Busy busy busy!

Hi everyone! Oh my goodness where does the time go?? I've got a busy stampin week (Stamp club tomorrow and real honest to goodness workshop on Thursday - woo woo!) and I've been a busy bee trying to get everything together. I made two cards tonight, although I'm not sure I'll share them since they are mostly CASEd and I don't know if I have the sources. Ack. I'll try to figure it out so I can show them 'cause they are GORGEOUS!
Tonight I'm sharing one of the cards we did at stamp club last month (seriously, this time thing is getting the best of me!). We did the embedded embossing technique that seems to be the new thing right now. There are tutorials all over the place for this, but basically you glue some stuff down to your card and after you glue it you run the whole thing through your BigShot with an embossing folder and it looks like it's all one piece of paper - pretty flippin' cool. I'll be back later in the week to share this month's stamp club projects, so see you back here soon!

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps:Bold blossom, itty bitty bits
Cardstock: Daffodil delight, Tempting turquoise, whisper white, Old olive
Ink: Daffodil delight, Pacific point, Tangerine tango, Old olive
Other Stuff: Little leaves sizzlit, Itty bitty punch pack, Oval and scallop oval punches, Square lattice EF, Old olive ribbon, Basic rhinestones

Tonight I'm sharing one of the cards we made this weekend at the Stamp-a-Stack. I find it really easy to make a card for a female friend or relative, but I struggle with masculine cards. I always want to girl it up with some ribbon or just a touch of a girly color. Plus since mostly women stamp, I think most of the stamp companies cater to us and make stamps that are mostly skewed toward females. Thus, I purposely tried to create one card out of five that was most decidedly masculine, and this was the end result. I think that this is the most creative I've been on my own in a long time. I used the Modern label punch to create the golf tees on the bottom left portion of the card. Most people moaned and groaned while they attempted to make these tees (it involves freehand cutting with scissors, which a lot of people don't like to do) but I kept telling them that they had to trust me and those wonky tees WOULD look good when you put them on the card. I don't know why, but they ALL look bad until you actually get them on the card, then they magically just fix themselves and look like golf tees. This is going to be my new go-to card for ANYONE who is a golfer . . . birthday, Father's Day, retirement . . . it works for them all!


Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: On the green, Teeny tiny wishes
Cardstock: Garden green, Wild Wasabi, Whisper white, Basic black, Soft suede
Ink: Garden green, Basic black
Other Stuff: Texturz plates and big shot, Modern label punch, Word window punch, dimensionals, scissors, 1 1/2" circle punch

Door prize fun

What a busy fun weekdend!!! Did a Stamp-a-Stack Saturday afternoon and am just now recovering from my daughter's 4th birthday party this evening. I don't know where those kiddos get all that energy, but I want some of it!
For the Stamp-a-Stack, I decided on Friday night that I needed to have a door prize for everyone, so I had to get creative quickly. I pulled out my Ice Cream Parlor DSP (FREE from the Sale-a-Bration mini!) and just about every die I own and got to work. The results told me two things: 1)I love the free DSP that I almost didn't get, and 2)I want more dies!!!! These were so fun to make and come together so quickly when you use coordinated paper. I'm using the scraps to make some of my daughter's Thank You cards (I'll share them hopefully later in the week).

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps:Teeny tiny wishes, Just believe, Apple Blossoms
Cardstock: Ice Cream Parlor DSP
Ink: Pacific point, Melon Mambo, Old Olive, Peach parfait
Other Stuff: Matchbox die, Fun flowers die, Pillow box die, Treat container die from Holiday mini, Tempting turquoise and Pacific point ribbon (retired), glitter brad

Bright and cheery

Quick post tonight folks . . . I'm up to my ears in Stamp-a-Stack stuff that I'll be sharing with you next week (so stay tuned!) Tonight's card is using some bright, beautiful colors since I made it during all of the ice and snow that made everything gray and yucky - my world needed some brightening at that point. I sent it off to a friend to pass that cheerfulness on (hopefully). It's using one of my new stamp sets, Aviary. It's one of those sets that people either love or hate, and I am firmly in the 'love it' category!

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Aviary, Confetti
Cardstock: Daffodil delight, Tempting turquoise, Melon mambo DSP
Ink: Daffodil delight, Tempting turquoise, Melon mambo, Rich razzleberry, Old Olive
Other Stuff:Dotted scallop ribbon border punch, rhinestones

A renewed purpose

Hi all! Today I've got a bit of story to tell that has really nothing to do with the card I'm showing (I'll get to that at the end, although it's not too exciting). Like most of you, I go through periods of ups and downs with my creativity. It seemed like I was going through a really big down period right after Christmas, as I dealt with my whole brain issue (and the aftermath of making 120+ Christmas cards). After some re-assessment, which I told you about here, I scaled my cardmaking/blogging back a bit to be a bit more reasonable which has been working out well for me. But I just hadn't felt the creative urge for a while, and I even did a kinda-sorta workshop where I felt like one of the participants chastized me a bit. She made the point that while the cards I make are very beautiful, I use a lot of (non-recycled) paper and the cards ultimately just get thrown out, so really, what was the point??? (She also said that she doesn't wrap gifts either, and I decided I was glad I wasn't her kid, but I digress) My somewhat startled answer to her query was that, ESPECIALLY in this age of electronic everything, people still go to the mailbox every day or so, and when they open it up and find a totally unexpected just-for-the-heck-of-it card in there, it makes them happy for a moment, and my card is the reason why. It's NOT the same as sending someone an email or text, as she tried to argue, and I (amazingly) just let her go on with her argument and let her 'win'. It bothered me, although I did decide that she didn't understand because obviously no one sends HER handmade cards in the mail (and no, I'm not volunteering). But still, it got me down a bit and I've just felt like I've had no real creative juices flowing for a while. I did make one card for a wonderful friend of mine who is going through some rough times right now that made ME smile when I sent it off in the mail. She sent me a note the other day and told me that that card is sitting on her mantle and she smiles every time she looks at it. Well folks, that right there is why I love doing what I do. That email made me SO HAPPY I can't even begin to tell you. And once again, it brought me back some creativity. I have a renewed purpose in wasting all this non-recycled paper and sending out 'useless' cards. I'm going to do it more!!! For more people!!! May the landfills be FILLED with 'useless' card creations!!!
Okay, so that's my story of the day. After I got that email, I went up to my scrapbook room and started playing again. Tonight's cards are some colorful birthday ones I made using the new Create-a-cupcake punch and stamp set. The pompom trim is just fun, and I think it can work for both boys and girls (at least for the preschool set). I made a couple 3 x 3 cards just like these bigger ones to put in birthday gifts when my kids go to parties.

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Build a cupcake
Cardstock: Tempting turquoise, Melon mambo, Whisper white, Pretty in Pink and Pacific point DSP
Ink: Tempting turquoise, Pacific point, Daffodil delight/Melon mambo, Pretty in Pink, Chocolate chip
Other Stuff: Create a cupcake, Modern label and Word window punches, Pompom trim

Love this tree!

Today's card is one that I did at a demonstration a few weeks ago. This tree from the Valentine Defined set is so versatile - the 'leaves' are really hearts but I think you could use this for so many more occasions than just Valentine's day. I had a lot of fun using all of my markers to color the leaves - there are actually three different reds in the tree (okay, so maybe you can't tell, but since I did it I think it gives the tree and leaves some serious extra depth!) The framed tulips EF is also one of my new favorites, although I think every EF stampin' up makes is my new favorite!!!

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps: Valentine Defined, Word Play
Cardstock: Real red, Whisper white
Ink: Real red, early espresso
Other Stuff: Markers (real red, riding hood red, cherry cobbler, early espresso), 1/8" taffeta ribbon, Framed tulips EF, sponge

Brrr!

Yikes people - it's freezing here in North Texas!!! I've lived in the area for 9 years and don't ever remember us being below freezing for such an extended period of time (3 days and counting). We got an ice storm Monday night and my kids and my husband haven't been back to school/work yet (and they won't be going Thursday either). I'm considered 'critical personnel' so I've had to slog my way in to the clinic the past couple days which is NO FUN. And our media room (which also houses my scrapbook nook) is above the (unheated!) garage and is freezing cold, so no cardmaking lately. BOO!!!! But luckily I have a couple cards in reserve so I can blog this week instead of stamping (which is good and bad).
Tonight's card I copied from somewhere but changed up the colors, if I remember correctly. There is a lot to this card so I know I copied it because I wouldn't have done that much 'stuff' on my own. I finally used my Hostess level 1 set Punch Potpourri for the heart, and went with my old standby, Teeny Tiny Wishes, for the sentiment. Teeny tiny wishes is an expensive stamp set, but truly worth every penny!!!! This also uses TWO embossing folders, Elegant Lines and the new tulip one from the Occasions Mini. It also used the Scalloped Heart of Hearts embosslit die - it cuts and embosses - love that! I glitzed it up with some basic pearls and some homemade shimmer mist used with Champagne mist shimmer paint. Guess I'd better start addressing these cards and envelopes so people get them for Valentine's Day. Now if only the ice would melt so I could get to the post office for stamps . . .

Card Supplies: (All supplies from Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Stamps:Punch potpourri, Teeny tiny wishes
Cardstock: Very vanilla, Perfect plum, Rose red, Chocolate chip
Ink: Rose red
Other Stuff: Elegant lines EF, Framed tulips EF, Scalloped Heart of hearts Embosslit, Basic pearls, Full heart punch, Modern label punch, Champagne mist shimmer paint