Two Mother's Day Cards and Two Challenges

A few days ago I entered a card recipe swap on Stampin' Connection, an online community for Stampin' Up! demonstrators.  My task was to use a product from the upcoming Summer Mini catalog. I chose the category "Mother's Day."  It wasn't until after I commited to the swap that I realized that I didn't purchase many preorder items from that catalog,  (Trying to use some self-control here!)  The only item I had to work with was the Strength & Hope stamp set.  I have two versions:

Oops! I forgot to trim my ribbon on this one.

The second card is actually the first one that I made.  Although I do like the Paisley Petals designer series paper, something about it bothered me.  That's why I created another card.  Here's some neat things I did on this project:

1.  I  colored the taffeta ribbon by rubbing it over my baja Breeze ink pad.  

2. To get that cool border around the Word Window punch, I cut one piece of card stock using the Decorative Label punch, then re-fed it the opposite way back into the punch.  (Can't remember where I saw that idea to give credit.)

3. Immediately after stamping my butterflies, I poured clear embossing powder over them and heat set it. A second butterfly is on top of the first one. I simply followed the pattern on the butterfly to cut a smaller image.  The antennae are "attached" to the bottom butterfly.

I'm entering this card in two challenges this week, Stamping 411 and SUO Challenges.

Stamps: Strength & Hope, Teeny Tiny Wishes

Paper: Whisper White, Baja Breeze, Always Artichoke, Night of Navy 

Ink: Baja Breeze, Soft Suede, Night of Navy, Always Artichoke 

Accessories: Big Shot, Vintage Wallpaper textured impressions embossing folder, Petals-a-Plenty textured impressions embossing folder, Word Window punch, Decorative Label punch, Scallop Trim Border punch, heat tool, clear embossing powder, Whisper White taffeta ribbon, pearls, sponges, dimensionals

Happy Stamping!

Susan

Tweet

Bonnie's Beautiful Bird Birthday Card

I love alliterations. Can you tell by the title?

Last month I did a workshop for some ladies who've been stamping for a few years.  They're a neat group who work together (or whose husbands work together) and share a joy of paper crafting.  During every workshop that I do, I always do the "door prize" thing.  Well, this time I had all of them add their birthday to the bottom of the sheet.  I made no promises about sending them birthday cards, but I said I'd try.  Weeks passed and I forgot about the birthdays written on those door prize forms.  Then just last week I began looking for the forms and discovered that  I COULDN'T FIND THEM.  Two of them were sitting on my work table, but the others had disappeared.  Why weren't they all together?  How could the librarian in me forget to file the birthdays away someplace safe???

Panic set in, followed by a peace.  I pride myself in finding everything around this house - eventually.  So I knew the forms would turn up.  In the meantime,  I remembered one of the ladies birthdays earlier in the month  (see this post) and made her a card.  Lo and behold, two or three days ago I found the door prize forms  while working on this post.  I quickly transformed from overtired mother and housewife into "Super-Stamper-Librarian Woman" and put those cards in date order. Then I read the dates and realized that I had a card to create for Bonnie.  Here it is:


I had the butterflies cut ahead of time. One of them is a retired color, Barely Banana.

The bird was punched out of So Saffron card stock using the Two-Step Bird punch, then sponged with Regal Rose ink.  I glued a ring of Pear Pizzazz leaves from the bird punch onto Crumb Cake card stock.  (I chose that color because I didn't really think my project through to the end.  Next time, I'd do it over again using another color.)   I sponged the First Edition dsp, the card base, and the Modern Label shape with Soft Suede ink.  The sentiment is from the new birthday stamp set from the Occasions Mini called Bring on the Cake.  The card size is 4 1/4" x 4 1/4". 
Stamps: Bring on the Cake
Paper: Pink Pirouette, So Saffron, Crumb Cake, Pear Pizzazz, Pretty in Pink, First Edition designer series paper
Ink: Regal Rose, Soft Suede
Accessories: Two-Step Bird punch, Word Window punch, Modern Label punch, Big Shot, Beautiful Wings embosslits die, dimensionals

Clarice had one teeny accident today while I was in the shower.  She came into the bathroom and said, "Mommy, I peed. Don't worry, I keened it all up."  After I got out of the bathroom, I saw the wet kitchen towel beside her potty and a trail of pee footprints leading from the dining room to the kitchen.

Happy Stamping!

Susan

Tweet

Valentine's Day ATCs and Faith

Happy Valentine's Day!  I'm not only sharing with you the Valentine's Day ATCs that I made a few weeks ago, but I'm also going to try and add a video link to my blog today.  Can't be that hard, right?

I wrote once before about being part of the Transit Traders, a group of lovely ladies who share their talents and dedication to making ATCs.  For January's meeting I made Valentine's Day ATC to share/trade.  Here they are:



Sorry, this photo is a little blurry.

 Stamps: Paisley Prints (retired), Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Cherry Cobbler, Pretty in Pink, Pink Pirouette, Whisper White, red glimmer paper
Ink: Pretty in Pink, Real Red marker
Accessories: Full Heart punch, Small Heart punch, Modern Label punch, Word Window punch, Big Shot, Finial Press embossing folder

I didn't realize until I wrote the supply list how many items it actually took to create this ATC!  Sure hope this stamp set comes out of retirement and makes it in the new catalog because I really love it!  The only special thing I did on these cards was ink up the Paisley Prints heart stamp with pretty in pink ink, then color over a few of the paisley shapes with my real red marker.   My cousin Kate also attends the Transit Traders group. A few days before the January meeting, she seemed a bit concerned that I didn't have my ATCs completed yet.  Maybe it takes her a long time.  After all, some of the ladies make more than one type of card to trade.   That's too complicated for me; I prefer to mass produce in an assembly line method.  I simply whipped up the ATCs the morning of the meeting!  I can do that because I am the "Stampin' Mom of Four!" 

Now onto the faith part of my post.  As you know, my friend and downline Linda has been with her 13 year-old grandson Nick and his family in Massachusetts as he recovered from a cardiac arrest.  Well, miracles can happen and Nick is back to school.  He still has a lot of healing to do.  Have faith, Nick!  This one is dedicated to you!

Happy stamping!

Susan

Tweet

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

Tweet