Blue Moon Stamping

Retired, but not forgotten...

2009-04-25T12:34:00.002-05:00

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...

2009-01-30T22:00:00.002-06:00

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

2008-09-12T17:15:00.004-05:00

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!

2008-07-30T13:42:00.003-05:00

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...

2008-07-22T13:29:00.003-05:00

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...

2008-07-07T16:41:00.003-05:00

...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.

2008-06-25T21:27:00.002-05:00

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???

2008-06-24T15:56:00.005-05:00

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...

2008-06-18T22:59:00.005-05:00

...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.

2008-05-27T13:46:00.009-05:00

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.

2008-05-04T19:03:00.006-05:00

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.

2008-04-14T13:14:00.005-05:00

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.

2008-04-11T17:56:00.009-05:00

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???

2008-04-03T17:58:00.002-05:00

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.

2008-03-26T22:42:00.008-05:00

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...

2008-03-25T19:33:00.004-05:00

...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!!!

2008-03-21T13:28:00.001-05:00

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!!!

2008-03-20T14:58:00.003-05:00

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.

2008-03-17T21:10:00.001-05:00

Thanks Liz!!!

Have you sent someone special a card today?

Here is a Better Version of BMSC#1

2008-03-17T00:31:00.002-05:00

Inaugural Blue Moon Sketch Challenge.

2008-03-16T19:49:00.000-05:00

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....

2008-03-16T18:06:00.005-05:00

...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???????

2008-03-14T10:48:00.000-05:00

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.

2008-03-11T21:52:00.002-05:00

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!!!

2008-02-29T21:41:00.003-06:00

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...

2008-02-12T16:34:00.001-06:00

...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.

2008-01-31T14:08:00.000-06:00

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???

2008-01-21T13:17:00.001-06:00

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.

2008-01-15T21:31:00.001-06:00

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!!!

2008-01-11T12:10:00.000-06:00

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.

2008-01-10T09:44:00.000-06:00

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.

2008-01-01T13:43:00.000-06:00

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!!!

2007-12-29T15:30:00.000-06:00

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.

2007-12-19T16:09:00.000-06:00

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.

2007-12-17T16:44:00.000-06:00

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!!!!!!

2007-12-09T19:39:00.001-06:00

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.

2007-12-04T09:44:00.000-06:00

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.

2007-11-29T15:26:00.000-06:00

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!!!

2007-11-20T12:31:00.000-06:00

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...

2007-11-16T14:31:00.000-06:00

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.

2007-11-10T12:51:00.000-06:00

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!

2007-11-01T01:03:00.000-05:00

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!!!

2007-10-29T16:00:00.000-05:00

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.

2007-10-26T09:57:00.000-05:00

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.

2007-10-23T12:31:00.000-05:00

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!!!!

2007-10-20T11:52:00.000-05:00

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!!!

2007-10-06T17:13:00.000-05:00

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.

2007-10-02T12:40:00.000-05:00

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...

2007-09-24T15:01:00.000-05:00

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.

2007-09-22T01:33:00.000-05:00

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!

Elegant Beauty.

2007-09-17T10:54:00.000-05:00

Hello ladies, sorry for the long absence.
Todays card was another swap I received at convention. Jaque Henry created this absolutely beautiful card using all current SU materials. I love the finishing touches like the ribbon, rhinestone brad and the shimmer card stock. I wish you could all see the card in person, it's so elegant!
I hope this card inspires you to get out your shimmer card stock and embellishments and see what you can come up with. :)
Have you sent someone special a card today?
Stamp On Sisters!
Deb

Simply Stunning.

2007-09-11T16:59:00.000-05:00

Hello fellow stampers, I hope you are all doing well.
Today's card was a swap I received from a sweet woman I met at convention through my upline. Liz Price created this simply stunning card using Artfully Asian and the Three For You Punch. I love the colors, the layout, and the finishing touches like the brads and ribbon. Liz is VERY talented and it shows through this beautiful card. Don't you agree?
Well, I'm heading to the Art Store to go and pick up some Copic markers. I wish I didn't love them so much, but they are worth it!
Have you sent someone special a card today?
Stamp On Sisters!!!

Snow Burst Sparkles.

2007-09-08T00:32:00.000-05:00

Hi Stampers. I only have a minute so I'll be quick.
This card uses Snow Burst, Purely Pomegranate and Basic Gray, Taffeta White ribbon and silver brads. I finished off the snowflakes by placing tiny dots of silver ink from the Zig Painty in the tips of the flakes. It adds just a little pop and sparkle.
All of the supplies I used are current Stampin' Up! items and can be found in the current collection and new Holiday Mini Catalog. The Zig Painty is absolutely fantastic. It has both silver and gold ink and doesn't clog!!! Give it a try, I guarantee you'll love the results.
Have a wonderful weekend. Remember Grandparent's Day is Sunday!!!
Have you sent someone special a card today?
Stamp On Sisters!!!

Thanks for the Inspiration.

2007-09-04T14:27:00.000-05:00

Here is an example of how to use another card for inspiration. I received the 'Batty For You' card as a swap at convention. I loved the card Tracy Sytsma made so much, I used it as inspiration for my 'Snow Burst' card. Thanks Tracy for the great swap!!!

What cards can you use for inspiration? All you have to do is change the stamp set, colors, and maybe the layout a bit, and you're ready to create. Swapping and sharing ideas is one of the best things about stamping. I love to see when someone sees a project I've done and uses it as inspiration to create something they're proud of. Jan 'Tink' http://stampspaperscissors.typepad.com/stamps_paper_scissors/ used a project I did with my upline and used it for inspiration to create something really cute. I was honored she looked at my blog and found something she liked. I hope I inspired you today.

Did you send someone special a card today?

Stamp On Sisters!!!

Deb

A Debbie Original.

2007-08-30T16:56:00.000-05:00

Yes, this is a "Debbie Original." So many times I use wonderful samples from other stampers for inspiration, but hopefully my card will inspire you instead this time around. Sorry the picture is so bad, my lighting was less than desirable.
All of the materials used or current SU items. Snowburst, Stem Sayings and Ginormous Flowers were the stamp sets used. The SnowBlossom punch was also used to add some pop. Purely Pomegranate, Wild Wasabi, So Saffron and Whisper White are the colors used. Double Stitched ribbon, Dimensionals and a green rhinestone brad were used to embellish and give the card some dimension. Finally, I clipped 'grass' along the bottom edge. This is actually a small note pad that I will be using as my shoebox swap at my next upline meeting.
I have an assignment for you. Take a stamp set and use it as something other than it's intended use. For example; I used the Snowburst stamp set as a flower, not a snowflake. Have fun and think outside the box, you may surprise yourself. Now instead of having a stamp set that I'll use just in the winter, I can now use Snowburst in the spring and summer as a flower set too. Consider it ...ummmm...economical. Yes, now you can justify buying Snowburst since it can be used all year around now. :)
Have a wonderful day. Have you sent someone special a card today?
Stamp On Sisters!!!
Deb

Conventions Behind the Scenes.

2007-08-29T15:05:00.000-05:00

Lets see if I can figure out how to post three pictures and not have it all cattywhompus (a midwest saying I guess). Okay, maybe not, so bear with me.

These are my two convention swaps. I made about 140 of the swaps and received some fantastic swaps in return. The other picture is of myself (in the shirt with stripes), my friend and upline Dena, and Shelli. Shelli is so kind and generous. The three of us talked for about five minutes after awards night. I was really impressed with how organized the convention was. As a child/teen/college student, my dad's job was as the National Director of Convention and Training Services for an international real estate company. Every year my dad worked months and months getting everything ready for the convention and doing tons of training and public speaking. Anyhoo, I grew up going to conventions and saw first-hand how much time and effort goes into a convention behind the scenes. I remember his numerous staff and hotel meetings, attendee/crowd issues, bill reviews and swollen feet at the end of the day. I have a real appreciation for conventions and the HARD work that goes into them and making sure everyone has a great time. SU's convention was so much fun and worth every minute of the 12hour drive time to get there. :)

I hope you find a minute to get some stamping done today.

Have you sent someone special a card today?

Stamp On Sisters!!!

Deb

Glittery Garden Whimsy.

2007-08-27T22:46:00.000-05:00

I received this card as a swap at convention and I wanted to share it with all of you. Carol S. (I don't know if she wants her name put on the web, so I'll abbreviate all swapper names from now on) made this FANTASTIC card. I love the Dazz Diamonds that step up the whimsy of the butterfly. SU also has some great designer papers and ribbons that add the finishing touch and balance out the card. If you're out there Carol...I LOVE YOUR CARD!!!

I've been stamping a lot lately. I designed some new cards using sets out of the Holiday Mini. I'll be posting those cards in the nest week or so. My husband also put together some cupboards for my stamp room. Everything FINALLY has a place to go and BE PUT AWAY. I have a hard time creating when my supplies are all over my desk and not where they belong. I'll post pictures sometime too. This improvement is big for me. My stamp area is half of my laundry room and this will look so much nicer and be very functional. I've been spending hours getting things moved (I had everything in the little drawer carts on wheels before) over and putting TONS of stuff in the stamp garage sale box. Organizing things is something I like to do, and this has been a fun chore. :)

Please be sure to check back thiws week for new posts and ideas to hopefully inspire you.

Have you sent someone special a card today?

Stamp On Sisters!!!

Deb

Baroque Windows.

2007-08-19T20:44:00.000-05:00

Baroque Windows...get it??? Haha, sorry I couldn't resist the corny pun.
Well, this card was made by one of the wonderful stamping ladies I was introduced to at convention. Kaylene Murray made this as her swap and I love it! It has clean lines and beautiful colors. The card would also look fantastic done in muted spring colors for a wedding card. Thanks Kaylene for the great swap!!!
I hope you all have a wonderful week. School starts here Wednesday, so I look forward to having a little more time to do some stamping of my own soon. Yippee!!!
Have you sent someone special a card today?
Stamp On Sisters!!!
Deb

Like Butter.

2007-08-16T09:30:00.000-05:00

The Crop-A-Dile is a WONDERFUL tool!!! At convention we made these tins out of the kits we received in our bags. The C is supposed to be for 'Cards', but I decided to wait to label it just yet. Anyhoo, we simply took our Crop-A-Dile and punched two little holes in the top of the tin and it went through like cutting through butter with a warm knife-click, click, lace up the ribbon handles, and you're done. I was SO EASY!!! I really like this idea and will use all of my other tins for various gifts and such.

I hope this project inspired you as much as it has inspired me to see what all I can punch with my Crop-A-Dile.

Have you sent someone special a card today?

Stamp On Sisters!!!

Don't Dilly Dally...Get Stamping!!!

2007-08-14T14:27:00.000-05:00

Hello fellow stampers. Sorry for the absence, I've been without Internet for days, and I'm trying to catch up.
This another no-name swap I received at convention. Again, if it's yours let me know and I'll include your name on the post. :) Anyhoo, it uses the super cute Dilly Dally sets and wheel from the SU catalog. I really like the clean lines of the images and card.
So ladies, don't Dilly Dally around, get out your stamps and see what you can create!!!
Have you sent someone special a card today?
Stamp On Sisters!
Deb

Thinking Of You.

2007-08-10T00:47:00.000-05:00

Okay, okay...so many are getting tired of the whole circle trend that has taken over lately. However, how can you not like circles when you see this card? I received this as a swap at convention and unfortunately the swapper didn't put her name on the back, so I can't give her credit for her awesome card. Bummer. If this card is yours, let me know and I'll give credit where credit is due. :)

I love the clean lines and crisp colors of this card. The colors So Saffron, Bashful Blue and Mellow Moss are all light and bright lending the card easily for a birthday card. All materials used are in the current SU catalog.

I hope this card inspires you as much as it has inspired me to see what I can come up with.

Have you sent someone special a card today?

Stamp On Sisters!!!

Convention Pictures.

2007-08-06T12:39:00.001-05:00

Here we are in all of our self-portrait glory on our way to go and start swapping and hit the Momento Mall. This is Dena my upline (and great friend) and myself (I'm the one in the solid Groovy Guava shirt). Needless to say we had a great time!!! Dena has been a demo for about 8 years, so she knows many other demos that were there. I met her friends from California and Colorado, and they were fantastic-so fun and nice! The swapping was so worth it. I only swapped about 140 cards, Dena swapped over 600! We both have some beautiful samples for inspiration that I will be posting over time.
As Convention went on, I was always impressed with SU and their staff. Derek, Jaron, Shiloh, Carrie, Amy, and the various other staffers were working their tails off, but always had the time to chat with you. I also had the pleasure to talk with Shelli and I must say, she is one of the most personable people you will ever meet. SU is a great company to be associated with because of their honest business values and how much they value their demos and customers input. Can you imagine keeping over 40,000 women demonstrators happy and content? SU really does care.
Well, I should go and get some stamping done. I have tons of inspiration and motivation, now I just need the time.
Have you sent someone special a card today?
Stamp On Sisters!!!

Computer Issues!!!

2007-08-01T21:52:00.000-05:00

My computer is in need of some serious help. It's starting to act funny and I think it is on the verge of crashing. Until things are resolved, I won't be able to post (boohoo). As soon as I can, I will be back online sharing all of the WONDERFUL things I learned, experienced and swapped at convention. :) Be sure to check back in about a week or so.
Have you sent someone special a card today?
Stamp On Sisters!!!
Deb

Plan Time to Make a Planner.

2007-07-20T00:06:00.000-05:00

Hello Stampers!!! I'm heading off to the Stampin' Up! Convention on Tues and will be crazy busy getting ready, packing, and oh yeah, completing 130 swaps. So I thought I'd leave you with a project to inspire you to try while I'm gone. I will try to post a few pictures from convention while I'm there, so be sure to check back the middle of next week.
My friend and upline Dena, went on the cruise in April and they made these cute little planners out of white school folders. Of course her was different and said Panama, but she came up with this design and had us make them the other night. Isn't it cute??? The stamped alphabet is Whimsy and has been discontinued, but I find I like it better than other alpha's since you don't have to line it up. However, all of the other supplies are current SU supplies. All you have to do to make this cute planner is fold a school folder in half like you're making an "M" and then decorate as you wish. You could make one of these for a future bride as a wedding planner, it could be decorated all Christmasy and you could use it to keep track of Christmas card sending, or you could make one for a college freshman packing and getting ready to leave for school. The ideas are endless!!!
So, get stamping ladies and see what you come up with.
Have you sent someone special a card today?
Stamp On Sisters!!!
Deb
PS Sorry the post is so jumbled, I can't get the pictures to line up with the text. Go figure. :)

Fabulous Flowers!

2007-07-19T14:45:00.000-05:00

Okay, okay, I'll admit that this wasn't my favorite stamp set in the catalog. However, there was something about it that intrigued me, so of course I ordered it as my free merch on my order. Now, it is one of my favorite floral sets so far. Go figure?
Anyway, I used Blue Bayou and Soft Sky for ink and cardstock. The ribbon is SU Soft Sky double stitched grosgrain and Hodge Podge Hardware was used to finish off the card. If you were to look at the card sideways, you would see that I layered the other flowers using Dimensionals to give it some depth. The flowers are all inked using the Rock-N-Roll technique to again give them some depth and visual interest. The greeting is Short and Sweet, which I believe is the BEST BUY stamp set in the catalog this year. I consider it a MUST-HAVE set since you get 12 stamps for only $16. You would NEVER be able to find that in any local stamp store!!! So, consider ordering this set...it's worth it!!!
I hope the card inspires you to get out a stamp set that may not be your favorite, but you find intriguing. See what you come up with.
Have you sent someone special a card today?
Stamp On Sisters!!!
Deb

Pounce the Flower!!!

2007-07-18T15:09:00.000-05:00

Hello fellow stampers. I only have a minute, we're headed out to see the new Harry Potter movie. Oh, date night!
The card uses SU supplies like the Pretties kit, Twill Tape and the So Much stamp set. If you click on the card and look closer, you will see that I pounched the flower multiple times to get a different look.
Anyway, I think a version of this will be my swap for convention. We'll see.
Sorry, so short.
Have you sent someone special a card today?
Stamp On Sisters!!!

I was Tagged!!!

2007-07-14T19:01:00.000-05:00

I was tagged by Sencie, so I get to share 7 things about myself that is unique about me. Be sure and check out her blog (http://servingtheking.net/dasblogce/default.aspx) and her splitcoast card gallery (listed under Sencie in the Member gallery). She has tons of talent and great samples. I was also tagged ( just saw it) by Tammy at http://tammytime.typepad.com/creativejuices/ She has a great blog too. Be sure to check them out and say HI. Anyway, I'm not the most unique person in the world, so lets see what I can come up with...

1) I'm an only child, my parents are BOTH only children too, so I have no aunts, uncles or cousins. We have a very small family and are very close.

2) When I was in first grade I was hit by a car in front of my school. Thankfully she wasn't going fast since it was a school zone, and I was just scraped and bruised up a bit. I was even in the newspaper which is a big thing when you're six years old.

3) I bought my first rubber stamps when I was in junior high in 1984. We were in Boston and I saw a little InkaDinkaDoo kiosk out in the marketplace. I bought a VW bug stamp and a lip kiss print. I still have the stamps and will never sell them. :)

4) The day after I graduated from college, I bought a ballet studio and was a 22 year old business owner. It was fun and I love to dance! I got married and we moved to a different town and I had to close the studio. We are now back in town, my daughter takes ballet and a few of my former students (that I still keep in touch with) are now graduating from high school and attending prestigious dance schools like Julliard. I'm so proud of them.

5) My all time favorite food is a good grilled cheese sandwich made with real butter (no lo fat stuff) and good old American cheese.

6) My best friend and I have been best friends for thirty years now. We met when we were six and she is the sister I never had.

7) My cat lived to be 21 years old. She was a dear. I got her for my 10th birthday and had to have her put down when I was 31. She was very petite and never weighed over 9 pounds. She liked to lay on my chest, nose to nose, and lay down in my shoeboxes.

8) Okay so this one is just for fun... We lived in a really small and VERY boring town for two years before we had kids, however there was a college close by, so I decided to back to school and earn another BA. My first degree is in Family Sciences and my second degree is in Elementary Education with various endorsements. So, when my kids are in school I will return to teaching as a substitute teacher, which I love doing. :)

Well, you now know more than I'm sure you ever wanted to know about me. I won't tag anyone like I'm supposed to, since I don't know any other bloggers well enough to do so. If any of you readers want to share something about yourself, feel free. :)

I'll have more samples to share with you in a day or so. I need some serious stamping therapy if you KWIM.

Have you sent someone special a card lately?

Stamp On Sisters!!!

Deb

Pomegranate and Pumpkin Pretties.

2007-07-14T09:08:00.000-05:00

Well, I opened my Stampin' Up! Pretties kit and I LOVE it!!! There are so many possibilities of what you can do with these wonderful little goodies. I dyed the big flower in Purely Pomegranate and the little one in Pumpkin Pie suing reinkers and my aqua pen. They have to dry COMPLETELY before you layer them or the colors will bleed together (which could also have some creative potential). If you're impatient, you can use your heat tool to dry them faster if you wish. The half pearl is adhered using a glue dot, and the flowers are adhered using some liquid paper crafting glue. The colors do dry quite a bit lighter than the reinker colors, but since they are SU colors, they will coordinate beautifully with TONS of SU colors. SO, give the Pretties a try, you'll LOVE them too.

Have you sent someone special a card today?

Stamp On Sisters!!!

PS Do you like the new look of my blog? I've been playing around and don't know if I'm finished yet, but this will do in the mean time. Not too bad for being a FREE website. :)

Pick a Petal.

2007-07-13T15:04:00.000-05:00

Here is a card I made from the new SU set Pick A Petal. I like the versatility of the images and the ease of use too. I used Soft Sky and Purely Pomegranate as well as white and black fir the colors. I highlighted the petals with my black Journaler marker and finished it off with a gingham ribbon bow and knot. Very simple and whimsical.

I hope you are all doing well. My son and I ended up getting the flu, bummer. I hope no one else gets it, it wasn't fun at all.

Well, I hope to get some stamping time in tonight and start seriously working on my convention swaps.

Have you sent someone special a card today?

Stamp on Sisters!!!

Deb

Get Well Flowers.

2007-07-12T13:39:00.000-05:00

Here is a quick post to hopefully give you some inspiration. I made it a while back and forgot to post it. I'm getting over the flu (yes in July-how crazy is that?!), so I'll post the materials at a later date.
Have you sent someone special a card today?
Stamp On Sisters!
Deb

Pearly Paisleys.

2007-07-10T11:02:00.000-05:00

Whew, it took me too long to get back to stamping. Summertime is SO busy in our house and of course my hobby gets neglected. :(

I did get some stamping done last night and this is what I came up with. I used the new FANTASTIC Pretties Kit from Stampin' UP! I used a ruler to mark out evenly spaced markings to punch our half inch circles. I used glue dots to adhere the half pearls from the Pretties Kit in the little windows. Using the paper piercer, I did some faux stitching in the corners. The stamps used are Paisley from SU and Fabulous Birthday from Hero Arts. The inks and papers are Blue Bayou, Soft Sky and Whisper White Craft Ink. Oh, I forgot to mention that I lightly sponged White Craft Ink on the edges of the Blue Bayou to soften the look of the card.

That's it. I wish you could see the dimension of the half pearls, it's elegant and soft looking.

I hope to be posting about two to three times a week during the summer, so be sure to check back often for some inspiration. I'm due to receive my Stampin' Up! order today with all of the new merchandise I ordered. I look forward to playing around with the new embellishments and ribbon the most. I also need to come up with a swap for Convention. I think I'll only make 100 card fronts this year. Time is running out before we leave and who knows what I'll be able to get done. I'm just excited to be able to get to go!!!

Have you sent someone special a card today?

Stamp On Sisters!!!

Deb

I'm Baaaaaaack!!!!!!!!!

2007-07-04T20:20:00.000-05:00

I've been on vacation and we had a great time. HOWEVER, I need some serious stamping therapy!!!!! Fireworks are tonight so I won't be able to stamp, but I plan on spending some time hiding in my stamping room/laundry room doing some inking very soon. I also plan on placing my new catty order tomorrow morning since I can't wait to receive my new goodies. Patience has never been my virtue. :)
SO, hang in there with me and I plan on having some inspiration for you soon.
Have you sent someone special a card today?
Stamp On Sisters!!!
Deb

Paisley Petals.

2007-06-25T14:48:00.001-05:00

I'm finally back and able to do a few things I enjoy. June is always a super crazy time for us, so now we can cruise through the Dog Days of Summer and relax.
My stamping mojo is off, and I struggled to come up with this card last night. I'm fairly satisfied with the results, I feel like it may be missing a little something. What? I don't know. There is such a fine line between 'too-cluttered and too-boring'.
Anyway, I hope all of you are enjoying your summer and still finding some time to stamp. I'm not able to do as much posting as I would like, but hopefully you'll stick with me. My goal is to inspire other stampers as much as other bloggers/stampers inspire me.
Okay, todays card uses die cut blossoms from Ellison stamped in Paisley. The white and pink are stamped with Linen (if you click on the image you'll see better detail), and the Thanks is a Karen Foster 'design your own greeting' alphabet stamps. The colors are SU Pretty In Pink and Certainly Celery, and I zig-zagged in pink all around the edge. Finally, May Arts ribbon, Hodge Podge Pewter and some SU rhinestone brad bling from the Preview Mini complete the card. That's it. :)
Have you sent someone special a card today???
Stamp On Sisters!!!

I'm SO Not a Seamstress.

2007-06-19T12:09:00.000-05:00

Okay, I broke down and got a Janome Sew Mini sewing machine. My mom was a textile major in college and would sew practically everything for me growing up. She has a wonderful talent. However, I do not. I could not sew a straight line if my life depended on it. So, I decided to sew the stem on this flower to avoid the straight line issue. I think the card could have had a subtle background stamped on it, but it was too late by the time I made that decision. I used the new SU Chipboard, SU Craft inks in Rose Red and More Mustard. The cardstock is Rose Red, Kraft and Certainly Celery. The SU stamp set is from the Preview Mini called Pick-A-Petal. The greeting is from Hero Arts and stamped in Hybrid Noir. Finally a button and tiny black ribbon knot finish off the card.

I hope to have some more time to stamp tonight. I need to get my stamping mojo on track again.

Have you sent someone special a card today?

Stamp On Sisters!!!

Congratulations!!!

2007-06-19T11:45:00.000-05:00

Paula!!!! Send me an e-mail at bowlingfam4ever@aol.com with your address and info and I'll get the awesome ribbon in the mail to you. :) Thanks everyone for posting and sending in a roll call. Last week was CRAZY, and thankfully we survived. Now maybe things will calm down again for a while.
I finally had a moment to stamp last night and will post the card later today for your inspiration. Remember, the retired accessories list comes out tomorrow. Oh the anticipation...
Have you sent someone special a card today?
Stamp On Sisters!

Sound Off..1..2..Sound Off...3..4...

2007-06-13T06:19:00.000-05:00

BLOGGER'S CANDY!!!
Since I have nothing creative to post this week (see previous post as to why I'm so insanely busy this week), I thought "Why not offer candy? Who doesn't love FREE STUFF???" Well, with the new Stampin' Up! Fall & Winter Collection being released JULY 1st, why don't you post what you'll miss the most and what you're hoping will make it into the catalog (either a product or stamp image set). My example would be, I will miss Mixed Bouquet tremendously, and I think a set featuring stamp images for a slumber party would be nice. This is such an exciting time of the year for SU stampers, the anticipation is enough to make a stamper giddy. So, feel free to post your comments and on Tuesday, June 19, I'll have my son randomly choose a winner. "What's the FREE STUFF?" you may ask? How about RIBBON? TEN YARDS of grosgrain ribbon that matches Cool Caribbean, Bashful Blue, Old Olive, Always Artichoke, Cameo Coral, Barely Banana, Taken With Teal, Pixie Pink, Pink Passion, and another color I can't think of at the moment. I'll post the winner and you can then then e-mail me your address so I can send the goodies. Anyway, I hope you enjoy reminiscing about the retiring catalog and anticipating the new one. :) Happy posting.
Have you sent someone special a card today?
Stamp On Sisters!

Genius, I Say!!!

2007-06-11T13:21:00.000-05:00

Thanks for sticking with me after my absence. Last week and this week are CRAZY!!! Dance recitals and dress rehearsals, my son's birthday is today, family visiting, house cleaning, swimming lessons, tennis lessons, VBS and I thought I'd throw in organizing a neighborhood garage this week too. What was I thinking???? Thank goodness this is only for a week, I wouldn't last. :)
Today's card is simply genius!!! Cambria came up with the corner step punch embellishment idea and my upline and friend Dena, came up with the cute card!!!
All supplies are SU Old Olive and Taken With Teal. Bold Blossoms is stamped in VersaMark for the background.
I hope you enjoy the card.
Have you sent someone special a card today?
Stamp On Sisters!!!

EDITED TO ADD:
http://cambriaturnbow.blogspot.com/2007_05_01_archive.html
This is the link where you can find the directions and Cambria's awesome samples using this technique. I believe May 20 is the day she posted.
Stamp On Sisters!!!

Three For You.

2007-06-08T01:02:00.000-05:00

I had to dive in and open my new punch kit. I really like the cute flowers in this set, and the greetings are very versatile. The punch in easy to line up in order to get the blossoms in a straight line if you flip it over and look on the back. I used SU Purely Pomegranate, River Rock and white. The River Rock is very washed out in the picture, but in person it accents the red well. I stamped the Paisley background and tied a gingham ribbon for a final accent.
Have a wonderful Friday.
Have you sent someone special a card today?
Stamp On Sisters!

Outside My Box.

2007-06-07T15:22:00.000-05:00

Here is my attempt at working with colors outside my comfort zone, or box. I tend to use bright colors often and the new InColors are very sohisticated and deep. I used SU's new InColor releases Soft Sky, Blue Bayou, and Purely Pomegranate. I added a drop of re-inker to six Blender Pen tips to create six coordinating markers. I used the new hostess preview set Vases In Vogue (LOVE IT) and other SU supplies. The greeting is from Endless Creations.
I can't wait so see the ribbon and accessories SU comes up with to match the new InColors. It's hard for me to make a card without ribbon, and I don't have any ribbon to match yet. I may have to dye some ribbon or fibers with re-inkers to create something.
I have other samples to show you using the new preview materials and colors. Be sure and check back soon.
Have you sent someone special a card today???
Stamp On Sisters!!!

Stamping...It Does the Body Good.

2007-06-05T11:36:00.000-05:00

Stamping is such a relaxing way for me to unwind after a crazy day. I finally got a chance to sit down last night create a card. I was up until almost 3AM, but it was worth it. It's a beautiful day here and I feel totally refreshed. I hope to make a few more cards tonight after everyone is tucked in and sleeping.
This set is "You Make Me Happy" from the Spring SU mini. I didn't like the set at first, but my upline and SCS totally made me love it. It's real easy to create simple and cute cards with it. The colors I used are Certainly Celery, Cool Caribbean, Morning Marigold and Whisper White. I used the script embossing folder from Cuttlebug to add some texture. It is also stamped with the Linen background. Celery Ribbon finishes off the card.
I will be so sad when the 2006-07 InColors retire in about 3 weeks. I LOVE THEM!!! But, I have the new 2007-08 InColors arriving today via Mr. Brown the UPS man. I can't wait to see them! I also ordered a few of the new preview sets. Check back soon to see my review of the new colors and what I come up with.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go and stalk Mr. Brown while I anxiously await my preview goodies. :)
Have you sent someone special a card today???
Stamp On Sisters!!!

I haven't forgotten you...

2007-06-04T10:03:00.000-05:00

I'm in need of some serious stamping therapy ladies!!!! Last week was crazy planning birthday parties and BBQ's for my kids, school ending and various other things too add to the equation. My stamping space turned into a gift wrapping station and 'dump things quick out of site' desk. So needless to say, I need to clean off my desk to get my stamping groove going again. I will stamp tonight if it kills me. :)

Here's a project I did a long time ago. For some reason it looks crooked here, it's not in real life. Go figure.

The stamp sets are from SU and retired, but the colors are NQ Navy, Certainly Celery, Ruby red and Apricot ribbon. The image is stamped on watercolor paper and colored in using Watercolor Wonder Crayons. The background stamp used was French Script from SU. It's retiring and will be missed terribly! If you don't have it, you may want to think about ordering it.

On an EXCITING note, I preordered from the Fall & Winter Collection Preview Catalog. I have some awesome new goodies arriving tomorrow from SU and plan on spending some late nights creating fantastic new cards using the new stamp sets and NEW 2007 InColors that will be released to the public July 1st. I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!! Come and check back frequently to see what's to come July 1st!!!!!

Have an awesome week and check back soon.

Have you sent someone special a card today????

Stamp On Sisters!!!

2007-05-29T16:52:00.000-05:00

Hello Stampers. I'm sorry I don't have a stamped sample for you today. I'm organizing a BIG neighborhood garage sale, my daughters birthday is tomorrow and I have TONS of birthday party things to do, a family BBQ to get ready for, ballet recital practices, and school is also coming to an end on Friday. What a week!!! I need some SERIOUS stamping therapy!!! I'll see what I can squeeze in, in order to save my sanity. :)

In the mean time, I took these pictures of my daughter and her K class at the nature reserve we have here in town. They spent the day there learning about nature and observing creatures the dug up in the pond. I think this is a cute picture to be scrapbooked with all of the kids laying on their tummies off the dock so they don't fall in. Apparently there is a history of this happening. :)

Hang in there with me, I haven't forgotten about you.

Have you sent someone special a card lately?

Stamp On Sisters!

The World Is Waiting For You!

2007-05-26T14:02:00.000-05:00

It's graduation time here in town this weekend. We have a few open-houses to attend, so of course I needed to make a few cards. Inside the card is stamped "The World Is Waiting For You!". I love this saying and find it so empowering for a graduate heading out on their own.
The card uses floral stamps, designer papers and cardstock from the SU Spring Mini. The greeting stamps are from Savvy Stamps. The flourish stamped images are from Rhonna Farrer and the ribbon is from May Arts. The picture doesn't really show the ribbon well, but it is a Cool Caribbean and Close to Cocoa organza. It's real pretty.
So, enjoy your weekend and send someone special a card.
Stamp On Sisters!

Love Potion #9.

2007-05-25T10:24:00.000-05:00

I really like the simplicity of AMuse images. This card was quick and easy. I used the AMuse Love Potion image stamped in Palette Hybrid Noir and colored in the images with Prisma Markers. Using various square and scalloped square punches, I matted the images. The brads are glittery white ones from Oriental Trading and the pink ribbon is from May Arts. The fibers used on the red card are glittery and match the glittery brads. Finally, I ran the SU Real Red and Pink Passion cardstock through my Cuttlebug embossing folders for a little bit of pop. That't it, very bright, quick and easy.
I hope you enjoy the cards as much as I enjoyed making them.
Have you sent someone special a card today?
Stamp On Sisters!!
Sorry about the goofy set-up today, I couldn't get the cards to line up correctly. Bummer.

Little Reminders Journal.

2007-05-24T18:50:00.000-05:00

Hello Stampers and Scrappers. Sorry I've been away for a few days, things have been crazy here. I hope to have some time tonight to get my stamping groove on and get a few things done. I'm in desperate need of some stamping therapy. :)
Today's journal uses all Stampin' Up! materials from the Spring Mini. The 5x5 journal is wonderful since the pages are made of cardstock, not just flimsy paper. The decorative paper is Petals and Paisley's, the embellishments are the Little Reminders Accents and Elements cardstock-like sitckers, and the cardstock is Taken with Teal. I LOVE the new Round Tab punch. I also used the new Spiral Punch to create the holes for the metal spiral to fit through. The designers at SU are so brilliant and creative!!! When I eventually come up with a purpose for the journal, I will stamp a title plate and probably use some HodgePodge Hardware to bling it up a bit. It's still a little of a blank slate.
Have you sent someone special a card lately?????
Stamp On Sisters!

Soft Baby Prints.

2007-05-21T09:11:00.000-05:00

Hello fellow stampers, I hope you had a nice weekend. I did. My best friend of 30 years who is like the sister I never had (I'm an only child) came to visit from Texas. My kids call her "Aunt Amy" and she spoils them to death; they love it! I already miss her.
Well, today's card didn't photograph well. In real life, it's more vivid and the colors pop better, but hopefully you get the idea. A cousin of my husbands is expecting and I'll send them this card. They are an out-doorsy couple, so I thought something using SU Kraft cardstock would be appropriate. The stamped hands are "I'm Here" from SU, the natural hemp is from SU and the inks are Colorbox Liquid Chalks. I wish you could see the card in person, the colors pop out more. Oh well, I never claimed to be a professional photographer, as you can tell. :)
Have a wonderful Monday! Have you sent someone special a card today?
Stamp On Sisters!

A John Deere Birthday.

2007-05-20T00:53:00.000-05:00

My son will be turning three in a few weeks and is gaa-gaa over everything John Deere. Here in town, there is a JD engineering facility and factory, so JD sightings are pretty common around here. We frequently have to stop at the garden/yard stores so he can go and look at all of the lawn tractors. We have JD catalogs, brochures, toys...you name it. So this year, I decided he should have a few JD goodies for his birthday. Birthday Express had the cutest cups, plates and other various birthday accoutrement to add to the festivities. All I needed was a card.
The tractor image is from Oriental Trading, the greeting is from Endless Creations, and the tire image is from SU. I colored in the image with COPIC markers and matted with SU Garden Green, Basic Black, and Sunshine Yellow. I goobered the brown shadow image, so it looks a little funky, I don't think he'll care. :)
Have a wonderful weekend.
Have you sent someone special a card today?
Stamp On Sisters!

When You Need The Right Words.

2007-05-17T01:11:00.000-05:00

Many times when I send a card, I find it hard to find the right words print in the inside. I know what I want to say, I just can't come up with an eloquent way to say it, KWIM? Well, I have found this great book to help me with my predicament. Current Catalog had this book called "When You Need the Right Words: What to Say and How to Say It." The ISBN number is ISBN-13: 978-1-4127-5403-3 or ISBN-10: 1-4127-5403-8. I don't know the difference between the two ISBN numbers so I listed them both for you if you're interested.
The book is wonderful! Here is some of the introduction for you to get an idea... "Staying in touch with important people in our lives is a rewarding but challenging task. Busy, busy, busy. Rush, rush, rush. It's too easy to lose track of people you care about. ... For many people, the thought of expressing feelings and emotions on paper is downright daunting. But it doesn't need to be! After all, the words themselves are not nearly as important as the thought behind them. Your thoughtfulness takes the most simple sentiments and turns them into gestures of kindness and gratitude, love and celebration, sympathy and support. Your thoughtfulness reaches out to the people you care about and reminds that they are in your thoughts, your heart, and even your prayers. ... keep connections with people you care about. Pick up a pen, choose a blank card (one you've stamped of course), keep it simple, and remember that anything that comes from your heart is bound to be beautiful." THIS IS SO TRUE!!
The book has messages for birthdays, sympathy, thanks, wedding, baby, holidays and a few more. Of course this book is meant to get you started and then you add your own little personalized comment. Give it a try. Here is an example of an encouragement statement you might put in a 'hang-in-there' card, "Now is a good time to take a look at your life's map, find a better route, and move forward in the direction of good things in your future." Simple and eloquent. Okay, I'm done. :)
Today's card uses Rhonna Farrer flourish stamps, Natural Vanilla SU cardstock, Bazzil canvas textured cardstocks, SU HodgePodge Hardware and SU Friendship Greetings. The inks are Colorbox Liquid Chalks. Very simple, quick and elegant.
Have you sent someone special a card today? If you use the book I mentioned, you have no excuse for not knowing what to say. :)
Stamp On Sisters!

Sparkly Sparkles.

2007-05-16T08:34:00.000-05:00

Good Morning Stampers!
Today's card is sparkly using Stickles. The picture doesn't show it, but the card has a nice subtle sparkle to it. The stamp sets used are Hero for the border, SU for the flower and MSE for the greeting. I filled in the image with Prisma markers and stamped it with Palette Noir. The cardstock is Cool Caribbean, Black and White. That's it, simple and sparkly.
I hope you all have a wonderful day and take some time to stamp.
Have you sent someone special a card today?
Stamp On Sisters!

At Least I Have Flowers Here...

2007-05-15T09:21:00.000-05:00

Rabbits.
They're cute. They're cuddly. They're EATING ALL OF MY FLOWERS!!!! Needless to say, the rabbit repellent I've been spending way too much money on isn't working. I planted more daisies yesterday to replace the ones they ate last week, bought some good replellent, and did everything the garden store employee told me to do and sure enough, last night they ate everything...again. I'm SO FRUSTRATED!!!
So what do I do when I need to blow off steam???? I STAMP OF COURSE. :) I figured at least the rabbits couldn't eat these flowers. The flower image is from Impress, the greeting is from Hero, the inks are Colorbox Chalk Ink, the cardstock is SU Kraft and Rose Red, and the ribbon is SU blueberry. That's it, very quick and easy. Oh I also roughed up the edges with the distressing tool from SU. The card is more vibrant in real life, I'm not a good enough photographer yet to capture that though.
I hope you have a wonderful day that's rabbit-free.
Have you sent someone special a card today?
Stamp On Sisters!

Dyno-mite!!!!

2007-05-14T10:20:00.000-05:00

How cute is this little guy? I usually don't go for 'cutesy' stamp images, but these stamps from Oriental Trading's scrapbooking catalog are simple adorable. I encourage you to check them out.
Well, I finally had some time last night to do some stamping after everyone was in bed. My 'stamping mojo' is a little off and I struggled for a while, but I think with a little more stamping time, my mojo will come back. :) Keeping it simple will help me get back in the swing of things. I hope you've had some time to stamp lately.
This card was stamped in Palette Hybrid Noir, the image was filled in and shadowed using Copic markers, and embellished with SU black gingham ribbon. The colors are green Galore, Lovely Lilac, Basic Black and Whisper White. I'll have to check again to see where the greeting came from...I can't remember and I don't want to get it wrong.
Well, I'm Stampin' Up! convention bound in July. My upline and friend Dena and I are driving to the first session. It will be a long drive, but SO worth it !!! This will probably be the only convention I will ever be able to attend since Denver is closer than SLC and very $$$$ to fly there. I'm so excited to swap, shop at the Momento Mall, attend classes, and meet TONS of other stampers! I'm SO thankful that my parents are making this trip possible by coming to watch the kids, and my husband is going along with the whole thing. He doesn't understand the whole stamping thing. I hope that by the time we retire in 30 years he'll get it. He thinks it's a passing fad, boy is he underestimating the passion of us fellow stampers. :)
Well stampers and bloggers, have a wonderful day.
Have you sent someone special a card today?
Stamp On Sisters!!!

Friday Challenge.

2007-05-11T22:19:00.000-05:00

Sorry Stampers, I don't have a card to post today. I seriously need some uninterrupted stamping time to get a few things done. So instead, I challenge you to get out those super cute embellishments that you've been saving for a 'special occasion' and USE THEM!!! :) What are you waiting for? I'll do the same and see what I come up with.
Also I wanted to mention that the Stampin' Up! wheels that were on the retiring list (and gone already) have been restocked until the end of the catalog, June 30. So, if there was a wheel that you were wishing for and it disappeared before you had a chance to order it, NOW YOU CAN. :) This is a perfect example of how well Stampin' Up! listens to it's customers.
Have you sent someone special a card today?
Stamp On Sisters!

A Blog to Check Out.

2007-05-10T19:11:00.000-05:00

My friend and upline, Dena, has joined the world of blogging. She is the creative mind behind this cute creation she took with her to swap on the SU cruise last month. The purpose is to journal personal achievements you've made that make feel warm and fuzzy inside. :) This would be a great gift for a graduate.
She cut Taken With Teal and Whisper White cardstock into thirds, used an office two-hole punch and clasp to hold it all together (covered by the Celery ribbon), and decorated it with Mixed Bouquet and Friendship greetings from SU. The colors are Taken With Teal, Apricot Appeal, Cool Caribbean and Certainly Celery. An awesomly refreshing color combination!!! Here is her blog, be sure to check it often. :) http://drekow.typepad.com/
Have you sent a card to someone special today?
Stamp On Sisters!!!

Smile, Smile, Smile.

2007-05-09T21:16:00.000-05:00

This card is as simple as it gets, yet has the ability to bring a smile to someones face when they receive it in the mail. Have you mailed someone special a card today?
The cardstock is a colorful confetti from Marco's Paper. The fiber is from Michaels (a long time ago) and that's about it. This card template could be used for any occasion. Simply stamp a different greeting/sentiment and you're set to go. You could also change the color scheme and fibers to convey the occasion (i.e. earth tones and fine twine for a man's birthday, muted tones for a memorial, or pastel colors and ribbon for Mother's Day). Simple and versatile is the key to this card.
Stamp On Sisters!

Bashful Basic Grey.

2007-05-08T12:48:00.000-05:00

Okay, these are terrible images. The table one is too dark, and the other one is too light. So imagine the real colors of this card as right in between the two.

The paper is Basic Grey, the cardstock is So Saffron and Bashful Blue from SU. I inked (craft ink) the chipboard heart in Bashful Blue and punched out the ribbon tag in Bashful Blue and then textured them with Brocade, Vanilla and White craft inks for dimension. The sentiment is from SU and stamped in Hybrid Noir Palette. The fiber is a Certainly Celery color, but the pictures just don't show it. Bummer.

Hope you have a good day. Have you sent someone special a card today?

Stamp On Sisters!

Basic Grey Blossoms.

2007-05-07T09:56:00.000-05:00

Blossoms abound in the spring, and I love to watch the colors burst brighter every day. I planted tons of Daisies, Snapdragons, Impatiens, and a few other things last week. Now lets hope the rabbits and other critters don't eat them all off like they did last year.
The weather had been cloudy, so my pictures have been a little dark lately. This card is bursting with color and it just doesn't show. Bummer. Basic Grey 'Phoebe' is the decorative paper I used, the chipboard flowers are from JoAnn's and the stamp is from Hero. I colored the chipboard with Stampin' Up Rose Red and Gable Green Craft ink and then distressed the edged with a sandpaper block. The smallest blossom is covered in the decorative paper and a Making Memories brass mini flower accents the middle. The greeting is stamped in SU Chocolate Chip and the ribbon and cardstock is Brocade Blue from SU.
Have you sent someone special a card today?
Stamp On Sisters!

Good Bye French Script.

2007-05-05T14:04:00.000-05:00

Yes, sadly the French Script background is being retired by Stampin' Up!. I will miss the elegance of this stamp, but I CAN'T WAIT to see what they come up with July 1st. The other stamp in the set (Ageless Adornment) was retired from SU last year. I used Watercolor Wonder Crayons to fill in the image and stamped French Script on the Twill Tape for the accent on the HodgePodge Hardware. The colors are More Mustard, Not Quite Navy and Vanilla. I will put a greeting on the card when I use it. Many times I leave off the wording, and put it on when I need it for a specific occasion.
Have you sent a card to someone special today?
Stamp On Sisters!

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

2007-05-04T15:03:00.000-05:00

We all know how the song goes. However, it doesn't look like the rain will be leaving us anytime soon. According to the weather man, we're due for a week of rain. Good for the flowers, bad for the kids stuck inside.
This is actullly part of a card I made last year during Sell-A-Bration. I decided to take it apart and use it for parts. This is what I came up with. I used SU Craft Pink Passion with the background. Watercolor Wonder Crayons to fill in the image (retired-sorry) and black to stamp in the greeting by AMuse. The ribbon in Old Olive is from an online ribbon wholsaler called NKFB.
So if it's raining where you are, take a minute to stamp a card and brighten your day.
Stamp On Sisters!

Thanks for a GREAT Time!

2007-05-03T13:10:00.000-05:00

Hello Stampers!!!
Last weekend I attended a birthday party for my friend Julie (a fellow stamper of course). Well, two of my other stamping friends, Dena and Susan hosted the party, and it was wonderful. The weather cooperated, the conversation was enlightening, and the food was DELICIOUS! Susan is a gourmet cook and I'll never look at a hamburger the same way again. They were scrumptious! The salads, Mojito's, and lemon curd cake were also beyond yummy!!! My husband and I left feeling beyond satisfied. :)
So, to show my appreciation for being invited to such a wonderful party, I decided to make the hostesses a "Thanks for a GREAT Time!" card. The greeting is by Hero Arts, and the flower can is by Stampin' Up!. I used Bazzill canvas textures papers, colored in the image with Copic markers and the ribbon is by May Arts. This is again a simple card, but the message is what's important. Now, I just hope Dena and Susan don't see their cards on the blog before they get them. :)
Did you send a card to someone special today???
Stamp On Sisters!

Washington Irving Was a Smart Man and a Guest Designer.

2007-05-01T16:45:00.000-05:00

I'm a sucker for a good quote, and Friendship Flowers from Stampin' Up! is one of my favorite sentiment stamp sets. I believe that you don't always need a reason to send a card, why not just send one 'just because'? I hope some of you met my challenge from last Sunday and mailed at least three cards. I did. The whole thing I love about stamping is that the 'stamper' and the 'receiver' get some enjoyment from the cards. That isn't true with all hobbies. Does a fish get satisfaction from receiving a worm from a fisherman?????? I think not. :)
Anyhoo, this cute little notepad was created by my friend and upline Dena Rekow. She recently got back from the cruise and this was one of the swaps she made. Let me tell you, there are SO MANY talented stampers out there! She came home with the most AWESOME swaps. Calendars, notepads, 'little gifty thingies', and so much more. The ideas were endless and almost overwhelming (in a good way of course).
All of the supplies used are from SU. The cardstock and inks are Taken with Teal, Certainly Celery, So Saffron and White and Basic Black. The gift is finished with cute little knot embellishments in Black Gingham and Certainly Celery Grosgrain. Very Simple and Very Cute.
Thanks Dena for sharing your talents with us today and I look forward to having you as a guest designer again soon.
Stamp On Sisters!!!