I should always have extra cards made -- just in case!

Yesterday at about 3:30 pm my dear husband Randy called me from work and said that he needed a card for his co-worker Gary.  Randy informed me that Gary's last day on the job is today.  Now, my dear Randy knew this information two weeks ago, but neglected to tell me until the day before he needed it. 

So after I cooked dinner, broke up some disagreements between the kids, cleaned up the leftovers, washed dishes, put a load of laundry in the washer, got the kids ready for bed, looked for an already finished card that I might be able to use (and didn't find!), and broke up some more disagreements, I took time to make Gary's card.  The only request that Randy made was that it say, "Best Wishes."

Without further adieu:

Stamps: Lovely as a Tree, Fabulous Phrases
Card Stock: Soft Suede, Old Olive, Very Vanilla
Ink:  Soft Suede
Accessories:  word window punch modern label punch, sponge

It's not a complicated card at all.  I own the Fabulous Phrases stamp set in the clear mount variety, so I mounted the two words next to each other and stamped them at once.  Then I punched out the words with the word window punch.  After that, I adhered the words to a piece of soft suede card stock, then I punched it out using the modern label punch.  It's much easier to do it that way so you don't have to fuss about getting the top layer centered on such a small area. 

I was a bit disappointed that I didn't already have a card made - even one that I could switch out sentiments.  Honestly, Randy rarely asks me for cards.  And I don't often send masculine cards.  So I will have to make some man-cards to add to my stash.  I also do not have any sympathy cards on hand either.  (Those are not fun to make, so I usually wait till I actually need one.  That way, I can also pray while I'm creating.)

Even though I seem like I'm whining a bit with having to make this card at the last minute, I really didn't mind.  Randy appreciated that I made the card for him.  He knows that I am a multi-taleted wife and mom and never let him down : )

Happy Stamping!

Susan

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Christmas ATCs

I've got my four children home for the Christmas holiday : )  My sister, who only has one child and lives in a spotless house on the weekends (she lives with my mom and dad during the week because of her job -- long story!) came to visit this morning.  Toys, pillows, blankets, dirty dishes, etc. were ALL over the living room floor.  Even after she complained, I didn't even care.  My kids are having fun and that's what matters.  The mess has been cleaned up numerous times and it will get cleaned up again.

Today I'm sharing Christmas ATCs that I sent out earlier this week.  I belong to the Transit Traders, an artist trading card group that meets quarterly to, of course, trade cards, share techniques, etc.  At the October meeting we all decided to make Christmas ATCs and send them to everyone in the group.  At first I thought, "Oh no!  One more thing that I have to do for Christmas."

Cards from other members started arriving in the mail and I started to feel the pressure.  It took me a while to decide exactly what I was going to do. Once I got started I really enjoyed creating these beauties: 

I stamped the trees with versamark, then applied white embossing powder.  After that, I used the void area from the scallop oval punch to add clouds to the sky and snow to the ground.  My only regret is that I didn't put a "merry Christmas" on it somewhere. But I like it how it is.  And that's how I like my living room, too.

Stamps:  Lovely as a Tree
Paper:  Bashful Blue, Brushed Silver, Night of Navy
Ink:  versamark, craft white
Accessories:  white embossing powder, scallop oval punch, sponge dauber

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Christmas Angels

Yesterday afternoon the elementary bus that my two daughters ride was over 10 minutes late coming home.  The schools they attend are only blocks away, so I knew that something was amiss.  I called my husband at work and he told me that there was a bus accident across town.  I started to pray for whoever was injured.  A few minutes later, the girls safely arrived home.  My dear Annika was concerned about being late because she had no way of contacting me and knew I'd be worried.

I still didn't know any details about the collision with the bus.  Rumors were going around town, so I found some information online.  Here is a link to the news article.  The front page of The Derrick had this photo on it:

 

The teenage driver of the car suffered multiple fractures and other injuries.  I haven't heard an update on his condition, but he was life-flighted from the scene.  Several students on the bus suffered minor injuries.  Please pray for all of those who are suffering from this tragic accident.

I haven't updated my blog in a few weeks.  I participated in a vendor fair a few weeks ago and was busy making cards, etc. to sell.  Then I've just been busy with life.

Here is a card that I made for my friend, Tina.  She bought the stamp set from me and insisted that I use it before delivering it to her.  Today's card is a personal reminder of how thankful I am for my family.

Stamp Set:  Angelic Joy
Paper:  Always Artichoke, Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla, regal dsp
Ink: Cherry Cobbler, versamark
Accessories:  gold embossing powder, Very Vanilla taffeta ribbon. modern label punch

I have another version of this card using Concord Crush and Daffodil Delight.

Happy Stamping!

Susan

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Breanna's Birthday Card

My five year-old daughter is going to her friend Breanna's birthday party/sleepover tomorrow.  The party starts at the roller skating rink, then they'll go back to Breanna's house for pizza and girly fun.

Dide wanted to make the card.  I helped her choose the sentiment, then she wanted to add "those pointy things" (brads).  I helped her with the placement of some items like the rhinestones.  She did all of the stamping.  Take a look:

And here's Dide proudly holding the card:

Stamps: Afterthoughts (level 1 hostess set)

Ink: Rich Razzleberry

Paper: Certainly Celery, Rich Razzleberry, brights dsp, Whisper White

Accessories: 2 3/8" scallop circle punch,  1 3/4" circle punch, scallop edge punch, rhinestones, assorted brads

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Evelyn's workshop

Last summer  I did a "Christmas in July" craft show.  Didn't sell a lick of Stampin' Up!, but I got my name out there. A few of the people who stopped by my table signed up for my mailing list and attended my stamp camp.  The best thing that happened to me that day was that I was stationed beside my friend Evelyn Wheeler who is a Pampered Chef consultant.  I have hosted two Pampered Chef shows for Evelyn over the last few years, so it was only fitting that I ask her to host a Stampin' Up! workshop for me.

Recognize that stamped image?  It's the large pine tree from the Lovely as a Tree stamp set.  I got this idea from Sharon Field and simplified it up a bit for my friend Evelyn's make-n-take.



The colors I chose were Real Red and Always Artichoke. I stamped the tree on Whisper White, then added the stamped and punch ornament with some Stampin' Dimensionals and some retired gold cording. Then I matted it with Real Red and Always Artichoke card stock.

What I really loved about doing the workshop for Evelyn was that some of the ladies decided to personalize their envelopes with the pine cone stamp. They all turned out really cute.

Happy stamping!

Susan

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Wish Big

Yesterday I took my three daughters to a birthday party for Grace at a roller skating rink.  All of the kids had a lot of fun.  Grace is the daughter of my friend, Rhonda.  We went to the same high school many years ago, but didn't get to know each other until we had kids.  Grace is about six months older than my daughter, Dide (a Dutch name pronounced Dee-da.)  Rhonda and I have share parenting issues for a while now.

I wanted to make Grace a special birthday card, so here it is:

Dide helped me choose the size of the rhinestone. It is the smallest in the pack allowing for the points of the star to be visible.  The card has lots of pink and coordinated with Grace's princess theme : )

Stamp: Word Play

Paper:  Whisper White, Pink Pirouette, Regal Rose, Melon Mambo

Ink:  Melon Mambo

Accessories: Big Shot, Square Lattice embossing folder, rhinestone, white gel pen, 2 3/8" punch, 1 3/4" punch

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Christmas Stamp Camp

I have to say that I've been neglecting my blog for a few weeks.  No excuse other than I've been busy with the kids.  As with other things, I need to discipline myself to regularly contribute to my blog...Over the last few months I've been designing cards for three different stamp camps.  This card is one of the cards that we're making at my Christmas Stamp Camp.

Inspiration for this card came from Sharon Field.  She designed a card last November that had a door for the focal point.  She gave credit to Rosemary Diehl.  I wanted to do something a little different, yet keep it simple.  I started with Real Red card stock for my door and used a sponge dauber to add Frost White shimmer paint to the edges of the trim.  My door handle is a jumbo brad.  The wreath stamp comes from the Welcome Christmas stamp set.  I inked the stamp with Always Artichoke and stamped it onto Old Olive card stock, then cut it out.  The wreath was finished off by coloring the berries with a Real Red marker then adding Dazzling Diamonds and a white taffeta bow.

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Legoland

In the summer of 2004, Randy and I took the kids (we only had Bradley and Annika then) to Legoland Deutschland.  It was about a six hour drive from our home in the Netherlands across part of Germany to get there.  Oh, what a trip that was!  Rolling hills lined with vineyards for miles and miles, whining kids in the car saying, "Are we there yet?" 

At the front gates of Legoland, there were HUGE Lego pieces made into a sculpture  Inside the gates were real-sized lego pieces glued together into life-size objects - people, animals, furniture, etc.  It was so cool - a trip I'll always remember!

Last month, I found Lorri's card right around the time of our neighbor Christian's birthday. Perfect timing to put Lorri's idea to work!  The Lego set was a mostly red, one from Ben 10, so I used Real Red cardstock along with my 1 3/8 inch circle punch. I inked up a stamp from the Birthday Bliss set with Basic Black ink (I got that set FREE from Stampin' Up! last spring during SAB!)  Before I put the card together, I sponged the circles with Real Red ink to add some depth.  So simple : )

Bradley has been home sick for two days with a fever and an upset stomach.  This morning, now that he's starting to feel better, he got out an old Lego instruction booklet and started putting together a lion.  All of the pieces are mixed in with a gazzillion other Lego sets.  I can hear the sound of Legos being sorted and swished around on the carpet right now.  For those of you who have kids who play with Legos, you know the sound I'm writing about.  From all my years of cleaning up Legos, I got smart and had Bradley dump them onto a big blanket.  It makes for an easier clean-up.  Just fold the blanket up and funnel it into the plastic bin when construction is completed.  So far, Bradley has found all of the pieces to his lion.

Happy stamping!

Susan

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Baby Cards

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine, Amber, had a baby girl.  Of course, I wanted to send a card to celebrate the addition to their family.  As it usually happens, whenever I need a card to send right away, I don't have one ready.  So this time I got smart and made four cards - two girl ones and two boy ones.

I'll be ready when the next boy makes his appearance on this earth. Here's the card to prove it.



Above is the card that I sent to my friend Amber and her family.  I used the Top Note die, the 1 1/4 inch square punch, and the petals a plenty embossing folder to make the "baby quilt."  The stamp is from a retired set called So Many Scallops.   I added some Dazzling Diamonds using the two-way glue pen to the moon and stars.   Welcome baby Rylyn!

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Greeting Card Witch

I first saw a card very similar to this on Diana Gibbs' blog.  I really loved her card, but I had to change it up a bit since I didn't have the Wicked Fun dsp.  How is it that once I get an idea in my head, I find it so hard NOT to think about it?  Then inspiration hit me one day while blog surfing. I saw the color combo that Dawn Griffith used on a card, Tangerine Tango and Peach Parfait.  Thus, my card came to life!

I cut the background pieces large enough to leave just 1/16th of an inch around the edges.  I kinda like that look.  I stamped the girl using StazOn jet black ink on watercolor paper.  I colored it with several different marker colors and also used my aqua painter on the dress and the pumpkin. I thought about adding a sentiment, but I chose a simpler look.  What do you think?

If you'd like to know how to create this cute card, please join me at the Oil City YWCA on Monday, October 11th at my stamp camp.  Call 676-6528 to register.

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Pocket Silhouettes

WAY back in 1985 when I was studying psychology at Allegheny College, I wrote my undergraduate thesis on computer anxiety.  This was at the time when students were moving from typewriters and Brother word processors over to PCs. It was the era of WordPerfect.  Remember the black screen with green characters and dot matrix printers? Or maybe it was the blue screen with white letters. (It's okay,  I know you've done the math and figured out how OLD I am!)  My thesis was actually fun to write.  I thought I got over my personal computer anxiety,  but it's coming back as I tackle my new computer challenge -- BLOGGING!

Since I'm new to this blogging thing, I know I have to go into my photo editing program and add a watermark to my creations.  But that will come with future posts. One thing at a time!  I was just so happy this morning to get a "subscribe" button on my blog.  Yes, I am patting myself on the back for that one ; )

This card is an adaptation from page 111 of the IBC. I used markers to ink up the Pocket Silhouette stamp - old olive, melon mambo, so saffron and pear pizzazz.  The sentiment is from Teeny Tiny Wishes.  The card base is melon mambo.  I ran the large white layer through my Big Shot with the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder.  It is finished off with some pearls in the center of the flowers along with some old olive satin ribbon.

Let me know what you think!



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Ready for Class on Monday

Here's one of the cards that I designed for my upcoming stamp camp at the Oil City YWCA on Monday, September 27th.  This card uses the Greeting Card Kids, Curly Cute and Baroque Motifs stamp sets from Stampin' Up!  The colors are Cherry Cobbler, Crumb Cake, Very Vanilla, and Night of Navy.  I also used the new Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch as well as the paper piercing tool and the mat pack.

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Gearing up!

It's been a few busy weeks in our house, getting used to the school schedules, etc.  Yesterday I photographed several cards and hope to have the pics posted very soon.  I'm getting ready for my first stamp camps at the YW in two weeks.  I hope to attract a few new people to stamping.

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No time to stamp!

With summer coming to a close, three of my kids will be back to school.  Hopefully, I'll have more time to stamp and work on my blog.  I sometimes feel paralysed by my children.  They're just kids, so I shouldn't feel bad about how they act.  But sometimes I just cannot get a THING done when they're around. 
Here are a few examples:

     Someone is hungry and needs me.
     Someone is tired and needs me. 
     Someone made a mess and I have to clean it up.
     Someone is fighting.
     Someone is sick.
     Some one wants to help me stamp.

One of my kids is starting kindergarten.  I have bittersweet feelings about it.  I want her to grow up and be a big girl.  Yet at the same time, I don't want her to leave the house.  And I know that her two year-old sister is going to miss her like crazy!

So when my kindergartener gets on that bus I think I'm gonna go home and cry. I'll be too depressed to stamp that day.

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