Mr. and Mrs. Best Wishes

This design is newly made just last Friday. Yep - I finally got some stamping time, at home even! :)

The dress and tux appliques were actually favor bags that my aunt saved for me from my cousin's wedding. She thought I could use them on a card if I cut off the tulle pouch on the backs of them. She was right! :)

I wanted this card to be able to be used for anniversary or wedding. so I stamped the "Mr. and Mrs." sentiment from Fundamental Phrases tone on tone on the the now retired Brocade Blue color. And chose "Best wishes" from the Oval All stamp set. A few heart punches and some mini-glue dots to adhere the appliques and VOILA! - easy, fast and cute card. I'm giving this first one to my aunt as a thank you for the idea and the appliques. (She gave me several sets, so I'll be making more of these!) ENJOY!

HouseMouse Cupcake Celebration

This delightful House Mouse image has been sitting on my table, Copic-colored, waiting to be made into a card for several months. I was finally able to complete it - in stages - with the final stage being adding the sentiment and bling (LOVE the new bling SU added to the catty this year - self-adhesive rhinestones and pearls!) I've got a hodgepodge of materials in this design - retired DSP and NEW In Color Concord Crush.

ENJOY!

Just Believe in Bleach - Again

Here's another bleach technique sample. I mentioned in THIS POST how differently the image can turn out with this technique - now you see what I mean! Whereas the other design the bleached image was More Mustard in color - this one is definitely yellow! I contrast the yellow on the Garden Green with Early Espresso and Soft Suede. Then added the Cherry cobbler as an eye-popping splash of color to tone down - just a tad - the brightness of the yellow of the bleached image.

the Top Note die sets off the image, while a piece of retired antique brass Hodgepodge hardware sets off the sentiment from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set. A couple of Cherry Cobbler Brads completes the 'rule of 3' that draws your eye around the card - again, helping to ever-so-slightly dispell the brightness of the yellow. ENJOY!

Just Believe in Bleach

I had some 'extras' - okay, really they were my first attempts working with the bleach to create the card in THIS POST. Are you like me - can't let a piece of card stock go to waste? :) One of he things I like about the bleach technique (i.e. using bleach as your 'ink') is how different the image can turn out - even on the same color card stock. You'll see what I mean in the next post!

In this sample, the bleached image matched More Mustard almost exactly - so that's what I paired the Garden Green with - along with a 'paper' ribbon made with card stock and the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch, on the right side of the card. I used the same punch, only cut in half, for the confetti Cream scallop border on the left side of the card. I also used the Decorative Label Punch for the sentiment, as well as to add interest as a second border. ENJOY!

Heart to Heart Card Drive & Prize!

I participated in the first Heart to Heart Card Drive in 2008 (see this post), but somehow missed the second one. (More info about the Drive below.) I am pleased to join in again this year. You can read in my post from 2 years ago a bit about my Grandma, who suffers from Alzheimers. Grandma celebrated her 96th Birthday this past Summer. Here is a recent picture of her and my youngest son (her great-grandchild) laughing together. It was a moment of pure joy for them and for us experiencing their laughter. Joshua was smiling at his Great-Grandma and kicking his feet. Grandma thought his little kicky feet were funny and started to laugh. Her laugh made Joshua laugh, which made Great-Grandma laugh even more - and so it went for several minutes.
My card is a CASE from the current SU Idea Book & Catalog, using the stamp set "Just Believe". I think the verse is a beautiful reminder of what Faith truly means. This is the faith our caregivers have when they work day after day with their patients. This is the Faith that upholds the truth that all life is sacred and a gift from God - from womb to tomb. I can't even imagine missing the moment of pure joy, a bit of Heaven for sure! But I would have, had the lives of Grandma and Joshua not been valued and respected, and had my parents not been Grandma's caregiver.

Paper-crafter and stamp designer Carolyn King is once again heading up her Heart to Heart Card Drive. Begun in 2008 in celebration of the life of her grandma, who had Alzheimers - Carolyn wanted to thank the wonderful caregivers of her grandmother, as well as recognize caregivers across the world. In doing so - Carolyn was also able to find HUGE numbers of prize sponsors for her Card Drive. And I DO MEAN HUGE! Check out the link above to see the over $1,000 worth of prizes that ONE extremely lucky person will win this weekend. There's still time to participate - so please go check it out! ENJOY!

Favorite Fall Memory Challenge

This is a design I submitted for a "Favorite Fall Memory Challenge" by GinaK Designs. I love everything about Fall - the colors, the crunching leaves, apples, pumpkins, extra baking, soups and warm breads, chili, cool air and warm sunshine....it is hard to narrow down a favorite memory!

Our small town is known for it's apple orchard - Jonamac Apple Orchard and Corn Maze. Every Fall- the kids and I visit the play area several times, usually meeting other friends there. We enjoy apple doughnuts, apple cider, fresh apples - and of course CARAMEL APPLES! Yum! For this design, I used retired SU! designer series paper Summer Picnic. Then added a glittery apple "core" - isn't it cute?

TIP: I created it using the Round Tab Punch out of Confetti White. Then I punched another one out of Real Red and used my Paper Snips to cut off just the top and bottom edges, and attached them to the Confetti White core. For the seeds, I punched the smallest flower in the Boho Flower Punch, and used my Paper Snips to cut out the seeds.

Trivia Tidbit: Did you know that the number of seeds in an apple core indicates the number of times a bee visited the apple blossom for that apple? We learned that on a homeschool field trip to Royal Oak Apple Orchard!

I chose the verse, "Each of us is God's special work of art." from the retired SU stamp set Words of Wisdom. Fall is a beautiful reminder of the truth of this statement - each apple, pumpkin and colored leaf - no two are ever alike - just like each of us, His human creation!
ENJOY!

Sneak Peek - NEW COLORS!

I'm still hosting Chat & challenges over on SUDSOL (the online community for SU demonstrators), and this week, instead of giving a sketch - I gave 8 tasks or steps that asked participants to gather certain supplies. Once all 8 steps were given, they then had 30 minutes to design a project using only what they had just gathered. My inspiration for the steps came from THIS CARD I had done earlier. I actually got time to play along with my own requirements this go around (it's been a loooong time since I could do that!) I wanted to use the "July Fourth" stamp set currently in the Summer Mini, also available as a digital download! The 'stamping off' technique works wonderfully to create a sky full of fireworks - don't you agree? :)

Notice the colors? The blue is the past In Color Pacific Point - it's back as part of SU!'s Color Renovation of our core color families. The red is a BRAND NEW color - Cherry Cobbler - aslo part of the Color Renovation and the new core color families which will be released July 1st with the NEW CATALOG & IDEA BOOK! If you don't already have a demonstrator, and would like a Stampin' Up! 2010/11 Idea Book & Catalog - contact me or order it via my SU website on July 1st. you'll also be able to view it online via my SU website on July 1st. If you're like me - nothing beats a hard copy of an SU catalog though! :)

This design also uses: "Fundamental Phrases" & "I (Heart) Hearts" stamp sets, Big Shot, Top Note Die, Curly Label Punch, Build-a-Brad, Fire Rhinestone Circle Brads, Eyelet Border Punch & Dimensionals.

Oh yes - and here are the 8 Requirements if you'd like to play along... 3 colors of card stock (one can be DSP), 2 stamp sets, 2 coordinating ink colors (can match if you like), 1 punch shape, 1 border (can be a border punch or anything else), 3 embellishments; 1 popped up item & at least 3 layers (can have more, but not less). It was fun to see all the different card layouts that came out of these 8 requirements. GIVE IT A TRY! Then link your creation back here so we can all see what you came up with.

I'll be using this card as a wedding anniversary card for friends who were married in the beginning of July. ENJOY!