A Touch From the Heart

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the mommies out there!  It doesn't matter if you are a mommy to a human or a furbaby!  We love our kiddos all the same!!!

Here is the card I made for my Mom.  She is a stamper too.....so I needed to play with some of my new toys!!!

It's a little blurry.....sorry about that!  I guess I shook my camera while snapping this shot!

Once again, I used my Blendabilities.  This was my first opportunity coloring a smaller image.  There's less room for blending, but they still look beautiful!!!

It's a shame this stamp set is retiring come June 1st.  I think it works amazingly well with the new markers!!!

Have a great night everyone!!!!  

Throwback Thursday

For a trip back in time, I thought I would pull out one of Dennis' favorite stamp sets.  This stamp set will be treasured in my personal stash of retired stamp sets.  

As I was cleaning the Stampin' Studio in preparation for the release of the new catalog, I came across some scraps of dsp from this past Holiday catalog.  I dirtied it up so that it blended better with the vintage style!

I used my Cherry Cobbler, Coastal Cabana and Skin Tone Blendabilities to color this image.  On the beard I used my Smoky Slate marker to shadow his beard.

I also pulled out a fun item that's going to be in the new catalog.  It's that adorable Banner Punch (first introduced in the Saleabration brochure).  I added a cute little button with some Baker's Twine.  Such a cute little way to finish the card!

One Christmas card done......so many more to go!!!!!!  Let's just celebrate forward progress!

Thanks for stopping by!!!!

 

Need stamping supplies?  I hope you'll shop in my ONLINE STORE

Happy Mother's Day

Oh boy!  I am on a roll!  Not only with blogging either.  My mother-in-law will actually get her card BEFORE Mother's Day this year.  

In the past, one of two things happens.  I make the card and put it on Dennis' desk.  He then forgets to fill it out, and it winds up arriving late.  The second scenario is that I realize I never made her card.  I then make it, and it's late.  Either situation.....not good!

This year, I made the card a week early.  I then handed it to Dennis and stared him down until he filled it out!  It's signed, sealed and on it's way to being delivered!!!  

Here's the card:

Dennis' mom loves flowers......red flowers to be exact!  So, I grabbed my new Cherry Cobbler Blendabilities and made her this beauty!  This was a fun image to stamp.  It's pretty easy to know where to shade and highlight.  The more sketchy marks.....the darker the ink.  Then add the highlights where the open spots are!  Easy peasy lemon squeezy!

It's a shame this stamp set isn't in the new catalog!  It's such a pretty water lily!  

Supplies

Stamps:  People Like You, En Francais (retiring)
Paper:  Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla, So Saffron
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Crumb Cake
Accessories:  Blendabilities (Cherry Cobbler, Daffodil Delight, Old Olive), Victoria trim (retiring),  Decorative Label Punch

Need Supplies?  Stop by my ONLINE STORE

Still Playing

I've been playing with my Blendabilities again.  This time I decided to play with the Daffodil Delight collection.  

Here's my card:

Even though the markers are called Daffodil Delight, I love how they coordinate with the new Hello Honey color!!!!  That's because of the shading and highlighting using the three markers.

Stampin' Up! hasn't told us when the Blendabilities will be available for customers to purchase.  We have just been told that they will not be available on June 2nd.  My guess is that they want to have enough in stock to avoid a backorder situation.

No worries, my friends.........they are worth the wait!!!!!

Thanks for stopping by!!!  If you need any Stampin' Up! goodies, I hope you'll shop in my ONLINE STORE.

Blended Bloom!!

Well hello there!!!  You've probably been wondering where I've been!  Life is great!  The family is great!  We're just incredibly busy which caused me to pull back a little bit on my stamping and blogging!

My plan is to stamp and blog more.  I'm not going to commit to a certain number of times per week because I don't want to make a promise I can't keep.  But, I can commit to making a better effort for sharing my projects I do make here!

Here's my latest creation:

I used a bunch of goodies from Stampin' Up's new catalog.  As a demonstrator, I was able to place a preorder.  Yay!!!  

My favorite product from the preorder is definitely the Blendabities markers.  Wow!  I experimented with Copics a few years ago, but I couldn't get the shading right because I didn't understand their color system and how to choose the right three colors to get the level of shading and highlighting I wanted.  Stampin' Up fixed that problem by selling the markers in sets of three (light, medium, dark).  All the hard work is done for me!  All I have to do is ink up my stamp with Memento ink and color.  

I even used the markers to color my clear button orange.  Hello, perfect color coordination.  It's time to pack up the Sharpies.  This girl has a whole new arsenal to play with.

As a purple girl, I am seriously in love with the new In-Color "Blackberry Bliss".  Ooooohhhhhh it's luscious!  Look how lovely it coordinates with "Hello Honey".

I also used the File Tab Edgelits.  I folded the tab element over for some visual interest.

So, what do you think of my creation?  I think it's the perfect card to start off the "new year".

I wish each of you a fabulous Sunday.  The weekends just go by too darn fast!!!  In a few hours I have to start prepping for all my Weight Watchers meetings.  In the mean time, I think I may go downstairs to the Stampin' Studio and get inky!!!  That feels so good to say again!

P.S.  If you need any stamping goodies, I hope you'll swing by my ONLINE STORE.  It's still open if you should need anything.  I hear there's some new items on the CLEARANCE RACK too!

 

WOW it Up: October's My Paper Pumpkin

I just love taking something that's kinda ordinary and transforming it into something extraordinary!

While I loved the stamps in this month's My Paper Pumpkin, I was honestly a little underwhelmed with the project itself.  But, I knew that it had promise.  I love the premise of the notepad holder.  It just needed some special attention.

 

Here's what I came up with:

Now, this is just my style!!!!  

I used my favorite Epic Day This and That dsp, my beloved Envelope Punch Board to creat the notes envelope and some retired buttons and ribbon to give it the extra-special touch!

What do you think?

Friday: Fast and Fabulous

Just a quick post today showing you a really fast and fabulous card to make:

I'm using a few of the new In Colors here:  Baked Brown Sugar and Pistachio Pudding.

Don't they work nicely with Calypso Coral?  

Wishing each of you a fabulous Friday!!!!!

Card Recipe

stamps:  Six-Sided Sampler
paper:  Calypso Coral, Baked Brown Sugar, Pistachio Pudding
ink:  Pistachio Pudding, Baked Brown Sugar
accessories:  Subtles Buttons, Calypso Coral Baker's Twine, Hexagon Punch 

Timeless Talk

When Dennis (my adorable husband) looked through this year's catalog, he told me how much he was drawn to the Timeless Talk stamp set.  He said "I know it's not your style, but I really like this".  The funny thing is that even though it's not a stamp set I would typically buy, I really was drawn to it too!!!  Oh my, after almost 25 years together, we truly are starting to think alike!

Today's card uses Timeless Talk and a bunch of other new products too!  

Some exciting things about this card:

• love the black and white dsp.  It's from the Modern Medley pack (which qualifies for the Buy 3, Get 1 FREE special).
• the Smoky Slate strip is stamped with an image from Gorgeous Grunge.  I just love the striated effect!!!
• the Basic Black card layer is stamped with another image from Gorgeous Grunge (looks like inky splats).  I inked it up with Whisper White Craft ink and stamped off once.  It's oh so subtle!!!
• the Candy Dots (Cherry Cobbler from the Regals pack) are cute all on their own (there are brads that coordinate with the dots)

Well, that's about it for this card!!!  It's simple yet pretty!!!!  I like that in a card!

If you need any Stampin' Up! products to make this card, I hope you'll swing by my ONLINE STORE.  Thank you for choosing me as your demonstrator.

Card Recipe

stamps:  Timeless Talk, Gorgeous Grunge
paper:  Coastal Cabana, Basic Black, Smoky Slate, Very Vanilla, Modern Medley dsp
ink:  Jet Black StazOn, Smoky Slate, Whisper White Craft ink
accessories:  Regals Candy Dots, sponge 

Santa's Sneak Peek

Have you taken a peek at this year's Holiday Catalog yet?  It is amazing!!!

My "had to have it" stamp set from the catalog is Santa's List.  I've been waiting a long time for a "real" Santa stamp......authentic looking....not too cutesy!!!  This one does not disappoint.

The card I am showing you today is a swap I made for the Near and Far Swappers.  We are a bunch of demonstrators who get together a couple of times a year and share our creativity!

This card is an easy one because I don't need to color him in if I don't want to.  It's so detailed that simply stamping him in Chocolate Chip ink was enough for me!

Shabby chic cards tend to be my favorite to make.  I use a lot of Crumb Cake cardstock, and I sponge.....A LOT!!!!  The sponging on this card toned down the brightness of both the lace doily and the Season of Style dsp.

All of the Holiday Catalog products are available to order on August 1st.  If you do not have a copy of the Holiday Catalog and you do not have a demonstrator, send me an email.  I will happily put one in the mail for you.

In the meantime, if you need some Stampin' Up! products, I hope you'll shop at my ONLINE STORE.  Thanks for choosing me as your demonstrator!

Card Recipe

stamps:  Santa's List, Sweet Essentials
paper:  Chocolate Chip, Crumb Cake, Cherry Cobbler, Season of Style
ink:  Chocolate Chip
accessories:  Lace Doily, Square punch, Circle Framelits, sponge 

You're in my Thoughts

These bright colors truly make me happy!!!!  

Do you know what else makes me happy?  Playing with my new catalog goodies, that's what!!!!

I love how the new catalog offers product bundles.  These bundles save you 15% when you purchase both the stamp set and the coordinating product (i.e. punch or Framelits).

I used the Flower Punch bundle to create this bright card.  The bundle includes both the Flower Shop stamp set and the Pansy Punch.  Love them both!!!!

Did you notice the intensity of color at the bottom of the card?  I simply brayered Island Indigo ink on the inside of my embossing folder before running my Island Indigo cardstock through my Big Shot.  Isn't the result stunning?

This magnificent designer series paper comes from the Gingham Garden pack.  Did you know that when your purchase 3 packs of Designer Series Paper (not including the Specialty packs or Color Family stacks), you get to choose an additional pack for FREE?

I will leave you with the card recipe in case you want to recreate this card.  Of course, if you need any Stampin' Up! supplies, I hope you'll stop by my ONLINE STORE to pick up any necessary supplies.  

Card Recipe

stamps:  Six-Sided Sampler, Best of Greetings
paper:  Island Indigo, Whisper White, Gingham Garden dsp
ink:  Early Espresso, Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight, Island Indigo, Crumb Cake
accessories:  Pansy Punch, Daffodil Delight Seam Binding, Large Rhinestones, Rhinestones, Circle Framelits, Beautifully Baroque embossing folder