitter Pens (LOVE 'EM), the ribbon is from my LSS, the black glitter brads that barely show are from Oriental Trading, and the other materials are from SU. The card is simple, quick and useful for many occasions regarding friendship.
I preordered my Stampin' Up! Sale-A-Bration stamp sets this morning and they are too cute!!! Tomorrow is also the day when we can all begin ordering from the new SU Spring and Summer Collection. I love so many of the new images in the collection. The new felt flowers are also calling my name. :) It will be fun to see what everyone comes up with using the new images and accessories.
I hope you all had a nice and safe New Years. I spent my evening creating my new blog banner and layout. My husband had to work early today, so he and the kids were all in bed at 9 or a little after. It was so quiet and peaceful last night. It gave me some time to get a few things done and reflect on the year to come. Do you do resolutions? I only do simple things, nothing real life changing. This year I resolve to: use coupons more to save more money, spend less, go on date nights with my hubby more often, maintain the house chores (I may need to get out my Fly Lady schedule again), sent cards to people more often, and of course, STAMP MORE!!! We'll see how I do. I don't stress out about these things too much, my resolutions are just things I need to get int he habit of doing again.
Well, speaking of resolutions, my house needs a little attention now so I can give my stamps a little attention tonight after my family goes to bed.
Have you sent someone special a card lately?
Stamp On Sisters!!!
Deb

Embrace Life in 2008!!!

Greetings from the frozen midwest. I hope everyone has been enjoying the holidays and taking some time to stamp and relax. I've had a NASTY cold and have been doing nothing. Maybe in the next day or so, I'll get some creating done.
This card was created using Stampin' Up!'s new stamp set "Embrace Life". It lends itself to watercoloring and shading very well. The paper is from MME (I think), the ribbon is from RABOM, the hardware is HodgePodge from SU, and the square is cut and embossed from a Nestabilities die (that doesn't show up well in the picture). I don't remember who the 'Thanks' is by and can't check at this moment. If you want to know, please post and ask. :)
Finally, as I was finishing up the card and watercoloring the stems Wasabi, my finger touched the ink pad, and of course then my card. I would have done it over again, but the Wasabi was the very last thing I did, and...oh well. Adds character, right?
Well, my kids have strewn PlayDoh all over, and they need my attention to help clean up. I think I may get out their stamps and have them do some creative activities to occupy the time.
Have you sent someone special a card lately?
Stamp On Sisters!!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR and BLESSINGS IN 2008!

Paper Pinecone Ornaments.

What a week this has been. I've been baking, baking, baking, and baking some more. My early Christmas present was a Kitchen Aid Pro Series 5 stand mixer. I'm not very good at making cookies, but I swear the mixer helps. I had good results for the first time in years.
Well, this ornament was one I made last year with friends. The color combinations are endless, all depending on what 12 x 12 papers you have. Amanda Sewell has a tutorial on her fantastic blog, that I linked up for you. Click on this http://inkspirations.blogspot.com/search?q=pinecone+ for instructions. She has the prettiest creations! I encourage you to give this a try. They are inexpensive, easy and fun to create.
I may not get a post in before Christmas, so I'd like to wish you all a wonderful Christmas and New Year.
Have you sent someone special a card lately?
Stamp On Sisters!!! :)

Winter Beauty.

Greetings Stampers and Scrappers.
I will post a card tomorrow, but I thought I'd share the frosty beauty we all woke up to this morning. This is the garland that we have on our front banister outside. The frost was so beautiful, and covered everything. Days like this don't happen very often around here, so I had to capture the beauty before it was gone.
Have a wonderful day.
Deb

YUMMY!!!!!!

Covered Bridge Inn French Toast

Mix in sauce pan on medium until becomes syrup and pour into 9x13 greased pan:
1 T. Karo
1 cup Brown sugar
1/2 cup butter

Then:
1 loaf French bread sliced in 1 to 1 1/2 inch slices, place flat on syrup.

Mix and pour all over bread:
5 beaten eggs
1 cup milk
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. cinnamon

Cover and place in fridge over night to soak in.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

This recipe is absolutely DELICIOUS. I first had it last year when I visited my best friend in Dallas. We went to a cropping weekend at the Covered Bridge Inn and had this one morning for breakfast. Since then, I've tried to make this every month or so. It's gooey, syrupy, and oh so yummy!!!

Sorry no card today, things have been busy this last week. I'll get some stamping in this week and have something to show you later in the week.

Have you sent someone special a card lately?
Stamp On Sisters!!!

Time (and money) Well Spent.

Warm Winter Greetings Stampers. I hope you are warm and cozy where ever you are. It's cold here and due to snow/sleet/drizzle again. We already have a two inch layer of frozen icy snow on the ground, and today (basically the rest of the week too) we're in for more cruddy weather. I miss summer!!! So, when I'm missing the warm days of June what do I do??? Stamp of course!

This stamp set "Time Well Spent" is the free level 3 stamp set that SU sent us two weeks ago, isn't it refreshing? I love using bright colors when I stamp, and this stamp set easily lends itself to Cutie Pie SU Designer Paper. I used some Stickles to add some bling, and dimensional glue dots for a change. The butterflies are cut out and popped up for a 'realistic' look, and finally I used some SU taffeta ribbon to finish the card. Very simple.

On another note, hopefully my card pictures will improve in the weeks to come. My husband and I bought a Nikon D40x this week. I can't wait to get my hands on it and start playing. The biggest reason we chose the D40x was the speed. We liked how there was no delay between pressing the button and the picture being taken. With so many digital cameras, there is too long of a delay between pressing the button and the image being caught. With kids as fast as ours (as well as every 3 and 6 year old in sports and dance), they are half way around the block by the time the picture is taken. We'll see how it does. If you have one of these, let me know how you like it.

With all of the crazy hub-bub of the holidays, I hope you find some time to get some stamping in. Have you sent someone special a card lately?

Stamp On Sisters!!! :)

Holiday DVD Tin Organizer.

It's that time of the year when I get to make gifts for teachers, friends, and family. I love taking each gift and personalizing it for that person depending on their style. This gift is for my daughter's teacher. She is a wonderful woman who is doing wonders with her class of 24 first graders. I don't know how she keeps her sanity with the lively (but wonderful) group of kids she has this year. Well, at one time she joked about becoming more organized, so I immediately thought about an organizer for a gift.

This is a DVD tin a friend of mine found online. I covered and lined it with SU Designer Papers, I cut the trees and snowflake (Sizzix Originals) out of Bazzill card stock and chipboard (I slid the Bazzill cardstock off the chipboard slightly to create the illusion of snow topped trees), the font is Fruit Smoothie from Sizzix, the ribbon and HodgePodge Hardware is from SU, the white post-it type notes are from Stamp On This, the big paperclip is from WalMart and the big decorative brad is from Spare Parts at Hobby Lobby. Super Sticky Tape, Pop-Up Glue Dots, and Scotch adhesive are the essentials to keeping this organizer together. I'm a firm believer in not going skimpy with the adhesive. Who wants their gift to fall apart from not using enough adhesive-not me. I also debated on whether or not to a little bit of glitter bling or something else, but decided to keep the design clean, simple and uncluttered. I believe Less Is More.

Well, I hope my daughter's teacher finds her gift useful and pretty. I don't think she's a stamper or blog reader, so my gift should still be a surprise for her. Now I just have four more to make for other teachers and friends. :)

Have you made a gift for someone special lately???

Stamp On Sisters!

Kick It Up a Notch!!!

Stampin' Up! has done it again! They graciously sent all of their demonstrators this free Level 3 Hostess set for FREE this week. The set will be released in the new Collection starting Jan 2, 2008.
The set is whimsical and wonderful, with great sayings and images. The first card is the one I made based on the sample SU offered up on the website. Okay, so I don't have professional photography equipment available like they do, but I promise my card is just as colorful. I stepped it up a notch and filled in some of the empty space and trimmed the flower on the edge. I hope this card inspires you too.
Have a great Thanksgiving and see you next week.
Have you sent someone special a card lately?
Stamp On Sisters!

I Know I'm a Little Late But...

Sorry for my long absence. I've been sick and not in the stamping/posting mood. Life seems to never slow down, and then adding a lingering cold to the mix doesn't help. :(

I love these samples using Autumn Apparitions from the SU Mini that will be retiring November 30. These cards are made by a stamper I met at convention. Chari is a sweet lady with tons of stamping talent and creativity.

The Bat Card has a mini Heath Bar in the window. The window was punched simply by lining up the square punch and punching a few times and the black gingham ribbon was run through a Pumpkin Pie ink pad to coordinate it with the paper. SIMPLE! I'll sure miss this Mini catalog when it retires. The papers and images are so clean and fresh! I also LOVE the mini clips Chari used on the Sage Shadow card.

Well, if the weather is cold and windy where you are like it is here, take some time and do some stamping!!! Have you sent someone special a card lately?

Stamp On Sisters!!!

Deb

Sorry for the mixed up picture alignment, Blogger is being a pain today.

Beautiful Stems.

Isn't this card stunning? I was in a Mini swap with my Up-Upline and a few others in her group. Tami Waddell created this fantastic card using all current SU supplies and watercolored the buds on the stem. The card in person is very elegant and soft looking. Be sure to click on it to see the details up close. :)

Sorry it's been a while since I've posted. Fall is here and that means fevers, colds, and sickness in our house; I'm not a fan of fall for this reason. I'm a spring and summer person at heart. Well, now the family is healthy and I've come down with a cold-bummer. Anyhoo, I would like to get some therapeutic stamping done tonight when everyone is asleep, but I get so tired when I'm sick that may not happen. I stamped last week and had awful results-very gawdy cards. My mojo was way off

I hope you are all having a nice weekend and getting some stamping done. Hobbies are so therapeutic, and what 's better than having a hobby that others can enjoy too. Have you sent someone special a card today?

Stamp On Sisters!!!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween Stampers!
This is what my son thought of the lion face I drew on him for Halloween. Needless to say, it didn't last long. Oh well. My daughter was Hannah Montana, and she really worked it. Hollywood better watch out! :)
Have you sent someone special a card today?
Stamp On Sisters!

Happy Boo-Day to You!!!

Hello Everyone, I hope you're enjoying the fall weather you're having and getting some stamping time in.
This is CUTE swap card I received at convention back in July. The stamper didn't put her name on the card, so I can't give her credit. Sorry. The supplies are all current SU products, however, my friends and I don't know what she used to make the subtle star punch-like images. I also don't know what she used to make the pumpkin scalloped frame. It may have been a Sizzix die, or she just made a perfect scallop using the corner punch, I couldn't tell. Things like that don't bother me since the card is so cute and lends itself to great inspiration. That's what blogging is all about... inspiration. The ideas that most stampers post are to inspire you and give you a place to jump off from when making your own card. So, take this cute card from ??? and use it to create something that's your own creation. :)
Have you sent someone special a card today? I have to send out 6 cards today, I better get going.
Stamp On Sisters!!!

A True Friend.

How many 'True Friends' do you have in your life? I am blessed to have a select few that I truly trust and respect. I'm happy to say that many of my 'True Friends' are stampers and share the same creative passions I do. The others that don't stamp love that I do and appreciate the creative process and enjoyment (and sanity) this hobby brings to my life. So, take a minute today and send your 'True Friend' (or friends) a card expressing how you feel about them and how much you appreciate them

Okay, todays card is all current SU products found in the Collection and Holiday Mini. The stamp set is called "True Friend" and can be found in the Mini. Be sure to click on the image to see it up close for details. I also enamel embossed the chipboard blossom after I inked it up with various craft inks in earth tones. Those details are hard to see. After I finished the card I decided it would have been nice to stamp a subtle background image on the rust cardstock to give it a little more appeal, but oh well. I would rather have a clean card than a cluttered card.

Have a nice weekend everyone and I'll check back in in a few days.

Have you sent someone special a card today???

Stamp On Sisters!!!

I'm in Denial.

Greetings Stampers!
Okay, I'll admit that I'm in denial that it's autumn and winter is coming. I love spring and summer and this is evident in the colors I chose for this card. It's so 'springy' isn't it? I like autumn colors, but bright colors are my favorite to work with.
The ribbon is black velvet from Ribbons and Bows Oh My and the paper is all SU. The image is from the Hero Arts acrylic collection, and a backgrounder from Cornish Heritage Farms. I finished it off with a little bit of Stickles for some bling. If you click on the image you will be able to see it better. :)
Have a great autumn day and stamp something 'springy'.
Stamp On Sisters!!!

FINALLY, I'M BACK!!!!

It took FOREVER, but I'm finally back!!! Tell your friends and pass it on, that BLUE MOON IS BACK!!!

I'm so excited to be back! It was a very tedious process, and I was very particular in making sure that everything made it over to my new user, that it took me a little longer than expected. I always worry about losing things forever on my computer; yes, it's a hang up of mine, I'll admit. Anyhoo, I finally got some stamping done over the last week and will be posting those creations in the coming days. This whole computer thing put me in a real bad stamping funk, but that's finally passed. Yippee!!! So here is what I came up with, I hope it inspires you to do some stamping and see what you can come up with. All of the materials used are from the current Holiday Mini from Stampin' Up!.

Have you sent someone special a card today?

Stamp On Sisters!!!

World Card Making Day!!!

Happy World Card Making Day!!!!

Take some time out of your busy schedule today and make a few cards to send to someone special.

Have a wonderful weekend!
Stamp On Sisters!!!

ps I'm still working on my virus issues, don't give up on me yet. All of my Blue Moon uploads are under my infected user, so I can't get to them yet. hang in there. :)

I'm recovering from a virus.

Sorry Stampers for my LONG absence, I've had a virus; my computer had a virus that is. It's been a real pain and is taking me forever to get things back to normal. Everything I had on my screen name is in the process of being checked and moved over to a new screen name. When I'm done doing that, my husband has to do some more checking and then remove everything on the infected side. No worries for all of you, your computer is safe from my virus.
Anyhoo, I wanted to check in with you and apologize. Please stick with me and check back later this week, maybe Thurs or Fri.
In the meantime, go and do some stamping and see what you come up with. Autumn is such a wonderful time to do some stamping. The beauty outdoors is such an inspiration to create beauty on paper.
Have you sent someone special a card today?
Stamp On Sisters!!!

Okay Ladies...

Okay Ladies, no one wants to be a guest stamper, no biggie. :) Let's see what I can post today.

This is an absolutely STUNNING piece of framed art that was on display at convention. Be sure to click on the picture to enlarge it and see the elegant details. Framed art can be so easy and inexpensive to do. Many frames can be found in the clearance aisle for one reason or another, so look sometime and see what you can find.

Check out the subtle details using the glitter, ribbon and brads. The monochromatic color scheme is so beautiful and fitting for winter decor. Give it a try, you'll be surprised at how easy stamping framed art can be.

Have you sent someone special a card today?

Stamp On Sisters.

Be A Guest Designer.

Would you like to see a card of yours posted on my blog? If so, create a card you are proud of, mail it to me and you'll be my "Guest Designer" for a day or two. Before I started my blog, I always wanted to see a card of mine on the internet-just for fun. Well, now is YOUR chance!!!

Simply post your e-mail on today's blog entry when you're done with your card and I'll send you my address. Normally I would say to e-mail me a picture of your card, but there are too many computer factors that limit me from doing this. If you want your card back after I post it, stick a self-addressed-stamped-envelope in your card and I'll mail it back to you. Also be sure to put your name on the back of the card so I can be sure and give credit to you on your special day.

So stampers...Let's see what you've got!!! Share your cards with the rest of the Blue Moon Stampers sorority. Have fun, don't stress out over it, and get posted!!!

Have you sent someone special a card lately???

Stamp On Sisters!